Forensic investigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Forensic investigation - Essay Example Despite this, forensic examiners have to go through many steps to get the valuable information from digital evidence without contaminating it. Therefore, Forensic examiner should have well defined manual that help them to understand the process and procedure that should be followed in order to avoid committing any mistake while they are dealing with the evidence. By protecting the evidences, the examiner builds a strong case and avoids dismissal of the case in the court. Challenges such as lack of sufficient research materials are encountered in the project. Despite this, the available material are sufficient to brainstorm on in order to realize the formation of a manual that will help a great deal in improving digital evidence testing in forensic laboratory. In the preparation of the manual, various contents of the entire project are taken into consideration. In the accreditation of any forensic lab under ISO 17025, the lab should have reliable manual and other facilities to ensure its tests results are reliable. For this to be achieved, the various steps involved in laboratory testing must be clearly outlined in a well understandable manner to ensure that they do not raise any ambiguity. In UAE, there is no international or national stander for manual, which can be used in Digital Forensic Lab. This has necessitated the conduction of such researches. The manual include the process that the examiner should follow when he receives case: check the investigator need, document everything about the case, fill chain of the custody, resized the evidence, and store it, make verification of tools and software. In addition, it analyzes images for the original hard drive by using different software and checks the MD5,... The paper tells that each Digital Forensic Laboratory should have a manual that the examiner can use to be able to handle the digital evidence without causing damage or alteration to the original evidence so that Court cases are rejected based on provision of insufficient digital evidence. The entire process of preparing forensic evidence includes protection, recognition, extraction, understanding, and documentation for computer evidence. To make it a success, examinations in digital forensic need some method and technique to collect the information from the evidence, software, or tools for acquisition and analysis, and protection of the digital device that is used as evidence in a court of law. Lab should create manual for technical procedure, examination, and verification. This has brought forward the need for preparing of a standard manual for use by various forensic investigation laboratories. In the investigations, the original evidence availed should not be altered under any co nditions. This ensures that the evidence provided is able to hold in the proceedings of the cases. To many people, their perspective is that the examiner should carry out his examination using the evidence itself. Contrary to this, the examiner should work on the image not on the original evidence and should protect the original evidence while he is doing the image so the original is not damaged or altered. Therefore, guidelines should be established for the examiner to be able to know how to receive, process, document, and handle evidence and work products associated with the examination.

Ideaistic versus materialistic motivations Essay Example for Free

Ideaistic versus materialistic motivations Essay Behind every great society, there is always a story. Today, the nation of America is referred to as God’s own land. With population of approximately 293,500,000 and land mass of GDP of approximately $10. 98 trillion per year, the country commands the respect of many of its fellow nations. The question that readily comes to heart is that; has this always been so? What we see in the nation of America today did not just start in a day. It was a process – one that was filled with patriotism from dedicated hearts. In fact, the wonderful story we hear of the great nation all started from the period called the American Revolution of 1775 when the then thirteen colonies of America gain independence from the British colonial power. Many people have from different schools of thought hold different views about this revolution. Some are of the idea that the revolution was based on the mere idealistic and scholarly works of some philosophers and sages of that time. On the other hand, some are of the opinion that these seeming patriots were merely motivated by their materialistic class interest. To this, I will say both sides have a point. I state the reason for my assertion in the following paragraph. Evidently, ideological belief in the notion of individual liberty and human equality was part of what motivated the revolution. This can be seen in the works of John Locke and Montesquieu. We can also see this in the declaration of independence. On the other hand, looking at it critically, some patriots of this revolution knew that the independence will bring political position to them. Some of the we motivated by the savour of power and authority that will be passed into their hands However, I think that no matter what the motivation was, it was a good fight. Generations to come will forever be grateful to them that they did and their name will be in the sand of time. Reference: Fleming, T. (1997). Liberty! : The American Revolution. New York: Viking.

Mononucleosis :: essays research papers

ITION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infectious mononucleosis is a clinical syndrome that can be characterized by a multitude of symptoms. They include malaise, headache, fever, pharyngitis, pharyngeal lymphatic hyperplasia, lymphadenopathy, atypical lymphocytosis, and mild transient hepatitis. This disease occurs most often in adolescents and young adults. Mononucleosis is one of these diseases that are grouped into a class known as a viral infection; more specifically it is caused by the Ebstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV is a herpes virus. In vitro, EBV only infects human B-lymphocytes. This viral infection results in lymphocyte proliferation and immunoglobulin secretion. The virus usually remains dormant, but can be activated using certain chemicals or when subjected to certain bodily conditions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To understand how this virus affects the body, we must first have a brief overview of the body and it’s immune system. OVERVIEW The body’s defense mechanisms can be split into two groups; non-specific and specific defense mechanisms. Non-specific mechanisms basically are the barriers that keep pathogens from penetrating the body. For example the epithelial membranes that cover the body, the strong acidity of the stomach killing pathogens before they have the opportunity to infect the system, these are just a couple, there are many others. Specific mechanisms help the individual acquire the ability to defend against specific pathogens by prior exposure to these pathogens. This is a function of the lymphocytes, which will be discussed later on in depth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mononucleosis affects the epithelium of the mouth where it is first introduced to the body, but that is the extent to which it is involved in the nonspecific defense mechanisms. The place where it does the most damage is the B-lymphocyte, which is a key component of specific immunity. To understand better what the infection does to the body we must look at the role of lymphocytes in the body briefly and how they do their work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B-lymphocytes are the ones that are affected directly upon when the body is subjected to this type of infection. Their role in the body is vital for immunity. They are grouped into five subclasses, depending upon some of the polypeptides in their makeup. The basic role of B-lymphocytes is to secrete antibodies that they have made due to them coming into contact with an antigen. Each B-lymphocyte has two sites where specific antigens can combine, and this binding is what promotes the body’s reaction to the infection. The B-lymphocyte is involved in what is called humoral immunity.

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor :: Roll Thunder Hear Cry Mildred Taylor Essays

"Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" by Mildred D. Taylor What do you think about TJ Avery in this novel do you hate him for his bad deeds or pity him? TJ is quite a confusing character. On one I had I pity him because of all the misfortune in his life, through his own fault though. Although on the other hand I think he is a complacent character, who thinks the world solely revolves around him. He seems to feel that the world owes him a living, a living he is not prepared to work for! I pity TJ because he has never really had any discipline and although discipline can be harsh. There is one advantage to it, guidance. Although TJ appears to be taking advantage of his fathers situation and lack of discipline. I feel that TJ has never really had a role model whom he can look up to instead it seems to me that he has almost had to fend for himself. TJ is being played like a fool between RW and Melvin Simms, he really seems to feel that they like him and doesn’t really realise what their nasty plan is going to result in. as TJ has never had a friend he doesn’t really know the meaning of true friendship. However the readers know that the Simmses are far from adequate. I feel that TJ does deserve some pity because it’s not his fault he has had no discipline it’s nobody’s fault but I do think that if he was a kind considerate person he would make his parents proud of him rather than give them grief and stress. There are only two instances in the book that I feel hatred towards TJ this is the sacking of mama Logan and the killing and injuring of Mr and Mrs Jim lee Barnett. The sacking of Mrs Logan's was totally unfair. This is because it was TJ’s fault he didn’t revise and got Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor :: Roll Thunder Hear Cry Mildred Taylor Essays "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" by Mildred D. Taylor What do you think about TJ Avery in this novel do you hate him for his bad deeds or pity him? TJ is quite a confusing character. On one I had I pity him because of all the misfortune in his life, through his own fault though. Although on the other hand I think he is a complacent character, who thinks the world solely revolves around him. He seems to feel that the world owes him a living, a living he is not prepared to work for! I pity TJ because he has never really had any discipline and although discipline can be harsh. There is one advantage to it, guidance. Although TJ appears to be taking advantage of his fathers situation and lack of discipline. I feel that TJ has never really had a role model whom he can look up to instead it seems to me that he has almost had to fend for himself. TJ is being played like a fool between RW and Melvin Simms, he really seems to feel that they like him and doesn’t really realise what their nasty plan is going to result in. as TJ has never had a friend he doesn’t really know the meaning of true friendship. However the readers know that the Simmses are far from adequate. I feel that TJ does deserve some pity because it’s not his fault he has had no discipline it’s nobody’s fault but I do think that if he was a kind considerate person he would make his parents proud of him rather than give them grief and stress. There are only two instances in the book that I feel hatred towards TJ this is the sacking of mama Logan and the killing and injuring of Mr and Mrs Jim lee Barnett. The sacking of Mrs Logan's was totally unfair. This is because it was TJ’s fault he didn’t revise and got

