An overview of marketing Essay

1. Are the corporate objectives clearly stated and do they lead logically to the marketing objectives? According to Boyd Jr and Levy (1966), corporate objective is the practical goal established by an organization. Mostly the organization uses it to target their achievement and success. Furthermore, Ramaganapathy (2010) defines that marketing objectives are the goals and targets in order to complete through the company’s marketing activities. In addition, it can be referred to the company’s mission and vision which can be achieved reasonably. So, marketing objectives can be subsidiary of corporate objective. Hewlett-Packard Company provides hardware, software and services to customer. They set many corporate objectives such as increasing customer loyalty by serving the highest quality and value, achieve profit to create value to shareholders, to be the leader in the market by produce innovative products and services to satisfy the customer, and responsibility to the emp loyees by promote and reward depend on performance and create work environment (www8.hp.com, 2014). So, HP is clearly stated their corporate objectives and most of them also lead logically to marketing objectives to make their products and services satisfy by the customers’ needs and wants. 2. Does the organization follow the marketing concept? The selling concept or production concept? According to Burnett (2008), the marketing concept is the idea that an organization attempts to satisfy the customer in order to achieve sales and profit at the end. Furthermore he explains that the idea of marketing concept is to consider the needs and requirements to the target customers and improve itself to satisfy consumers effectively in order to be over the competitors. Therefore, the marketing concept is all about matching the company’s competency and the needs and wants of consumers. So, HP follows the marketing concept. They focus more on customers. HP tries to create their products related to customers and giving name to each product in order to create brand family (An Ehow Contributor, 2014). Also, its corporate objective shows that HP try to develop and delivery the new products and services with the highest quality and value to satisfy their customers to create custo mer loyalty. HP also differentiates itself by arrange its value proposition and message to customer’s needs and wants. According to Turcotte (2012), HP also does many researches from its most important IT customers to study their wants and needs. So, HP wants to  understand their consumers the most to create value to its customers and satisfy them and persuade them to be loyalty. 3. What is the core marketing strategy for achieving its objectives? Is it a sound strategy? HP now mainly focuses on serving the high quality products and services at the reasonable price to customers. They have the variety of IT products and services including software, hardware, IT infrastructure, and IT services. For each product, they create the variety of models to be the choices for every target customers. With the wide range of products at the different prices can satisfy their customers’ needs. The main focus aims to provide the reasonable price with the quality merchandise. So, their customers may feel that their products are valuable in term of price and quality. Website and commercial advertising are the way that HP uses to communicate their promotions and special offers such as limited time 0% financing to their customers. Also for the distribution channel, customers can find HP products from anywhere they can find other electronics. Customers also can purchase th eir products directly from their friendly website which also can research and compare their products and offer shipping services through various countries. The 4ps show that HP use customer based to create the strategies. References An Ehow Contributor (2014). Hewlett-Packard Marketing Strategies | eHow. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/way_5348861_hewlettpackard-marketing-strategies.html [Accessed: 27 Mar 2014]. Boyd Jr, H. W. & Levy, S. J. (1966). What kind of corporate objectives?. The Journal Of Marketing, pp. 53–58. Burnett, J. (2008). Core Concepts of Marketing. [e-book] Global Text. Available through: http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Core-Concepts-of-Marketing.pdf [Accessed: 27 Mar 2014]. Ramaganapathy, S. (2010). What’s the marketing objective – Lead Generation or Brand Awareness? | Lead Views – a B2B Lead Generation Blog. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.leadformix.com/blog/2010/04/what’s-the-marketing-objective-lead-generation-or-brand-awareness/ [Accessed: 27 Mar 2014]. Turcotte, A. (2012). How Social Media Brought the Humanity into HP Technology Services Marketing | IT Services Marketing Association. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.itsma.com/ezine/social-media-brought-humanity-into-hp-technology-services-marketing/ [Accessed: 27 Mar 2014]. Www8.hp.com. (2014). HP CORPORATE OBJECTIVES AND SHARED VALUES | HP ® Official Site. [online] Retrieved from: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/about-hp/corporate-objectives.html [Accessed: 27 Mar 2014].

Engage In Personal Development Essay

1.1 Describe the duties and responsibilities of own work role Job description 1.2 And 3.1 Explain expectations about own work role as expressed in relevant standards. Evaluate own knowledge, performance and understanding against relevant standards. A day in the life at my setting. Arriving at my setting each day I am required to sign in and note down the time. I put my bag in a safe and secure place so children cannot access. I check the message board and liaise with other staff members for any important updates. We have a child with a food intolerance so I informed the cook to make them aware the child was catered for at all meals during the day. My 1st hour was spent upstairs with the toddlers aged between 2 and 3 years. I then checked the planner to see what activities we had for that day. Today I set up the drawing table ensuring there was enough paper, crayons and chairs available for all the children present. I sat with the children whilst they joined in with the activity. Talking to the children about what they were doing and describing all the different colours, sizes, shapes etc. This was promoting their speech and language development and using creative skills too. Whilst supervising this activity I decided to complete a short observation on one of t he children as she began to count and sing. I was interacting with all of the children trying to maintain interest. After a short while it was then time to tidy away all the equipment from the actives in which we encourage the children to help too. Once the room was tidy we decided to take the children outside in to the garden. Most of our toddlers are able to collect and put on their coats which we also encourage to do but some children are unable to achieve this at the moment. I helped to escort the children safely down the stairs ensuring they hold on to the rail and do a head count to make sure all children were present. I performed the outdoor risk assessment using the  daily check list. The children then are supervised using the toilet and washing their hands ready for lunch. I seat the children down at the tables ensuring they have cleaned their hands and they have adequate space to eat. I supply them all with a drink and we sing songs whilst the food is being dished out. I have prepared the child’s food separately who has the food intolerance ensuring they receive the correct meal . The child is also supervised eating to ensure they do not mix foods with the other children. Some children have not developed the skills to cut their own food so I will assist with helping them to do that. Ensuring the meals are cool enough I then give each child a meal and always remind them of good manners by saying â€Å"please† and â€Å"thank you†. If children do not like the meal or try to refuse it I will always encourage them to try it. If I am working alongside the babies the above applies except some of the babies are too young to feed themselves and have not yet developed those skills. Babies will also need help with bottle feeding. I would also prepare the bottle feeds following the nursery policy. Ensuring correct formula is mixed and all bottles have been sterilised. Back in the toddler room, a child was struggling with their food and looked like they was choking. I immediately helped the child by taking the food out of their mouth with my little finger. The child became distressed so I comforted them until they were able to return to their meal. Meal times are always supervised by all members of staff to help with any incidents like this. All meal times are recorded in the daily chart. This is where we write down what the child has eaten so we can relay this back to the parents/carers. When the children have finished their meal I help to clean the children up and get them ready for their afternoon sleep. I assist with the toileting and other members of staff will go through the nappy change routine. The children in the toddler room go to find their own sleep mats with the aid of their name and picture tag. Most children will remove their own footwear but again some have not yet developed those skills, so I will help. Some children have their own comforters which I put out for them and I help to get them off to sleep with gentle patting. Once the children are asleep, I ensure the room monitors are on and working, make sure the room temperature is ok and all the children have their own blankets and they are safe. I then record each child in the daily sleep chart. This chart is for ours and parents benefits. We record when they sleep and when they wake up. As some children are only allowed a certain amount of sleep, this will help us to know when we have to wake them up. I then check on the children in the sleep room every 10 minutes with the aid of a timer. When children wake from their afternoon sleep they are always asked to use the toilet. Some children are upset when they awake so I will always comfort them. The afternoon usually consists of taking the children outside for free play. I get all their coats bags etc together and help to put their coats on. On this occasion it was a nice sunny day so I applied their own sun cream following the nursery sun cream policy. I ensure they have sun hats and the sun cream is applied liberally. Before we go outside I take 4 children at a time down the stair and reiterate the importance of holding the hand rail. A head count is once again recorded and an outdoor check is done following the outdoor risk assessment. The toddlers are escorted outsi de counting each child as they go. They are shortly followed by the children/babies from the tiny room downstairs and they all play in the same garden. The children are supervised with in ratio. As its free play time, I leave the children to play but some children like me to join in with what they are playing with. Child A is playing with a dolls pram and child B is trying to take that away from them. I intervene and explain to child B â€Å"we do not take toys from our friends when they are playing with them, it’s not very kind†. Child B is upset so I took the child away and provided them with another toy to distract them from child A. This works very well and child B goes off playing happily alone with the other toy. Child A is also happy and also continues to play. Shortly after another incident happened where a child has fallen and bumped their head. As I comfort the child I asked another staff member to get a cold compress. This is applied to the child for 10 minutes whilst still trying to comfort the child. The head bump is not too bad and the child soon calms down and returns playing. I then completed an accident form following nursery policy. This is then signed by the parent when the child is collected. During the afternoon, parents/carers come to collect their children. I greet the parents and explain what their child has been doing throughout the day, taking the information off the daily record sheet. We usually have a short chat with the parents/carers about the child’s day and will also take interest in their day too. We have a good  relationship with our parents/carers and this also helps us to get to know the parents/carers and children too. After all the children have gone home, we tidy round and ensure the nursery is ready for the next day ahead. 2.1 Explain the importance of reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of service provided. The nursery setting is always changing is so many different ways. We have new children being welcomed in to the setting and then we have children going through different types of transitions. The service we provide must reflect the needs of the children and by constantly improving our services we can better meet the need of the children and support their development. By constantly reflecting on out practice we can assess where we may be lacking in skills or knowledge and we can update these regularly to keep our services up to date and as supportive to the children as possible. A good example on reflective practice is, we have a child that has developed an intolerance to milk, dairy products etc. We have briefed all staff members with information regarding lactose free diet for this child. We have a couple of children who have turned 2 years and have completed the transition u pstairs to the toddler room. This meant we have more babies downstairs in our tiny room and the room has been slightly equipped with more age relevant toys and equipment. If we did not reflect on this, it could hinder the development of the younger babies. Everyone makes mistakes – they are one way of learning. It is important not to waste your mistakes, so if something has gone wrong, make sure you learn from it. Discuss problems and mistakes with your supervisor, and work out how to do things differently next time. You can use reflective skills in order to learn from situations that have not worked out the way you planned. It is important that you consider carefully why things turned out the way they did and think about how you will ensure that they go according to plan next time. Talking to colleagues and supervisors is equally useful when things work out really well, as it is important to reflect on success as well as failure. If you reflect on why something worked, this will make it more likely that you can repeat it. Information taken from http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/ 2.3 Describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect  working practices What we believe in, what we see as important and what we see as acceptable or desirable is an essential part of who we are. The way in which we respond to people is linked to what we believe in, what we consider important and what interests us. We may find we react positively to people who share our values and less warmly to people who have different priorities. As a professionals, we are required to provide the same quality of support for all, not just for those who share our views and beliefs. The key term here is Diversity – being different; people are unique according to their own background, culture, personality, race, any disability, gender, religion/belief, sexual orientation and age. 4.1 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing own development. Personal development is to do with developing the personal qualities and skills that everyone needs in order to live and work with others, such as understanding, empathy, patience, communication and relationship-building. It is also to do with the development of self-confidence, self-esteem and self-respect. In my setting there is always support for planning and reviewing my own development. I have already opted to improve my skills and development with a couple of course due to start in December 2014. You need to have these goals in mind; †¢ What you are trying to achieve? †¢ How you are you going to achieve it? †¢ How you will be able to tell when you have achieved it? It’s also helpful to further your development by asking other team members, duty manager and managers. We have a fantastic team who are very helpful and are ready to give any help and advice to anyone who needs it. At my setting there are many text books, magazines and brochures with vital information I can look through if I feel need some extra information in a certain topic of interest to further my development. We also have regular appraisals to guide and encourage further development and to also discuss current work practice. I feel this is extremely important. This not only boosts self-esteem but also gives management a chance to reflect on your work practice and if there is any further development training needed. Ref: http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk

What Makes a Top 100 Hospital

What Makes a Top 100 Hospital 5/21/2012 DeVry University HSM 310 I feel that Johns Hopkins Hospital made the top 100 hospitals because they are more than just a hospital. It is also a medical research facility and a teaching facility (Johns Hopkins Medicine). This facility offers a wide variety of services to their patients which include community hospitals and outpatient sites. Also, they have services for out of state and international patients. Johns Hopkins is world renown for not only their teaching facilities but also for their research in cancer and AIDS.They have a center or department for every healthcare need you could think of in their facility. I also feel that their structure and organization of their facility is very well set up. They have information on what that center has to offer, treatment information and the history of that center. The services that they offer to international patients are that they have a team that is fluent in 20 plus languages and they tailor t he patients’ cultural, religious and special needs if needed.They have affiliations with not only North America but Europe, Asia, Latin American and the Middle East (Johns Hopkins Medicine). The services that they offer for out of state patients is that they help you find the right specialist for your needs, then set up an appointment, they also help you find the best travel and lodging options for your needs. Most hospitals do no worry about how you are getting there; this facility seems to genuinely care about their patients.I feel that what they can offer to their international patients and out of state patients is something that places them higher than most because of the wide variety of affiliations that they have and the care that they put into your visit at their facility. I also feel that what Mr. Hopkins envisioned helped this facility become not only one of the top 20 of the top 100 hospitals but the number one hospital of the top 20. To me his vision was to set up a hospital to help the poor without regard to anything else but their health.Also, it was designed for the people who had coverage to receive the care they needed and wanted. He wanted a staff that was compassionate and caring, who was highly trained. The services that they offer for the suburban hospital is great for the people who cannot afford medical care. It is a not for profit hospital. References Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n. d. ). Retrieved from Out of State and International Patients: http://www. hopkinsmedicine. org/patient_care/out_state. html Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n. d. ). Retrieved from The Johns Hopkins Hospital: http://www. hopkinsmedicine. org/the_johns_hopkins_hospital/jhhhs. html

Amy chua Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Amy chua - Essay Example This paper seeks to highlight on the theme of the book, which declares that for one to raise successful children, one has to become a Chinese mother. The book’s author uses the terms Western parents and Asian/Chinese parents loosely as claimed in the text to indicate that it is not a direct reference to individuals of his background. This is reiterated when she likens such parenting styles to other individuals from various regions of the world like Ghana and India. Despite this, the focuses on the terms western and Asian parents is because it is in the context of her experience, which she is relaying in her book. The main distinction that the author makes between these two methods of parenting is the level or degree of strictness that is exerted by parents on their children. According to the author, there is no limit to the extremes that she was willing to go to ensure that her children achieved what she thought was required of her children. Chinese mothers are used as the blu e print for this parenting style but it does not mean the method of parenting is isolated in Chinese or Asian only mothers or parenting style. The parenting style is founded on strong Confucianism principles that emphasize on self-excellence and internal strength (WLS.COM). It emphasizes on summoning these strengths in the event of failure or adversity to facilitate success in any endeavor that they embark on in their lives. The Chinese mother’s philosophy cares only about the success that comes out of their unorthodox ways of encouragement. This philosophy seems to support the adage that states ‘the end justifies the means.’ The author states that children, who are raised through an authoritarian parenting style, come to appreciate the efforts made by their parents in compelling them to excel. This is contrasted against the ‘Western’ parenting style that the author claims is keen on developing the self-esteem and creative side of their children. Unl ike Chinese mothers who emphasize on excellence in all academic fields except gym and drama, western parents are passive in this role (Jen 178). This means that western parents’ emphasis on academic excellence is somewhat subdued compared to Chinese mothers who would go to any lengths in an effort to ensure that their children accomplish and achieve academic success. Western mothers believe in letting their children choose their way through academic courses they feel that they are good at, but this is different from Chinese mothers who do the choosing for their children. Western mothers argue that letting their children make their choices about what to pursue in academics and extracurricular activities helps improve and promote their creativity (Chua 87). Chinese mothers on the hand believe in nurturing their children’s creative skills to excellence in line with their perceptions of appropriateness of these activities. Chinese mother’ portrayal in the book by th e author has elicited, by most parts, negative criticism for its disregard of morals that should govern parenting (Jen 124). The author dismisses these claims because she believes that morals are meant to guide and help focus parenting efforts to successful fruition. The disregard for morals in parenting has been blamed for increased psychological problems

Edsons Ridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Edsons Ridge - Essay Example The occupation of this location would give them the means to militarily attack United States. With the ridge in their control, they would be one step away from world dominion. From the moment the Allies descended on the ridge, it was a position that the Allies had to hold on to strategically maintain their balance of power. Turning back would mean heavy sacrifice in the war scenario that even in the closing period of the war could be disastrous due to the location of the ridge and the impact it could have on anyone who controlled the region. In the circumstances, it was necessary that the ridge remained in the control of the Allies. The failure of the Japanese to retake the ridge lay on the difficulties posed by the terrain and their miscalculation about the determination of the Allies to stay put. The region was topsy-turvy and dotted with jungles. The Allies, that is, the Americans had secured the area with 12,000 men while the Japanese reckoned they would have to contend with not more than a few thousand men. It was a bloody battle between the United States' forces and the Japanese men of war. The weapons of the battle were artillery as also bayonets. There were even hand-to-hand combats. The Japanese lost men in large numbers. Given the limited nature of maneuver and resource, the Japanese could not capitalize on the elements of time and surprise to overpower the enemy. The limited supply of artillery and means to travel meant that they had to depend more on strategy of surprise and intrigue to achieve their goals (Battle of Edson's (Bloody) Bridge). On 12 September 1944 Kawaguchi divided his forces, sending a thousand strong men to attack from the east of the mound, while his force struck from the west along the ridge that led to Henderson Airfield. An attack on the Japanese base at Taivu Point by Lieutenant-Colonel Edson at this juncture successfully destroyed most of the Japanese supplies. Information secured during this raid indicated a massive attack would be coming from the southwest of the perimeter along a ridge beside the Lunga River. The attack however was short-lived and failed to yield any ground as visualized by the Japanese. The Japanese coordination failed and it was not possible to have all the men in place for the fight. Further strategies to subjugate the U.S. forces met with resistance from well-entrenched positions and the Japanese were outflanked, outnumbered and gunned down with ruthless precision. Added to the miscalculations of the Japanese about the actual strength of the U.S. forces, the jungles made coordination and attack difficult to sustain. The movements of their men could not be synchronized and their attacking strategies lacked punch and depth. They lost men in large numbers and they did not get reinforcements to compensate their lost men. It was almost as if they expected the opponents to cave in to their attacks and when this did not happen they paid for it with their lives. Such tactics spell disaster. It is not advisable even in a state of war. However a battle is full of the elements of risk and intrigue. The Japanese pursued these elements with unequivocal zeal. The strategy of surprise and intrigue normally works if the opposition is less vigilant and less pro-active. The U.S. forces

