Advertising: Information or Manipulation Essay

Advertising, also known as a part of the marketing process, has a rich background. When we talk about marketing the first things that come to our mind are high profit, goods and services and of course consumers. Advertising’s role should only exist in order to help society by real information about products and services. Moreover, it helps consumers decide what to purchase according their actual needs. Advertisements are located everywhere and no one can avoid seeing them. Thus, every individual in exposed to seeing at least one advertisement. Advertising is a form of mass communication with the public. It is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade the potential customers to purchase or consume more of a particular brand of product/services. We could separate advertising in two categories. Giving information through advertising about a product is the first category that is innocent when facing the costumers. The second category has a manipulative effect on people. Thus, People exposed to specific advertisements are led to buy goods and services or do things that don’t actually want to do. And in order to attract audiences, some advertisers use different extreme technique that does more damage on the consumer’s life then with helping him. Therefore, we can say that advertising is based on manipulation and thus should be limited because it harmful. To start with, advertising reaches the mind of people and is dangerous when it is not real especially on children and youth. By unreal advertising we mean a shallow advertising that focuses on the desire and wants of people so the firms producing this product achieves sales and high profits. Young children are unable to understand advertising messages and the information given by these advertisements, therefore, children may consider these advertisements as the truth and the real world thus it will affect their behavior. According to the Washington post and their researches, â€Å"Federal regulators should restrict television advertising aimed at children 8 and younger because research shows youngsters lack the skills to question a commercial’s claims as anything but fact, the American Psychological Association said yesterday†. (Washington post article). Moreover, children will be affected by cartoons, kids’ shows†¦ Thus, manipulation is being forced on children by using the popular faces in cartoons like Hannah Montana, Dora†¦ For instance, during my childhood, there was a chocolate commercial for Disney (picture of the product) and the same chocolate bar was next to it. The price range was very apart since the chocolate by Disney was a brand name. And as a Disney fan I cried and begged for the chocolate bar that was by Disney. Thus, we can see here that manipulation in advertising is being implemented through the mind of children and is affecting their behavior.

Conflict Resolution (Team Dynamics for Managers) Essay

A major conflict that appears in many, if not most, groups appears to be miscommunication or lack of communication. There are several solutions available to resolve miscommunication. Each member of a team has certain strengths and skills that help resolve occurring issues. When a team is confronted with miscommunication or lack of communication, having a plan is a necessity. Lack of communication can easily lead to miscommunication in a group and cause many reoccurring issues. Certain confliction techniques can be used to not only eliminate the issue, but also understand the underlying issue at hand. Conflict and Solution Personal Strengths to Resolve Issue Creating a detailed learning team charter that involves all members allows each individual to contribute their strengths in problem solving. Generally, charters are mainly used as a tool to contact other members outside of the team environment. The other members offer their information and would be responsible to check into the team in a reasonable amount of time. This is the beginning opportunity to highlight each member’s strengths and especially how willing they are to participate. Participation is one of the main behaviors that help a team strive or fail. How little or how much a person chooses to participate confides solely within them. This is especially true since individuals learn and retain information in different ways; the application of strengths can be applied in separate and unique formats in a team. The most appropriate conflict management would be Jerry Wisinski’s A-E-I-O-U Model, which focuses on collaboration and what he calls positive intentionality, the assumption that other people are not trying to cause conflict (Engleberg & Wynn, 2010). After completing the charter and knowing what is expected of each member, the most appropriate method of communication would be speaking with and checking in with members outside of the group. Conflict Management Techniques Each conflict is special in its nature and requires customized care depending on the situation or context with which the problem resides. â€Å"†¦all managers—whether they be supervisors, middle managers or chief executive officers—must learn to manage conflict if they are to be effective in leading their particular organizational units† (DuBose & Pringle, 1989, p. 1). The idea that a problem should be â€Å"managed† crops up because conflict is a known and necessary part of organizational development. Conflicts shape organizations; but why must an organization go through a difficulty or hardship in order to understand conflict management? â€Å"The term ‘managing’ implies that conflict is not inevitably destructive† (DuBose & Pringle, 1989, p. 1). Conflicts are not unchangingly damaging because it is necessary for growth to come across a few growing pains. Organizations with good management almost always succeed and dreams of growth come into fruition when conflicts are appropriately managed and managers understand the integrality of their interpretation of conflict management and its many different techniques. The team was very natural in its ability to choose a proper technique and utilize it in order to overcome the conflict at hand. The collaboration technique was used successfully as the team was forced to put their heads together and come to a decision with regard to the conflict. The collaboration was effective due to the participants’ unwavering objectivity and understanding of the conflict and how to manage it. Each party had their responsibilities laid out neatly in order to quickly and professionally get the job done. The team was highly prepared for any conflicts and managed them upon manifestation due to the highly comprehensive group. Accommodation is another technique the team productively used. Accommodation is used when the conflict is more important to the other party involved in the conflict and is treated with thoughtfulness by the other members; this technique was also successful because the team was able to â€Å"pick their battles† and strive to meet all the expectations of the team leader, and their teammates (DuBose & Pringle, 1989). Additional Conflict Management Techniques Team communication generally appears to be a conflict that exists within the members of the group. This can only be solved within the members and the willingness to strive, learn, and accomplish together as a group. It takes personal inactive and being open to other’s suggestions to make communication strong and effective. Strong communication would prove to eliminate miscommunication and therefore lack of communication. Setting goals can always be a productive approach to ensuring success and keeping members focused on what needs to be accomplished, and the most effective route to complete tasks. The important balance of goal setting in groups is making sure that personal and team goals do not outweigh one another. Goals are more productive when they are shared and known with other individuals. Making, keeping, and sharing goals in the team environment are essential to success and eliminating miscommunication. In some cases where conflict is stronger than problem solving, it is necessary to seek help outside of the group. Third-party intervention occurs when a group seeks the services of an impartial outsider who has no direct connections to the group, but has the skills needed to analyze the conflict and helps resolve it (Engleberg & Wynn, 2010). In learning team environments, the instructor is the third-party intervention and has authority to make decisions as deemed necessary to help keep the team productive and functioning as a whole. Arrival of Decision The group’s natural understanding of conflict management, and the team leader’s fantastic ability to choose proper techniques, strengthened the team’s ability to get the job done. When conflicts arose, the team effortlessly went through a decision process and effectively outlined the techniques that worked the best. The team was able to utilize all participating members’ strengths to move on with the project after nipping all problems in the bud. While some issues call for more drastic measures, accommodation and collaboration was the team’s two most valuable assets when managing conflict internally. Some issues require an entire modification of the organizational structure which could set back the team, and even the organization, for a very long time. Good management within the organization knows the proper way to take care of problems that arise from conflicts. Good management understands that the symptoms and the disease are two completely different things and should be handled as such. When managers â€Å"settle† problems for lower-level managers, it implies that they do not fully understand the real problem and how to fix it. Symptoms are stopped once the root of the problem is remedied. Conclusion When lack of communication occurs in a group, miscommunication is often followed. Certain personal strengths, such as a willingness to strive and learn from others are important in a group setting. Creating a team charter helps eliminate the issue of miscommunication. Setting goals, being open to other’s thoughts and opinions, and seeking help from outside of the group are all techniques to resolve a conflict in a group setting. The arrival of decisions are done by working as a team, using proper problem solving techniques, communicating, and having a good leader. References DuBose, P. B. & Pringle, C. D. (1989). Choosing A conflict management technique. SuperVision,50(6), 10-10. Retrieved fromhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/195581288?accountid=35812 Engleberg, I. N. & Wynn, D. R. (2010). Working in groups (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn &Bacon.

Evaluating People Skills Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evaluating People Skills - Research Paper Example A competent manager with a team of unskilled individuals will not be able to score big on performance charts. On the other hand, a competent manager with a competent team always delivers satisfactory results. â€Å"One project management shoe no longer fits all feet† (DeCarlo, 2003). Trends in project management are constantly changing. Different project management techniques work for different projects. Moreover, certain project managers prefer particular project management technique and tools. In other words, project management gets customized frequently. New methodologies and templates are emerging to satisfy the needs of various projects. Trends in people skills have been shifting towards hiring people with tangible ‘People Skills’. Budget, schedule and technical specifications are the three features that determine the success and quality of a project. That is why project management trends are shifting towards putting together a team that can deliver according to the changing requirements of the projects. Accordingly, the trends in processes are also changing. More focus is now on the processes that deliver the most in relatively less amount of time as dramatic changes can be observed in technology leadership and practices. Usually, projects have technical difficulties and the needs for achieving more with less only puts pressure on team members of a project. Teams with significant human dimensions are successful in completing better projects. Virtual teams are the best examples of such human dimensions (Flannes, n.d.). These teams are better at handling cross-cultural variables. There is no doubt that project teams are facing more complexity and strain than ever. The world is recovering from a global economic downturn and this recovery process involves more innovation and more complexity in business projects. Moreover, there is more strain put on project teams due to global business competition. Now the projects generally involve people from

