Wireless Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wireless - Essay Example On the go transmission and communication has been made possible through the wireless technology. Highways, mountains, rural parts, deserts, airways, all have been able to communicate and enable communication with the static part of the world through the wireless system networks. Another advantage of wireless system is its support, ranging from small scale setup to medium and larger scale networks. All these come in the form of WAN,MAN and LAN technology systems. None of these would be possible without the wireless communication presence. The concept of wi fi and elimination on reliance over the wired systems and modems has been made possible through the wireless systems. The wireless systems have enabled the establishment of ad hoc networks. Ad hoc network is established on temporary basis which may not need the extensive establishment of the support system with regard to all the other essential components that are otherwise required in a wired interface. While the wireless network provides an array of advantages and support functions, it has the negative side to it as well. The fact that noise and attenuation is part of any other wireless network makes up for the negative aspect of this system (J.S.Chitode, 2008, 15). The long distance communication is subject to distortion and would require installation of repeaters and amplifiers in order to enhance the quality of the signal and data that is being sent across the medium. The possibility of hacking and breaking into the system is more likely in the wireless system network as compared to the wired systems. The frequency crossing and interference is an associated concept which may come along as a gift of the wireless medium system. The remedies against the aforementioned negatives and weaknesses of the wireless network can be overcome through the installation of the firewalls, allowing larger spectrums to operate in and beefing up security measures such as a

Gardner's Multiple-Intelligences Theory Research Paper

Gardner's Multiple-Intelligences Theory - Research Paper Example The theory identifies nine fundamental traits of intelligence, namely spatial, mathematical, kinesthetic, linguistic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, existential and naturalistic intelligence. (Smith, 2002, 2008). Gardner never claimed that the traits of intelligence are limited to the ones he identified. Brief explanation of these types of intelligence is as follows: Spatial intelligence is concerned with the imagination. Artists are typically equipped with such an intelligence. Linguistic intelligence makes it easy for an individual to memorize difficult vocabulary and interpret thoughts into words. People with technical accuracy of thoughts have mathematical intelligence. They are good at calculations. People with quick physical reflexes have a high kinesthetic intelligence. They are good at tasks requiring physical exercises. Some people compose very good songs and have a nice taste for music and hence excel in this field. They are equipped with sufficiently high musical intelligence. People with good interpersonal intelligence level are social and have management skills. Their social circle is large. Others who are introverts have a sound understanding of their own self and have inclination towards philosophy. They have a high intrapersonal intelligence level. People who stay close to nature and appreciate it have a goof level of naturalisti c intelligence. Existential intelligence allows an individual to comprehend and interpret infinity. The Multiple-Intelligences Theory has acquired mixed reviews of the philosophers and educationalists. Although the theory has not met with great success, there are many who acknowledge the theory proposed by Gardner as presenting the matter in a broader spectrum. The approach adopted by Gardner, is indeed realistic and mature in that it identifies nearly all traits of intelligence and explains why, some people with a high IQ are not good at performing certain tasks that their counterparts with lower

Reflective essay relating to a patient with COPD

Reflective essay relating to a patient with COPD INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this essay is to adopt Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper (2001) model of reflection in reflecting upon my experience in practice placement while caring for a patient with a long term condition. This model will help to identify the learning needs and how it may be achieved. To maintain confidentiality in this essay with respect to the NMC code of conduct, I will be keeping the patient’s information anonymous, thus will be referred to as Elizabeth. Reflection is an important element of learning (Arbel, 2009). John and Freshwater (2005) defined reflection as assessing previous experience to develop tacit and intuitive knowledge. Rolfe et al (2001) model of reflection propose a framework that uses Borton’s (1970) developmental model. Pryce (2002) explains that, this model is a simplistic cycle that is based upon three sample questions to reflect on a situation: What? So what? Now what? Hence, it is vital that student nurses reflect regularly so as to improve their practice, knowledge, skills and behaviour to care for their patients to the best of their ability. Ultimately, Botten (2012) stresses the importance of reflection for student nurses, as it enriches their clinical learning, enabling them to learn more about themselves and the way they practice. WHAT I met Elizabeth during my previous practice placement at the surgical ward, she is 70 years old and was diagnosed with severe chronic bronchitis approximately 8 years ago. She was admitted to the ward due to acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to Kauffman (2014), bronchitis is the Inflammation of the bronchi associated with partial obstruction of the bronchi by secretions or constriction. Chronic bronchitis is also included under the umbrella of COPD (Jindal Vijayan, 2011). In regards to NICE (2010), about 3 million people have COPD in the UK, 900,000 have diagnosed COPD and an estimated 2 million people have COPD which remains undiagnosed. Also, according to department of health (2010) COPD mainly affect people aged over 45 with a history of smoking. SO WHAT Elizabeth stated that she was experiencing progressive dyspnea and increased cough. McCann (2007) stated, with chronic bronchitis, increased accessory use of muscles may be chronic and is preceded by a productive cough, sputum production and shortness of breath. At the time of assessment during admission, Elizabeth reported that she has been unable to care for herself and has difficulty managing her daily activities as she lives alone. Elizabeth’s personal hygiene appeared to have deteriorated and she was only able to speak in short sentences. Elizabeth’s personal hygiene was deteriorating as a result of her inability to self-care. According to Field Smith (2008), hygiene is fundamental for all people. The nurses used Roper et al (2001) and Orem (1991) nursing models in meeting Elizabeth hygiene needs. In addition to Field Smith (2008), it is stated that, this nursing models helps patients to achieve the activities associated with their daily life independently. Following the care plan, the nurse assessed Elizabeth’s hygiene needs, taking into consideration any deficit that may affect her ability to care for herself. The nurse made sure that appropriate personal hygiene care including washing, oral care, hair care, mouth care and nail care was provided and this was discussed with Elizabeth in order to ensure her needs are fully met by protecting her right to privacy and personal choice. DOH (2003), states that personal hygiene is the physical act of cleansing the body to ensure that the skin, hair and nails are maintained in optimum condition. Dingwall (2010) also suggested that assisting patient in meeting their hygiene needs as well as helping them can develop a nurse-patient relationship and allow a skilled practitioner to assess how the patient is improving mentally and physically. Due to the exacerbations, she had problems eating and swallowing, hence, simple routine nutritional screening was performed using a validated nutritional screening tool such as Malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST). According to Rice (2006) nutritional support is a vital part of nursing care because many patients with COPD are malnourished. This nutrition screening was carried out so that changes in her weight can be identified immediately and dietary changes can be started to improve her nutritional status as soon as possible. Specific dietary advice and support as well as general advice for meal planning were reinforced. Nazarko (2002) emphasised that, nutritional status is crucial to patient’s state of health. Referral to dietician and speech and language therapists was made to optimise her nutritional status, and assess and treat her swallowing difficulties. According Evans (2012), swallowing difficulties can make patient’s eating and drinking difficult and c an often result in patients losing weight if no adequate support is given. Hence, Adjustment of food flavour, texture, density and temperature was made to help minimize dysphasia. Any liquid given such as water or ensure was thickened as they are difficult for the tongue to control and can easily splash into the trachea (Weetch, 2001). Due to concerns regarding Elizabeth inability to carry out daily activities safely without risk of falls or accidents, which may result detrimental effect upon her health and quality of life, referral to the following members of multi-disciplinary team was made for further assessment to assist with her daily activities of living that may enable her to continue to live within her home safely. These members of multi-disciplinary team included; social services, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, social workers and age concern. According to Karen Aidin (2011), Dyspnea causes many patients with COPD to withdraw from day-to-day activities and hobbies. Referral to rehabilitation services was considered to improve her breathing, oxygenation and endurance (NICE, 2006). Home care aide services were considered to assist Elizabeth with her activities of daily living care. Rice (2006) suggested, in planning care, it will be crucial to determine what activities of daily living the patient c an perform. NOW WHAT In becoming an efficient nurse, there are some areas of improvement that needs to be considered for future practice such as; understanding more about activities of daily living for COPD patients, having more knowledge on assessment discharge, how they are done, package of care for COPD patients. These learning needs will be achieved through working closely within the multi-disciplinary team. According to Nehring Lashley (2010), working within multi-disciplinary will give the student opportunity to enhance their professional skills and knowledge of patient’s care. Also, reading more about COPD exacerbation will enable the student to recognise a patient having exacerbation if it re-occurs in future practice, knowing how to manage their condition effectively, hence, providing high quality care. CONCLUSION COPD is a debilitating illness which causes patient’s emotional, social, psychological and physical distress due to the impact on daily living. This reflective essay has helped the student acknowledge the importance of reflection within practice as it allows professionals to convey thoughts of how they can improve on their practice to enhance effective delivery of care.

the fall of rome :: essays research papers

The Fall of Rome   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Did the Roman Empire deserve to Fall? No, The achievements of the Roman Empire were unmatched at its time. Many things it accomplished are ideas and ways of life that did not become widespread until after its fall. The Roman Empire would have made the advancement of people in Europe much faster.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Roman Empire was the most modern ancient empire. It made many advancements in the arts and sciences. It had many great poets, philosophers, artists, and engineers. The Romans encouraged learning and supported any who endeavored to make discoveries or technological improvement. If the Roman Empire had not fallen, the world, from a scientific stand point would be very different today. The Roman Empire would have made discoveries and scientific advancements before the Dark Ages. During the Dark Ages no scientific studies or appreciation of the arts took place. For almost an entire millennium humans made no advancements. The barbarians, who destroyed Rome, destroyed it to take its wealth not its knowledge. The knowledge that was lost was not resurrected until the Renaissance. Technological improvement was at a standstill. If the Roman empire had lasted, Europe would not have fallen into that dark period. Rome would have kept modernizing. Today, we could be at a te chnological level we may not reach for many years. The Romans made advancements in the field of medicine. Today we could have had cures for many diseases had the empire not fallen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Roman empire was a democracy. It was one of the first of its kind. It could have stood as a model for all the kingdoms and monarchies across the world. Human rights were existent at Rome hundreds of years before any other place around the world. The Roman people were represented in their government and had power. Many people around the world who were persecuted under dictators and monarchies could have looked at Rome as an example of what a better form of government is. It took the rest of the world more than another millennia to form another democracy. The Roman Government had three parts. These three parts used a system of checks and balances just as a modern democracy does today. The first government to adopt this system since Rome was England, when it adopted its two houses of parliament. After the fall of Rome, anarchy took place in the parts of Europe that it occupied.

