Othello Swan Song Essays

Othello Swan Song Essays Othello Swan Song Essay Othello Swan Song Essay In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice he presents his character of Othello as having all the great qualities of a true leader, but also a man who lacks any type of reasoning power. Othello being the ideal hero has strength, prowess, and battlefield knowledge. However these ideas of leadership do not translate well into situations in the real world and in this case, situations dealing with the heart. The battlefield and senate are where Othello feel most comfortable. They are places of truth where men go to be honest about matters of war. As well, these matters of war and state are relatively simple and are subjects in which Othello can relate. This simple view that Othello has, does not bode well for him on the subject of true love and passion. His marriage is one based on stories and he never really examines who his true friends are. In Othello’s mind he is loved by everyone he knows. This examination of Othello’s character would show that he means well and leads even better, but he lacks judgment skills and common sense. This is most evident in his final speech before he commits suicide, where even though his end is proper, he never fully realizes what he has done, or takes responsibility for what has just happened. It is clear that Othello loves Desdemona, and the quote â€Å"One who loved not wisely, but too well† (Shakespeare V. ii. 353) is directed mainly at her. When he does come to realize the truth behind Desdemona’s innocence, Othello is legitimately tortured. â€Å"This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven / And friends will snatch at it† (V. ii. 283-284) It is obvious that he tormented by the fact that he has just killed his wife. It is now for the first time seen that maybe Othello is at a loss of what to do with his power â€Å"Do you go back to dismayed? Tis a lost fear: / Man but a rush against Othello’s breast, / And he retires. † (V. ii. 279-280) This is not Othello’s usual hard grit style, but this is how the way a man of nobility should react when he has mistakenly taken the life of his wife. Yet Othello’s words in his speech give a deeper thought into how he still doesn’t seen to fully understand the situation. â€Å"Who can control his fate? † (V. ii. 274) he asked, which shows he is not taking full responsibility, placing the responsibility on the heavens. It is beyond a doubt that Othello is in fact the one to blame, though he still cannot recognize his failure at reasoning. Though the final words of Othello are excellent, they like Othello himself, are flawed. Every sentence seems to reveal a character flaw or personal problem. When he says he â€Å"loved not wisely, but too well† this is also true in terms of Iago. Othello’s marriage is based solely on stories and on pity. Othello objectifies his wife and shows no trust in her. It is debatable whether Othello is gullible, but he does buy Iago’s deceitful tale of Cassio’s affair. This is where the quote comes into play. Until Iago, Othello was never betrayed by anyone. He puts so much love and trust into Iago that he is blinded by his cunning ways. In his final moment Othello truly believed that he was being possessed and blames his hand for the sin he commits â€Å"of one whos hand, / threw a pearl away. † (V. ii. 255-256) He still does not see that his faults were exploited by Iago and used against him. Although killing himself could be seen as a dignified action, Othello truly thinks that he was forced to do this action by some unseen evil, not by his trustworthy ally Iago. It is not until Iago’s plan came to light by Emilia that Othello realized Iago is truly evil, but still holds on to the idea that a noble man such as he must have been possessed by demons to do such an evil crime. It is almost as though at this point Othello cannot believe that he is capable of such a deed. So if one were to go deeper, it could be seen that Othello in a certain way is guilty of loving himself too well. He is recognized as having such a high reputation as a military leader, which is supported by the fact that he never in the play shows off his fighting skills, but no one objects to him being a qualified general. Therefore he must have the qualities needed to reach such a rank. He speaks well, and is widely respected. However these skills as a general only cause problems in his life as a civilian. Othello has it in his head that he is such a noble man, (because up until this point he has had no reason to think other wise) that when his nobility is put in jeopardy, he does not put the responsibly on himself but on outside forces that are out of his control. It is possible to observe Othello as a good, kindhearted man who is never betrayed until he is by Iago. He is a strong soldier who falls from glory only because Iago is so cunning and so evil. In Jeff Statts character review of Othello he defines â€Å"tragic† as â€Å"something very unfortunate, even or person not likely to win love of the surrounding world†(Statts) It is as well possible to say that maybe Othello does not die as a tragic hero, but as someone who is destroyed by evil. But the fact that his marriage could be seen as shallow and that if Othello had only been honest with his wife and his lieutenant then he would have found the truth himself. Jeff Statts article says it quite nicely, â€Å"The combination of blind love to his wife without rational thinking is the main problem that will lead our hero to his tragic ending. † (Statts) Othello could lead, but when it comes to reasoning, he cannot. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. Literature A Pocket Anthology. Ed. R. S. Gwynn, Wanda Campbell. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Longman, 2005. Print. Statts, Jeff. Character Review. 1888articles (2007): n. pag. Web. Dec 2010. lt; 1888articles. com/character-review-othello-0152t57ezz2. htmlgt;. Bibliography Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. Literature A Pocket Anthology. Ed. R. S. Gwynn, Wanda Campbell. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Longman, 2005. Print. Christie, M. J. Othello: Notes Toronto: Coles 1976. Print Crowther, John, ed. â€Å"No Fear Othello. † SparkNotes. com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. Hunter, Britany. O Proves to Have Long Shelf Life. Carillion 44. 5 (2001): n. pag. Web. 1 Dec 2010. lt; carillon. uregina. ca/01. 09. 13/o. htmlgt;. Othello is a play that has been studied quite thoroughly. It is hard now a days to understand Shakespeare’s English because it is almost an entirely differ ent language then what we speak today. I defiantly believe the most useful source when studying Shakespeare is Spark Notes. This gives you an accurate translation into modern day English and can help those who are lost understand the magic of Shakespeare’s plays