Legal Advise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Legal Advise - Essay Example MSO  §113(1) hereinafter â€Å"HFCRA†). The question is whether this provision applies here. If it does, then the provision would be regarded as ineffective, therefore void. The analysis of this would begin by analyzing the parties. The parties to the construction contract are Strummer Construction Ltd. and Clampdown Developments, Inc. Celtic Tiger Bank is financing the project, but is not a party to the contract, therefore would be considered to be a third person. Yet, Celtic Tiger Bank is essentially running the show, as their officers would be the individuals who must approve extensions, variations more than ?25,000, loss and expense determinations. If their officers do not approve this, then the party requesting any of the above would not get paid, and the extension of time would not be approved. Therefore, this clause may be invoked, as the CTB is the contract administrator, and is not a third party, and they dictate as to whether or not money will change hands. Moreove r, they are not insolvent, so this clause may hold water. CTB is a third person, yet they are creating the conditions by which both parties must abide. But is this amendment â€Å"A provision making payment under a construction contract conditional on the payer receiving payment from a third person?† Clampdown Developments is the party who is in charge of making payments to Strummer. If Strummer does not comply, then the payments would not be made from CTB to Clampdown Developments, and this, in turn, would cause Clampdown Developments to not make payments to Strummer. The architect was the one who was issuing the offending variations, and, as a result, CTB has refused to pay monies to Clampdown, and, in turn, Clampdown has not paid Strummer. So, it seems that the payment from Clampdown to Strummer is, in fact, conditional upon Clampdown receiving payment from CTB, who is a third person, and that these payments are conditional upon CTB approving them. Therefore, there is the possibility, if a court can interpret this clause in such a way, that the clause would be ineffective. Another issue is whether or not there was even a contract formed anymore, because this Bill of Quantities in effect substantially changed the contract that the parties had already formed. This would be considered to be a counteroffer, which effectively cancels the original offer (Hyde v. Wrench [1840] EWHC Ch J90). However, this situation is similar to that in the landmark case Butler Machine Tool Co. Ltd. v. Ex-Cell-O Corp. Ltd. [1977] EWCA Civ. 9. This is the case that established that, in a battle of forms, the form that was accepted last would the one that controls. Certainly the parties accepted the additional terms, as they performed without objection to the terms. Therefore, Butler controls, and the last form, which is the one that contained the amendment, is the one that formed the contract. So, the amendment would be a part of the contract, if there were not the issue of t he privity of contract and

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 17

Marketing - Essay Example Founded in 1977, the company is one of the leading businesses in UK to provide hire business. This company offers products which are business to business in nature. â€Å"The Group was traditionally focused on tool hire, but now also has complementary businesses specializing in portable accommodation, lifting, surveying, compressed air systems, pumping and power generation equipment.†(Speedy Hire Plc, 2008). The major products of the company include access equipments, drilling/breaking, Gardening, Fencing, Cranes and other earth movers etc. Speedy Hire Plc work in UK which has relatively stable political environment. Considered as a secular country with strong market orientation, UK is currently experiencing slight slow down into its economic activity mainly due to subprime crisis and there is a possibility that housing markets, on overall, may cool down thus reducing the demand for hire industry however, market for the hire equipments were growing as the growth in the market during 2006 has been 6.6% whereas 2007 estimates are 121.5 GBP. The growing inflow of the immigrants into the country has increased the requirements for the housing sector in the country and the reduced cyclicality has allowed companies to anticipate the market trends more effectively. Companies including Speedy Hire Plc within this sector is continuously relying on the information technology therefore there will be increased dependence on technology in the future also. Legal environment in the country is favorable. Environmental concerns for comp anies are increasingly becoming a burning issue for the hire industry and it is believed that companies successfully addressing environmental issues will competitive advantage in the future. The company has two major divisions of equipment hire and tool hire. These two divisions then offer products mentioned above through various geographical

What adjective best describes and defines me Essay

What adjective best describes and defines me - Essay Example However, before delving into a personal analysis of why this word appropriately defines me, it should be considered that for purposes of this analysis, the term motivation and/or motivated will be defined as follows (per the Merriam Webster Dictionary): â€Å"to be provided with a motive or incentive for action† (Merriam Webster Dictionary 2005). It is of course understood that motivated in and of itself is not an effective solitary definition of who I am and how my personality is exhibited to others. However, as a result of analyzing myself, motivated was the singular term that I kept coming back to in seeking to find an appropriate adjective that most appropriately encapsulated who I am and how I approach life and all of the situations it offers. Though many alternative definitions necessarily exist, the term motivated, as it will be analyzed within this analysis is appropriate to defining my personality not due to the fact that it can be used in explaining behavior with regards to academic studies or relationships alone; rather, it serves as an all encompassing term that helps to define how I integrate with the world and define whether or not a given item is of worth and/or how/if I should pursue it. Whereas it is true that many people are profoundly impacted by the way in which their parents instilled values in them or the environment in which they were raised, it is my belief that the motivation that exists within me is as much a product of my own unique identity as the color of my hair or the shape of my own nose. This belief is due to the fact that I have exhibited signs of motivation from early childhood and continue to exhibit them well into adulthood. Whereas many children are briefly blinded by a particular idea and set out to pursue it for a period of time until losing interest, the same cannot be said for me with regards to reviewing my childhood. Taking my interest in music as an example, I

Slavery Like A Social Vice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Slavery Like A Social Vice - Essay Example The victimization that included inhumane treatments and subjection to intense maltreatments were the abject manifestation of disregard to the fundamental rights of the people. The groups did not enjoy any liberty as the slave owners treated them as part of their property. They endured punitive jobs in callous conditions in order to sustain the profitability the white capitalists demanded from their investments. Slavery further led to the seclusion of the African Americans and the subsequent discrimination of the group. The cruel treatment of the African Americans influenced their mindset of the whites and cruelty the minority group expressed against the whites in retaliation. The post-slavery American society relied on the integration of all the races that make up the American society. The new American society required the participation and contribution of all the tribes since the government could not develop a mechanism of transferring the slaves back to their native lands. This imp lied that they would become Americans a feature that required their seamless incorporation into the society. This would however not happen easily owing to the negative attitude that the African Americans among other smaller populations that served as slaves developed against the whites. The African Americans did not feel the sense of belongingness for a long time even after the successful abolition of slavery owing to the negativity they accumulated over the slavery period and the cruelty they endured in the hands of the whites.

Summary, findings and opinions on the reading Essay

Summary, findings and opinions on the reading - Essay Example Each website an internet user visit during his or her browsing session usually facilitate to the achievement of some objectives that are beyond mere identification of independent visitors to the site (White and Kamal, 2012).This similarity amongst all websites makes it easy for any person to note their relations to each other. When different website are complementary like search engine and content website, then internet users willingness to visit the combination of these sites depend on the rate of advertisement of each site (White and Kamal, 2012).This means that the number of visitors each site get per a specified period depends on its advertisement policy and frequency. So each website should keenly develop its advertisement strategies in an effective manner to ensure it attract higher number of visitors. In scenarios where complementary sites act independently, then their total distraction from their advertising becomes too high thus discouraging many internet users from visiting these sites. This makes it hard for these sites to maximize their total profits from advertisements. Secondly when complementary sites decide to operate independently, they end up allocating inefficient demands to attract internet user’s attention. When there are two competing companies with constant marginal cost that provides customers with perfectly complementary components, then overall business gains can be maximized only when one of the companies decides to lower it price to equal it marginal cost and the other firm freely adopt optimal price (White and Kamal, 2012).However, this fact does not apply to website owners when they opt to distract internet user from using their site in their attempt to advertise their sponsors’ product. This means that forcing one of the complementary sites not to advertise does not necessarily maximize total profits of the complementary sites. In fact, it can lead to decline in total profits of the two complementary sites due to lac k of cooperation between them. While increased competition from a multiple complementary sites solves the problem of double marginalization, the competition, also leads to increased problem of mis'-marginalization. Effect of differentiation among content website To achieve greater efficiency, when the market is in equilibrium and all firms tend to behave non-cooperatively, and content website has relatively inefficient advertising technologies, then it is socially desirable that the website owners increase the number of content websites than the internet users induces to enter (White and Kamal, 2012). This is because an increase in the number of content websites shifts advertising away from the content websites to the more efficient search engine advertising technology. Effect of competition When two or more sellers who deals with complementary products engages in double marginalization, then to ensure that they all maximize profits, then they need to increase competition in all mar kets (White and Kamal, 2012).This is because if the market of one firm becomes perfectly competitive, then the other complementary firm can successfully charge a price that implements the optimum outcome of the industry as a whole. Otherwise if, a set of complementary websites, whose

Overview of Paternalism Law Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Overview of Paternalism Law - Term Paper Example Several laws and regulations have been enacted that encourage paternalism by the government such as requiring a motorcyclist to wear helmets. These actions by the government have been opposed by several utilitarian thinkers like John Stuart Mill. He is opposed to the actions that led to paternalism by the government based on his autonomy-based argument. Paternalism exists in the form of restrictions or requirements imposed on people to perform in order for the common good to be maintained. In his topic on liberty, Mill argues that the government encourages cyclists to wear helmets to promote a good (Skorupski, 34). The protection of the person from injury is a good that cannot be ignored and it is not that the cyclist does not value his life, but this legislation goes against another good. In relation to the arguments brought forward by Mill, it is reasonable to conclude that Mill supports government actions. The question of self-protection as the basis for justifying paternalism is questionable since an individual is the most qualified person to judge himself/herself. As a result, it true to conclude that an individual is the most interested person in his own well being. ...This is in reference to the fact that Mill argues that no amount of restraint or compulsion by others can stop adults from pursuing their interests. However, in some instances, government interventions do not only restrict a person’s liberty but encourage alternative solutions (Blokland, 78). In relation to paternalism, a person should be an independent and autonomous agent with the ability to choose his freedom. A utilitarian argument passed on by Mill is that of that there comes a time when a person has the discretion of his/her individuality being absolute. However, there are two strains of Mill’s argument with one based on straight forward utilitarian while the other relies, not on the good brought by the free choice but on the supreme value of the choice.  