Popular Culture in the Middle East Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Popular Culture in the Middle East Class - Essay Example Government occupies a crucial position in our daily life endeavors. Indeed, the government defines the condition of our society since it resides with the control and supervisory power. Particularly, any government has a role of managing the country’s people and resources. Consequently, the government designs the scheme that will protect people’s interest and forester peaceful interactions among the citizens. Managing people is a complex multifaceted procedure that demands critical and rational mind since individuals will always present assorted interests and traits. Apparently, some individuals depict ill interest and traits that pose risks to the society. Builds a role for the government entrusting it with the responsibility of ensuring a monitored environment by the spelling regulations. Importantly, the authority has a role of providing guidance to the citizens. Since governments are entrusted with leadership as its prime duty, the body should be capable of availing proper guidance and clarifications where the need arises. Notably, this guidance ought to be justified since citizens expect genuine solutions and representations out of their government. However, compromised governance may misuse these opportunities to impose irrational values in the society. This poses challenges to the role of government in safeguarding the people and their interest since such practices contravenes with principles of good governance (Meier 29). Surprisingly, such governments adopt tactical schemes hence making it difficult for the society to realize their ill practices. Besides managing people, the administration has a role of organizing the country’s property or resources. Apparently, life demands material support hence there arises the concern of managing these resources since they determine our wellbeing. The administrators hence has a role of

Relationship Between Independent and Supplementary Prescribing Essay

Relationship Between Independent and Supplementary Prescribing - Essay Example This further meant they had to gain supplementary expertise and skills in the diverse fields of medicine. This novel form of prescribing with extended medical conditions, as well as, patients with extended healthcare requirements benefited patients (Courtenay & Griffiths 2004, 3). Independent and supplementary prescribers have been bestowed with the legal authority of prescribing any medicine regardless of whether they are licensed or not. Inconsequential restrictions are only applicable concerning the prescription of prohibited drugs. Prescribing rights for nurses appear similar to that of doctors, and for efficiency; their prescription ought to be dependable on the legal outline in relation to nurse prescribing (Courtenay & Griffiths 2004, 3). The prescribing ought to be acceptable to the health professions, as well as, the patients. Over some time, the disparities between the two methods of prescribing have been explored accordingly with regard to patient directions and overly reg arding the whole process. In supplementary prescribing, a doctor or a dentist has to make a diagnosis in the first place since they are the independent prescribers. This implies that independent prescribing involves making diagnosis or assessments on patients, therefore, presenting a plan that the patient utilizes in obtaining prescription (Adair 2011, 1). In circumstances, where patients are diagnosed, and supervised by nurses intricacies have developed on whether to allow doctors, to carry out additional diagnosis prior to, the commencement of supplementary prescribing. Supplementary prescribing comprises an intentional affiliation among independent prescribers and supplementary prescriber (BMA 2006). The independent prescribing health professionals are either the doctor or the dentist while the supplementary prescribing professionals ought to be trained nurse or pharmacist (Baird 2005, 51). Self-governing nurse prescribers comprise of district nurses who bear the liberty to presc ribe through Nurse Prescribers Formulary (NPF). These nurses are professionally accountable for any medical undertaking although the employer is accountable for any actions carried out by his or her nurses. Independent prescribing is often faced with legal restrictions concerning certain clinical conditions. However, these restrictions are not applicable to supplementary prescribing. This implies that supplementary prescribing has the capacity to prescribe any GSL and P medications, appliances, provisions as well as additional borderline components approved by the committee on these components (Courtenay & Griffiths 2010, 3). Supplementary prescribing has the capacity to prescribe all POMs, Off-label medications as well as black triangle medications. Supplementary prescribing may prescribe unlicensed drugs in instances of clinical trials for individuals may have trail certificates (Courtenay & Griffiths 2004, 3). Supplementary prescribing is best suited for the management of chronic illness as well as other long-term health requirements. This is because the doctors make necessary diagnosis and develop a sound plan for administering medication. The plan can be followed comfortably through supplementary prescribing that offers the necessary prescription for the condition. Unlike supplementary prescribing, independent prescribing can only offer services to patients with short-term medical requirements where doctors have little contact

ETHICS, CONSUMERISM AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Essay

ETHICS, CONSUMERISM AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY - Essay Example This can be achieved through regular regulation of the business approach to go well with the present market. This paper looks at how organizations can make use of management tools to manage their operations in a more efficient way taking the example of Franke Sessions. It also proposes a communication plan for Franke Sessions that can help the organization to develop awareness in all its stake holders. An environmental management system is a typical method for the incorporation of sustainable ecological management all through the business structure. EMS consists of the organization composition, development activities, properties and measures for implementation the environmental strategy as an essential part of the executive procedure. It is a functional instrument to put into practice in order to act in accordance with the legislation, deal with stakeholder demands, progress business representation and elevate alertness of environmental concerns. EMS is a good method for identifying problems and solving them, it is founded on the notion of repeated development. It can be put into practice in a business in numerous diverse ways, depending on the segment of action and the requirements alleged by management. As a matter of fact, principles for EMS have been built up by the ISO and by the European Commission Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) (Darnall, et al 2008). The requisites of the vibrant business environment have made many companies’ value chains unsteady, this means that businesses have more and more been required to formulate decisions regarding the management of the value chain into a further peripheral system of management. The vibrant commerce environment gives the impression of affecting both interior and exterior business procedures. Its latest transformation from in-house business procedures to peripheral business procedures has been extremely rapid because of the use of diverse IT-application. These

Should the top executives of the major banks that received bail-out Term Paper

Should the top executives of the major banks that received bail-out money be allowed to receive large bonuses - Term Paper Example The act of providing additional capital to banks and other organizations when they face the danger of bankruptcy is called bailout. During the last few years, most of the major banks in America were provided with bailout money so that they would be saved from the danger of insolvency and thereby liquidation. Since banking sector is the growth engine of a nation’s economy, government must give great care to its maintenance. In addition, the regulators can also play a vital role in preventing the disastrous effects of bankruptcy by the effective application of various financial tools. This paper has been drafted with intent to explore the ethical range of paying large bonuses to top executives of major banks that received bailout money. Bailout and its impacts on economic sector The bank bailout has a far reaching impact on a nation’s economy as it is spent out of extra budgeted money. The general public of the nation largely suffers from the bank bailout since it leads t o the downturn of economy. Similarly, many investors and shareholders may lose money on their investment due to the economic collapse of banks; and therefore they hesitate to go with further dealings. The foreign investors and companies may also lose their interest in a weaker banking sector and it would adversely affect the financial viability of the nation as a whole. In the opinion of McKay (2010), the taxpayer money has been employed to meet the cash reserve needs of the banks. The money from the treasury is used to carry out fund operations, if the banks have not repaid the money (pp. 50-51). Therefore, the Federal Reserve is forced to pay more money to the banking industry at the time of depression and it breaks balanced financial structure of the various policy based operations. McKay also indicates that the banks generally utilize the cash deposits from the customers to ‘purchase mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt, and loan obligations. In most cases, they are valued worthless and it would badly impinge on the rate of return on bank’s transactions. Likewise, it is reported that some major American banks had inflated their profit in order to attract more investors and creditors. As a result, many creditors have not been still reimbursed for their claims. â€Å"When banks fail, getting credit and loans becomes more difficult. This makes the process more difficult for the people looking to buy cars, homes, and property and perhaps for students trying to obtain educational loans† (McKay,2010, p.53). Similarly, the businessmen would not get adequate assistance from the banks and it would impede the industrial growth of the country. The failure of banks and subsequent bailout leads to incredible job losses within the country. Moreover, when the banks are compelled to withstand with the bailout money, they cannot implement new policies and programs. In short, the process of bailout will certainly cause the economic diminution of the whole country. Top executives of banks and their bonus payment Usually, banks pay high salaries to their top executives with intent to retain them in the organization since they are the skippers who lead the day to day activities. I am of the opinion that top executives of the banks that received bailout money should not be allowed to collect large bonuses. As the top executives are the decision takers of the organization regarding various matters, they are also responsible for the