International Business Climate Essay

1.0 Introduction Business climate refers to the economic environment in general which depicts how businesses and business activities are supported by the government as well as the lending institutions. Business climate is also a reflection of the attitude of the labor unions toward inflation rates, taxation rates, employers and other issues which affect business activities   in a given region or country. Switzerland ranks the most attractive country in terms of having the most conducive international business climate which has attracted tremendous investments and highly skilled labor from all over the globe. The country enjoys a safe and stable working environment and most small and medium enterprises are located in the Greater Geneva Berne area (GGBa) which has an excellent international business track record (ggba-switzerland.ch, n.d). Switzerland experienced one of the weakest economies in the Western Europe in the 1990s during which the annual GDP growth averaged 0% between the years 1991 and 1997. A gradual economic growth was witnessed in the beginning of late 1997 and it reached a peak in 2000 with a GDP of 3%. Between 2001 and 2003, the economic growth slowed down but began to grow at 2.5% per annum since the year 2004 until the latest global economic crises which have had a great impact on its economic growth (state.gov, 2010). Being at the heart of Europe, Switzerland is a hub for the crucial communication systems which are indispensable in the industrial Europe. Therefore, the expansive modern and reliable infrastructure encompassing the country facilitates an extremely high number of international and local business activities. The good international business climate of the country has been influenced by several factors which entails economic, cultural, legal, and political issues. It is therefore the obj ective of this paper to discuss these issues with reference to Switzerland as a country. 2.0 Economic Climate Trade is the backbone of Switzerland’s prospering economy which has made its per capita income be among the highest globally. International climate highly favors the export markets upon which the country depends for generating enormous income while at the same time facilitating the imports of raw materials which are essential for the expansion of the range of goods and services available in the economy. Economic climate is also made better by the liberal trade and investment policies which has attracted many investors in addition to the well defined commercial law and well developed legal system. Switzerland is a member of several international economic organizations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and The World Bank (state.gov, 2010). Important sectors of the economy include tourism, engineering, banking and insurance which have a heavy influence in the economic policies of the country. The existing trading companies enjoy unique expertise from Far East, Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe. The highly developed tourism industry gives the country’s market the   opportunity to trade in services and equipment related to tourism. The export industry provides the economy with about half of the country’s corporate earnings with the largest trading partner being the European Union. The trade and economic barriers between Switzerland and the EU are minimal hence facilitating more business activities. The U.S   is a major export destination of products from Switzerland and also a major source of imports of raw materials for the country. U.S is the second-largest importer of Swiss goods after Germany and also is the largest foreign investor in Switzerland (state.gov, 2010). 3.0 Legal Climate The business regulatory system in Switzerland is highly transparent and regulations affecting the activities of both local and international investors are applied with no discrimination. Previously, cartels were common in the economy whereby companies in various industrial and service sectors through industrial and trade associations organized themselves into vertical and horizontal cartels. The new law governing the formation of cartels ensures that such cartels do no harm to the society and the economy. The adoption of this law which includes the authority to stop anti-competitive behavior without prior warning has facilitated an extra GDP growth of 0.5-0.8% per annum following the reduction of harmful cartels (Dimireva, 2010). The legal system governing international and local business activities has propagated an efficient capital markets and   portfolio investment. One of the largest markets for foreign borrowers is the Swiss franc dominated foreign bond market and generally there are no restrictions on the sale or purchase of   foreign equities and currencies. Forward transactions between Swiss nationals and foreigners can be carried out at the prevailing market rates. The liberal market of Switzerland is protected from being misused as a platform for criminal activity and money laundering by regulations which serve to adjust particular aspects of portfolio investment. A good example is the signing of OECD Anti-Bribery Convention in 1997 which started operating in 2000 (Dimireva, 2010). The effective legal and policy framework of Switzerland has excelled in combating corruption which if unchecked can adversely impact the international business climate. Following implementatation of laws deterring corruption, for instance the U.S firms which have invested in Switzerland have not issued any complaints about cases of corruption. There are highl y effective investigative and enforcement mechanisms which deals with any domestic corruption and this has attracted more international investors who have developed confidence in the Swiss economy. 4.0 Political Climate The Swiss political system is highly stable and effective since both the county and state government bodies possess high levels opf control. The system has been structured in such a way that all the rural and urban areas of the country have access to government officials for requests or essential information. A referendum which requires a popular one million signatures is enough to give people the power to demand certain changes concerning business practice, the established law or the environment. One of the main contributors to the country’s political stability is the stability existing within different institutions.The Swiss National Bank for instance is a highly steadfast finanacial institution which has strengthened and stabilised the Swiss Franc. Political stability is further stabilised by the fact that Switzerland   is a representative democracy in which the major governing body is the Federal Council made up of seven persons. The government is considered to be trustw orthy and honest by the populace (mkeever.com, n.d). 5.0 Cultural Climate International business climate in Switzerland is greatly influenced by the etiquette and cultural expectations in the Swiss professional environment. In order to develop productive working relationships and successful business strategies, it is a preriquisite to understand and respect the various aspects of Swiss culture. The country offers Communicaid’s Doing Business cultural awareness courses to enhance the creation of fruitful business relationships between foreign business professionals and the Swiss clients partners and colleagues (Guliyev, 2007). Such courses are essential in ensuring competitive advantage which offers foreign business people with the ideal opportunity to comfortably do business in the country. In addition, there are a wide range of cultural and leisure activioties which has further facilitated the progress of the country in doing intyernational business. The ideal cultural climate has prompted a large number of   sports lovers, business travellers an d nature enthusiasist to visit the country all year round which has elevated international business relations a notch higher. 6.0 Conclusion The creation of an enabling international business climate is a collective task of various institutions and aspects of the society. These aspects must comprehensively address cultural, political, economic, and legal situations of the particular country which is willing to create a conducive business environment. Switzerland is a good example of a country in the heart of Europe which has embarked in creating such an environment which consequently has attracted huge investments. The creation of   an excellent international business climate may not be as challenging as sustaining it and therefore firm political, legal, cultural and economic strategies are indispensable in achieving it.

Travelling

Because it was located at the tip of a productive elevated region, and because it was ear the sea, settlers from Papaya, ‘locos Norte came here by sailboat in 1883 to farm, hunt and fish. They were the Negro, McKay, Sciatica, Merman and Vacation families. Other immigrants followed but only after they heard of the easy life these settlers enjoyed within so short of time. The present day inhabitants are also a conglomeration of natives, so with their occupation, distinct characteristics and outlook towards life.What makes them a bit different is their outward hospitality. Guests are usually served with â€Å"bandanna†(ark it nip wine), â€Å"Killeen† roasted chicken and barbeques fish. Their chief products are coffee, rice, lumber and coconuts. The official founding of Sanchez Mira was August 20, 1894,a day after the fiesta of Maillot, a barrio of Pomona. The town was named in honor of Manuel Sanchez Mira, a Spanish Brigadier General assigned in the Canaan Valley, u pon a strong recommendation of Hilarious Pulled and Fray Santiago Jugular.Actually, Maillot (Now Sanchez Mira) was declared a town by virtue of Royal Decree on September 14, 1894. For his civic spirit, Hilarious Pulled was appointed gubernatorial. He effected many reforms in the newly created municipality, inning for him and his office the people's esteem for General beautification of Sanchez Mira was also credited to him. In 1895, he was succeeded by Boliviano Irrational whose administration was characterized by unrest because of the Philippine Revolution against America.Captain Catalina Pulled, son of Hilarious Pulled, took over the reigns of the town government sometime in 1898. Among his achievements was the maintenance of peace and order because the people were still cold and unresponsive to the policies introduced by the newly arrived Americans. Also worthy in mentioning in this regard ere the men who followed after Captain Catatonia's term. They were municipal presidents Vick ie Aquinas (1901), Circle Bengal, Corsair Vacation and Salvation Pulled (1904). It was during the Polio's term that the town hall and church were burned.In spite of this unfortunate incidents, the town progressed steadily under him. Also the townspeople remembered him for his sound Judgment. Sometime in 1910, Don Paulo Galatia, an energetic administrator, had his term too. It was through his untiring efforts that all barrios under Sanchez Mira were raised a bit room the equal and filth they suffered since the early Spanish regime. Another stand out leader was Don Eastern Negro, elected in the 1929 elections. His administration built a semi-concrete school building, which he dedicated on August 30, 1930. T was also through him that the monument of Dry. Jose Racial was erected in the town plaza. The rest of the towns leader who did their share for the towns people's good are as follows: Antonio Chaperon, (1932); Eastern Sciatica (1935), Haploid Valuable (1936); Juan Argonne (appointed military mayor by the late President Manuel Rosa on June 15, 1946). Don Cosmos Merman, ex- representative, was mayor when the war broke out on December 5, 1941. Last but not the least was Mayor Ambrosia Brain, another outstanding leader.During his term, the town saw the rise of a prefecture center and the digging of artesian wells. Sanchez Mira was one of the first towns to be liberated after World War II. No incident of note place here during the Japanese occupation except for the execution of acting Mayor Venation Cigarillo who collaborated with the enemy. 2. GEOGRAPHY 2. 1 LOCATION; The Municipality of Sanchez Mira is situated in the northwestern part of the province f Canaan. It approximately 1 57 kilometers from Autograph, the capital town.

