Behaviors of Domestic Cats

Cats have been kept as domestic pets since ancient times. They are known as loyal, finicky and independent creatures. Their behaviors can tell us whether they have a physical ailment, are upset or worried or are happy and contented. (Catsinfo. com) When a cat rubs up against someone, they are showing ownership of that person and marking them as such. Cats can be quite finicky as to who they like and can even choose to ignore someone if they decide they do not like them. (Budiansky, 2002) A cat is naturally inclined to claw things such as furniture, drapes or rugs.Many people have their cats declawed to prevent damage to these objects. While this was commonplace for many years, it is now becoming something of a controversy. Animal rights activists and many cat owners are comparing the procedure to amputation and vehemently oppose the practice. With time and effort, cats can be trained to use a scratching post. One problem for cat owners is the hazard that most house plants present to the cats. In the wild, cats eat grass to help with fur in their stomach. Many common house plants can be poisonous to cats if ingested.Hanging plants are not always safe since cats will climb furniture to reach them. Some owners have found that growning a small patch of grass in a container will keep the cats happy enough to leave the other plants alone. Many indoor cats use a litter box instead of the outdoors. In the wild, cats bury their feces to keep predators from scenting them. This behavior continues indoors as well. Cats are naturally clean animals and like the litter box to be clean as well. One of the main issues for cat owners is urination in an area other than the litter box.There can be many causes for this behavior and it is trial and error until the problem is resolved. Finding the right litter box and type of litter can also be trial and error as some cats prefer one thing, some another. One reason for a cat to refuse to use the litter box is that it is not clean. If the litter box is clean, it may be a physical ailment such as a bladder infection or urinary tract infection. Any ailments should be treated by a veterinarian. A cat may show it is upset by urination outside the litter box as well.Cats can be upset by any number of things such as changes in habitat, additions of new pets to the family or other changes. Watching a cat’s tail can be a good indication of the cat’s mood. A tail that is erect and held high indicates a friendly mood. A tail that is laying down and twitching usually indicates the cat is pensive or irritable. A tail held high and fluffed out is a good indicator that the cat will attack if provoked. (xmission, 2007) Cats show affection in several ways. Purring is the most commonly recognized behavior of a friendly, content cat.A cat will purr when happy, many times while being petted. Cats will also rub against a person to show friendliness and also to mark the person as their. Cats have scent glands all over their bodies that enable them to mark their territory. property This is another behavior taken from the wild where they mark their territory against other animals invading it. Butting their heads against a person is another way of showing affection. Urinary spray is also a way for them to mark their territory but having them spayed or neutered at around six months of age will stop this behavior.Cats are natural hunters and will stalk birds, small animals and toys. It is their instinct to hunt that causes them to pounce on toys and bat them around. Cats are good hunters and quite fast at times. Many farms keep cats as mousers in the barn and home. Cats will chase small toys or laser lights. This is the hunting instinct in them causing this behavior as cats are attracted by movement. Cats have a tendency to show attention to people who do not care for cats when they visit. This is due to a behavior in the wild that indicates submissivness.Cats will look directly at another cat and sho w aggression if protecting territory or young. A cat who refuses to look directly at another cat or seems to ignore it is showing submission to the other cat. It is the same behavior in people who do not care for cats, they tend to look away or try to ignore the cat. This is an invitation to the cat to show dominance. A cat that is injured or in pain will tend to hide itself in a dark area. This is a behavior that often saves their lives in the wild. Injured or weak animals often become food for predators so hiding is a natural instinct.Cats will often do the same thing indoors when hurt. It is important to remember that any injured or pained animal will strike out if frightened and extra care should be taken when attempting to extricate the cat from its hiding place. (xmission, 2007) Cats make wonderful pets and are relatively low maintantence due to their independent nature. They do not require constant attention or reassurance. They can be trained to overcome inappropriate behavi or and are extremely affectionate when it suits them. Whether the cat is an indoor cat or an outdoor cat, the behaviors tend to be the same.Instinct plays a large part in cat behavior and knowing these behaviors can lead to a satisfactory cat and owner relationship. Works Cited Budiansky, Stephen. â€Å"The Character of Cats: The Mystery Is Not Why They're So Antisocial but Why They're Social at All. † The Atlantic Monthly June 2002: 75+. Questia. 26 Sept. 2007 . http://www. catsinfo. com Moore, Glenda. â€Å"Catstuff† Retrieved September 24, 2007 from http://www. xmission. com/emailbox/whycat. htm