Issues in international politics (EU) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Issues in international politics (EU) - Essay Example This research essay will aim to offer and evaluate the EU’s role in its fight against international terrorism. In this research paper, I wish to stress that despite all these counter terrorism initiatives, the menace from terrorism remains one of the vital European issues and challenges, and EU’s anti-terrorism strategies are to be overhauled completely. (Prezelj 2007:16). Whether EU’s Anti –Terrorism is effective and efficient? - An Analysis Terrorism is not a new phenomenon, and it is a technique customarily used by a weaker section or actor against mighty or stronger one. Terrorism can referred as a by-product of the growth of democracy, as governments and leaders became subject to public pressure. The terrorism was first known to be used in the context of the French Revolution, and later it became very famous on 11 September 2011 happenings. With the establishment of the Terrorism, Radicalism, Extremism and international Violence group (TREVI group) in 1975 and with the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism (ECST) of 1977, the source of European co-operation on counter-terrorism can be recognised in the 1970s. (CEDAT: 115) There are many elements that make terrorist actions as unacceptable and unfair among them, the clandestine nature and the fact that the terrorists do not show themselves engage in open dispute and do not show themselves openly. The most abhorrent issue is killing of non-combatants or innocents. When killing an Israeli, a Palestine terrorist may argue that they are involved in a fight against all Israelis, including women and children as they would claim that they are involved in a battle against all Israelis. The same could be true for other terrorist groups, be they in Chechnya, Spain, Sri Lanka or Northern Island. (Mahncke & Monar 2006:14). EU has defined terrorism as the principal menace to European security, Terrorism is characterised as global in its scope and associated to aggressive religio us extremism. Europe is both a base for terrorism and a potential target. The menace of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was also within the EU’s terrorist context. The most worsening scenario is if a terrorist group obtains and employs weapons of mass destruction, then the outcome will be of devastation. (Prezelj 2007:21) The real fact is that Anti-terrorist measures in EU are not supported by all member states, mainly due to differences in threat perception. For instance, UK and Spain may want to place terrorism as the core issue of the EU agenda and to arrive at an anti-terrorism measure that they conceive to be significant. However, for non-Spanish and non-British policy-makers, this may not be relevant and could be costly and far-reaching like the idea of data retention. (Mahncke & Monar 2006:40). Divergence in threat perception may also help to assist to demonstrate the difference in cooperation and speed in implementing EU-level anti-terrorism cooperati ve agreements. EU member states that does not visualize terrorism as a significant issue lags behind in implementing and approving new cooperation agreements and laws contrasted to nations where government witness populations that feel more intimidated by terrorism. Thus, it appears