Any

Any Any Any By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, If a countable noun comes after any, then should it [the noun] be singular or plural? Like the indefinite article a/an, the word any derives from a form of the Old English word for one. Primarily an adjective, it is also used as a pronoun. As an adjective, any is most commonly followed by plural or uncountable nouns: In questions: Do you have any tomatoes for sale? (plural noun) Baa, baa Black Sheep, have you any wool? (uncountable noun) In negative statements: I don’t have any books by that author. (plural noun) The lion didn’t have any courage. (uncountable noun) In conditional statements: If your final draft contains any errors, it will be rejected. (plural noun) If you need any help with the proofing, let me know. (uncountable noun) Sometimes any is used to modify a singular countable noun: Any fourth-grader should be able to read that book. Any grammar book will have a section on relative pronouns. In these sentences, any is used in the sense of every: Every fourth-grader should be able to read that book. Every grammar book will have a section on relative pronouns. Sometimes a singular countable noun follows any in a question: Is there any rule that says I can’t dye my hair green? Is there any reason you slam the screen door every time you go through it? In the above contexts, the speaker does not anticipate more than one rule or reason, if any. On the other hand, a speaker who anticipates that there could be several rules or reasons would follow any with a plural noun: Are there any rules against further construction in this neighborhood? Are there any reasons we shouldn’t require job applicants to submit samples of their writing? As a pronoun, any stands for a noun that has already been expressed, or when it is followed by the preposition of: Of all the books I have read, this one is more memorable than any. If there are any of the pecans left after the sale, you may have them. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesPhrasal Verbs and Phrasal Nouns

Free Essays on Dear Tobacco Company Persuasive Essay

Dear tobacco company, Why do you insist on selling cigarettes? This question should be asked to tobacco companies everywhere. Why do people buy cigarettes? There are many questions we can ask smokers and their providers. Millions of people are dying every day from tobacco products. Cigarettes can cause cancer in your lungs and mouth. The cancer is very deadly, millions die from smoking related diseases each year. Second hand smoke can be worse for you than smoking itself. At least when your smoking you have a filter to block some of the 200+ chemicals that are in a cigarette. Second hand smoke is the full effect of all the harsh chemicals in smoking straight into your lungs so the effects are even greater than smoking. Smoking causes breathing problems such as emphysema and asthma just to name a few. It also causes three known cancers like throat, lung, mouth and perhaps many more. Smoking causes your immune system to weaken the longer you smoke, so you more likely to get very sick and take longer to get over a common cold. Smoking makes your breath really stink and it turns your fingers yellow. So tell me, why should you sell cigarettes? Is the money so great that you forget you can't replace your mom, dad, or your best friend? The danger list goes on and on..., but for now you will sell cigarettes to people and worry about the rest later, Smoking is one of the most addictive drugs out there and it kills millions a year. Thats still alright with you? I'm sorry, saddened and sickened by this fact that is why, I will never smoke. Cigarette smoke contains 4,000 chemical constituents and more than 40 of them are known to cause cancer in humans. Some experts say that it's usually not the nicotine that kills but these other chemicals†¦ Here are just a few ingredients you can find in cigarette smoke: Acetone, Generally used as solvent such as nail ... Free Essays on Dear Tobacco Company 'Persuasive Essay' Free Essays on Dear Tobacco Company 'Persuasive Essay' Dear tobacco company, Why do you insist on selling cigarettes? This question should be asked to tobacco companies everywhere. Why do people buy cigarettes? There are many questions we can ask smokers and their providers. Millions of people are dying every day from tobacco products. Cigarettes can cause cancer in your lungs and mouth. The cancer is very deadly, millions die from smoking related diseases each year. Second hand smoke can be worse for you than smoking itself. At least when your smoking you have a filter to block some of the 200+ chemicals that are in a cigarette. Second hand smoke is the full effect of all the harsh chemicals in smoking straight into your lungs so the effects are even greater than smoking. Smoking causes breathing problems such as emphysema and asthma just to name a few. It also causes three known cancers like throat, lung, mouth and perhaps many more. Smoking causes your immune system to weaken the longer you smoke, so you more likely to get very sick and take longer to get over a common cold. Smoking makes your breath really stink and it turns your fingers yellow. So tell me, why should you sell cigarettes? Is the money so great that you forget you can't replace your mom, dad, or your best friend? The danger list goes on and on..., but for now you will sell cigarettes to people and worry about the rest later, Smoking is one of the most addictive drugs out there and it kills millions a year. Thats still alright with you? I'm sorry, saddened and sickened by this fact that is why, I will never smoke. Cigarette smoke contains 4,000 chemical constituents and more than 40 of them are known to cause cancer in humans. Some experts say that it's usually not the nicotine that kills but these other chemicals†¦ Here are just a few ingredients you can find in cigarette smoke: Acetone, Generally used as solvent such as nail ...