Case Management Accounting

Although maintaining the current plant- wide rate Is probably not Illegal, its continuation has one purpose: to extract profits from government business. Doug knows the plant-wide rate Is not accurately assigning overhead costs to various Jobs and Is willing to alter the assignments on an â€Å"unofficial basis† for purposes of bidding on private-sector jobs. Fundamentally, ethical behavior is concerned with choosing right over wrong. To knowingly overcharge government for future business certainly seems so wrong.To continue overpricing knowing the new overhead rates would more than make up for any lost profits from the government sector through more competitive bidding in the private sector is a clear indication of greed. While managers have an obligation to maximize profit and shareholders wealth, this obligation must be within ethical boundaries In addition, the solution proposed by Doug Is not ethical as he Is using a plant-wide rate as costing approach for both private an d government business but he uses departmental overhead rate to make balding prices competitive.This arises due to he company having two producing departments, one labor Intensive and the other is machine intensive. This is a violation of at least two major ethical standards: integrity and objectivity. The labor intensive department generates lesser overhead than machine-intensive department. Furthermore, virtually all of their high-volume jobs are labor-intensive. The company is using a plant-wide rate based on their direct labor hours to assign overhead to all Jobs. As a result, the high volume, labor Intensive Jobs receive greater share of the machine intensive department's overhead than they really deserve.This problem can greatly alleviated by switching to departmental overhead rates. But as most of the company's government contract work is done in the labor intensive department and the department overhead will push down the cost on the government jobs, the company will lose re venue. Dual-pricing approach will be used. Plant-wide overhead rate approach for official records and departmental overhead rate approach for bidding in private sector business, which is a practice that is highly unethical. 2. Tanya has an ethical obligation to communicate information and should always make sure that ethical standards are upheld In the company.Tanya should first determine whether or not Gunderson has a corporate code of conduct. She can pursue the avenues suggested by the code. Check the violations committed and how can you address such violations. For example, If Tanya cannot persuade Doug to refrain from implementing his scheme, she should present her objections to Dough's needs to reach out on the higher management level. If no resolution is possible after appealing to all higher levels, the resignation may be the only remaining option. Case 9-55 DRP Roger Jones Cash Budget Cash collection and cash available Less: Cash disbursements Salaries BenefitsThere is more none going out than there is more money coming in. Increase revenue to make up the deficiency or cut down costs or he can implement both. Three approaches can be applied to reach the goal of increasing revenue and cutting down costs. Alternative #1 : Extend office hours so that a total of 40 hours are worked each week. This could increase revenues by as much as $5,340. Based on a four-week month, the current revenue earned per hour is $166. 88($21 ,360/128). Thus, the total revenue increase that is possible is hours). DRP.Jones would need to inform his assistants and receptionists of the increased time ND indicate that each will receive a 15% increase in salary for the additional time. The office is currently open for 34 hours per week. Benefits are primarily PICA, SEA and unemployment insurance benefits, and other insurance benefits would also increase. Other expenses that will likely increase with an increase in sales are dental supplies, lab fees and utilities which is about 31% of the sales. The remaining expenses would be assumed as fixed expenses.In all likelihood, this would require the receptionist to become involved in assisting. This may not be possible without laying off the receptionist and hiring a person that has both sets of skills. Additionally, using the receptionist as an assistant would result in phone calls going unanswered and/or incoming patients being ignored. C. Alternative #3: A third possibility is to increase the free charged for the various dental services. Assuming a variable cost ratio of 31% from Alternative 1, the increase in revenues needed to cover the $2,900 deficiency can be computed as follows: 0. OR = $ 2,900 R = $ 2900/0. 69 R = $ 4,203 The increase would call for fees to increase an average of 19. 7%. Whether this increase is possible or not depends to some extent on how DRP. Jones' charges compare with other dentists in the area. If some increase is possible, then the increase could be combined with elements of the oth er two alternatives. For example, 10% increase in fees and working the extra hours per week, say Tuesday evening. I would expect DRP.Jones to be more likely accept a combination like the one Just mentioned rather than accepting any of the approaches in their pure form. The behavioral principles discussed in the chapter do have a role in this type of setting. DRP. Jones' personal goal must be in line with the goals of his professional organization, and he must have the motivation to achieve those goals. That is, however, a significant difference. DRP. Jones owns and manages the organization. To large extent, his goals must be done the same way as the organization.