Strategies for counter terrorism in United States Essay Example for Free

Strategies for counter terrorism in United States Essay Strategies for counter-terrorism in United States Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   September 9/11 is a day that many people will never forget. It’s a day that’s the world’s peace was on the line. The attack on the world’s trade center proved that terrorism is a real threat in the world. That day I watched TV in shock watching people crying and wailing in pain. Many souls perished in the attack and others were maimed seriously. Counter-terrorism is an action taken to prevent the activities of political groups who use violence to try to achieve their aims. To come up with an effective counter-terrorist strategy, state government need the aim terrorists ‘ interest and goal in their state and what they aim to achieve in their mission. This analysis entails how terrorism occurs and the strategies that America has taken to counter it and challenges of each strategy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The word terrorism originates from the word terrero which is in Latin, meaning fear. Usually terrorists are taken as Middle Eastern men who are motivated by their beliefs to harm innocent people. Unfortunately this vice is diverse, found everywhere in the world and used for any imaginable goal. Mostly terrorists are religiously or politically motivated. There are those homegrown and international. For the homegrown they organize and do it in their country (Cindy C Combs, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The word terrorism brings fear into many people while others misunderstand it. Terrorists are usually ideologically motivated whereby they use violence towards civilians so as to create fear and panic hoping to change policies or laws in a given country. There various practices used by terrorists to propagate their activities. One way terrorists is to create civil disorder. This can vary from legal protestation to illegal intimidation to the government. Various countries condone different dissent levels whereas in other peaceful assembly this is taken as terrorism. For sure destructive terrorism forms are religious, political, and quasi political. The political terrorist performs the terrorism hopping to change policies, normally in reference to profession, color or creed. The quasi political terrorism is one whereby terrorist’s tactics are used for personal gain. Finally religious terrorism looks at proliferating a person’s belief in the expense of others (Cindy C Combs, 2003). A firm stand should be taken against terrorism since it is very cruel and unjust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Terrorism goes in and around diplomatic process with a purpose of disrupting safety and peace so as to achieve a goal. For many terrorists, a mission successful is considered when thousands of helpless, children and women lie as corpses in the streets. What many terrorist do is to set as small bomb maybe in a building which results in killing say, forty people and later detonate a larger bomb when crowd of people, policemen and medics gather to witness the outcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Terrorists attacks have taken place like hundred times in America and the exact figures are not clear since distinction between political violence and the domestic one is blurred. From the year 1999, there have been over fifty terror attacks which are separate, on domestic soil. According to the FBI’s NCTC records, there were over eleven thousand five hundred terror acts in the entire world by the year 2011. These attacks occurred in seventy two countries and led to approximately fifty thousand casualties of which thirteen thousand two hundred of the fifty thousand casualties suffered extreme trauma.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Each American government agency concerned with counterterrorism, has a purpose in the war against terror. The mission of Federal Bureau of Investigation is to counteract terrorist cells and operatives in United States and to aid in dismantling terrorists networks globally. In United States, numerous agencies including State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency are mandated to counter terrorism. The main objective of the National Counter-terrorism Center is to orchestrate and integrate the formidable abilities of the American government devoted to defeating the threat of international terrorism and reducing the terror to Unites States interests at home and overseas (Jim S., 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Counter terrorism strategy was paramount in the US national security even before the September 9/11 attacks. This is depicted whereby from the year 1958 to the year 1999, over forty legal acts dealing with war reinforcement against terrorism in a ranging degree were adopted. This acts brought about empowering of the state authority and also the agencies of law enforcement to detect and also repress the terrorism act in United States and overseas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most of the states use varied goals and sub-goals that dictate their counterterrorism policies. These vary depending on the state’s economic and political situation. Some of these goals include; preventing the attack, getting rid of terrorists and motivation and minimizing casualties and damages should the terrorist attack occur (Michael B. Kraft, Edward M., 2012).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the decade, United States has had high level of involvement in counter-terrorism actions. The time of struggle during which it fought against terrorism can be divided into two phases: this is after and before the occurrence of the 11th Sep, 2001. Phase one of counterterrorism is in relation to 1980s to 1990s. In this phase there were clear distinguished tendencies such as: use of military forces and new technologies. They used of military forces to fight international terrorist especially bombing their bases and their agencies. One of these operations was held during autumn-inter the year 2001 in Afghanistan. According to Bush G.W, they joined hands with the afghan people to overthrow the Taliban regime— the defenders of the al-Qaida network- and supported a new democratic government to rise in its place. In the field of information technology, there has been a defense by the United States: the data system and the supervisory c ontrol that are applied in the oil and gas industries, pharmaceutical. In the water supply system, and in chemicals are very vulnerable since the implementation of the information technology. The attack of computers by viruses will have to play a vital role in military. Moreover, united States plan a major role in helping train new agents for counterterrorism in other countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Phase two started since autumn the year 2001. Thousands of people from eighty eight countries died as a result of 11th September attack. This attack led to the realization of the vulnerability of any country in the hands of terrorist. These have led to expansion of anti-terrorism cooperation in many countries. According to Paul Pillar, CRI agent who is working on Middle East countries and south Asia,’ the campaign against terrorism must be as diverse as terrorism itself’. He gave the difference among the following various counterterrorism measures; (1) The diplomacy which recognizes no borders among states, (2) the combination of many measures that complement one another, (3) blocking financial support to terrorists groups or even their sponsoring states. They would also try to track their cash flows though very difficult, (4) use of a considerably weak military force. Terroristic bases are normally not large targets and ther efore easy to destroy unlike the military bases which presents a large stationary, (5) intelligence activity is the most crucial tool to deal with terrorism. The challenge with this tool is that most of the terrorists’ data is fragmented, pregnant with meanings and usually highly questionable, (6) they would also combine different measures which complement each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the America’s main strategies of combating terrorism is diplomatic actions and economic sanctions against countries that tend to back-up terrorism activities. The best example of this is the United Nations mandating and leading international sanctions against West African country—Libya due to the role it played in backing up terrorists who were involved in the bombing of Pan Am 103 in the year 1988.this was the first action that the entire world community took against terrorism. The United States sternly led this action with nations now being aware that US would discipline nations that support terrorism (Spindlove, C. E., 2007)..   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second strategy which included objectives and policies such strengthening coalitions to beat global terrorism was initiated in the year 2002.the main objective of this strategy is to compel other nations’ government to indentify and destroy terrorist organizations. For instance, when President George Bush was planning war on Iraq, he encouraged Americans to use the full influence they have and work hand in hand with allies and friends to ensure that all actions of terrorists are illegal so that terrorism is perceived as unacceptable behavior that no reputable government can support. This strategy depicts America as using a policy of global coercion but at the time of this strategy, America was waging a war on Iraq. One of the main challenges of this strategy is that it used weapons of mass destructions and the fear of terrorism to help gain back-up for the war using a policy of ‘’your nation is either with us or aga inst us.’’ (Spindlove, C. E., 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The former U.S.A president said that the United States can no longer rely on deterrence to keep the terrorists at bay or defensive measure to thwart them at the last moment. The fight must be taken to the enemy, to keep them on the run. In order to succeed, America need the support and concert action of friends and allies (Bush G.W., 2010, p.8). Conquered with the president, â€Å"in this task of eradication, â€Å"deterrence† is a mere tactic†¦..to succeed in the long run, however ,the united state must address root causes or a next generation of terrorists will emerge. â€Å"They promised to make better the performance of making of decision, action and also for centralized decisions. They also said that the actions would be decided by those who can understand the political, military and also economic boundaries. They are the central authorities. Broad-front strategy, though seen as unwise and wasteful is what united state s hould conduct. As they have been dealing with issues of terrorists organizations, such as al Qaeda, the U.S.SA as realized that the head or the heat of the beast is never single. This means that the center of gravity to look at when attacking may not be there. Bush G.W. has outlined the main objects in the plan of fighting terrorism in United States. He said that the fight entails use of military force including other national power instruments to kill or catch the terrorists, refuse to give them safe haven, or power over any nation. Block them from getting access to WMD, and obstruct their means of support. This plan is also targeted on continuation of political reforms to guard peaceful Muslims in the whole world in their faith. He also said that responsible Islamic leaders should dissociate from an ideology that alters and exploits the Islam for ends that are destructive and rapes a proud religion. (Bush G.W., 2010, p.23).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main counterterrorism plans are based on pre-emption, prevention, consequence management and defense. America is pursuing preemptive and proactive strategies to combat terrorism. The American security strategy is that of protection of its citizens and assets as it sees deterring and defeating terrorists as the ground for this defense. One of the main challenges of these policies is that they have internal conflict within themselves. On one hand, they seek to promote free and open societies globally while on the other hand, they seek to fight tyranny and terrorists. These strategies contradict each other as America is seen as promoting free and open societies while it benefits itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   US usually attach much importance to getting from friendly countries rights to use their territory and tools for the USA armed forces, together with making the improved operating basis in dangerous and regions that are unstable. Today American troops are all over in one hundred and thirty countries of the world, in regards to Heritage Foundation. Most of these troops are majored in Arabic countries, together with Iraq base, Qatar, Kuwait and also in UAE (Spindlove, C. E., 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion terrorism is a danger to world’s peace and stability. No groups of people should kill innocent people in the name of religion politics or ethnicity. Instead people from all religions, political or ethnic background should co-exist together and embrace peace. Unfortunately the terrorists consider a mission successful when hundreds of innocent souls lie in pools of blood. World leaders should unite their people and encourage them to shun away from terrorism and other related violence. The America’s counterterrorist policy is based on prevention; deterrence, pre-emption and limiting consequences if the act cannot be prevented. It also uses coercion as a strategy to help to strengthen coalitions for its strategies. America feels that exclusive of strong alliances and support from its friends and allies, terrorism will continue to grow and at one point, be a danger to its people and assets. References   Bush, George W. (2010).  Decision Points. Crown Publishers. pp.  399–400. Palestinian extremists, many affiliated with the terrorist group Hamas, launched a wave of terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in IsraelMy views [on Israel and Hamas] came into sharper focus after 9/11. Cindy C Combs (2003), Terrorism in the Twenty First Century, (3rd Edition, New Jersey: Pearsons Educ. Inc.) Jim Saxton. (2001). Patterns of Global Terrorism and Threats to the U.S:Hearing before the Special Oversight Panel on Terrorism. Washington D.C: Diane Publishing Co. Michael B. Kraft, Edward Marks.(2012) . U.S Government Counterterrorism: A Guide to Who Does What. New York:CRC press. Paul R. Pillar.(2003). Terrorism and U.S Foreign Policy: Washington, D.C: R.R. Donnelley and Sons Harrisonburg, Virginia Spindlove, C. E. (2007). Terrorism Today. The Past, The Players, The Future. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. Source document

Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System

Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System Racial conflict is defined as societal controversies related to variances in ethnic, cultural, or national affiliation. Specifically, racial conflict is the result of one dominant cultures control of differing cultures through economics, politics, social policy, and law. In the U.S. juvenile and criminal justice systems, the term racial conflict can be used to refer to discriminatory practices by those who work in the juvenile and criminal justice systems against minority persons (Akers Sellers, 2004). Recent literature expanding the racial conflict concern to include U.S. policy, murder as the result of identity internalizations, and merchant-consumer relationships is not discussed here (Walker et al., 2004). Instead, this paper examines the literature depicting racial conflict as a systemic and controversial topic in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Body Historical accounts of violent racial conflict have existed since before the 1800s and up to the present day. Likewise, the relationship between racial conflict, crime, and minority processing has been examined (Baldus, Woodworth, 1998). In addition to its explaining why some people commit crime, racial conflict has also been linked to disparate decision-making practices at both the arrest and the punishment stages for ethnic minorities. Specifically, African American males represent the most prevalent minority group at each of these stages. Empirical findings show that disproportionate minority confinement exists partly as the result of police discretion to arrest. Accordingly, minorities, particularly African Americans, find themselves at a disadvantage in the criminal justice system. Recent accounts of racial conflict in the criminal justice system came to the fore during the 1992 riots after a verdict of not guilty was returned for the officers involved in the Rodney King incident in Los Angeles, California. More recently, in 2005, racial conflict was linked to the governments response and policies after Hurricane Katrina in New orleans, Louisiana (Spohn, 2002). Specifically, victims of this natural disaster were outraged at the lack of governmental support and the assignment of the label refugee to American survivors in this largely minority populated area. To some, the use of the term refugee was symbolic of the perception that the survivors were outsiders to begin with. This was seized on by the national media, and the survivors were quickly recast as evacuees. Similar to disparities in the adult justice system, minority disparities in the juvenile justice system exist. Specifically, African American youth, similar to their adult counterparts, are disproportionately represented throughout the system. on one hand, criminologists argue that ethnic and racial minorities commit more crimes than their White counterparts and thereby have greater representation in the system. on the other hand, criminologists and sociologists argue that racial conflict in American society acts interchangeably with the law as a method to control minority power. Thus, as a result, disparities are found in arrest, charge, and confinement of African American youth when compared to White youth who commit the same serious and violent criminal acts. The larger implication here is consistent with the belief that racial conflict is supported and maintained by actors in the juvenile and criminal justice systems (Walker et al., 2004). Racial Conflict and Justice Research on the relationship between racial conflict and crime commission has examined interracial killings, economic and power competition, and disparities within the criminal justice system (Zatz, 2000). Racial conflict has been linked to delinquent behavior by juveniles and has been linked to school violence, juvenile homicide, gangs, theft, and other serious and violent crimes. one of the more engrossing questions facing criminologists and indeed our nation is whether the two justice systems are impartial. Criminologists have studied the relationship between judicial processes and discrimination, and some evidence suggests that ethnic minorities are overrepresented at arrest and, when compared to White offenders, are punished more severely. Similar results were found in examinations of pretrial processes where racial injustices in jury selection and judge bias against minorities were present. Whether or not African Americans and other ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system is not a question here, as official data provide a clear depiction of this disparity (Spohn, 2002). The concern here is, however, focused on why racial disparities continue to exist in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The existence of conflicts between police and racial/ethnic minorities has historically been related to riots that are often the result of racial conflict. Many researchers argue that juvenile and adult processing of ethnic minorities as the result of racial conflict continues and is maintained by the continuous cycle of analyses, recommendations, and inaction that have resulted in ineffective identification and reduction of racial disparities. Contrary to this argument, other researchers point out that racial disparities exist largely as the result of serious and violent offending patterns of ethnic minorities. Conclusion The literature is filled with options for reducing racial conflict in the criminal justice system. The argument is made that to effectively address racial conflict, research should be conducted at each stage of processing so as to increase the level of accountability of officials and agencies within jurisdictions where racial disparities continue to exist. others stipulate that researchers must identify the problem, change and create policies that effectively address the real concerns, and implement and fund programs dependent upon evaluative measures. At the theoretical level, many criminologists recognize that extensive changes within both the juvenile and the criminal justice systems are needed to address prejudices in the system that exist as the result of policies and practices. Hence, the argument of racial conflict and discrimination in the criminal justice system remains unresolved. Conflict theorists believe racial conflict is the reason for minority differences in criminal and even juvenile justice processing. Even so, differing arguments are presented stipulating that the empirical nature of racism is not measurable and thus is questionable. While there are two dominant opinions, it remains evident that many researchers hold the view that racial disparities as the result of racial conflict continue to exist and should be addressed in juvenile and criminal justice processing.

