The relationships between the various manufacturing aspects of a pencil and the purchasing of the final product by the ultimate consumer

Primordially, the pencil was mainly used for writing on utensils. Pencils existed during the times when rocks with a chalky texture and sticks that are charred were used to write on surfaces, animal hides and also walls that built caves. Individuals from different countries employed different techniques in the manufacture pencils to suit their needs. The Romans and Greeks made use of the flat pieces of lead to make some fine drawings on their papyrus products.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The relationships between the various manufacturing aspects of a pencil and the purchasing of the final product by the ultimate consumer specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The present-day pencils were developed in 1400. The quality of pencils was developed progressively since the number of people who needed the pencils had also increased. Individuals prefer certain brands of pencils to the others depending on the materials use d to manufacture them. This paper aims to examine the entire aspects of a pencil and how they relate to every chapter from the manufacturing aspect to the purchasing of the final product by the ultimate consumer. Presently, the rigidness of a pencil is usually designated by the numerals or letters it produces. Majority of the manufacturers in different countries use numbers one to four. Basically, number one stands for the softest pencil that ultimately makes the darkest mark. The model number two of pencils is usually acknowledged as the medium soft. This pencil is a relevant option for making normal writings. Some manufacturers are used to grading their models of pencils by letters. In most cases, the 6B model of pencils is used to refer to the softest while the 9H model is used to refer to the hardest. The softness and hardness of a pencil has a great influence on its purchase. Some people prefer the soft one to the hard one. The notion of attaching a rubber to a pencil has also influenced the choice of most people whenever they are purchasing pencils. The initial step of most people while manufacturing pencils is the use of a graphite core. This activity is usually done through extrusion. Petroski attested that â€Å"the activity involves forcing the mixture of graphite through a die opening of the appropriate size† (15). In most cases, graphite produces the best results when writing. Additional to conventional pencils, most people prefer other types of pencils. Some people prefer pencils that do not require sharpening while others prefer the automatic pencils. The propelling pencils are usually made with either a metal or plastic case that is held in position by a rod with a metal stud fixed firmly to it. Presently, most people use colored pencils. In these pencils, a mixture of pigments, dyes and other binders are used in position of the graphite core. Most manufacturers color their pencils with other different unique colors to compete those penci ls with dull colors. As a matter of fact, cedar casing pencils made of lead have continuously outsold all of their competitors including the ballpoint pens. As a result, the cedar casing pencils have been manufactured at a recommendable pace of six billion pencils per year in a total of forty nations (Thomson 32).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The most essential raw material in the manufacture pencils is graphite. Most people acknowledge graphite as lead. Generally, a technique called contà © that entails the mixing of graphite with clay is used. Most of the graphite that is used in the manufacture of pencils has some small components of chemicals. This natural graphite is thus impure. It is advisable to use a form of timber that endures incessant sharpening in the production of pencils. The wood should be easy to cut without disintegrating. Among the cedar trees, timber from a California tree has been the best alternative to most of the pencil manufacturers. The California cedar trees have been used for a longer period of time to manufacture pencils. This type of tree has a pleasant smell. In additional to this, the tree does not distort and it is also readily available. Some pencils are usually designed with erasers, held on with a ferrule. This eraser is either glued or held on the metal prongs. In fact, pencils with erasers have been attested to provide stiff competition to pencils without erasers in the current market. The erasers are designed with rubber and pumice. The fact that most of the factories make their own graphite for manufacturing pencils has made it possible to regulate its density. Initially, most pencil manufacturers used extracted graphite to make their pencils. This graphite may be mixed with clay depending on the kind of pencil that is being made. Pencils that are made using more graphite are much softer than the other types of pencils. Pencils that produce darker lines are usually made using more graphite. The amount of graphite used has a great influence on the number of people purchasing the pencils. Most people prefer pencils with darker lines to pencils with lighter lines. Pencils with colors are designed with a mixture of other pigments and clay. The procedure of processing graphite entails a variety of steps. The processing of graphite into its original state entails two methods. The first one is an extrusion method. In this technique, a mixture of graphite and wax is often passed through a mold. This leads to the formation of strings that resemble spaghetti. The strings are then hacked to defined measurement and then dehydrated in ovens. The second technique entails the pouring of a mixture of graphite and clay into a machine. The machine is usually acknowledged as a billet press. This is followed by placing of a plug on top of the billet press. According to Thomson a metal ram is â€Å"lifted from the base to blend the mixture into a tough solid cylinder called a billet† (12). The billet is ultimately eradicated from the apex of the machine and placed in an extrusion press. The extrusion press then forces the billet through a mold. The amount of graphite determines the ultimate quality of a pencil.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The relationships between the various manufacturing aspects of a pencil and the purchasing of the final product by the ultimate consumer specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the process of making wood casings for the pencils, a number of square slats are formed. The manufacturer will then cut grooves from the slats. Thomson gives the â€Å"next step as the process of inserting graphite sticks into the grooves on one of the slats† (12). The second slat with unfilled grooves is stuck on the apex of the graphite filled slot. Pencils having the appropriate sizes ar e cut out of the sandwich. The manufacturer will then affix an eraser and a metal ferrule on the pencil. After cutting the pencils into the right sizes, the pencils core is passed across a conveyer belt. The cores are then collected in troughs where they are stored before inserting pencil woods on them. This process is significant in a variety of ways. A cedar tree is the most appropriate wood for manufacturing pencils. The cedar trees are in most cases availed at the factory. This wood is usually dehydrated, stained and waxed to put a stop to warping. After this, the logs are sawed into thin strips acknowledged as slats. The slats are approximately 7.25 inches long, 25 inches thick and 2.75 inches wide. The measurement of the slats can also be stated as 18.4cm long, 635cm thick and 6.98cm wide. The slats are kept in a feeder where they are released, one by one, on the conveyer belt. The conveyer belt will then move the slats along at a steady rate. This is followed by smoothening o f the slats to give them an even surface. Borgeson denotes that â€Å"the slats are passed below a cutter head that is capable of making parallel semi-circular grooves along the length of a single side of every one of the slat† (23). These grooves are usually one half as deep as the thickness of graphite. As the process continues along the conveyer belt, part of the slats is encrusted with a layer of glue. The parts of graphite that were cut are placed in the grooves of the slats. The slats that are not coated with glue are to be placed on a separate conveyer belt. The slats should not have graphite within their grooves. The belt carries the slats to a device that picks and twirls them over. Consequently, the slats are laid on the conveyer belt with their grooves in a downward position. The belts come together and the slats that are not glued are put on those slats with not only paste but also graphite. This forms a sandwich. This is followed by the removal of sandwiches from the belt. The sandwiches are then placed in a metal clamp where they are compressed by a hydraulic press. They are then left-clamped together until the glue is dried out. The moment the pencils are died out, the end points of the pencil are trimmed to get rid of excess glue.