Analysis of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson Essay

A lovely summer morning in a quiet little village, is what Shirley Jackson describes in the birth of her short story, â€Å"The Lottery (1948).† The organization of her story makes it exceptionally easy to read. The appealing imagery, that Jackson uses, sets the mood of the day and event to come. With the same imagery, she carefully decorates the setting, describes the characters, and unfolds the plot; while keeping the reader from anticipating the conflict until it is upon them. Organization Jackson’s organization of the story is chronological. After the introduction and description of the setting, she explains the sequence of events. The children congregate first, then the men. The women join the men, and they call the children to settle. As the event starts, the heads of each household go to remove a piece of paper from the box. Then, as they completed the first round of the lottery, each member of the winning family drew again. All of these events, so nonchalantly, were leading up to the tragic stoning of one community member. Setting From the image that Shirley describes of the stories setting, the reader can feel the warmth of the summer day. One can see and just about smell the flowers and grass, and can hear the children playing around as everyone in the small village gathered together. The men were discussing tractors and taxes, and the women exchanging gossip while they awaited the day’s annual event. Mood and Characters Mr. Summers leads the community event they call the lottery. Jackson tells us that Mr. Summers, because he has time to devote, also leads the other civic activities such as the square dances and Halloween program. Tessy Hutchinson is late to the gathering, saying that she â€Å"clean forgot what day it was (p. 259).† Mrs. Dunbar says, â€Å"I wish they’d hurry (p. 261).† Most of the characters are in good spirits; although, they are anxious to get on with the rest of their day. Nothing about the mood could lead one to believe this story may have an unpleasant ending. Even the seemingly grumpy Old Man Werner, does not provide any clues as to what will happen. He is exceedingly headstrong about the tradition, however. Especially when the Adams attempt to discuss other village’s doing away with the lottery. Even the complaints from Tessy, when her husband draws the winning paper, did not change the mood of the story or the villagers. Conflict From the mood set in the story, the village’s tradition of the Lottery seems like it may be something enjoyable. The conflict comes about when Tessy begins to complain about her families unfair selection and then her own. Then one may start to get the impression this may not be fun. I wondered what could be so miserable they needed a lottery to determine the winner, or loser in this case. Is she going to be forced to be the village mortician or have to care for the village idiot or leper for the year? Then in almost the last sentence, when the villagers surround Tessy and the first stone hit her in the head, holding her hands out desperately screaming, â€Å"It isn’t fair, it isn’t right (p. 264).† Only then does Jackson make it clear that the prize won from the lottery is fatal. Conclusion It is extremely difficult to read about a lovely community involved in such a tragic tradition. Shirley Jackson’s charming imagery of the setting and mood lures the reader through this shocking story. Overall, I think Jackson has done splendid work writing about such a horrific event. A story most people would not finish if they knew in the beginning that someone would be stoned to death by the entire community. Works Cited Jackson, S. (1948). The Lottery. In X. J. Kennedy, D. M. Kennedy, & M. F. Muth, The Bedford Guide for College writers (pp. 257-264). Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin.

How media violence contributes to the violence at home Essay

People have always believed that the various movies and violent dramas that are shown on TV are just but entertainment. In fact, some adults who feel that since they watched television when they were young and it had no negative effects on them tend to think that television violence cannot be a contributor to home violence. However this could not be the case in the present world. This is because the type of programs that were shown in the TVs in the early years did not contain many violent scenes as it is now. Many television programs are characterized with violent acts like abuse and rape, criminal acts and diminished trust. Indeed many researches that have been conducted clearly show that the increases in violence in the television are having a significant contribution to the violence experienced at home. Furthermore, the media portrays that problems both family and social are to be confronted with force or threats of force The effects of the violent scenes on television vary in the adults and children. Children are the ones who are highly affected since they are not able to discern what reality is and what fiction is. This makes them believe almost everything they see as being what the real world is. The present lifestyle has lead to most children spending many hours glued to the television something which itself can affect their behavior. In fact many researchers have shown that both the adults and children who spend most of their time watching television may develop the following perception. First is that there is an increase in crime even if it is not the case (Media Issues). Secondly that they can overestimate the risk of being victimized by crime and lastly they develop fear of crime which in itself sees crime as something that is all around. Some get mislead that violence rarely has negative consequences. In these programs a very high percentage of the violence acts go unpunished. In fact in some, those portrayed as heroes never get punished despite their violent acts. Furthermore, too much violence in the television leads to over aggression among children and in some adults. This has lead to an increase in violent behaviors in the world majorly due to imitation. People who see those being violent on TV try to copy them as models. This character is common among children. Studies have as well shown that children who watch violent shows and even identify with the violent characters are about twice as likely to be violent as young adults. The studies have as well indicated that men are more likely to embrace the violent acts as compared to their female counterparts. Other indicators of contribution of television violence to the home violence include increased desensitization and heartlessness (Christian answers). People tend to be more callous towards those who may have become victims of violence. In this they tend to ignore or just take easy incidences of violence claiming that they are common occurrences in television. This normalizes violence making it to look like part of daily life. Furthermore, in this way it dulls the emotion response to violence’s and its victims. In conclusion the influence of the media content on people has been openly quite evident. Anyone would agree with this. The advertisers use the media to sway consumer’s perception towards given products. This is equally the same to violence in the media which can as well sway peoples’ perceptions towards violence. Due to the above points it is clearly necessary for parents to take action against the viewing of television programs. Parents ought to talk to the children about what programs are good for them and which are harmful. Children should get encouraged to spend most of their time in sports and hobbies or friends other than watching television. Furthermore special banns ought to be put on some programs that have too much violence References Christian answers, Violence in the media – How it affects families? Accessed on August 16, 2010 from http://www. christiananswers. net/q-eden/edn-f012. html Media Issues, Research on the effects of media violence, Accessed on August 16, 2010 from http://www. media-awareness. ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence. cfm

Causes of Unemployment Essay

There are many quotes about unemployment according to Calvin Coolidge unemployment occurs ‘’When large numbers of men are unable to find work unemployment results’’. According to Frank P. Louchheim ,  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢An ‘acceptable’ level of unemployment means that the government economist to whom it is acceptable still has a job’’. While George Walker Bush said,  Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬â„¢In the long run, the right answer to unemployment is to create more jobs’’. Keeping the above quotations in mind. Unemployment may be defined as. ‘’When there is the shortage of job and people are not able to find work that is when unemployment occurs’’. (94 Words) The presence of many problematic factors can result in unemployment. Firstly illiteracy the lack of education or the state of being unable to read or write is a very big cause of unemployment. Due to illiteracy people do not know how to find and do jobs. Secondly bribery refers to the offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving of any item of value as a means of influencing the actions of an individual holding a public or legal duty. By the help of bribery people with more money are able to get jobs they do not deserve hence not letting the people who deserve get them. Thirdly One more problem of unemployment and under-employment is nepotism and favoritism. It means selection according to relation not according to ability. Here deserving candidates do not get jobs and remain unemployed. Fourthly injustice the violation of the rights of others causes unemployment. Due to injustice the deserving are not able to have jobs. Than poverty the state of having little or no money is also a serious cause of unemployment. Poor persons due to lack of income has low saving and shortage in investment. So, they are unable to established self-employment opportunities. After that corruption the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power yields in unemployment. Funds that can be used to create employment are embezzled and even investors shy away from setting up their business due to corruption levels and thus jobs are not created. Lastly terrorism which is the  terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government raises unemployment. Because of terrorism people avoid going out and getting jobs. When factors like bribery, nepotism and injustice become common in a society they lead to unemployment. (16 Sentences) Lack of many factors can be the cause of unemployment. Firstly the shortage of industry in a country can also lead to the shortage of jobs. The location of most industries is very uneconomical which also leads to industrial unemployment. Secondly lack of health is also a very big cause of unemployment. A healthy mind needs a healthy body, lack of health does not permit the energy needed for doing a job. Thirdly due to lack of technical education people are not able to get jobs. There is no awareness regarding technical education and its importance due to its absence a lot of people are not able to get jobs. Fourthly money is needed to start industries and other job opportunities. The lack of money does not permit the chance of starting any businesses which results in unemployment. After that the lack of knowledge has caused a lot of unawareness about employment. Due to this unawareness people do not know what they wish to do or what job they wish to get. Then the lack of jobs is the main cause of unemployment. Unavailability of opportunities and the shortage of industry leads to the lack of jobs which leads to unemployment. Lastly the lack of opportunities rises when the job is present but people for the job are not or the people present are not skilled enough. Proper training should be given so people can seek our opportunities. Shortage of technical education, knowledge, money and industry causes unemployment. (16 Sentences) Many influencing factors which when not kept under observation lead to unemployment. Firstly due to political instability investor hesitates to invest. It creates less opportunity of employment and results in unemployment. Secondly underdevelopment in countries results in unemployment. These countries are not developing and hence do not have enough job opportunities. Thirdly the government should set a merit eliminate the nepotism and favoritism. Employment opportunities should be provided in accordance to skill and ability. Fourthly the fast growth rate of population should be controlled. Due to population control there will be  more employment opportunities and less unemployment. Then in the past century technology has advanced to a great level. Machines are much quicker and very economical and due to these reasons a lot of machines have replaced man which has resulted in unemployment. After that improper government policies lead to unemployment. The government should be more careful while making these policies. Lastly economic policies are the policies set by the government in economic field. These policies are usually very problematic and seldom useful and can result in unemployment. Therefore these policies and factors must be periodically monitored. (16 Sentences) There are many causes of unemployment some are due to the negligence of the government and some are due to our own negligence. We all must try overcome unemployment. We must do our duty to spread awareness must be spread about these causes so that more and more people can know about them and so that more people can try to overcome them. Unemployment is very harmful for an economy it should be overcome at all costs. (76 Words)