Orphanage Management

Orphanages 1. Daar-Ul-Tanzeem, Children Home 2. Anjuman Taleem-Ul-Quran 3. Daar-Ul-Shafqat, Anjuman Hamayat-e-Islam Location: (Gawaal Mandi & Raaj Garh) Group Members 1. Raza Ur Rehman L1F10MBAM0186 2. Hira Mumtaz L1F10MBAM0210 3. Adnan Ashraf L1F10MBAM0184 4. Arooj Shahid L1F10MBAM2211 5. Naveed Khan L1F10MBAM2204 University of Central Punjab Table of Contents Sr. No. | Topic| Page No. | 1. | Introduction to Volunteers| 3| 2. | Activity detail (Individually elaborated by each volunteer)| 4| 3. | Finding (Individually elaborated by each volunteer)| 5| 4. | Inference (in group)| 6| 5. | Solutions| 7| . | Recommendations| 8| 7. | Working Pictures| 9| 1) Introduction to Volunteers Name: Raza Ur Rehman Registration#L1F10MBAM0186 Contact # 0300-8818813 Email: [email  protected] com Hobbies: Playing chess & cricket. Aim of life: To become a leading exporter of Pakistan. Name: Hira Mumtaz Registration#L1F10MBAM0210 Contact # 0322-5454997 Email: [email  protected] com Hobbies: Fine arts, Candle making & Singing. Aim of life: I befit myself as an entrepreneur. I want to run my own business of handicrafts. I also have a plan to build a welfare house for senior citizens. Name: Adnan AshrafRegistration#L1F10MBAM0184 Contact # 0313-4545169 Email: [email  protected] com Hobbies: Reading newspaper and watching talk shows. Aim of life: I want to explore the transport sector of Pakistan. Name: Arooj Shahid Registration#L1F10MBAM2211 Contact # 0321-8855324 Email: arooj. [email  protected] com Hobbies: Browsing, Chatting, Music, Social networking, Art work. Aim of life: To lead a management team. Name: Naveed Khan Registration#L1F10MBAM2204 Contact # 0333-4818331 Email: [email  protected] com Hobbies: Cricket, Volley ball, Internet surfing. Aim of life: To become a renowned politician. ) Activity Details Raza Ur Rehman: I visited the orphanages of Raaj Garh near Chouburji and Gawaal Mandi. I went there along with my group members to create awareness among children and t he staff members of the orphanages regarding the rights of children. Then, I collected the complaints of children and assure them full support by Children Complaint Office. Hira Mumtaz: I spent some time with children of some orphanages to enhance their understanding about their rights and show them our support to excel in their lives. I asked them to write about the deficiencies or hurdles they are facing.Adnan Ashraf: I talked to the orphans of Raaj Garh and Gawaal Mandi about their problems which they are facing in their lives and made them aware about their rights as citizens of Pakistan. Arooj Shahid: I entered the orphanages and talked to the officials and the children about the deserving rights of children. I tried to develop a sense of confidence among the orphans and made them realize their importance for a bright future of Pakistan. Naveed Khan: I studied the environment of orphanages of Gawaal Mandi and Raaj Garh. We talked to the children about their routine work and mot ivated them to work hard. ) Findings Raza Ur Rehman: Words of all the orphans made us feel that the children are satisfied with the facilities and the care provided by the orphanage administration. They seem happy living there and had no issues regarding the quality of food, education, clothes, etc. Sometimes, I had a feeling that they are reluctant to talk to me but soon after spending some time with them, my mind got cleared and came to know that they were hesitating because very few outsiders visit them. This generated some kind of awkward feeling for them for a short period of time.After spending some time with orphans, I found out that these children are not willing to live with their families. They want to stay in the orphanage homes and consider them as their real home. But their living standard is not still up to the mark. Children have so many questions on their faces which need to be answered by us. Even, after all the efforts by the administration of orphanage, so many th ings are missing in the lives of these orphans which should be provided to them. Hira Mumtaz: Orphanage care takers had very close attachment with these orphans.The concept about orphanages we ought to have, been completely ruled out after visiting these orphanages. But, the quality of life remained a question for these orphanages. Still a lot of work and effort need to be put in order to match the normal living standards. Adnan Ashraf: I saw the orphans completely blank. They were astonished to see us. Their faces were trying to tell us something but the presence of orphanage staff did not allow them to speak openly. Although these children are living a better life in these orphanages but their childhood deserve more than this.Arooj Shahid: The aim of our visit to the orphanage was to develop our understanding about the routine work of these orphans. I noticed their every day routine of going to school and then their life at orphanage. I found out that children are just spending th e days of their life without any clear aims in future. Naveed Khan: After talking to the children and the officials of orphanages, I concluded that they have very limited access to everything and due to this their thinking has also got limited which is not a good sign for a prosperous Pakistan. 4) InferenceWith mutual consensus, all of us concluded that the children are spending a better quality of life in orphanages than their own homes. They are being provided with every best possible facility by the orphanage staff. They have a feeling that the orphanage is their identity and they are not ready to separate themselves from their identity. We found children very disciplined. With all these positive aspects, one thing that we came to know after conducting this campaign is that these orphans feel as if they are a burden on these orphanages. More often, they have a feeling of deprivation.They do not have an access to all the joys of life which a normal child enjoys such as playing cri cket or some other games. The reason is that they do not have the playing accessories. All these things affect their personality a great deal. 5) Solutions Children complaint boxes must be placed in every orphanage. Punjab Government, the donors and the organizations should reallocate the resources to more effectively support alternative care options for these children. CCO must take steps for developing different children welfare programs which should further be supported by our Government in allocating appropriate budget.Government should monitor their implemented activities to ensure that standard guidelines and regulations are followed. Child protection training and child empowerment activities should be implemented. We need to develop programs that will promote the fulfillment of the child’s mental and psychological wellbeing. CCO in cooperation with child protection agencies and other NGOs should initiate programs to provide information to and educate communities about the meaning and implications of adoptions of orphanages.Orphanage staff should take all necessary steps to ensure that children living in orphanages are, as far as possible and in keeping with the best interest of the child, reunified with their families. 6) Recommendations * Place children complaint box in every orphanage. * Punjab Government, donors and organizations should reallocate the resources to more effectively support alternative care options for children. * CCO should take steps for developing different children welfare program which should further be supported by our Government in allocating appropriate budget. Government should monitor their implemented activities to ensure that standard guidelines and regulations are followed. * Child protection training and child empowerment activities should be implemented. * Need to develop programs that promote the fulfillment of the child’s mental and psychological wellbeing. * A comprehensive program needs to be initiated to get children know about their rights, i. e. right to live, right to learn, right to educate and more important right to be a family or a training program on the rights of the child should also be developed for all children living in orphanages, reflecting the full range of rights. CCO in cooperation with child protection agencies and other NGOs should initiate programs to provide information to and educate communities about the meaning and implications of adoptions of orphanages. * Orphanage staff should take all necessary steps to ensure that children living in orphanages are, as far as possible and in keeping with the best interest of the child, reunified with their families. * Different agencies and NGOs with relevant expertise should continue efforts to improve child protection. 7) Working Pictures

How To Make Your Content More Social Media Friendly

How To Make Your Content More Social Media Friendly Social media is key for  content marketing success.  Once youve put the work into producing a piece of content, you want it to catch fire and get tons of shares. All you have to do is blast the link across your social channels, and watch all the shares and traffic roll in. Right? Well, that isnt quite how it works. And if your social media content isnt performing, it could be because it isnt very social media friendly. Depending on how you look at it, social media can be a blessing or a curse. Sure, it is a great low cost channel for spreading your content, but it can also be a crippling scapegoat if you arent careful. You could but be publishing on social media regularly with little return on your investment, all with the appearance of doing great content marketing. Are your readers actually  sharing your content?  Are your really achieving the social traction that you expected or deserve? Is the good old hub-and-spoke model of content marketing actually working for you? Fortunately, the problem may be entirely your fault. You may just need to make some basic adjustments to make your content more social media friendly. The more friendly you make your content, after all, the more likely your readers will be to share it with their audience. Here are five easy ways that you can do just that. Want more people to share your content? Make it more social media friendly. 1.  Make Sure Your Content Looks Good On Social Media One of the first things that you need to do is to make sure that your content look good when it is shared on social media. This relies on  Ã‚  a small bit of meta-tag code that should included the HEAD of your html page. This code will provide instructions to networks like Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest by telling them which image, title, and description to use when a post goes live. You can preview what your own link previews look like using this  handy debug tool provided by Facebook. There are several ways to ensure that your link previews always look great. The free  JetPack plugin  or  Yoast SEO plugin  for WordPress will make a "best guess" at what these link previews should include using data from the post itself. This is a good starting point, but may not offer enough flexibility for the power user. Tools like our own allow you to completely  customize your link previews, giving you maximum editing control. Recommended Reading: Best Practices Guide For Making Sure Your Posts Look Good On Social Media 2. Write Emotional Headlines Because They Get  Shared More One of the ways to make your content more social media friendly is to write headlines that are more likely to be shared with others. There are some very simple ways to do this. For example, our research has proved that headlines with more emotional value tend to get shared more with others. With millions of headlines in our system, we went through each one and calculated its  Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) – a rating that attempts to measure the emotional value of a headlines. What we learned was that headlines with a higher emotional value were more likely to be shared on line. The  Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer  Ã‚  is a free tool from  the Advanced Marketing Institute that you can use to calculate the EMV of your own headlines. Can this tool predict shares? Maybe. Simply copy and paste your headline into the box and it will give you a calculated score of your headline’s EMV Score. After researching EMV, we thought a great tool would combine that research with other elements of headlines that drive shares, traffic, and search results. That's why we built the headline analyzer. Try this tool to write even better headlines. Write More Shareable  Headlines With Our Free Headline Analyzer The headline analyzer  will help you: Use headline types that get the most traction for social shares, traffic, and search engine ranking. Make sure you have the right word balance to write readable headlines that command attention. See the best  word and character length for search engines like Google and email subject lines, while also seeing  how your readers will scan your headlines. Try The Free Headline Analyzer Now Recommended  Reading: Proof That Emotional Headlines Get Shared More On Social Media 3.  Make Your Content  Easy To Share By adding simplicity to your page, you can increase the likelihood that someone will share your content, immediately making it more social media friendly. There are few simple things that you can do to make this more likely. Make Sure Your Social Sharing Buttons Are In The Right Spot Not long ago we took at look  at how the placement of social sharing buttons could  best influence social sharing from  our blog layout. What we found was that  the top/left side of the page seemed to perform the  best for most situations.  Because most websites load content on the left side of the page, and based on how people typically look through a site, it is pretty easy to see that the most noticeable place for this type of activity is in the top-left portion of the page.   Recommended Reading: What is the Best Placement for Social Media Buttons? Add Easily Sharable Content To Your Post Here at we made a simple plugin for our own use, and have  recently  made it available to everyone for free. This simple tool allows you to easily add tweetable content to your posts.  Ã‚  These boxes create important triggers that you can use to get your readers sharing content for you. Create beautiful boxes in your blog posts. #ClickToTweet Make Your Images Easy To Share SumoMe makes a great little tool that allows your readers to easily share your blog images via Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. It is the best option out there for sharing your visual content across the web. Recommended Reading: 25 Growth Hacks Your Content Marketing Desperately Needs 4. Publish Your Content At The  Right  Time When is the best time to publish a blog post? KISSmetrics in corporation with  Dan Zarrella  has been able to crack the code on this very idea. Key Takeaways: Most blog content is read in the mornings. However, men tend to be more likely to read content in the evenings. Monday is the best day of the week to publish content. Most blog posts gets the most traffic around 11am. Saturday and early morning visitors (9am) tend to leave more comments. Monday and Tuesday are the highest drivers of inbound traffic. The take away on this data is  pretty easy to see. It is likely in your best interest to publish your content early in the week, and early in the morning to maximize your social media  impact.

