Wednesday, October 30, 2019
2007 financial crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
2007 financial crisis - Essay Example The risks kept building up and through the synergistic effect; they interconnected among the institutions, which in the end undermined the stability of the financial institutions. There were seven main causes that worked together to cause the 2007 financial crisis. Such included the securitization of the mortgages bringing forth to the rise in the shadow banking sector, regulatory arbitrage and conflict of interest, leverage and lower interest rates, outsourcing of mortgage broker function, the suits vs geeks’ problem and finally the bankruptcy law changes. The factors mentioned above worked as follows to cause the â€Å"perfect financial storm.†(Mishkin 2004) The securitization of mortgages was the first cause of the crisis given that throughout history it had been a trend that mortgages were issued and serviced by the same bank (Mishkin 2004). The government created Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac although both were eventually spun off as private companies to encourage ho me ownership by creating home loans, which were issued at quiet lower interest rates. These institutions along with other banks converted loans into securities called mortgage backed securities whereby the money paid by the borrower had to pass through the bank to the holder of the security (Mishkin and Eakins 2012). The banks were therefore able to get more funds to issues more loans by selling the loans. The selling of the loans also made them pass the risks associated by the loans to the buyers of the securities whose impacts both tended to reduce the rates of interest on the mortgages (Casti 2012). The two formally created institutions together with AIG and other financial institutions insured those securities against default through credit default swaps, which are just insurances on cars or houses. Securitization of mortgages itself wouldn’t necessarily be unsafe if only low risk mortgages were securitized but the successive administrations went on to encourage Fannie an d Freddie to bundle mortgages so as to expand home ownership. Mortgage backed securities are much profitable when there is no default but with defaults insurance payouts grew and the government had to come in to bail out Fannie and Freddie plus AIG (Lounsbury 2010). Mortgage backed security market is part of the broader trend called the shadow banking where firms run from banks to direct finance due to the better rates they are likely to get (Lounsbury 2010). The participants in this sector take a greater risk as this sector is not regulated like the banking sector. These companies also lack the capital requirement that the banks have compounding the risks further so incase of anything these banks lose a lot. Through regulatory arbitrage, capital requirements reappear (Mishkin and Eakins 2012). This act occurs when financial institutions have a way of undermining the intent of regulation to increase profits like the bizarre risk rankings and the shopping for a regulator. Regulatory arbitrage combined together with the conflict of interest contributed to the growing instability of the financial sector. Poor lending practices caused by the changes within the mortgage market was a cause given that the lending authority was given to the independent contractor who were outsourced and being paid on a fee per loan. They therefore had the incentive for loaning people even without looking at their security, which banks could not do as they securitized the loans (The Guardian 2012). Recent government actions like allowing the investment banks to borrow at lower rates so that they could make profits by purchasing MBSs also contributed to the
Monday, October 28, 2019
A view from the bridge Essay Example for Free
A view from the bridge Essay Upon hearing the story of Vinny Bolzano in the first scene of the play, we are immediately introduced to the aggression of Sicilian justice, and are given a glimpse of events that are to unfold. After Beatrice has told Catherine the story of Vinny Bolzano, Eddie exclaims On his own Uncle! , expressing disgust that anyone could possibly do such a thing to a relative under any circumstances. At this point in time it is totally out of Eddies character to go to the immigration authorities, at this time in the play he would not even think about it, but he is later driven to it by what he feels to be a personal tragedy on an epic scale. This tells us that when Eddie informs the authorities he knows exactly what effect this will have on him; he knows of his inevitable fate after word gets out. The Sicilian values of justice are totally separate and exempt from American law. In some ways it is more lenient; it does not condemn Marco for killing Eddie because of two things; firstly, Eddie reported him to the authorities, and secondly, he won in a fair duel. Nevertheless, as we see, its sentences are far harsher. Sicilian justice is not even a harsher version of American law. As we hear from Alfieri at the beginning of the play, in Sicily, from where there fathers came, the law hasnt been a friendly idea since the Greeks were beaten. It is totally separate and in direct opposition. Sicilian justice demands that Italian-Americans help immigrants and pay money for them. American law is exactly the opposite. Alfieri sums up the idea of justice in his opening lines, Oh, there were many here who were justly shot by unjust men. This shows the idea that these gangsters, despite being criminals, shot men justly as far as Sicilian justice goes. Alfieri is the bridge between the Sicilian justice (in so far as he is an Americanised Sicilian, experienced enough to see Eddies fate), and American law (in that he is a lawyer). Moreover, he is a bridge between the two cultures. He acts within the bounds of American law, generally on behalf of the immigrants, who distrust him because he has made the step up into an American job, and therefore American money and lifestyle. Due to the range of Alfieris experience, he is also the bridge between the characters and the audience. Alfieris role as a bridge in the play, and the very essence of the play as a clash of cultures is perfectly shown in Alfieris first narration at the very beginning of the script. Firstly, Alfieri introduces the idea of the Sicilian way of life in America, and addresses the issue of Sicilian justice, referring to the 1920s and 30s gangsterism in a tone suggesting the glory days. Still, Alfieri claims that now they are quite civilised, quite American, and that his practice is entirely unromantic and then of course he moves into the story of Eddie Carbone, an illustration of how Sicilian ways are still dominant to this civilised and American culture. The play A View from the Bridge is about a clash of cultures, or perhaps more about the effects of mixing two cultures into the American cultural melting pot, and the clashes this causes between the cultures. The plot of the play itself is more about the personal tragedy between a parents incestuous love for his daughter, and a girl who is growing up to become a young woman and wants to behave in accordance with her womanhood. This is the subject of the play, rather than the clash of the cultures, this is not to say that the culture difference is not relevant, on the contrary, it is a main theme of the play, but it only aggravates the personal problem. It confuses Eddies situation, as he is obviously more in favour of Sicilian values, but finds his personal situation with regard to Catherine threatened by Sicilians, and therefore has to resort to using American culture to neutralise the situation. It makes the divide that Catherine has to cross into womanhood much greater, making it necessary not only to become a woman from her childhood under Sicilian ideas, but also to become a fully, modernised, Americanised, independent woman. In addition, it supplies Eddie with a method of solving his personal problem, if in a rather extreme manner. It makes the consequences of doing so much more dramatic. The personal tragedy suffered is fuelled by great love, which leads to insanity, giving the play the qualities of a Greek tragedy, if not a somewhat contemporary Greek tragedy. Matt King Page 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Genetically Transgenic Crops :: Argumentative Persuasive Farming Essays Papers
Genetically Transgenic Crops In today’s society, farming has become far more complicated than one could imagine. In farming, the procedure involves a lot more than the raising of cattle and the planting of specific seeds into the soil or land fields. Yes, there is a lot more to worry about besides just the physical aspect of it. There are also decisions which have to be made in order to begin farming correctly and safely. Decisions which pose the question of should, and will the transgenic crops process be followed through nationwide? Our population may not even realize it; but the much needed decisions as this that will determine the fate of our world as we know it. At the cutting edge of technology and science, there seems to be a large debate about whether or not commercial plantings of transgenic crops are allowed. This is the issue at hand. One of the countries facing this conflict is Britain. The situation in Britain is just like the article written by Jim Giles which is titled, â€Å"Damned if they do damned if they don’t†. This article basically states that there is a huge problem with the idea of genetically modified crops being supported. I feel that his opinion on the subject matters, just as my scientific opinion does, because it is the population of the people that truly matters. The government wants to support the biotech industry, but on the other hand, it also wants to appease its closest ally, which happens to be the United States. Commercial cultivation of genetically, modified crops is an argument that is said to have been played out in Britain over any other country. In Britain, the government has prepared for decision time by conducting the largest trial of genetically modified crops ever, and they are looking forward to gathering as much evidence about their impact on biodiversity as possible. The outcome is bound to influence the debate in other countries where similar skirmishes are taking place. In the developing world, there are some areas that are for transgenic crops; such as sub-Saharan Africa which is emerging as an important new battleground. Other’s are not sure if they are for it or not; and a few are India and China. As a matter of fact, they are not even really concerned about this issue, but more concerned about whether or not the transgenic technologies will be from agribiotech or home-grown. Genetically Transgenic Crops :: Argumentative Persuasive Farming Essays Papers Genetically Transgenic Crops In today’s society, farming has become far more complicated than one could imagine. In farming, the procedure involves a lot more than the raising of cattle and the planting of specific seeds into the soil or land fields. Yes, there is a lot more to worry about besides just the physical aspect of it. There are also decisions which have to be made in order to begin farming correctly and safely. Decisions which pose the question of should, and will the transgenic crops process be followed through nationwide? Our population may not even realize it; but the much needed decisions as this that will determine the fate of our world as we know it. At the cutting edge of technology and science, there seems to be a large debate about whether or not commercial plantings of transgenic crops are allowed. This is the issue at hand. One of the countries facing this conflict is Britain. The situation in Britain is just like the article written by Jim Giles which is titled, â€Å"Damned if they do damned if they don’t†. This article basically states that there is a huge problem with the idea of genetically modified crops being supported. I feel that his opinion on the subject matters, just as my scientific opinion does, because it is the population of the people that truly matters. The government wants to support the biotech industry, but on the other hand, it also wants to appease its closest ally, which happens to be the United States. Commercial cultivation of genetically, modified crops is an argument that is said to have been played out in Britain over any other country. In Britain, the government has prepared for decision time by conducting the largest trial of genetically modified crops ever, and they are looking forward to gathering as much evidence about their impact on biodiversity as possible. The outcome is bound to influence the debate in other countries where similar skirmishes are taking place. In the developing world, there are some areas that are for transgenic crops; such as sub-Saharan Africa which is emerging as an important new battleground. Other’s are not sure if they are for it or not; and a few are India and China. As a matter of fact, they are not even really concerned about this issue, but more concerned about whether or not the transgenic technologies will be from agribiotech or home-grown.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Media Portrayal of Women in Sports Essay