Letter of Affection and Roxanne (1987) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Letter of Affection and Roxanne (1987) - Essay Example Looking back, I can definitely say that it was your personal involvement with me, the way you encouraged me to read books and how you introduced me to some of the great works in literature that saved me from my loneliness and distraught. Long four years, it was a crucial time in my life; moreover high school was my turning point. Initially it was a hard time with my studies, and it took time to cope up the new environment, and above all method of study was extremely different here. I had felt really disappointed. But you never made me feel that I was out of home. It was only because of your strong support, and guidance in my studies that I could cope with the situation and achieve my objectives. You always kept me out of my troubles and stress. As a ward I am grateful to you, that you took the pain to come along with me during the time of admission and for the meetings. My friends used to tell about your concern towards me, in spite of your busy schedule especially in finding time to often visit my teachers and personally discussing my problems and sorting them out. Your patience and conscious behavior are something that I admire. You were there around me whenever I needed somebody. I never had to come to you; instead you always came to me to find out what I needed. Uncle, you are my best friend too, and I am aware of the fact that I won’t get a person like you again. Four years have been great albeit with sprinkles of bitter experiences. There are so much of emotions bubbling up within my heart, and I can never let go of even one, because that would invariably mean that this chapter along with you never

Subprime Loane Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Subprime Loane - Research Paper Example It is not the interest rate corresponding to the loan itself. â€Å"Subprime† denotes any type of loan which does not satisfy the prime guidelines of a loan. Subprime lending is a process of making loans or lending money to the borrowers who are not qualified to be given loan at the market interest rates because of their low credit ratings (Bahin, 2007). Both the borrowers and the lenders find themselves in a riskier position as a result of subprime lending. It is so because such lending is characterized by poor credit rating, high amount of interest rates associated with it, and unfavorable financial situations. The mortgage brokers played an important role in the rise and fall of financing related to subprime mortgages. The competition corresponding to the subprime loans increased as a result of increasing demand of Mortgage Backed Securities (MBSs) sought by the investment banks. The lenders were observed to be involved in activities of introducing innovative financial prod ucts which seemed to be attractive to the borrowers, and the latter were thus becoming more and more interested to borrow money from the lenders. If we consider the job responsibilities of mortgage brokers, it can be observed that they had to perform the activities related to identifying the borrowers, receiving an application for loan from the borrowers, assessing their credit worthiness, evaluating their income-to-debt ratios, and then finally sending the borrowers to the lender who meets all the criteria. However, it is worth mentioning that all these activities and processes followed by the mortgage brokers did not correspond to the actual plan. The mortgage brokers received emoluments in the form of commissions and, therefore, it worked as an incentive for them to earn greater commissions by sending even the prime credit borrowers to the subprime lenders. Even the people who had little knowledge about MBSs were attracted to them because of the increasing demand for them in the market. There were not even any kinds of licensing requirements for a person to become a mortgage broker (Sanders, 2002). All these factors led to the emergence of mortgage brokers in the market and had an impact on lowering their reputations. The lenders were exposed to such a huge number of participants in the mortgage industry that many of the borrowers received loans who should never have been lent money because they were to face financial problems while repaying the loans received by them. Based on the above evaluation of the situation it can be concluded that besides some of the minor incidents, certain specific individuals like mortgage brokers cannot be blamed for the downfall of the overall subprime mortgage lending process. The blame should actually go to the regulatory authorities and government institutions which failed to oversee the situation beforehand, to different corporate misdeeds, motivation to earn more profits, and also, to a large extent, to the borrowers them selves. Question 2 Incentive contracts or managerial incentives in a corporate organization mainly correspond with the agency theory and the problems associated with it. Jensen and Meckling (1976) are commonly associated with the term â€Å"agency theory† as found in most of the existing literature. According to Alchian and Demstez (1972), the business activities conducted by most of the organizations are mostly governed through contracts that involve voluntary exchanges.

Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 11

Employment Law - Essay Example erms and conditions.2 It is important that businesses in the process of reorganization work within the permitted parameters of TUPE otherwise, there are significant opportunities for litigation arising out of employee complaints.3 While the managers are purporting to simply reorganize the business, this organization involves changes that are consistent with the definition of transfer of undertaking within the meaning of TUPE. Regulation 3(b) provides that TUPE applies to situations in which service provisions are changed.4 Therefore subcontracting and outsourcing will apply as they are situations in which service provisions are changed. In fact it was held in Fairhurst Ward Abbotts Limited v Botes Building Limited and others that where a contract for maintenance was split between two entities, it amounted to a transfer within the meaning of TUPE.5 Therefore even if the subcontracting only transfers out a part of the service, it would be considered a transfer of undertakings under TUPE. There are legal consequences for the business since the subcontracting and outsourcing is covered by TUPE. Regulation 7 of TUPE provides that where a transfer within the meaning of TUPE has the effect of terminating the services of an employee, that termination will be treated as unfair dismissal, unless the transfer is for an â€Å"economic, technical or organizational reason entailing changes in the workforce.†6 The effect of Regulation 7 of TUPE is to ensure that the rights of employees are protected in cases where undertakings effecting their employment are transferred.7 It therefore follows that if an employee’s job is lost to outsourcing or subcontracting, that loss is automatically unfair dismissal. Subcontractors and others to whom services from the business are outsourced may be reluctant to take on these contracts and jobs since there is a risk of litigation for unfair dismissal. In fact, the business will also be liable for unfair dismissal. Managers will also

Auditing process Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Auditing process - Case Study Example This type of risk is known as engagement risk. The probabilities of different loss or damages that can be caused due to this type of risk can be a financial loss, loss of reputation, and ultimately leading to the downfall of the audit farm. Engagement risks can further be subdivided into three types of risks, namely 1) Client’s business risks, 2) Auditor’s business risk and 3) Audit risk. In the cited case of Aerospace Lighting Inc. (ALI) there are several audit issues related to engagement risks. All those audit issues involved with ALI and its impact on the financial statements and the audit process have been discussed here. ALI is a Chicago based company which is involved in the business of providing cabin lighting system to its clients in aerospace industry. There has been a change in ALI’s business strategy and its external auditors. This study entails about the different business risks associated with ALI and the corresponding audit issues. Client Business Risks Business risk can be defined as the probability that a given company will make less profit than what has been anticipated or there is a possibility that the company will make a loss instead of profit. Several factors influence business risks, like cost of inputs, volume of sales, price per unit, government policies and so on and so forth. The validity of items in financial statements of a company can be evaluated by an auditor based on certain factors. They are: knowledge of business risks associated with the business activities followed by the client, structure of the organization, internal and external environment of the business concern and the interactions between them (Bell et al. 1). Business risk methodology of audit process includes some of the following key points: 1) Developing an understanding about the process of risk management in the organization. 2) Developing an understanding about the risks involved in the business of the organization. 3) The risks which are i dentified give an idea about its expected impact on the financial statements. 4) Assessment of the control system about how much efficiently it manages risk (Rittenberg 121-123). In ALI’s case, various factors which have an impact on client’s business risks can be subdivided into three headings, namely management, entity and industry. A review of the previous auditor’s report and views of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) are available and can be used as good audit evidence. CAS 620 relates to the decision of an auditor to use the work of an auditor’s expert. CAS 500 provides the necessary requirements and guidance to auditors regarding audit evidence. Consultant advice is also a good option in this case which is explained in CAS 220 (Financial Reporting & Assurance Standards Canada 1-8). Hence, regarding client’s business risks, following evidences can be considered as being the business risks involved in ALI: 1) Management: Firstly, regarding man agement of ALI, its integrity is the key. Certain evidence that ALI is not loyal to its parent German company named BmG can be inferred from the case. ALI’s management is only concerned about the financial performance of the company. While achieving its financial target, ALI calls for a strategy involving rapid growth of the company. ALI is not concerned much about reporting BmG regarding the means adopted by them to achieve its target. Here lies the business risk in the part of ALI’s management. There is a high probability that ALI can restore to unfair

Electronic Channels Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Electronic Channels - Assignment Example Most often this comes as a contrary expectation to any commercial entity. Since the electronic channels allow the consumers to carry out their transactions from most convenient locations, they eventually affect the role of retailing traders. Even when the electronic retailing mode is scaled against other methods, it contributes to a very minor percentage of the total retailing outputs. This however is bound to change with the advent of ever changing scale of globalization. It is expected to shoot higher in the near future when electronic means shall be inevitable to institutions and corporations (Lechner & Hummel, 2002). Some products are more appropriate for electronic channels. This is largely determined by the market trends and behavior. For instance, some factors like public perception on the channel fundamentally contribute to this preference. Moreover, other factors like the effort inputted by the market segment, time that the commodity takes to be delivered and intentions by consumers to search for prices, all count (Lechner & Hummel, 2002). There are some products inappropriate for electronic channels. Examples of such include experience goods. These are goods that one has to assess based on their tastes and preference for them. For example, a brand of wine can only be assessed once one has had a taste, but not by online inquiry (Lechner & Hummel, 2002). Lechner, U. & Hummel, J. (2002). Business models and system architectures of virtual communities: from a sociological phenomenon to peer-to-peer architectures. International Journal of Electronic Commerce , 41-53. Soon, A. & Luis, F. (2012). Social Media in Governmnent- Selections from the 12th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research(dg2011). Journal of Information Technology Management, Policies, and Practices ,