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The subsequent step is shaping of the pencils. This process is done when the sandwiches have turned out to be pencils. In the process, the sandwich is put on a conveyer belt and then passed through two sets of cutters. One of the cutters is situated at the apex while the second one is placed under the belt. Regarding the cutter at the apex of the conveyor belt, the sandwiches are cut at approximately the top half. As for the cutter that is situated beneath the belt, the sandwiches are cut at approximately the bottom half. This results in a separation of finished pencils from the unfinished pencils. Most of the manufactured pencils are hexagonal in shape. This is designed to help in the keeping of the pencils from rolling-off surfaces. As matter of fact, one sandwich capitulates in a total of either six or nine hexagonal pencils. The final procedure of manufacturing a pencil entails a number of procedures. Subsequently to hacking the pencils, the manufacturer makes use of a sander to enhance the smoothness of its facades. Before dehydrating the pencils, the manufacturers must spread varnish on the facades of the pencils. Varnishing machines are used for application of varnish. In this process, the pencils are submerged in a vat of varnish. The submerged pencils are taken in a disk that helps in eliminating surplus varnish. Subsequently to drying, the pencils are passed through the varnishing process repeatedly until the most wanted color is attained. Lastly, the manufacturer applies a finishing coat on the surfaces of the pencils. This process will have an impact on the final appearance of the pencil. The manufacturers will again sent the produced pencils into a conveyor belt through the help of shaping machines. This process is aimed at the removal of the surplus varnish. In most cases, the varnish accumulates at the end points of the manufactured pencil. The process is of great significance as it helps an individual to achieve an equivalent length of the penc ils. This is followed by the attachment of an eraser at one end of the pencil. The eraser is held on to the pencil by the help of a round metallic case acknowledged as a ferrule. The metal case is first of all attached to the pencil with the help of either glue or a small metallic prong. The eraser is then placed in the ferrule that clamps it on the pencil. Among the ultimate procedures is the warming of steel pigments that will stamp logos on pencils (Petroski 16). Due to the stiff competition that has been experienced in the current market, the manufacturers have been forced to produce colored pencils in order to attract more customers. Colored pencils are usually produced in nearly the same way as black writing pencils. The only difference is that, in places of graphite, the cores of colored pencils contain colors. The initial step is to add gum and clay to act as bonding agents. The manufacturer will then be required to soak the mixture of gum and clay in wax. This is aimed at m aking the pencils to be smooth. Subsequently to the production of a pencil, its surface is coated with a color. The painting of the pencils has a positive impact on the attitude of the ultimate user of the pencil. Besides the manufacturing processes, the pencils are usually passed through a number of quality control measures. Due to the fact that the manufacturers have to move along the conveyor belt in the manufacturing stage, the pencils are comprehensively inspected before distributing them to the masses. The members of staff are often instructed to get rid of pencils that appear dysfunctional. A selected number of pencils are then sharpened and then tested the moment the process has been completed. Some issues may be experienced in the process of manufacturing pencils. Among the common issues, the glue of the sandwich may at times be difficult to adhere. The problem is usually experienced when the sandwich is being cut. Most people will prefer to purchase pencils that have been proven to be of good quality. After manufacturing the pencils, they are packaged for transportation. Most pencils are usually designed with various colors, over sized ferrules and an eraser. Most manufacturers have tried as much as possible to maintain the original colors of their pencils. This is aimed at quick identification of the pencils by the ultimate consumers. There are a lot of differences in the types of packaging boxes. This is due to the fact that all marketing teams have evaluated the costs and efficiency of advertising their products. This has in turn impacted the design components and materials. The disparities in the pencil packaging designs have been noticed by individuals from all parts of the world. Presently, a lot of pencil manufacturing corporations have been developed. This has increased competition among several pencil manufacturing companies. Fischler attests in his book that the â€Å"design of packaging was given an extreme consideration in the companiesà ¢â‚¬â„¢ efforts to not only attract but also retain consumers† (24). This has been implemented in the present market where pencils are highly appreciated by nearly everyone. Pencils have turned out to be considerably expensive to most of the pencil users. Some people use pencils for their personal matters while a certain group of individuals use the pencils for professional purposes on a daily basis. Borgeson elucidates that â€Å"the skill and effort put forth by artists prior to the desktop publishing revolution was manifestly noticeable in their work, which imbued a deeper sense of thought and consideration† (34). Even in the presence of the technologies to design the computer based drawings, pencils have still strived to be an alternative for most of the consumers. As a matter of fact, pencils are cheap and easy to use. It is however difficult to design a drawing using computer technologies. Packaging of pencils was implemented some times after the introduction of p encils. The conventional packaging boxes were designed with logos of companies that manufactured them. This helped the consumers to make a quick identification of the type of pencils that they need. In most cases, the manufacturers pack a dozen of pencils in a box before distributing them. In an effort to help the consumers to identify the type of pencils they want, the company’s logo is usually placed on one of the sides of the box. Certain companies such as the Blackwing festoon the boxes with blue and white strips. The strips are accompanied with the corporation’s logo, printed in white on a black field. At the bottom of the incredible pencil is a bright red eraser that is held on by a ferrule. The manufacturers usually pint catalog numbers on the sides of the pencils. Most consumers consider these catalogue numbers before purchasing the product. Competitive pencils within the market are usually acknowledged by the pencil’s catalog number. The packaging boxes should be a bit longer than the length of the pencil. The packaging boxes are usually designed to accommodate the length of the ferrule. The design of the packaging box can also help in beautifying the consumer’s office. This is the main reason as to why most people prefer purchasing pencils that are in a well designed packaging box to pencils that are in a poorly designed box. Consequently, pencils in well designed boxes will commercially defeat those ones in poorly designed boxes. Individuals will be glad to display things that they always desire to look at. Similar graphic designs to the ones in the pencils are always filled on the sides of the boxes including the top side. The pencil corporations have modified hands at various instances, with related changes in the members of staff that deal with product design. The changes in the packaging of the pencils have been done specifically to suit the needs of the consumers and also to compete the weak products in the market. I n this case, the boxes that hold the pencils are similar to a tube. These kinds of boxes were developed to give room for a better accommodation of the shapes of the pencils. These boxes were specially designed to accommodate the blackwing pencils. On these boxes, the company logo was removed from the front. These boxes are relegated to a flap to facilitate an effortless identification when the logos are stacked. This design is widely used to accommodate most of the contemporary pencils. Another form that is similar to this box design is the dot motif. The only difference is that this design is a rectangle in shape. Sometimes, the austerity of the sans serif typography is implemented by the half tone photograph of the original pencil. Most manufacturers prefer this layout while the other manufacturers prefer the other layouts. Most of the pencil box designs are usually inherited from other experts who existed some long years ago. However, an invention from one of the members of staff is highly appreciated. As a matter of fact, the members of staff are advised to participate maximally in the process of designing the various forms of pencil boxes. Most of the techniques are usually inherited from the tenure manufacturing processes. This practice is very important as it influences the choice of the purchaser to either purchase the product or leave for another decorated product. The knowledge of pencil packaging is usually affected by the level of experience of the designers. The packaging of pencils is usually asserted as part of the pencil manufacturing process. In this way, it is finally acknowledged as part of the experience that is related to the usage of any exact brand. Because of this, there is need for some additional thought and care as this could bring forth some glorious days. This should be implemented even at the centre of a computer based design. This will have an impact on the ultimate user as he/she will have to think twice before making a decision of throwing the pencil boxes into a trash. Therefore, this process is of great significance. There are various types of distribution that can be used to avail the manufactured products to the consumers. There are three types of distribution. The forms of distribution include intensive distribution, selective distribution and exclusive distribution. In our case, an intensive type of distribution is used to avail the manufactured pencils to the ultimate users. According to Fischler, â€Å"in intensive distribution, the product is sold to as many appropriate retailers or wholesalers as possible† (22). Apart from the pencils, there are other industrial products that may require intensive distribution. Fischler further states that these may include â€Å"pencils, paperclips, transparent tape, file folders, typing paper, transparency masters, screws, and nails† (Fischler 22). In this type of distribution, the purchase