11 Things You Must Avoid During ACT Practice Tests

Things You Must Avoid During ACT Practice Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re using practice tests for your ACT prep, great job! That’s the best way to prepare for the ACT, but how do you make sure you’re learning from each ACT practice exam you take? How do you make sure you’re really prepared for the actual ACT? You must sit for each ACT practice exam with realistic testing conditions. What might you be doing (maybe on accident) that’s destroying your realistic testing conditions? #1: Not Using Accurate ACT Timing When taking ACT practice test, you need to use the exact timing from the real ACT.The ACT is extremely tough on time. It’s a very fast-paced test.If you’re not using the actual timing in your practice, you won’t be ready the day of your ACT test. Use the real ACT time on your practice test, so you have your pacing down when you take the real ACT.Think of ACT prep like marathon training. You wouldn’t show up to run a marathon without timing your practice runs and expect to win 1st place. Do you know the exact timing of the ACT?If not, you can find the time allowed for each ACT section listed on the first page of that section of the practice test. See below: If you’d like to know more about timing, read about the exact timing of the ACT. #2: Using Your Cell Phone Wait, Dora, didn’t you just say I need to time my ACT practice tests, and if I can’t use my cell phone, how do I do that?You need to use a watch.If you ignore my advice and use your cell phone to keep time, you’ll likely feel a little lost in timing when you’re not able to use your cell phone the day of the test. (NOTE: you can’t use your phone at all at your test center even during the test breaks). So don’t use your cell phone! Buy an inexpensive watch like this one which you could use when you take the real ACT.Buy the watch now so that you can start using it during practice tests, so you get familiar using it to pace yourself. But, Dora, what if I time myself with my cell phone in airplane mode?No!!!That’s better than using your cell phone in regular mode. However, you will still feel lost the day of the test when you can’t use it to time yourself the day of the test. Dora, what if I need to use my cell phone as a calculator?BAD!As I said, you won’t have access to your cell phone at all while at your test center, so buy yourself an approved calculator now if you don’t have one and use it during your practice on ACT Math. You can check Instagram when your practice test is over! #3: Using Your Calculator During the Entire ACT Practice Test While we’re talking about calculators, remember you can only use your calculator on the math section.Do not have your calculator on your desk for the Reading, Writing, Science, and the Essay.Only have your calculator during the one math section that allows you to use a calculator. #4: Watching TV, Listening to Music, and/or Wearing Ear Plugs Some students watch tv and/or listen to music while taking ACT practice tests, and it will be a distraction, decreasing their score because they can’t concentrate.Others watch tv and/or listen to music, and it helps them maintain their focus, artificially increasing their score.Whichever category you fall into, you should never have the TV or music playing while you take an ACT practice test.Familiarize yourself with taking the ACT in a quiet room. However, you cannot wear ear plugs during your practice tests.I understand many people like wearing ear plugs because it cuts out background noise and helps maintain focus.The ACT doesn’t allow you to wear ear plugs. Get used to hearing background noise as you take your practice tests because when you take the ACT, you’ll have to deal with background sounds of paper moving, pencils writing, erasers rubbing, and more. #5: Eating and/or Drinking At the real ACT, you cannot eat during the test.However, you’ll be able to eat and drink outside of your testing room during the breaks.Don’t eat/drink while taking your ACT practice tests (except during breaks). There are two important reasons not to:If you're attempting to eat/drink and take the test at the same time, you may be very distracted and reduce your score.Also, you get a boost of energy when you eat or drink.This boost may make the ACT seem â€Å"easier.†Then, on the real ACT, you might be surprised when the ACT seems â€Å"longer† and â€Å"more difficult† because you don’t have the artificial energy boost from food/drink. As I’ve said earlier, the ACT is like a marathon.Train for it with the same intensity.During your ACT practice, only have food/drink during the breaks. No food or drink! #6: Taking Extra Restroom Breaks You will not be allowed to leave your test to go to the restroom.You’ll be forced to wait to go to the restroom until the breaks.You need to get familiar with holding it until the break! Practice this during your ACT practice tests.You don’t want to be thinking about how badly you need to use the restroom while trying to concentrate on your ACT. I strongly suggest you use the bathroom right before the ACT begins (or you start your ACT practice test), so you start with an empty tank. #7: Not Sitting at a Desk Where you take your ACT practice test is significant, don’t take the test on your couch or in your bed!Take the ACT practice tests while sitting upright at a desk.If you ignore me and take your practice tests on the couch/bed, you might feel strange during the actual ACT when you’re forced to sit at a new, uncomfortable desk for four hours. Make sure your practice test environment is just like the actual ACT test environment.You should be sitting at empty desk or table with nothing other than your ACT practice test print out, pencils, erasers, and calculator (when allowed). Sit at a nice clean desk! #8: Splitting the ACT Practice Test Over a Few Days At the start, I said the ACT is like a marathon.Marathon runners aren’t permitted to split up a marathon over a few days.You must practice taking full-length ACTs.I understand if you don’t have 4 hours every day to take a full-length practice ACT, but you should take at least two full-length practice tests before taking the real ACT. On the days where you don’t have time for the whole practice test, you need to complete at least one full section of the ACT.For example, take the full 60-minute math section without any breaks.If you sit for just one section, the same rules mentioned in this article apply: no phone, no extra bathroom breaks, etc. #9: Not Filling Out the Scantron I know it’s tempting to forget about the scantron and just to circle the answers in your ACT practice test.Using a scantron can be tricky, so you don’t want your first time using one to be on the real ACT.While doing ACT practice tests, bubble in your answers as you work through each section. Practice bubbling in so that you don’t accidentally bubble in wrong answers the day of the real ACT.If you have some time at the end of the section, I recommend checking your scantron answers with your booklet answers to make sure you didn’t accidentally bubble any answers incorrectly. #10: Using Pen While practicing with the scantron, you also must use a pencil and eraser!You’re required to use a #2 pencil on the ACT (not even a mechanical pencil!).I suggest you have at least 3 sharpened #2 pencils when you take the ACT. Additionally, you should bring a basic pencil sharpener and a big eraser.Take your ACT practice tests with these items. On the real ACT, you want to feel confident and comfortable.To get that feeling, you need your ACT practice to be as similar as possible to the real testing environment!Get familiar having these supplies on your desk. Get comfortable sharpening a broken pencil with your hand sharpener! For many students, any small issue can be distracting during a big test (I know it did for me!).Practice with your pencils, erasers, and pencil sharpener, so you don’t get flustered on the real ACT. Don't use any support! #: Using Any Support Material Finally, don’t use any additional material while taking ACT practice exams.As I said, on the real ACT, you won’t be allowed anything on your desk except for your test booklet, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, and your calculator (only during the math section).So don’t use anything other than those materials during your ACT practice! Don’t use a formula cheat sheet, and don’t use a dictionary to look up words!There will be not outside help during the real ACT, so don’t use outside help during your practice. If there are words you don’t understand while taking a practice test, try to figure out their meaning using context clues.Try to answer questions without looking up vocabulary.Circle the words you don’t know, so when you’ve finished, you can easily go back to those words and look them up in a dictionary. Summary: How to Get the Best ACT Practice All of the above can be summarized in one sentence: follow the rules of the ACT during your practice tests!Realistic practice will prepare you the best to excel on the ACT and is key to feeling prepared and relaxed on the day of the actual ACT. Do you still feel uncertain as to how to make your practice tests the ideal prep for test day? Check out our guide to getting realistic ACT practice. What’s Next? Not sure where you’d like to go to college? Figure out how to find your target school. Interested in attending a top college? Check out our guides to getting into Harvard and Stanford! Struggling with your college application? Learn how to write your personal statement and how to write about extracurriculars. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Types of Technology that Track Repeat Offenders Research Paper

Types of Technology that Track Repeat Offenders - Research Paper Example d more than 200,000 injuries, with over 25,000 being fatal injuries, occur annually as a result of traffic crashes which has a wide documentation indicating that 80% to 90% of the crashes are attributable to repeat-offender related behavior. Of the 3000 motor vehicle crashes related deaths, 800 are as a result of red lights running (Greenlaw, 1997). Similarly, most murders and sex related capital offences are believed to be done by repeat offenders. These among other reasons show that there is need for concerted efforts to advocate for innovative and new approaches such as technological repeat-offender tracking because available studies elucidate that much less impact have been achieved by traditional countermeasures. This paper therefore aims at examining the various technological measures that have been adopted to track repeat offenders, with a particular understanding that this is an area that has not been intensively investigated into as compared to other scientific insights into crime aberration. Furthermore, this paper will move from policy identification to the myriad challenges in operational requirements as they are faced by law enforcement agents. The main objective is to arrive at a conclusion that would give some viable recommendations that would assist or contribute to reduced future victimization to the general public and increased general community safety. Some examples of repeat offences and tracking technologies that will be highlighted include: red light running and red light cameras; impaired driving as a result of alcohol influence and breath tests gadgets; DNA database tracking; GPS- Global Positioning Satellite technology and repeat sex offenders; among other capital offences. There has been a profound global increase of electronic monitoring and tracking technology legislation within the last decade as a further repeat and future offenses prevention measure. In 2006 in America for example, legislation authorizing or requiring wide

English 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English 101 - Essay Example In just under two hundred and seventy words, Lincoln managed to do what most orators only dream of. He embodied the great American spirit of nationalism coupled with the country immense sacrifice and loss due to war - expressing in words what many American citizens simply did not know how to. Speeches, like the Gettysburg Address, differ very little from other forms of writing and use the same literary devices found in fiction. Word choice is extremely important in all types of writing. Lincoln word choice in the Gettysburg Address allows his speech to be both emotional and accessible to his audience. Many of the words are only one syllable, and the entire speech is lain talk.Lincoln writes ow we are engaged in a great civil war We are met on a great battlefield of war,and continues ut it can never forget what they did here. Lincoln is careful to write and speak in such a way that makes his audience feel comfortable. He is not speaking to a room full of scholars but to the mothers, wives, and families of men who gave their lives in war. Lincoln makes sure his word choice will be understood by those who are listening. Peter Blanck, a Civil War Historian, asserts "Not only the Battle of Gettysburg, but the whole Civil War, means to us today what Lincoln said it must mean at that dark time of mourning for the dead.

Discuss the relevance of psychological models to explain some of the Essay

Discuss the relevance of psychological models to explain some of the barriers to the implementation and maintenance of exercise in the field of exercise for health - Essay Example The Transtheoretical Model (TTM; Prochaska & DiClemente, 1982, p. 83) has been used to facilitate positive behaviour change towards physical activity. The model is a combination of stages of change, self-efficacy, temptation, decisional balance and processes of change. The first stage, the stage of change, has been widely adopted by health and fitness professionals to help individuals move through the six theoretical stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, termination with a positive outcome (progression) or negative outcome (relapse). In the pre-contemplation stage the individual is not identifying the need for an exercise programme within the next 6 months. While smoothly moving to the next stage - the contemplation, the individual has begun to form an idea about exercising and eventually initiates it within the next 6 months. The preparation stage involves planning to start exercising within the next 60 days. The action period represents the first 6 months after commencing the exercise programme. In the maintenance stage a sustained exercise programme is developed which lasts no more than 6 months. The termination of the exercise program would mean that the individual has successfully changed his/her behaviour and consolidated the life-style in accordance with it. According to Prochaska & Velicer (1997) the termination stage is when an individual has embedded in himself/herself in an exercise behaviour for more than five years and has no desire for temptations and a maintains a robust self-efficacy for a health y lifestyle. There is a possibility for a relapse phase to appear. The relapse can happen during any one of the enumerated stages. The relapse results in returning of the individual to the previous stage. According to Bandura (1997) it is vital for a theoretical stage model

Auditing and Assurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Auditing and Assurance - Essay Example The omission is considered as immaterial if it does not affect the decisions of the users of financial statements. If the discrepancies in the information provided by the financial statements are material, the auditor needs to check and cross-check the effects of the misstatement on the financial statements as a whole. For instance, a misstatement in the inventory is required to be evaluated through an evaluation of combined effect of its relevant and linked accounts. The materiality of this misstatement, hence, would consider the accumulated impact on inventory, total current assets, total working capital, total assets, income taxes, income taxes payable, total current liabilities, cost of goods sold, net income before taxes and net income after taxes (Arens, Elder, & Beasley, Audit Reports, 2012). The relationship of materiality and opinion is tied with a lengthy process of auditing the financial statements. This relationship, hence, influences the way an auditor works by deciding on the extent and scope of auditing. Materiality determines if the auditor needs more time to be spent on certain areas of financial statements. Moreover, it also decides the nature of the report and the type of opinion. A material misstatement, for instance, results in a qualified, disclaimer or an adverse report if it affects the decisions of the users. Auditors are responsible to discover and report direct-effect illegal acts in the same manner as errors and frauds. On the other hand, there are limitations to detect and report indirect-effect illegal acts. The direct-effect illegal acts are detectable as, usually, they have a financial impact in terms of, for example, tax calculations etc.; whereas, indirect-effect illegal acts are not easily determinable as they are more related to the company’s work procedures, environment and conduct. The three levels of