HIstory questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HIstory questions - Assignment Example It had recruited Whig’s members in 1858, and had successfully guided the union to stop slave trade and to victory. 19. Van Buren chances of re-election were doomed by publication of his letter in which he openly differed with the instant seizure of Texas. Also, the management of foreign affairs and economic depression degraded his opportunity to be re-elected. 1. The white Virginians blamed Nat Turner a black slave who worked for Joseph Travis because he had organized an attempt to free the slaves. He was believed to an extraordinary individual because he trusted in the Bible for the freedom of the slave population. 4. The southern fear for the blacks they knew the government would not give them livestock and land. Since the blacks had grown arrogant and bold this would result into disappointment and anger hence rebellion as demonstrated by Nat turner rebellion. 7. Large plantations in the southern were supervised by white overseers which were mostly Africans because the blacks were considered naturally irresponsible and lazy thus needed to be guarded and punished in order to work diligently. 8. The term paternalism is used by historians to imply the ability to make decisions under the influence of strength as a sharpness of mind. Paternalism helps people influence others in course of their actions. 9. According to George Fitzhugh, women in the south were bestowed with the right to preserve the southern culture. They were responsible for enhancing the culture into the next generation. They were responsible for conserving the southern society of the antebellum. 10. Anguish to southern plantation mistresses was in regards to procreation. They risked bearing children because the first five years of the children highly dreaded. There was no discrimination on the farms in regards to sex. The pregnant women were sent to farms. Children received less parental care since they were supposed to work on the whites’ farms. 12. The slave lives

Ethics and Communications in Organizations Essay

Ethics and Communications in Organizations - Essay Example Thus, ethics maintain great significance in everyday human life, where their importance multiplies within the organizational behavior during the course of offering one’s services in one way or the other. Professional ethics also suggest the personnel in respect of developing pleasant and amicable relationships with the management, colleagues, subordinates, clients and the general public at large, through an adequate communication system, which is vehemently important for climbing the ladder of success and growth in one’s career for the future years to come. The contemporary era has made imperative alterations in all fields of human life. The world’s turning into a global village has established such type of business environment, where the individuals belonging to divergent ethnic, racial, regional, religious and family backgrounds as well as obtaining variant educational qualifications, occupational skills, different socioeconomic positions and divergent sexual o rientations work under one roof and under the command of one single administration, during which they have to come across several awkward and unpleasant incidents because of the behaviors of others. Somehow, commitment to one’s cause and dedication to one’s responsibilities serve as the core concepts of climbing the ladder of professional growth and financial stability. It is not specific to one occupation only; rather, the same is applied to all the existing professions of contemporary times at large. â€Å"Values and ethics are central to any organization; those operating in the national security arena are no exception. Both are extremely broad terms, and we need to focus in on the aspects most relevant for strategic leaders and decision makers.† (National Defense University) Ethics in Organizations: One of the most formidable ethics the professionals must apply is their sense of responsibilities towards the workplace. A professional is the representative of h is organization, which offers him job opportunity, respectable place, and financial compensation, along with protecting him from becoming the prey to unemployment, idleness and mental disturbance created because of joblessness. It is, therefore, the professional must render his services to the organization diligently and actively without displaying any reluctance and non-compliance with the duties and obligations he has been hired to accomplish. Additionally, it is also the ethical responsibility of the professional not to let the name, fame, and reputation of his organization go to the dashes, because of his misbehave or negligence towards the customers and clients. Moreover, the professional must check the working of his colleagues, co-workers, and subordinates in order to assure their performance for the best interest of the organization. The professional must also interact with the superiors time and again, and if they are in need of his support at any matter, he must accomplish the same within the appropriate time and without any deliberate delays.  

Teeces Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Teeces Model - Essay Example This study highlights that Eurocopter is one organisation that applies this model to enhance its dynamic capabilities hence this essay seeks to explain the different steps in the model with regards to applicability to the organisation’s operations. From this discussion it is clear that it is imperative that the organisation should first sense the opportunity from the environment in order to develop its dynamic capabilities. Sensing refers to the ability to scan and create an opportunity from the environment and it also refers to the organisation’s ability to learn and interpret those opportunities. The sensing stage is mainly comprised of four elements namely: processes to direct internal R&D and also select the new technology, processes to tap the external development in technology, processes to exploit the innovation from supplier and complementor as well as the processes to target the market segment and managing customer needs and innovations. As far as the processes to direct internal R & D and new technology are concerned, it can be noted that Eurocopter internally perceives the opportunity on the blade business. The blades often require to be repaired as they form a very important aspect in the life of the helicopt er hence Eurocopter finds this as a big opportunity in the blade business if they can increase competency in terms of blade business processes which may include design, manufacturing and maintenance of composite rotor blades, propellers, turbine blades as well as other issues related to repairs. Under the strategic alliance the organisation collaborates with many external partners given that it strongly believes that these parties will help it to improve its innovativeness on the blades. It also has a joint manufacturing project with the other companies such as Kawasaki.

Liberal Arts vs Science Essay Example for Free

Liberal Arts vs Science Essay Liberal arts deal with the sections of education that specialize in imparting general knowledge to learners. This is usually meant to build a strong intellectual capacity on general subjects that would not require technical or even professional skills. The sections of arts that are basically seen as to be in this category include languages, philosophy, music, basic arithmetic and history. In as much as humanities are considered to be part of liberal arts, they my lean towards scientific processes like those in geography and research sciences. On the other hand, sciences are based on technical subjects like physics and chemistry. Scientific knowledge is specific and can be based on a plethora of scientific specialties. Some examples may include biology, physics, engineering and medicine. Other areas in sciences that are specific can include actuarial science and applied mathematics. Developments in the current world of education indicate that more and more students are being encouraged to specialize on sciences than liberal arts. Does this signal that liberal arts are dead and everything is now about science and technology? Specialists in many quarters have advanced arguments that point to the fact that liberal arts are dying fast. Reasons include the fact that more professionals in sciences receive better compensation packages than their counterparts in liberal arts. The idea that liberal arts are a dying section of education is supported by facts. This is due to the fact that more and more people are embracing education in sciences that seem to be generally more appealing. The Industrial Revolution experienced in the world over seemed to emphasize the fact that the world would lean more towards technical aspects of education than on the arts. During the onset of this revolution in the late nineteenth century, inventions in sciences drove many to pursue technical subjects as they seemed to be leading to the most lucrative jobs. Examples lay in the engineering and other technological fields that had strong foundations in sciences. As such, many institutions that were recruiting prospective employees developed pay packages that were tailored to be better than those for employees in the liberal art field. Other factors that point to this being true include the declining budgetary allocation in universities that specialize in liberal arts. This was aggravated by the recession experienced during the period 2008-2009. A study showed that most students who had degrees in the fields and disciplines in liberal arts suffered job cuts and lay-offs during this period (Cook 1) (The Death of Liberal Arts: How the Recession and Unemployment are making Schools and Students Rethink the Value of an Education in The Humanities 1). The numbers of tertiary institutions that offer courses in these fields have declined by nearly a hundred since the early nineties to date. Despite this trend in developments, there are facts that point towards this being the truth and there are some others that seem to dispute this idea. Current job markets indicate that every employee has to have at least some basic technical knowledge. This may mostly lie in the knowledge of Information Technology (IT). It is prudent to observe that in the modern world, nearly all organizations insist on recruiting employees who have basic knowledge on how to process data using computers. This may be in writing documents or even manipulating data to obtain a desired result. Therefore, most organizations recruit prospective employees with basic computer proficiency skills. These skills are deemed to be mandatory in communication and other day-to-day activities in the office. On the other hand, most companies that are recruiting prospective employees are insistent upon the ability of employees to integrate with the community. This would include the immediate community living within the precincts of the location of such companies or even the prospective customers. To have such abilities, one needs to have studied some form of psychology or even sociology. These form part of the liberal arts. Consequently, these companies recruit employees who have studied in these fields and hence have the abilities to mingle with the said people. This knowledge might be important in marketing or even companies that deal in communications and customer care. Therefore, there are job market patterns that may seem to suggest that liberal arts may not be totally dead. Kathleen Haney, a professor of Philosophy of Education in the University of Houston-Downtown, opines that in the view of a layman, liberal arts are dead. She observes that liberal arts are mainly important in the formative years of education such as the elementary and secondary education. Later on, when a student needs to become more skilled in specific subjects, he may need the knowledge acquired in the elementary and secondary that dealt more on liberal arts. Such skills might include languages so as to communicate with others well. However, in â€Å"The Liberal Arts and the End of Education†, she explains the need for everyone to view liberal arts as losing its shine due to the influence of development. Development, she insists, impresses upon scholars the need to embrace more technical subjects. This she attributes to the need by more organizations to employ people who have knowledge in practical-oriented subjects like sciences. In as much as her works seem to approve of this as the trend, she however goes ahead to implore us to change our mind-frame so that we can see liberal arts as pivotal in enabling us to be able to be proficient in these practical subjects. She insists that the more technical subjects would need the services of liberal arts to survive. This she subtly alludes to when she says that languages are the essence of understanding and communication. Therefore, she agrees to the fact that liberal arts are losing their shine due to the current patterns in job markets. She however does not encourage this as it might be of detriment to ignore important sections of liberal arts like languages. The trend that she observes goes way back in time and is founded from the early times. The enthusiasm with which liberal arts were embraced before the Industrial Revolution has considerably gone down due to the mentioned facts. There seems to be a number of reasons that have been fronted for this kind of happening. It is only natural that for this, there has to be some form of consequences. The future generations face a more challenging task of trying to ignore or even do without an important part of education. As a matter of fact, the consequences might have very heavy repercussions on education in general. The main factor that will contribute to this is the need for people who can efficiently communicate in certain settings. For instance, when languages are abolished in the curriculum, students will need extra efforts to learn foreign languages so that they can earn whole-some multi-cultural competency. An example is when a company needs to venture into a foreign market and it requires one of the staff members to be able to communicate to the natives in their language. This would mean that the staff will be required to learn the native language of the people residing in the area. This might be expensive to undertake as the only other option is to employ a native. Many people have come up with arguments in support of the notion that liberal arts are dead. However, there are some writers who have come up with opposing arguments that seem to be water-tight. The American Council of Learned Societies has come up with issues that seem to show that the liberal arts are still popular in colleges. It discusses the importance of liberal arts in communication and the full understanding of human nature (American Council of Learned Societies 1) (Liberal Arts in American Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities 1). It is subjects like philosophy and psychology that enable scientists like doctors and psychiatrists to understand how to deal with illnesses of the human mind. Coupled with this, the languages help in comprehension of several issues. Their argument is based on the fact that liberal arts build a comprehensive understanding of the human being. This seems to be a very convincing argument since most of sciences deal in the physical part of a human being but not on the moral, spiritual and social part. In the international arena, the science vs. art debacle has taken various forms depending on situations. For instance, many parents still insist on their children taking more professional courses as opposed to them having to take courses in liberal arts. It is of interest to note that many writers attribute this to the different priorities that people in the different social classes have. For instance, many students in the upper middle class will not feel pressured to earn degrees in the professional courses that are not seen as art-based. On the other hand, students who have to work to earn money for their fees have always chosen professional courses over the liberal arts. This has been attributed to the fact that the students from affluent families have no worries about fees and which college they feel they want to attend. Their schooling is a matter of choice as opposed to students with limited financial abilities who will be restricted to their budgets due to financial constraints. In conclusion, it has been shown that liberal arts are losing attention as an important part of education. Many factors have pointed to this. It is important to note that the need to study other technical subjects important in scientific development have led this. It is also important to note that the foundations of basic education are laid through the use of liberal arts like languages. Therefore, it is pragmatic to stop this trend before it leads to harm. The fact that more and more institutions are beginning to lower the budgetary allocations on liberal arts is worrying. It is worth noting that the recession exposed the weakness in the humanities sector of education as professionals in this field suffered more job cuts. This would actually lead to anyone conclusively saying that the liberal arts are actually dead. However, many a writer has sufficiently come up with arguments that signify the importance of liberal arts in the current and future settings. Therefore, while it is important to note that liberal arts are dying, it is a task set upon us to develop curricula that will ensure that the sections that liberal arts cover in education are taken over by an equally fulfilling branch of education. References Cook, N. The Death of Liberal Arts: How the Recession and Unemployment are making Schools and Students Rethink the Value of an Education in The Humanities. (5th April, 2010). Newsweek Web Exclusive. Web. America Council of Learned Societies. Liberal Arts in American Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities. 2005. American Council of Learned Societies. Print.