of this product is not restricted to a certain group of individuals. The manufacturers do not have an opportunity of selecting their wholesalers or retailers. The pencil manufacturers are highly emancipated due to the fact that they don’t have to focus on potentially profitable accounts. Additional to this, the producers of pencils do not have to come up with strong working relationships for their products to be appropriately merchandised. Even in cases of special services from the support team, the manufacturers are not allowed to limit the distribution of pencils to specific retailers. Shops that offer wholesale pencils have a large selection for not only adults but also youngsters. Pencils in most wholesale shops are usually bought to act as great marketing gifts for learning institutions and non profit corporate bodies. Most of the pencil consumers prefer wholesale shops to any other shopping centers. This is due to the fact that wholesale providers sale their pencils in large quantities which cheap in the long run. Purchasing of pencils in small quantities is cheap but expensive in the long run. Most of the consumers get their products directly from the greatest pencil dispensers within the industry. Individuals can also get pencils from local shops and canteens. These local shops and stalls are acknowledged as retail shops. The retailers may decide to buy the pencils from either wholesalers or the manufacturing industries. In real sense, purchasing the products from the production industries is cheaper than purchasing the products from the wholesale shops. The choice of a retailer to purchase from either a wholesale shop or an industry will depend on his/her convenience. The ultimate purchasers of the pencils may get them in either retail shops or wholesale shops (Poulin 14). Most of the extensive purchasers of pencils are schools. Pencils are used in schools to make writings and drawings on papers. Learners in lower classes use pencils to write in books at all times while upper class scholars use penc ils for making drawings of various diagrams and flow charts that they come across. In addition to this, kids in pre-unit classes use colored pencils to sketch some letters given to them by their tutors. Pencils have a wide range of uses once delivered to the ultimate consumers. Pencils can be used to ease a newly bought key into a padlock. Individuals who have just had a new key that does not seem to fit into their padlock can use a pencil to repair the key. One may do this by rubbing a pencil across the teeth of the key. The graphite powder on the pencil usually helps the key to unlock the door. Most female individuals use the pencils as hair accessories. Pencils can help in the provision of haul ups to coiled locks. If two pencils are crossed to form an X, ones hair bun can not only be stabilized but also decorated. Pencils can also be used to beautify the enclosures of a photograph. In order to this, one has to garb the enclosures of a photo with pencils. This is done by dressing up the frames with pencils. Gluing of two sharpened pencils along the lengths of the frame may beautify the appearance of a frame. Whetting and fixing of two pencils on the enclosure’s width will produce similar outcomes. Some individuals can purchase a pencil for repelling moths with the help of the pencil shavings. This should be done by emptying the electric pencil sharpeners into a small sack of cloth. When the cedar shavings are placed in ones closet, they can help in signaling the moths to run away. Pencils can be used to lubricate a sticky zipper. Individuals with zippers that have refused budge should take their pencils and end their disappointments. This should be done by running the pencil leads along the tooth of the zipper to release the zipper. After this, an individual will be able to zip and unzip their zippers safely. A certain group of individuals usually purchase pencils for staking of small germinating plants. Pencils can act as stakes for germinating plan ts. This is usually enhanced by the pencils’ small size and the use of a small fabric. The manufacturing process of a pencil entails a variety of significant aspects on the free market economy. A pencil can be used to give an explanation of how a free market economy works. This explanation bases on the hypothesis that states that nobody on earth knows the procedures of making a pencil. This is due to the fact that people from different parts of the world manufacture pencils using different components and ingredients. As a matter of fact, most of the wood for manufacturing pencils comes from the United States of America; graphite comes from the southern part of the US while rubber comes from Malaysia. In spite of the fact that these groups of people do not have a similar language that they speak, they are capable of cooperating peacefully to manufacture a pencil. Additional to this, these groups of individuals emerge from very diverse backgrounds. The interaction between these people is voluntary. Even though it does not have a central control, all parties involved are capable of benefiting (Nickels, J. McHugh and S. McHugh 20). In conclusion, all aspects entailed in the manufacturing process of pencils are related to the acquisition of the ultimate product by the final consumer. The process of manufacturing pencils entails the use of naturally occurring resources such as wood, graphite, water, clay among others. The manufacturing process also requires the use of manpower and electricity. It is therefore advisable to avoid wasting pencils. Wastage of pencils is just like wasting the environmental resources and the peoples’ efforts involved in the process. Works Cited Borgeson, Bet. Colored Pencil for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Artist, New York: Watson-Guptill, 1998. Print. Fischler, George. Fountain Pens and Pencils, Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1990.Print. Nickels, William, James, McHugh and Susan, McHugh. Understa nding Business, Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2008. Print. Petroski, Henry. The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance, New York: Knopf, 1992. Print. Poulin, Benard. The Complete Colored Pencil Book, Cotati, CA: North Light Books, 2011. Print. Thomson, Ruth. Making Pencils, Euston, London: Franklin Watts, 1987. Print. This report on The relationships between the various manufacturing aspects of a pencil and the purchasing of the final product by the ultimate consumer was written and submitted by user Ulises F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Holocaust

The Holocaust is likely one of the most misunderstood historical events of modern times. There are those that underestimate the extent of world knowledge about the German atrocities. There are also those whom are ignorant of the way in which the Jews reacted to their situation. The incredible extent of incorrect information about the Holocaust which people have been taught is a severe problem that must be corrected immediately. The only solution is the education of the masses. It is imperative that modern society fully appreciate the terrors of the Holocaust in order to prevent it?s reoccurrence. First and foremost, we must address the fallacies concerning the world?s knowledge of what was happening. It is often assumed and taught that the Holocaust portion of World War II was such a well kept secret that no one knew of it until after the fact, however, this is untrue. There were various ways that the world was notified of these horrors. Various nations and various Jewish communities gained knowledge of the barbarity and did nothing. The powers that be were notified many times of what was going on. On September 29 and 30, 1941 there was a mass killing at Babi Yar, a Russian city near Kiev. Reporters in Kiev were sending the story to their publishers within three days, it was never printed. A Swiss-German industrialist, after having been invited to watch a mass killing, sent photographs to Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, they were ignored. In February 1942, the Vatican and the Red Cross received confirmed reports of the Holocaust. After discussing whether to intervene, they concluded that they had to remain silent, so as not to compromise their neutrality. In July of 1942, news reports of the killings were aired in London, however, nothing came of it because the reports were in French. Head of the CIA, Allen Dulles received an account of the camps from two inmates in 1944. Despite being quote-unquote ?profoundly shocked?... Free Essays on Holocaust Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is likely one of the most misunderstood historical events of modern times. There are those that underestimate the extent of world knowledge about the German atrocities. There are also those whom are ignorant of the way in which the Jews reacted to their situation. The incredible extent of incorrect information about the Holocaust which people have been taught is a severe problem that must be corrected immediately. The only solution is the education of the masses. It is imperative that modern society fully appreciate the terrors of the Holocaust in order to prevent it?s reoccurrence. First and foremost, we must address the fallacies concerning the world?s knowledge of what was happening. It is often assumed and taught that the Holocaust portion of World War II was such a well kept secret that no one knew of it until after the fact, however, this is untrue. There were various ways that the world was notified of these horrors. Various nations and various Jewish communities gained knowledge of the barbarity and did nothing. The powers that be were notified many times of what was going on. On September 29 and 30, 1941 there was a mass killing at Babi Yar, a Russian city near Kiev. Reporters in Kiev were sending the story to their publishers within three days, it was never printed. A Swiss-German industrialist, after having been invited to watch a mass killing, sent photographs to Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, they were ignored. In February 1942, the Vatican and the Red Cross received confirmed reports of the Holocaust. After discussing whether to intervene, they concluded that they had to remain silent, so as not to compromise their neutrality. In July of 1942, news reports of the killings were aired in London, however, nothing came of it because the reports were in French. Head of the CIA, Allen Dulles received an account of the camps from two inmates in 1944. Despite being quote-unquote ?profoundly shocked?... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is a term that is synonymous with genocide. In the Webster Merriam dictionary this term has two meanings; the first is a sacrifice consumed by fire. The second meaning is a thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life especially through fire. In regards to the historical event known as the Holocaust, the second definition is the most fitting. This definition is appropriate because that is exactly what the Holocaust was: a complete destruction of a sect of people, mainly Jews, through the use of fire (primarily ovens in which their bodies were burned in). When speaking of destruction, it is important to understand that not only were bodies and lives destroyed, but the spirit of the Jewish people was shattered. There are many different questions concerning the Holocaust that have risen overtime. Whether or not the Holocaust ever existed has been debated for decades. To this day people have doubted the actual existence of the Holocaust, as well as the issue of how long the Holocaust was actually around for or when it even started. Not only when, but where it all happen, is also a pertinent part of understanding the full effect of this horrifying period in time. Also another widely held viewpoint and argument was if the Jews resisted or if the Jews succumbed to the Nazi party and Hitler. Within this paper I will confirm that in fact the holocaust actually did happen by discussing the beginning of the holocaust, concentrating on specific camps, and then talking about how it affects the Jewish people today. The holocaust began when a man by the name of Adolf Hitler came into power, and was on a mission to annihilate as much of the Jewish population that he could. Hitler was able to come to power through several different reasons. Long term bitterness, an ineffective constitution, money, propaganda, attacks on other parties, and personal qualities all contributed. Not to mention the fact that Hitler wa... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is a term that is synonymous with genocide. In the Webster Merriam dictionary this term has two meanings; the first is a sacrifice consumed by fire. The second meaning is a thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life especially through fire. In regards to the historical event known as the Holocaust, the second definition is the most fitting. This definition is appropriate because that is exactly what the Holocaust was: a complete destruction of a sect of people, mainly Jews, through the use of fire (primarily ovens in which their bodies were burned in). When speaking of destruction, it is important to understand that not only were bodies and lives destroyed, but the spirit of the Jewish people was shattered. There are many different questions concerning the Holocaust that have risen overtime. Whether or not the Holocaust ever existed has been debated for decades. To this day people have doubted the actual existence of the Holocaust, as well as the issue of how long the Holocaust was actually around for or when it even started. Not only when, but where it all happen, is also a pertinent part of understanding the full effect of this horrifying period in time. Also another widely held viewpoint and argument was if the Jews resisted or if the Jews succumbed to the Nazi party and Hitler. Within this paper I will confirm that in fact the holocaust actually did happen by discussing the beginning of the holocaust, concentrating on specific camps, and then talking about how it affects the Jewish people today. The holocaust began when a man by the name of Adolf Hitler came into power, and was on a mission to annihilate as much of the Jewish population that he could. Hitler was able to come to power through several different reasons. Long term bitterness, an ineffective constitution, money, propaganda, attacks on other parties, and personal qualities all contributed. Not to mention the fact that Hitler wa... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust during World War II was arguably one of the worst human induced disasters that have happened to the human race. The Holocaust orchestrated by the Nazi Empire destroyed millions of lives and created questions about humanity that may never be answered. Many psychological effects caused by the Holocaust forever changed the way the Jewish people view the world and themselves. The Jewish people have been scarred for generations and may never be able to once again associate with the rest of the free world. Further, these scars have now become the looking glass through which the survivors and their children view the world. Through narrow eyes, the survivors relate everything to the experiences they endured during the Holocaust. Likewise, these new views on the world shapes how the survivors live, interact, and raise a family both socially and spiritually. Some survivors are scarred so deeply they cannot escape the past feelings and images of terror; psychologists call this â €Å"Survivor Syndrome†. A survivor of the war is one who has encountered, been exposed to, or witnessed death, and has himself of herself remained alive. The symptoms affected not only survivors, but their families as well. These symptoms were also caused by some of the horrifying experiences that happened especially to the Jewish women. The symptoms included an inability to work, and even at times to talk. The Jewish people fear that it may happen again. Also a fear of uniformed police officers because of their position of power became very common. There were also many feelings of guilt for having survived when others had not. "Why am I alive?" â€Å"Why not my sister and brother...my whole family?" The Jewish holocaust survivors posed those and other questions. The survivors had thoughts of death, nightmares, panic attacks, and various other symptoms. Disinterest in life, people, and sometimes even in reality played a huge role in marital problems and suicid... Free Essays on Holocaust The world's biggest desolation that caused the murders of millions of Jewish people took place during WWII. The Holocaust orchestrated by the Nazi Empire destroyed millions of lives and created questions about humanity that may never be answered. Many psychological effects caused by the Holocaust forever changed the way the Jewish people view the world and themselves. The Jewish people have been scarred for generations and may never be able to once again associate with the rest of the free world. Further, these scars have now become the looking glass through which the survivors and their children view the world. Through narrow eyes, the survivors relate everything to the experiences they endured during the Holocaust. Likewise, these new views on the world shapes how the survivors live, interact, and raise a family both socially and spiritually. Some survivors are scarred so deeply they can not escape the past feelings and images of terror; they call this Survivor Syndrome. A Survivor is one who has encountered, been exposed to, or witnessed death, and has himself of herself remained alive. The symptoms affected not only survivors, but their families as well. The symptoms included an inability to work, and even at times to talk. The Jewish people fear that it may happen again. Also a fear of uniformed police officers because of their position of power became very common. There were also many feelings of guilt for having survived when others had not. "Why am I alive?" Why not my sister and brother...my whole family?" The survivors had thoughts of death, nightmares, panic attacks, and various other symptoms. Disinterest in life, people, and sometimes even in reality played a huge role in marital problems and suicide. There are five main categories of Survivor syndrome. The first is the Death imprint, which is the idea of not only death itself, but of all forms of torture and gruesome images of death. For many survivors they can re... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is a history of overwhelming horror and enduring sorrow. I can’t even imagine having to go through something as tragic as the Holocaust. However, at times I have wondered what it would be like if I were a Jewish girl, living during the Holocaust, and sent to a camp. What would I have done? I have thought that maybe I would just kill myself. What’s the point on trying to live? How would I be able to handle seeing people disappear day by day and watching everyone fall apart? It would be impossible and to live each day in fear that I may be next, I would just die from being so scared. However, I also think I would want to try and live through each day, just to show the Nazi’s that they couldn’t ruin me. I would want to show them I was strong, even if I were weak. I wouldn’t want to let them get the best of me. Yet, honestly I don’t know how I would react. I would have to be faced with the situation to know. â€Å"If w e ask today, sometimes with a faint if se! lf-righteous air of disapproval, why Jews in the camps or ghetto’s behaved the way they did, the answer, more often than not, lies locked in the heart bursting with fear or dread. It is an answer beyond judgment – but not beyond compassion†(Langer 36-37). After reading works of literature by survivors, I was in shock by the way some Jews acted towards one another and even more, betrayed there fellow Jews. They behaved in such a way in which, I would hope if I were in their situation, I would not do what they did. The novel, Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi and the short story â€Å"The Block of Death† by Sarah Nomberg-Przytyk, are two works of literature that portray how the Jews behaved. In the novel, Survival in Auschwitz, Primo Levi tells us, in vivid detail, his life while he was in the camp. Levi was a young Italian chemist, only twenty-four, when he was captured by the Fascist militia in 1943. From that day, he no longer had a... Free Essays on Holocaust Analysis of the Holocaust Of all the examples of injustice against humanity in history, the Jewish Holocaust has to be one of the most prominent. In the period of 1933 to 1945, the Nazis waged a vicious war against Jews and other "lesser races". This war came to a head with the "Final Solution" in 1938. One of the end results of the Final Solution was the horrible concentration and death camps of Germany, Poland, and other parts of Nazi-controlled Europe. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, people around the world were shocked by final tallies of human losses, and the people responsible were punished for their inhuman acts. The Holocaust was a dark time in the history of the 20th century. One can trace the beginnings of the Holocaust as far back as 1933, when the Nazi party of Germany, lead by Adolf Hitler, came to power. Hitler's anti-Jew campaign began soon afterward, with the "Nuremberg Laws", which defined the meaning of being Jewish based on ancestry. These laws also forced segregation between Jews and the rest of the public. It was only a dim indication of what the future held for European Jews. Anti-Jewish aggression continued for years after the passing of the Nuremberg Laws. One of these was the "Aryanization" of Jewish property and business. Jews were progressively forced out of the economy of Germany, their assets turned over to the government and the German public. Other forms of degradation were pogroms, or organized demonstrations against Jews. The first, and most infamous, of these pogroms was Krystallnacht, or "The night of broken glass". This pogrom was prompted by the assassination of Ernst von Rath, a German diplomat, by Herschel Grymozpan in Paris on November 7th, 1938. Two days later, an act of retaliation was organized by Joseph Gobbels to attack Jews in Germany. On the nights of November 9th and 10th, over 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroye... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust during World War II was arguably one of the worst human induced disasters that have happened to the human race. The Holocaust orchestrated by the Nazi Empire destroyed millions of lives and created questions about humanity that may never be answered. Many psychological effects caused by the Holocaust forever changed the way the Jewish people view the world and themselves. The Jewish people have been scarred for generations and may never be able to once again associate with the rest of the free world. Further, these scars have now become the looking glass through which the survivors and their children view the world. Through narrow eyes, the survivors relate everything to the experiences they endured during the Holocaust. Likewise, these new views on the world shapes how the survivors live, interact, and raise a family both socially and spiritually. Some survivors are scarred so deeply they cannot escape the past feelings and images of terror; psychologists call this â €Å"Survivor Syndrome†. A survivor of the war is one who has encountered, been exposed to, or witnessed death, and has himself of herself remained alive. The symptoms affected not only survivors, but their families as well. These symptoms were also caused by some of the horrifying experiences that happened especially to the Jewish women. The symptoms included an inability to work, and even at times to talk. The Jewish people fear that it may happen again. Also a fear of uniformed police officers because of their position of power became very common. There were also many feelings of guilt for having survived when others had not. "Why am I alive?" â€Å"Why not my sister and brother...my whole family?" The Jewish holocaust survivors posed those and other questions. The survivors had thoughts of death, nightmares, panic attacks, and various other symptoms. Disinterest in life, people, and sometimes even in reality played a huge role in marital problems and suicid... Free Essays on Holocaust Holocaust By:Robert Perez Holocaust, originally, a religious rite in which an offering was entirely consumed by fire. In current usage, holocaust refers to any widespread human disaster, but as the term Holocaust it means the almost complete destruction of European Jews by Nazi Germany When the Nazi regime came to power in Germany in 1933, it immediately began to take systematic measures against Jews. The Nazi Party, government agencies, banks, and business enterprises made concerted efforts to eliminate Jews from economic life, and from German life in general. In 1938, following the assassination of a German diplomat in Paris by a young Jew, all synagogues in Germany were set on fire, windows of Jewish shops were smashed, and thousands of Jews were arrested. This "Night of Broken When World War II began in 1939, the German army occupied the western half of Poland, bringing almost 2 million more Jews under Germany's control. Polish Jews were forced to move into ghettos surrounded by walls and barbed wi! re. Unemployment, malnutrition, and poverty were widespread; housing was overcrowded; and typhus was common. In June 1941 German armies invaded the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and soldiers in special units were dispatched to kill all Soviet Jews on the spot. A month after operations began in the USSR, Hermann Gà ¶ring, the second in command of Nazi Germany, sent a directive to Reinhard Heydrich, chief of the Reich Security Main Office, charging him with the task of organizing a "final solution to the Jewish question" in all of German-dominated Europe. Jews in Germany were then forced to wear badges or armbands marked with a yellow star. Soon the Nazis deported tens of thousands to ghettos in Poland and to occupied Soviet cities. Death camps, or concentration camps, equipped with gas chambers were erected in occupied Poland. People were deported from the ghettos; although their destinations were not disclosed, repo... Free Essays on Holocaust THE HOLOCAUST The Holocaust was the destruction of European Jewry by the Nazis through an officially sanctioned, government-ordered, systematic plan of mass annihilation. As many as six million Jews died, almost two-thirds of the Jews of Europe. Although the Holocaust took place during World War II, the war was not the cause of the Holocaust. The war played a role in covering up the genocide of the Jewish people. In 19th century Europe, Jews were classified as an inferior race with specific physical and personality characteristics. Some thinkers believed these traits would disappear if Jews received political and social understanding and could blend into the broader society. Others felt that these traits were genetically passed on and could not be changed. An increasing emphasis on nationalism also highlighted the Jews as a "foreign element," which could contaminate the native stock and culture and potentially dominate the native population economically and politically. This long-standing history provided a reason for the Nazi ideology and program of genocide. Adolph Hitler, who was a charismatic Austrian, rose to power in Germany during the 1920s and early 1930s at a time of social, political, and economic rise. Failing to take power by force in 1923, he eventually won power by democratic means. Once in power, he eliminated all opposition and launched an ambitious program of world domination and elimination of the Jews, the same ideas as he write in his book. The Nazis, under cover of the war, developed the technology, and psychology of hate to murder millions of Jews. The details of the Final Solution were worked out at the Wannsee Conference. All Jews in Germany and the occupied countries were deported to sealed ghettos as a holding area. Many were then shipped in cattle cars to labor camps where they lived under brutally inhuman conditions. Hundreds of thousands were sent directly to the gas chambers in death camps. As th... Free Essays on Holocaust The Holocaust is a term that is synonymous with genocide, the complete destruction of a sect of people, predominantly Jews in this case, simply for the purpose of ethnic cleansing. This was a dark period in the history of the world that tested the strength, spirit, and solidarity of a people. The Holocaust was marked by extreme physical violence, but it may have been the psychological torture endured by both survivors and victims of this horrific event that best signifies the impact it had on the Jewish community and the world. A devastating event that shattered a nation. There are many different questions concerning the Holocaust that have arisen overtime. Debates have raged for decades arguing the intricacies of this single event. People have doubted, and continue to doubt, that there ever was a Holocaust. Scholars can not agree on when the Holocaust began, how long it lasted, or geographically where it occurred. Other questions that regularly appear include to what extent, if any, the Jews put up a resistance when faced with the impending force of Hitler and the Nazi regime. This paper will document facts that affirm the existence of the Holocaust, beginning with the birth and origins surrounding it. A look at concentration camps and their effects will follow, and concluding with a discussion on how the Holocaust has affected the Jewish community today. The Holocaust began when Adolf Hitler came into power and implemented a plan to annihilate the Jewish population in an effort