Cyber Events That Cause Terror in the Australian Population

The cyber events results to too many deaths in the world today. Computers and communication systems are linked together thus making everything else to rely on software and this has paved way to terrorists today. Terrorists organize crime and terror attacks through cyber and the target is increasing towards the Australian government website. Though Australia is a prestigious country, it attracts the attention of the world despite its population.The cyber threats are directed towards critical infrastructure like water, IT, banking, energy, and finance and communication industries in Australia. Events that causes cyber terror in Australia include cyber malicious messages, bullying where false rumors are spread online which are defaming and offensive content found in the cyberspace (Roberts, 2007). Offensive information is harmful to the population of Australia given that it exposes people to criminal vices. Forgery and plagiarism against intellectual property is another cyber event that terrorizes the Australian population.Virus attacks by computer zombies through the internet and unauthorized access on individual’s information is threat-full to the population in Australia. Furthermore, financial losses due to theft of proprietary information from laptops by installing Trojan horse on machines thus enable him to make his attack. The terrorist cyber events include triggering of explosion remotely at a target in the population thus victimizing innocent people in the propinquity of the explosion.The terrorists use the computers to deliver political threats so as to influence the government of Australia to act in the wrong direction thus destroying property of the public or intimidate the public so that they may start violence (Roberts, 2007). In conclusion, the public should guide their cyber space against viruses, hackers and worms thus protecting themselves against cyber terrorism by use of anti-virus software’s and Norton personal firewall to guide a gainst hackers. References Roberts, L. (2007). †Crime Online†. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, Vol. 40, pp. 1-15 Cyber Events That Cause Terror in the Australian Population Cyber crimes in Australia have continued to increase taking different forms and processes. They have been the center stage in the promotion and execution of terrorism and terror attacks in the country. Development in computer and internet technology is providing an overwhelming condition with which cyber crimes can be instigated in Australia.They are directed towards different areas such as, transport, water, energy and communication industries. Cyber crimes have thus been dominant and providing a growing threat to Australia. It is important that the society at large guide their cyber space towards actions of protecting any cyber threat which may imply terrorism and other harmful attacks