Social Justice and Charity Essay Example

Social Justice and Charity Essay Example Social Justice and Charity Essay Social Justice and Charity Essay Social justice, in the present, is dominantly viewed by the contemporary civilization as the concept wherein everyone is equal with each other in terms of social privileges in life. Commonly, this concept is regarded in the aspect of material terms that every single individuals must have the same right for access and acquisition of the lifestyles choices, luxuries and services offered by the present social community. Thus, the concept of social justice is indeed presently established in relation to the economic aspect of the contemporary lifestyle. Concerning the correlation of concept of social justice with the aspect of charity, one can actually argue that the two are indeed opposite, as one would actually negate his or her justifiable personal right for social equality. Individuals who will indulge with charitable profession or services will indeed give up his or her privilege for equal status with the other and embraced a lifestyle potentially lesser in economic terms with the majority. However though, looking at the situation in the positive side, charitable profession such as those practiced by social workers can also be considered as privilege not in the economic aspect but in the social one. Indeed, social workers are indeed promoting social justice in their respective social community, as they are able to promote the equal betterment of the people through giving them their rightful privileges for services such as in the medical aspect and others in the form of selfless action. Thus, this concept must be critically explained to the social workers, as this will be the main core of the charity values and views regarding their profession influencing the prime decision that will put them in this field. For the social workers, the concept of social justice does not only apply to economic terms but in general social aspect wherein their personal rights and privileges will not be negated by their profession but will only be enhance and they will be able to personally l ive up the values of equality in the society.

Group Polarization and Competition in Political Be Essays

Group Polarization and Competition in Political Be Essays Group Polarization and Competition in Political Behavior On Tuesday, November 14, 1995, in what has been perceived as the years biggest non-event, the federal government shut down all "non-essential" services due to what was, for all intents and purposes, a game of national "chicken" between the House Speaker and the President. And, at an estimated cost of 200 million dollars a day, this dubious battle of dueling egos did not come cheap (Bradsher, 1995, p.16). Why do politicians find it almost congenitally impossible to cooperate? What is it about politics and power that seem to always put them at odds with good government? Indeed, is an effective, well run government even possible given the current adversarial relationship between our two main political parties? It would seem that the exercise of power for its own sake, and a competitive situation in which one side must always oppose the other on any issue, is incompatible with the cooperation and compromise necessary for the government to function. As the United States becomes more extreme in its beliefs in general, group polarization and competition, which requires a mutual exclusivity of goal attainment, will lead to more "showdown" situations in which the goal of good government gives way to political posturing and power-mongering. In this paper I will analyze recent political behavior in terms of two factors: Group behavior with an emphasis on polarization, and competition. However, one should keep in mind that these two factors are interrelated. Group polarization tends to exacerbate inter-group competition by driving any two groups who initially disagree farther apart in their respective views. In turn, a competitive situation in which one side must lose in order for the other to win (and political situations are nearly always competitive), will codify the differences between groups - leading to further extremism by those seeking power within the group - and thus, to further group polarization. In the above example, the two main combatants, Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, were virtually forced to take uncompromising, disparate views because of the very nature of authority within their respective political groups. Group polarization refers to the tendency of groups to gravitate to the extreme of whatever opinion the group shares (Baron & Graziano, 1991, p.498-99). Therefore, if the extreme is seen as a desirable characteristic, individuals who exhibit extreme beliefs will gain authority through referent power. In other words, they will have characteristics that other group members admire and seek to emulate (p. 434). Unfortunately, this circle of polarization and authority can lead to a bizarre form of "one-upsmanship" in which each group member seeks to gain power and approval by being more extreme than the others. The end result is extremism in the pursuit of authority without any regard to the practicality or "reasonableness" of the beliefs in question. Since the direction of polarization is currently in opposite directions in our two party system, it is almost impossible to find a common ground between them. In addition, the competitive nature of the two party system many times eliminates even the possibility of compromise since failure usually leads to a devastating loss of power. If both victory and extremism are necessary to retain power within the group, and if, as Alfie Kohn (1986) stated in his book No Contest: The Case Against Competition, competition is "mutually exclusive goal attainment" (one side must lose in order for the other to win), then compromise and cooperation are impossible (p. 136). This is especially so if the opponents are dedicated to retaining power "at all costs." That power is an end in itself is made clear by the recent shutdown of the government. It served no logical purpose. Beyond costing a lot of money, it had no discernible effect except as a power struggle between two political heavyweights. According to David Kipnis (1976, cited in Baron & Graziano, 1991), one of the negative effects of power is, in fact, the tendency to regard it as its own end, and to ignore the possibility of disastrous results from the reckless use of power (p. 433). Therefore, it would seem that (at least in this case) government policy is created and implemented, not with regard to its effectiveness as government policy, but only with regard to its value as a tool for accumulating and maintaining power. Another of Kipnis's negative effects of power is the tendency to use it for selfish purposes (p.433). In politics this can be seen as the predilection towards making statements for short term political gain that are either nonsensical or contradictory to past positions held by the candidates themselves. While this may not be the use of actual power, it is

MGM465-0801A-05 Business Strategy - Phase 1 Individual Project 2 Essay

MGM465-0801A-05 Business Strategy - Phase 1 Individual Project 2 - Essay Example t question to consider is how to reconcile Ables need for building market share (long-term strategic business objective) with Waldens drive for year-to year quarterly increases in sales and pretax profit (short-term, corporate objective). Both of these are important to have, and they are not mutually exclusive. The company can hold both objectives in high priority provided that they all agree with each other to do so. However, Walden is demonstrating a lack of strategic management. Walden needs to consider strategic management as they move forward. According to Coulter, it is beneficial because â€Å"it gives a role to everyone in an organization to manage strategically, it helps the organization perform well, it helps the organization to effectively cope with the uncertainties in the external and internal environment, and it helps to coordinate various functions and activities† (2005). Strategic management is vital for the long-term success of any organization, and through implementing it, it is believed that the two blending organizations can come to a compromise and each get a great deal of what they are used to and what they want. The second challenge to consider is that Waldens success metrics of head count control, inventory management, inventory turnover, and day’s sales outstanding can be inhibitors to growth vitally needed by Able. It is possible to moderate these functional objectives and make them work for Able. This simply involves removing or raising the ceiling which currently inhibits this growth. For example, head count can still be controlled in larger numbers, inventory can still be managed when there is a lot more inventory to account for, and outstanding daily sales can still be recorded when the dollar figures are higher. Controlling objectives does not necessarily mean containing them. Able can still grow using the same basic framework of Walden’s success metrics, so long as Walden does not squash the growth being sought by Able

Quantitative data about Tax, Education and Labor in Sweden Research Paper

Quantitative data about Tax, Education and Labor in Sweden - Research Paper Example The 1983, 1985, and 1990-1991 state tax reforms reduced the highest marginal tax from 85 percent to, at present, roughly 55 percent. At present, the marginal tax rate is roughly 30 percent for the low-income and average-income earners and roughly 50 percent for the high-income earner (Stenkula et al. 178). The development of the marginal tax wedges is similar to the development of the marginal tax rates but at a greater degree. The highest marginal tax wedge rose steeply during the World Wars and the 1930s’ depression. The highest marginal tax wedge reached at nearly 90 percent in 1980; following the 1983, 1985, and 1990-1991 tax reforms, the highest marginal tax wedge dropped and is currently standing at roughly 67 percent (Stenkula et al. 178-179). With a population of approximately 9.5 million, Sweden sustains a lavish welfare structure, with compensation packages for life-changing episodes like retirement or illness, and a focus on delivering equal benefits and privileges for everybody (Sonedda 692-4). Consequently, tax revenue as a portion of GDP in Sweden is elevated—approximately 45.8 percent in 2010 (OECD 1). Moreover, Sweden finances its equitable system of education by committing a comparatively high proportion of its GDP to its education system and by committing the topmost spending levels per student in the world. Roughly 7.3 percent of GDP is invested in education. This financing is channeled to both private and public education (OECD 1-2). The entire pre-primary, primary, secondary, and post-secondary non-tertiary education is publicly financed. Sweden’s numbers of enrollees reveal the nation’s remarkable success in putting majority of its population to school (World Education Forum para 4-6). For instance, all adolescents qualified for primary level compulsory education are enrolled. Likewise, compulsory education at the lower secondary level is attended by 100% of female and 99% of male students. These numbers