Lab Report Microbiology Essay Example for Free

Lab Report Microbiology Essay Abstract Dairy food staff such as soft cheese,cream cheese,raw milk,sour cream,yoghurt and probiotic yoghurt products can be a rich source of diverse lactic acid bacteria.The objective of this lab practical was to isolate lactic acid bacteria(LAB) form raw milk,establishment of pure cultures of LAB,identify LAB and phage recovery and enumeration of recoverd phage.Raw milk was chosen as a sample so as to have a more positive result.To identify bacteria Lab isolated from raw milk,biochemical,morphological ,physiological and cultural characteristics were employed. The purification of isolates was done by moving Gram +ve ro ds and cocci shaped bacteria to selective media MRS and M-17 plates. The isolates were sub cultured till pure isolates were got. From 20 raw milk samples a total of 150 LAB positives were got, in which 22 and 128 were identified as lactic acid cocci and lactic acid bacilli,respectively. Also, our biochemical tests showed the occurrence 11 and 13 of 11 and 13 Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris among lactic acid cocci.In the case of lactic acid bacilli, Lactobacillus helveticus 18; Lactobacillus plantarum 37; Lactobacillus brevis 8; Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei 18 and Lactobacillus delactobacillirueckii subsp. bulgaricus 47 was found. In the lactic acid cocci and bacilli, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris and Lactobacillus delactobacillirueckii subsp. bulgaricus were found to be the more dominant species, respectively.Bacterial phages were inducted from the Lactic acid bacteria and enumerated by using several biochemical techniques. INTRODUCTION To produce flavor and acidity at desired levels,fermented milk products are prepared in controlled fermentation of milk. (Thapa, 2000). Starter culture organisms in this fermentations belongs to bacteria family known as the Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB). These LABS are identified by of morphological,and physiological characteristics.LAB are widely found in nature and almost in all micro flora.LAB are gram positive bacteria and are important in food fermentation. Other species of the genus Lactobacillus, Lactococcus and Leuconostoc are added to this group. The lactic acid  fermentation process has been known by human for long time and even applied in some activities. LAB has also been an efficient method of natural preservation.Furthermore lab determine the nutritional value,flavor and texture of food and feeds). Industrialization of the biological ‘revolution’ of foodstuffs has LAB an ecomonic boost because they are important in safety aspects of fermented products. Lactic acid is used by food industry as an acidulent and preservative for the production of sour curd cheese and yoghurt (Linkater and Griffin, 1971). Lactococci are the major mesophilic bacteria used for acid production in dairy fermentations and used as starter cultures in the manufacture of a vast range of dairy foods including fermented milks, lactic butter, cheese and lactic casein (Ward et al., 2002). MATERIALS AND METHODS Raw milk samples: Raw milk samples were collected in sterilized specimen bottles from the local dairy shops around the university,including the raw milk from the university’s dairy department.The raw milk were kept at 4 for more use. lactic acid bacteria isolation from raw milk: The samples were weighed and homogenized aseptically.Each sample, a 1.10 dilution was made by using peptone water then by making a 10 pack of continued dilution. The 0.1 ml taken from each dilution was then sub cultured duplicately into the M 17 and MRS agars used for isolating LAB (Badis et al., 2004a; Guessas and Kihal, 2004).In order to counter yeast growth the media were then added with 100 mg of cyclo-heximide prior to being incubated in optimum temperatures ( 30 °C) for 3 days (Beukes et al., 2001; Kalavrouzioti et al., 2005). The agar plates of MSR were incubated in anaerobic conditions using the Gas-Pack system at 30 °C for 3 days to provide an optimum temperature for growing the different genus of bacteria. M17 agar plates were also incubated in anaerobic conditions at 30 °C for 2 days to set up an optimal temperature for growing lactococci.Higher dilutions were used to perform total counts. Colonies were then selected randomly and the streak plating method employed to purify the stains. The strains were kept in 2 conditions including at 4 °C (for MRS and M17 plates ) and at -20 °C (for M17 and MRS broth) withh by 20% glycerol. Identification of the bacterial strains:The strains were subjected to gram staining,catalase and spore formation tests. (Harrigan and McCance, 1976).All Colonies were characterized in MRS and M 17 agars.The strains that gave gram positive and catalse negative results were set aside for further identification.(Sharpe, 1979).The growth of the bacteria at different temperatures of between Growth 10-45 °C for 3-6 days , resistance to 60 °C for 30 min (Sherman test), growth in the presence of 2 to 6 % NaCl and different pHs (4.5 and 6.5) were used to identify the strains of LAB. Arginine and asculin hydrolysis,citrate utilistaion, acetone productionformation of gas from glucose and production of dextran from sucrose were also determined. The starins were then tested for fermentation of L-arabinose, D-xylose, galactose, D-fructose, sorbitol, lactose, melibiose, saccharose, D-raffinose, melezitose, mannose and glucose. Bacterial growth in the different temperatures were confirmed by turbidity change in MRS or M17 after incubation(after 24,48 and 72 hrs).Microbial tolerance to the diverse levels of salt, pH and heat was evaluated. Arginine dihydrolase agar and asculin acid agar were used to perform the hydrolysis tests. For determination of citrate utilization and acetone production, citrate and MR-VP agars were used. MRS or M17 broths with Durham tubes were used for determination of gas production and the detrin production from sucrose was done in MSR.To assess the sugars fermentation in a medium a solution with the following composition was used (gL-1): bovine extract, 10.0; neopepton, 10.0; yeast extract, 5.0; K2HPO4, 2.0; CH3COONa+3H2O, 5.0; diamonium citrate, 2.0; MgSO4, 0.2; MnSO4, 0.05; brom-cresol-purple, 0.17; tween 80, 1 mL. Carbon utilization was also tested. Phage induction MRSA broth liquid culutures were equally divided into two sterile tubes.Each tube was labeled as ‘mitomycin C’ and the other as ‘control’. 500 µl of micomycin was added to the tube labelld as ‘mitomycin’ and ascpetic techniques of flaming the neck before and after adding the mycomycin. A starch agar plate marked STA containing nutrient agr with soluble starch was already provided.A casein agar plate that contained nutrient agar mixture added skim milk was given and marked CA. All the three plates were inoculated by streaking of the MRSA Lactobacillus lattis culture. This was  done with the help of the loop. The loop was flamed and a colony of the culture was collected. The plates were then streaked with the culture. The plates were then incubated for 12-18 hours at 37oC. The bacteria were also transferred into the nutrient agar plate to set up for biochemical tests.. Enumeration of bacterial phages Phage stock was diluted to achieve a plaque count on plates of 100-250 pfu (plaque forming units).All the dilutions were mixed thoroughly in a sterile saline. The phage was then plated by removing one soft agar at a time,then adding 0.3ml of bacterial suspension to it.This was also followed by 0.1 of diluted phage The agar tube was rolled between palms to mix and quickly pour to suface of warm base agar plate. Quick gentle figure patterns were done on the surface of the base plate agar The agar was allowed to harden and incubated for 35 degree celcious for 8 hours. Results Catalase test After incubation, hydrogen peroxide was added to the one colony on the nutrient agar plate. Small bubbles of oxygen wereformed which indicated a positive result for catalase. Figure 2 – The catalase test Starch hydrolysis test When iodine solution was poured to the starch agar plate and allowed to rest for close to 2 minutes,the plate turned blue which indicated the presence of starch that has not been hydrolysed. A B Fig 1 -Growth of MRSA Lactobacillus lattis on starch agar plate (A) before the addition of iodine solution and (B) after the addition of iodine solution. Agar test The position of the growth in the tube was observed. The growth was throughout the tube, but near the surface, the growth was highest which  indicated being aerotolerant. Figure 3- The bacteria stabbed in both the tubes containing NA and MRS. Carbohydrate fermentation substrates API test strips were used to identify the bacteria and the results showed it was Lactococcus lactis sspcremoris 1. Casein Hydrolysis The casein agar plates were examined to see any clearing around the colonies after being incubated for 48 hours. There was no clearing of the agar around the bacterial growth. Therefore, the results showed negative casein hydrolysis. Gelatin hydrolysis Saturated ammonium sulpahate was added onto the gelatine agar plate there was no precipitation indicating negative hydrolysis Figure 4 – The results obtained after the data was entered on the computer database. Figure 5 – The difference between a control and the samples of bacteria. Test for phage induction Once mitomycin C was added to the MRS liquid broth, it was observed for the induction of phages. It showed there was a clear lysis of the turbid culture. Figure 6 – Comparison between a control and bacteria culture containing mitomycin C All 150 Gram +non-sporeforming ans catalase negative were charcterised as follows: Mesophilic homo-fermentative cocci, 11 isolated:It was characterized by  arginine dihydrolase negative, arginine hydrolysis negative, citrate negative and acetoin negative This gropu was identifies as Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris .The microorganisms were spherically shape.They occurred in pairs with non motile, facultative anaerobic fermentative metabolism. Mesophilic heterofermentative cocci, 13 isolated:Microorganisms in this group had a close relation with Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris . They were arginine negative,glucose positive,acetonoine positive and dextrane positive. Lactobacilli bacteria, 128 isolated: The group was divided into 3: (1) Mesophilic facultative heterofermentative Lactobacilli (55 isolates)Included Lactobacilli plantarum (37 isolates)and Lactobacilli. casei subsp. casei (36 isolates, (2) Thermophilic obligate homo-fermentative Lactobacilli (64 isolates) Included Lactobacilli. helveticus (17 isolates) and Lactobacilli. delactobacillirueckii subsp. bulgaricus (47 isolates). They were lactose positive andfructose positive. (3) mesophilic obligate hetero-fermentative Lactobacilli (8 isolates) Included Lactobacilli. brevis (18 isolates) Discussion It was discovered that mesophilic facultative hetero-fermantative lactobacilli group was divided into two;37 isolates were identified to be lactobacilli plantarum ans 18 isolates as lactobacilli casei subsp.casei.This results are also consistent with other research works such as the isolation of lactic acid bacteria from Maasai traditional fermented milk(Mathara et al.,2004). For the second group,17 isolates were identified as Lactobacilli plantarum and 47 isolates identified as lactobacilli delactobacillirueskii subs.bulgaricus. Furthermore,lactobacilli brevis isolates(8) were identified using mannose and melezitose fermentation. In the cocci group,12 and 22 isolates were identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris. Respectively.This number is low an its attributed to the fact lactic acid cocci are not able to compete with lactic acid bacilli in mixed cultures(Teuber and Geis, 1981; Togo et al., 2002). LAB are presenta in dairy manufacturing as starter cultures.There are specific fermentation processes that have been developed to maximize the growth of desired LAB  species.Some of the species are fastidious organisms like Lactobacilli delactobacillirueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Lactobacilli helveticus (Bottazzi, 1988). Isolates that belong to lactobacilli plantarum group are shown to be dominant members of LAB flora of acid –fermented stuff(tempoyuk).Morever, Lactobacilli. brevis group and Ln. mesenteroides isolates were also found (Leisner et al., 2001). This isolates have alos been found in South African Traditional fermeneted products.There are also other isolates that have been found in raw gaot’s milk of Algerian origin.This species include Lactobacilli. helveticus, Lactobacilli. plantarum, Lactobacilli. delactobacillirueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacilli. brevis and Lc. lactis subsp. lactis (Badis et al., 2004b). In chili bo, Lactobacilli. plantarum isolates were found to be the most dominant organism(Leisner et al. 1999). REFERENCES Accolas, J.P. and J. Auclair, 1977. Determination of the acid producing activity of concentrated frozen suspensions of lactic acid bacteria. Lait, 50: 609-626. Ammor, S., C. Rachman, S. Chaillou, H. Prevost and X. Dousset et al., 2005. Phenotypic and genotypic identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from a small-scale facility producing traditional dry sausages. Food Microbiol., 22: 373-382. CrossRef | Badis, A., D. Guetarni, B. Moussa-Boudjema, D.E. Henni and M. Kihal, 2004. Identification and technological properties of lactic acid bacteria isolated from raw goats milk of four Algerian races. Food Microbiol., 21: 579-588. CrossRef | Badis, A., D. Guetarni, B. Moussa-Boudjema, D.E. Henni, M.E. Tornadijo and M. Kihal, 2004. Identification of cultivable lactic acid bacteria isolated from Algerian raw goats milk and evaluation of their technological properties. Food Microbiol., 21: 343-349. CrossRef | Beukes, E.M., B.H. Bester and J.F. Mostert, 2001. The microbiology of South African traditional fermented milks. Int. J. Food Microbiol., 63: 189-197. CrossRef | PubMed | Direct Link | Bottazzi, V., 1988. An introduction to rod shaped lactic-acid bacteria. Biochemie, 70: 303-315. PubMed | Collins, M.D., B.A. Phillips and P. Zanoni, 1989. Deoxyribonucleic acid homology studies of Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei sp. nov., subsp. paracasei and subsp. Tolerans and Lactobacillus rhamnosus sp. nov., comb. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 39: 105-108. CrossRef | Guessas, B. and M. Kihal, 2004. Characterization of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Algerian arid zone raw goats milk. Afr. J. Biotechnol., 3: 339-342. Direct Link | Harrigan, W.F. and M.E. MaCance, 1976. Laboratory Methods in Food and Dairy Microbiology. Revised Edn., Academic Press, New York, pp: 33-200. Hemme, D. and C. Foucaud-Scheunemann, 2004. Leuconostoc, characteristics, use in dairy technology and prospects in functional foods. Int. Dairy J., 14: 467-494. CrossRef | Herrero, M., B. Mayo, B. Gonzalez and J.E. Suarez, 1996. Evaluation of technologically important traits in lactic acid bacteria isolated from spontaneous fermentation. J. Applied Bacteriol., 82: 565-570. Direct Link | Holt, J.G., 1994. Bergeys Manual of Determinative Bacteriology. 9th Edn., Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, Pages: 787. Kalavrouzioti, I., M. Hatzikamari, E. Litopoulou-Tzanetaki and N. Tzanetakis, 2005. Production of hard cheese from caprine milk by the use of two types of probiotic cultures as adjuncts. Int. J. Dairy Technol., 58: 30-38. CrossRef | Lee, B., 1996. Bacteria- Based Processes and Products. In: Fundamentals of Food Biotechnology, Lee, B. (Ed.), Wiley-Inter Science, New York, pp: 219-290. Leisner, J.J., B. Pot, H. Christensen, G. Rusul and J.O. Olsen et al., 1999. Identification of lactic acid bacteria from Chilli Bo, a Malaysian food ingredient. Applied Environ. Microbiol., 65: 599-605. PubMed | Leisner, J.J., M. Vancanneyt, G. Rusul, B. Pot, K. Lefebvre, A. Fresi and L.K. Tee, 2001. Identification of lactic acid bacteria constituting the predominating microflora in an acid-fermented condiment (Tempoyak) popular in Malaysia. Int. J. Food Microbiol., 63: 149-157. Linkater, P.M. and C.J. Griffin, 1971. Immobilized living cell fermentation. J. Dairy Res., 38: 127-136. Lipinsky, E.S., 1981. Growth and activity of Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris in skim milk. J. Sci., 212: 1465-1471. Mathara, J.M., U. Schillinger, P.M. Kutima, S.K. Mbugua and W.H. Holzapfel, 2004. Isolation, identification and characterization of the dominant microorganisms of kule naoto: The Maasai traditional fermented milk in Kenya. Int. J. Food Microbiol., 94: 267-278. PubMed | Mayeux, J.V., W.W.E. Sandine and P.R. Elliker, 1962. A selective medium for detecting Leuconostoc organisms in mixed strain starter cultures. J. Dairy Sci., 45: 655-656. Muyanja, C.M.B.K., J.A. Narvhus, J. Treimo and T. Langsrud, 2003. Isolation, characterization and identification of lactic acid bacteria from bushera: A Ugandan traditional fermented beverage. Int. J. Food Microbiol., 80: 201-210. CrossRef | Olarte, C., S. Sanz, E. Gonzalez- Fandos and P. Torre, 2000. The effect of a commercial starter culture addition on the ripening of an artisanal goats cheese (Cameros Cheese). J. Applied Microbiol., 88: 421-429. PubMed | Samelis, J., F. Maurogenakis and J. Metaxopoulos, 1994. Characterization of lactic acid bacteria isolated from naturally fermented Greek dry salami. Int. J. Food Microbiol., 23: 179-196. PubMed | Server-Busson, C., C. Foucaud and J.Y. Leveau, 1999. Selection of dairy Leuconostoc isolates for important technological properties. J. Dairy Res., 66: 245-256. CrossRef | Sharpe, M.E., 1979. Identification of the Lactic Acid Bacteria. In: Identification Methods for Microbiologists, Skinner, F.A. and D.W. Lovelock (Eds.). Academic Press, London, pp: 233-259. Stiles, M.E. and W.H. Holzapfel, 1997. Lactic acid bacteria of foods and their current taxonomy. Int. J. Food Microbiol., 36: 1-29. Direct Link | Terzic-Vidojevic, A., M. Vukasinovic, K. Veljovic, M. Ostojic and L. Topisirovic, 2007. Characterization of microflora in homemade Int. J. Food Microbiol., 114: 36-42. PubMed | Teuber, M. and A. Geis, 1981. The Family Streptococaceae (Non-Medical Aspect). In: The Prokaryotes: A Handbook on Habitats, Isolation and Identification of Bacteria, Starr, M.P., H. Stolp, H.G. Trueper, A. Balows and H.G. Schlegel (Eds.). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp: 1614-1630. Thapa, T., 2000. Small-Scale Milk Processing Technologies: Other Milk Products. FAO, Rome, Italy. Togo, C.A., S.B. Feresu and A.N. Mutukumira, 2002. Identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Opaque beer (Chibuku) for potential use as a starter culture. J. Food Technol. Afr., 7: 93-97. Direct Link | Tserovska, L., S. Stefanova and T. Yordanova, 2002. Identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Katyk, goats milk and Cheese. J. Cult. Collect., 3: 48-52. Direct Link | Ward, L.J.H., G.P. Davey, H.A. Heap and W.J. Kelly, 2002. Lactococcus Lactis. In: Encyclopedia of Dairy Science, Roginski, H., J.W. Fuquay and P.F. Fox (Eds.). Elsevier Sci. Ltd., London, pp: 1511-1516.