The mass media and all its components have always played an essential role in shaping the way society views and thinks about certain issues and events. The type influence, which television shows, radio shows and other mediums of mass media have on their audiences, go widely unchecked by the professionals involved in that field and by society in general. The effects could be damaging and entirely maladaptive and yet only a few organizations and individuals take on the role of serving as the counterchecking department of the products of this industry. One of the many fields into which mass media have dipped their fingers into is the field of sports. What little attention is given to the effects of mass media on society is focused on children’s shows, violence-related topics and religion-based issues. The field of sports has been relatively untouched by those who monitor the mass media. The public has mainly stood by and accepted the information and manner of presentation that mass media has taken with regards to sports. This type of attitude has proven to be increasingly damaging to women in particular. Sports has become a highly gender-based field. Despite efforts to assimilate women into the various games and competitions, it has become increasingly evident, despite the lack of monitoring organizations, that mass media has not gone beyond the days of bias towards women in sports. There are still many issues that need to be addressed in terms of how television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and other such media have come to portray women professionals in the field of sports. How does mass media affect the way their audiences perceive women athletes and other female sports professionals? What steps can be taken to correct wrong practices in this field? This paper aims to answer these questions as well as to specifically understand the way mass media has shown females involved in various sports activities and whether there truly is reason for these women to be concerned. Television Coverage of Women in Sports            Of all the instruments of mass media available today, the television set is perhaps the most successful and most popular. It has invaded the living spaces of almost all homes worldwide and is able to communicate to its audience in much more modalities than that offered by other instruments of mass media. It also allows for coverage of events at the exact moment the said event occurs.            Research regarding how women have been portrayed through the medium of television has been much more numerous as opposed to research on portrayal via other mediums. The literature regarding this research has shown that women in sports have been greatly marginalized and stereotyped. The following section will delve deeper into this aspect of mass media coverage in sports.            The most encompassing research done on television coverage of women in sports may be that of Higgs & Weiller (1994). They conducted a research to assess gender bias in the television coverage of the 1992 Olympic games. The two researchers found much to disappoint the many women athletes involved in the said games as well as all other women who were just as concerned about women’s rights, equality of the sexes, and politically correct representation of males and females in different fields.            Commentators of the different events in the Olympic games were noted to most commonly use terms such as â€Å"girl†â€Å"babe†and â€Å"sweetheart†to refer to the women competitors whereas none of the male competitors were referred to as â€Å"boy†even when the contestant was obviously of a very young age. Also, strength and weakness descriptions and allusions were clearly gender-biased. Men in swimming were lauded for their strokes whereas female swimmers would receive comments such as â€Å"a powerhouse of a stroke from a 16-year old girl†. There were clearly ways by which the commentators were able to inject their own prejudiced views of the genders of the competitors.            There were also findings pointing to the fact that events wherein males competed were aired for longer times than those where females competed. Time differentials were noted for each event and there was a noted significant difference for each. This was applicable for such sports as basketball, volleyball, and the likes. Although individual events such as gymnastics were prone to have more airtime dedicated to women athletes, these were highly edited and sometimes even spliced together.            Each broadcast was also done with use of narratives. This was to draw the audience deeper into the mood of the game. However, researchers found that games with men contestants were broadcast with narratives of competition and strength. Women contestants, on the other hand, were often accompanied by emotional narratives pertaining to the athletes aspirations and the achievement of these with their success in the particular event they were entered in. If emotional narratives were not used by the television broadcasters, none at all were provided. It was either emotional or not at all.            It is therefore, a well-known fact that ambivalence in reporting of women’s sports on television exists. There is a denial of power for women in this particular type of mass media. Although women athletes are equally as capable and equally as competent as their male counterparts, this is not credited by professionals reporting their games. Where women have been noted for their involvement in sports, negative allegations and prejudiced reporting have served to undermine the efforts of these athletes. Radio Coverage of Women in Sports            Radio coverage of women in sports has also been one of the more devastating instruments of undermining women’s efforts and women participation in various sports activities. The radio set, however, is less of a weapon of the mass media at present than the television set. The radio set does not cater to the visual modality of its audiences and as such may prove less of a weapon. However, it is also advantageous because reporting of the sporting event can occur at the same time that the actual event occurs. This means that up-to-the-minute, live coverage is possible.            However, airing time on the radio set is significantly less for sports events than that on television sets. The large percentage of non-recognition that goes on in television broadcasting of women participation in sports is thus multiplied by great factors on the radio set. Only limited numbers of sports are chosen to be reported and reviewed over the radio and most, if not all, of these are male-dominated sports. Sporting events that are not action-packed, that do not provide the reporter with a message full of strength, adrenaline, and passion are not marketable on the radio waves. And because of the trend and well-established fad of reporting male events and male athletes with narratives involving competition, strength, and passion, these are the events that radio broadcasters and radio networks focus on. Women-dominated sports and women athletes prove to be less of a popular choice of broadcasting for professionals in the radio industry as these gives them, to their perception, with a softer story that is not full of the characteristics they look for in reportable stories and which audiences will not much favor or listen to. Thus the perception that male athletes and male-dominated sporting events will have more popularity than their counterparts. Publication Coverage of Women in Sports            Another instrument used in mass media are magazines and other similar published sources. These cater only to the audiences visual modalities and are not able to give audio feedback. Also, publications such as newspapers and magazines are only able to give a reporting of the event after a period of time has elapsed. It cannot be given during the time the actual event occurs. A processing time for writers, photographers, layout artists, editors, publishers and other personnel involved in the production process is required. Thus newspapers come one day after the events have occurred and magazines are released at particular time intervals within the year – monthly, quarterly, annually, and the like.            A study by Hardin et al (2005) showed that women were often portrayed as sexually different even in sports magazines. Sexually different in sports can mean the portrayal of women as dissimilar. This can be shown through the presentation of sport type in the said magazine or given publication. This could be shown in a manner such that women, who participate in sporting events wherein women are not usually included as competitors, are either excluded or represented as masculine.            However, it has been seen that certain sporting magazines have been very generous to the female component of sporting activities. However, this balance is only present in magazines that have been produce through the efforts of staff that were consciously aware of the disparity in gender reporting of sports events. These magazines are, more commonly, actively fighting for women’s equality in this field. As such, they are few and not representative in the publishing industry.            It should be acknowledged, however, that such magazines were launched and that these were successful in their goals. Perhaps this will provide the much needed gender-equality into the field of sports and mass media. Although these types of magazines form the minority in published mass media, they offer hope and raise out a cry of challenge to their colleagues, a cry for gender-equality and female liberation from the marginalization and disempowerment occurring in their field. Conclusion            The large discrepancies in sports portrayals of women athletes has been seen to be significant in all mediums of mass media specifically that of the television set, the radio set, and published sources. Women have been marginalized, stereotyped, and stripped of power through the way these mass media instruments have been used to represent their participation in sports activities.            However, no matter how anyone looks at it, this type of portrayal is unwarranted and unnecessary. Women have just as much talent, skill and capability as their male counterparts. The efforts they exert in order to actively and competently engage in their given sporting event is equally similar to that which males exert. The strain and stress they undergo during training and during the actual competition are just as nerve-wracking and exhausting as that which male athletes experience. In all respects, female athletes should be considered and hailed as equal to male athletes.            However, this has not been the case. Mass media, whether through television, radio, or magazines, has proven to be unforgiving and thoughtless in bringing justice to the efforts of women athletes. There is a great need for change and renewal in the way mass media portrays females.            One of the best first steps towards a better and more fair portrayal of women in sports is by actively disseminating information about the marginalization and disempowerment that is occurring. Most audiences and most reporters are perhaps so tied down to the hegemony of sports and mass media that they are no longer aware when stereotypical remarks are made on air. Knowledge of the fact that sports is for both females and males and that both sexes are equally capable of succeeding in this field must be spread. Without awareness, there is no chance for gender issues to be resolved in this field.            It would, perhaps, also be constructive for organizations and bodies to be set up that would monitor the violations to women’s rights that occur during broadcasting of sporting events. This would help to check the prejudiced actions and comments of those involved in the mass media industry. This would also make other individuals aware that what is currently going on is not acceptable and that there is a growing need for better treatment and appreciation of women athletes.            There is still much improvement that can be done to the way mass media portray women. Mass media has come to influence the way society thinks in that women themselves have congregated around socially acceptable sports. Only the few who are not afraid of being dubbed masculine are able to compete in the sports where the male sex has dominated. There should be adequate measures taken to ensure that future biased and stereotyped thoughts will no longer exist. Women portrayal in sports still has hope to become much more fair and with this hope comes the assurance thaw women participation in sports will also become less prejudiced and stereotyped. Reference Higgs, C., & Weiller, K. (1994). Gender bias and the 1992 summer Olympic games: an analysis of television coverage. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 18,  234-246 Hardin, M., Lynn, S., Walsdorf, K. (2005). Challenge and conformity on â€Å"contested terrain†: images of women in four women’s sport/fitness magazines. Sex Roles, 53(1), 105-117