Modern Female Infanticide in Asia

Modern Female Infanticide in Asia In China and India alone, an estimated 2,000,000 baby girls go missing each year. They are selectively aborted, killed as newborns, or abandoned and left to die. Neighboring countries with similar cultural traditions, such as South Korea and Nepal, have also faced this problem.   What are the traditions that lead to this massacre of baby girls? What modern laws and policies have addressed or exacerbated the problem? The root causes of female infanticide are similar but not exactly the same in Confucian countries like China and South Korea, versus predominantly Hindu countries such as India and Nepal. India and Nepal According to Hindu tradition, women are lower incarnations than men of the same caste. A woman cannot obtain release (moksha) from the cycle of death and rebirth. On a more practical day-to-day level, women traditionally could not inherit property or carry on the family name. Sons were expected to take care of their elderly parents in return for inheriting the family farm or shop. Daughters drained the family of resources  because they had to have an expensive dowry to get married; a son, of course, would bring dowry wealth into the family. A womans social status was so dependent on that of her husband that if he died and left her a widow, she was often expected to commit sati rather than going back to her birth family. As a result of these beliefs, parents had a strong preference for sons. A baby girl was seen as a robber, who would cost the family money to raise, and who then would take her dowry and go to a new family when she got married. For centuries, sons were given more food in times of scarcity, better medical care, and more parental attention and affection. If a family felt like they had too many daughters already, and another girl was born, they might smother her with a damp cloth, strangle her, or leave her outside to die. In recent years, advances in medical technology have made the problem much worse. Instead of waiting nine months to see which gender the baby would be, families today have access to ultrasounds that can tell them the childs gender just four months into the pregnancy. Many families who want a son will abort a female fetus. Sex determination tests are illegal in India, but doctors routinely accept bribes to carry out the procedure, and such cases are almost never prosecuted. The results of gender-selective abortion have been stark. The normal sex ratio at birth is about 105 males for each 100 females  because girls naturally survive to adulthood more often than boys. Today, for each 105 boys born in India, only 97 girls are born. In the most skewed district of Punjab, the ratio is 105 boys to 79 girls. Although these numbers dont look too alarming, in a country as populous as India, that translates to 37 million more men than women as of 2014. This imbalance has contributed to a rapid rise in horrific crimes against women. It seems logical that where women are a rare commodity, they would be treasured and treated with great respect. However, what happens in practice is that men commit more acts of violence against women where the gender balance is skewed. In recent years, women in India have faced increasing threats of rape, gang rape, and murder, in addition to domestic abuse from their husbands or their parents-in-law. Some women are killed for failing to produce sons, perpetuating the cycle. Sadly, this problem seems to be growing more common in Nepal, as well. Many women there cannot afford an ultrasound to determine the sex of their fetuses, so they kill or abandon baby girls after they are born. The reasons for the recent increase in female infanticide in Nepal are not clear. China and South Korea In China and South Korea, peoples behavior and attitudes today are still shaped to a large degree by the teachings of Confucius, an ancient Chinese sage. Among his teachings were the ideas that men are superior to women, and that sons have a duty to take care of their parents when the parents grow too old to work.   Girls, in contrast, were seen as a burden to raise, just as they were in India. They could not carry on the family name or blood-line, inherit the family property, or perform as much manual labor on the family farm. When a girl married, she was lost to a new family, and in centuries past, her birth parents might never see her again if she moved to a different village to marry. Unlike India, however, Chinese women do not have to provide a dowry when they marry. This makes the financial cost of raising a girl less onerous. However, the Chinese governments One Child Policy, enacted in 1979, has led to gender imbalance similar to Indias. Faced with the prospect of only having a single child, most parents in China preferred to have a son. As a result, they would abort, kill, or abandon baby girls. To help alleviate the problem, the Chinese government altered the policy to allow parents to have a second child if the first one was a girl, but many parents still do not want to bear the expense of raising and educating two children, so they will get rid of girl babies until they get a boy. In parts of China today, there are 140 men for every 100 women. The lack of brides for all of those extra men means that they cannot have children and carry on their families names, leaving them as barren branches. Some families resort to kidnapping girls in order to marry them to their sons. Others import brides from Vietnam, Cambodia, and other Asian nations. In South Korea, too, the current number of marriage-age men is much larger than the available women. This is because, in the 1990s, South Korea had the worst gender-at-birth imbalance in the world. Parents still clung to their traditional beliefs about the ideal family, even as the economy grew explosively and people grew wealthy. In addition, educating children about the sky-high standards common in Korea is very expensive. As a result of growing wealth, most families had access to ultrasounds and abortions, and the nation as a whole saw 120 boys being born for every 100 girls throughout the 1990s. As in China, some South Korean men today are bringing brides in from other Asian countries. However, it is a difficult adjustment for these women, who usually dont speak Korean and dont understand the expectations that will be placed on them in a Korean family - particularly the enormous expectations around their childrens education. Yet South Korea is a success story. In just a couple of decades, the gender-at-birth ratio has normalized at about 105 boys per 100 girls. This is mostly a result of changing social norms. Couples in South Korea have realized that women today have more opportunities to earn money and gain prominence - the current prime minister is a woman, for example. As capitalism booms, some sons have abandoned the custom of living with and caring for their elderly parents, who are now more likely to turn to their daughters for old-age care. Daughters are growing ever more valuable. There are still families in South Korea with, for example, a 19-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son. The implication of these bookend families is that several other daughters were aborted in between. But the South Korean experience shows that improvements in the social status and earning potential of women can have a profoundly positive effect on the birth ratio. It can actually prevent female infanticide.

HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HRM - Essay Example Moreover the staffs feel a greater sense of insecurity for the people of the upper management fail to pay a pleasant ear to their problems. Thus the company in the current juncture is largely facing the threat of rise in attrition levels of the staffs. Older staffs of the company have started developing a feeling that they are being rendered the same importance as given to the newcomers for which they are reflecting less attachment to the task ordered (Fuller, n.d.). Thus the management needs to devise plan of action to let the staff feel secured and motivated so as to reduce the attrition rate. Human Resource Audit-Significance In review of the above problems occurring in GS Plumbing the case for conducting a Human Resource Audit is widely suggested. The Human Resource Audit conducted would help the management to understand the potential and significance of the different Human Resource policies in properly monitoring the activities of the people through the satisfactory compliance o f legal and legislative standards. Human Resource Auditing Process earns due importance for it rests on the activity of conducting interviews on the staffs and employees of the concern pertaining to different levels. Subjects of the interviews mainly aim at highlighting the conditions of employment being offered by the company and the amount of job satisfaction reflected by the large number of interviewees amongst the employees. The Human Resource Audit activities are conducted both by internal and external people. However audit team generated from the external environment is considered more dependable than the internal audit team. The scope of Human Resource Audit is emphasized for it helps in the identification of obsolete policies being practiced by the company and renders fruitful suggestions in changing such for better efficiency. Further Human Resource Audit also helps in enhancing the training dimension of the company to better enhance the working standards of its employees. This practice also helps to focus on the areas, which are deprived of policy regulations and thereby provide efficient mechanisms, which would help in the sorting of problems pertaining to such. Thus the Human Resource Auditing Activity, which in itself is a quite expensive operation, encourages the indulgence of both the management and staff levels. It is because the set of policy recommendations suggested to develop the performances of the organization must be welcomed and reviewed by all. Through such the system of Human Resource Audit earns its due expertise (Gross, 2011). Unplanned Absence of Employees The employees at GS Plumbing were found taking sudden leaves which failed to be administered by the upper management owing to their unplanned nature. Unplanned leaves taken by employees constituted of absences regarding breakdown of their personal health or of the family members. Again the category of unplanned leaves also comprised of employee leaves, which happened due to occur rences of serious accidents in the workplace, and other leaves, which were payless in nature. To address the problem of the growing number of unplanned absences the managers both at the strategic and tactical level are required to conduct a useful process. Firstly the managers and the supervisory team must work to augment to make others aware of the frequencies and consequences of such leaves. Thereby a set of close monitoring actions also needs