to, in his eyes, purify the German race and solidify the country. Hitler’s rise to power, and growing hatred for the Jewish community, was fueled by apathetic Germans in Berlin during World War I. On October 7, 1916 Hitler received a leg wound and was dismissed from the military temporarily in order to recover. While recuperating in Berlin, he witnesses first hand the lack of support the Germans had for their country fighting in World War I... Free Essays on Holocaust When I was first given this assignment, I would have to say that I have never been more uninterested in doing homework in my life. I’ve never been interested in history of any kind, which would explain my failures to participate in class and so when I first stepped into the Museum of Tolerance I didn’t expect it to make me want to learn and I certainly did not expect one museum visit to change my whole perspective on what human life used to be. But it has in a way I never could have imagined. At the Museum of Tolerance, the first thing I saw was a mini-video that had clips of an interview with William Pierce who wrote â€Å"The Turner Diaries,† which was found in Timothy McVeigh’s possession when he was arrested. The video also had clips of groups of African-American men making stereotypical remarks toward the white-Americans. They spoke of how for every black man who didn’t have a gun, there was a white man with at least one gun. This is obviously a stereotype because not every white man owned a gun. The leader of the group, whose name I did not catch, had even said that he â€Å"wished they would show movies with white men being killed to the point where the blood flowed into the popcorn.† This particular clip had a huge effect on me. I’ve heard of African-Americans being oppressed by the white-Americans since they created slave codes of the pre-civil war era that were later replaced by segregation laws and practices to discriminate a gainst the blacks. But I never realized that the African-Americans of today still feel now, the way the African-Americans of that time felt towards the white-Americans. Then I went into an area that was called â€Å"The Point of View Diner.† It was a video clip of this scenario: There’s a radio disc jockey named Bostic who has a radio show where he constantly uses hate speech. He wasn’t just speaking discriminately towards minorities, but also towards women. Bostic would say stuff like how... Free Essays on Holocaust Yehuda Bauer defines Jewish resistance in Nazi-occupied Europe as â€Å"any group action consciously taken in opposition to known or surmised laws, actions, or intentions directed against the Jews by the Germans and their supporters.† However, many argue that passive resistance, even when done by a single individual, is inherently considered resistance as well. Through careful examination of various sources, written by Bauer and Yahil, considering the difficult conditions Jewish armed and unarmed resistance was considerably more widespread than has been subsequently assumed. In the Holocaust there were three types of Jewish resistance: the resistance and uprising in the ghettos, revolts in death camps, and Jewish participation in the partisan movement. In many ghettos, the Judenrat leaders taught that survival lay in submission, and the general population accepted that ideology. But nevertheless, their was a Jewish effort, including the effort of the underground, which directed their endeavors in aiming to guarantee the physical survival of the Jewish masses. In addition, they also initiated widespread activity on other spheres such as not showing up for labor.. One form of unarmed resistance was the smuggling of food inside the ghetto. One can take Poland as an example, official German food allocations distributed by the Warsaw Judenrat came to 336 calories daily in 1941. It is unlikely that Warsaw Jews could have survived longer than a few months on such rations. But smuggling produced an average of 1125 calories daily. This determination to survive i n defiance of Nazi authority, is definitely to be considered an act of resistance. A second means of unarmed resistance is evident through education. Although the Nazi’s forbade education it took place clandestinely, where small groups of pupils would meet either in the soup kitchen or in the home of the teacher. There is evidence of educating youths in a large number of places in P...

Five Obfuscating Business Verbs

Five Obfuscating Business Verbs Five Obfuscating Business Verbs Five Obfuscating Business Verbs By Maeve Maddox I’ve just learned five new business verbs: onboard, level-set, operationalize, descope, and action-plan. One meaning of to onboard is â€Å"to train new employees.† The expression is so common that many professional sites actually use the labels Onboard and Onboarding in their menus to direct new employees to relevant information. Most of the time, the expression seems to refer to employee training, but it is also used with the meaning â€Å"to recruit supporters.† Here are some examples: The Top 5 Must Do’s to Effectively Onboard Your New Employees Our organisations need us to onboard new hires efficiently, and in the shortest time frame possible. How to acquire and onboard new supporters using online channels. How does your organization  onboard  new  donors? As a business term, to level-set means to make sure that people who will be working together all have the same information about the work. Here are some examples:   Once  your team  has been established and practices are under way, you need to  level set your team  accurately. Your  entire  team  needs to be at a certain level of capability, and the Aurora illumine packages let you  level-set your team.   So this is the time to use the review process to  level-set your employees  on the current environment. The verb to operationalize seems to mean â€Å"to do,† or â€Å"to put into practice.† Here are examples: In general, the more abstract the idea, the harder it is to  operationalize. [The speaker] will  be presenting a webinar on â€Å"Tools to  Operationalize the New  Dining Practice Standards.† When it comes to China, we seek to operationalize a new model of major power relations.   The term to descope means â€Å"to modify or abandon a project in order to save money.† In the last example below, the meaning seems to be â€Å"demolished.† (Descope is also used as a noun.) Here are examples: As a mission enters the planning and construction phase, it often becomes clear that the initial estimates were optimistic and the cost cap constraint will bind. In this case, the IC maydescope the mission by reducing the mission’s goals. Ka and S-bands were under consideration for  descope last year, but we now  plan  to proceed with their full production. The wooden structures on the airfield are being descoped to make way for more efficient structures. The verb to action-plan seems to have the same meaning as plain old to plan, but it’s more mouth filling. Here’s a definition of plan: plan (verb): to arrange in advance; to set down the details of how to proceed with a project. Here are examples of action plan used as a verb:   If a decision is made by the mentoring team that a student is failing, the next step is to action plan the elements of the student’s practice that require attention. Use constructive feedback  to action plan the  transfer of skills and knowledge acquired into the workplace Students are asked to action plan a campaign on an issue of their choice. If your intention is to impress your listeners or to obfuscate your meaning, these five words are excellent choices. If your purpose is to be understood, you may wish to consider some simpler alternatives. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Meaning of "To a T"225 Foreign Phrases to Inspire YouHow to Address Your Elders, Your Doctor, Young Children... and Your CEO

The Great Recession and The Policy Response Research Paper

The Great Recession and The Policy Response - Research Paper Example This paper serves to look into the causes of the Great Recession of 2007 as the history books call it and the policy response of President Barack Obama's administration to the crisis. More importantly, I will try to answer the question â€Å"Where does America go from here?† Evaluate the Obama administration's policies to respond to the crisis America is a country whose economy has always been based upon the trust factor. The trust that the other nations place upon the credibility of the name of the country and our ability to pay off our country's debt on time allowed the country function like a family that was living beyond its means. We were a country living off â€Å"massive foreign borrowing, excessively loose monetary policy, reckless lending practices, lax regulation, and other factors†. As a country, we were borrowing trillions of dollars from other nations every year. Such money inflow triggers rapid and uncontrollable economic growth due to the artificial spend ing boom that the country was experiencing. This resulted in a real estate boom that would eventually cause the economy to falter as mortgages began to go unpaid. The United States was suffering from a macroeconomic imbalance that had the rest of the world worrying about America, but the Americans were oblivious to what was happening right under their very noses. Economic experts knew that the needle that would burst the economic bubble was sure to come. It was just that nobody could predict when it would actually hit. When it did hit the economy in 2007, there was no place for anyone to hide financially. The U.S economy was officially in shambles and in bad need of rebuilding. What more should the administration do to continue to mend the economy, create jobs, ease credit, etc.? While the U.S was still fighting a war on 2 fronts and struggling to keep up with its debt payments, a new government took over the White House. Pres. Barack Obama rode the wings of change into the White Ho use with the promise that he would end the Great Recession as soon as possible. Everyone applauded and chose to believe that he could do it. But now, 6 years later, the question still remains about what his government policy really was to end the problem and whether it was effective or not. The response of the new Obama administration was swift and clear. He encouraged the adoption of an â€Å"accomodative federal fiscal policy†. It is a policy that, even with the great recession having ended in 2010, has failed to help reinvigorate the U.S. economy to the point where economic growth can be said to have spurred to a steady basis. In fact, the growth of the U.S. economy at this point remains suspect because of the lack of effective economic and tax programs on the part of the Obama administration. (Bivens, Josh, Fieldhouse, Andrew , Shierholz Heidi â€Å"From Free Fall to Stagnation†). Rather, the Obama government seems to be locked in a battle of political wills with t he Republican party as they hold the U.S. economy hostage, a pawn in their political game of survival, without any clear winner. The loser however, thanks to the Obama administration's less than well thought out plans, is definitely the American public. Let's face it, Washington is going to be in a constant state of political gridlock for a long time to come. But our economy