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Anabolic Steriods Essay
Also known as Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS) Commentary Informative speech on characteristics of Steroids, and what effects they have on the human body. General Purpose: To Inform. Specific Purpose: To present facts concerning the use of Steroids. Joshua Stone Introduction: I. ATTENTION GETTER: Let me ask you something; would you take a pill to get bigger and gain muscle in order to do more push-ups or sit-ups on PT Test? Would you give yourself a shot to become faster on your 2 mile run? Of course someone would if they wouldn’t get caught. Some would say that in our profession as a Soldier it is always based on â€Å"WHAT IS YOUR PT SCORE†. Not on how well you do your job, or lead Soldiers. Now if you said yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ask yourself if you would do either of these two things knowing that you are putting yourself at serious health risks. In recent report, The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) uncovered an alarming statistic: more than a half million students in the 8th and 10th grade are currently using some form of anabolic steroids. Retrieved from http:\www.steroidabuse.org. II. PREVIEW POINTS: a. HISTORICAL PRESPECTIVE: 1. Definition in scientific terms 2. Origins and when discovered b. WHAT STEROIDS ARE AND HAVE BEEN USED FOR c. WHO USES STEROIDS AND WHY d. THE POTENTIAL PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS Body: I. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: A. SCIENTIFIC DEFINTION: Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone. Testosterone, the natural male hormone that is produced primarily by the testes in men, is responsible for the androgenic (Masculizing, and the anabolic (Tissue building) effects noted during male adolescence and adulthood. Charles Yesalis Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise. (2nd ED.) 2000. B. ORGINS: According to the reference test anabolic steroids in sport and exercise 2000, experimentation with synthetic steroids on animals and castrated men began as early as 1911, and by 1935, the hormone testosterone had been isolated, chemically characterized, and the basic nature of its anabolic effects had become clear. It was shortly here after that oral and inject able preparations were made available to the medical community. II. WHAT ARE ANABOLIC STEROIDS USED FOR: A. THERAPEUTIC AGENT 1. Delayed puberty in boys ages 15 and older 2. Impotence and male climacteric symptoms 3. To treat breast cancer in women 4. HIV/aids patients to increase appetite, strength, body mass, and improved sense of well being. B. VETERINARY APPLICATION 1. Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids are widely used in veterinary medicine 2. Given to cattle to increase the rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency. 3. Improve the performance of race horses. C. PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUG 1. The use of steroids by humans to enhance physical performance. They were apparently first used in WWII, according to William Taylor, M.D., in his book Hormonal Manipulation, â€Å"steroids were said to have been administered to Nazi Troops in order to make them more aggressive and less fearful of violence. 2. It was in the next few decades that Steroids began to play a prominent role in Sports and Athletics. The muscle building effect of steroids has caused them to be widely used by body builders and other Athletes III. WHO USES STEROIDS NOW AND WHY The use of steroids to improve performance, strength, and size, is unregulated and illegal. This however does not stop people who wish to use the drug in this manner from obtaining it. â€Å"Use of Anabolic Steroids began with elite competitive athletes, but today it includes even high school students who are taking anabolic steroids for cosmetic purposes.†Kuhn C. Swartzwelder. Straight Facts for Athletes about Drugs, Supplements, and Training A. WHO 1. Athletes, men and women in almost all sports 2. Professional Athletes 3. College Athletes 4. High school Athletes 5. Olympic Sports 6. Bodybuilders B. WHY 1. Performance enhancing qualities 2. Warped self image 3. Self esteem issues 4. Dependency IV. THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF STEROID USE A. PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS: (Directly related to the actual doses consumed or injected: relatively low or extremely large amounts.) 1. â€Å"Beneficial†a. Increased Strength, b. Increased Muscle and body mass. 2. Adverse (Range from mild to severe) MILD a. Acne b. High Blood Pressure c. Liver Damage d. Disturbed sleeping patterns e. Baldness f. Testicular Atrophy g. Abnormal breast enlargements SEVERE a. Liver Damage b. Liver Cancer c. Cardiac Disease d. Heart Attack B. PHSCHOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS 1. Increased Self – Esteem 2. Addiction and Psychological dependency 3. Tendency towards hostility and violence 4. Extreme fluctuations in mood 5. Increased energy level 6. Increased ability to train with greater mental intensity 7. Uncontrollable temper characterized by â€Å"Explosive†aggressive behavior CONCLUSION I. Review main Points A. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: 1. Scientific Definition: Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids are synthetic derivatives or testosterone. Testosterone, the natural male hormone that is produced primarily by testes in men, is responsible for the androgenic (masculizing), and the anabolic (tissue-building) effects noted during male adolescence and adulthood. 2. ORGINS: When first discovered by 1935, the hormone testosterone had been isolated, chemically charactized, and the basic natural of its anabolic effects had become clear. B. WHAT ARE ANABOLIC STERIODS USED FOR 1. As a Therapeutic agent for medical patients 2. Administered to animals for veterinary application, as a means to increase size and efficiency of cattle and other farm animals, and also to improve the performance of race horses. 3. As a Performance Enhancing Drug, unrelated and illegally used by athletes. C. WHO USES STEROIDS AND WHY 1. Bodybuilders and other athletes 2. Because of the muscle building effect that anabolic-androgenic steroids produce D. THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF STERIOD USE 1. Physiological 2. Psychological FINAL ATTENTION GETTER: We as human society and as Americans are a culture that thrives on competition and being the best but remember Cheaters Never Win and Winners Never Cheat. So we might not always be the best but remember we are what the best wanna be. Bibliography: 1. www.steroidabuse.org 2. Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise. (2nd ED.) 2000 by Charles Yesalis 3. Taylor, W.N. Hormonal Manipulation: A new Area of Monstrous Athletes. 1985, McFarland and Company Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina and London. 4. Straight Facts for Athletes about Drugs, Supplements, and Training. By Kuhn C. Swartzwelder. Anabolic Steroids Also known as Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS) ATTENTION GETTER: Now let me ask you something would you take a pill to get bigger and gain muscle in order to do more push-ups or sit-ups on PT Test, or How about giving yourself a shot to become faster on your 2 mile run. Of course some would. We all know how everything in our profession as a Soldier is always based on â€Å"WHAT IS YOUR PT SCORE†. Not on how well you do your job, or lead Soldiers. Now if you said yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ask yourself if you would do either of these two things knowing that you are putting yourself at serious health risks. In recent report, The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) uncovered an alarming statistic: more than a half million students in the 8th and 10th grade are currently using some form of anabolic steroids. Commentary I will be informing you on characteristics of Steroids, and what effects they have on the human body. Today I will be covering Historical Perspective: Which will also include the Definition in scientific terms Origins and when steroids were discovered, What Steroids are and have been used for, Who uses Steroids and why What the potential Physiological and Psychological effects it can have on the Human Body 1. The definition of an Anabolic-androgenic steroids, are synthetic derivatives of testosterone. Testosterone, the natural male hormone that is produced primarily by the testes in men, Is responsible for the androgenic (Masculizing, and the anabolic (Tissue building) effects noted during male adolescence and adulthood. Charles Yesalis. Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise. (2nd ED.) 2000 Origin of Steroids According to the (reference test anabolic steroids in sport and exercise 2000), experimentation with synthetic steroids on animals and castrated men began as early as 1911, and by 1935, the hormone testosterone had been isolated, chemically characterized, and the basic nature of its anabolic effects had become clear. It was shortly here after in 1937 that oral and inject able preparations were made available to the medical community. Hoberman JM, Yesalis CE. â€Å"The history of synthetic testosterone†. Scientific American 272, 1995. NOW THEY WE HAVE JUST DISCUSSED THE DEFINTION WITH A BRIEF HISTORICAL ACCOUNT WE WILL MOVE TO MY NEXT POINT..ANABOLIC STERIODS AND WHAT THEY ARE USED FOR. ANABOLIC STEROIDS USED for several different reasons and uses like: THERAPEUTIC AGENT Delayed puberty in boys ages 15 and older Impotence and male climacteric symptoms To treat breast cancer in women HIV/aids patients to increase appetite, strength, body mass, and improved sense of well being. VETERINARY APPLICATION Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids are widely used in veterinary medicine and also given to the cattle to increase the rate of weight gain and improve feed efficiency. It’s also used to improve the performance of race horses. Performance enhancing side of the drug is the use of steroids by humans to enhance physical performance. They were apparently first used in WWII, according to William Taylor, M.D., in his book Hormonal Manipulation, â€Å"steroids were said to have been administered to Nazi Troops in order to make them more aggressive and less fearful of violence. It was in the next few decades that Steroids began to play a prominent role in Sports and Athletics. With the muscle building effect of steroids which has caused them to be widely used by body builders and other Athletes. The use of steroids to improve the performance, strength, and size, is unregulated and is illegal. But this however does not stop people who wish to use the drug in this manner from obtaining it. â€Å"Use of Anabolic Steroids began with elite competitive athletes, but today it includes even high school students who are taking anabolic steroids for cosmetic purposes.†(Stated in Straight Facts for Athletes about Drugs, Supplements, and Training. By Kuhn C. Swartzwelder) Some of the personnel that are prime targets for using Steroids are Athletes, Men and women in almost all sports including Professional Athletes, College Athletes, High school Athletes in the Olympic Sports and of course Bodybuilders. So you might ask yourself why they do it, and why not stay natural but some of the Performance enhancing qualities are warped self image, self esteem issues, dependency. So let’s talk about some of the potential effects of Steroid use The first would be the Physiological effect: that is directly related to the actual doses (Consumed or injected: relatively low or extremely large amounts.) Now there can be some â€Å"Beneficial†effects that we all know and this is Increased Strength, Increased Muscle and body mass. Now there are some Adverse effects that Range from mild to severe to include but not all Some of the MILD effects are Acne High Blood Pressure Liver Damage Disturbed sleeping patterns Baldness Testicular Atrophy Abnormal breast enlargements Some of the more SEVERE effects can arrange from but not all Liver Damage Liver Cancer Cardiac Disease Heart Attack On the Psychological aspect there can be alterations to the Physical and mental state of the body. Increased Self – Esteem Addiction and Psychological dependency Tendency towards hostility and violence Extreme fluctuations in mood Increased energy level Increased ability to train with greater mental intensity Uncontrollable temper characterized by â€Å"Explosive†aggressive behavior FINAL ATTENTION GETTER: We as human society and as Americans are a culture that thrives on competition and being the best but remember Cheaters Never Win and Winners Never Cheat. So we might not always be the best but remember we are what the best wanna be. Bibliography: 1. www.steroidabuse.org 2. Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise. (2nd ED.) 2000 by Charles Yesalis 3. Taylor, W.N. Hormonal Manipulation: A new Area of Monstrous Athletes. 1985, McFarland and Company Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina and London. 4. Straight Facts for Athletes about Drugs, Supplements, and Training. By Kuhn C. Swartzwelder.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Proofreading and Formatting What’s the Difference