Global health Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Global health - Assignment Example In the year 2005 alone, over 17.5million persons succumbed to cardiovascular diseases. This is a staggering 30% representation of deaths globally (World Health Organization, 2014). Deaths related to cardiovascular diseases is mainly common in developing countries and global health stakeholders need to improve healthcare systems in such countries. Malnutrition is another health issue that still needs to be eradicated globally and in particular, in the developing world. At the present, mortality rate among children aged 5years and below stand at 7.5million annually. This is a case whereby preventable measures may involve establishing efficient healthcare systems and funding to sustain such systems in the long term basis. On another note, infectious diseases is also causing headache to global healthcare stakeholders such as the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2008 alone, over 6.7 million persons succumbed to infectious disease. This prevalence rate is higher compared to persons who die from natural causes or other man-made catastrophes (Ney, 2012). HIV/AIDS is still a menace globally and new infections are reported almost on a daily basis. Much has been done to eradicate Tuberculosis; however, while the treatment is free, Tuberculosis is still a major cause of death in the developing world as a result of ignorance and lack of concerted effort from healthcare stakeholders in various countries, especially the developing world Malaria on the other hand, records high mortality rate among children aged below five years because a lack of primary prevention, and in particular, the Sub-Saharan Africa (Lavery et al., 2013). The solutions to global health problems require a thourough research by the major stakeholders. This allows the establishment of proper mechanisms or policies to deal with global health problems and avoid the mismanagement of funds channeled to solve the various global health problems. The

NET framework and common language runtime Essay Example for Free

NET framework and common language runtime Essay The . NET framework is a component of Windows that enables the running of more advanced applications and XML Web services (DePetrillo, 2002). One of the main aim of coming up with this framework is to enable applications to have a consistent object-oriented programming methodology. It is also useful in that it eliminate software deployment and the execution of code safely without problems of scripting and interpreted environments. Microsoft. NET is also referred to as Windows DNA, it was a Microsoft’s previous platform used for developing all enterprise applications. It includes a variety of proven technologies which are in the production they include Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) and COM+, Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ), the Microsoft SQL Server database. Common Language Runtime provides the . NET framework applications an environment to execute. These language runtime includes common type system Just-in-time compiler, manages memory and gives compiler the security required. Design of . NET and Common Language Runtime (CLR) The design of . NE framework gives of room for interoperability. .NET frameworks have a way of allowing applications which were developed in the framework to still operate in environments outside of . NET environment. The ability to access COM components is made possible by . NET developers which are in the SRIS and the System Services namespace. With this platform, communication between old and new applications is increasing and is becoming a reality. The design of . NET and CLR also allows for security implementation for applications. .NET has two features for security for their mechanisms for security. These two features include validation and verification, and Code Access Security. The latter feature uses the association with specific assembly (DePetrillo, 2002). Normally, the assembly source acts as the evidence regardless of whether they are installed on the local machine or has been downloaded from the Internet. This mechanism uses evidence to determine permissions that are given to the code. With other code, they can demand that calling code be given a specific permission. This demand normally enables CLR to countercheck the permissions; called call stack walk. This is a situation whereby for every assembly of each method in the stack is scrutinized for the required permissions. An exception is thrown if an assembly does not have the right permissions. When an assembly is launched, the CLR performs very many tests. Two of the tests include validation and verification. The verification purpose is to check if the code will do anything which is not safe. Also, . NET framework uses appdomains to isolate code running in a process (DePetrillo, 2002). The appdomains help when there is a crash in a system. In case one application crushes in a system, the other applications within that system will not be affected. An example of security problem is the buffer overflows. This is taken care of with the use of . NET framework. The stability of . NET is assured because it brings with it the end of manual memory management. The . NET framework does memory management by itself thus freeing the user the burden of doing this. The memory that was allocated for instantiations of objects meant for . NET is done contiguously from memory heap. This heap is normally managed by CLR. The . NET also manages garbage collection. This is done by the garbage collector which is compacting and non-deterministic. Memory leakage is an example of stability issue that is solved with the use of . NET framework. The last design feature added to . NET and CLR is the addition of class libraries. These libraries help in maintenance of the applications because one does not have to create applications afresh. Someone seeking to add some more functionality to their applications or do some maintenance will just use the class libraries available at their disposal to achieve all these. The class libraries is a collection of thousands of interfaces, classes, structures and enumerations that are aimed at adding functionality of core system and application services in order to ease programming. There are various classes that someone can use to manipulate the file system. For example there are classes to manipulate XML files, classes to manipulate databases, and serialize objects. In addition to the availability of vast collection of libraries in . NET, the user also has the capability of creating their own classes which they can use in many applications (DePetrillo, 2002). Advantages and disadvantages of . NET Framework Microsoft. NET offers a variety of features such as the time-to-market which are not found in others like the J2EE. It gives a fairly complete solution from the single vendor-Microsoft which may lack some higher end features. With the Microsoft. NET there is one place to get similar information since there is no question of what is the shared context repository. There is an established passport which is an active system. Microsoft. NET gives one the language neutrality when coming up with their new eBusiness applications thus allowing one to view other languages as one application. The cons It does not support a true web services since it lacks the support for ebXML. Microsoft. NET does not give tactics for improving the performance thus not allowing the developers to introduce errors into their systems. It requires qualified developers who are well educated and can handle more hand-holding. It is difficult to maintain since the . NET supports Win32 only in which a large number of machines are required. Microsoft. NET web services are not interoperable with the present industry standards since their BizTalk framework has proprietary SOAP extensions which do not support ebXML. References DePetrillo, B. A. (2002). Think Microsoft. NET. Que.

Starbucks Corporation :: essays research papers

Starbucks Corporation CASE ANALYSIS FOR STARBUCKS CORPORATION I. Case Profile/ Company History Three Seattle entrepreneurs started the Starbucks Corporation in 1971. Their prime product was the selling of whole bean coffee in one Seattle store. By 1982, this business had grown tremendously into five stores selling the coffee beans, a roasting facility, and a wholesale business for local restaurants. Howard Schultz, a marketer, was recruited to be the manager of retail and marketing. He brought new ideas to the owners, but was turned down. Schultz in turn opened his own coffee bar in 1986 based on Italian coffee cafes, selling brewed Starbucks coffee. By 1987, Schultz had expanded to three coffee bars and bought Starbucks from the original owners for $4 million. He changed the name of his coffee bars from Il Giornale to Starbucks. His intention for the company was to grow slowly with a very solid foundation. He wanted to create a top-notch management by wooing top executives from other well-known corporations. For the first two years, Starbucks losses doubled as overhead and op erating expenses increased with Starbucks’ expansion. Schultz stood his ground and did not sacrifice long term integrity and values for short-term profit. By 1991, Starbucks’ sales increased by 84% and the company was out of debt. Starbucks grew to 26 stores by 1988. By 1996 it grew to 870 stores with plans to open 2000 stores by the year 2000. II. Situational Analysis Strategic Analysis Business Level-Strategy: The business strategy of Starbucks’ is identical to the corporate level strategy since the company is a single business company, focusing on only coffee-related products and retail stores. Corporate Level-Strategy: Starbucks corporate strategy has been to establish itself as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world, while maintaining their uncompromised principles as the grow. The firm principles of the company are seen with its maintenance of a great and proven work environment for every staff member in its retail stores. It upholds diversity and promises the highest standards for its products. The company satisfies customers and gives back to the community and the environment. Also, Starbucks persists to be profitable and it is. They live by a strict, slow growth policy completely dominating a market before setting its sights further abroad. This strategy has gained them the advantage of being one of the fastest growing companies in the country. Structure and Control Systems: Starbucks believes that their employees are one of their important assets in that their only sustainable advantage is the quality of their workforce.