The role of the secretariat of the United Nations Research Paper

The role of the secretariat of the United Nations - Research Paper Example 1-3). The secretariat is the backbone of the UN structure, which performs numerous, diverse and wide-ranging tasks, and duties that include supervision and management of international operations, carrying out surveys regarding the economic and social trends of different nations. Additionally, the secretariat oversees and governs the activities and policies designed by the G.A. It also acts as a communicator that clarifies the communication media concerning the activities of the UN, and thus it is divided up into various offices and departments (Myint-U,  Scott  & International Peace Academy, 2007, pp. 1-6). In this regard, it becomes important to carry out research to discover the vast responsibilities and impact of secretariat of the United Nations. Hence, the purpose of the research proposal is to study "The Role of Secretariat of the United Nations", as the role of secretariat in the United Nations is one of the considerable aspects that need to be measured. The study aims to analyze, explore, and investigate the functions and responsibilities of the secretariat of the United Nations. Therefore, with this fundamental objective, an empirical study would be carried out that would incorporate the primary and key features with respect to the secretariat’s role: The research methodology is the systematic approach that would come under performance in order to collect and accumulate the widespread data and then convert into valuable information with reference to the aims and objectives of the study. Therefore, considering the question of the secretariat of the United Nations, the researcher would implement the secondary research methodology as the fundamental source to collect information (Kothari, 2008, pp. 1-5). The secondary research methodology helps the researcher to gather a wide range of information that is available through a number of sources that include publications, reports, databases, and historical evidences. The

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example Should business take a cut in their profit margins in order to employ the jobless people or take part in environmental conservation practises? The answer to this question can be answered by analysing the long run effects of such a move to the business. When a business entity takes a cut in order to participate in corporate social responsibility, the earnings of the owners are reduced, this may have the effect of dampening their interests on the business or they may pressurize the chief executive officer of the business to make more profits for them. In turn, this would have the effect of increasing the prices of the goods and services that the company produces therefore a negative effect to the consumers, which the company was trying by getting involved in corporate social responsibility activities. Corporate social responsibility among business entities means that the business is getting money from consumers of their products and other stakeholders and spending it on their choice pr oject without necessarily consulting the financiers of the whole project since the decision of the project lies wholly on the chief executive officer and the board of directors. ... Financial fraud has been with us for a relatively long period of time where corporates have been tampering with their financial information to lie about their financial position in order to attract investors or to keep investors from investing in other rival firms. This has the effect of making investors lose billion of money when these companies collapse. For instance, Enron, Tyco, Worldcom and Adelphia have been involved in financial scandals involving manipulating of their financial information. Another form of financial fraud involves employees who are torn between pursuing their own selfish interests or the interests of their clients. For instance, brokers in insurance of money market are usually faced with the dilemma of pursuing their own selfish gains at the expense of the client’s interests although the law requires them to pursue their clients’ interests before their own. This trend is caused by the commission remuneration system that is used to pay brokers ba sed on the volume of business that they transact. Consumers are also involved in fraud, which cost the United States economy billions of dollars in revenue. The fraud from consumers is spread across almost all sectors of the economy, however the most hit sector is the insurance sector, which is reported to have lost about 10 per cent of the total claims to fraud, this includes claims on items that are not lost or damaged and treatment that is not offered. The clothing sector is another worst hit by fraud with estimates showing that about 16 billion dollars may have been lost in 2002 due to ‘wardrobing’ which is the returning of old clothes. Another area

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 21

Research Paper Example ounding, the Toyota Company was trying to contribute to a more prosperous society by means of manufacturing its automobiles and operating with a focus on vehicle production and sales (History of Toyota, n.d.). In the present time, the biggest Toyota competitors are the General Motors, the American automobile corporation, For Motors, the American company and Honda Motor Company, the Japanese automobile enterprise. The company is guided by the main principles, which are to honor the language and spirit of law of that country where it operates, contribute to the economic and social development through corporate activities, provides clean and safe products and to increase the quality of life through sustaining the high quality of the activities of company (Guiding Principles at Toyota, n.d.). There is no other industry in the world that the automotive one with the largest volume, capital, employees and annual turnover. Therefore, history knows hundreds of companies which emerged in order to display the certain country or the world their own provision in such industry. Toyota Motor Corporation is among them, having the long history of its performing and the story in which it faced challenges that taught it how to become the best Asian product known in the global market. However, due to the severe competitiveness, the immediate, impending and invisible, and the wide range of offers that Toyota’s competitors are ready to provide to their customers, the company should always think of new strategies and ways of how to improve its performance in order to stay on the world leading position. The important strategic marketing objective of Toyota is to build sales by widening the market. Therefore, Toyota moved towards in its product branding from the corporate branding con cept, presenting its Lexus as the outcome of this strategy. As it is seen on the Figure 1, there is an increase in sales and production of Toyota vehicles since 2008 (Review of operations, 2014). Moreover,

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example Should business take a cut in their profit margins in order to employ the jobless people or take part in environmental conservation practises? The answer to this question can be answered by analysing the long run effects of such a move to the business. When a business entity takes a cut in order to participate in corporate social responsibility, the earnings of the owners are reduced, this may have the effect of dampening their interests on the business or they may pressurize the chief executive officer of the business to make more profits for them. In turn, this would have the effect of increasing the prices of the goods and services that the company produces therefore a negative effect to the consumers, which the company was trying by getting involved in corporate social responsibility activities. Corporate social responsibility among business entities means that the business is getting money from consumers of their products and other stakeholders and spending it on their choice pr oject without necessarily consulting the financiers of the whole project since the decision of the project lies wholly on the chief executive officer and the board of directors. ... Financial fraud has been with us for a relatively long period of time where corporates have been tampering with their financial information to lie about their financial position in order to attract investors or to keep investors from investing in other rival firms. This has the effect of making investors lose billion of money when these companies collapse. For instance, Enron, Tyco, Worldcom and Adelphia have been involved in financial scandals involving manipulating of their financial information. Another form of financial fraud involves employees who are torn between pursuing their own selfish interests or the interests of their clients. For instance, brokers in insurance of money market are usually faced with the dilemma of pursuing their own selfish gains at the expense of the client’s interests although the law requires them to pursue their clients’ interests before their own. This trend is caused by the commission remuneration system that is used to pay brokers ba sed on the volume of business that they transact. Consumers are also involved in fraud, which cost the United States economy billions of dollars in revenue. The fraud from consumers is spread across almost all sectors of the economy, however the most hit sector is the insurance sector, which is reported to have lost about 10 per cent of the total claims to fraud, this includes claims on items that are not lost or damaged and treatment that is not offered. The clothing sector is another worst hit by fraud with estimates showing that about 16 billion dollars may have been lost in 2002 due to ‘wardrobing’ which is the returning of old clothes. Another area

Brand Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Brand Management - Term Paper Example Brand orientation refers to the case where a company or business organization formulates its marketing strategies based on brands. It is a company’s inclination towards the dealing with different brands as a marketing strategy (Urde 1). Brand Management: Definition and Related Concepts Brand management This refers to the analyses of all factors and aspects related to a brand and then coming up with a strategic plan to have a uniformly distributed brand. It involves the use of marketing strategies in ensuring that the users of a particular product do not shift their interest from the brand in question. Brand awareness This refers to the ability of the consumers of a particular product to identify and classify the product among other competing products and associate it with the manufacturer (Urde 10). It enables the consumer to know what the brand has that can make it more preferable to the others. It is important for the management to ensure that awareness is carried out concerning the company’s product since no customer will buy a product he does not understand. Brand valuation This is the establishment of the financial value of a brand. Brand valuation has important applications both in strategic brand management and in financial transaction. In the former case, brand valuation ‘focuses mainly on internal audiences by providing tools and processes to manage and increase the economic value of brands’ (Brand Valuation 10).