Monetary policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Monetary policy - Essay Example The normal fluctuation rate dictated by ERM is + or – 15 percent. However, countries that are able to maintain very high degree of convergence to the Euro can negotiate narrow fluctuation band (range). For example, Danish fluctuation rate has been allowed a narrow range of + or – 2.25 percent because it was able to maintain excellent convergence to the euro. The main reason of controlled currency fluctuations is to minimize foreign currency risks caused by high and sudden currency value fluctuations. Stabilization of the national currency through pegging system helps to promote trade by minimizing trading barriers. Trade barriers (increase in currency exchange costs) result from sudden fluctuations in foreign currencies that may increase cost of doing international business. Pegging currencies in the euro zone was aimed at speeding up the adoption of single market. In the event that European Union member currency surpasses predetermined currency fluctuation range, the E uropean Central Bank and the central bank of that nation should intervene by fixing foreign exchange rates consistent to country’s economic needs. This is in a bid to ensure that the exchange rates are kept within the fluctuation range. The European Central Bank can advance short term loans to rectify currency fluctuations in the short run caused by instant speculative pressure. However, short term interventions by The European Central Bank can be suspended if interventions contradict with objectives and aims of both the European Central Bank and country’s central bank. Membership to EMR II is not mandatory but is a prerequisite foe any country, which wants to join the euro zone. No country will be admitted to euro zone until it participated in EMR II for at least two years with no severe tensions and devaluations. ii) Advantages and disadvantages of resulting from agreements with EU to Peg the Pound to the Euro and join the European Monetary Union a) Pegging the Pound to the Euro When a country is pegged to a euro, movement in the euro is followed by movement in the currency associated with it. There are some advantages associated with pegging the pound to the euro. First, the euro is becoming popular. Euro has become favorable international currency for most governments. Most countries outside the euro zone have already pegged their currencies to the euro and are enjoying financial stability. Euro provides shelter against unexpected drops in individual currencies. Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Cape have not adopted the euro but have pegged their currencies to the euro. This makes the euro stronger and stable. Secondly, pegging pound to euro will reduce pounds’ fluctuations (shocks). Pound will gain strength and stability as euro gain strength. According to Ghosh et al (2002), pound will achieve more clarity, transparency and predictability if pegged to the euro. This is because currency pegging imposes necessary d iscipline when country is dealing with foreign exchange currencies. Third, pegging pound to euro helps to enhance pound’s credibility. Credibility will be achieved when pound is pegged to euro, which has lower and increasingly predictable rate of inflation. There are disadvantages associated with pegging pound to the euro. First, pound is likely to lose value when euro loses value. This is because changes in anchor currencies will affect associated

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 7

Project Management - Essay Example In order to ensure the success of the Scantel project, Brian Callister who is an engineer and the acting manager of CSU together with an engineer and a technician was given three months deadline to report to VIL board regarding the following: (1) expected outcome of possible technical problems; (2) assess the feasibility of developing the concept into a working prototype; and (3) plan the development tasks which would lead to the prototype stage. Based on Callister’s suggested Scantel network diagram, the researcher will analyze and identify the key factors that may contribute to the delay of project completion. In line with this matter, the researcher will provide reasons that could promote the projects’ potential risks of delays. Eventually, the researcher will provide some strategies that could keep the project done within the preferred schedule. To be able to analyze the possible cause of bottleneck in each stages of the network diagram that was proposed by Callister and eventually develop an effective strategy that could prevent the delay upon completing the Scantel project within the desired schedule. Based on the simplified network diagram proposed by Callister, the major bottleneck with regards to the Scantel project occurs more on: (1) display system; (2) the chassis & body; and (3) the lens and housing. (See Figure I – Simplified Network Diagram on page 16) The display system is referring to the simplified sub-system of the whole plan. It shows the major events that will be needed in order to manufacture, test and calibrate the end product within a specific period of time. The problem with the display system is with regards to its accuracy. Considering the fact that the time allocation for producing the lens and housing is unknown, the whole schedule based on the plan is making the display system less accurate. For instance, the time allocation for producing the lens and housing will take longer time to produce than

Monetary policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Monetary policy - Essay Example The normal fluctuation rate dictated by ERM is + or – 15 percent. However, countries that are able to maintain very high degree of convergence to the Euro can negotiate narrow fluctuation band (range). For example, Danish fluctuation rate has been allowed a narrow range of + or – 2.25 percent because it was able to maintain excellent convergence to the euro. The main reason of controlled currency fluctuations is to minimize foreign currency risks caused by high and sudden currency value fluctuations. Stabilization of the national currency through pegging system helps to promote trade by minimizing trading barriers. Trade barriers (increase in currency exchange costs) result from sudden fluctuations in foreign currencies that may increase cost of doing international business. Pegging currencies in the euro zone was aimed at speeding up the adoption of single market. In the event that European Union member currency surpasses predetermined currency fluctuation range, the E uropean Central Bank and the central bank of that nation should intervene by fixing foreign exchange rates consistent to country’s economic needs. This is in a bid to ensure that the exchange rates are kept within the fluctuation range. The European Central Bank can advance short term loans to rectify currency fluctuations in the short run caused by instant speculative pressure. However, short term interventions by The European Central Bank can be suspended if interventions contradict with objectives and aims of both the European Central Bank and country’s central bank. Membership to EMR II is not mandatory but is a prerequisite foe any country, which wants to join the euro zone. No country will be admitted to euro zone until it participated in EMR II for at least two years with no severe tensions and devaluations. ii) Advantages and disadvantages of resulting from agreements with EU to Peg the Pound to the Euro and join the European Monetary Union a) Pegging the Pound to the Euro When a country is pegged to a euro, movement in the euro is followed by movement in the currency associated with it. There are some advantages associated with pegging the pound to the euro. First, the euro is becoming popular. Euro has become favorable international currency for most governments. Most countries outside the euro zone have already pegged their currencies to the euro and are enjoying financial stability. Euro provides shelter against unexpected drops in individual currencies. Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Cape have not adopted the euro but have pegged their currencies to the euro. This makes the euro stronger and stable. Secondly, pegging pound to euro will reduce pounds’ fluctuations (shocks). Pound will gain strength and stability as euro gain strength. According to Ghosh et al (2002), pound will achieve more clarity, transparency and predictability if pegged to the euro. This is because currency pegging imposes necessary d iscipline when country is dealing with foreign exchange currencies. Third, pegging pound to euro helps to enhance pound’s credibility. Credibility will be achieved when pound is pegged to euro, which has lower and increasingly predictable rate of inflation. There are disadvantages associated with pegging pound to the euro. First, pound is likely to lose value when euro loses value. This is because changes in anchor currencies will affect associated

Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide for Unit 2 Essay Example for Free

Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide for Unit 2 Essay 1) What are the parts of an atom? Where are the subatomic particles found? Protons, neutrons, and electrons. In the nucleus and on the orbitals and sub-orbitals of the atom. 2) How does the Atomic Mass # differ from the Atomic #? Atomic mass # is the sum of all protons and neutrons in the atom’s nucleus. The atomic # is equal to the number of protons in an atom. 3) What is an isotope? Give an example (show how it is an isotope). An isotope is a radioactive form of an element or a form of an element with the same atomic # and the same amount of protons but a different atomic mass and a different amount of neutrons. An example would be deuterium. Its atomic number is 1 and it has 1 neutron. Its atomic mass number is 2 and it is an isotope of hydrogen. 4) Compare and contrast the 3 basic types of chemical bonds and give an example of each. Ionic, Covalent, and Hydrogen. Ionic bonds form between atoms with opposite electrical charges. An example of an ionic bond is sodium chloride. Covalent bonds occur when atoms share forming molecules. Carbon dioxide is an example of a covalent bond. Hydrogen bonds are weak attractions between the positive, hydrogen side of one polar molecule and the negative side of another polar molecule. DNA is effected by hydrogen bonds. 5) Why is pH important in Anatomy? Low pH damage cells and tissues, alters proteins and interferes with normal physiological functions. High pH also causes problems, but occurs rarely. pH is highly important to anatomy because they intertwine with the internal maintenance of the body 6.9) Name the 4 main Organic Molecules in Biochemistry. Describe each one, and provide an example. What are the â€Å"building blocks† of each molecule? For example, protein = Amino Acid. The 4 organic molecules in biochemistry are proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. The building blocks of the 4 molecules are as followed: Proteins = Amino Acids. Lipids= fatty acid and glycerol. Carbohydrates= monosaccharides, polysaccharides, disaccharides. Nucleic acids = nucleotides. 10) There are 4 levels of protein structure. What are the levels? How do the levels of a protein differ in structure and  function? The 4 levels of protein structure are: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. The levels of proteins differ in structure in function as followed; Primary- the order of amino acids Secondary- hydrogen bonds form Tertiary- folds the secondary structure Quaternary- several tertiary structures together 11) Describe the structure of ATP and why it is important? Cells require energy to function. Energy is stored in high-energy bonds connecting a phosphate group to an organic molecule. Adding a third phosphate group to ADP and produces the high-energy-compound adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Breaking off ATP’s third phosphate releases the stored energy of the phosphate bond, providing energy for work. 12) Why is the plasma membrane important to cells. Plasma membrane is important to cells because it provides the support and protection that the cell needs and it also shapes the cell. 13-17) Name 5 cell organelles and their functions. Nucleus- the control center of the cell. Mitochondrion- converts nutrients into energy that the cell can use Chloroplasts- converts radiant energy into chemical energy Ribosomes- synthesize proteins  Lysosomes- responsible for the digestion of materials that are brought into the cell. They also break down old or non-functioning organelles. 18) Describe the structure of DNA.   DNA is a double helix resembling a spiral staircase, with sugars and phosphates as the side rails and nucleotide pairs as the steps. The two halves of the DNA spiral are complementary strands. 19) How does DNA differ from RNA? DNA stays within the nucleus of the cell while RNA travels. DNA has thymine and RNA has uracil. 20) Describe transcription and translation in your own words. Transcription is changing DNA to RNA. Translation  is changing mRNA to a protein. 21) How are mitosis and meiosis similar†¦..different? The result of mitosis is 2 cells while meiosis results in 4 cells. Meiosis deals with sexual reproduction while mitosis deals with asexual reproduction.