A Review Of Controlled Release Fertilizers Biology Essay

A Review Of Controlled Release Fertilizers Biology Essay In general, plants must be supplied with nutrients during the whole vegetation period. In horticulture this is achieved by applying quickly soluble fertilizer once to twice a week, for example. This kind of fertilizer application is very labour-intensive and requires considerable specialist knowledge, so as to select the correct rate of application, appropriate time of application and correct composition for the particular plants to ensure optimum plant production. With the use of slow or controlled release fertilizers the full amount of nutrients necessary for the whole vegetation period can be applied at the time of planting or at the earliest stages of plant growth, in the form of a nutrient pool Also, about half of the applied fertilizers, depending on the method of application and soil condition, is lost to the environment, which results in the contamination of water [1].This kind of environmental concerns of feeding crops with traditional fertilizers has led to developing Slow Release Fertilizers (SRFs) or Controlled Release Fertilizers (CRFs). SRFs or CRFs are easy and safe to use. They reduce risk of incorrect fertilizer application; they are labour saving; and minimize nutrient losses by leaching or fixation. The idea of producing SRFs was developed from 1963 by encapsulation of fertilizers by waxes. After that, these products have been commercialized. There are lots of SRF and CRF brands; market leader in controlled release fertilizers is Scotts Professional with key brands such as Osmocote Exact, Sierrablen and Osmoform. SunGro Company is also producing controlled release fertilizers with brand name of Multicoate. AGLUKON is also another commercialized SRF product [2-4]. Like lots of scientific fields, agriculture industry has been over shadowed by nanotechnology. Applications of nanotechnology in agriculture includes agriculture crop improvement, nanobiotechnology analysis of gene expression and regulation soil management, plant disease diagnostics, efficient pesticides and fertilizers, water management, bioprocessing, post harvest technology, monitoring the identity and quality of agricultural produce and precision agriculture[5]. Efficient pesticides and fertilizers in terms of Nano-composite based slow release fertilizers are developing in current decades. Using nanoparticles as reinforcing or cementing agent of polymer coatings has been the only feature of nano particles which is used in preparing slow release fertilizers [6,7]. Fertilizers Fertilizers are applied to soil to promote plant growth. They contain some beneficial nutrients including macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium which are added to soil in quantities from0.2% to 4.0% (on a dry matter weight basis) and are more essential than micronutrients. Micronutrients are elements which are applied to soil in much smaller amounts, ranging from 5 to 200 ppm, or less than 0.02% dry weigh. These elements could be sulfur (S), boron (B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn)[8,9]. 2.2. Types of fertilizers Fertilizers would be categorized from source of being and also from release properties points of view. All fertilizers could be organic or synthetic from source of being point of view. Organic fertilizers are naturally occurred including seaweed, worm casting, manure, slurry, peat, humic acid, guano and brassin. They provide slow release of nutrient as they need soils bacteria to be broken down to needed elements. Also, they may improve the biodiversity of soil by supplying organic matters and micronutrients for organisms. Organic fertilizers are cheaper and safer than synthetic fertilizers [9,10]. The main synthetic or mineral fertilizers are urea, ammonium sulphate, ammonium phosphate, phosphate rock, potassium chloride, super phosphates, calcium ammonium nitrate, potassium sulphate and NPK, PK and PK compound fertilizers. The most important drawbacks of synthetic fertilizer is their long term sustainability. Also, they are more expensive in contrast to organic fertilizers [10]. Also, fertilizers can be categorized into ordinary and controlled release fertilizers from release properties points of view. Drawbacks of non- controlled release fertilizers Ordinary fertilizers leach to soil very quickly and most of them are not used by the plants. According to figures about 40-70% of nitrogen, 80-90% of phosphorous, and 50-70% of the applied normal fertilizer is lost to environment and cannot be used by plants[11]. This rapid leaching will cause burning of plants and growing in spurts. Also, the lost elements will make some serious problems for our environment. Eutrophication, Blue baby syndrome, soil acidification, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metal accumulation, atmospheric effects are environmental concerns of ordinary fertilizers. Another result of quick leaching of fertilizer is repeating the application of fertilizers which will increase the costs[8,12,13]. Slow or controlled release fertilizers Slow release fertilizers or controlled release fertilizers are coated in a substance that enables a slow release time and eliminates need for constant fertilization and higher efficiency rate than soluble fertilizers [14]. The interest in these materials is for one or more of the following reasons: Availability of nutrients during the hole growing-season; reduced nutrient loss via leaching and run-off; reduced cost and labor outlay in crop production; reduced chemical and biological immobilization reactions in soil which cause plant unavailable forms; reduction of rapid nitrification and nitrogen loss through ammonia volatilization and denitrification; reduced seed or damage from high local concentrations of salts; reduced leaf burn from heavy rates of surface-applied fertilizers; better seasonal distribution of growth and better acclimatization in home or display environment; improved storage and handling of fertilizer materials[15]. Differences between slow and controlled release fertilizers Although there is no a special difference in general function of CRF and SRF, but it should be mentioned that they are manufactured by different materials and techniques with different properties. In slow release fertilizers elements are present in the fertilizers in a chemical form, which is not available to plants and they will be converted by physiochemical effects or microorganisms activities into nutrient forms in the soil. But in controlled release fertilizers elements are packed in coated granules and are released through the coating over a certain period of time. Also, in SRFs nutrients available period is affected by a lot of factors such as water content of soil, Ph, temperature, microorganisms activity, aeration. However, the longevity of CRF depends on coating thickness and temperature of soil. Only coating method is effective in changing pattern of nutrients release and a fixed coating thickness control nutrients release. In CRFs declared release time refers to soil temp erature of 20-21 oC. Higher temperatures accelerate the element release and lower temperatures make it longer [4,16]. SRFs are chemically prepared slow released. Some kinds of SRFs are Urea Aldehydes (UA) and Chelated Micronutrients(CM). Common type of UAs is urea formaldehyde which is high nitrogen fertilizer. Starting release rate of UAs is high but it dies off slowly for 3 years. This kind of fertilizer depends on microorganisms to break it down for plant use. CMs are substances that hold firmly together iron, manganese, zinc, and copper. They slowly releases over a long period of time [17]. 2.4.2. Types of CRFs 2.4.2.1. Sulfur Coated (SC) Elemental sulfur when is oxidized to its sulfate form would be one of the nutrients which is essential for some plants and is normally blended with other fertilizers. Using sulfur coating is also another way to provide sulfur simultaneously with making slow release properties for a core granular fertilizer. As the sulfur containing materials like polysulfides or lingosulfonate are brittle and also give a low wetting of defects they are normally mixed with waxes or plasticizers. Many formulas are available for SCs. Their release time is generally 3-4 months. SDs are released by microorganisms [18-22] 2.4.2.2. Wax coated (WC) One of the methods of reducing fertilizer release rate is dispersing granular fertilizers with molten wax and then cooling the mixture below the melting point of the wax [23]. Paraffin is one of the most used wax as a coating for fertilizers. Paraffin  wax   is a white, tasteless, odorless, waxy solid, with a typical melting point between about 47  °C and 64  °[24]. Other types of waxes are synthetic oil based, petroleum or mineral waxes. Waxes are normally used by an additive or a tackifiere agent to make a good sealing properties [25,26] 2.4.2.3. Polymer Coated (PC) Polymer-coated fertilizers (PCF) represent the most technically advanced controlled released fertilizers. They include a water-soluble fertilizer core and one or more than one layers of polymer. There are large varieties of polymers to coat the core fertilizer also the coatings layer could be the same one or different. In PC fertilizers release of nutrients will happen by diffusion through a semi permeable polymer membrane. Water penetrates the coating and dissolves the core. Release rate can be controlled by varying the composition and thickness of the coating. In addition, pressure builds up can cause cracks to form, from which fertilizer passes into the soil [27, 28]. 2.5. Review of preparation methods of different polymer coated CRFs 2.5.1. Sole Polymer coated One type of polymer coated CRFs is the one which the fertilizer core which could be N, P, K OR NPK compound, is just coated with one or more than one layer of polymer coating. In this case the polymer could be solvent based or water-based. The application process starts with dissolving the polymer in a organic solvent or water. After dissolving the coating will be sprayed onto the fertilizer in a coating drum or fluid bed [29]. Benefits of polymer coated CRFs are as follow; uniform and defect free coating will surround fertilizer; the coating will be very tough and durable which is resistant against mechanical breakdown; they are biologically inactive so they will not breakdown by soil microbes. In most cases except for degradable polymers release of fertilizers will be happen by diffusion through polymer coat rather than through defects. In some other coated fertilizers like sulfur coatings there should be a flaw in coating to make release of fertilizer. There are lots of examples for polymers which have been used in literatures as coating for fertilizers, some of them are as follow; dicyclopentadien[30],Urea and urethane based [31-36], epoxy based [ 37-39], polyvinylidene chloride-based latex[29] carboxyl-carrying ethylene polymers[40], biodegradable starch based[41], urea formaldehyde[42]. However, polymer coated fertilizers have some week points. About solvent-based coatings using large amount of organic solvents like toluene or xylene will lead to environmental concerns. These solvents are volatile and releasing them to environment makes some hazards for human health. Also, polymer coatings are more expensive than sulfur coatings; the process and equipments are also more complex than equipments used for other coatings. 2.5.2. Sulfur-polymer coated One of most common coated fertilizers are the ones in which core fertilizer is covered by a layer of sulfur coating and a layer of polymer. The polymer layer can be primer or outer layer; means that sulfur layer in some researches has been the first layer and in some others the outer layer. Sulfur Using coating is a suggested method to remove drawbacks of sulfur coated CRFs. One of these drawbacks is very fast release of fertilizer in first few days after application. The other one is brittleness of sulfur coatings which may lead to some fractures during handling or storage and losing the fertilizer into soil. Another problem is that sulfur coatings have a high surface tension with water and cannot provide enough wetting for a good diffusion [19, 29, 38, 21]. The most common method for applying the sulfur coating is spray. Molten sulfur compound will be sprayed over a pre-polymer coated fertilizer granule [38,43]. 2.5.3. Wax-polymer coated There are lots of researches focusing on making controlled release fertilizers using Wax-polymer coatings. Wax layer has three major benefits; one is that they are applied over the polymer layer for decreasing the fracture probability of coating and the other one is for decreasing the amount of polymer and avoiding consuming more polymers to make the process cost effective. Also, they can eliminate imperfection of granules surface to make a good surface coating. Most common waxes which have been used in state of the art is C30 alpha-olefin and paraffin. Other petroleum products like lubricants and bitumen or natural products like canola oil, soybean oil, coconut oil and palm oil, also have been used. After melting the wax it will be applied by mixing with polymer coated fertilizer. Normally the polymer is thermoset to avoid any damages of polymer by the wax in its melting point. The wax normally should have drop melting point from 50 to 120 °C. Wax is normally about 0.2% to 10 % by weight of fertilizer [25, 38, 44, 45]. 2.5.4. Filler- polymer coated As mentioned before, despite lots of advantages of polymer coating to make slow release properties when such polymers are used as a sole coating material the ultimate product would be expensive as you have to consume large amount of polymer. Using mineral or organic fillers is one way to avoid using large amount of polymer. Also, in some researches fillers play the role of detackifier, to prevent adherence of coated granules to each other, and strengthening agent [46]. Fillers may be used either as a mixture with polymer to make a nano-composite polymer [47] or as a separate layer. The most common method is second one in which the filler will be added and mixed with polymer coated granules before drying the granules. Most common used fillers are some very fine(less than 20 microns) inert inorganic materials like clay, diatomaceous earth, bentonite, kaolin, gypsum powdered limestone, talc, barium sulfate. Some other fillers like waste cellulosic materials also have used as filler in combination with polymer.[47-51] 2.6. Techniques coating application According to studies have been done; encapsulation methods of fertilizers can be divided into three methods including in-situ, spray and mixing. 