Proofreading and Formatting What’s the Difference Proofreading and Formatting: What’s the Difference? At Proofed, we do everything we can to make sure your written work is error free and well formatted. But what exactly is the difference between proofreading and formatting? To sum up, proofreading is about checking your work for mistakes, while formatting is about presentation. But the proofreading and formatting we do involves more than you might think. Comprehensive Proofreading The term â€Å"proofreading†comes from the â€Å"galley proofs†used by print publishers (early versions of written works, typically for editing or review). A â€Å"proof reader†is literally someone who checks these proofs for errors. Outside publishing, modern proofreading commonly includes an element of editing, such as making minor amendments to improve readability, sentence structure and word choice. We do this kind of proofreading at Proofed, and our expert proofreaders can offer assistance on everything from college papers and job applications to novels and advertising copy. This is made simple by the Track Changes function in Microsoft Word, which eliminates the need for a printed proof. The rise of digital proofreading has severely hit sales of red pens (Photo: Nics Events) As well as removing grammatical and spelling errors, our proofreading service ensures that vocabulary and references are used appropriately in college papers. As such, getting your work proofread can even boost your grades! And the Formatting? While proofreading focuses on the content of your written work, formatting encompasses everything about how the document is presented, including: A Title Page We can add a title page to meet your specifications, as well as abstract pages, acknowledgements or whatever else your document needs. Font Size and Type Formatting includes applying a font style, along with making sure paragraphs are clearly and consistently formatted throughout the document. Titles and Subtitles We’ll also apply specific font styles for all titles and subtitles in your work, thereby maximizing the clarity and visual impact of your writing. Charts and Figures Microsoft Word’s caption options allow us to add labels to all charts and figures, thereby boosting clarity. Dynamic Tables We can generate a table of contents or list of charts/figures that can be quickly updated at the touch of a button. Margins, Headers, and Footers As well as the options above, our formatting service incorporates all other elements of how your work is presented. Need the margins adjusting? No problem. Want page numbers added? Or chapter headers? Just let us know! Overall, the crucial thing with formatting is that your work is clearly and consistently presented throughout. Whatever your document, our service will make sure of this.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Ramesses II Social and Cultural Contribution essays
Ramesses II Social and Cultural Contribution essays Ramesses II Social and Cultural Contribution Ramesses II the Great, as he is most commonly known, was the ruler of Egypt in the 19th dynasty. He was co-ruler with his father Seti I and at age 22 he was already known as a great and fearless warrior. After his father death at approximately 1279 BC, Ramesses II now at age 24 began his reign. He was a young ruler full of energy and ambition. He ruled for 66 years until the age of 90 and finally died at approximately 1212 BC with the status as the longest reigning king in Egypt. Ramesses II was known for the temples and monuments he erected during his reign. Soon after his father died he started building monuments and temples honoring his father. He erected many such as the temple at Abu Simbel, the hypostyle hall at Karnak, a mortuary complex at Abydos, the Colossus of Ramesses at Memphis, a great tomb at Thebes, additions at the Luxor temple and the famous Ramesseum (touregypt.net/19dyn03.htm). He also renovated many of the structures already standing from past dynasties. The sculpture that captivates sculptors the most is the great Colossus of Ramesses. It stands at about 33.8 ft. long even though it has no feet. The sculpture is perfectly carved and polished. Every hidden part of this enormous statue, are equally finished. Modern sculptors are amazed at the supreme craftsmanship, so amazed that one modern day sculptor commented: How these master carvers achieved perfect surfaces on this scale with simple tools was beyond my comprehension. My own twenty years experience provided no clue. But clearly this was not the work of slaves. This forty-foot length of stone could only have been brought to life though the sensitive hand and watchful eye of a master sculptor, and with a great deal of loving care. Unfortunately, Ramesses II did not pay too much attention or give as much attention to the engraving of text. However, his beau...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
9 Tips to Improve Your Email Communication With Coworkers
9 Tips to Improve Your Email Communication With Coworkers Unless your office has gone back to carrier pigeons and pneumatic tubes carrying memos, email is the king when it comes to office communications. Those â€Å"new message†dings and badges follow us everywhere these days. That said, familiarity doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t some best practices we should all follow.Here are 9 tips to remember as you craft your 50th email of the day.1. Fast response =/= good response2. No one gets points for being That Guy who corrects others’ grammar.3. Your snarky response: just don’t send it.4. Don’t link to your personal blog in your signature.5. If you absolutely must trash-talk about someone else on the email chain, ALWAYS double-check the â€Å"reply all†setting.6. There is such a thing as TOO formal in a work email.7. Don’t hit â€Å"send†while you’re still angry.8. Don’t be the person who drops by to discuss the email you just sent.9. At some point, your emai l server will push you to the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Business Management Skills..... Leadership VS Management Essay
Business Management Skills..... Leadership VS Management - Essay Example The role of a manager is a difficult one. This person has to take with him the whole company and mesh the different processes so that he could get instant results. He is a team leader right from the onset of his job. He needs to get work done from the different people who are working under him. The end result has to be a single goal, one that drives their efforts towards the financial success of the said organization. In doing so, the manager encounters a lot of hindrances, difficulties and hurdles. (Heath, 1994) He has to face a lot of pressure from the top most management, the people who are senior to him even. He has to be accountable to the publics of the organization, which could include the customers and the stakeholders as well since the latter are the people who have invested within the company’s shares and they want a quick buck out of the whole investment drive. On the other hand, business leadership is all about influencing other people in the organization to accomplish a task. It involves directing an organization in that it becomes more coherent and cohesive. Business leadership style can therefore be defined as approach for providing direction. It includes motivation. There are various business leadership styles that exist in business management. They include authoritarian or autocratic, participative or democratic, delegation or free reign business leadership. (Guarrero, 1998) The basic difference between a business leader and a business manager is within their working domains. They are basically doing the same job of managing people but in slightly different capacities. Whereas the business leader looks at forming instructions of his own which he will forward to the middle management, the middle line business managers basically aim to ‘manage’ people in the real sense of the word. This means that business managers have a duty of understanding the deep rooted values of the organization and the same cannot be
Friday, October 18, 2019
Analysis paper (speech) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Analysis paper (speech) - Essay Example The main challenge that I still face is in credibility and ethics concerned. In presentation of the purpose and the topic is an important element in ensuring that the audience connected with it. This is a major and most important in determining communication success. It includes elements of keeping the message clear, good preparation, keeping the message simple, natural concise and being vivid while presenting the topic (Pearson). It is evident from the speech about public policy that there is a good introduction of the topic. It begins with an attention getter. This attracts the attention of the audience, this shows how prepared you are. The introductory statement begins by what the speech is all about i.e. the need for public policy in governance. The speech on how to prepare for a job search begins by outlining the purpose of the speech. The introduction of the thesis also shows the level of the subject understood and the need to accomplish the objective. Thesis gives an outline of what is required and provides the roadmap for the presentation (Pearson). Pearson argues that the presentation of logistics and occasion is a major determination speech presentation. Logistics aims at convincing the audience on the importance and practicability of a topic. A convincing speech is not just easy to develop but requires numerous practices and testing before the actual presentation. The structure of any speech should define and cohere with the purpose and the targeted audience. Such determinations are usually instrumental in identifying the appropriate language and expression to employ in the process (Pearson). The logistic in the speech presented in a manner that they match the occasion. In the job seeking, speech it is quoted that one should ‘identify goals, values, achievements, experiences, interest, and skills’. This statement gives the relevance and the logistics of the speech. It summarises the main points that are important while
The Kodak Venture in China Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