History of philosophy Essay Example for Free

History of philosophy Essay The study of philosophy may deal with every dimension of human life and can raise questions in any field of study or endeavor. Philosophy pursues questions rather than answers. Philosophy is not bound by any particular â€Å"truths† that set limits to the desire to continue asking questions. Philosophy changes historically both in respect to its content and its character. Definitions Etymologically, philosophy is derived from the Greek word philein or philia meaning â€Å"love† or â€Å"friendship† and sophia meaning â€Å"wisdom. † Hence, â€Å"love of wisdom. † The Chinese define philosophy as Zhe-Xue or Che Shueh (originally coined by Dr.Nishi Amane). Zhe means â€Å"wisdom† while Xue means â€Å"study. † Significantly, the Chinese character Zhe bears the emblem of mouth and hand which suggests the inseparability of words and action. This philosophy is the translation of words into action or the application of theory into praxis. Hence, for the Chinese, philosophy singles out a person to live on what he says. For the Hindus, philosophy is Darsana. Darsana means seeing, not only through the eyes but through the whole being of the one that sees. In other words, philosophy for the Hindus means seeing the whole reality through a total advertence and involvement of the looker. Philosophy refers to the field of study of the process which includes standards and guidelines for thought and for logic by which people develop concepts and principles which describe people, things and events, and techniques for using the concept and principles for the purpose of observing, analyzing, understanding, evaluating, organizing, and dealing with themselves and other people, things, and events who/which comprise reality (Kroepel, 2011) Philosophy refers to a human drive in the search of knowledge and wisdom to facilitate the evolution of man. Philosophy studies the fundamental nature of existence, of man, and of man’s relationship to existence. CONCEPT OF PHILOSOPHY In order to live, a man must act; in order to act, he must make choices; in order to make choices, he must define a code of values; in order to define a code of values, he must know what he is and where he is, he must know his own nature (including his means of knowledge) and the nature of the universe in which he acts. All of this things put together, is the very concept of PHILOSOPHY. Origin of Philosophy Western Philosophy began in Miletus ( accdg.to Reginald Ellen). The radix of the claim lies on Thales: the acclaimed first philosopher. Historically, western philosophy began in Greece. The word philosophy is even derived from the Greek language and means a love of wisdom. Ancient western philosophy had three main branches: ethics, logic, and physics. These three branches have now broken into even smaller sub-sections, covering everything from epistemology to aesthetics. Socrates was a large influence on western philosophy, but there was a pre-Socratic era that covered philosophical topics. Eastern philosophy has its roots in religion, specifically the Abrahamic religions (Islam, Judaism Christianism). It is more concerned with asking questions about God and how the world relates to God. Abrahamic religions (also Abrahamism) are the monotheistic faiths of Middle Eastern origin, emphasizing and tracing their common origin to Abraham or recognizing a spiritual tradition identified with him. They are one of the major divisions in comparative religion, along with Indian religions (Dharmic) and East Asian religions (Taoist). Abraham was said to have lived during the Iron Age sometime after 2000 B. C. E. , in the city of Ur in Mesopotamia. The way eastern philosophers created theories on knowledge and religion has led people to practice the philosophies of certain philosophers without adopting all aspects of that branch. For example, some people may consider themselves believers in the Buddhist philosophy, but they never actually go and worship Buddha. The eastern philosophers historically believed that religion was a large part of the study of philosophy. Contemporary practices of eastern philosophy often remove the religious part. Islam impacted much of what we now consider eastern philosophy, meaning that most branches have a religious aspect. The most common branches of eastern philosophy include: Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Maoism, Shinto, Confucius, and Legalism. Both regions can attribute a large amount of current philosophical thought to some form of religion. The eastern world chose to embrace religion as their main pursuit of knowledge, while the western world broke philosophy into a bunch of different branches. Branches of Philosophy Epistemology This refers to the branch of philosophy that is broadly defined as the study of knowledge. It answers the question, â€Å"how do we know? † It encompasses the nature of concepts, the construction of concepts, the validity of the senses, logical reasoning, as well as thoughts, ideas, memories, emotions and all things mental. It is concerned with how our minds are related to reality, and whether these relationships are valid or invalid. Aesthetics refers to the branch of philosophy that is broadly defined as the study of art. It answers the question, â€Å"what life can be like? † In philosophy, aesthetics is important because it delves into the reason why art has always existed to reflect and express the desire and need of mankind through the ages to see the world in a different and clear way. It further evaluates art by using the standards of human life, and if whether it accomplishes the job of satisfying man’s intellectual needs, or whether it tends to hurt or make worse of those needs. Metaphysics Literally means beyond physics, this refers to the branch of philosophy that is broadly defined as the study of existence. It answers the questions, â€Å"What is out there? † or â€Å"What is real? † As the foundation of philosophy, metaphysics is also regarded as the fundamental view of the world. It encompasses everything that exists, as well as the nature of existence itself. It determines whether the world is real, or merely an illusion. Ethics This refers to the branch of philosophy that is broadly defined as the study of action. It answers the question, â€Å"what should I do? † Ethics deals with the proper course of action for man. Specifically, it answers whether or not a human act is good or bad. At a more fundamental level, Ethics can also be defined as the method by which people categorize values and pursue them. Logic It is the branch of philosophy that is broadly defined as the study of reason. It answers the question, â€Å"what is correct reasoning? † Furthermore, logic attempts to distinguish a fact from fallacy. Politics It refers to the branch of philosophy that is broadly defined as the study of force. It answers the question, â€Å"what acts are permissible? † Under its philosophical perspective, politics is ethics applied to a group of people. Brief History of Philosophy. Pre-Socratic Philosophy Characterized by the rejection of the mythological explanation on the nature and phenomena in the universe. The thinkers under this time period were mainly concerned with the search for the â€Å"true essence of things† and made use of systematic and scientific approach in uncovering the realities in the universe. Pre-Socratic Philosophers Thales (c. 624 – 546 B. C. ) Greek philosopher who was regarded as the first philosopher in western tradition. He became known for positing that water is the single element that comprised all things in the universe. He also made famous the aphorism, â€Å"know thy self. † Anaximenes (c. 610 – 546 B. C. ) A student of Thales who postulated that air is the source of all things in the universe. His major contribution, however, was stating that nothing can be created from nothing. Matter, force, and energy are indestructible. These ideas later reappeared in physics in the laws of the conservation of matter and energy. Anaximander He explained the world as originating in conflicts between contraries, such as hot and cold and wet and dry. The cold partly dried up, leaving the Earth and its water. The hot turned some water into mist and air, while the remainder ascended to form fiery rings in the heavens. Holes in the rings are the sun, moon, and stars. CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY Classical Philosophy was primarily characterized by the rise of the â€Å"Great Greek Triumvirate† – Socrates, Plato Aristotle. Classical Philosophers Socrates (c. 469 – 399 B. C. ) A Greek philosopher who became known as one of the most prominent philosopher in Ethics. Unlike his contemporaries, Socrates was more concerned with how people should behave rather than how the world works. Plato (c. 428 – 348 B. C. ) A student of Socrates who become known for through his dialogues which contained the presentation of his ideologies and theories in a conversational form. Aristotle (c. 384 – 322 B. C. ) He was the student of Plato and became known as the first thinker to create a comprehensive system of philosophy, encompassing Ethics, Aesthetics, Politics, Metaphysics, Logic and Science. MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY Medieval Philosophy was the period predominantly composed of philosophers who were concerned with proving the existence of God and with reconciling Christianity/Islam with the classical philosophy of Greece particularly that of Aristotle . This period also saw the establishment of the first universities, which became an important factor in the subsequent development of philosophy. Medieval Philosophers Avicenna (980 – 1037) A Persian philosopher, physician and polymath during the Golden Age of Islam. As a philosopher and a devout Muslim, he tried to reconcile the rational Greek philosophy with Islamic theology. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274) An Italian philosopher and theologian who became a great influence on subsequent Christian philosophies, particularly that of the Roman Catholic Church. EARLY MODERN PHILOSOPHY Early Modern Philosophy. The rise of Modern Philosophy can be attributed to certain historical and cultural changes that happened between the Age of Reason during the 17th century and the Age of Enlightenment during the 18th century. Among the changes during the said period were the advancement in science, the growth of religious tolerance and the rise of liberalism (promotion of liberty and equality). Early Modern Philosophers Rene Descartes (1596 1650) A French philosopher, mathematician, scientist and writer of the Age of Reason. He has been called the â€Å"Father of Modern Philosophy†, and much of a subsequent Western philosophy can be seen as a response for his writings. He is responsible for one of the best-known quotations in philosophy: â€Å"Cogito, ergo sum† or â€Å"I think, therefore I am† (Mastin 2008). Baruch Spinoza (1623 1677) a Dutch philosopher who was a contemporary of Descartes. Spinoza became famous for his belief that absolutely everything including human behaviour occurs through the operation of necessity, leaving absolutely no room for free will and spontaneity. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646 1716) A German philosopher, mathematician, scientist and polymath who postulated the concept of â€Å"monads† which refers to the ultimate element of the universe from which all things, including human beings and God himself are made of. Immanuel Kant (1724 1804) A German philosopher during the Age of Enlightenment. He is regarded as one of the most famous thinkers in modern philosophy. His contributions in all branches of philosophy are often described as being, â€Å"immeasurable†. Kant’s Copernican Revolution. One of the most popular Kantian theories which states that the â€Å"representation† of an object greatly helps the perceiver to perceive a certain object and not the object per se. To put it more accurately, tangible materials (such as the actual glass) are less important in perceiving the glass. What is important is how we experience the â€Å"glassness† of the glass through experience. Kant believed that the human mind can be compared to a tabula rasa (blank tablet). Examples: It is like a computer with no operating system. A computer with no â€Å"O. S. † should be installed with various programs to function properly. A new born baby should be exposed with positive experiences which may affect his lifestyle and manner on how he/she perceive things. MODERN PHILOSOPHY Modern Philosophy. The modern period of philosophy generally refers to the 19th and 20th centuries. The late 20th Century which is sometimes referred to as the contemporary period, became the venue of major development in philosophy characterized by the rise of new philosophical movements. Modern Philosophers Jeremy Bentham (1748 1832) An English philosopher, political radical and legal and social reformer of the early modern period. He became the founder of the Utilitarianism which refers to the principle that holds that the right action is that which would cause â€Å"the greatest happiness of the greatest number†. John Stuart Mill (1806 1873) An English philosopher and political scientist who was the protege of Bentham and conducted major improvements on the principles of Utilitarianism. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (pronounced NEE-cha) (1844 – 1900) A 19th Century German philosopher who was known for challenging the foundations of Christianity and traditional morality, famously uttering, â€Å"God is Dead†. EASTERN WESTERN PHILOSOPHIES: AN OVERVIEW Western Philosophy Refers to the philosophical thinking in the Western or Occidental world, particularly in Europe. Historically, it refers to the philosophical thinking of Western civilization, beginning in ancient Greece. Western thought puts more emphasis on individualism, science, math, and politics – hence, rational and materialistic. It can be seen as the triumph of reason and empiricism over faith/religion – a search involving many questions. Eastern Philosophy. Refers broadly to the various philosophies in the Eastern or Oriental world, particularly Asia and some Arab countries. Historically, it is heavily influenced by Hinduism the world’s oldest religion, beginning in India. Eastern thought puts more emphasis on interdependence (of human beings and nature), harmony, unity, and faith – hence, meditative and spiritual. It can be seen as the triumph of faith/religion over science and reason – an answer following realization. KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF EASTERN WESTERN PHILOSOPHIES Western Philosophy. Is rational because most western thought focused on refining epistemology and logic. It emphasized that it is the individual using his/her rational ability to deduce the truth about the things around him/her, and this separates the individual as a subjective mind different from objective reality: Nature, God, the Universe. Eastern Philosophy In the East, philosophers have been more concerned with ordaining society in a harmonious manner, finding humanity’s proper place in society and nature, acting and thinking in a way that would promote unity and order in the universe. It does not have to rely on rationality and often tries to transcend individuality itself to reveal a person’s inherent sameness with the universe/nature. Reason is in fact seen as a stumbling block to truly understand reality. It focuses on how to live and tends to accept the way things are. Eastern thought is focused more on the mind and the spirit/soul, tending to offer a different level of internal experience (meditative) from which to draw conclusions. Thus, it would be hard to separate philosophy and religion.