American Way

The present term paper will compare the life struggles of the two totally different American historical figures – Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895) and Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790). Although the were dissimilar in regard to their social backgrounds and characters, both of them praised knowledge as the most valid source of power, and were perseverant in their strivings for self-education. Both successfully tried their hand in writing. The comparison of Douglass’ and Franklin’s lives will be supported by the quotes from their autobiographies.Before proceeding to the analysis part, it makes sense to overview the contributions which each of the men made to the United States history. Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, more widely known as Frederick Douglass, was born a slave. He managed to cast off that yoke only at the age of twenty when he arranged false identification papers to take a long journey from Maryland to New York. Upon joining various a bolitionist organizations in Massachusetts, Douglass had been delivering lectures on anti-slavery across the Eastern and Midwestern states as well as across the ocean from 1841 till 1846.In the late 1840s, he became active as a publisher. Acknowledging the Emancipation Proclamation (announced by President Lincoln in 1862) to be one of the most prominent documents in the American history since it declared the liberation of black slaves, the prominent abolitionist fought for granting equal rights to all American citizens regardless of sex and ethnicity. Benjamin Franklin acquired prominence as a writer, politician and scientist. Being born in a rather poor large family, he managed to make money on newspaper editing, printing, and commerce in Philadelphia.Franklin founded the first public lending library, fire department, and political discussion club in the United States. He refined the theory of electricity and invented many important utensils and instruments (i. e. the lightning rod , bifocals, the iron furnace stove, a carriage odometer, etc. ). He grew popular as a politician and civic leader after publicly speaking against the Stamp Act. During the American Revolution, Franklin, the diplomat, managed to chaffer military and financial aid from France. In his later period of life he supported the ideas of abolitionism.To return back to the comparison of Douglass’ and Franklin’s views on the importance of knowledge and education, both were never tired of improving their cognitive skills. Despite totally different social backgrounds, Douglass being a born slave, and Franklin, being the youngest son in the family of a tallow chandler of a British ancestry, were similarly deprived of the regular schooling. The wife of one of Douglass’ masters, Sophia Auld, started teaching Frederick the alphabet and elementary spelling. The woman unintentionally broke the law which forbade educating slaves.In his autobiography â€Å"Narrative of a Life,† Douglass reconstructed the speech of Sophia’s husband who raised his voice against literacy for slaves: If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master — to do as he is told to do. Learning would SPOIL the best nigger in the world. Now †¦ if you teach that nigger †¦ how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.(Douglass 36) Although in a racist and humiliating form, the slave master emphasized the great role of knowledge and education for a human being. Having learnt to put letters into words, Frederick understood how right his master was concerning the importance of studies: It was a new and special revelation, explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding h ad struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty — to wit, the white man's power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly.From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I the least expected it. (Douglass 36) These thoughts of the famous abolitionist prove that literacy could expand mental horizons of Afro-Americans so that they were able to trace inequity in social life of the United States in the early 19th century. There colored people were degraded to the position of hard-laboring and powerless beasts. A talented boy had to continue his studies in secrecy, opposing to his masters’ intention of â€Å"shutting [him] up in mental darkness† (Douglass 36).Being sent on errands, Frederick used every opportunity to learn letters from the white poor boys in the neighborhoods. The young slave enjoyed read ing because it â€Å"gave tongue to interesting thoughts of [his] own soul, which had frequently flashed through [his] mind, and died away for want of utterance† (Douglass 42). This happened when Frederick managed to read one of Sheridan's speeches which inspired him to think over the nature of truth and its impact on conscience. Possessing a sharp wit, Douglass learnt to write as he watched the ship carpenters marking timbers.He also copied the Italics in Webster's Spelling Book and finally succeeded in producing the letters correctly without peeping into the copy-book. Frederick dared even to take the copy-books of his masters’ son to practice in handwriting. One would admire the strong will and courage of the young slave who progressed in learning at the risk of being severely punished. Franklin’s path of education started in a less secret way. His father hoped that his son would make a career of a clergyman and sent the boy to the grammar-school at the age o f eight.Benjamin showed a quick progress in learning so that he managed to jump from the first to the third class within one year. However, the senior Franklin found the cost of studying at that educational establishment too high and placed his son to another school where the latter succeeded in writing but failed in arithmetic. At ten Ben was taken home to assist his father in candle business. As Franklin recollected, he used to have â€Å"a thirst for knowledge† (14) and used every opportunity to expand his father’s small library by buying new books. He mentioned Plutarch's â€Å"Lives,† Defoe's â€Å"Essay on Projects,† and Dr.Mather's â€Å"Essays to do Good† as the books which influenced his mind in the earlier period. The boy continued his self-education when he was made a printer’s apprentice. He borrowed books from booksellers’ apprentices and used to read at nights so that he could return them the following morning. When a we althy tradesman Adams by name invited Benjamin to his library, the boy showed interest in poetry and attempted to write his own ballads. In the autobiography Franklin called his earlier verses â€Å"wretched stuff† (15) and explained that he preferred to master his writing skills in prose.Benjamin wrote a few letters to his friend to share some thoughts on women’s abilities for study, and the senior Franklin happened to read those letters. He praised the son for â€Å"correct spelling and pointing† but criticized for the flaws regarding â€Å"elegance of expression, †¦ method and †¦ perspicuity† (Franklin 16). The younger Franklin decided to train himself by imitating the style of the Spectator magazine that focused on political and current events and by turning some tales into poems. Thus Benjamin made a progress in expanding his vocabulary and arranging his thoughts in the better structured phrases.Finally the future ‘Founding Fatherâ₠¬  of the United States became satisfied with the results of his efforts: By comparing my work afterwards with the original, I discovered many faults and amended them; but I sometimes had the pleasure of fancying that, in certain particulars of small import, I had been lucky enough to improve the method or the language, and this encouraged me to think I might possibly in time come to be a tolerable English writer, of which I was extremely ambitious. (Franklin 17) Around the same period Franklin studied arithmetic and navigation.By attentively reading Xenophon's â€Å"Memorable Things of Socrates† he practiced in the Socratic method of conducting disputes and refined his grammar. Benjamin aimed at â€Å"expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence† (Franklin 18) in