Benefits Of Using Gis In Waste Management Environmental Sciences Essay

Benefits Of Using Gis In Waste Management Environmental Sciences Essay Solid waste management involves a number of stages starting from the choice of sites for landfill, collection, transportation and disposal of the solid waste. Both economic and environmental planners are concerned with the setting up of cost effective and environmentally friendly systems for solid waste management. Geographical Information System (GIS) is a tool that can provide spatial and non spatial information for urban planning and management. This paper focuses on the application of GIS as a planning and data collection tool in Solid Waste Management and analyses to what extent GIS is being used in solid waste management by the local authorities in Mauritius and also identifies the barriers to the proper use of GIS in this sector. A GIS model for the Grand Port-Savanne District Council (GPSVDC) a local authority in Mauritius is produced using ArcGIS software and this can be used as a decision support tool in planning waste collection and disposal. The Republic of Mauritius is a small island developing state (SIDS), situated at 800 km off the East coast of Madagascar at longitude 58 ° East and latitude 20 ° South in the Indian Ocean with a total surface area of 1870 km ². In addition to the island of Mauritius, the Republic includes the islands of Cargados Carajos, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands. The main island of Mauritius has a population of around 1.28 million inhabitants. The rapid industrialization and urbanization during the past decade have led to changing production and consumption patterns that continue to present new demands for natural resources and create new waste streams. It is expected that solid waste produced in Mauritius is about 380,000 tons a year (or 1,200 tons per day) and is expected to reach 418,000 tonnes in 2014. The present strategy of disposing wastes  at the  landfill and/or dumping sites will in the long-run be no longer sustainable or appropriate with the rapid increase in waste gene ration, scarcity of appropriate landfill sites and the density of human settlement. The development of an integrated solid waste management strategy is among the priorities identified in the National Environmental Strategies to reduce future costs from environment degradation. Governments policy is to promote waste reduction, minimize its generation, encourage the adoption of environmentally sound methods of resource recovery and modernize the institutional and legal framework for the entire logistical chain collection, storage, transfer and disposal and introduce a cost recovery mechanism. There has been awareness regarding waste management amongst many countries. There has been development of new technologies for improving the waste management systems. GIS is one of the new technologies which have contributed a lot in very less time span to the waste management society. (Moiz Ahmed Shaikh, 2006) This paper analyses the benefits of using GIS as a tool in solid waste management and makes an assessment of how far GIS is being used by the local authorities in Mauritius and identifies the barriers to the use of GIS in solid waste management in Mauritius. A GIS model for the Grand Port-Savanne District Council (GPSVDC) a local authority in Mauritius is produced using ArcGIS software and this can be used as a decision support tool in planning waste collection and disposal. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN MAURITIUS Solid Waste Management in Mauritius falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Local Government and Outer Islands. The main island of Mauritius has five Municipal Councils namely (i) Port Louis, (ii) Beau Bassin/Rose Hill, (iii) Quatre Bornes , (iv) Vacoas/Phoenix and (v) Curepipe. There are also four District Councils namely (i) Pamplemousses/Rivià ¨re du Rempart, (ii) Moka-Flacq, (iii) Grand Port-Savanne and (iv) Black River. Solid waste collection and disposal is undertaken by these local authorities in areas under their jurisdiction and is disposed of at the Mare Chicose landfill via a network of transfer stations situated in St Martin, Roche Bois, Poudre DOr and La Brasserie. Waste collection and disposal is also carried out by private companies on contract basis. The only landfill on the island is at Mare Chicose which is managed by a private contractor. With the increase in waste production the life span of the landfill is going on decreasing and soon there will be a n eed to increase the capacity of the landfill or to find another locality to set up a second landfill. The daily management of waste collection and disposal activities is carried out by officers of the Health Department of the Municipal Councils and the District Councils. 1.3 What is GIS? GIS is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating, analyzing and displaying data related to positions on the Earths surface. Typically, a Geographical Information System is used for handling maps of one kind or another. These might be represented as several different layers where each layer holds data about a particular kind of feature. Each feature is linked to a position on the graphical image on a map and a record in an attribute table. GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. A GIS helps you answer questions and solve problems by looking at your data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared. GIS technology can be integrated into any enterprise information system framework. 1.4 Uses of GIS in Solid Waste Management Solid waste management comprises several phases, starting from the stage where the waste is generated till it reaches its final destination or at a stage where it is no more a threat to the environment. It is observed that solid waste management can be bifurcated into mainly two phases. One is the waste management in the area where it is generated and second is the management of waste at dumping grounds. (Moiz Ahmed Shaikh, 2006). The development of Geographic Information System (GIS) and its use throughout the world has contributed a lot in improving waste management systems. GIS helps to manipulate data in the computer to simulate alternatives and to take the most effective decisions. GIS can add value to waste management applications by providing outputs for decision support and analysis in a wide spectrum of projects such as route planning for waste collection, site selection exercises for transfer stations, landfills or waste collection points. GIS provides a flexible platform w hich integrates and analyses maps and waste management databases. GIS allows us to create and store as many layers of data or maps as we want and provides various possibilities to integrate tremendous amounts of data and map overlays into a single output to aid in decision making (Chang et al. 1997). The changing production and consumption patterns have caused a rise in the volume of solid waste putting considerable pressure on Governments in dealing with the increased waste generation. It implies that local authorities will require huge capital investments and operational strategies for collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste. Delimiting factors such as limited financial resources have made it imperative to replace existing ad hoc methods employed in solid waste management and planning (Vijay et al. 2008). Sarptas et al. (2005) studied the use GIS in solid waste management in coastal areas as a decision support system with a case study on landfill site selection. The results of the study are that GIS is becoming a powerful tool in SWM. However there are still some drawbacks and deficiencies in applying the method extensively. For example, it is not applied in solid waste generation studies because large fluctuations in solid waste generation by time and space and the dynamic nature of urban areas generate several difficulties in determining the current solid waste generation patterns. In the early period of GIS technology, from the 1980s to the early 1990s, GIS software was capable of executing only basic geographical operations. These capabilities of GIS software limited the user to only basic tasks such as exclusion and allowed them to determine only alternative landfill sites in landfill siting applications. Advances in information technology and increasing access to computer system s by decision makers have improved the usefulness of computer models and computer aided technologies in DSS in the last decade. One of the typical examples is the SWM systems. The GIS models do not only support the decision procedure but also facilitate the communication and mutual understanding between decision maker and the people, because the implications of a SWM closely affects the society. However, the basic limitations in the use of GIS in SWM is the data availability. Because, especially in developing countries the available data are very scarce and access to the data is very poor and tiring. In addition, the existing data are not reliable, not collected, stored and disseminated systematically. More comprehensive researches and more efforts on data gathering to fulfill the needs of GIS models are recommended. Since routing models make extensive use of spatial data, GIS can provide effective handling, displaying and manipulation of such geographical and spatial information. For example, Ghose et al. (2006) proposed a model for the system of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) collection that provides planning for distribution of collection bins, load balancing of vehicles and generation of optimal routing based on GIS. According to Reddy et al. (2007), traditional and static approaches are no longer adequate for analyzing network flows and conducting minimum cost routing. Reddy et al. attempted to develop a decision support system for generating an optimum route for solid waste disposal in Hyderabad City and hence to reduce the distance ran by the collection vehicle using GIS. GIS tool provides an effective decision support through its database management capabilities, graphical user interfaces and cartographic visualization. The system developed by Reddy et al. used the Network Analyst module available in Arcview, which is a path-finding program used to model the movement of resources between two points or more. Chatila (2008) developed a GIS system for natural resources management and recycling of solid waste in the village of Marjeyoun in Southern Lebanon. A GIS map was prepared to serve as a zone management plan along with an environmental assessment that identifies cumulative pressures and impacts of some human activities on the village and the environment. A recycling program was developed based on solid waste sampling and analysis of collection systems. In a study carried out by Bergeron et al. (2010), 3D visualization and GIS were used to produce a digital city model for the Star City, West Virginia to allow government officials and managers to manage assets and perform day-to-day operations, develop sustainable planning initiatives, and management of solid waste assets and facilities, planning for solid waste and recycling facilities and drop-offs, mapping and planning efficient waste hauler routes and identifying issues such a underserved populations and illegal dumping. However, building and using a GIS requires expert knowledge, and can often prevent such systems from being used to their full capability by local officials. In addition, local government is often comprised of mature citizens who are committed to serving their community but may be wary of new technologies that are unfamiliar to them. 1.5 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper is to analyse the extent to which GIS is being used in waste management by the local authorities in Mauritius, to identify barriers to proper use of GIS in solid waste management and to assess to what extent GIS affects sustainable waste management as a decision support tool in planning waste collection, recycling, waste segregation and disposal in order to create cost-effective systems. Finally a model will be proposed for the Grand Port-Savanne District Council (GPSVDC) a local authority in Mauritius using ArcGIS software that could be used as a decision support tool in planning waste collection and disposal. The model produced will be used to store information regarding the existing collection routes, land use data, population data etc and data regarding the volume of waste produced. Based on these information decisions appropriate decisions can be taken to improve the existing solid waste management system and also predictions can be made for future plans. Hence, in short the aims of this project are mainly as follows: To identify to what extent GIS is being used in waste management in Mauritius. To identify barriers to proper use of GIS in waste management. To assess to what extent GIS affects sustainable waste management as a decision support tool in planning waste collection, recycling, waste segregation and disposal To carry out a case study for the Grand Port-Savanne District Council (GPSVDC) a local authority in Mauritius in order to produce a database for decision making. The paper will also carry out a literature study of some examples of GIS work for waste management. The study will include a discussion and a critical analysis of the models. The analysis of these studies will allow us to learn about the usefulness of GIS as a tool is solid waste waste management and these may be developed for Mauritius in the context of creating an Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan. Further to literature review, a number of hypotheses have been designed and have been described briefly GIS and Social Development H1: There is a significant link between GIS and Social Development. H0: There is no significant link between GIS and Social Development. GIS and Economic Development H1: There is a significant link between GIS and Economic Development. H0: There is no significant link between GIS and Economic Development. GIS and Environmental Development H1: There is a significant link between GIS and Environmental Development. H0: There is no significant link between GIS and Environmental Development. To achieve these aims, a logical step has been carried out to complete this project. The structure of the research gives an idea of the issues covered in this project. 1.6 Methodology In order to analyse the general waste management situation in the local authorities (Municipalities and District Councils) in Mauritius, a scientific approach was implemented to gather primary information which comprises of different steps. These steps are as follows: Step 1: The target group was identified. 