Mayon: the Origin Essay

Her unsullied splendor cannot be denied. The sight of her can take one’s breath away. She is simply radiant as she stands tall and grand in the horizon. She is truly a one of a kind beauty that captivates anyone who pays her a visit. You have to be visually challenged to miss her brilliance. When she sleeps, she’s as gentle as a baby but when she stirs, she could easily strike horror among the hearts of men. She is loved for her beauty and tranquillity and spurned for her sometimes deadly and devastating aspect. This beauty is none other but the majestic Mt. Mayon which is located in the province of Albay in the Bicol region. It is known around the globe for its flawless cone shape. In some ways, she is like a shy maiden who likes to hide, using the clouds above her like a veil. Legendary Origin The legend of Mt. Mayon goes around the tragic love story of a beautiful young heroine named Daragang Magayon and a dauntless warrior. The legend has been narrated and passed on from generation to generation by the people of Albay. The legend has become a part of the lives of the people living in Daraga, Albay because Mt. Mayon plays an integral part in their beliefs, cultural practices and festivities. In fact, there’s an annual festival called Magayon Festival which is celebrated every month of May. The festival relives the legend of Mount Mayon. Different versions of the origin of the majestic Mayon Volcano have risen because of the oral tradition of telling stories and handing them down to the next line of descent. First version The legend is about the story of a beautiful lady named Daragang Magayon who lives in Kabikolan before the separation of the Philippines to mainland Asia. At that time, a maiden could not marry a man who lived outside the Kabikolan. Daragang Magayon rejected a native suitor named Paratuga. He was rich but selfish. She confessed to her father, Tiong Makusog, who also happened to be the chief of the village that she had fallen in love with a stranger named Panganoron, who saved her from drowning. Her father loved her so much and told her that he would find a way to fulfil the longing of her heart. The manipulative Paratuga decided to kidnap Tiong Makusog to force Daragang Magayon to marry him. The lovely maiden did not have a choice but to agree to the kidnapper’s demand. When Panganoron found out about the deceit, he attacked the village of Paratuga. As soon as he arrived at the wedding ceremony, Daragang Magayon hurried to his side but she was hit by a stray arrow. As Panganoron lifted the fallen maiden, he was attacked from behind. The lovers died in that unfortunate event. Tiong Makusog buried his daughter together with all her earthly possessions that Paratuga had bestowed on her as wedding gifts such as gold and precious stones. To everyone’s surprise, the burial ground began to rise a week after the burial. There were always white clouds hovering on top of the mound. The mound grew bigger and bigger as time passed. The legend goes on that the angry spirit of Paratuga sometimes attempts to unearth the grave of Daragang Magayon to get back the gold and precious stones that he gave her, which causes tremors and volcanic eruptions. He never succeeds in his quest and always ends up getting rocks and lava from the volcano. The cloud that hovers over the volcano is said to be the spirit of Panganoron who still weeps over the loss of his love. His tears fall to the earth as raindrops. Second version There lived a man named Magayon who had a beautiful princess as a niece. He was tremendously protective of her and never allowed a man to come close enough to ask her hand. One day, a brave warrior arrived and became attracted to the princess’ beauty. He asked the aid of the wind to help him pass through the royal chamber so he could lure the princess to elope with him. When the lovers left, Magayon followed them. The princess and the warrior asked the help of the Gods to save them. Suddenly a landslide occurred and buried Magayon. According to the legend, the eruption of Mt. Mayon is brought about by the anger of Magayon. Third version The third version of the legend is told by Laura Agpay, a native of Bicol. There was once a princess named Daragang Magayon. She lived in Bicol where her family reigned supreme over the entire place. She was known for her unrivalled beauty. Many warriors, princes and datus would travel from different areas of the country in the hope of getting her hand in marriage. Magayon did not like any of the royalties who were presented to her because her heart has already been captured by a warrior and prince named Handiong. Unfortunately, Handiong hailed from the rival tribe, the enemy of Magayon tribe. Magayon and Handiong suffered tremendously from their tribes’ attempts to separate them. When they could not stand being apart anymore, they fled, which resulted to a blood bath between the two enemy tribes. The young lovers could not accept the pain and torment of the events that followed. The two decided to end their lives. Even in death, the tribes separated the young couple. After several months, the Magayon tribe noticed a volcano growing in the spot where Magayon was buried. They named the volcano â€Å"Bulkang Magayon† depicting its perfect shape just like their beautiful Daragang Magayon.