his writings so that the argumentation contained both pros and contras related to the main thesis. At that time the perspective political theorist and polemicist designed an original concept of a good and authentic manner of writing. In his autobiography, Franklin emphasized that knowledge brought power to an educated man.Literate people could use their aptitude in eloquence and writing to persuade people into the things that would otherwise have been neglected or labeled as wrong. Since the scholar believed that â€Å"the chief ends of conversation are to inform or to be informed, to please or to persuade†, he warned the men of letters against the whim of â€Å"express[ing] [themselves] as firmly fix'd in [their] present opinions† in â€Å"a positive and dogmatical manner† (Franklin 19). He suggested instead analyzing the issues under research in a critical and modest manner so that audiences were stimulated to think independently and freely without prejudices and cliches.It should be noticed that despite different manners of acquiring knowledge, Douglass and Franklin learnt similar lessons from their earlier exercises in reading and writing. Douglass observed that in a course of studies he started contemplating about human rights and the abnormal distribution of power between the master and the slave. On the one hand, as the author recalled, reading was a blessing because it enabled him to get the better command of the train of thoughts.On the other hand, however, it appeared to be a curse since it â€Å"had given [him] a view of [his] wretched condition, without the remedy† and â€Å"opened [his] eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out† (Douglass 42). It became evident to the boy that knowledge by itself could not ensure a person’s happiness and well-being and had to be supplied by civic acts. In his turn, Franklin arrived at the strong conviction that â€Å"truth, sincerity and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life† (58).He had the enough independent mind to understand that †¦ certain actions might not be bad because they were forbidden by [Revelation], or good because it commanded them, yet probably these actions might be forbidden because they were bad for us, or commanded because they were beneficial to us, in their own natures, all the circumstances of things considered. (ibid. ) In other words, Franklin opposed the social structure as based on traditions and rigid rules which were imposed by the elite on the rest of citizens.Later those thoughts made the author of â€Å"Autobiography† to fight against any immorality or injustice caused by rich whites to people of another skin color. Douglass and Franklin displayed similar manners of life-long self-education and educating other people, although the results of those efforts for the each were different. Douglass became enough skillful in reading to teach other slaves to read the New Testament, and he was lucky to do that at a Sabbath school on Mr. Freeman’s plantation (the man who hired Douglass from his master).Over forty slaves had been attending lessons for about half a year. Freeman did not object to Douglass’ initiative but other slave-owners hated the very idea of Afro-Americans â€Å"behaving like intellectual, moral, and accountable beings† (Douglass 82). One Sunday a gang of whites attacked the pupils of the Sabbath school during their meeting and put a violent end to the enterprise. Franklin’s attempt to found a public subscription library ended more happily. In 1731, he and his colleagues from the Junto club created the Library Company of Philadelphia to engage people into reading.They sold the so-called â€Å"shares† to shareholders to buy books so that members borrowed them to their convenience. The goal Franklin et al. pursued was very noble: These libraries have improved the general conversation of the Americans, made the common tradesmen and farmers as intelligent as most gentlemen from other countries, and perhaps have contributed in some degree to the stand so gener ally made throughout the colonies in defense of their privileges. (70) In a course of time, another three public libraries emerged, thus forming a strong educational network in the United States of the 18th century.The foundation of the library provided Franklin with more opportunities to immerse into â€Å"constant study, for which [he] set apart an hour or two each day, and thus repair'd in some degree the loss of the learned education† (79). As it is evident from researching Franklin’s autobiography, this prominent scholar possessed a skill of self-discipline and high self-organization. At the age of 27, this man of knowledge started learning French, Italian, and Spanish. He did it in a peculiar manner: one of Franklin’s friends often tempted him into playing chess, which game Benjamin was fond of.The scholar agreed to do it on the following condition: †¦ the victor in every game should have a right to impose a task, either in parts of the grammar to be got by heart, or in translations, etc. , which tasks the vanquish'd was to perform upon honour, before our next meeting. As we play'd pretty equally, we thus beat one another into that language. (Franklin 99) His own linguistic experience gave Franklin the right to criticize the traditional approach to teaching foreign languages specifically and education in general.I would †¦ offer it to the consideration of those who superintend the education of our youth, whether, since many of those who begin with the Latin quit the same after spending some years without having made any great proficiency, and what they have learnt becomes almost useless, so that their time has been lost, it would not have been better to have begun with the French, proceeding to the Italian, etc. ; for, tho', after spending the same time, they should quit the study of languages and never arrive at the Latin, they would, however, have acquired another tongue or two, that, being in modern use, might be service able to them in common life.(Franklin 100) As the abovementioned passage demonstrates, Franklin valued systematic education for its utility in everyday life. In his perception, knowledge was not only a collection of abstract truths about world order or human morals and ethics but also a very important tool in communication and career promotion. To summarize, education and knowledge were highly appraised by both Douglass and Franklin as it was evident from their writings. It is especially interesting that the men of the so different backgrounds arrived at the same conclusions despite living in different periods of the United States history.Franklin was one of the brightest minds of the 18th century when the country liberated itself from the British rule, and the American nation proclaimed its independence. Douglass belonged to the next age when the United States society became segregated by race, sex, and the issue of origin. Franklin represented the most literate and progressively t hinking members of the privileged class which exercised power over poorer classes and people of the races other than White Caucasian. Douglass was the son of the degraded and oppressed folk of Afro-Americans who were formally liberated only upon the end of the Civil War.But, however different were the experiences of these two prominent figures of the United States history, both of them praised knowledge and education as efficient means of destroying inequality, ignorance, prejudice and rigidity of thinking. Both of them emphasized that education liberated the mind and soul from primitivism and barbarism. Both used every opportunity to acquire novel information that would widen their mental horizons and inspire other people to follow the path of knowledge.Douglass â€Å"Narrative of a Life† and Franklin’s â€Å"Autobiography† provide us with vivid and interesting-to-read examples of how human beings could refine themselves and society by being perseverant and ent husiastic in learning. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Charlottesville, Va. : University of Virginia Library, 1996. Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Charlottesville, Va. : University of Virginia Library, 1995.