30 officers working in the Local Authorities were interviewed. Alongside, a questionnaire vide Appendix 1, was designed to retrieve information from the respondents. Step 2: The 30 officers were interviewed and the questionnaire was used as a guide to ensure proper flow of questions. However, much emphasis was put in open ended questions so as to get maximum information concerning their point of view relating to the present waste management system. Step 3: The data collected was analyzed using SPSS and Excel whereby results were shown on a first instance in terms of descriptive statistics being line charts, bar charts and in terms inferential statistics being correlation, cross tabulation. Step 4: A list of recommendations and suggestions are given regarding the use of GIS in solid waste management in Mauritius and how they it can help in sustainable waste management. As well as, what can be done to mitigate the barriers that prevent the proper use of GIS. Chapter 2 GIS Model Analysis 2.1 Model 1 This is an overview and a discussion of the paper, A case study of fuel savings through optimisation of MSW transportation routes written by Gilberto Tavares, Zdena Zsigraiova, Viriato Semiao, Maria da Graà §a Carvalho published in 2008 in the Journal Management of Environmental Quality, Volume: 19 Issue: 4. At the end of the discussion there are critical views on this paper work. 2.1.1 Waste management background in Cape Verde This study has been carried out for Cape Verde where the demographic growth, tourism and other economic activities are putting enormous pressure on government. There is still evident lack of development plans, the existing waste management being rather poor and characterized by inefficient collection systems. (Gilbero Tavares, 2008) Besides, the negative impact of untreated waste on public health and on public concern, which focused the attention of engineers and scientists on the quest for waste management solutions viewing the prevention of undesired environmental effects, economy plays also an important role on this activity. In fact, collection and transportation of waste can absorb as much as 75 per cent of the municipalities MSWM budget that are usually the institutions responsible for such activities. (Gilbero Tavares, 2008) One of the heavy costs present in MSWM systems is the fuel price and its consumption is inevitably associated with undesired pollutants emissions. Therefore, the minimisation of fuel consumption to perform waste collection and transportation to its treatment or final disposal brings enormous savings and environmental benefits. 2.1.2 GIS approach The methodology used comprised of three phases. Phase 1 The model of the terrain and the road network A 3D model of the entire island of Santo Antao, Cape Verde was produced based on a digitised map provided in CAD files. The 3D model is generated as polylines based on contour lines that reflect the actual relief of the terrain. Using ArcGIS 3D Analyst, the 3D road network is then generated from both the 2D road network and the terrain model complying with the road gradients. This methodology makes possible the generation of road networks in the appropriate form allowing for the calculation of all inclinations of each road segment, which permits to determine the fuel consumption for both road directions (uphill and downhill). The 3D digital model and the road network obtained allows the large variability of the relief to be observed. Phase 2 Calculation of actual fuel consumption Fuel consumption during waste collection and transportation is influenced by the travelled distance and by the actual operation conditions of a given vehicle. These effects are incorporated in the model through the methodology established by Ntziachristos and Samaras (2000) in COPERT, which is a computer programme to calculate emissions from transport vehicles on road. (Gilbero Tavares, 2008) Besides considering specific vehicle parameters, the methodology also takes into account different driving conditions, namely the type of the driving situation, the vehicle load and the road gradient. The gradient of a road increases, when positive, or decreases, when negative, the resistance of a vehicle to traction. Therefore, and because of their large masses, the power employed during the driving is the decisive parameter for the fuel consumption. Once calculated, the fuel consumption value for each route arc is stored in the spatial data base to be used later during the route solver procedure that searches for the route with minimum fuel consumption. Phase 3 Optimisation of vehicle routing The efficiency of a management system that is able to solve problems related to vehicles circulation in road networks can be measured through its capacity to obtain optimised routes. For a system of MSW transportation, this consists of generating an optimal route for a given vehicle so that the value of the selected cost criterion is minimised. For the calculation of the optimal routing, the model used herein makes recourse to ESRIs programs ArcGIS, ArcInfo and Network Analyst extension, and it finds the minimum defined impedance path through a network. In order to compare solutions and clarify the potential of the present methodology, the routes are optimised regarding either the lowest fuel consumption or the shortest distance. Findings The findings of the study showed that the optimisation for the lowest fuel consumption yields 52 per cent savings in fuel, when compared to that for the shortest distance, even travelling a 34 percent longer distance, which shows the importance of considering simultaneously the relief of the territory and the lowest fuel consumption criterion when optimising vehicle routes. 2.1.3 Critical views With such a supporting decision tool savings in fuel are huge, the efficiency of management systems is improved and the environmental impact during daily operation is reduced. The GIS 3D route modelling takes into account the effects of both the road inclination and the vehicle load. The originality of the work lies in the chosen approach. To optimize vehicle routes the criterion of minimum fuel consumption rather than the commonly used shortest distance is used, since fuel consumption is the factor reflecting actual costs relative to MSW management. 2.2 Model 2 This is an overview and a discussion of the paper, A GIS Approach to Waste Management and Recycling in New York State. Written by Ghaly, Ashraf and published in 2009 in the journal Proceedings of the International Conference on Waste Technology Management, p1140-1150. At the end of the discussion there are critical views on this paper work. 2.2.1 Purpose of the study Solid waste and recycling programs requires management of large databases including collection data, transfer, processing, disposal, export, import, and future planning. The body of information involved in the decision making process is too challenging to effectively mange due to the many components it contains. A GIS approach takes advantage of the spatial nature of data presentation to illustrate the areas of strength in the system and to identify the areas in need for improvement. Such a system is not only useful to managers and state officials but it also is easier for the public to comprehend and appreciate. GIS also makes it easier to measure success and detect trends, which ultimately help improve the system to better manage collection, sorting, and recycling facilities. (Ghaly A., 2009) The existing recycling programs are put in place to reduce the use of virgin materials from forests, energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and water pollution. These programs ultimate goal is to promote conservation and to encourage the members of the public to be active participants in this effort. This paper uses GIS to demonstrate, using maps, the current state of waste management and recycling efforts, future plans, and methods of measuring success across geographic boundaries. The paper concludes that a spatially-based management system offers advantages, which makes it superior to non-spatial systems. Data Collection This paper uses data published by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for all the counties in the state to study the efficiency of the existing recycling programs and to find ways to optimize the use of landfills. This analysis is done for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), industrial waste, demolition and construction debris, and for waste exported out of the state to neighboring North East states. For better management of solid waste in the state of New York, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) maintains a comprehensive database on waste composition, pattern of waste generation, and methods of disposal. The success of this operation depends on the quality and accuracy of data collected. This data helps in the decision making process regarding the transfer and processing of solid waste, disposal, import/export, recycling, and in making plans for the future. To contribute to these efforts, the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) developed an Environmental Benefits Calculator which generates estimates of the environmental benefits based on the tonnages of recycled materials. Environmental benefits metrics involves quantifying the reduction in use of virgin materials from forests, oil supplies, and mines; reduction in energy consumption; reduction of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions; and the reduction of water pollution, and conservation of natural resources. These are all goals that DEC is interested in increasing awareness for. Waste management and recycling are impacted by economic and political factors. These factors add a layer of complexity to the data collection process. Some of the concerns related to these issues are solid waste migration of recyclables across geographic boundaries, which involve dealing with regulations of various agencies and governments. In addition, the diversity and variety of recyclable materials add to the difficulty of compliance with required transportation methods across boundary lines. Four Phase Plan The DEC developed ambitious plans for data collection and analysis. This plan is made of four phases: Phase 1: Fill in data gaps by enforcing reporting requirements; researching recyclables data available from transfer or disposal facilities; and seeking voluntary data from non-regulated recyclers. Phase 2: Validate/improve data by using metrics to compare data from Planning Units and facilities; auditing a sampling of annual reports; include data source checks at facility inspections; and investing in electronic reporting mechanisms. Phase 3: Develop State policies to improve recycling by updating regulations to foster increased recycling; using permit conditions to promote best practices; involving State agencies/facilities; and incorporating these ideas into the State SWM Plan. Phase 4: Work with Planning Units to grow recycling by establishing more recycling metrics; reestablishing State promotion of 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle); targeting higher recovery for paper and organics; and targeting outreach toward specific sectors such as government agencies, schools, and food service. Role of GIS in NYS Plan Data is the heart and soul of waste management analysis and future planning. In complying with their reporting requirements, the enormous number of facilities involved in waste management and recycling in NYS delivers tremendous amount of data. With its spatial nature as shown in the above maps, GIS can add a visual dimension to data that is otherwise too complex to comprehend. With more emphasis placed on enhancing reporting to comply with regulations, the bulk of the collected data is expected to increase and become more elaborate. It is believed that GIS with its excellent spatial techniques can help in the analysis phase and in the decision making process as well. Critical views A spatially-based geographic information system (GIS) for data management and analysis seems to be more capable of handling enormous amount of data similar to the volume collected by New York States Department of Environmental Conservation on solid waste and recycling activities in the state. With the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) aiming at improving reporting and analysis for better management, GIS can offer the tool necessary to accomplish these tasks with efficiency and ease. Based on this model, GIS can be used to collect data in respect of the type and volume of recyclable materials around the island of Mauritius. We can thus better plan the collection of recyclable wastes. 2.3 Model 3 This is an overview and a discussion of the paper, GIS Application in Coordinating Solid Waste Collection: The Case of Sinza Neighbourhood in Kinondoni Municipality, Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania. Written by Alphonce Kyessi and Victoria Mwakalinga and published in 2009 in the journal FIG Working Week 2009. At the end of the discussion there are critical views on this paper work. In this paper Alphonce Kyessi used GIS in ROUTING EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS FOR SOLID WASTE COLLECTION IN SINZA A NEIGHBOURHOOD IN DAR ES SALAAM. 6.1 Location Sinza A is one of five residential neighbourhoods of Sinza ward in Kinondoni Municipality in Dar es Salaam. Accommodation about 5,000 people, the neighbourhood is located about 12 kilometres from the Dar es Salaam city centre. The Kinondoni Municipal Council had contracted private companies and civil societies organisations in the collection of solid waste in residential neighbourhoods. Kimangele Company Limited is one of those private contractors. The routing system for Kimangele Company was studied in detail to assess the solid waste collection efficiency as shown in Figure 5 and 6. Figure 5: Location of Sinza A area for Kimangele Contractor Source: Mwakalinga, 2005 Kimangele plies from house to house to establish a solid waste collection system known as bring system in Sinza A. The bring system is done in big catchment areas i.e. above 50 metres in radius. Waste generation and collection Sinza A consisted of 876 households (Mwakalinga, 2005). Generally the area generates about 14.5 tonnes of waste per day. The waste composes of plastics, tins, organic food waste, packaging materials, clothes, metals and bottles. Out of the waste generated, the contractor collects 8.4 tonnes from households. The rest About 5.1 tonnes (47.7%) of waste are collected by informal collectors (using wooden carts) to designated collection centres. The rest (about 1 tonne) is haphazardly dumped in rivers, on roads sides, burnt or buried. About 160 households are not members of house to house collection service; they prefer using the informal collectors instead of the contractors trucks. When interviewed, these households complained of ineffective collection system by the Contractor. One of the given reasons was that the truck was not following the rout as agreed. Others households said the collection charge of TShs. 2000/= per household was too high. They were ready to pay only TShs. 500/= per house regardless the number households in the house. Figure 6: Collection Systems as applied by Kimangele Company in Sinza A Source: Mwakalinga, 2005 When the Contractor was interviewed in 2005, he replied that, out of 716 households he was serving only 70% paid the refuse collection charges (Mwakalinga, 2005). According to Figure 8 below, there are some areas where the truck drives twice creating overlaps. Normally, a truck stands at a pick-up point, about 50 meters from the other. In other circumstances, the distance is more than 50 metres, and as a result more waiting time by the truck is needed indicating that the whole system of waste collection was foiled. Work Organisation The collection frequency by Kimangele was done twice a week i.e. Wednesdays and Saturdays. The service starts at 6.30 am to 5.30pm. The truck was making two trips on each day due to the amount of waste generated and the ability of the truck to carry the waste. The route for the first trip starts at Superstar area and ends at Kivulini through Sam Nujoma road to Mtoni kwa Kabuma dump site, about 30 kilometres away (see Figure 7). The route for the second trip passes through Morogoro road via Shekilango road; the first point in this trip is Super Star Street ending at cafà © Latino Street. Thereafter the route enters Sam Nujoma road to the main dump site, Mtoni kwa Kabuma. Figure 7: Existing Route for Kimangele Company in Sinza A Neighbourhood 6.4