A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner Essay Example for Free

A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner Essay There are popular sayings that goes â€Å"love moves in mysterious ways† and â€Å"love makes people crazy. † The amalgam of those sayings would somehow serve as a rough description of William Faulkner’s story â€Å"A Rose for Emily. † Since its publication, the story still captures the imagination of many present-day readers—although, in a disturbing way. The title is deceptively, and ingeniously for that matter, designed to make the story seem as a love story. It is important to note that a rose is a generally accepted symbolism for love. However, the story begins with the death of the protagonist. Actually, there are many points in the story that would lead the readers to the conclusion that Faulkner’s story is far from a love story. This reading will be standing beside the argument that â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is a love story that presents to the readers love in an unfamiliar form. Faulkner exquisitely described how Emily is madly in love with Homer. She even dreams of being married to him someday. Faulkner’s details resemble a layout of a typical love story. However, all of those beautiful renditions of Emily’s love are just diversions to the author’s twists. When Emily mentioned that she wants to be married to Homer, he replied that â€Å"he was not a marrying man† (366). The reader could almost picture Emily as a rose whose petals are torn by the sharp gust of wind of Homer’s subtle rejection. This particular event of her life had significantly contributed to her impending insanity. And because Emily loves Homer so much, Emily had devised a plan to keep him beside her. She had poisoned Homer, paralyzing him for a moment, and then for eternity. She then set Homer’s lifeless body in her bed, then slept with him—in every context of the word slept. Emily’s version of love could be described as unconventional. The story begins describing how the townspeople of Jefferson (Faulkner’s fictional city) treated her â€Å"†¦a sort of fallen monument† (Faulkner 5). Even though the townspeople treat Emily in a revered manner, it would be arguable that they have love for her. In the first part, Emily is already dead and her pitiful yet gruesome background would be unfolded as the plot progresses. A safer claim to make about the townspeople treatment to Emily is that they pity her at the same time disgusted by her life, or more particularly, her love life. The shocking ending, considered a classic, reveals to the readers that Emily had murdered the one she truly loves, Homer Barron. It is just understandable that the townspeople of Jefferson and the readers (of the real world) would raise the question: could this be considered love? If we would set aside the conventional notions of love (like couples promising to each other eternity, sincerely caring for one another, a mutual understanding, etc. ), Emily’s version of love would certainly be dismissed. However, we could still interpret Emily’s actions as out of love, but to put it more succinctly, it should be categorized as unrequited love. It should not be disputed anymore that anyone is capable love, even those with hints of insanity. Moreover, it is a general notion that a person who loves someone needs some kind of returned love. And if love is unrequited, the most likely effect on the unrequited lover would be a seemingly incurable misery. Emily’s murder of Homer is oftentimes interpreted as an act of desperation. On the other hand, it could also regarded as an reaction to the subliminal messages of her love and passion for Homer. As we know of love, through literature and real life, it could paint in our minds illusions of being easily loved back. Emily may have been genuinely convinced that she would someday marry Homer and that they would spend eternity in each other’s arms. The living Homer had rejected her proposal, she may have immediately though that the dead Homer may compromise. Moreover, she had set the dead body in a bed, a symbolism for marriage. In addition, it is implied that she had slept with the dead body of Homer. It is important to consider that the context of the story is a time period where the people are mostly conservatives, especially the aristocrats like Emily’s family. It could be interpreted that she did not slept with the body out of mere lust, it could be something close to being love itself. Emily’s life could be considered lacking love. The title, â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, suggests that she desperately needs to be loved. She loved her aristocratic lifestyle and her father who provides it for her. But when her father had passed away, she may have felt that all she loved had gone to grave with her father, â€Å"†¦being left alone and a pauper, she had become humanized† (366). Considering her mental state, she had found love in Homer, he does not want to be with her, it is just understandable that she would do anything to be with the one she loves. After all, the topic at hand is love, a term and a concept with no satisfying definition. Even science admits that love is more than just chemical reactions. If we would delve further in this attempt to understand love, we might just end up mad like Emily. Works Cited Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily. An Introduction to Literature. Ed. Joseph Terry. New York: Longman, 2001