Gentrification, the Issue of Today Life

Ever since the 1960s, there has been an influx of high-income populations moving into urban areas from the suburbs. This phenomenon was coined ‘gentrification’ by sociologist Ruth Glass in 1964 to describe â€Å"the movement of upscale (mostly white) setters into rundown (mostly minority) neighborhoods† (Hampson). Proposition 555 has stated that in order to increase government funding and provide citizens a better life with a cleaner environment and safer community, the process of gentrification would require the destruction of some old and unsafe houses. Since then, this policy has received mixed reception from all walks of life.Protagonists, on one side, consider gentrification as the solution to current hard urban issues. Antagonists, on the other side, believe that it causes severe poor-displacement. Debates seem to be endless, yet the whole society is changing due to the great impact of gentrification: luxury condos replacing once deteriorating houses, street s becoming cleaner, and crime rates declining significantly, thus, consolidating my strong support for Proposition 555. To begin with, the first and foremost upside of gentrification is economic improvements in the neighborhood because it boosts up the use of urban land and attracts more business investments.Brooklyn and the Bronx, two of the five boroughs of New York City, are two typical examples. Urban renewal in Brooklyn, also known as ‘brownstoning’, has encouraged a huge wave of investment: $300 million from the city and $3. 5 billion from private investors (Browdie). While the former has been invested in Brooklyn Bridge Park’s construction, the latter has yielded â€Å"7. 8 million square feet of new residential, retail and commercial space, including 26 apartment complexes, four hotels, and a glassy shopping complex† (Browdie).In regards to the Bronx, the gentrifying process has brought to the region a new appearance. The notorious neighborhood, wh ich used to be considered off limits to investors due to commercial waste, crimes, and violence, has become â€Å"a diamond in the rough, being discovered† (Magistro). Today, the Bronx has numerous remarkable attractions like the Bronx Zoo—one of the world’s largest metropolitan zoos, the New York Botanical Garden, Wave Hill, excellent subway service, retail strip malls, and affluent bedroom communities (Magistro).In South Bronx, Majora Carter, a famous urban revitalization strategist says that the removal of Sheridan Expressway and construction of Lafayette Avenue has made this area appeal to stakeholders for parkland, affordable housing and local economic development (Majora Carter: Greening the Ghetto). Once urban land is in use, it signals huge economic improvements, especially in the tourism industry, job developments, and real estate. Recent studies conducted by Rutgers University have found that in New Jersey, historic preservation, part of the state gent rification policies, has significantly profited the state’s tourism.Besides 2,316 jobs created annually in this industry, New Jersey has earned $15 million in state and local taxes, $16 million in GDP, and $432 million for the economy (Listokin and Lahr). Moreover, in restructured neighborhoods, new projects associated with job training have emerged to meet the investors’ demands. For example, the South Bronx community is running the Bronx Ecological Stewardship Training project to â€Å"seed the area with green collar jobs† in the fields of ecological restorations so that its people will be qualified for these well-paying jobs (Majora Carter: Greening the Ghetto).As a result of being employed, a person gains a greater opportunity of sustainable income and will tend to purchase a house to settle into family life. In other words, gentrification is an impetus to the local economy because it stimulates the use of urban lands, opens more job opportunities, and encou rages real estate. Along with economic improvements, a great number of social achievements have been accomplished due to gentrification, especially in community-safety increase. Prior to redevelopment, low-income areas had to cope with a lot of crimes and violence such as gang shootings, drugs dealings and prostitution.However, gentrification has improved the people’s safety significantly. For example, according to Betty Baye, a columnist of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, New York was once appalled by a Dominican group of gangsters named Jheri Curls: They traded tons of cocaine and shot anyone complaining about their illegal business. She calls gentrification as â€Å"a new gang in town,† ousting the Jheri Curl from their old stomping grounds. The openings of â€Å"amenities as river views, parks, large rooms and convenience to public transportation [†¦have replaced†¦ grand old buildings that long were the domain of poor folks on rent control, buildings that are being reborn as luxury co-ops and condos,† Baye explains. Sharing her views, researchers from the Department of Sociology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, add that the building of new amenities prevents up to 45 percent of homicides and another 60 percent of robberies (Papachristos, Smith, Scherer, and Fugiero 225). Accordingly, gentrifying the neighborhoods helps lessen crimes, providing their residents with a safer community.In addition to economic and social achievements, gentrification also brings environmental justice to the redeveloped neighborhoods. Prior to renewal, people living around these areas encountered many health problems because of pollution and contamination issues that accumulated for many years. South Bronx, for example, used to be a location for the city’s commercial waste in sewage treatment and the food industry’s byproducts. Carter says a black person has a greater chance of being forced to live in an air-polluted area or within a walking distance of chemical facility in comparison with a white person (Majora Carter: Greening the Ghetto).As a result, diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and asthma have plagued the community for many years and damaged the future generation (Majora Carter: Greening the Ghetto). In other words, in non-gentrified neighborhoods, along with economic and social degradation, environmental injustice also drives these communities into even worse situations. However, once gentrification policies are implemented, the people’s health can greatly improve: air gets cleaner, water turns fresher and the environment becomes healthier and greener.In South Bronx, its inhabitants witnessed the inauguration of Hunts Point Riverside Park, the first waterfront park that the community had had in more than 60 years (Majora Carter: Greening the Ghetto). Therefore, it is understandable that gentrification provides a boost to environmental quality. Advocates of anti-gentrification usually argue that urban renewal is a one-sided benefit—profiting the white while harming the poor. Nonetheless, studies conducted by Lance Freeman, an assistant professor of urban planning at Columbia University, suggest that there is merely a slight connection between urban renewal and displacement (Hampson).He says that in gentrified neighborhoods, the chance of a poor being dislocated is only 0. 5% greater in comparison with a non-gentrified one (Hampson). Freeman believes that â€Å"although higher costs sometimes force poor residents to leave gentrif[ied] neighborhoods, other changes—more jobs, safer streets, better trash pickup—encourage them to stay† (Hampson). Besides coming to the same conclusion, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Duke University, also show that black householders with high school degrees account for 33% f the total neighborhood income, 13% greater than that of white householders (Kiviat). In conclusion, as urban p lanner Duany says, gentrification has proved to be â€Å"the rising tide that lifts all boats† because it provides an effective solution to the economy, social issues, as well as environmental justice that benefit all social classes. However, there are always two sides of a coin, and the story of gentrification is not an exception. The biggest issue of gentrification, as many antagonists believe, is the poor displacement.It is obvious that as a city is redeveloped and attracts more investors, housing prices will soar, making it difficult for old residents to manage to get by. Research conducted by Newman and Wyly of the Centre for Urban and Community Studies shows that residents of a gentrified city, especially seniors, find it hard to live when housing prices increase while their incomes stay (4). In the long run, this produces â€Å"exclusionary displacement,† â€Å"a process in which neighborhoods become off-limits, forcing lower-income residents to look elsewhere for housing† (1, 2).Adding to the housing burdens, other negative elements such as landlord harassment, evictions, and daily expenses drive former inhabitants out of their neighborhoods. So what is the solution to the problem? To answer this question, it is worthwhile to first acknowledge that gentrification is a natural process, meaning there is no way to stand against it, especially on the poor side. Sadly speaking, gentrification remains a dirty word to some people as it sounds—its origin dates back from the word â€Å"gentry,† meaning a â€Å"noble person. Baye explains that gentrification â€Å"may seem to some as nothing but the inevitable circle of life† because many of the upper settlers (mostly white) claim that those gentrified neighborhoods are their â€Å"rightful inheritance,† left for the colored by their predecessors as they fled to the suburbs. Looking negatively at urban renewal, it benefits the white folks; they have money, and th us, have the rights to demand higher services. Looking positively at urban renewal, these folks are doing good things after all, â€Å"for there is nothing more unhealthy for a city than a monoculture of poverty† (Duany).This leaves the only question: Can we gentrify the right way? Fortunately, there are numerous solutions that have been proposed by strategists, urban planners and experts in the field. To solve housing problem, New York has built a shelter system to support displaced residents (Newman and Wyly). Moreover, Duany insists that in order to avoid overpricing, urban renewal needs to be built as a long-term policy, tested and modified many times to fit the particular neighborhood so that it doesn’t negatively affect the community.Carter has come up with a model called the triple bottom line that seems to be a solution for the long run. She explains that her model can produce sustainable development because it â€Å"has the potential to create positive return s from all concerned: developers, government and the community where [the] projects go up† (Majora Carter: Greening the Ghetto). In addition, I propose the use of government power on taxing: The local government can weigh the impact of gentrification through data, statistics and surveys so that it can modify the tax base imposed on every household.No matter what solutions are proposed, there seems to be a general consensus among experts about the role of government: It can act as a peace broker to reconcile any hostility provoked by the misunderstanding between the rich and the poor. In summary, Proposition 555, whose process is to rebuild the old, unsafe towns and cities, is a good process for neighborhood residents who want to have better lives. Although gentrification sometime causes the poor to be displaced due to housing burdens and expenses, its benefits assist in solving urban issues.It provides a stimulus to the economy through the use of urban lands for business purpo ses, a safer society by clearing gang violence and a healthier environment by building public parks. To overcome its downsides, a number of useful and practical ideas have been brought about by many experts, ranging from shelter systems and tax modification to government regulation. The fight in favor of urban renewal, as Carter says, is the fight that â€Å"we have nothing to lose and everything to gain† (Majora Carter: Greening the Ghetto).