The Propulsion System Engineering Essay

The Propulsion System Engineering Essay The propulsion system with respect to this application can be defined as the system which provides vehicle motion. Thus, this project involves the design of a system for efficient power generation and transmission of power from power plant to the driving wheels with minimum power train losses. All design features must comply with the shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2010 rules and regulations [1] Main objectives Selection of a suitable energy source to power the vehicle Overall system design Stock selection and design of components Detailed analysis and optimization of each sub system for maximum fuel efficiency CAD modeling and detailed drawing Verification of selected and designed components through calculation and suitable simulation software Final performance estimation All design features must be approved by shell Eco-Marathon organizers Parts quotation 1.2 About the competition The principle of the Shell Eco-Marathon is simply to design and build the most fuel efficient vehicle while producing the fewest emissions. [1], [30] Teams can enter two main categories: Futuristic prototypes These are streamlined vehicles where the primary design consideration is reducing drag and maximizing power train efficiency. This category has fewer restrictions. [1] Urban Concept vehicles These are built to more conventional 4-wheel roadworthy criteria. [1] Design requirements and other rules related to the propulsion system are listed in Appendix F 1.3 Competition category and energy source selection After few days of research and discussion considering time, cost and expertise of team, it was decided to compete under the prototype category with an internal combustion engine running on ethanol as the power plant. CHAPTER 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This literature review provides details on past endurance vehicles and the latest developments in the area of fuel efficiency, alternative fuels and future propulsion systems. Articles and reports were found related to vehicles designed and developed mainly for Shell Eco-Marathon and SAE Supermileage competitions. 2.2 The world record The most fuel efficient car in the world, PAC Car II designed and developed by ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) was powered by a Hydrogen fuel cell and it had a record of 12600 Miles per Gallon (US) during the Shell Eco-Marathon, France in 2005 [3]. This clearly indicated the level of competition, amount of potential for fuel efficiency and alternative fuels. 2.3 Ethanol as vehicle fuel Articles [4] on ethanol combustion and conversion of gasoline engines were found which provided detailed practical explanation. An ethanol powered car engineered by French high school students from Lycà ©e La Joliverie had achieved the best fuel efficiency at the European Shell Eco-marathon 2006, winning the race at the Nogaro auto racing circuit in southwest France by travelling 2885 kilometers per liter of gasoline equivalent. It also took the Climate Friendly prize for producing the least greenhouse gas emissions. [6] Currently ethanol E85 (85% ethanol) powered vehicles are produced by leading automotive manufacturers such as Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan etc [8] 2.4 Engine and drive train Vehicle designed and built by Alerion Supermileage team from Laval University of Quebec, Canada won the grand prize of the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas 2010 recording 1057.5 kilometers per liter. This vehicle consisted of an internal combustion engine. The Dalhousie University team had used the Honda GX35 engine for their vehicle with a direct drive transmission system for Shell Eco-Marathon Americas in 2008/2009 which travelled 332.8 km/l gasoline [5]. Experimental values obtained by dynamometer testing for the GX35 engine were also published. [2] 2.5 Fuel delivery systems Most endurance vehicles in previous competitions had mechanical fuel pumps to pressurize fuel. The Dalhousie team used a pressurized fuel system in 2008/2009 which yielded successful results. Fuel injection systems are known to be more efficient than carburetor systems since there is more control over the spray of fuel. 2.6 Intake and exhaust system The internal combustion engines and fluid mechanics online lecture notes published by the Colorado State University provided basic explanation about intake/exhaust tuning. Current developments in this field are related to variable valve timing. Fiat was the first automotive manufacturer to patent a variable lift system. Developed by Giovanni Torazza 1960, the system used hydraulic pressure to vary the fulcrum of the cam followers (US Patent 3,641,988). The hydraulic pressure changed according to engine speed and intake pressure. [43] After continued improvement, a system with variable valve timing, two stage valve lift on the intake valves and variable timing of the exhaust valves was developed by Porsche in 2009. [40] In 2010, Mitsubishi developed and started mass production of the 4N13 1.8 L Diesel Overhead Cam Inline 4 cylinder engine. This is the first passenger car with a diesel engine that features a variable valve timing system. [39] 2.7 Latest trends in fuel efficiency There is much research and development in the area of hydrogen fuel cells and hybrid systems. Although the principle of the fuel cell was discovered in 1838, it has not been a popular topic until recent years. Currently, hybrid systems and hydrogen fuel cells are considered the future of vehicle propulsion systems. CHAPTER 3.0 ENGINE THE SYSTEM POWER PLANT 3.1 Introduction A small four stroke gasoline engine was required to be selected and modified for ethanol combustion with maximum fuel efficiency. 3.2 Fuel Ethanol E100 The main idea behind selecting ethanol as the fuel for the engine is that ethanol has a high octane value (Higher auto ignition point). Therefore the engine will not knock at higher compression ratios. [8], [4] It is also a renewable fuel produced by corn, sugar cane etc and although controversial is regarded as generating less toxic emissions. [8] 3.3 Stock engine selection Main specification guidelines set in order to select few potential engines that can be used for the system: Engine type: Air cooled, four stroke, single cylinder petrol engine Displacement: 35 to 50 cm3 Power Output: Maximum Mass: Minimum Table 1.0: Specification guidelines for selection Adhering to the set guidelines (refer table 1.0) few potential engines were selected. Scooter engine, 139QMB, [9] 350R/S 35cc Robin/Subaru 4-Stroke engine used for bicycles, [10] Honda GX35 mini 4 stroke used in lawn mowers, [11] Gasoline engine (142F) manufactured and supplied by Shandong Huasheng Zhongtian Machinery group CO.LTD, [12] [Detailed specifications for these engines are given in appendix C] 3.3.1 Parametric study Main parameters considered for this study were specific fuel consumption, mass, ease of modification, availability, versatility and reliability The fuel efficiency of an engine is directly related to the brake specific fuel consumption. [13] During the autumn semester, the drive train was assumed to be 100% efficient and mass of car without engine was estimated as 330lbs. These values were only used for comparing engines. The miles per gallon values were estimated using the Bowling and Grippo program for various BSFC values. [7] The estimates for coefficient of drag, frontal area, tire inflation pressure, vehicle weight were obtained from other team members in charge of each sub assembly. Program inputs Coefficient of drag 0.13 Frontal area (Square feet) 8.04 Vehicle miles per hour (MPH) 18 Vehicle weight in lbs 330 Tire inflation pressure in psi 80 Engine Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (gal/hr-hp) Inputs from 0.01 to 0.25 Drive train horsepower loss Assumed 0 for engine comparison Table 2.0: Bowling and Grippo program inputs (Refer Table 6.0 in Appendix D for results) Figure 1.0: Estimated MPG vs. BSFC The specific fuel consumption of the engine should be a minimum to obtain high miles per gallon of fuel (from figure 1.0). The engines selected were further short listed considering the information available and ease for modification. 142F Gasoline engine: Brake specific fuel consumption = 480 g/kW-h Density of gasoline = 2790.38 g/gal, [15] 480 g/2790.378 g/gal = 0.1720 gal 0.1720 gal/1.341 hp-h BSFC = 0.1283 gal/hp-h Honda GX35 Brake specific fuel consumption = 360 g/kW-h This value in gal/hp-h = 0.0962 gal/hp-h Miles per gallon was estimated (assuming no power loss in drive train) for each engine while considering the mass of each engine. Estimated weight of vehicle without engine = 330 lbs Weight of vehicle with 142F engine = 335.5 lbs, this gives an estimated MPG of 790.84. Weight of vehicle with Honda GX35 = 333.8 lbs, this gives an estimated MPG of 1058.84. [7] Figure 2.0: MPG for 142F and GX35 engines Although miles per gallon value would be lower when drive train power loss is considered, the engine was compared assuming a 100% efficient drive train. These calculations are based on gasoline fuel for engine comparison purposes. Study results clearly indicate that the Honda GX35 is the most suitable engine for this system and also considering the reliability factor of Honda further proves that this engine should be selected for this application. 3.4 Honda GX35 Main advantages of Honda GX35 engine [11] Lower brake specific fuel consumption Mass is almost 2 kg less than 142F Better reliability and it has been improved over the past 10-11 years. Over Head Cam engine: Carrying out modifications on the cylinder head is easier. 360o inclinable The only disadvantage is that it consists of a carburetor. A fuel injection system would have been more fuel efficient but electronic fuel injection would also require an Engine management system and alternator which would add more weight to the vehicle. Therefore weight is less with carburetor. Performance curves C:Documents and SettingsPulsaraDesktopFYP RESEARCHcurve_GX35.gif Figure 3.0: Performance and fuel consumption curves [11] Basic calculations Clearance Volume (Stock GX35) Swept Volume = 35.8 cm3, Compression ratio, rc = 8:1 Compression ratio = Total Volume, (Vc+Vd)/Clearance Volume, Vc Clearance Volume, Vc = 5.114 cm3 Brake mean effective pressure (BMEP), (Stock GX35) Maximum power output = 1.3 HP at 7000rpm L is displacement in liters, L = 0.0358 l BMEP = 67.44 lbf/in2 Calculation of specific fuel consumption with ethanol without any system modifications Fuel NCV (KJ/l) NCV (KJ/gal(US)) Gasoline 31627.84 119724.42 Ethanol 21229.48 80362.34 Table 3.0: Net calorific values by volume [1], [15] BSFC with ethanol 0.0962 gallons of gasoline = 119724.42 x 0.0962 KJ = 11517.45 KJ Therefore BSFC of Honda GX35 engine with ethanol fuel = 0.1433 gal/hp-h (GX35 specifications in appendix C). 3.5 Modifications Figure 4.0: Engine modifications 3.5.1 Mandatory modifications for ethanol combustion Carburetor modification Main jet changes Since the energy density of ethanol is lower than gasoline, the fuel/air ratio should be increased. The main jet orifice can be bored out to increase the size of the orifice by around 30% of the original size. The air/fuel ratio for ethanol combustion should be 10.07:1. [4], [1] Idle orifice changes When the throttle plate is at idle position, the air/fuel mixture is only allowed to enter the manifold through the idle orifice. The idle mixture screw could be loosened or orifice could be bored out to increase the size by 30% in order to provide sufficient ethanol to keep the engine running at idle speed. [4] Overall engine and piping system Ethanol is a strong cleaning agent and has the ability to degrade certain engine parts such as, natural rubber, plastics, and even metals over time. Therefore, all rubber and plastic components should be replaced by synthetic material. [4] It is recommended to use neoprene hoses for the fuel delivery system. [4] Durability of various plastics: Ethanol vs. Gasoline in table 3.1in appendix D. 3.5.2 Modifications for maximum fuel efficiency Compression ratio alteration This is discussed with detailed analysis in chapter 5.0 Intake and exhaust optimization This is discussed with detailed analysis in chapter 6.0 Starting system An electric starter would be installed which would enable the driver to turn off the engine and coast after reaching a particular speed and restart later with ease. Choke A manually controlled choke is better for ethanol engines and especially for this competition. Therefore if the engine is equipped with an automatic choke; it can be adapted for manual control using a manual choke conversion kit. CHAPTER 4.0 COMPRESSION RATIO ALTERATION 4.1 Introduction This is the main advantage of using ethanol as fuel. The compression ratio can be increased up to 16-20:1 without engine knock. [20] Increasing the compression ratio increases the thermal efficiency of the engine but it should only be increased to an extent to which the engine could withstand the pressure and temperature. Methods to increase the compression ratio [21] Cylinder head and block can be shaved by milling (planning) the surfaces. Modify or change the piston head. Inlet conditions (High pressure, temperature etc) Reduce gasket thickness 4.2 Analysis For this analysis, the combustion chamber of the engine was assumed to be cylinder shaped r = Bore/2 = 1.95cm X VC (Stock) = 5.114 cm3 à Ã¢â€š ¬r2 X = 5.114 X = 0.428 cm Milling the head/block or reducing thickness of the gasket would reduce X which would result in a smaller clearance volume, VC. A smaller clearance volume results in a higher compression ratio which also generates more power. Valve clearance for Honda GX35 This is the maximum distance the valve travels beyond the engine head. Intake Valve clearance Exhaust Valve Clearance 0.08 +/- 0.02mm 0.11 +/- 0.02mm Table 4.0: GX35 Valve clearance [17] The value of X after modifications must be greater than 0.13 mm to avoid valve/piston collision. Let Y be the amount of head/block milled or reduced from gasket X = (4.28 Y) mm There is no direct theoretical relationship between horsepower and compression ratio but the Bowling and