Modeling and Design of Shallow Foundations

Modeling and Design of Shallow Foundations Overview Construction of structures involves setting up of foundation which is the lowest part of a building or a bridge and which transmits weight to underlying soil. There are two classes of foundations, these are: shallow and deep ones. The major subject of the paper is modeling and design of shallow foundations. A shallow foundation is a footing planned to take a shape of rectangle or square which supports columns, other structures and walls. As per the provision of civil engineering, a foundation is considered to be shallow when it is less than six feet in depth or when its depth equals its width. According to Paolocci (1997), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a foundation supports the weight or load of any construction work such as building, bridges and roads. The design used to model a foundation depends on the type of soil, load of the building, materials used and the purpose of the construction,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p.564). Modeling and design of shallow foundations includes the techniques and requirements of civil engineering that must be put in place while setting up a foundation.[1] There are various types of shallow foundation such as mat-slab, spread footing and slab- on grade. Spread footing foundation is mostly used in construction of commercial structures and basements. This type of shallow foundation includes strips of concrete that help in transfer of wall or column loads to bedrock. Several factors control spread footing such as penetration that results due to near surface layers, leading to changed volume because of shrink, swell or frost heave. Mat-slab foundations are used in the distribution of heavy walls or column loads constructed across the whole building and help to reduce pressure created from construction materials. This type of shallow foundation is constructed at a close range with ground surface or in construction of lower part of basements. Mat-slab foundations can also be used in construction of high rise buildings where the foundation is thick and requires extensive reinforcement to ensure that there is uniform transfer of load. Another type of shallow foundation is slab-on- grade that is used in structural engineering for structures formed from mold set ground. This foundation is elevated through a concrete slab placed in the mold, thus creating no space between the structure and bed rock. Slab-on-grade is common in construction works found in warmer climate where there is no need for heat ducting, ground freezing and thawing. The advantages of using this form of shallow foundation is that it is cheap, sturdy and less vulnerable to insects, such as termites for example. In their argument, Zeng Steadman (1998) have formulated that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“shallow foundations are commonly used in structural constructions through the application of various models and designs. This creates an environment for providing strong construction work that lasts for a long period of time,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p.247). Other forms of foundations such as deep, piles, caissons and piers are mainly used to establish strong foundation for prime structures.[2] The provisions of civil engineering do not provide overwhelming constructions that are threat to human life and the environment. The use of shallow foundations has advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of shallow foundations are that * It is cost effective hence affordable * There is no need of experts to provide labor for shallow foundations * Materials used are concrete and easily available. * The construction procedure is simple. Disadvantages of using shallow foundation * Limitation capacity is soil structure * Foundation is always subjected to torsion, moment and pullout * Settlement is a major problem * The ground surface is sometimes irregular making the structures sloppy. When designing a shallow foundation, there are two common aspects that must be considered. Firstly, the pressure on applied foundation should not be more than the bearing capacity of the supporting soil. Secondly, foundation settlement should not be excessed due to the impact of pressure on applied foundation. Chapter 1: The modes of failure depending on soil type, foundation size and depth. There are only three specific modes of soil failure associated with soil type, foundation size and depth. These include general shear failure, local shear failure and punching shear failure. General shear failure It is a mode of failure in which ultimate strength of soil is associated with the entire surface of sliding before the entire structure underlying soil is affected by excessive movement. This mode of failure depending on soil type, foundation size and depth is commonly encountered in stiff clays and sand soil that is in dense underlying shallow foundation. When the load of the structure is increased, the foundation pressure on the shallow foundation increases.[3] Foundation settlement also increases with increased pressure until ultimate bearing capacity is reached. Sudden foundation settlement increase is immediately noticed when bearing capacity has been reached. This is an indication of loss in support of the shallow foundation leading to failure of foundation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Another impact of general shear failure mode is the inability of the foundation to maintain applied pressure. This is also accompanied by failure surface that is a threat to structural construction,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Le Pape Sieffert, p.1404). Generally, in shear failure mode, there is always a difference between applied pressure and foundation settlement that corresponds to ultimate bearing capacity. Local shear failure This mode of failure is encountered in sand soil that is medium dense and medium stiff clay type of soils. Local shear failure is characterized by absence of distinct peak in pressure against foundation settlement. Determination of bearing capacity in local shear failure is based on excessive foundation settlement. Local shear failure is associated with progressive failure surface that extends to ground surface once bearing capacity has been reached.[4] In addition, it is a failure with ultimate shearing strength of soil that is usually mobilized locally along with the potential surface of sliding. This happens at a time when the structure supported by soil is affected by rapid movement. Punching shear failure This mode of failure usually occurs in loose sands and soft clays types of soil. It is accompanied by a surface that is triangular in shape and is directly under shallow foundation. One major characteristic of punching shear failure is the lack of distinctive ultimate bearing capacity. Ultimate bearing capacity in punching shear failure is considered to be the pressure that corresponds with excess foundation settlement. It involves failure of reinforced concrete slab that have been subjected to high local forces especially in flat slab structures and usually happens at column support points. In their research project, Nova and Montrasio (1997) have established that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the strength of the concrete is influenced by intermediate principal shear stresses and normal stresses. Hydrostatic pressure is also another factor that influences the strength of concrete,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p.50). A concrete consists of several layers that makes it to be strong and reinforcing steel is used to strengthen the slab. In material modeling, concrete is considered as isotropic material until a point when cracking happens. Once the concrete is cracked, it incorporates tension, reduces shear stiffness and stiffening. This helps to establish strong concrete that is necessary for shallow foundations. Chapter 2: Using the right type of foundation on the right soil. The type of soil on which a foundation is to be established contributes to the strength of structures constructed. However, to get the right type of soil that supports strong foundation is the major challenge faced by civil engineers. One important item that civil engineers need to put into consideration is establishment of a strong structural foundation. There are different types of building foundations such as raft, piling and footing that are considered when setting up a structure. It is necessary to check the condition of soil before putting up a structure. This helps to provide a strong surface that supports the load of the walls and roof.[5] The condition of soil is done through soil investigations carried out by soil engineers who provide a report that is used by architects to determine the type of foundation to be used in a particular area. The soil engineer has the capacity to establish settlement characteristics of soil, depth to ground water and the necessary measures needed to upgrade a given site to the standard code. Two common factors should be put in place when determining the quality, substance and type of soil. It is important to establish virgin and fill type of soil that helps to determine how the right foundation is used on the best quality soil. A virgin soil is a type of soil that has never been disturbed and it is the best to set up building foundation. This is due to its compatibility and texture that is able to hold heavy weight of buildings and other structures. Fill type of soil also known as sandy loam on the other hand, means a piece of land that has been refilled and thereafter used as an area for construction. This type of soil is not best because in most cases, it is always loose and needs to be compacted for it to withstand applied pressure.[6] To convert fill soil into useful state, it requir es the application of engineering knowledge which is very expensive. According to Pool (1997), the right type of foundation that is used on the right soil is the major important element that should be put into consideration before construction work starts. The right type of foundation, whether shallow or deep, depends on the type of soil in a given construction site,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p.35). Builders are advised not to set up structures in an area that is covered by expansive clays and if it becomes inevitable to construct structure, clay soil must be removed. The right foundation is also used to give builders the capacity to determine areas that are prone to earthquakes and land slides. This is because areas subjected to natural catastrophes like earthquakes have poor quality soils and hence builders should consider the type of foundation to be used.[7] The type of soil is used to determine the type of foundation to be used in structural construction. For instance, clay type of soil is considered to expand during wet season and contract during dry period hence it is not recommended to be used on shallow foundation. The reason of a problem is because the active zone of expansive clay is always near the surface. Sandy loam soil does not change with moisture content or temperature and soil engineers recommend this type of soil. It is in a position to support slab foundation and applied pressure, but the major challenge is soil erosion. This happens when there is heavy rainfall that erodes the foundation and this calls for slab jacking that aims at repairing the slab to avoid further damage. The right foundation is only constructed through evaluation of the type of soil in relation to moisture content and impact of temperature change. A good foundation should be set up to reach the bedrock for full support of the structure load and applied pressure. When the foundation is built to underlie the bedrock, soil erosion is reduced and shifting effect of the soil is also cancelled. A foundation that is built on a mixture of different types of soil is prone to serious damage that results from different ways upon which soil reacts. To resolve the issue of soil from reacting differently, soil engineers recommend that builders should replace weak soil with more strong textural soils.[8] For instance, in a construction site that has part of clay and sand, the clay soil is potentially replaced with sand soil. This yields uniform soil consistency that helps to support the right type of foundation. In a case where a building or any other structure is constructed to underlie soil type with various conditions, the structures are deemed to move in different ways. For instance, in a case when one half of the foundation is built on expansive clay and the other is on fill, the amount of movement varies from one half to the other. In other instances, the foundation system may not be designed in a proper way, this results to differential movement that causes damage to structure and foundation. Therefore it becomes easy to establish the type of soil by considering the site upon which foundation is built. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“When the foundation is shallow, the type of soil is considered to be the best and on the other hand, deep foundation is established on soils that are of poor quality, (p.Gazetas, 1991, p.39). Therefore, the right foundation is used to determine the right type of soil to support structural constructions. Chapter 3: Water table level and bearing capacity Bearing capacity refers to the maximum value of pressure that the foundation on which a structure stands can support. The depth of a foundation is dependent on the type of the soil under which the foundation stands. A good foundation has the capacity to transmit the load of a structure evenly below the ground surface. However, the ground surface is greatly influenced by the depth of the water table. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“In construction and design, water table represents the surface that separates between saturated and unsaturated groundwater zones. Depending on the depth of the bed rock, the water table may be high or low,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Carpenter, 2001, p.27). In some areas, the depth of water table keeps on shifting depending on the seasons of rain. When the rainfall is high, say during spring, water table rises nearer to the surface while on the other hand descending considerably to lower grounds during the summer. The depth of water table at any given time affects the modeling design, especially in the case of the shallow foundations. In all cases, the ultimate depth to which one can put utilization of underground space is dependent on the depth of the water table. In design, we have witnessed cases where the distance from the ground of the foot of foundation slab shifts above the water table. This has led to rejections of such plans by relevant safety authorities due to the concern of the resultant catastrophes that can emanate from unforeseen deformations on the surrounding soil due to the added weight.[9] When constructing structure with shallow foundations in places where water table is high, the preliminary plans involve dewatering of the grounds beneath using trenches so as to construct a firm foundation that will support the weight of the structure adequately. To avoid any problems in the soil supporting structure, most designs in these cases propose installation of a wall in the ground which stands over the overall breadth of the water table horizon. This acts as an enclosing structure that collects the accumulating water. This water can be directed to a draining system or a reservoir (Le Pape, Sieffert, p.1379). The next step is to dev elop a design for draining the accumulated water. In most cases, designers apply the methods of well-point-filter by use of submersible pumps and needle-filters for deeper foundations. For shallow foundations like in our case, the most applicable method for draining water from building trenches is the use of an open end discharge system. The selection of a proper design and analysis of the best way to construct a feasible water collecting reservoir and draining mechanism is very crucial in minimizing the effect of dewatering on the structure. The most important factor to note is that, after a completion of a structure, the added weight exerts extra pressure on the ground. Since the original water seeping from the ground was in equilibrium with the atmospheric pressure, the added pressure might lead to more seepage of water from the ground adjacent to the new structure.