The Kodak Venture in China - Case Study Example 2001) .China has indeed got all the ingredients to make an IJV(international joint venture ) a success based upon its vast population, large consumer base and less firm grasp of the brand MNC's power and few branded commodities - a marketer's dream come true.Many writers have described China as an enigma ..With many organizations having already tried and failed". (Heracleous, L. 2001) This is due to a lack of knowledge of the local environment and guanxi (relationships and connections). (see appendix below) The Kodak venture in China was different story as the international company owned by Eastman Kodak struggled to permeate into the Far Eastern Human Resource Management barriers.It is reported that currently Kodak's Chinese revenues are currently more than $300 and it has a 40 percent market share along with 5,500 outlets. (Alon 2001).Where as Kodak benefitted immensely from its focus on the franchises for rapid distribution and focused on brand equity and closer trust and consumer understanding, a strategy of long term investment and less short term costs and a strategy of establishing close relationships with multiple levels of government . (see appendix below) (Alon 2001). From an HRM perspective however Kodak had the following potential challenges in the HRM area in front of it. It is however worth identifying the conceptual framework with in which I will be commenting on the Kodak case study. (Alon 2001).This framework implies the whole organization and planning of the research and identification of the purpose and the methods applied and outcomes derived as result of the organizational framework. This chart shows the framework which served a guideline for the research procedure. In commenting on the Chinese HRM challenges facing Kodak as a Western Company the table below illustrates my approach in explaining the success of Kodak in localizing management strategies in China. (Alon 2001). What is really important is the way Kodak was able to recognize the importance of developing a corporate management culture to effectively work in the Chinese market cannot be overemphasized. With economic growth exceeding 10%, Kodak fast realized that China's enormous domestic market offers huge upside gains for those firms who successfully implement localization techniques to make their ventures more successful. In addition to settling up the methods, procedures, and environment in which to train them, Kodak also has had to devise the means via which to retain them as well, as the Heidrick & Struggles (2006) report cites that the management turnover in China ranges between 15 to 20% according to their survey of 148 executives. This situation has put those managers with the skills and expertise in this area in the position of being able to switch to jobs offering the highest compensation and fringe benefits. This leads
Thursday, October 17, 2019
The Effects of Social Networks on Firm Performance Research Paper
The Effects of Social Networks on Firm Performance - Research Paper Example The paper tells that in the field of product development the inter organization networks can be very effective for the joint discussion about the product. Many new and small firms have lack of resources for the development, mainly due to inexperience and a lack of goodwill. Thus as a way of competing and grabbing a foothold in such a scenario involves bootstrapping, which involves activities for securing funds and resources. By using social networks such companies can gather finances, by building up strong ties in the initial stages and later on weak ties as they grow big. CEO’s of different firms have been known to have taken advice from outside through social networking. In this way they seek to get an outside opinion and an altogether different perspective regarding certain strategic issues. These enhance the performance of the firms. Another important aspect which is emerging slowly is the concept of a local social capital where an individual who values more of his local c ontacts, even though he has global contacts. This is relevant mainly in case of local entrepreneurs. Thus according to scientists, people with more and better social capital will be able to realize their goals. Ranging from contracts to building goodwill and securing finances, social capital is the priority in all types of endeavors around the globe. Social ties have been found to regulate exchanges through an informal and interpersonal way and they help to push back the limitations of a weak infrastructure, especially in the case of a financial crisis. (Sheng et al, 2011, p. 1). The study is to provide several facts and discussions in relation to social networks and social capital and their effect on firm performance based on the following
Soil strengthening of age-old-designed railway tracks Research Paper
Soil strengthening of age-old-designed railway tracks - Research Paper Example Superstructure consists of rails, fastening, and sleepers, and sub-structure consists of ballast, sub-ballast, and sub-grade. This research assignment studies the functions of substructure in track operation. Railroad substructure receives dynamic load from train movement and behaves according to the principles and laws of soil mechanics. Soil performance under loading in soil mechanics is governed by two characteristics: strength and deformation (STRATIGRAPHICS n.d.). Strength refers to the shear strength properties, and deformation refers to settlement. The proper functioning of substructure is characterized by the bearing capacity which implies that shear stresses caused by the cyclic loading has to be lower than the soil’s undrained shear strength value, and at the same time settlement will not develop plastic behavior in the soil. After a number of years of operation, instability of both super and sub structures is caused by the shear failure and plastic settlement of sub -grade. There are many factors that may contribute to the loss of soil-strength. Among them, poor drainage, and trapped water in ballast pockets play significant roles. According to Harry Cedergreen, drainage represents a significant issue for railroad construction and maintenance; stability and low maintenance cost can only exist when adequate drainage is provided (Cedergren 1989, p. 364). Sub-grade failure in railroad jargon is called â€Å"soft track†(Australian Rail Track Corporation a 2001). Soft track includes ballast failure, top formation failure, shallow sub-grade failure, embankment failure, and landslide failure. Water is one of the several contributors that cause these failures. The scope of this assignment is to study methods... The response to the cyclic loading of rail track is an interaction of superstructure and substructure. Ballast, sub-ballast, and sub-grade relates to substructure. Decades of operation bring structural changes of substructures. The sub-grades of the old existing rail tracks require rehabilitation to satisfy proper functioning and meet current technical operational standards. The scope of this assignment is to find the rehabilitation approach for the existing tracks of Australia. The solution must account that improvement of substructure by dismantling the railways is not an option due to the transport collapse, which is accompanied by financial losses. Rehabilitation of the existing railway is not a sheer issue that relates to Australia only; it is also a significant issue for the European countries, Canada, and USA. CSX Rail Line in Milstead, Alabama, USA faced excessive ballast settlement and soil pumping problems due to the poor sub-grade conditions. Moreover, Tallapoosa River run s parallel to the rail line. The rehabilitation of the track included raising the track, undercutting and removing the existing ballast, and use of filter fabric over the exposed sub-ballast, which was followed by a layer of Geogrid
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
The Effects of Social Networks on Firm Performance Research Paper
The Effects of Social Networks on Firm Performance - Research Paper Example The paper tells that in the field of product development the inter organization networks can be very effective for the joint discussion about the product. Many new and small firms have lack of resources for the development, mainly due to inexperience and a lack of goodwill. Thus as a way of competing and grabbing a foothold in such a scenario involves bootstrapping, which involves activities for securing funds and resources. By using social networks such companies can gather finances, by building up strong ties in the initial stages and later on weak ties as they grow big. CEO’s of different firms have been known to have taken advice from outside through social networking. In this way they seek to get an outside opinion and an altogether different perspective regarding certain strategic issues. These enhance the performance of the firms. Another important aspect which is emerging slowly is the concept of a local social capital where an individual who values more of his local c ontacts, even though he has global contacts. This is relevant mainly in case of local entrepreneurs. Thus according to scientists, people with more and better social capital will be able to realize their goals. Ranging from contracts to building goodwill and securing finances, social capital is the priority in all types of endeavors around the globe. Social ties have been found to regulate exchanges through an informal and interpersonal way and they help to push back the limitations of a weak infrastructure, especially in the case of a financial crisis. (Sheng et al, 2011, p. 1). The study is to provide several facts and discussions in relation to social networks and social capital and their effect on firm performance based on the following
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Project feasibility study report through Primary Research Assignment
Project feasibility study report through Primary Research - Assignment Example This paper will examine how the differences achieve different outcomes and goals between the various universities. By looking at the different universities, there will be different insight into the effectiveness of specific programs as well as the similarities that may be between different regions because of the expectations in design entrepreneurship for the current work force. Introduction Creating a different understanding of design entrepreneurship leads to specific careers and studies in the field. More important, it establishes distinct differences in how individuals receive training and what the outcome is of the education that is received (Reynolds et al, 2005: p 205). When looking at different concepts that are a part of design entrepreneurship as a part of the educational field, it can be seen that cultural and social influences directly impact those which are involved in this career field. More important, there are distinguished alternatives that are used by the teaching m ethods and expectations which are associated with various universities (Henry, Hill, 2005, p 98). ... ave individuals who have the capability to work as their own business while creating teams and working as leaders is one of the main proponents that is associated with this. From the entrepreneurship trends that are a part of society are also new economic standards and expectations that are leading to new types of training needed for those who are going through educational programs. Building ways to train individuals in legitimate areas then becomes a main proponent for the entrepreneurship. For those interested in design, this is furthered with the expectation that most who graduate with a degree will move into an entrepreneurial position, even while working in a specific career field or with a business. The nature of this work has made it pertinent for universities to establish a different option for individuals to understand how to work as design entrepreneurs (Kuratko, 2005: p. 577). Another concept which is specifically associated with entrepreneurship is based specifically on t he expectations for the changes in culture. The different universities which are now creating curricula for students are building on the global nature of a workforce as well as how this is directly associated with entrepreneurs. There is an understanding of how the universities can move to offer more options for a global corporate structure. At the same time, there is the need to understand how to create a different structure based on setting each university apart. Through current studies (Kothari, Handscombe, 2007, p 43), there is an understanding that universities are trying to educate students for a global work force. However, many are also using cultural differences as a way to create differences between the schools, specifically so there are distinctions for national prosperity as well
Monday, October 14, 2019
Definition of statistics Essay Example for Free