17 Tips for Older Job Seekers - Follow in the footsteps of winners!

17 Tips for Older Job Seekers - Follow in the footsteps of winners! Even before LinkedIn posted a blog with tips for older job seekers in September, I received some good news from a couple of my 50+-year-old connections on the job search front. Both of them are followers of my blog, and both agreed to share their stories with you. I hope their success inspires job seekers of all ages to keep on taking action! I pay close attention to my LinkedIn status updates so that I can congratulate people on their new positions. When I got word that Becky S. had obtained a new position as an IT Business Analyst, I wrote to acknowledge her success and she shared the following about how she obtained her new position: Your webinars and e-book were a real encouragement and a definite part of the process.  Thanks for sharing and encouraging all job-seekers! I attended classes and weekly networking sessions at the local WorkForce center met my new boss there. Took a 3-month contract position  which lasted a year.  I am so thankful to have had this opportunity. Posted updates on LinkedIn when attending classes, announcing the approaching contract end and my desire to be the newest member of your team. My new boss maintained contact through LinkedIn.   He even downloaded my resume and considered me an applicant. Three interviews later I had an offer! Note that Becky used social media to her full advantage, demonstrating that even though she might be older she is computer-savvy and on top of current trends.  Also note that she was open to contract positions and accepted one that gave her valuable experience while she was actively looking for other work. Shortly after receiving this message from Becky, another one of my followers, Steven A., gave me the following wisdom stemming from his successful search for a senior-level accountant position: Volunteering was a great confidence-lifter and networking tool. I did that at North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center for six months.   It was extremely fulfilling; met new professional contacts / links  and  helped fill  the gap in the resume while  looking for  next position. Strong perseverance, applying for jobs that may not necessarily been 100% qualified for (i.e.  taking chances), Strong LinkedIn profiling participation in group discussions there Having good contacts (such as yourself, Brenda) that help you with strategies and point you in a good direction. Supportive job search services  such as Connect-To-Care  (Little Neck NY other New York locations: FEGS and other channels) were great support groups. Networking helps but unless it is properly targeted it wont always work (e.g. job fairs predominant in sale promotions or  solicitations / advertising  will not help an  unemployed, experienced, professional accountant. [Steven also warns:] Employers, recruiters HRs will never ever  admit it, but age is a negative running factor if the applicant is in fact, older (i.e. for example as myself, over 50).  Many agencies (I recall approaching at least a dozen)  dont ever get back to applicants. Only 2 in  12 ever gave me  leads in a years unemployment time. Job searches must be predominantly independently pursued. Steven’s insights hammer home the message that being active on LinkedIn and pursuing multiple networking opportunities are two keys for the older job seeker. LinkedIn can be used in multiple ways, from researching whom you might know at a particular company in order to network your way in, to   participating in groups, to highlighting your volunteer activities, to attracting recruiters with targeted keywords. In LinkedIn’s blog article, 5 Steps for Older Workers to Succeed in the Job Hunt, author Kerry Hannon offers the following tips: Use a professional e-mail address. [meaning something with your full name if possible, preferably at gmail or a paid provider). And use it! Let your contacts know what you are looking for and find out who would be great to talk to about your search]. Join LinkedIn. [How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile is a great place to start in creating a profile and using LinkedIn to get results. Note that Becky and Steven leveraged LinkedIn to its max and both of them found new positions!] Network. [You can network effectively both on LinkedIn and in person. Hannon points to a new, free service from AARP called Work Reimagined, which leverages LinkedIn’s API to help job hunters find information and job openings. You can sign up for customized job alert postings in your field of interest.] Start a Twitter account. [I defer to Hannon on this one. She says: â€Å"Follow people or companies where you might want to interview. For your username, use your actual name or a shortened form. Include a bio – where you live and what kind of work you do†¦. 160 characters. By following tweets, you can get the scoop on people you may wind up interviewing with and stay on top of a potential employer’s news. You can also share ideas and tips with other job seekers. Plus, you’re expanding your network.†] Don’t be a wallflower. [just like you need to exercise your body to get build muscle, you need to participate in discussions on line and in person, and keep doing your research, to build your job search success muscles. Looking for a job is a full-time job, so create a plan and get into action!] To read the entire LinkedIn blog article, go to 5 Steps for Older Workers to Succeed in the Job Hunt. Using a combination of tips from Becky, Steven and Kerry Hannon, you can win the job search game regardless of your age. If you have found success and have more tips to share, please do so below! And if you want more individual support with your resume and LinkedIn profile, go to www.TheEssayExpert.com. I look forward to working with you!