Mineral Mapping of the Chitradurga Schist Belt

Mineral Mapping of the Chitradurga Schist Belt Mineral mapping of the Chitradurga Schist Belt: A remote sensing approach to delineate potential resources Introduction: The Optimum utilization of natural resources is major and important objective of a Country. However the Policy makers making decisions about allocating land use to reach the competing demands sources the reliable information of these natural resources very important prerequisite as it enables decision- making agencies to estimate prospective benefits from different uses of the land and prioritize them based on social and economic needs of the society. It is easy to map the surface exposed spatial data such as water body, soil, forests etc where as other natural resources such mineral deposits occur below the land surface and cannot map directly, but it possible to map mineral potential zones. For many developing countries, however, there is a general lack of geoexploration data required for a reliable and comprehensive nationwide mineral potential assessment and classification. This lack of geoexploration data and nationwide comprehensive mineral potential assessment and classification have brought about conflicts and competing demands between land-uses that permit mineral resources development and those that promote protection of ecosystems (Domingo, 1993). The mineral potential assessment and classification of an area is critical for land-use policymaking so that prospective land is not alienated from mineral resources development in the future (McCammon and Briskey, 1992; McLaren, 1992). In order to achieve mineral potential assessment and classification despite the lack or incompleteness of systematic and comprehensive geoexploration datasets alternative methodologies are needed. The term ‘mineralization’ refers to the collective geological processes that lead to the formation of mineral deposits (Bateman, 1951b) The term ‘mineral potential’ describes the possibility of the presence of mineral deposits or mineralization. Mineral potential assessment or classification is a multi-stage activity with the ultimate objective of delineating mineralised zones that can be exploited under prevailing economic conditions (Reeves et al., 1990). Mineral potential assessment or classification is a multi-stage activity with the ultimate objective of delineating mineralized zones that can be exploited under prevailing economic conditions (Reeves et al., 1990). Ideally, during each stage, multivariate and multi-source geoexploration datasets are used to guide the succeeding stages of mineral potential assessment and classification. At the small and medium-scale stage (i.e., regional to district scale ranging from 1:50,000 to 1:100,000), for example, the geoexploration datasets required should be derived from geological, geophysical and geochemical surveys. The increasing need to integrate geoexploration datasets arises from the fact that the easily-recognized mineral deposits have long been known and that more evidences and advanced methods are necessary to accurately assess and classify the mineral potential of a particular area (Bonham-Carter, 1997; Chinn and Ascough, 1997; Raines, 1997; Pan and Harris, 2000). Mineral potential, as used in this research, is the set of characteristics attributed to a particular area that describes the probability for the presence of mineral deposits or existence of mineralization. Factors affecting economic viability of mineral deposits are not considered in this definition because the geological and mineral deposit data that are available are insufficient to determine sizes and grades of mineral deposits. Mineral potential is determined by how well the geological and mineral deposit data fit established mineral deposit models and existing knowledge about the mineralization of a particular area. Mineral potential statements that arise from this research are estimates, rather than facts, because of the dynamic and variable nature of geological knowledge and the mineral exploration environment. It is, however, of prime importance that these statements establish the potential for the discovery of mineral deposits. The geologically-constrained predictive mineral potential maps generated in this research are based on two factors: favourability and validity. Favourability is determined by integration of geological variables that are considered essential for mineral occurrence. Validity is determined by how well the predictive models delineate correctly known mineral deposits that were not used to generate the models. These two factors are important for assessing the efficacy of the methodologies developed for geologically-constrained predictive mapping of mineral potential. Mineral deposits, whether metalliferous or non-metalliferous, are accumulations or con- centrations of one or more useful substances that are for the most part sparsely distributed in the Earth’s crust (Bateman, 1951a). The geological processes that lead to the formation of mineral deposits are collectively called mineralization (Bateman, 1951b). The term ‘mineral potential’ describes the possibility of the presence of mineral deposits or mineralization. Mineral potential does not take into account economic factors such as deposit grade, tonnage, physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics, nature and thickness of overburden, availability of man power and technology, market demand, etc., as these are typically unknown during mineral potential mapping. Mineral potential mapping of an area involves demarcation of potentially mineralized zones based on geologic features that exhibit significant spatial association with target mineral deposits. These features, which are termed recognition criteria, are spatial features indicative of various genetic earth processes that acted conjunctively to form the deposits in the area. Recognition criteria are sometimes directly observable; more often, their presence is inferred from their responses in various spatial datasets, which are appropriately processed to enhance and extract the recognition criteria to obtain evidential or predictor maps. Remote sensing, as a direct adjunct to field, lithologic and structural mapping, and more recently, GIS have played an important role in the study of mineralized areas. A review on the application of remote sensing in mineral resource mapping is attempted here. It involves understanding the application of remote sensing in lithologic, structural and alteration mapping. Remote sensing becomes an important tool for locating mineral deposits, in its own right, when the primary and secondary processes of mineralization result in the formation of spectral anomalies. Reconnaissance lithologic mapping is usually the first step of mineral resource mapping. This is complimented with structural mapping, as mineral deposits usually occur along or adjacent to geologic structures, and alteration mapping, as mineral deposits are commonly associated with hydrothermal alteration of the surrounding rocks. In addition to these, understanding the use of hyperspectral remote sensing is crucial as hypers pectral data can help identify and thematically map regions of exploration interest by using the distinct absorption features of most minerals. Finally coming to the exploration stage, GIS forms the perfect tool in integrating and analyzing various georeferenced geoscience data in selecting the best sites of mineral deposits or rather good candidates for further exploration. Spectral identification of potential areas of hydrothermal alteration minerals is a common application of remote sensing to mineral exploration. The extraction of spectral information related to this type of target from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery has been achieved through the use of image processing techniques such as band ratioing and principal component analysis (PCA) (Sabine 1999). With the limited spectral resolution provided by Landsat TM, alteration mapping has been restricted to the detection of areas where alteration processes are likely to have occurred—the TM visible and near-infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands are only able to discriminate areas rich in iron oxides/hydroxides and clay and carbonate minerals, respectively. When one collects multivariate data in some field of application a redundancy effect often arises because of covariation between variables. An interesting issue in reduction of dimensionality of the data is the desire to obtain simplicity for better understanding, visualizing and interpreting the data on the one hand, and the desire to retain sufficient detail for adequate representation on the other hand. E.g. a remote sensing device typically measures the emitted intensity at a number of discrete wavelengths or wavelength intervals for each element in a regular grid. This â€Å"repetition† of the measurement at different wavelengths induces a high degree of redundancy in the dataset. This can be used for noise reduction and data compression. A traditional method used in this context is the celebrated principal components transformation. This is a pixel-wise operation that does not take the spatial nature of image data into account. Also, principal components will not always produce components that show decreasing image quality with increasing component number. It is perfectly imaginable that certain types of noise have higher variance than certain types of signal components. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a mathematical technique for reducing the dimensionality of a data set (Jackson, 1983). Because digital remote sensing images are numeric, their dimensionality can be reduced using this technique. In multi-band remote sensing images, the bands are the original variables. Some of the original bands may be highly correlated and, to save on data storage space and computing time, such bands could be combined into new, less correlated eigen images by PCA. In addition to its use in this way, PCA can be used as a change detection technique in remote sensing (Jensen, 1986; Fung and LeDrew, 1987; Muchoney and Haack, 1994). Principally, there are two ways in which PCA can be used in change detection (Jensen, 1986; Muchoney and Haack, 1994): 1. Independent data transformation analysis in which multitemporal image data sets are spectrally enhanced separately using PCA. Each image is then separately classified for use in post classification change detection. 2. Merged data transformation in which all the bands from the n dimensional multitemporal image data set are registered and treated as a single N dimensional data set as input to the PCA (where n is the number of bands per image, N = n x the number of image dates). Approach two is applied in this work, which assessed wetland change on the Kafue Flats in Zambia. The aim was to assess the potentials and limitations of using PCA for change detection on this heterogeneous land cover scene. Whereas the methodology is not new and has been demonstrated elsewhere (e.g. Fung and LeDrew, 1987), this is yet another example demonstrating its use. Computationally, three steps are involved in the principal component transformation (Eklundh and Singh, 1993). The first is the calculation of a covariance or correlation matrix using the input data sets, the second is the calculation of eigen values and eigen vectors, and the third is the calculation of principal components. The principal components calculated using the covariance matrix are referred to as unstandardized principal components, and those calculated using the correlation matrix are referred to as standardized principal components (Eklundh and Singh, 1993; ERDAS Inc., 1994). The use of a correlation matrix, in calculating principal components, implies scaling of the axes so that each feature has unit variance. This normalisation process prevents certain features from dominating the analysis because of their large numerical values. Because unstandardized PCA preserves the dynamic range of the original data in the analysis, it was employed in this work in preference over standardized PCA. Broad band remote sensing systems, such as the Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS, 4 bands) and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM, 7 bands), Drastically under sample the information content available from a reflectance spectrum by making only a few measurements in spectral bands up to several hundred nanometers wide. Imaging spectrometers, on the other hand, a sample at close intervals (bands on the order of tens of nanometers wide) and have a sufficient number of spectral bands to allow construction of spectra that closely resemble those measured on the laboratory instruments. Imaging spectrometry is defined as ‘the simultaneous acquision of images in many narrow, contiguous spectral bands’ ( Goetz et al., 1985). Analysis of imaging spectrometer data allows data allows extraction of detailed spectrum for each picture element (pixel) of the image. High spectral resolution reflectance spectra collected by imaging spectrometers allow direct identification ( and in some instances . Abundance determinations) of individual materials based upon their reflectance characteristics including minerals( Goetz et al., 1985: Lang et al., 1987: Pieters 1994: Clark et al., 1996: Board man and Huntington, 1996: Crowley and Zimbelman,1996),