Definition of statistics Essay According to Lind, Marchal, and Warhen (2011), the definition of statistics is that it is the science of data. It involves collecting, classifying, summarizing, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting numerical information (Chapter 1). There are different types and levels of statistics. For example Descriptive statistics utilizes numerical and graphical methods to look for patterns in a data set, to summarize the information revealed in a data set, and to present the information in a convenient form. The four elements of descriptive statistical problems are the population or sample of interest, One or more variables (characteristics of the populations or sample units) that are to be investigated, Tables, graphs, numerical summary tools, and the identification of patterns in the data Also there are Inferential statistics that utilizes sample data to make estimates, decisions, predictions, or other generalizations about a larger set of data. There are 5 elements of inferential statistical problems: The population of interest, one or more variables (characteristics of the population units) that are to be investigated, the sample of population units, the inference about the population based on information contained in the sample, and a measure of reliability for the inference. When it comes to the role of statistics in business decision making it is applied in many ways in terms of consumer preferences or even financial trends. For example, managers across any type of business unit formulate problems, they decide on a question relating to the problem and then form a statistical formulation of the question is used to determine answers to all of the above. An example of a business question may be how many calls are answered on average in a call center and how can we increase the numbers of calls answered per hour. Another example may be how we can increase the number of accounts we open each week, and who is opening the Most accounts and what is it that is aiding in the success of those individuals. Clearly there are many questions but determining the right questions that can be measured with statistical data is key to getting the right answers. References Lind, D. A., Marchal, W. G., Warhen, S. A. (2011). Basic Statistics for Business Economics (7th ed.). Retrieved from The Univeristy of Phoenix eBook Collection database.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Revenge Vs Justice Philosophy Essay
The Revenge Vs Justice Philosophy Essay Moby Dick or The Whale by Herman Melville tells the adventure of Ishmael and his voyage on the ship the Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab. But Captain Ahab has an obsessive goal to kill the Whale because of a previous encounter with the whale that cause Captain Ahab to lose his foot. Some of the topics in this story are the battle Good and Evil, the dangers that come with monomania and obsession. The belief in Gods existence, the limits of knowledge and relying on fate are all topics in this story. Also revenge is very destructive and good can never come out of it. These topics are mostly seen in Captain Ahab with especially his obsession with revenge that ultimately leads to his downfall. This essay will explain how revenge affects Captain Ahab and Revenge as an American Identity. This essay will show that revenge feels right but only brings destruction; Justice feels wrong at times but in the end only builds relationships. Revenge does not listen to reason because your mind is focused only on the task of hand. The mind is no longer open minded because revenge encompasses the whole body. Captain Ahab says Come and see if ye can swerve me. Ye cannot swerve me, else ye swerve yourselves! The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run.(Melville,172). Captain Ahabs mind is already set he will not take no for an answer and believes this is the correct life path he cannot be talked to or coerced off his path. He believes that his path of revenge is fate and cannot be changed even if he wanted to. When people are obsessed with revenge are not open to any guidance they believe they are correct5 in all ways because revenge removes justice therefore it removes choices from the individual. Revenge often invokes taking you with me. If the character snaps out of it, it can lead to Was it really worth it? And My God what have I done?(Revenge before reason 1). When you are open to guidance you can usually see that revenge is not the correct option instead of being one minded and stubborn. You cannot think clearly and rationally if you are obsessed with revenge. Throughout the South during the Civil Rights movement people were clouded with prejudice. People did not use proper judgment in living back then, because of past occurrences and if their minds werent clouded they would have done help to eliminate racism. Reasons can only be seen in a mind open but if mind is clouded and we are not able to see sense revenge, prejudice and hate will continue to exist. Revenge never leads to good it only leads to suffering. The avenger believes that he is benefiting himself and his actions will make him feel better but it only leads to more hurt for both parties involved. As The Pequod is destroyed by The Whale Captain Ahab utters Towards thee I stab at thee; for hates sake I spit my last breathe at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common poo!, and since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!(Melville, 576). Captain Ahab already knows he is dying but still has an obsession to take the Whale with him to the death. People think revenge will save them, but it only hurts them in the end because of bad choices. An Eye for an Eye Will Make the Whole World Blind(Ganhdi). The nature of revenge keeps us from seeing ourselves being hurt in the process. Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.(Lammott). The A merican Justice System survives on non-biasness dealing with crimes and if we judge others for acts they committed and are biased it will prompt us to look for revenge then riots began to form and people taking law into their own hands. Feelings of revenge are hard to get rid of because revenge is human nature. The desire for revenge isnt a disease that afflicts a few unfortunate people; rather its a universal trait of human nature, crafted by natural selection, that exists today because it helped our ancestors adapt to their environment.( The Forgiveness Instinct 1). Crew members on the Pequod pleaded with Ahab to stop his vain expedition but he refused. He says Doesnt the devil live forever; who ever heard that the devil was dead? Did you ever see any parson a wearing mourning for the devil? And if the devil has a latch-key to get into the admirals cabin, dont you suppose he can crawl into a port-hole? If revenge is continuing to be nursed than it will continue to live like a parasite. Once feelings of revenge are brought on they move like a runaway train and will not stop until everything is destroyed with itself. I tell you that revenge never turns back and never stops. I tell you that it is always moving forward.(Dickens 3) As humans we believe that we have control over aspects in our life but revenge can be weeded in early stages but after time it can be very hard to forgive other. Dealing with foreign affairs the United States takes caution against other countries; government and military officials have many conferences and meetings before the country goes to war. Most of the time revenge is brought on from unpreparedness. Revenge is primitive it takes very little thinking unlike it is a knee jerk response while justice takes meditation thinking and guidance. Revenge gives control while justice keeps control. As humans would we are able to control our emotions but in Moby Dick the whale showed more composure than Captain Ahab for there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men (Melville, 87). An animal with no common sense will still have better actions than a human with common sense. Humans claim they have control on their feelings but still have commit act of revenge on others. Self-control is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢the ability to control or override ones thoughts, emotions, urges, and behaviorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- for a desired outcome or goal (Damiani 7). In self- control we overlook our urges and look for the best option instead of the first option. Justice takes self-control we are able to look over our urges, revenge is an urge. If we act on our urges all the time without using common sense we are belittling ourselves to animals. As humans we have been given the ability to rationalize our actions before we perform them but revengeful acts are not rationalized because if they were humans would see the effects it haves on themselves and others. United States courts are kept in control and are well organized instead of wayward. For justice to continue to reign people must be in control of their urges and emotions so there could be fair trials and un-biased feelings dealing with cases. Revenge threatens control because there is no fairness. Countries that used an eye for an eye a tooth for tooth laws do not continue to exist because there was no control. In conclusion there is nothing fair about revenge it affects us in all aspects of life. It brings us down to the form of animals we lose control over our selves. It clouds judgment, it leads to suffering, and it is hard to stop the feelings. Americas Justice System attempts to seek justice in a calm controlled manner that takes biases and prejudice out of the equation to get a fair trial. Seeking justice is a behavior that is learned but revenge is an urge brought on by human nature that encompasses our whole self. Revenge keeps us from ever having feeling of forgiveness and never helps us to build or repair relationships. But justice gives us a building block to repair torn relationships and sometimes give closure to families or people that have been affected. Revenge helps us to move on from past issues, but revenge continues to makes us dwell on them. Justice humanizes and gives respect to each party, but revenge dehumanizes and causes us to be robots that respond to any stimuli.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
The Conflict of Paideias in Gadamers Thought :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers
The Conflict of Paideias in Gadamer's Thought (1) ABSTRACT: Although Gadamer's study of Greek paideia has been virtually ignored in the scholarly literature, I argue that it is central to his philosophy of education. Gadamer singles out three kinds of paideia: traditional, sophistic and philosophic. Traditional paideia, grounded in an unaware habit or disposition of the soul, was vulnerable when sophistic paideia brought reasoned argument against it. This 'new' paideia originally supported traditional notions of the just and the good with its conscious art of argumentation and pragmatic enhancement of success. But this paideia also undermined conventional morality by arguing that it is only convention, thereby corrupting the youth of Athens by appealing to the untrammeled desire for power. Philosophical paideia takes its bearings from the sophistic as its deepest opponent and counterimage. It turns out, however, that the two are virtually indistinguishable. Both bring thinking to consciousness; both are rhetorical arts; both create confusion; and both are subject to the 'weakness of the logoi.' In the end, the difference between them rests not on distinctions of reason, but the intent of the reasoner. This conflict of paideias is relevant to the situation of education today. Problems of narrow technical perspective and the broadest ideological manipulation are directly traceable to sophistic paideia. Thus, Gadamer points to hermeneutical praxis as 'the heart of all education that wants to teach how to philosophize.' Hans-Georg Gadamer describes the traditional ideal of Greek education as turning the student toward everything exempt from necessity comprising the beautiful. (2) This paideia consisted above all in developing a harmonious disposition of the soul, a hexis or "habit," through early training in music and gymnastic. (3) Its guiding purpose was to create citizens fit to govern in freedom. Clearly the importance of paideia as an educational concept can hardly be over-emphasized. Gadamer is an increasingly influential figure in the philosophy of education. He is also one of the eminent classicists of our times. Yet although paideia and its relevance to contemporary education forms a recurring theme in Gadamer's writings, this historical dimension of his approach to education has been virtually ignored in the scholarly literature. (4) One may speculate that the reason for this lacuna is a tendency to approach the subject more analytically than historically. Moreover, the theme appears in so many essays, spanning Gadamer's entire career, that it is difficult to follow the trail of his study. The Conflict of Paideias in Gadamer's Thought :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers The Conflict of Paideias in Gadamer's Thought (1) ABSTRACT: Although Gadamer's study of Greek paideia has been virtually ignored in the scholarly literature, I argue that it is central to his philosophy of education. Gadamer singles out three kinds of paideia: traditional, sophistic and philosophic. Traditional paideia, grounded in an unaware habit or disposition of the soul, was vulnerable when sophistic paideia brought reasoned argument against it. This 'new' paideia originally supported traditional notions of the just and the good with its conscious art of argumentation and pragmatic enhancement of success. But this paideia also undermined conventional morality by arguing that it is only convention, thereby corrupting the youth of Athens by appealing to the untrammeled desire for power. Philosophical paideia takes its bearings from the sophistic as its deepest opponent and counterimage. It turns out, however, that the two are virtually indistinguishable. Both bring thinking to consciousness; both are rhetorical arts; both create confusion; and both are subject to the 'weakness of the logoi.' In the end, the difference between them rests not on distinctions of reason, but the intent of the reasoner. This conflict of paideias is relevant to the situation of education today. Problems of narrow technical perspective and the broadest ideological manipulation are directly traceable to sophistic paideia. Thus, Gadamer points to hermeneutical praxis as 'the heart of all education that wants to teach how to philosophize.' Hans-Georg Gadamer describes the traditional ideal of Greek education as turning the student toward everything exempt from necessity comprising the beautiful. (2) This paideia consisted above all in developing a harmonious disposition of the soul, a hexis or "habit," through early training in music and gymnastic. (3) Its guiding purpose was to create citizens fit to govern in freedom. Clearly the importance of paideia as an educational concept can hardly be over-emphasized. Gadamer is an increasingly influential figure in the philosophy of education. He is also one of the eminent classicists of our times. Yet although paideia and its relevance to contemporary education forms a recurring theme in Gadamer's writings, this historical dimension of his approach to education has been virtually ignored in the scholarly literature. (4) One may speculate that the reason for this lacuna is a tendency to approach the subject more analytically than historically. Moreover, the theme appears in so many essays, spanning Gadamer's entire career, that it is difficult to follow the trail of his study.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Deciding On a Vehicle Type
Many factors influence the automotive design process. Some of these include the target price, workload intended for the vehicle, safety in crashes, aesthetic appeal in design, fuel economy or fuel efficiency, ergonomics, and mechanical design. These factors deeply affect the vehicular design procedure. This paper will travel into each of these aspects and deeper to explain why they are so influential. DECIDING ON A VEHICLE TYPE The first step in the development of an automobile is to decide what kind of vehicle it will be. A truck is most useful for construction, moving, farm work, and things of those natures. However, people employ a minivan or sedan in transporting families or taking vacations. There are sports cars, designed only to get its passengers there fast and in style. The engineers cannot even initiate more complex design phases until the car's basic style is decided, thus making it one of the most important steps in the entire process. PRICE Price appears at the same stage in development as choosing the car type. Money is a major factor in the development of any new technology or product. Not only will the price have to be suitable for the consumer, it must also be feasible to put the amount of funding required into the project. Developing a new automobile takes thousands of hours of work and millions of dollars in funding to make a reality. Companies must make sure that they are putting their millions of dollars into a worthy cause, as most concept cars never see the assembly line. Before designing the car's performance and feature list, the engineers must know in what price range the car is to be sold. Budgets have to be set, and they assist in determining the outcome of the car. FUEL EFFICIENCY Along the same general lines as price is the fuel economy of the vehicle. Manufacturers must meet certain emission standards to make their creations street-legal. Drag exerted on the vehicle greatly affects fuel economy. Engineers use the drag coefficient formula to determine how much force drag applies on their design. The formula for the drag coefficient is where FD is the drag force. P is the density of the medium through which the object is traveling. In automobile design, this medium is the air, whose density is a relative constant. U is the speed of the body journeying through the medium (which in this case is air), and L is the scale of the body measured in square units1. This formula is used to calculate the drag coefficient of a vehicle. The independent variables in the above equation are measured using a wind tunnel and other standard measuring techniques. The higher the drag coefficient is the more drag is exerted on the car and the worse its fuel economy would be. Lowered fuel economy is, naturally, undesirable and makes the consumer less likely to purchase the vehicle. With the rising fuel issues, a growing interest in creating new environmentally friendly engines has become known. Millions of dollars are being poured into projects that will lead to highly efficient motors to power the world's automotive force. This is another section, and alternate engines will be discussed later in the paper. As previously acknowledged, cars are tested in wind tunnels to assist in measuring the drag forces on the vehicle. Wind tunnels are essentially large tubes with an enormous fan at one end. The object to be tested is placed in the wind tunnel, and the fan is started, causing air particles to accelerate and generate wind. The wind then reaches the object to be tested. However, the human eye cannot see exactly where the wind goes when hitting the object. Therefore, wind tunnel technologists use smoke to view the airflow around their subjects2. Automotive engineers use the data gathered in wind tunnel testing to calculate the drag on the vehicles. Another factor of the fuel economy of a vehicle is its weight. Generally, lighter cars boast better fuel efficiency. Engineers wage a constant war between lightweight and heavyweight vehicles. Lightweight vehicles are more efficient than their heavyweight counterparts are, but they are also considered less safe. Lighter vehicles also maintain their tires better, further increasing their efficiency. In recent years and through most of automobile history, the clear choice has been to go with the safer vehicles and simply postpone the efficiency until better technologies exist to improve upon it. During the 1980s, however, the trend of producing smaller, more compact cars was introduced. A standard called the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standard (CAFE) was set at 27.5 miles per gallon, forcing automotive manufacturers to create smaller, less safe cars to meet the optional CAFE standard3. This standard has been blamed for many deaths because lighter cars are more insecure. Safety issues will be discussed later. The 1990s brought back the era of the large vehicle, and we have since been seeing monstrous SUVs rule the market. Perhaps one day, engineers will unearth the perfect balance between efficiency and safety. As for now, great strides are being made in improving the safety of the smaller vehicles and more and more sports cars are being made small. Plastics are making it possible to create safe, lightweight vehicles. From body panels to interior parts, plastic may very well be the future of automotive design. The tires on a vehicle also contribute to fuel efficiency, so the lighter cars have yet another advantage in the efficiency department4. AESTHETIC APPEAL The overall look of a car is sometimes enough to sell a buyer on purchasing a certain vehicle. Thusly, the design of the vehicle's exterior is a major concern in the designing of a vehicle. The curves of a car are what define it and give it its personality. A vehicle with personality is appealing to the consumer, and they are sometimes able to identify with the vehicle. Many people would consider their vehicle to be an extension of themselves. People judge one another by what kind of car they drive and even recognize each other as they travel. A person's vehicle can tell an entire story about its owner. Therefore, it is nearly unnecessary to state that the exterior styling of an automobile is of paramount importance because nobody wants a vehicle that is going to reflect poorly upon them and their lifestyle. Concept cars usually feature aggressive lines and bold design features. Why is it then that if all the cars on the road were once a concept are there relatively few aggressively styled vehicles on the road? The answer is simple: the manufacturers of the automobiles must get the most value out of their designs, and that involves toning down the design's outrageous factors in many cases. The aggressive and bold lines are attractive, however, and demand attention from the heads of companies. The sad truth is that sometimes the extreme designs are simply infeasible due to another section to be later discussed, compatibility with current configurations at the plant that builds the vehicles. However, innovations in design must occur at some rate because if progression stops, so does the automotive industry. Progression is the force that keeps the world moving. Companies make slight changes to their vehicles annually, and every so often, a completely new vehicle on a completely new framework can be introduced into the market. New cars often share the chassis of a similar car to avoid the need to create a new frame for the car. When a company finally does introduce a radical new vehicle into the market, the manufacturers must have made sure that the investment was worth it, because the vehicle could be a complete failure in the rough and tough world of commerce. Style is not an objective concept. Different people from varying backgrounds have differing opinions about what looks good. The artists involved in styling the vehicle's exterior must take into account the target audience of the product. Before production, they must implant their idea of style into the public's mind to take note of the reactions, usually done at auto shows. There are, for example, several styles of trucks: big and powerful trucks, small and sporty trucks, and family-oriented trucks. Obviously, a family with young children would not find the styling of the large, tall, powerful truck to be appealing because their children would not be able to enjoy fully their investment of an automobile, which is more than likely unsatisfactory. ERGONOMICS OF THE INTERIOR The interior of a vehicle is just as important in the design of an automobile as the exterior styling of the vehicle. Many times, a test drive will turn away customers. If the consumers do not like to be in the vehicle, they are far less likely to purchase the vehicle than if the interior is pleasing. Many drivers like to have a full range of features at their disposal, while others like to keep their dashboards as free of clutter as possible. Design engineers keep this in mind when developing the interior of their creations. Cheaper cars tend to have far fewer luxurious devices, while the more expensive vehicles have gadgets galore. This is most likely because it is the gadgets that increase the price, making a costly car what it is-expensive. To keep the market moving forward, as it must, new car parts need to be invented annually and implemented either in concept vehicles or in reincarnations of old vehicles. Comfortable seats are a necessity in a vehicle. In a car, the seats must be adjustable to accommodate the differently sized people who use them, because it is unfair to discriminate against either short or tall people. In trucks, designers have been paying attention to this as well, and have developed power foot pedals since the seat in a truck is often nonadjustable. There is an entire science dedicated to creating comfortable seats. Companies pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into designing and producing comfortable chairs for automobiles. Therefore, there are numerous