[10] Presence of groundwater near to the surface may lead to deterioration of material used for construction. In case where steel is to be used for construction, it is wise to know that, the abundance of water and air provides a conducive environment for oxidation and ultimate corrosion of the steel. In eventuality where there are salts in the ground water, the rusting process would still be accelerated hence reducing the life of a structure. Salts, especially compounds of sulfur, are known to attack compound of cement used to construct cement structures. Attack on cement may lead to disintegration and weakening of a foundation structure. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“To reduce such adverse effects, a designer is always advised to provide some protection on the reinforcing system or ensure that there is use of high grade of cement, a high cement ratio in mixing which is well compacted during the layering stage,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Rhoden, Gordon, 2000, p.43). It is possible that any foundation of a structure may be at one time of their life get to an exposure to a swampy condition due to a rise on water table or seasonal flooding. In this respect, presence of high water table levels greatly influences the ultimate bearing capacity of a building. Water is seen to influence the internal influence be tween soil particles. For shallow foundations, the negative effects of high water table on the added pressure to the soil can be compensated by ensuring that the foundation is wide enough to distribute the resultant force evenly on the ground. The influence of water table on the bearing capacity of a structure is reduced. The worst scenario arises when the soil supporting a structure becomes completely saturated. When the level of water table is considered to be directly at the base of a foundation in comparison to the slip lines, the water table influences the stability lines by extending them deeper in lateral direction. Chapter 4: The Effect of Bearing Capacity Pacheco and his colleagues (2008) have formulated that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the bearing capacity of shallow foundations is determined by the way it is designed to take on the load. In order to determine the bearing capacity, various calculations are done to acquire the inclination,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (234). Shallow foundations have to be designed in such a way to be able to take care of inclined load action. The formula used in determining the design structure considers the admissible velocity as well the seismic coefficient. Seismic coefficient takes care of the seismic movement. Shallow foundations permeate a certain admissible velocity.[11] Most of the formulas applied in bearing capacity take care of load inclination influence. The occurrence of earthquakes has shown weaknesses to some of the formulas applied in bearing capacity. The scale of foundation has been a major effect of bearing capacity. The granular soils found in areas where shallow foundations are laid have certain effects. The effects of bearing capacity of shallow foundations are caused by the progressive failure which might be influenced by the soil type. The granular soils acquire the behavior of nonlinear strength. Its strength is not uniformly distributed. Granular soils acquire the property of progressive failure. The non linear strength of granular soils can be determined by the relationship strength-dilatancy. This relationship gives the dilatancy index which is used to describe the bearing capacity. The dilatancy index is determined by considering the progressive failure. These parameters are considered in designing shallow foundations since they determine their strength. In order to design shallow foundations to take the required load, data is collected for the performance of others foundations. This enables the ability to include all strength parameters which take care of shear forces. According to Cremer, Pecker Devenne (2001), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“shallow foundations are normally affected by ground shaking which causes some weaknesses in the designed structure. Grounding shaking may occur as a result of various phenomena such as earthquakes,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p.1266). Earthquakes occur as a result of adjustments in the earths crust. Shallow foundations are affected by ground shaking in several ways. Earthquakes lead to re-arrangement of pore pressures. These pore pressures determine the ground strength. Ground failure occurs when these pores are in redistribution affecting the distribution of shear forces. Granular soils are not highly affected by this effect. They offer resistance to the distribution of pressure pores. The process of consolidation which involves cohesive soils may take a couple of years. This process may include indulgence of surplus pore pressures. Ground shaking may trigger inertial forces. The failure mechanism can be influenced by the inertial forces caused by earthquakes. Inertial forces cause a failure mode defined by overturning forces. Sliding resistance is affected by the inertial forces triggered by ground shaking. The sliding resistance determines the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. This is because any slight movement affects the strength of the inclination slope. The inclination slope is designed considering various forces such as shear. Many of the designs do not take concern of the effects of earthquakes. This has been a contributing factor to failure of shallow foundations. Another way in which earthquakes affect shallow foundation is cyclic degradation. Soil strength can be affected by cyclic degradation which contributes to the formation of surplus pore pressures. Plastification is also one of the parameters related to cyclic degradation. These orientations lead to bearing capacity failure. Some of the failure modes contributed by cyclic degradation include rotational failures. The shear strength of soil may be lost through the process known as liquefaction.[12] The shear stiffness of soil determines the holding capacity of shallow foundations. A foundation is normally supported by soil on all sides and also beneath. This means that any change in shear stiffness of soil affects the foundations. Yield design theory is used in determining the symmetry of foundations. The bearing capacity of foundations with axial symmetry is calculated using this theory. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The thickness and the rigidity of the wall determine the carrying capacity. The bearing capacity depends on the type of footings,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Reese, Isenhower Wang, (2005, p.41). The various types of footing include: axial footings, inclined footings, horizontal footings and circular footings amongst other types. The diameter of shallow foundations also affects the bearing capacity. The effect of bearing capacity depends on the type of footing. The bearing capacity of circular footing is not the same as strip footing. The effects of bearing capacity are also influenced by soil types. The bearing capacity of un-reinforced sand is as the bearing capacity of shallow foundation laid on reinforced sand. The soil particles also affect the bearing capacity. The soil participles influence distribution of pore pressures. The width of the foundation is used in determining the bearing capacity ratio. This means that the bearing capacity is affected by the width of the foundation. Layers of geogrid can be reinforced with sand in order to acquire maximum bearing capacity. In conclusion, the effect of bearing capacity of shallow foundations is influenced by various variables. These include: soil types, ground shaking, type of footing, and foundation orientation. Ground shaking occurs as a result earthquakes as these influence the bearing capacity of shallow foundation in several ways. These include: change in shear soil stiffness, cyclic degradation and liquefaction amongst other ways. Chapter: 5 Calculations of shallow foundation settlements In construction theory, designers use equations to calculate the foundation settlements and the resultant rates of deformations on the bed soil under the pressure of the structure. The performance of bed calculations follows under two limiting states. First is the state of performance and the second limiting state is the state of safety. In the second state, a predicted finite deformation is not supposed to exceed those established in the condition under which structures and other buildings are only meant to support normal habitation.[13] This state is in most times used as the basic criteria to measure the safety of a structure. In cases of bed calculations, an extra constraint is included under which the average pressure exerted by the structure on the ground is not supposed to be greater than the computed value of resistance of the supporting soil to the pressure exerted on it. A common resolution has been that, in order to raise the limit of safety by 20%, the calculated limiting deformations should be less than 40% of the limiting values.[14] This occurrence is explainable by use of the facts that acknowledge the presence of patches which experience plastic deformation. These regions develop with the progressive increase in the loading. Such developments form beneath the edges of foundations until a point where the linear relationship between the load from the structure and resistance from the ground beneath it fails. This linear union between the load and resistance stands in the situation of application of elasticity theory. According to Hooks law of deformation of linearly elastic material, stress (load) and strain (resistance) are applied. Application of layer by layer accumulation of resistance values enables a designer to account for lack of uniformity in soils in reference to deformity across the allowable limits of a compressible soil layer. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Designers also apply other engineering methods of settlement computation. When we apply the law relating to stress and strain for a given constant thickness that is compressible, the increase in settlement becomes proportional to the increase in the loading,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Grimes, et al, 2006, p.681). Beyond a point of limit, the settlement tends to increase more rapidly than the load. The formation of regions with plastic deformations increases the rate of accumulation of settlement with increase in loading. This leads to the exhaustion of fatigue of the supporting bed hence interfering with its bearing capacity. Further loading from the structure becomes absolutely impossible as the soil or ground have reached its deformation level from the shear strains in it. Computations have gone further to prove that, by limiting pressure or structural load to the level of resistance, predictable settlements are maintained at lower levels than their limiting values. The extra allowable loading is left to cater for any eventuality of inadvertent loading. In Calculation, the derivation of the ultimate bearing capacity of a foundation is based on soil constraints which include the soil strength, the shear strength and the weight per unit mass. Other factors considered include the shape, size and depth. In 1943, Tengazi developed a formula to define the ultimate bearing capacity of a narrow piece footing using three-term expression by use of bearing capacity factors of Nc, Nq, and Ng all of which have a relation to the friction angle (f) qf =c.Nc +qo.Nq +  ½g.B .Ng Where c= apparent cohesion intercept, qo = the product of the density and depth D = the depth of the foundation B = the breadth of the foundation g = the unit weight of the soil removed from the soil at the time of creating the foundation. In the case of a drained loading, the calculations are based on the effective stresses where the value of (f) is > 0 and Nc, Nq Ng are all >0. While in reference to swampy regions, the swampy strength resulting from shear (su); Nq = 1.0 and Ng = 0 in relation to cumulative stresses.[15] The Skemptons equation employed in calculation of the bearing capacity for swampy or undrained areas for example swampy soils is; qf = su .Ncu + qo Where the Ncu = the Skemptons bearing capacity factor, which is obtainable from a chart. Otherwise the Skemptons bearing capacity factor can be derived by use of the following expression. Ncu = Nc.sc.dc In this equation, the value sc represents the shape factor while the dc is the depth factor. Nq = 1, Ng = 0, Nc = 5.14 Where; sc = 1 + 0.2 (B/L) for B dc = 1+ ÃÆ'–(0.053 D/B ) for D/B In the same respect, the bearing capacity factor for drained, or soils with a deep water table. The following equation was developed for a long narrow piece footing. qf =c.Nc +qo.Nq +  ½g.B .Ng However this equation gains applicability only on the use of shallow footings exposed to vertical non eccentric loads. In case of rectangular and circular foundations, shape factor is considered. qf = c .Nc .sc + qo .Nq .sq +  ½ g .B .Ng .sg Additional factors can be used to give allowance for depth, distributed loading, inclined loading and the slope of the ground. In actual fact, depth of a structure is only significant if it exceeds the breadth of the structure.[16] The following equation is used to calculate the bearing capacity factor. When considering the depth factor the following equation is applied. qf = c.Nc.dc + qo.Nq.dq +  ½ B.gNg.dg for D>B: dc = 1 + 0.4 arc tan(D/B) dq = 1 + 2 tan(f'(1-sinf) ² arctan(B/D) dg = 1.0 for D= dc = 1 + 0.4(D/B) dq = 1 + 2 tan(f'(1-sinf) ² (B/D) dg = 1.0 In case of an inclusion of safety factor, we employ; Fs is to compute the bearing capacity qa from ultimate bearing pressure qf. The value of Fs is expected to fall between 2.5-3.0. Bibliography Carpenter, T. (2001). Environmental, Construction and Sustainable Development-Vol.1. New York: John Wiley Sons Cremer C., Pecker A., Davenne L. (2001). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Cyclic macro-element for soil-structure interaction: material and geometrical non-linearitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics,Vol. 25: 1257-1284. Gazetas G. (1991). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Foundations vibrationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , Foundation Engineering Handbook, 2nd ed., Van nostran Reinhold. Grimes, D., et al. (2006). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Civil Engineering Education in a Visualization Environment: Experiences with Vizclassà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Journal of Engineering Education, Vol.95, pp.675-690 Le Pape Y., Sieffert J.P. (2001). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Application of thermodynamics to the global modeling of shallow foundations on frictional materialà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, Vol. 25, pp. 1377-1408. Negro P., Paolucci R., Pedretti S., Faccioli E. (2000). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Large-scale soil-structure interaction experiments on sand under cyclic loadingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , Proc. 12th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Auckland, New Zealand. Nova R., Montrasio L. (1991). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Settlements of shallow foundations on sandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , GÃÆ' ©otechnique, Vol. 41, 2, pp. 243 256. Nova R., Montrasio L. (1997). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Settlements of shallow foundations on sand: geometrical effectsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , GÃÆ' ©otechnique, Vol. 47, 1, pp. 46 60. Pacheco, M., Danziger, F. Pinto, C. (2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Design of Shallow Foundations under Tensile Loading for Transmission Line Towers: An Overview.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Engineering Geology, Vol.101, pp.226-235 Paolucci R. (1997). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Simplified evaluation of earthquake induced permanent displacements of shallow foundationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , Journal of Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 1, pp. 563-579. Pool, R. (1997). Beyond Engineering: How Society Shapes Technology. Oxford: Oxford University Press Priestley M.J.N., Kowalsky M.J. (2000). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Direct Displacement-Based Design of concrete buildingsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , Bulletin of the New Zealand National Society for Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 33, pp. 421-444. Reese, L., Isenhower, W. Wang, S. (2005). Analysis and Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations. New York: John Wiley Sons Rhoden, C. Gordon, C. (2000). Studying