Mydin Expansion And Growth Strategy Analysis

Mydin Expansion And Growth Strategy Analysis Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd is a local business organization in retail industry under the leadership of chief executive, Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin. The business starts its operation since 1957 in retail and wholesale. In the economic environment, Mydin face challenge from other key players such as Giant, Tesco, Carrefour and Econsave. Currently Mydin has 4 hypermarkets and its total stores are 55 which located at Klang Valley, Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Seremban, Nilai, Johor, Alor Setar, Melaka, Penang, Pahang and Kelantan. To compete, the company plans to expand their business and grow organically. Mydin imposed low pricing strategies and provide economically price goods to its customers. Surely, the expansion and growth will influence the business objective. Below is the comparison data of retailers with its number of stores in Malaysia. Retailer Number of stores Giant. 40(hypermarket/superstores) Total Giant stores: 100 Tesco. 35(hypermarket) Carrefour. 23(hypermarket) Econsave. 38(supermarket hypermarket) Mydin. 4 hypermarkets. Total Mydin stores : 55 Hypermarket list is not exhaustive. [Business Times , Saturday, July 31, 2010] Therefore I would like to investigate whether Mydins expansions and growth strategy is viable to the business to gain market share and emerge as market leader. RESEARCH BACKGROUND. This commentary will be based on these following supporting documents; MYDIN EXPECTS 10pc RISE IN PROFIT, QA with Datuk Ameer Ali (Mydin)/SKORCAREER Mydin to built its biggest hypermart in Kota Baru/Business Times. New logo,motto for Buy Malaysian Campaign/mydin.com.my INTERNAL CENTRE OF LEADERSHIP(ICLIF)-2009/MYDIN CASE STUDY. Microsoft Supports Malaysian Retailers Aggressive Plans to Expend. Malaysia mulls bar-code system for halal, products Business Times MARKETING. Marketing Planning. As a retail company in Malaysia, Mydin had implement several marketing planning to boost their sales and obtaining bigger market share. Therefore, this commentary will examine the marketing mix approached by Mydin to successfully market their product and formulate their marketing strategy. Therefore, Mydin can moves towards becoming a market leader. Marketing mix: Product. Mydin has a wide range of product line such as food line, soft line, hard-line and household items. Due to the wide range of product, Mydin will benefits from larger customer base. This will give positive advantage to Mydin as its customer can obtain all products needed here at lower and cheaper price. As a local player, Mydin provide items that are complement with its customers need. Majority of Malaysian are Muslims. Therefore, Mydin provide local prayer mats, prayer garment for women and traditional product which are rarely found elsewhere. However, Mydin should consider its non-Muslim customers due to the image of the place where only Muslim shops. Place. Besides, Mydin is currently expending their business into different format namely hypermarkets, emporium, and My Mart (24 hour convenience stores). As referred to growth of Mydins chain by the year 2009 to 2020, the business forecasted to have 26 Hypermarket, 60 Convenience Store, 20 Emporium and 5 My Mart  [1]  . This investment cost the business a large amount of cash which is RM 200million for supermarket and 60 million for the building of hypermarket  [2]  . The managing director tries to emulate the growth strategies of Kmart by having My Mart although Kmart experience bankruptcy. This expansion can help Mydin, reachable for its customers with various channel of distribution. For example, the choice to build the biggest hypermarket in Malaysia at Kota Baharu  [3]  is due to high demand and larger land available. However, Mydin should consider their large expansion as they may be affected by diseconomies of scale. Promotion. In terms of promotion Mydin apply me-to-promotion where Mydin follow and respond to their rivals marketing strategies such as purchasing similar advertisement board and article from newspaper  [4]  . One of its outlets in Subang Jaya has a digital billboard, controlled digitally from its office. This provides fast response toward its rivals advertisement. Besides, Mydin should consider having other marketing strategies such as advertisement through website or radio to provide detailed information and awareness of their existence. Price. Mydin is well-known for selling its product at wholesale price (40% of its business is wholesale). As compared to its rival, (Giant, Tesco and Carrefour) Mydin is a favorite place for shopping especially in period of economic down turn. They gain RM 1.3 billion in 2009 from RM 1.1.in 2008  [5]  . This proves that as Mydin grow organically, they gain strength in volume, thus can sell cheaper as compared to its rivals. Therefore, the situation is inciting its marketing objective. Positioning. Market positioning is crucial to portray a good corporate image and differentiate Mydins product over rivals. The unique selling point (USP) of Mydin that makes the business stand out from others is the embracing the concept of Halal (following the dietary law in Islam)  [6]  . As most Malaysian are Muslim and very particular in Halal product, the USP is an added advantage. Mydin popular slogans: Where everybody can buy  [7]  also provide a perception towards the customers that in retail industry, you can buy product cheaper at Mydin. But Mydin need to sustain the image by providing items cheap and not providing cheap items with low qualities. Mydin can perceive its brand to be a bargain brands (at high quality but with low price) although its hard to sustain. Therefore, with the growth and expansion strategies, Mydin is moving from Economy brands towards Bargain brands.  [8]   Quality High Low High Premium brands Cowboy brands Low Bargain brands Economy brands Price Figure 1: Perception map showing relationship between price and quality. The slogan is in line with governments campaign, Buy Malaysian  [9]  which educates Malaysian to buy local product (Mydin provide local product on its shelves). Mydins outlet at Subang Jaya has been chosen as the place for exhibition attends by Prime Minister to launch the campaign  [10]  . Besides, Mydin together with Halal Development Council (HDC) organized Halal training program course for small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs)  [11]  . The corporate social responsibilities (CSR) done by Mydin enhance its image and will attract customers to choose Mydin instead of others. OPERATION MANAGEMENT. Product Planning. As Mydin grow, the business may affected by overtrading due to stockpiling  [12]  . This situation can increase cost and later absorb on the price of product. Hence, Mydin decide on Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail to applied Just-In-Time stock management  [13]  . The software provides information for its suppliers and decision-makers so that the distribution of stocks runs smoothly from stores to supply chain  [14]  . By this, Mydin can be more responsive to its customers, reduce their break-even point, and improve cash flow and the working capital cycle  [15]  . Consequently, provide competitive advantage towards its rival. HUMAN RESOURCES. Organizational Structure. Besides, Mydin interfere coordination problem of its managers as the business grow hierarchal taller and wider span of control. Communication across the organizational structure will become time consuming and in certain case may be distorted. To overcome this, Mydin decide on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007  [16]  that allows massive information to be provided to all layer of the organization and its suppliers. Motivation. In becoming a market leader, Mydin must have a productive employees to generate larger working capital.16.2% of its workers are foreigners and the remaining are locals  [17]  . To create sense of belonging to work and generate teambuilding between workers, the company provides financial and emotional support  [18]  . According to Maslows hierarchy of needs, people are motivated more than just money  [19]  . Mydin meets the social needs of its worker by conducting birthday parties, cultural dance and inter-branch sports.  [20]   CONCLUSION. Mydin has implemented huge expansion and organic growth of its company. They try to gain their market share by becoming more competitive toward its rival. In becoming so, a transformation throughout the organization is done. Based on the marketing planning carried out, Mydin is currently on the right direction towards its corporate objectives. We can notice how Mydin develop strategic marketing mix to successfully market their product. However, there is some areas that should be improved and focus on. In terms of product, Mydin can try to attract non-Muslim customers by having a promotion or creating an image of Mydin as a place for anyone. Besides that Mydin has wide channel of distribution. However, Mydin should also consider dealing with diseconomies of scales. One of the choices is by introducing measures to remove productive inefficiencies. Mydin might count the effectiveness of each of the business format. The marketing strategies indicate that Mydin can gain higher market share from its competitive advantage in promotion and price. In positioning their product, Mydin had done it well through their USP, slogan and CSR played. They manage to give clear perception of the business to public. Hence, they can gain more customers in the future. In operation management and human resources, Mydin try to centralize their management to hinder business runs at loss and to generate efficiencies. Their decision to cooperate with Microsoft Corp. is a right choice to place Mydin at top amongst other key players. Also, without neglecting its employees needs and demands. Overall, based on the analysis of marketing planning, operation management and human resource Mydin expansion and growth strategies is viable for the business to be a market leader in retail industry.