Grippo program provides a rough estimate which was tabulated in table 6.1 in appendix D. [7] For specific new fuel consumption Tabulated results can be found in Table 6.1 in Appendix D Figure 5.0: Compression ratio vs. reduction in combustion chamber height (Y) Figure 5.1: Estimated engine HP vs. reduction in combustion chamber height (Y) Figure 5.2: BSFC vs. reduction in combustion chamber height (Y) Figure 5.3: Estimated miles per gallon vs. reduction in combustion chamber height (Y) From research it was found that the compression ratio could be increased to 16-20:1 with ethanol fuel without knock problems but there was no credible information on how much compression the engine could withstand. Therefore, it was specified to increase the compression ratio only up to 12:1. This increase in compression ratio would result in an increase of 55 miles per gallon (US) (Refer figures 5.0, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3) 4.2.1 Engine cyclic analysis Figure 6.0, P-V diagram for naturally aspirated Spark ignition engine [25] Inlet conditions: Pressure (P) = 1 bar, Temperature (T) = 303 K, Ideal Gas constant (R) = 287 J/kg. K, Ratio of specific heats (ÃŽÂ ³) = 1.4, CV = 717.6, For perfect gas, Where, is the total mass of charge mixture From fuel consumption calculations using net calorific values: Fuel /Air ratio (FAR) of Ethanol = 1.49 x FAR of gasoline FAR (Ethanol) = 1/15 x 1.49 = 0.0993 , where From 1 2 (Refer figure 6.0) Isentropic compression From 2 3 (Refer figure 6.0) Constant volume heat addition Energy density of Ethanol = 30 MJ/kg Most small engines have thermal efficiencies between 40 and 45%. Therefore with a compression ratio of 12:1, conversion efficiency (Formation and combustion) can be assumed to be 45% to obtain an overestimate of the increase in pressure and temperature. [22] Above calculations were repeated for the original compression ratio (8.0:1) of the stock engine which gave the following results C:UsersPMGDesktopFYP RESEARCHT0512e0v.gif Figure 7.0: Thermal efficiency increase with increase in compression ratio, [23] Assuming a conversion efficiency of 40% and an air/fuel ratio of 15:1 Therefore, the peak in cylinder pressure has been increased by a factor of 1.64. This factor is also the factor of increase in force on piston, head, valves etc. Brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) is a valuable measure of the capacity of an engine to do work and is independent of displacement (Size of engine). [24] The BMEP of the stock engine was 67.44 (from calculations under parametric study). Therefore, increasing the compression ratio has increased the capacity of the engine to do work significantly. CHAPTER 5.0 INTAKE AND EXHAUST OPTIMIZATION 5.1 Introduction A pressure wave is created when an intake or exhaust valve is opened/closed. The wave propagates through the pipe at the speed of sound. When this wave encounters a change in cross sectional area, such as the end of the pipe, a wave of opposite sign will be reflected which would travel back towards the port. Based on the time taken for this wave to return to the valve and also considering the open/close durations of the valves, the optimum length for the pipe can be calculated. This would increase the volumetric efficiency of the engine. [16] 5.1.1 Optimum intake pipe length Experiments have revealed that there is a significant gain in volumetric efficiency when the reflected compression wave returns when the piston is at a crank angle of 90o. At this point the piston would be moving at maximum speed. Matching the time taken for the wave to return with engine speed, the required length of the pipe can be found. [16] Velocity of wave = Distance/Time, (where distance = 2L) Time = 900/ RPM (revolutions/minute)(minute/60s)(3600/revolution) = 15/RPM [16]C:Documents and SettingsPulsaraDesktopFYP RESEARCHfluid0{image1}.gif Where c is the speed of sound which depends on the temperature Where = Ratio of specific heats R = Ideal gas constant T = Temperature 5.1.2 Optimum exhaust pipe length At blow down (exhaust valve opens), a compression wave is propagates through the pipe and when it meets the end of the pipe an expansion wave returns back to the port. Experimentally it has been revealed that the optimum position of the piston when the wave returns is 120o. At this position the exhaust gas can be scavenged from the combustion chamber efficiently. [16] Time = 1200/RPM (360/60) = 120/RPM [16]C:Documents and SettingsPulsaraDesktopFYP RESEARCHfluid0{image4}.gif Graphs were plotted using these formulae A detailed calculation also considering the valve timing of Honda GX35 could be found under detailed calculations (5.2) Figure 8.0: Intake pipe length vs. engine RPM at different temperatures (Tabulated results in table 6.2 in appendix D) Figure 8.1: Exhaust pipe length vs. engine RPM at different temperatures (Tabulated results in table 6.3 in appendix D) 5.2 Optimum pipe length calculations in detail 5.2.1 Intake pipe length considering valve timing Intake valve opens at 10o before top dead centre (BTDC) and intake valve closes at 57o after bottom dead centre (ABDC). [18] Duration of 247o , [18] Intake valve opens once every two revolutions. Therefore (360 x 2 247) o = 473o After closing, the intake valve would open again after 473 crank angle degrees 473o = Speed of sound at an intake temperature of 30oC Ratio of specific heat, ÃŽÂ ³ = 1.4 at 30oC Distance travelled is two times the pipe length, Therefore, The optimum pipe length for GX35 engine to run at 5100 RPM is 2.705 m Due to the space constraint of the engine compartment pipe length can be shortened by a factor of four, making it 0.677 m in length. By this method, the wave would travel up and down the pipe four times before the intake valve opens again. Although the effectiveness would be less, it would still arrive at the correct time to force more air into the cylinder. Using this result a custom intake pipe was designed with a length of approximately 0.5 m leaving the remaining 0.177 m for intake runners, carburetor, etc 5.2.2 Exhaust pipe length using valve timing There are various methods and theories used for calculating the exhaust pipe length. The intake and exhaust can be treated separately to find the optimum length for each pipe and also both can be treated as one system during valve overlap to gain an added advantage during the overlap period. Method 1 (Considering exhaust system only) The reflected pulse could be set to arrive at the engine just as the exhaust valve starts to open, which would help to expel the exhaust gas without using up excess energy. Exhaust valve opens at 48o before bottom dead centre (BBDC) and exhaust valve closes at 28o after top dead centre (ATDC). [18] Duration of 256o, [18] Port opens/closes once every two revolutions. Therefore, exhaust valve opens 464 crank angle degrees after closing Speed of sound, c at the exhaust will depend on the exhaust temperature Thermodynamic calculations were continued from point 3 (Refer Figure 6.0) in order to calculate the temperature at blow down. , From 3 4 Isentropic expansion This length can be shortened by a factor of four allowing the wave to travel up and down four times before the valve starts to open, which gives 1.163 meters. Method 2 (Considering valve overlap period) If the reflected expansion wave reaches the opened exhaust valve just before closing but after the intake valve opens, the expansion wave will travel across the cylinder (since effective cylinder volume is small near TDC) through the intake port up to the intake atmosphere. This would result in an increased aspiration. Intake/exhaust valve overlap period of 38o Blow down shock wave leaves at 48o BBDC and the expansion wave must be set to return at around18o ATDC. [18] This gives duration of 246o, [18] Exhaust valve opens once every two revolutions. To obtain maximum volumetric efficiency by gaining advantage of the valve overlap period the exhaust pipe should be 2.46 meters in length This can be shortened by a factor of two which would make the wave travel up and down twice before making use of the valve overlap period but this method may not be effective since the exhaust port will be open when the valve returns for the first time. 5.3 Custom parts in the intake/exhaust system Intake pipe This pipe was designed considering the calculation results (figure 2.0) and compartment space Length is approximately 0.5 meters, (CAD drawing in appendix A) Exhaust pipe This was designed considering the calculations (figure 2.1), compartment space and also the Shell Eco-Marathon rule which states that exhaust should be evacuated outside the vehicle but the pipe should not be longer than the body Length is approximately 1.5 meters, (CAD drawings in appendix A) Velocity stack Figure 9.0 Inlet flow [19]This is a pipe with a curved inlet which should be fixed to the end of the intake pipe. This would give a smoother flow of air into the intake pipe which would result in better atomization of fuel in the carburetor. Also this allows the full cross section of the intake pipe to be used whereas without a curved inlet, the flow area would be reduced due to the sharp entry. Therefore the velocity stack helps to aspirate more air into the system. [19] (CAD drawing in appendix A) 5CHAPTER 6.0 FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM 6.1 Introduction The basic function of this system is to deliver the fuel to the carburetor. In regular vehicles, either mechanical or electric fuel pumps are used to pressurize and drive the fuel into the system. Stock GX35 engine uses gravity to pressurize the fuel when used in lawn mowers. The Shell Eco-Marathon rules state that electric fuel pumps are not allowed. [1] Therefore the possible methods would be: Using a Mechanical fuel pump Using gravity Pressurized fuel delivery system using compressed air 6.2 Selection and design A mechanical pump would have to be powered from the engine output, which would result in an additional load on the engine. This would result in a reduction in specific fuel consumption. The pressure due to height may not be large enough due to the space constraint in the engine compartment if gravity is used. Also, the shell fuel tank could be pressurized up to 5 bar which makes the pressurized system ideal for this application Figure 10.0: PRESSURIZED FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM LAYOUT Valve to drain the fuel (Shell requirement) Solenoid cut off valve Pressure control valve A 1.5L pop bottle is used to store air at high pressure and air is regulated using a pressure control valve to control the pressure of air entering the fuel tank. This air at high pressure is used to push the fuel through the system. Pressure gauge is positioned close to the fuel tank to indicate the pressure of air entering the fuel tank. An air pump (hand held or foot pump) can be used to pump in air through, the valve stem (No return valve). 1.5 L pop bottles are rated at 72 psi, therefore it is recommended to pump the bottle to approximately 60 psi. 6.3 Advantages of this method No extra load on the engine to drive a mechanical pump Less weight Low cost Also, this is a proven method which has been used in successful endurance vehicles in past competitions. [2] (CAD drawings can be found in appendix A) Figure 10.1: Screenshot from CAD model showing the fuel delivery system CHAPTER 7.0 DRIVE TRAIN 7.1 Introduction The vehicle consists of three wheels, two in front and one at the back. The vehicle was designed to be a rear wheel drive and a chain is used to drive the wheel. Design and selection of transmission system and parts, gear ratio calculations, overall system layout and basic stress analysis is discussed in this chapter. 7.2 Transmission system There were few potential transmission concepts that could be used Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). [26] Derailleur [27] Manual two/three speed gear box Direct drive system [2] CVT is known to be more efficient than a manual gear box but after further review it was found that CVT is less efficient at low speeds. [41] Derailleur system is highly efficient and simple but previous vehicles with this system had problems with the chain slipping out of the sprocket during gear change. [2] Although a manual gear box is well suited for this system, it would add extra weight and also more moving parts results in additional power loss. Therefore a direct drive system with one gear ratio was selected as the most suitable transmission system. Main reasons behind selecting direct drive transmission system Honda GX35 has relatively flat curves for torque, power and fuel consumption. The fuel consumption curve is almost flat from 3000 to 6000 RPM. Therefore the engine can run at a wide range of speeds and still supply adequate power with the same fuel consumption. (Refer figure 3.0) A manual gearbox would add extra weight and benefits of it would be negligible due to the linear performance curves. 7.3 System layout Few drive train system layouts were drawn in order to allocate space for each part. The most suitable layout was selected and modified accordingly. FUEL TANK CLUTCH Figure 11.0: Selected layout (Initial concept layouts in Appendix F) Figure 11.1: Screen shot from CAD model of the propulsion system showing the layout (Overall CAD assembly and exploded drawings in appendix A) 7.4 Gear ratio Since a direct drive system was selected, the drive train would have one fixed gear ratio from engine to rear sprocket. An overall gear ratio of 16:1 was chosen and calculations were carried out to verify that this ratio is suitable for our application. 7.4.1 The torque required at the rear wheel to move vehicle from rest Rolling resistance, Where, = Coefficient of rolling resistance m = Total mass of the vehicle g = Acceleration due to gravity Coefficient of rolling resistance for pneumatic tires on a dry surface can be approximated by the following equation Where, P = Tire Pressure (bars) U = Vehicle velocity (km/h) Overall estimated mass of the vehicle = 140 kg Maximum tire pressure = 85 psi (5.8605 bar) Rear wheel diameter = 0.508 m Torque required to move the vehicle = Rolling resistance x driving wheel radius The efficiency of the drive train w