Pizza Hut Case :: essays research papers

Pizza Hut Case Question 6: Pizza Hut case: Is either franchisor or franchisee liable for sexual harassment? If so, what type of sexual harassment occurred? Please fully explain your answer. In this case, the franchisee is liable for the hostile work environment sexual harassment type. However, the franchisor should not be held liable unless it can be proven that it has central control over the day-to-day employment decisions of the subsidiary. I will assume that the franchisee is independently owned and the franchisor has no control over its labor relations and no control over it financial. In cases such as this, a critical component in determining liability is which entity made the employment decision of the person making the claim. Factors that are considered in determining the existence of an illegal hostile work environment include: the conduct’s frequency, the conduct’s severity, any physical threat or humiliation (as opposed to merely offensive remarks), and the conduct’s unreasonable interference with the employee’s work performance. Situations that can be considered as hostile work environment sexual harassment is where the employee’s work environment is made intimidating, hostile, or offensive due to unwelcome sexual conduct and that conduct unreasonably interferes with the employee’s work performance. This case states that the waitress was harassed by the two male customers prior to the November 6th event and informed her manager that she did not like waiting on them, but did not explain why. Although she did not volunteer her reason why she did not want to wait on the customers, a responsible manager would have questioned the waitress to find out her reason. A responsible manager would also have assigned someone else to wait on the customers and/or request that the customers leave the premises. The physical nature of the conduct in this case, although limited to one incident, was severe enough to create an illegal hostile work environment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued regulations that state employers are responsible for the harassing conduct of non-employees and have a responsibility to prevent and take action when they know or should have known about the harassment. In this case, the waitress informed her manager that one of the customers had pulled her hair and requested that the manager find someone else to serve them. The manager denied her request and instructed her wait on them and stated â€Å"You were hired to be a waitress†.

Bornstein :: essays research papers

Although Bornstein argues that gender is entirely socially constructed I find it hard to believe that he is completely correct. I do agree that gender is influenced by the world we are born into. I understand that from birth we are partially programmed by our society to become something, but I do not agree that this is the determining factor in what we become as people. I feel that it's only a small part of our modern society (known as traditions) that are fighting to fit us in a certain category. Furthermore, I'd like to believe that most of today's society is helping us express our own individuality. I am not a stranger to social construction. I was born to a very strict Roman Catholic Italian family. My grandfather worked construction 50 hours a week while my grandmother tended seven children. My own mother was not even allowed to attend college because they believed that "girls weren't supposed to go to college". Inequality and gender difference was very visible. Do to social construction, my mother grew up believing that there were certain jobs for men and certain jobs for women. Ironically it was the changing society of the late 60's and early 70's that gave my mother the motivation to question tradition. I feel that in this situation it's not society in general that constructs gender but simply ignorance through tradition. In my mothers case it wasn't society at all but merely her families strict traditional values that tried construct her into the "traditional women" figure. Even though many years have past since my mother has grown up and much has changed traditional values still play a part in how gender difference is created in society. In my own life my family has influenced my views on gender dramatically. When I was young I would listen to my grandfather ramble (in that myopic traditionally old fashioned tone so common of an older generation) about the inadequacy of women drivers and the annoyances of having women in the workplace. As a young person his views were very impressionable and if I hadn't been corrected by my mother I may of easily carried these beliefs into adulthood. In another situation, if there was ever any mention of eating a microwave meal in front of my grandmother she would immediately begin a rant about how she used to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for seven children, herself, and my grandfather everyday of the week with no exceptions.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt :: essays research papers

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is one of our country's best known and most beloved presidents. He is commonly remembered for taking a tired, beaten, nation and instilling hope in it. This positive view of Roosevelt is held by Burns, who paints the picture of a man whose goal was to alleviate our nation's economic pains. But, is this view too myopic? Is Roosevelt deserving of such a godly reputation? These questions are posed by Conkin as he points out the discrimination that underlies many New Deal programs, and even suggests that many of Roosevelt's actions were for purely political motives. During the weeks preceding Roosevelt's inauguration the country was engaged in an economic crisis that was quickly spiraling downward. Banks failed, people panicked, and the nation looked to someone, anyone, for help. Hoover, sensing the country's desperation, but realizing his lack of power, and the feelings of resentment harbored towards him looked to Roosevelt. He asked the president-elect to join in economic planning, support policies, and most importantly to reassure the nation. While both authors note Roosevelt's unwillingness to cooperate with Hoover they site different reasons for it. Burns talks of Roosevelt's belief that the nation was not yet his domain, and that Hoover had the authority to handle the situation. In addition, Burns excuses Roosevelt by maintaining "Roosevelt did not foresee that the banking situation would reach a dramatic climax on Inauguration day. No man could have." (P. 148) This position is an exceedingly benevolent one when contrasted with Conkin's who writes Roosevelt "did nothing, and helplessly watched the economy collapse, letting it appear as one last result of Republican incompetence." This measure allowed Roosevelt to emerge as the "nation's savior," and ally the Democratic party with this image.Furthermore, the two authors differ in their assessment of the effect of public opinion on Roosevelt's actions. Burns gives the impression of a president who looked to engage all in his coalition. He states, politically, his cabinet "catered to almost every major group." Burns also adds, "Roosevelt did not slavishly follow the wishes of group leaders." (P. 150). Roosevelt is portrayed as the paragon of a humanitarian, "he wanted to help the underdog, though not necessarily at the expense of the top dog. He believed that private, special interests must be subordinated to the general interest." (P. 155) Conkin attempts to poke holes in this idealistic portrayal of Roosevelt.

Fighting in Hockey

Still today, there is a continued debate on whether fighting should be allowed or banned in the National Hockey League (NHL). In generalization, most people see that physically fighting someone, fist-to-fist, is a negative conflict. However, in certain sports fighting is the main objective of the sport. For instance boxing, kickboxing, or the rising sport of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). Then people look at NHL, and point out that fighting is not the main purpose or goal of the sport. People who disapprove of the fighting also believe that getting rid of the fights in hockey may draw in new fans. Fans that may see this newly constructed form of hockey as â€Å"family-friendly†. Although these people are trying to persuade the league into banning fights, there main focus as fans of the NHL, and maybe even the parents of the kids who play hockey, are to argue that fighting invokes a unsafe playing environment for the players, and also gives a bad national image to the sport of hockey and the good fundamentals of sportsmanship in general. Hockey may be a full contact sport, but many concerned people believe that banning fights in hockey leads to a safer environment for athletes to compete in, and can also have many other benefits to the sport. Although banning fights in the NHL may have its benefits, fighting should not be eliminated from the sport of hockey in the NHL because of the tradition it upholds, the loss of fans, the fact that hockey is already â€Å"physical† and entertains people. So why is the issue of hockey fights being debated in the NHL? It’s mainly due to the concern for the safety of the athletes, who by the way are professionals, which means that money is involved if injury was to occur. With economics being meshed into the issue, fighting becomes a huge reason why this topic is highly argued amongst the fans, players, general mangers, and even the team owners. With possible money issues and athlete injury risks on the line, why not just get rid of fighting now? EVIDENCE SECTION) In my major essay to counter act the fact that fights can lead to money loss due to the injury of a player, I will state that many people that watch the NHL are mostly intrigued and excited by the fights. According to the National Hockey League Fans Association (NHLFA) 91% of the fans oppose the full ban of fights in NHL games (www. nhlfa. com). So with the absence of fights in the NHL, there will be a loss of fans that watch the sport on television, and also a loss in attendance of fans at the sporting event. With less people interested of the sport, and less people watching the game either at home or at the event, there will be greater economic loss to a team with less revenue and income, than just losing a player for an amount of time. Another piece of evidence that will be brought in is the fact that fighting in hockey is a tradition. By removing fights, you are essentially removing a part of the sport itself. I will also mention that athletes who go into the profession of hockey realize that fighting is tolerated, and are aware of the risks. Not to mention it’s already a physical sport that involves a lot of risks. Back to fighting being a tradition of the NHL. Fighting has been tolerated for the NHL’s history of 94 years, but I must point out that it is penalized and regulated. So fight someone at the risk of your health, and the risk of your team winning the game. Another way to look at this is that fighting adds flare to the game. Kind of like how dunks in basketball adds flare. Essentially fighting and dunking are there to make the game more entertaining for its fans/audience, which means that if it’s more entertaining maybe a higher fan base can be achieve. Which of course leads to more money. It’s all about the money! (www. hockeyhistory. org) So why did I choose this topic and why is it an important issue? Personally I have never played hockey (competitively), but I am an avid sports fan and have seen some NHL games on T. V. I was watching ESPN one day and there was a debate on this issue between a hockey analyst and a former player and found the topic very interesting. This debate/topic is important because in the future if the rules of the game were to be changed, whether fighting stays or leaves, it could drastically change the sport itself, its fan base, and may even hurt the NHL greatly in an economic sense. Bibliography http://www. usatoday. com/sports/2004-09-02-pros-cons-fighting_x. htm http://sports. espn. go. com/nhl/columns/story? columnist=buccigross_john&id=2724254 http://www. nhl. com/ice/news. htm? id=413089 http://www. nhlfa. com/news/nr04_09_07. asp http://www. hockeyhistory. org/