V for Vendetta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

V for Vendetta - Essay Example Through his efforts, V discovers a terrible truth about the country’s past, pushing people into a revolution. The movie’s plot and cast play a significant role in enhancing the purpose of the story (Spencer 13). Various scenes are particularly important in exemplifying the movie’s main points. The movie makes a dramatic turn in the scene where Evey is tortured in order to disclose the identity of V. This scene helped defined Evey’s character and progress the story’s plot. The purpose of this paper is to add a character into the scene of Evey’s torture and mesh the new character into the plot so as to enhance the story. The character I choose to add to the story is that of a professional torturer who is called upon after Evey’s initial masked torturer fails to gain the needed information regarding V’s identity and location. In this particular scene, the professional torturer whose name is Lincoln interacts both with Evey and her torturer. The interactions inherent in this scene are pivotal since they show the viewer, for the initial time in the entire film, what life was like prior to the reclamation, as well as how it impacted people’s lives during the transition to the present government (Spencer 49). In the scene, after Evey is caught and tortured by authorities for details on V, the torturer who is among the authorities who caught her attempts to gain information by first immersing Evey’s head into water before threatening her with execution. Lincoln starts by ripping off Evey’s clothes and threatening to allow her former assailants, from whom V had saved her, to rape her. Lincoln is clearly well versed in torturing people; he even has a set of tools, which he defines as the tools of the art of torture. Lincoln lays the tools on a nearby table, obviously with a view to intimidate Evey into disclosing what she knows about V. The lighting of this scene is as grey and blue as that of t he last scene. This represents the present political air of the time (Spencer 51). While the initial torturer wore a mask to disguise himself, Lincoln does not disguise himself, but rather allows Evey to take a close look at his scarred face. In order to further intimidate Evey into disclosing V’s details, Lincoln narrates to her the tale of his last torture victim, a middle-aged woman, almost the same age as Evey who had knowledge of an impending attack on the nation’s leader. Lincoln tells Evey how he tortured the woman and eventually got the information he needed from her before killing her with his bare hands. Part of the dialogue Lincoln and other characters in the torture scene includes: Lincoln: Why put yourself through the trauma of torture if you already know that I always gain the information I need? Evey: If I am still going to die, what is the purpose of disclosing what I know regarding V? Lincoln: Because that information will dissuade me from showing off my new torture tools (Evey remains silent while Lincoln gazes at her) Lincoln: Okay, let me give you a few minutes to ponder on your decision while I have a glass of water with my peers (Lincoln leaves the room and heads towards the masked torturer who turns out to be V) Lincoln: She refuses to disclose your identity and location. What do you want me to do? V: Give her time to think before going back in. Lincoln: Do you still need me to harm her? V: Yes. Only lightly until it is clear she is willing to die rather than give away my identity. Lincoln: Okay. (After ten minutes, Lincoln returns to the torture room) Lincoln: I presume that you have made a decision. Let us start by you telling me of V’s real name Evey: His name is V and he is more of a man than you will ever be (Lincoln laughs sarcastically) Lincoln: (As he pulls out a sharp

Bostons Bicycle Commuters Have Their Reasons :: Journalism Journalistic Papers

Boston's Bicycle Commuters Have Their Reasons Professor Jim Ross begins his morning routine just like most people. After slamming the alarm clock a few times, he throws on sweats, eats a wholesome breakfast, and brushes his teeth. As a bicycle commuter in Boston, he is almost ready to go. Ross straps on a helmet, puts his work suit in his backpack, and begins his short commute. Fifteen minutes after he leaves his Brookline home, the Northeastern University journalism professor locks up his bike in front of the gym, where he showers and gets dressed before walking a few blocks to his office. The same commute would take 45 minutes on the T. Bicycle commuters are a common sight on the streets of Boston. With the environmental, health, and monetary benefits, many bicycle commuters wonder why only .4 percent of the Massachusetts workforce ride their bike to work. Riding a bike to work can be faster than taking your car or riding the T. On a bike, a person is able to bypass heavy morning traffic jams, eliminate the time it takes to find a parking spot, and arrive to work refreshed. A bike commuter is multitasking by getting from point A to point B and getting some exercise in at the same time. "I bike because it's faster than the T and, in the city, less frustrating than a car," said Mike Burns, a computer science middler at Northeastern University who commutes 15 miles to campus everyday from his home in Wakefield, Mass. "Basically, I bike because I don't have the patience to commute in any other way." Like other forms of exercise, bicycling can help with weight problems. It lowers cholesterol and the heart rate. It is a mood enhancer, as well, proving it's physical and mental benefits. "You don't have to wait for anything, you don't have to pay for anything," said Travis Farrenkopf, a music industry middler at Northeastern University, who is also a bicycle messenger. "You can go anywhere –- straight to where you want to be. You can't do that on the T." Many people don't consider a cycle commute to work because they are worried about their safety on the road. "I am constantly worried about running into cars, pedestrians, etc." said Ali Gallant, a criminal justice middler at Northeastern University. "I am especially nervous because even if I am biking safely, the actions of others can have an impact on my safety and health. Boston's Bicycle Commuters Have Their Reasons :: Journalism Journalistic Papers Boston's Bicycle Commuters Have Their Reasons Professor Jim Ross begins his morning routine just like most people. After slamming the alarm clock a few times, he throws on sweats, eats a wholesome breakfast, and brushes his teeth. As a bicycle commuter in Boston, he is almost ready to go. Ross straps on a helmet, puts his work suit in his backpack, and begins his short commute. Fifteen minutes after he leaves his Brookline home, the Northeastern University journalism professor locks up his bike in front of the gym, where he showers and gets dressed before walking a few blocks to his office. The same commute would take 45 minutes on the T. Bicycle commuters are a common sight on the streets of Boston. With the environmental, health, and monetary benefits, many bicycle commuters wonder why only .4 percent of the Massachusetts workforce ride their bike to work. Riding a bike to work can be faster than taking your car or riding the T. On a bike, a person is able to bypass heavy morning traffic jams, eliminate the time it takes to find a parking spot, and arrive to work refreshed. A bike commuter is multitasking by getting from point A to point B and getting some exercise in at the same time. "I bike because it's faster than the T and, in the city, less frustrating than a car," said Mike Burns, a computer science middler at Northeastern University who commutes 15 miles to campus everyday from his home in Wakefield, Mass. "Basically, I bike because I don't have the patience to commute in any other way." Like other forms of exercise, bicycling can help with weight problems. It lowers cholesterol and the heart rate. It is a mood enhancer, as well, proving it's physical and mental benefits. "You don't have to wait for anything, you don't have to pay for anything," said Travis Farrenkopf, a music industry middler at Northeastern University, who is also a bicycle messenger. "You can go anywhere –- straight to where you want to be. You can't do that on the T." Many people don't consider a cycle commute to work because they are worried about their safety on the road. "I am constantly worried about running into cars, pedestrians, etc." said Ali Gallant, a criminal justice middler at Northeastern University. "I am especially nervous because even if I am biking safely, the actions of others can have an impact on my safety and health.