Cultural Achievements of the Italian Renaissance :: Papers

Cultural Achievements of the Italian Renaissance Humanism was a key movement in the Renaissance and had a major influence on the cultural changes and achievements. Humanists studied history; they were particularly interested in Ancient Greek and Roman civilisation, and classical works, as well as in contemporary history and politics. Although the Humanists were Catholic, their ideas were more secular - "learning emerged from the cloisterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to rejoin the human mainstream." The humanist ideas soon spread into the classroom. Previously, learning had been ecclesiastical - theocracy and theology were taught a lot - but during the Renaissance, learning became more secular. It was based upon classical culture so students studied classical authors, philosophers and mathematicians, for example: Ovia, Cicero, Livy, Plato and Aristotle. More progress could be made now that learning was not entirely based upon the church. Ideas soon spread due to the invention of the printing press in Germany in 1469; an ability to communicate to the masses quickly and reliably was a major cultural achievement. Books became much more accessible, and this in turn was a factor in many people learning to read and write. Before printing, most people were illiterate and very few books were in existence, as they had to be hand-written. Often the only book available was the Bible, which was copied out over a long period of time by a member of the clergy. Mass production of books was a very important development during the Renaissance as it meant that all the new ideas were obtainable to many more people than would have been the case, had printing not been invented. Authors of the time include Dante (poetry) and Machiavelli (prose). The famous "Book of the Courtier" by Castiglione, goes into great detail about the attributes of the ideal courtier. Some of these attributes had only come to be regarded as important during the Renaissance, due to the sudden interest in, and ideas about culture: "he should have a knowledge of Greek and Latin [and be] very well acquainted with the poetsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ orators and historians".

Legalizing Marijuana Essay -- Papers Weed Drugs Legalization Essays

Legalizing Marijuana Why marijuana? Why legalize marijuana for recreational use? I think the question we should ask ourselves is ?why not Are there any benefits? Again, the focus is misplaced. The question should be how do the benefits of decriminalizing marijuana far outweigh the negative aspects. Why was marijuana made illegal in the first place? Marijuana is certainly not illegal due to health concerns, because if that were the case alcohol and tabacco would be illegal as well. The fact is Americans demand the freedom to choose. Freedom of choice is one of the basic principles this country was founded on. If that freedom of choice is the right to choose to indulge in vices that may be detrimental to one?s health, whether it be alcohol, tabacco or marijuana, than that must be a decision that we as Americans are able to make for ourselves. Why is the third most popular drug in the U.S., behind alcohol and tobacco, the only one of the three still illegal? It?s because most of the public is blind to th e benefits marijuana?s decriminalization would bring. This narrow minded way of thinking is similar to the kind of paranoia that caused it?s prohibition in 1937. Although legalizing the use of marijuana for recreational purposes would call for a greater sense of responsibility, it?s positive effects would have a profound impact on this nation. One of the largest and most costly problems concerned with this issue is overcrowded prisons. I think Nick Hexum illustrates it best when he sings, ?The war on drugs may be well intentioned-but it falls?flat when you stop and mention-the overcrowded prisons where a rapist gets paroled-to make room for a?[guy] who has sold-a pound of weed-to me that?s a crime? Although these are ... ...th Esq. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources Committee on Government Reform U.S. House of Representatives, July 13, 1999 http://www.norml.org/recreational/testimony99.shtml Bibliography: Gazzaniga, Michael S. ?An Interview With Michael Gazzaniga? The National Review Accessed March 4, 2001 http:members.dencity.com/warmth/ Hexum, Nicholas ?Grassroots? 311, 1994 Capricorn Records Jackson, Ted. ?Today, in Another Drug-Related www.intellectualcapital.com, accessed March 7, 2001. Stroup, R. Keith Esq. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources Committee on Government Reform U.S. House of Representatives, July 13, 1999 http://www.norml.org/recreational/testimony99.shtml

Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering Essay

Genetic Engineering: Advantages and Disadvantages essay. During the latter stage stages of the 20th century, man harnessed the power of the atom, and not long after, soon realised the power of genes. Genetic engineering is going to become a very mainstream part of our lives sooner or later, because there are so many possibilities advantages (and disadvantages) involved. Here are just some of the advantages :Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example. Of course there are two sides to the coin, here are some possible eventualities and disadvantages.Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically m odified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent istory alongside the discovery of the atom and space flight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being g enetically identical. Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentallyScientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. (Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)Most controversially, and maybe due Essay topic: advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering. Discuss The development of genetic engineering has increased notably in the last few years.Some people support the investment in this field whereas others are against to. In this essay I shall delve into both sides before forming an opinion. Genetic engineering is the process of manipulating the genes of an organism. People supporting it use argue that for instance farmers could have crops more resistant to insects and diseases, and many genetically modified crops can grow faster. These advantages can be extremely positive for food production in developing nations where people starve. Faster growing cereals, fruits and veg etables would mean more profit.Moreover, some medicines and vaccines are obtained throw genetic engineering process. An important breakthrough that genetic engineering can bring to society is that some inherited diseases would no longer exist. Some genes can be modified before a baby is born improving its life expectancy. It could be said then that genetic engineering might cure some diseases. However there are ethical concerns about it use. Some ecologists warn about the disaster consequences to the Earth. They say that genetically modified crops can affect seriously whole ecosystems as the food chain can be broken if crops are more resistant to predators.Furthermore, some people are strongly against to human genetic engineering as parents might want to choose their children's characteristics. They support this argument saying that it would be unnatural and in some religions would be unacceptable. Society an human evolution would change completely. To sum up, both sides have strong arguments to support their opinions. As far as my opinion is concerned genetic engineering can bring to humans longer and healthier lives. However there is a thin line between what is ethical and what not What are the disadvantages of genetic engineering?* 5 years ago Best Answer  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Chosen by Voters 1. probably it would be costly 2. a single mistake has devastating repercussions 3. it borders on the issue of ethics and morality 4. an increasing demand for genetic modification which effetively increases discontentment for the self or for the original genetic configuration of an organism 5. prospect of creating new species might create natural imbalances especially on the habitats and feeding habits of other animals (by creating a new species, competition might arise, or it might be a predator to a prey who are already endangered, or for its own survival, it might need to destroy the habitats of others) 6. nexpected but undetected mutations can generally alter the future in unpleasant ways. What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering?Answer: advantages:1. Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.2. Another of genetic engineering is that diseases could be prevented by detecting people that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for he inevitable. As well as preventing disease, with genetic engineering infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen3. Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.4. Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce mor e variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example.5. Another advantage of genetic engineering is that animals and plants can be made to have desirable characteristics which could help solve some of the world's problems. For example in trees, genes could be manipulated to absorb more carbon dioxide. This would help reduce global warming, and thus solve one of the biggest problems earth faces.Disadvantages:1. Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.2.Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature.3. Another reason why people think that using genetically mod ified crops and plants is a disadvantage is that they think it will increase our reliance on pesticides, which have a harmful effect on the environment.4. Another disadvantage of Genetic Engineering is Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Also it brings into question Darwin's theory of â€Å"the survival of the fittest†, if this theory has worked over the last 20 centuries , why change it? †¦ experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.1. At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being genetically identical. Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentally2. Scientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)   Most controversially, and maybe due to more liberal laws, an American scientist is currently conducting tests to clone himself. Genetic Engineering Advantages ; Disadvantages During the latter stage stages of the 20th century, man harnessed the power of the atom, and not long after, soon realised the power of genes. Genetic engineering is going to become a very mainstream part of our lives sooner or later, because there are so many possibilities advantages (and disadvantages) involved.Here are just some of the advantages :* Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain  hereditary  diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.* Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirabl e characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2  and reduce the threat of global warming. Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example. Of course there are two sides to the coin, here are some possible eventualities and disadvantages.* Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet  unknown. Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent history alongside the discovery of the ato m and space flight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.* At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being genetically identical.Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentally* Scientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)* Most controversially, and maybe due to more liberal laws, an American scientist is currently conducting tests to clone himself. Genetic engineering has been impossible until recent times due to the complex and microscopic nature of DNA and its component nucleotides. Through progressive studies, more and more in this area is being made possible, with the above examples only showing some of the potential that genetic engineering shows. For us to understand chromosomes and DNA more clearly, they can be mapped for future reference.More simplistic organisms such as fruit fly (Drosophila) have been chromosome mapped due to their simplistic nature meaning they will require less genes to operate. At present, a task named the Human Genome Project is mapping the human genome, and should be completed in the next ten years. The process of genetic engineering involves splicing an area of a chromosome, a gene, that controls a certain characteristic of the body. The enzyme endonuclease is used to split a DNA sequence and split the gene from the rest of the chromosome. For example, this ge ne may be programmed to produce an antiviral protein.This gene is removed and can be placed into another organism. For example, it can be placed into a bacteria, where it is sealed into the DNA chain using ligase. When the chromosome is once again sealed, the bacteria is now effectively re-programmed to replicate this new antiviral protein. The bacteria can continue to live a healthy life, though genetic engineering and human intervention has actively manipulated what the bacteria actually is. No doubt there are advantages and disadvantages, and this whole subject area will become more prominent over time.The next page returns the more natural circumstances of genetic diversity. Genetic Engineering in Humans Science is a fascinating subject with unthinkable power. Man, the greatest creation of God and a scientific marvel, has developed the ability to genetically modify and create ‘near perfect' life. The term genetic engineering was first used in Dragon's Island, a science fic tion novel by Jack Williamson in 1951. With the discovery of ‘Deoxyribonucleic Acid' or mitochondrial DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick, this fictional plot started to turn into a reality.Watson and Crick, with their experiments, could prove that DNA was the genetic material that was transferred generation to generation, with genetic information. This genetic information determined all the characteristics of a living being. The tiny, microscopic DNA contained all the genetic information related to the person, like the color of the eyes, the hair, skin tone, height, weight, IQ, EQ, diseases, disorders, etc. and even be able to determine a smile or the shape of nose. This blueprint of life is the most important ingredient of genetic engineering.Genetic engineering is carried out using five steps, that are: Gene of interest is isolated Transfer vector is inserted into the genes The vector is transferred into the organism that is to be modified The cells of an organism are tra nsformed The last step involves selection of successfully genetically modified organisms (GMO) from those who have failed to be modified. This biotechnology was first applied to produce synthetic human insulin. This technology was gradually used to apply to a number of vaccines and drugs, that would prove to be beneficial to the human race.It was applied to plants to produce genetically modified foods, with higher resistance to infections and high nutritional values. With the advancement in technologies and major breakthroughs in genetic engineering, more and more scientists working for private and government companies are spending time experimenting with the human genes. The completion of the Human Genome Project, in 2006, has given a major opening to medical companies, to carry out experiments and genetic tests using genetic engineering.ADVANTAGES of Human Genetic EngineeringIt could help prevent life-threatening and incurable diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's disease, even HIV/AI DS. There are cases like cardiomyopathy or susceptibility to viruses, that can be overcome with the help of this technology. Better drugs could be produced that are disease or gene specific and attack the specific genetic mutation in an individual, to help over come a disease or disorder. Many people want to live a longer, healthier life or are just afraid of death. Such people with a love of life, can place their bets on it to help them live longer.It is possible to increase the average life span of an individual to 100-150 years. And not just a longer life, but a healthy, long life, free from diseases and disorders. Although this may take a bit longer to achieve, but is does not seem impossible any longer. Women have a craze to look young and maintain their beauty for all eternity. The benefits may make it possible to slow down or reverse certain cellular metabolism, that may be able fulfill this desire to remain ‘forever young' for many dreamers in the near future. You may have heard of designer clothes, designer bags, designer shoes and even a designer nose.But have you heard of designer babies? Yes, designer babies are possible to be produced with its help in humans. Parents can choose the characteristics of their babies, like blond with blue eyes, high IQ, fair skin, etc. It may even be possible to choose the talent in your favorite idol to be manufactured (pun intended! ) in your baby, for example, a singer like Elvis Presley or maybe a great dancer like Michael Jackson. No, I am not joking, this is all possible with a bit of genetic engineering, within the blueprint of life – DNA.One could even try to create super-humans by incorporating specific features of certain animals. For example, one could have super-sharp vision like the hawk or could outrun a cheetah. One could create a ‘Superman' like human who is indestructible. Do you remember ‘Dolly Sheep'? This was a genetically modified, cloned sheep that is now dead for over 6 years. This world-famous sheep was cloned using the cell from the mammary gland of another sheep. Cloning, its another aspect can also be possible. There are many ethical issues of cloning and it is considered illegal by many governments around the world.It is a crime to clone humans now, but may be in our quest to produce the perfect beings, cloning will soon become a part of life. These are a few advantages of genetic engineering in humans. But as every coin has two sides, there are many disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. Disadvantages of Human Genetic Engineering Under the pretext of producing a cure for diseases and hereditary disorders, many researchers carry out experiments on genetically modifying humans. It can prove to be a bane if: In the pursuit of producing babies without any genetic defects or hereditary disorders, we may end up producing super humans.Just as the example I mentioned in the beginning of my article, we may have a line of humans that may spell doom t o those who are not genetically modified. Smarter humans means, larger brains, that may lead to babies with larger heads that have trouble passing through the birth canal of their mothers. This may cause trouble during birth and a rise in cesarean. Long life could lead to population problems. There may be stress on the natural resources and less living space. Although, you may live free of diseases, you may have a fight for survival for securing the basic necessities.Just like in the movie Gattaca, there may be a division between genetically engineered humans and those that are normal (just imagine, begin normal may prove to be curse in the future! ). People will no longer be discriminated on the basis of race, religion or creed, but actually on their genes! Human cloning may create problems of copies of men moving about freely around the world. If your clone turns out to be the one with a criminal streak, you may end up in jail for a crime committed by your clone. It is possible, i f you can't prove your innocence. Imagine someone else taking over your life, family, work, etc!The problem faced by many developing countries today, is female infanticide. It may help stop this cruel and barbaric custom of killing the innocent girl child. You may think this is an advantage, I say otherwise. It may help such narrow-minded, biased parents to actually choose the gender of the child. Therefore, more parents opting for a male child over a girl child. Thus, directly bringing an end to girl child killing as there will be no birth of the girl child! The idea of ‘Superman' may seem tantalizing, but its consequences may be very dangerous.Imagine a person who is virtually indestructible, may carry out crimes and becomes a danger to mankind. I can go on and on regarding the benefits of genetic engineering in humans, like end of hunger, no disease, cure for all ailments, long life, ageless beauty, super intelligent humans, etc. But, one should always give a second thought to all the disadvantages listed. It is often said, man should not attempt to ‘play God'. That's correct, but if God has bestowed us the power to make some beneficial changes to his creations, then we should surely do so wisely.Genetic engineers have turned into modern-day alchemists, who are searching for the ultimate elixir of life, to produce the genetically modified, perfect human. This precious knowledge is being exploited by greedy men, who are using it just to earn more money. Nothing is bad if exploited within limits. When we harness our present, we should keep in mind all the possible effects it will have on our future. We may not be alive to view the beauty and the ugliness of the future, but our beloved children may be facing the consequences. Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering Essay Genetic Engineering: Advantages and Disadvantages essay. During the latter stage stages of the 20th century, man harnessed the power of the atom, and not long after, soon realised the power of genes. Genetic engineering is going to become a very mainstream part of our lives sooner or later, because there are so many possibilities advantages (and disadvantages) involved. Here are just some of the advantages :Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example. Of course there are two sides to the coin, here are some possible eventualities and disadvantages.Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically m odified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent istory alongside the discovery of the atom and space flight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being g enetically identical. Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentallyScientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. (Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)Most controversially, and maybe due Essay topic: advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering. Discuss The development of genetic engineering has increased notably in the last few years.Some people support the investment in this field whereas others are against to. In this essay I shall delve into both sides before forming an opinion. Genetic engineering is the process of manipulating the genes of an organism. People supporting it use argue that for instance farmers could have crops more resistant to insects and diseases, and many genetically modified crops can grow faster. These advantages can be extremely positive for food production in developing nations where people starve. Faster growing cereals, fruits and veg etables would mean more profit.Moreover, some medicines and vaccines are obtained throw genetic engineering process. An important breakthrough that genetic engineering can bring to society is that some inherited diseases would no longer exist. Some genes can be modified before a baby is born improving its life expectancy. It could be said then that genetic engineering might cure some diseases. However there are ethical concerns about it use. Some ecologists warn about the disaster consequences to the Earth. They say that genetically modified crops can affect seriously whole ecosystems as the food chain can be broken if crops are more resistant to predators.Furthermore, some people are strongly against to human genetic engineering as parents might want to choose their children's characteristics. They support this argument saying that it would be unnatural and in some religions would be unacceptable. Society an human evolution would change completely. To sum up, both sides have strong arguments to support their opinions. As far as my opinion is concerned genetic engineering can bring to humans longer and healthier lives. However there is a thin line between what is ethical and what not What are the disadvantages of genetic engineering?* 5 years ago Best Answer  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Chosen by Voters 1. probably it would be costly 2. a single mistake has devastating repercussions 3. it borders on the issue of ethics and morality 4. an increasing demand for genetic modification which effetively increases discontentment for the self or for the original genetic configuration of an organism 5. prospect of creating new species might create natural imbalances especially on the habitats and feeding habits of other animals (by creating a new species, competition might arise, or it might be a predator to a prey who are already endangered, or for its own survival, it might need to destroy the habitats of others) 6. nexpected but undetected mutations can generally alter the future in unpleasant ways. What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering?Answer: advantages:1. Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.2. Another of genetic engineering is that diseases could be prevented by detecting people that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for he inevitable. As well as preventing disease, with genetic engineering infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen3. Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.4. Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce mor e variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example.5. Another advantage of genetic engineering is that animals and plants can be made to have desirable characteristics which could help solve some of the world's problems. For example in trees, genes could be manipulated to absorb more carbon dioxide. This would help reduce global warming, and thus solve one of the biggest problems earth faces.Disadvantages:1. Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.2.Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature.3. Another reason why people think that using genetically mod ified crops and plants is a disadvantage is that they think it will increase our reliance on pesticides, which have a harmful effect on the environment.4. Another disadvantage of Genetic Engineering is Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Also it brings into question Darwin's theory of â€Å"the survival of the fittest†, if this theory has worked over the last 20 centuries , why change it? †¦ experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.1. At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being genetically identical. Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentally2. Scientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)   Most controversially, and maybe due to more liberal laws, an American scientist is currently conducting tests to clone himself. Genetic Engineering Advantages ; Disadvantages During the latter stage stages of the 20th century, man harnessed the power of the atom, and not long after, soon realised the power of genes. Genetic engineering is going to become a very mainstream part of our lives sooner or later, because there are so many possibilities advantages (and disadvantages) involved.Here are just some of the advantages :* Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain  hereditary  diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.* Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirabl e characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2  and reduce the threat of global warming. Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example. Of course there are two sides to the coin, here are some possible eventualities and disadvantages.* Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet  unknown. Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent history alongside the discovery of the ato m and space flight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.* At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being genetically identical.Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentally* Scientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)* Most controversially, and maybe due to more liberal laws, an American scientist is currently conducting tests to clone himself. Genetic engineering has been impossible until recent times due to the complex and microscopic nature of DNA and its component nucleotides. Through progressive studies, more and more in this area is being made possible, with the above examples only showing some of the potential that genetic engineering shows. For us to understand chromosomes and DNA more clearly, they can be mapped for future reference.More simplistic organisms such as fruit fly (Drosophila) have been chromosome mapped due to their simplistic nature meaning they will require less genes to operate. At present, a task named the Human Genome Project is mapping the human genome, and should be completed in the next ten years. The process of genetic engineering involves splicing an area of a chromosome, a gene, that controls a certain characteristic of the body. The enzyme endonuclease is used to split a DNA sequence and split the gene from the rest of the chromosome. For example, this ge ne may be programmed to produce an antiviral protein.This gene is removed and can be placed into another organism. For example, it can be placed into a bacteria, where it is sealed into the DNA chain using ligase. When the chromosome is once again sealed, the bacteria is now effectively re-programmed to replicate this new antiviral protein. The bacteria can continue to live a healthy life, though genetic engineering and human intervention has actively manipulated what the bacteria actually is. No doubt there are advantages and disadvantages, and this whole subject area will become more prominent over time.The next page returns the more natural circumstances of genetic diversity. Genetic Engineering in Humans Science is a fascinating subject with unthinkable power. Man, the greatest creation of God and a scientific marvel, has developed the ability to genetically modify and create ‘near perfect' life. The term genetic engineering was first used in Dragon's Island, a science fic tion novel by Jack Williamson in 1951. With the discovery of ‘Deoxyribonucleic Acid' or mitochondrial DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick, this fictional plot started to turn into a reality.Watson and Crick, with their experiments, could prove that DNA was the genetic material that was transferred generation to generation, with genetic information. This genetic information determined all the characteristics of a living being. The tiny, microscopic DNA contained all the genetic information related to the person, like the color of the eyes, the hair, skin tone, height, weight, IQ, EQ, diseases, disorders, etc. and even be able to determine a smile or the shape of nose. This blueprint of life is the most important ingredient of genetic engineering.Genetic engineering is carried out using five steps, that are: Gene of interest is isolated Transfer vector is inserted into the genes The vector is transferred into the organism that is to be modified The cells of an organism are tra nsformed The last step involves selection of successfully genetically modified organisms (GMO) from those who have failed to be modified. This biotechnology was first applied to produce synthetic human insulin. This technology was gradually used to apply to a number of vaccines and drugs, that would prove to be beneficial to the human race.It was applied to plants to produce genetically modified foods, with higher resistance to infections and high nutritional values. With the advancement in technologies and major breakthroughs in genetic engineering, more and more scientists working for private and government companies are spending time experimenting with the human genes. The completion of the Human Genome Project, in 2006, has given a major opening to medical companies, to carry out experiments and genetic tests using genetic engineering.ADVANTAGES of Human Genetic EngineeringIt could help prevent life-threatening and incurable diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's disease, even HIV/AI DS. There are cases like cardiomyopathy or susceptibility to viruses, that can be overcome with the help of this technology. Better drugs could be produced that are disease or gene specific and attack the specific genetic mutation in an individual, to help over come a disease or disorder. Many people want to live a longer, healthier life or are just afraid of death. Such people with a love of life, can place their bets on it to help them live longer.It is possible to increase the average life span of an individual to 100-150 years. And not just a longer life, but a healthy, long life, free from diseases and disorders. Although this may take a bit longer to achieve, but is does not seem impossible any longer. Women have a craze to look young and maintain their beauty for all eternity. The benefits may make it possible to slow down or reverse certain cellular metabolism, that may be able fulfill this desire to remain ‘forever young' for many dreamers in the near future. You may have heard of designer clothes, designer bags, designer shoes and even a designer nose.But have you heard of designer babies? Yes, designer babies are possible to be produced with its help in humans. Parents can choose the characteristics of their babies, like blond with blue eyes, high IQ, fair skin, etc. It may even be possible to choose the talent in your favorite idol to be manufactured (pun intended! ) in your baby, for example, a singer like Elvis Presley or maybe a great dancer like Michael Jackson. No, I am not joking, this is all possible with a bit of genetic engineering, within the blueprint of life – DNA.One could even try to create super-humans by incorporating specific features of certain animals. For example, one could have super-sharp vision like the hawk or could outrun a cheetah. One could create a ‘Superman' like human who is indestructible. Do you remember ‘Dolly Sheep'? This was a genetically modified, cloned sheep that is now dead for over 6 years. This world-famous sheep was cloned using the cell from the mammary gland of another sheep. Cloning, its another aspect can also be possible. There are many ethical issues of cloning and it is considered illegal by many governments around the world.It is a crime to clone humans now, but may be in our quest to produce the perfect beings, cloning will soon become a part of life. These are a few advantages of genetic engineering in humans. But as every coin has two sides, there are many disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. Disadvantages of Human Genetic Engineering Under the pretext of producing a cure for diseases and hereditary disorders, many researchers carry out experiments on genetically modifying humans. It can prove to be a bane if: In the pursuit of producing babies without any genetic defects or hereditary disorders, we may end up producing super humans.Just as the example I mentioned in the beginning of my article, we may have a line of humans that may spell doom t o those who are not genetically modified. Smarter humans means, larger brains, that may lead to babies with larger heads that have trouble passing through the birth canal of their mothers. This may cause trouble during birth and a rise in cesarean. Long life could lead to population problems. There may be stress on the natural resources and less living space. Although, you may live free of diseases, you may have a fight for survival for securing the basic necessities.Just like in the movie Gattaca, there may be a division between genetically engineered humans and those that are normal (just imagine, begin normal may prove to be curse in the future! ). People will no longer be discriminated on the basis of race, religion or creed, but actually on their genes! Human cloning may create problems of copies of men moving about freely around the world. If your clone turns out to be the one with a criminal streak, you may end up in jail for a crime committed by your clone. It is possible, i f you can't prove your innocence. Imagine someone else taking over your life, family, work, etc!The problem faced by many developing countries today, is female infanticide. It may help stop this cruel and barbaric custom of killing the innocent girl child. You may think this is an advantage, I say otherwise. It may help such narrow-minded, biased parents to actually choose the gender of the child. Therefore, more parents opting for a male child over a girl child. Thus, directly bringing an end to girl child killing as there will be no birth of the girl child! The idea of ‘Superman' may seem tantalizing, but its consequences may be very dangerous.Imagine a person who is virtually indestructible, may carry out crimes and becomes a danger to mankind. I can go on and on regarding the benefits of genetic engineering in humans, like end of hunger, no disease, cure for all ailments, long life, ageless beauty, super intelligent humans, etc. But, one should always give a second thought to all the disadvantages listed. It is often said, man should not attempt to ‘play God'. That's correct, but if God has bestowed us the power to make some beneficial changes to his creations, then we should surely do so wisely.Genetic engineers have turned into modern-day alchemists, who are searching for the ultimate elixir of life, to produce the genetically modified, perfect human. This precious knowledge is being exploited by greedy men, who are using it just to earn more money. Nothing is bad if exploited within limits. When we harness our present, we should keep in mind all the possible effects it will have on our future. We may not be alive to view the beauty and the ugliness of the future, but our beloved children may be facing the consequences.