Special Effects Essay example -- essays research papers

Special Effects Special effects in motion pictures has evolved over the years into an involved science of illusion and visual magic. The following is a comprehensive perspective depicting the rapidly expanding realm of cinematography. In times of old, special effects in movies was limited to an individual's creativity and the constrictive limits of the tools available. However the results of early special effects masters astounded audiences in their age in the same manner that modern artists do today. The ability to create an effect that was brand new was, and still is, the key to the industry. Techniques range from the expected to the bizarre in order to achieve a certain image or illusion. Cinematographers in the early fifties would use a black cloth backdrop with white paint splattered off of toothpicks to simulate a space scene in the many science-fiction movies made in that era. There is also stories of a common plate being thrown across a "space" backdrop to emulate a flying saucer in mid-flight. Although the special effects persons of old were strapped with limits, one of these was not make-up. They relied heavily on this prop to portray the many monsters and aliens in their films. "Nosferatu" a German film about the vampire with the same name was a huge success even in America, where thousands marveled at the intricate detailing of the blood-sucker's razor-like teeth, bulging eyes and a pointed nose and ears. "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" used a somewhat new technique of a body suit that the actor wore along with a mask made of latex rubber and foam. Using cooking oil or butter spread on the body and mask gave an enhancement of sliminess added to the monster image. A fairly recent film using heavy make-up effects is "An American Werewolf in London" done by the master make-up artist Rick Baker who shows what can be done with a steady hand and a lot of patience. Another popular trick used was strings to manipulate miniature objects. Often used in the science fiction era to show spacecraft or other objects in flight was thin strings attached to miniatures. Audiences did notice the obvious strings but it did not matter at the time because it was state of the art. The next major breakthrough in the effects world was stop-motion animation. A process by which objects were... ...l effects has come. The computer age has touched the movie world and made a huge impact. Literally anything is possible with the assistance of computers. Using software and hardware costing in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, 3D mesh object renderings are leaving all other techniques in the past. CGI, which stands for Computer Generated Imaging, is the latest way to get exactly what movie companies want in their films. Flawless in appearance and challenging actual objects the viewer is often left flustered as to if what they are seeing is real or computer generated. Industry giants in this latest technique include Lucas' ILM as well as Pacific Data Images. Movies using mainly CGI include, "Independence Day", "Terminator 2" and, of course, "Jurassic Park". Special effects have played an essential role in the motion picture experience for over 70 years and with good reason. Whether it be a plate being thrown across the screen or a computer generated Star Destroyer, a clay ape on a cardboard Empire State Building or a T-Rex smacking his head on the side of your jeep, the art of movie illusion will only cease to grow when our minds do.

Gay Men Should Be Allowed To Donate Blood :: essays research papers

â€Å"A man who has had sex with another man within the last five years, whether oral or anal sex, with or without a condom or other form of protection, is not permitted to donate blood and must please not do so.† This was the statement issued last Thursday by a spokesman from the South African National Blood Service (SANBS). This statement had caused a huge dispute between the SANBS and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GLA) Every newspaper has headline after headline about this new topic, every news update on all radio stations, every news program on the television, everybody is talking about this latest disruption in our some-what peaceful lives. The GLA states that on Friday, the day after the statement was made, they donated gay blood, some newspapers claim that 120 units were given, another says over 600 units were donated, all the stories are very conflicting, which one, if any, are we to believe? A big question everyone is asking is that if they did donate gay blood, why did they if they were clearly asked not to, and when they did, it means they lied on the forms about their sexual activities. What good is this going to do anyone one may ask, but if you were in that situation, would you not do something about it to? If they suddenly decided that any white female is forbidden to donate blood, no matter what your HIV status is, would you not retaliate and cause a rebel? This causes us to think, (for once), what the gay men did was wrong by donating their blood, but we cannot point fingers and judge them if we would have done the same. What the SANBS is totally wrong, discrimination of any kind is against the law and yet they are blatantly doing it in front of the whole country, and world. Way back when HIV and AIDS was first discovered, the gay men were the only ones that seemed to be infected with this disease, so at that time it was a reasonable rule to ban them from donating. But now we are in 2006 and every single gender, race, religion and group has been infected with HIV so to only ban gay men is unacceptable.