Suffering in Harriet Wilsons Our Nig Essay -- essays research papers

Harriet Wilson’s Our Nig is a novel that presents the harshness of racial prejudice during the 19th century combined with the traumas of abandonment. The story of Frado, a once free-spirited mulatto girl abandoned by her white mother, unfolds as she develops into a woman. She is faced with all the abuse and torment that Mrs. Belmont, the antagonist, could subject her to. Still she survives to obtain her freedom. Through the events and the accounts of Frado’s life the reader is left with a painful reality of the lives of indentured servants. Though the novel is not told from Frado’s perspective, her story becomes more sympathizing and sentimental from a third person narrative. Wilson uses her supporting characters to express Frado’s emotions and to show her development. Through her style, the reader becomes more aware of the Belmont family and society’s prejudices through how they react to Frado’s suffering. For instance Aunt Abby, one of the more sympathizing characters, says â€Å"we found a seat under a shady tree, and there I took the opportunity to combat the notions she seemed to entertain respecting the loneliness of her condition and want of sympathizing friends† (54). While Aunt Abby makes an effort to console Frado, there is no real sympathy in her words. They are mechanical and rehearsed. Aunt Abby does not genuinely care for Frado but she does pity her situation. Unlike Aunt Abby, James offers a more sincere regard for Frado. He buys her a puppy and often protects her from his mother’s brutal thrashings. He even intends to bring her home with him to live. He does not possess the indifference of his father or the cowardice of his sister, Jane. Being one of the few characters who emits a genuine aura of concern James i... ...mont’s but is sadly disappointed by her unfortunate state in the end of the novel. Slave narratives are not meant to be uplifting but this story brings depressive reading to a whole new level. Frado’s story is one of unrelenting abuse and pain. Through Wilson’s style the reader understands every point of view and especially the views of prejudice and racism. The title â€Å"Our Nig† relates one of the most insulting realities of Frado’s existence. She was property in a sense. Her labor and her efforts were equated to those of a horse that could be broken when necessary. Frado’s encounters and relationships further distinguish this novel from other slave narratives. This story shows what society and what the human spirit is capable of. People can cause the immense suffering of others but People can also rise up from the depths of despair and overcome great obstacles.

Free Essays: The Vivid Imagery of Homers Odyssey :: Odyssey essays

The Vivid Imagery of Homer's Odyssey In the epic the Odyssey by Homer (translated by Robert Fitzgerald) one of the most descriptive and best written passages in the entire epic is "The Slaying of the Suitors" (book 23 lines1-62). This is a good passage for many reasons, one of these is that it is a part of the story that has been built up and anticipated by all. Another is the vivid imagery used by Homer. There is one more reason, this being the tone of the passage. The tone of this passage is very important to it and adds very much to it. One of the most talked of conflicts in the Odyssey is the suitors ravaging the possessions and house of Odysseus. They were able to do this because he was presumed dead and they didn't worry about him coming to protect his house and family. The impact of the passage in question is so important because it is when Odysseus returns to his home and kills the suitors. This is a large part of the final resolution, it al begins with this, for once the suitors are gone Odysseus is free to reclaim is post in society. It also gives the reader a great feeling of elation that the suitors who are terrorizing the house of Odysseus. A quote that really gives a good idea of the overall impact and resolution that this passage gives is as follows "You yellow dogs, you thought I'd never make it home from the land of Troy. You took my house to plunder, twisted my maids to serve your beds. You dared bid for my wife while I was still alive. Contempt was all you had for the gods who rule wide heaven, contempt for what men say of you hereafter. Your last hour has come. You die in blood." (page 410 lines 37-43). This quote gives a good impression of the closure that is given by this passage, included for this purpose, because it give Odysseus his revenge, the suitors will die in disgrace, Odysseus has finally returned to claim his place. The dominant impression created by this passage is summed up in the quote above, vengeance, elation at the deaths of the suitors and the felling that Odysseus is back and he's not