Introduction to Green Architecture and Design

Introduction to Green Architecture and Design Green architecture, or green design, is an approach to building that minimizes the harmful effects of construction projects on human health and the environment. The green architect or designer attempts to safeguard air, water, and earth by choosing eco-friendly building materials and construction practices. Building a greener home is a choice- at least it is in most communities. Typically, buildings are designed to meet building code requirements, the  American Institute of Architects (AIA) has reminded us, whereas green building design challenges designers to go beyond the codes to improve overall building performance and minimize life-cycle environmental impact and cost. Until local, state, and federal public officials are persuaded to legislate green processes and standards- just like building and fire prevention practices have been codified- much of what we call green building practices is up to the individual property owner. When the property owner is the U.S. General Services Administration, results can be as unexpected as the complex built in 2013 for the U.S. Coast Guard. Common Characteristics of a Green Building The highest goal of green architecture is to be fully sustainable. Simply put, people do green things in order to achieve sustainability. Some architecture, like Glenn Murcutts 1984 Magney House, has been an experiment in green design for years. While most green buildings do not have all of the following features, green architecture and design may include: Ventilation systems designed for efficient heating and coolingEnergy-efficient lighting and appliances (e.g., ENERGY STAR ® products)Water-saving plumbing fixturesLandscaping with native vegetation and planned to maximize passive solar energyMinimal harm to the natural habitatAlternative renewable energy power sources such as solar power or wind powerNon-synthetic, non-toxic materials used inside and outLocally-obtained woods and stone, eliminating long-haul transportationResponsibly-harvested woodsAdaptive reuse of older buildingsUse of recycled architectural salvageEfficient use of spaceOptimal location on the land, maximizing sunlight, winds, and natural shelteringRainwater harvesting and greywater reuse You dont need a green roof to be a green building, although Italian architect Renzo Piano not only created a green roof but also specified recycled blue jeans as insulation in his design of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. You dont need a vertical garden or green wall to have a green building, yet French architect Jean Nouvel has successfully experimented with the concept in his design for One Central Park residential building in Sydney, Australia. Construction processes are a huge aspect of green building. Great Britain transformed a brownfield into the site of the London 2012 summer Olympic Games with a plan for how contractors would build the Olympic village- dredging waterways, strict sourcing of building materials, recycling concrete, and using rail and water to deliver materials were just some of their 12 green ideas. The processes were implemented by the host country and overseen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the ultimate authority for requiring Olympic-sized sustainable development. LEED, the Green Verification LEED is an acronym meaning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Since 1993, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has been promoting green design. In 2000, they created a rating system that builders, developers, and architects can adhere to and then apply for certification. Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points across several categories, including energy use and air quality, explains USGBC. Based on the number of points achieved, a project then earns one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum. The certification comes with a fee, but it can be adapted and applied to any building, from homes to corporate headquarters. LEED certification is a choice and not a requirement by the government, although it may be a requirement in any private contract. Students who enter their projects in the Solar Decathlon are judged by a rating system as well. Performance is part of being green. Whole Building Design The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) argues that sustainability has to be part of the whole design process, from the very start of the project. They devote an entire website to the WBDG- Whole Building Design Guide. Design objectives are interrelated, where designing for sustainability is just one aspect. A truly successful project is one where project goals are identified early on, they write, and where the interdependencies of all building systems are coordinated concurrently from the planning and programming phase. Green architectural design should not be an add-on. It should be the way of doing the business of creating a built environment. NIBS suggests that the interrelationships of these design objectives must be understood, evaluated, and appropriately applied - accessibility; aesthetics; cost-effectiveness; functional or operational (the functional and physical requirements of a project); historic preservation; productivity (comfort and health of the occupants); security and safety; and sustainability. The Challenge Climate change will not destroy the Earth. The planet will go on for millions of years, long after human life has expired. Climate change, however, can destroy the species of life on Earth that cannot adapt fast enough to new conditions. The building trades have collectively recognized its role in contributing to the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere. For example, the manufacturing of cement, the basic ingredient in concrete, is reportedly one of the largest global contributors to carbon dioxide emissions. From poor designs to construction materials, the industry is challenged to change its ways. Architect Edward Mazria has taken the lead to transform the building industry from a major polluter to an agent of change. He has suspended his own architectural practice to concentrate on the nonprofit organization he established in 2002. The goal set for Architecture 2030 is simply this: All new buildings, developments, and major renovations shall be carbon-neutral by 2030. One architect who has taken the challenge is Richard Hawkes and Hawkes Architecture in Kent, United Kingdom. Hawkes experimental home, Crossway Zero Carbon Home, is one of the first zero carbon houses built in the UK. The house uses a timbrel vault design and generates its own electricity through solar energy. Looking to a Sustainable Future Green design has many related names and concepts associated with it, besides sustainable development. Some people emphasize the ecology and have adopted names like eco-design, eco-friendly architecture, and even arcology. Eco-tourism is a 21st-century trend, even if eco house designs might appear to be a bit non-traditional. Others take their cue from the environmental movement, arguably begun by Rachel Carsons 1962 book Silent Spring- earth-friendly architecture, environmental architecture, natural architecture, and even organic architecture have aspects of green architecture. Biomimicry is a term used by architects who use nature as a guide to green design. For example, the Expo 2000 Venezuelan Pavilion has petal-like awnings that can be adjusted to control the internal environment- just as a flower may do. Mimetic architecture has long been an imitator of its surroundings. A building can look beautiful and even be constructed from very expensive materials, but not be green. Likewise, a building can be very green but visually unappealing. How do we get good architecture? How do we move toward what Roman architect Vitruvius suggested to be the three rules of architecture- to be well-built, useful by serving a purpose, and beautiful to look at? Sources Gissen, David (ed.) National Building Museum. Big and Green: Toward Sustainable Architecture in the 21st Century. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2002.How LEED Works. U.S. Green Building Council.Huseynov, Emir Fikret oglu. Planning of Sustainable Cities in View of Green Architecture. Procedia Engineering 21 (2011): 534–42. Print.Masood, Osama Ahmed Ibrahim, Mohamed Ibrahim Abd Al-Hady, and Ahmed Khamies Mohamed Ali. Applying the Principles of Green Architecture for Saving Energy in Buildings. Energy Procedia 115 (2017): 369–82. Print.Ragheb, Amany, Hisham El-Shimy, and Ghada Ragheb. Green Architecture: A Concept of Sustainability. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 216 (2016): 778–87. Print.Shaviv, Edna. Passive and Low Energy Architecture (Plea) Vs Green Architecture (Leed). 25th Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture. 2008. Design Objectives.  Whole Building Design Guide.Wines, James and Philip Jodidio. Green Architecture. Taschen, 2008.

BORDER SECURITY ISSUES RESEARCH PROJECT # 2 Essay

BORDER SECURITY ISSUES RESEARCH PROJECT # 2 - Essay Example The CPJ report shows that Iraq has held this position since 2008, when there was another survey (Witchel, 2014). In 2012, when there was a U.S invasion, journalists were not killed because of their relation to their work. However, because of increasing terrorists groups in the country, there were 10 journalists killings of which nine were unresolved murders. In total, the report shows that there 166 journalist murder cases since year 1992, with 103 of these cases murdered with impunity. The second country ranked as the worst is Somalia, where there were four new murders last year. According to the report, there are elusive armed insurgent gangs who terrorize the media to the point that the law agencies do not follow-up the cases (Witchel, 2014). There were 53 journalists’ deaths since 1992. Out of these deaths, 35 journalists were murdered with impunity. In Philippines, there are 51 murders of journalists that are still unresolved. The country has remained number 3 after Iraq and Somalia since year 2010 (Witchel, 2014). According to the CPJ report, there are 53 journalists killed since 1992 and 35 of these journalists were murdered with impunity. In Sri Lanka, there was no progress made in the unresolved cases of journalist murders. However, CPJ notes that it did not record any of the murders from year 2009 to 2013. CPJ notes that out of 19 journalists killed since 1992m 10 of these journalists are murdered with impunity and go unreported in Sri Lanka. Colombia falls in the fifth category with 45 cases of journalists killed since 1992. 36 of the 45 cases were murdered with impunity. Nonetheless, it records so many cases of death threats of journalists in different states of Columbia. In Afghanistan, journalists who are also from other states are usually jailed for many years such as the Pakistani reporter who was sentenced to 4 years in prison in July, this year. In total, Afghanistan records 26 cases of journalists murdered since 1992, with