2.6.1. In situ This method includes formation of fluid dispersion of the soluble fertilizer in a solvent and mixing the prepared solution with monomers of a polymer. Polymerization will happen and depend on the method; granules or particles of fertilizers will form. Ni et al [52] have developed a double-coated urea fertilizer. For preparation of poly (N-vinyl-pyrrolidone) hydrogels containing urea (PCU), the monomer and a solution of urea in N-vinyl-pyrrolidone were mixed together. The polymerization was carried out at 65à ¢- ¦C for 3 h. The resulting samples were vacuum-dried, milled, screened and stored. After that first coating was dried sample and some amounts of urea were mixed with sodium alginate (SA) solution. Mixed solution was then added drop wise into 5% (w/w) CaCl2 aqueous solution and stirred constantly. The drops immediately turned into granules (about 4mm in diameter) because the SA in the drop was crosslinked by Ca2+ at once. The granules were filtered and dried in oven at 70à ¢- ¦ C. Then the granules were added to ethylcellulose ethanol solution. Multiple EC coatings were prepared by immersion of the previously coated granules into the Ethylcellulose (EC) solution repeatedly. Thus, EC-coated urea granules with different coating thickness were obtained. Hanafi et al [53], have coated a compound fertilizer by polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyacrylamide (PA), natural rubber (NR), and polylactic acid (PLA) using in situ method. For encapsulation of compound fertilizer with polyacrylamide the granules were added to the solution mixture of monomers. Then the polymerization reaction will start in existence of fertilizers. The thickness of the coating layer on the compound fertilizer granules, determined by SEM, gave PVC compound coated fertilizer the highest value of 3.04 lm, and the lowest was obtained by PA (2.04  µm). Variation in the characteristics of the polymers would be utilized in producing CR compound fertilizer that fit the requirements of growing plants. Hudson et al [38] used epoxy to coat the fertilizer. In this research the urea granules were charged to a pan and warmed to 95 °C. Then the hydrogenated tallaw amine, 2-amino ethyl peperazine and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether were mixed and were added to the granules; meanwhile polymerization happened and prepared mixture was agitated till the fertilizer granules dried. 2.6.2. Spray method This method is most common method for coating the fertilizer granules in state of the art[. Usually, the solution of polymer in a suitable solvent is sprayed on the granule of fertilizer and then the granules are dried to remove the solvent through evaporation. The treatment is repeated as often as necessary until the desired coating percentage is reached. Lan et al [54] have used Chitosan and poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) as biodegradable polymers to coat the NPK fertilizer. The NPK was compound fertilizer granules with about 2 mm in diameter. It was placed in a rotary drum and then the Chitson powder which was dissolved in epoxy-aceton solution was sprayed over the fertilizer. After drying the coating , Chitson coated granules were added to a flask equipped with a mechanical mixer. Carbon tetracholoride, polyethylene glycoloctyl phenyl ether, sorbite anhydride monostearic acid ester, solution of acrylic acid acrylamide , N,N- methylenebisacrylamide and ammonium persulfate was slowly added to the flask. After mixing the coated granules were dried in oven. This product with good controlled-release and water-retention capacity, being degradable in soil and environment-friendly, could be especially useful in agricultural and horticultural applications. Tomaszewska et al [55] have used spray technique for encapsulation of fertilizers. In order to improve the properties of coatings, the granules of previously coated fertilizer (wet method) were sprayed with a polymer solution or pure solvent (N,N dimethylformamide). Concentration of the polymer in solutions used for spraying was in the range of 13-17 wt%. Measurements of thickness, porosity of prepared coatings and microphotographic observation of the coatings were taken. Ma et al [56] have developed a method for encapsulation of fertilizer with a self assembled coating. The fertilizer granules were heated in a rotary drum to 75 °C for 10 minutes. Then the self assembling amphiphilic molecules (N,N-bisaminoethyl eleostearate) were sprayed over the fertilizer. After 20 minutes aliphatic isocyanates were sprayed over fertilizer. This process was repeated once again. The fertilizer kept for drying in the 75 °C for 20 minutes. Dai et al [57], have developed a controlled release fertilizer using a water soluble resin as a coating. The granular compound fertilizer was coated in fluidized bed. Lan et al [58], prepared a double-coated slow-release NPK compound fertilizer with superabsorbent and water-retention properties (DSFSW), whose inner coating was chitosan (CTS), and the outer coating was crosslinked poly(acrylic acid)/diatomite-containing urea (PAADU). This prepared product not only has slow-release property but also could absorb a large amount of water and preserve the soil moisture at the same time. In addition, the outer coating (PAADU) could protect the inner coating (CTS) from mechanical damage. These were significant advantages over the normal slow release or controlled-release fertilizers, which generally have only a slow-release property. The results indicated that the DSFSW could be found an application in agriculture and horticulture, especially in drought-prone regions where the availability of water is insufficient. At first the outer coating containing urea diatomite (PAADU) was prepared. The NPK compound fertilizer granule was placed into a rotary drum, and the Chitosan powder was stuck on the granules by means of epoxy dissolved in acetone. The adhesive was applied by spraying at regular time intervals. The process was finished until compact and homogeneous coating formed on fertilizer granule. The coated granules were dried to a constant mass at room temperature for 6 h. Then the CTS-coated NPK compound fertilizer granules were obtained. CTS-coated NPK compound fertilizer granules were dipped in water and then were immediately placed on PAADU powder and shaken. In this manner, PAADU could adhere to the surface of CTS-coated NPK compound fertilizer and form the outer coating. The surface of the product was crosslinked by spraying methanol solution of epoxy chloropropane and then dried in a 70  °C oven to obtain the final product, i.e., the double-coated slow-release NPK compound fertilizer with superabsorbent and water-retention. Hansen et al [36], encapsulate the granular fertilizer with the epoxy resin using spray method. In this research not coated fertilizer was placed in a rotating drum and pre heated to 250 ° F. A rapid drying solution of copolymers dicyclopentadiene and a modified vegetable oil were applied over fertilizer using spray in a thin stream of resin. Simultaneously hot air was passed through drum. Next monomers of second resin including a mixture of epoxidized soybean oil and polyester curing agent were applied over prepared granules. The solvent was a mixture of xylol and Cellosolve acetate. Hansen et al [39] also have used the above mentioned method for encapsulation of fertilizer with polyurethane. First of all the preheated fertilizer was coated by a synthetic drying oil. After drying the coating for a few minutes fertilizer were dusted by clay. Then Urethane solution in xylene and Cellosolve acetate were applied using spray. 2.6.3.Simple mixing In this method granules are simply mixed with the coating at its melting point or with a solution of polymer in a suitable solvent. Tomaszewska et al [59] used this method for coating the granular NPK fertilizer with polysulfone (PSF), cellulose acetate (CA) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The coating solutions were prepared by the dissolution of the solid polymer in adequate solvent. The NPK fertilizer was successively added to adequate polymer solution, and was covered by a thin layer of the solution. Subsequently, granules were dropped into water, where the gelation process takes place. The coated granules were removed from the precipitation bath and then dried to a constant mass. The multiple coatings were prepared by immersion of the single coated fertilizer into adequate polymer solution, then into water and drying. Hon [47] has prepared the coated granules by mixing method. After melting the thermoplastic polymer by heating, the cellulosic additive has been added to melt resin. Then after allowing the temperature to drop, for avoiding the fertilizer damage, the granules or powder fertilizer has been mixed with the prepared mixture using a Brabender Mixer. Markusch et al[60] just has mixed the fertilizer pellets with at first, a diluted polyol and then with a diluted isocyantae to make a polyurethane coating. Then the feretilizer were placed in oven for drying. 2.7. Special equipment for application of polymer coating Typical physical method for encapsulating fertilizers are spray coating, spray drying, pan coating, rotary disk atomization. Special equipments for these methods are rotary drum, pan or ribbon or paddle mixer, fluidized. Fluidized bed and rotary drums are the most important equipments [87, 88] Polymers used as coating for CRFs A broad range of polymers has been used in fertilizer coating. These polymers could be thermoset, thermoplastic or biodegradable. Some of common thermoset polymers are urethane resin, epoxy resin, alkyd resin, unsaturated polyester resin, phenol resin, urea resin, melamine resin, phenol resin, silicon resin. Among them, urethane resin urethane is very common used.[36,61] Thermoplastic resins are not very common used in art because of some problems. As mentioned before a very preferable method of applying polymers is spraying the dissolved polymer over granules. Either some of thermoplastic resins are not soluble in a solvent or make a very viscose solution which is not suitable for spraying. Polyolefine is used in art for coating the fertilizer granules [47,62]. Biopolymers, dispose in bioactive environments, degrade by the enzymatic action of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae and their polymer chains may also be broken down by non enzymatic processes such as chemical hydrolysis. Non-biodegradable polymers are not environmental friendly. Due to environmental concerns there are some trends of replacing non-bio with bio degradable polymers as coating material from 1970s. But it should be mentioned that they are expensive yet and not very cost effective. Also, in production process durability of polymer should be adjusted with release time of fertilizer. Among natural and synthetic biopolymers starch and cellulose based polymers, chitosan (a linear  polysaccharide),poly lactic acid and poly(ÃŽÂ µ-caprolactone) due to low cost and abundance are some of used biopolymers in fertilizer industry[41,52,58,63-69] 2.5. Coating thickness Generally, polymer coatings are applied in a thickness which is suitable to make a desired controlled release property. Thickness could be related to characteristic of polymer and also it depends on existed porosity of polymer surface. If water vapor transmission rate of coating material is 0.01 to 20, coating thickness would be 1 to 100 microns. Preferred coating thickness is 1 to 50 microns. Coating process could be repeated more than one layer to get desired nutrient release [49]. 2.6. Investigation of release behavior of CRFs Release mechanism for different coatings is different. Thick encapsulated granules like sulfur coating will allow the nutrient to release when a flaw or rupture appears on the coating surface. In this case, rupture will happen because of permeation of water into coating and inside osmotic pressure. Also, biodegradable polymers will release nutrients while destroying by soil microbes activity. Polymer coatings or combination of different coatings will happen by diffusion of water through walls porosities. In this case release rate of can be controlled by the particle size of coated granules, thickness of coating and permeability of coating surface. Also, altering the chemical composition of fertilizer core and the coating will change permeability of coating; means that even basic or acidic environment will change the permeability. In some researches when the coating has been starch-vinyl, increasing size of encapsulated granules has led to slowing down the nutrient release [70, 71]. There are some standard test methods for measurement of controlled release properties. According To European standard the standard release time of N during 24 h should be 15% of total core nutrient. Also, release rate for 15 day should be 75% of total nutrients. Also American and Japanese standards say that the initial release shouldnt be more than 40% of total nutrient. According to European standards for measuring the release rate encapsulated fertilizer should be immersed in pure water at 25  °C (room temperature) in incubated state [72, 73]. For example Detrick et all[43] have investigated the release behavior of their product by immersion of 20 g of encapsulated granules for 8 h in water. After filtration of solid they dried the solid. Evaporation of water was done at 100  °C for 8 hours. Also, Ma et all [31] placed 14 g of granules in wire mesh holder into a jar with 300 ml water at 23  °C and agitated ir by an orbital shaker. Then, the adequate water was taken for elemental analysis.. Locquenghien et al [40] for investigation the slow release effect of fertilizer some amounts of fertilizer were continuously extracted with water. For this purpose the granules were arranged in layer in a cylindrical vessel field with water. Water was passed through this layer and its Nitrogen content was analyzed. 2.8. Commercial CRFs in world and Malaysia Urea-formaldehydes are oldest slow release products which were produced in 1936 and then were commercialized in 1970s. These products were known as Ureaform, Bluchip, Nitroform Methex and Nutralene. After that Tennessee Valley introduced sulfur coated urea technology in1960s.Polymer coated fertilizers were produced as early as 1970 in Japan. Most important commercialized polymer coated CRFs are Osmocote, Nutricote [74] Osmocote CRFs are NPK granules coated by a thermoset copolymer of dicyclopentadiene and a glycerol ester (linseed oil) dissolved in an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent. The Osmocote CRFs are normally used for ornamental horticulture production like greenhouses, nurseries , citrus , and strawberry production[75]. Nutricote prills are encapsulated by thermoplastic resins likeas polyolefins, polyvinylidene chloride. The process of Nuricote involves dissolving polymer in fast-drying chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents and then applying the solution to a variety of nutrient substrates including urea, potassium sulfate, diammonium phosphate, ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride. Blendin the polymer with talc and ethylene-vinyl acetate has been done to obtain desired release rate[76] Sierra, Lesco and polyon are some other commercialaized CRFs in the world. In Malaysia two brands named Greenfeed[77] and KAMILA[78] has developed slow release fertilizer. Greenfeed contains Zeolite which helps to release nutrients when it is in contact with soil. KAMILA is specially formulated for oil plantation industry. 2.9. Tracing nano-technology features in fertilizer industry Reviewing literature shows that researches which have used nano-technology features in fertilizer industry are very rare. The main benefits of nanoparticles in these researches are using them as reservoir of fertilizer or as filler [79,80]. Solid nano-particles, have large surface areas and their reactivity is much more greater than that of micrometer size materials. Also, their surfaces and interfaces provide an active substrate for physical, chemical, and biological reactions [80]. Two published researches have done using nano-particles. One has used nano-clay as carrier of metal-urea complex; urea intercalated clay without any coating has been developed as slow release fertilizer[79]. In other one, a nanocomposite of nano particle, fertilizer and polymer has been granulated and developed as slow release fertilizer. The production method involves mixing monomers, adding nano particle, which could be nano clay, nano bentonite, nano kaolin, polymerization and then granulating the mixture. In this research nano particle just work as good and effective filler [81]. Making polymer-nano-particle composites is something common in industries. Lots of researches have been done in this area, but researches around using nano-particle as reservoir for fertilizer have been done rarely. For more study here, we will review the researches have been done. 2.9.1. Interc