products on sale across the world claiming to give the most comfortable trip possible. They range from gel pads to masterfully designed and engineered pads built into the seat. In mathematics, the letter r is used to represent confidence in an arithmetical estimation. Through extensive research, engineers have developed formulas to measure comfort. They have experimented and have found r to be as high as .638 when they asked two questions of a subject: Does this provide lower back support? Is this chair comfortable? Researchers believe that lower back support is the key to extreme comfort. Pressure should be evenly distributed and not focused on any particular region. No pressure should be put on the sciatic nerve, or discomfort will surely ensue. This pressure is diverted to other areas by the clever usage of curves in the chair and padding. This diversion also reduces blocked blood flow, leaving the user comfortable. However, simply designing a rigid yet ideal structure for the seat in an automobile is not enough, because people are naturally disproportionate to one another. Active comfort systems are being designed to conform to each person individually, rather than setting a standard in which everyone should fit. 5 ELECTRONICS SYSTEM According to Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW), the electronics system accounts for more than 30% of the overall design cost for a new vehicle6. Currently, the mechanical design of automobiles is the core, but it is predicted that the electronic components will become the nucleus, and mechanical innovations will grow fewer and fewer. Some future electronic innovations projected to arrive in the automotive market are more complex power train management systems, Electronic Control Units (ECU) that control dashboard displays, and the ability to communicate wirelessly with other vehicles and road signs. Designers must take extreme care in designing such electrical systems because the more complex a system is the more room for error exists. Power and drive train and management systems currently exist and manufacturers commonly implement them. Traction control and limited slip differentials are excellent examples of such systems. In the future, ignition control systems will be used to create more efficiency in the ignition process. An ECU will be used to regulate the amount of fuel injected into the engine's cylinders. This will assist in fuel economy because no fuel will be wasted, and will increase the power of the engine. There will be systems to utilize more effectively the weight distribution of the vehicle in steering and braking. Automotive corporations are developing more intricate and advanced systems to transmit the power to the wheels that permit absolutely no loss of grip during acceleration or braking. Dashboard controls have an effect on the overall effectiveness of the gauges in a vehicle. If a device could cull what gauges were relevant, more gauges would with less clutter than the typical dash of today, provided the gauges are displayed digitally. The coding necessary for such an electronic display would likely exceed 45,000 lines and take more than 262,800 man-hours to develop fully. Such an effort would probably need millions of dollars in financial backing, and currently nobody has been willing to invest so much money in something that would probably not gain as much as it costs. According to OSEK (In English, Open Systems and the Corresponding Interfaces for Automotive Electronics), â€Å"Vehicle manufacturers traditionally focus on production cost rather than on development cost-the sensors and the actuators, along with the bare ECU, represent almost the entire cost for electronics in the car. †However, although software does not have a â€Å"production†cost, it is not for free! The software development costs are skyrocketing: today, they are about twice as much as the development costs for hardware.†New technologies such as bluetooth will allow vehicles to interact with both people and their electronic objects. For instance, a cellular phone is inserted into a jack in a vehicle. The vehicle downloads the phone's data such as addresses, phone numbers, and other information. The car's own speakers deliver any phone calls that come through the line, and this allows the driver's hands to remain free while they talk on the phone. This technology exists, and is readily available. Design engineers are always keeping up with the times, and realize that cellular phones are now of utmost importance to many people. Possible future technologies will allow vehicles to communicate with one another and will assist in stop and go traffic. Perhaps an adaptive cruise control will be designed that monitors traffic and can alter its setting on the fly, allowing greater functionality of the cruise control unit. Bad electrical design can lead to exceedingly dangerous situations. Design engineers have finally realized the human mid has its limitations and cannot process an infinite amount of information at one time. Having to fumble around to find the right button to change the radio station is not only dangerous, it is annoying. BMW has integrated stereo systems into its steering wheel, and is interested in â€Å"x-by-wire†technology. It will remove the mechanical linkages in the steering wheel, brake system, and shifting mechanisms, creating new phrases like steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire, and shift-by-wire. They think that the steering wheel will only turn 160à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. This will allow for vastly enhanced maneuverability in parking and other situations7. General Motors has also shown great interest in the x-by-wire technology and debuted its Autonomy in late 2002, a vehicle that is essentially a flat board attached to wheels. While they have created a drivable version, they admit that the technology to actually produce such a vehicle is still years in the working. They will surely verify the electrical integrity of the x-by-wire electrical system before allowing it to be released into the market, or else they risk endangering citizens and being sued. One new safety feature already available is the lane departure system from Siemens VDO Automotive. Upon the vehicle changing lanes without signaling, it will beep, informing the driver of the unintentional lane change. This will be monumental in the field of driving safety and is made possible by the electrical engineers who work on such projects. PERFORMANCE DESIGN Automotive designers must take into account the mechanical design of their vehicles. They must decide whether to use an existing frame for the vehicle or design a new one from scratch. If they do decide to design a totally new vehicle, they must decide at what caliber performance the vehicle will be created. The specific needs of the vehicle to be created decide what performance features will be implemented in the vehicle. An offroad vehicle will likely require an active suspension and four-wheel drive, among other things. A sports car should have rack and pinion steering and an aerodynamic body to create downforce and reduce drag and should be lightweight to allow for high-speed maneuvering. New technologies in performance engineering are always developing. Vehicles are becoming more well rounded and are suiting many needs. For example, a truck can now be used to haul freight or haul a family of five. In the past, trucks were meant only to drive offroad and carry cargo. Still, there is the need for specific performance standards in vehicles. Horsepower reigned king in the day of the muscle car, but now new technologies in gearing and energy transmission allow less horsepower to do more work toward the ultimate goal of propelling a vehicle into motion. It is incontrovertible that the engine is one of the most vital components of any automobile. The transmission is able to harness more of the engine's power with our new, advanced technology. Nowadays, greater measures have been taken in engineering safety measures, allowing vehicles to travel faster while increasing previous safety standards. A smaller vehicle does not necessitate a large engine being installed. However, what may be a vivacious engine for a lightweight vehicle may prove to be a sluggish one for larger vehicles such as trucks and some sports cars. Many new engine types are being developed. There have been diesel powered engines for a long period, and they get slightly improve fuel efficiency over their gasoline counterparts. In recent years, engineers have been pushing hybrid electric-fuel engines. The Honda Insight is likely the most well received hybrid vehicle. It boasts sixty mile per gallon on the city streets and sixty-six on the highway. It has an electric engine that uses regenerative braking to recharge itself, allowing for the vast improvements in gas mileage. The Insight is an excellent model for engineers to follow, as everything related to it is state of the art8. Also introduced recently is the hydrogen motor. It is just as promising as the hybrid motor, and one day it will probably replace the outdated, fossil-fuel burning engines. Lightweight materials such as fiberglass are making it possible for the automotive industry to make large cars lightweight. The Chevrolet Corvette is a prime example of fiberglass body panels. As stated earlier in this paper, lightweight vehicles are more efficient and can lead to higher performance levels. Advances in suspension are evident in recent past. Independent suspensions have been installed in many Ford vehicles. The independent suspension system allows each half of an axle to be affected by the road free of its counterpart. With each wheel acting freely, the vehicle rides much more smoothly. Engineers must consider what type of terrain on which their vehicle is intended to be driven. They must exceed these expectations as they need their vehicle to be able to stand up to more than is expected and repeat customers will exist. Going beyond what is expected is something most automotive and design engineers take great pride in. CONCLUSION The vehicle type is of utmost importance in the automotive design process. People do not wish to drive a two-person vehicle if they need to take their family on vacation. Therefore, a suitable marketing scheme must also be derived. The price of the vehicle may attract or turn away some buyers. The price should not be set too high if the company wishes for the vehicle to be its marquee attraction because most people do not have unlimited amounts of money to invest in a vehicle. In these days of soaring oil prices, the automotive design process is greatly affected by the fuel efficiency of a vehicle. Fuel is a precious commodity and the industry realizes that. Therefore, we are seeing an increase in the fuel economy of all vehicles. Cars must be attractive to be sold. Sometimes a company must make an audacious move in the field of styling, but they always weigh the chances of it flopping once it reaches the market. Bold styling is a necessity, however because of the key word to all industry-progression. The interior must be both electronically tuned and comfortable to be in. Safety is of great concern here, and airbags should be installed. There should be as low as possible of a chance of fire due to electrical failure, and electrical engineers are responsible for assuring this. All new vehicles must be able to perform well and travel along the roads without slowing down the rest of the traffic flow. Certain vehicles are designed to perform, while others are designed to be as simple as possible while still meeting all standards and codes set by the government. The automobile industry is a vastly complex and ever changing one. New technologies are being developed constantly that can change the industry's outlook on the future. It is factual that any industry cannot survive if it does not continually progress and adapt to the changing markets and desires of its patrons. New software is developed to more accurately model and simulate situations that will occur in automobiles. Technologies in this field have become so advanced that the need for real-world prototyping is almost eliminated. Now, the prototypes are merely displays for the public to catch a glimpse of the future of transportation; all the real work is done virtually. From wind tunnels to test tracks, the automotive design process is one that encompasses many varying disciplines and each field must work together to create a final product that is desirable, functional, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing to its consumers.
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