India Problems Essay

India should stop obsessing about how to become one of the world’s great powers and focus on solving its biggest problems to become a great nation, Sundeep Wasleka, the president of Strategic Foresight Group, writes in this month’s Forbes India. At present, regardless of the hype, India is failing, Wasleka suggests. Politicians and business leaders are always thumping their chests over India’s rising importance in the G20 and lobby for a new G10 (the G8 plus India and China). But 200 out of the country’s 600 districts are infested with Maoist revolutionaries who know full well their strategy for changing the country is tantamount to suicide. And while China has (belatedly) made its great leap forward, India is still limping two steps ahead and then stumbling back one. Here’s Waslekar: * Twenty years ago, the average productivity of a cow or a buffalo in both India and China was in the region of 1,000-2,000 litres of milk each year. An Indian buffalo continues to deliver the same yields, while an animal bred in China delivers five times as much. Why? What is it about the Indian dairy farmer that holds him back? * India is a rain-dependent nation. But on average, only 38 percent of arable land is irrigated. Solutions like drip irrigation are available to redress the problem. But only a meagre 5 percent of available land has seen this solution. Why don’t Indian farmers demand drip irrigation? * There are roughly 450 million people in India that make up our work force. Of these, 90 percent haven’t completed school education. Why? Because, of the 630,000 villages in India, over 500,000 don’t have schools that can provide education above Class VII. Without a doubt, labour productivity is linked to education. Why does the Indian labourer not demand education? Good questions, which the writer doesn’t exactly answer. But he does offer some solutions. Or what I’ll call: 5 Ways to Fix India: 1. Make politicians live like the voters. When Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the AK Party came to power, the country was ruled by military elites, and regular people had to lump it. But Erdogan decided to change the country’s political and economic future by changing the mindset of its leaders. On assuming power, Erdogan moved into a two-storey house in downtown Ankara and ruled that all ministers and members of Parliament ought to live in their own homes. In a speech delivered at the Turkish Parliament he argued, â€Å"If you want to be representatives of people, you must live and work with your people.† He then proceeded to take away other privileges they enjoyed. He followed it up by calling in people from the construction business and asking them to reduce invoices he reckoned were inflated or face being blacklisted for all government projects. He also made it clear that any compromise on quality, durability or deadlines in building roads, dams or other projects with public money would attract severe penalties. He then moved to provide special grants to the poorest and incentives to small businesses in an attempt to provide a fillip to the rural economy. He issued orders that his government focus on education in the most backward provinces of Turkey. Five years was all it took to effect a transformation. The party came back to power in 2007 and again last year. It was the kind of change that took Southeast Asian countries almost two decades. Can it happen in India? It looks as though it could, if you compare two Himalayan states–Sikkim and Jammu & Kashmir. Both lie in the l ap of the Himalayas. Sikkim has the Chinese to contend with and J&K the Pakistanis. Sikkim has Christians and Buddhists and J&K has Muslims, all national minorities, as the majority population and both have had controversial histories of accession to India. Both remain poor. But Jammu & Kashmir has been plagued by insurgency and violence while Sikkim is one of the most peaceful states in the country. This, in spite of the fact that Kashmir gets more Central funding than Sikkim! Probe deeper and you realise this is a function of the relationship between the rulers and the common people. Sikkim’s economy is balanced towards development. The society there has worked out an informal contract and the emphasis is on a balanced relationship between the leadership and the people. In J&K, inequality has existed since the 1950s, with one family calling the shots. 2. Eliminate inequality  Two-thirds of Indians work as farmers, yet they account for only a fifth of GDP — and they live in dismal conditions, with little chance of upward mobility, for the most part. Why so? One of the reasons why this discrepancy exists is because farmers experience trade barriers, like the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), which puts serious restrictions on whom they can sell to. And solutions that exist in the form of co-operatives often operate as monopolies in the hands of political families who do everything they can to prevent the competing co-operatives. What to do about it? If growth is the mandate, the agricultural economy has to be liberalised and producers set free. Because when farmers and rural industries have access to a steady income, they will invest in improving productivity. That, in turn, will push everybody into building a country where the ruling class and citizens are equals. To start the process, though, one question needs to be answered. Do you expend energies into getting into the Top 10 in terms of GDP? Or do you focus on getting the Human Development Index (HDI), where India has consistently ranked below 120, to higher levels? What a low HDI means is that for all the GDP growth and the consequent prosperity, development is superficial at best. 3. Unleash innovation  The reason India doesn’t have its own Apple or Samsung isn’t because the country’s leading minds are focused on stripping products down to their essentials to hit the market at the bottom of the pyramid, Waslekar argues. It’s because industry isn’t paying enough attention to research that doesn’t have immediate impact on their company’s bottom line. â€Å"In India, I can only think of the Tatas who founded the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS),† Waslekar writes. But meanwhile: In the next two to three decades, the fourth industrial revolution will be underway. The first industrial revolution took place in late 18th Century, the second in the late 19th Century, and computerisation is the third. The fourth includes genomics, nanotechnology and robotics (GNR). These apart, expect breakthroughs in space technology, renewable energy and water technologies. All of these will transform the world. India has to decide whether it wants to be a great power by servicing multinationals and providing software engineers who work at the low end of the cost curve, or be a lead player in the new revolution. 4. Deploy technology to democratize education  India’s government-run schools are terrible, and education faces a drastic shortage of teachers across the board. But the government isn’t doing enough to utilize community radio stations and its satellite network to enable distance education for anybody who’s interested, Waslekar argues. If this technology were deployed into education, a few crore of rupees and the 700,000 villages with no access to schools suddenly become accessible. India has a satellite in orbit as well, which is meant to be used exclusively for education. Any institution can use it to impart remote education to children in Naxalite-affected areas in central and northern India; or to the schools located in difficult-to-access regions such as the North East. (Okay, this one has a few holes). 5. Improve relations with key neighbors Never mind the contradictions, in this one. Turkey made itself a key feature in its neighborhood by inking a free trade pact with Syria, which meant that when Syria chalked out a peace plan with Israel, Damascus insisted that Turkey would be the interlocutor. On the other hand, terrorists never think of attacking Norway or Sweden because â€Å"their objective was not to build a security infrastructure because there is only so long and so often it can counter attacks; but to build nations nobody thinks of attacking.† Huh? So India should shoehorn its way into international disputes, like Turkey. But at the same time remain on the isolated fringe, like Sweden? All while sitting sandwiched between Pakistan and China, while the US makes a play to take back the Pacific? He lost me there. But the article still merits a close reading.