Texas Culture :: essays research papers fc

Texas Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the three of us decided to use Texas as our micro-culture, I thought it was a great idea. I am not a Texan, since by definition to be a Texan, you must have been born in Texas, no exceptions (http://www.texas-best.com), but do consider myself an honorary Texan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My first experience with Texas was around 1983 when I visited the state. I was traveling quite extensively at that time and most of Texas was included in those travels. I had previously been in several other states in our nation but none seemed to compare to the great State of Texas. Things were just different in Texas. The people were different, the culture was different and the image of Texas, portrayed by the people, past and present is equal to no others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Texas has a rich and long history and much of it has passed through the state over the years to become a part of its folklore. This Texas folklore is part of many cultures within the state and has even filtered outside the state. The first cultural influence on Texas was from the Paleo-American Indians. When these Indians arrived they were in a bit of a culture shock when they met the Spanish in the 16th century. In the following centuries, more people began to arrive in Texas and they brought new ways of talking, believing and doing things. The Spanish and the Mexican set the patterns south of Nueces and along the Rio Grande. Anglos brought their ways of life from the British Isles to the South and Eastern part of Texas. African Americans who came to work on the plantations on the Brazos and Trinity bottoms brought songs, stories and beliefs that came with them from Africa. Germans came directly from the Old World to the Hill Country, Cajuns came from France and eventually through Louisiana and settled in Southeast Texas. The Dutch, Danes, Polish, Czechs, Norwegians who also came here brought with them their ways of life and they all became bound together to become part of Texas. By the year 2000, Texas was made up of 54.5% Anglos, 31% Hispanic, 11.4% African Americans and another 3.1% of other ethnicities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Much of what Texas is today is because of the people who settled her land. Crafts such as quilting and the Texas Star pattern, dance like the Cotton-Eyed Joe and even the way Texans still hunt today can be traced back to the Middle Ages.

Othello :: essays research papers

OTHELLO In the play Othello, the character of Othello has certain traits, which make him seem naive and unsophisticated, compared to many other people. This is why Iago, is able to manipulate him so easily. Iago told Roderigo, "O,sir, content you. I follow him to serve my turn upon him "(I, i lines 38-9). Iago is saying, he only follows Othello to a point, and upon reaching it he will not follow him any longer. This is the first sign of how deceitful Iago will be. Iago has his own evil agenda in mind and he will use his reputation of being "honest Iago" to influence Othello. The Moor, as many Venetians call him, is of strong character. He is very proud and in control of every move throughout the play. The control is not only of power, but also of the sense of his being who he is, a great warrior. In Act I, Othello has runs into Brabantio, who has come to kill him, but before anything could happen Othello said, "Hold your hands, both of you of my inclining and the rest. Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it without a prompter" (I, ii, lines 80-3). The power shown here is quite astounding. The nature of Othello's character is of a dark man. A dark man, not only because he is black, but also because his whole person is very mysterious. He is mysterious in that he believes there is magic brewing everywhere. With this dark side he is also very outgoing, and not very bright. It is almost too easy for Iago to trick him into believing that Desdemona is unfaithful. Though he doesn't reflect too much on his past, it is apparent that he has been very successful in many battles and earned the rank of general. The fact that he is supposed to be a experienced soldier and leader contradicts his actions of letting his jealous emotions destroy his life. For all the dangers and encounters he has been involved in, this man is still naive of the corruptness of other individuals. Othello has a trusting nature that will bring about his downfall. He put his trust in Iago during times of war and during Othello's marriage to Desdemona. Although this wasn't very bright of Othello, even if he was not as naïve or more cynical, it still would have been hard for him to discover that Iago was lying.

Music Analysis Essay

â€Å"Bitch Bad† is popular hip-hop song performed by Chicago native rapper, Lupe Fiasco. The song depicts the word bitch in the many forms that it is used in today’s urban society. The song starts with a dark weary synthesizer and a heavy deep 808 drum pattern that reflects the sound that is used in many of today’s popular club/party songs. The words to the song shine a stereotypical light on â€Å"bad bitches,† but there is a twist. Fiasco highlights 3 significant points which is the basis of the song, â€Å"Bitch bad, woman good, lady better† (Fiasco, Bitch Bad). By producing this song, Lupe Fiasco points out the relevance and impact that the term has on modern day youth. Fiasco also wanted to make an attempt to steer people in the opposite direction from the normal stereotype of the well-known and overrated term ‘bad bitch. ’ As the first verse starts, Fiasco brings listeners into the world of a young male, around the age of 4 or 5 that picks up on the music his mother listens to that has references of women as being bad bitches. Fiasco describes how the mother sings to the song playing and her son is listening to her sing along to the lyrics. Fiasco states the more the son hears his mother play this type of music, he develops a certain complex on how he views women that use the â€Å"bad bitch† phrase. By the son being such a tender age, he receives the song based on what he sees in his mother instead of the derogatory way the song is describing women. The young boy forms his own opinion of the bad bitch theory. His own mother, whom he looks up to and admires, calls herself a bad bitch, so he depicts the term â€Å"bad bitch† to be positive. To him it resembles a strong, independent, respectful woman because this is how he sees his mother, as opposed to a woman that is weak, dependent and unstable. The hook to the song â€Å"Bitch Bad† illuminates the 3 categories of women: bitch, woman, and lady. â€Å"Bitch bad, woman good/ Lady better, they misunderstood/ (I’m killin’ these bitches)† (Fiasco, Bitch Bad). These lyrics are self-explanatory. This hook is saying that being called a bitch is a bad thing, being called a woman is better, but being called a lady is phenomenal. Lupe Fiasco is trying to tell young girls, or young women, what they should be trying to aspire to be instead of trying to be what they see on the television screens or hear on the radio. More recently in urban society being a woman or a lady has lost its value. The message that Lupe Fiasco is trying to send out to the audience of this song is that being a bad bitch is not a positive look. In verse two of the song â€Å"Bad Bitch,† Fiasco breaks down how a young group of girls in their pre-teen stage listen to songs and watch music videos on the internet. The videos are uncensored and because they know more about the internet than their parents, they don’t get parental consent. Children tend to know a lot more about modern day technology than their parents. This is how children such as the ones described in this verse, are able to watch uncensored items online. The young girls are at an age where they need a positive female role model, but instead they are influenced by the women they see in music videos. These young girls receive a different persona of a bad bitch than the young boy in the first verse. Bad bitches to them are women that have sex appeal, skinny with big butts, and wear sexy and revealing clothing. As the song states â€Å"High heels, long hair, fat booty, slim†¦ They don’t see a paid actress, just what makes a bad bitch† (Fiasco, Bitch Bad). The girls have this image in their heads, and without proper guidance, this is what they want to grow up to be. The third verse begins by Fiasco stating that he is not trying to teach children to use the term â€Å"bitch† but as a psychological way to let listeners know that he is against the use of the word. This verse combines the first two and it continues with the observation of how small the world really is and the young boy from the first verse and one of the young girls from the second verse meet. Fiasco continues on to illustrate how the boy is viewing the girl in an insolent way based on how she is dressed, but she is saying it in a sexual way. His viewing of a bad bitch is not what the girl is showcasing. Sure enough, in this little world/The little boy meets one of those little girls/And he thinks she a bad bitch/And she thinks she a bad bitch/He thinks disrespectfully/She thinks of that sexually/She got the wrong idea/He don’t wanna fuck her/He thinks she’s bad at being a bitch/Like his mother† (Fiasco, Bitch Bad). She is flaunting her half-dressed body i n front of him, yet he is telling her that his mother didn’t do things like that, and that is what he knows to be a bad bitch. The young man fostered his view on the term from what he saw in his mother, a respectful woman. They young lady obtained her view from the flashy video girls she saw in music videos. The term ‘bad’ back in earlier years portrayed a woman who had her life together and was sexy in a respectful way. She was the woman that didn’t need assistance from the male counterpart. Black moguls in the rap/hip hop community, such as Dame Dash, Russell Simmons, Nicki Minaj, and Jay-Z have taken the word ‘bad’ and made the ‘bitch’ addition and spread it through the black culture. Now a female who has lower standards perceives that she’s a â€Å"bad bitch† because she is being uplifted by the black urban community. Society today can take the term â€Å"bad bitch’ as being either good or bad. Marc Hogan, writer for Spin Magazine, stated â€Å"Clearly, something has changed in hop hop’s relationship with anti-woman slurs†¦and that’s ostensibly what Lupe Fiasco tries to address†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hogan). The perception of women slurs all depend on individual perceptions and how much impact social media has on an individual. This song released in August 2012. Upon its music video release, MTV did an interview with Lupe Fiasco. During this interview, Fiasco stated that he â€Å"just wanted to have a conversation,† (Fiasco, Interview). Lupe also suggested that because there is no solidification to the term bad bitch, â€Å"†¦it’s definitely something that I think we should talk about because it’s so prevalent in our culture right now† (Fiasco, Interview). Lupe is trying to get the world to understand that a bad bitch is a double standard as stated in the lyrics â€Å"Bad mean good to her/She really nice and smart/ But bad mean bad to him/Bitch don’t play your part/ But bitch still bad to her if you say it the wrong way/ But she think she a bitch/What a double entendre† (Fiasco, Bitch Bad). Rob Markman stated that â€Å"Lupe Fiasco knows all too well the power of words. † This is very true. Fiasco’s music is well known in the hip hop industry for relaying some kind of message. Lupe Fiasco did precisely what he set out to do, spark a conversation and produce different point of views. â€Å"Depending on where you stand, the term â€Å"bad bitch† may have positive or negative connotations†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Markman). Fiasco let the world know that is was more to being a ‘bad bitch’. What viewers see in music videos is only one perception. Needless to say, â€Å"†¦whether you consider â€Å"bitch† empowering or degrading, there is always something to ponder on† (Viera), and Lupe Fiasco definitely gave his listeners, and non-listeners, something to think about.