Causes and Effects of Violence in Schools Essay

1.0 Report Objectives Sacred Heart School is an education institution. The Headmaster Mr Keenan would like to know why violence exists in the school grounds and the effects of violence and what can be done to eliminate this. This report is an analysis of the causes and effects of violence and suggested solutions to reduce the percentage of violence that exists on the school grounds. 1.2 Historical Background There are approximately 1500 students in this school, offering 8 different subjects. There are at least 5 teachers in each faculty, coming up to a total of 40 teachers. The percentage of violence that exists in the school grounds is steadily increasing, in different forms, between teachers as well as students, right from the Kindergarten classes up to the Advanced Level. The Headmaster of the school, Mr Zia Keenan wants this issue to be analysed deeply in order to draw up solutions to minimize violence. 1.3 Report Preview Firstly, the causes of violence are analysed to understand the root of the problem. Secondly, the effects of violence are evaluated to understand how serious this problem is. Thirdly, various potential solutions are suggested that could help minimize the percentage of violence. II. CAUSES 2.1 Abuse One of the major aspects of violence in schools is bullying. This could be because of lack of supervision and monitoring of children and/or teachers. Another form of abuse is displayed in the way some cannot control sexual urges and hence make advances on others. In defense, the victim retaliates. Vandalism takes place as a way of expressing emotion. It is a way to get back at the school and dictating teachers or peers. Students may be looking for ways to redeem themselves from orthodox individuals who believe that the only way to discipline students is by being strict with them. In this way, violence takes place. 2.2 Exposure to violence and harmful substances or items Exposure to violence influences one’s thoughts and actions. Weapons or dangerous toys like knives and pellet guns are easily available. This accessibility does little to prevent violence from taking place amongst individuals. Some individuals have been exposed to violence because they come from dysfunctional families or backgrounds. Exposure to violence, such as on television, video games, etc. as researched by Psychological Science in the Public Interest (Anderson, C. A. et al, 2003) leads to individuals imitating those acts. Hence they do not have proper judgment of what is right and wrong. They experiment with harmful substances which further damages this sense of discernment. â€Å"Easily available drugs add to the risk of violence.† (DHHS, 2001). When a person is ‘under the influence’, they are not themselves and are unable to think rationally. This leads to fights, disputes etc. as individuals are not in total control of themselves. This is related to peer pressure as an individual may have tried these substances or items because others have egged them on. They may have also been encouraged to pick on others and take part in fights, through no will nor motive of their own. As a result of which fights, violence and abuse occurs. 2.3 Lack of information Psychological problems hamper one’s way of life. They do not know how to deal with their raw emotions or self-related/emotional problems like stress and depression, for example. Some have biological problems, like ADD and Tourrette’s Syndrome. They cannot control their behavior. Other students may not understand this and reciprocate. Carol Miller Lieber, an educator at Washington University believes that violence in schools is a result of lack of information. Lack of information leads to conflict as individuals do not know how to solve problems that involve others, or their intolerance towards certain characteristics or behavior. They lack understanding. Therefore they take out their aggression on each other (Constitutional Rights Foundation, n.d.) III. EFFECTS 3.1 More violence and disorder The victims themselves turn into bullies. It is a never-ending cycle. If a  person was bullied, then he reciprocates. They can also become social outcasts, which hamper their learning of lessons in school, as well as in life. Violence in school grounds creates barriers to learning as victims are afraid to go to school, and hence they drop out. Furthermore, such intolerance and lack of information can further grow into racism or discrimination. This can give way to legal issues. It has a multiplier effect and can lead to more violence in society. There is a possibility that these individuals may later engage in criminal activity. In 1999, â€Å"Olweus, D., Limber, S., & Mihalic, S. claimed that 40 percent of the boys who were bullies – compared to 10% of those who were neither victims nor bullies – had three or more convictions by age 24† (Christeson, W. et al, 2003: 10).Fig 1.1 3.2 Psychological problems Sexual violence can give way to phobias. It may affect some so badly that they become incapable of trusting and communicating with others, out of fear. Victims end up with emotional problems, such as depression. They may want to take revenge as well, leading to more violence. Even teachers, who are potential victims of violence, can suffer from depression and low self-esteem. In 1993, the 27th Annual Survey of High Achievers calculated that among students, â€Å"26% had considered committing suicide, 4% had attempted suicide, 18% knew someone their own age who had committed suicide, and 41% knew another teen-ager who had attempted suicide†. (National School Safety Center, 2006: 24). The following graph appeared in a report by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, written by Christeson W., Elliott D.S., Fox J.A. Kelikowske R.G., and Newman S.A. (2003) displayed that 52% of students who were bullied were either depressed or suicidal. 48% of them were not bullied or bullies themselves. Fi g. 1.2 3.3 Use of harmful substances and items Exposure to violence may make individuals irresponsible and encourage them to believe that the only way to deal with things is by being violent themselves – they carry weapons for protection. A survey carried out by USA Weekend found that 55% of the students knew that weapons were regularly carried to school (National School Safety Center, 2006: 32). Another graph that appeared in Fight Crime: Invest in Kids (2003) showed that 51% of the kids  who never bullied or were bullied at least once a week in school carried weapons. The remaining were Fig 1.3 injured in fights and were under the care of doctors or nurses. In addition, to deal with depression or psychological problems, one may resort to harmful substances like drugs. He may not be able to find a job because of traces of drugs found in his blood. His health is danger and these substances can lead to serious consequences. IV. SOLUTIONS 4.1 More attention should be given Parents, teachers and students should be made aware of and prepared for such occurrences. They should be taught how to handle with such situations. Teachers should be around on the school grounds whenever possible to make sure that the children as well as students behave in the way that they ought to. Teachers and students should also not hesitate to notify higher authorities if warnings are not received well. Higher authorities must not ignore such complaints. The school and faculty members should befriend the students rather than rule over them. They should have and encourage ethical behavior. Parents/friends/teachers should be encouraged to become better role models. 4.2 Programs Seminars could be held where individuals are taught to speak up against acts of abuse. They should be made aware of the effects of their actions as well as the effects of weapons, drugs, tobacco, alcohol, etc. Workshops could be held where one is taught to relieve stress in a positive manner, e.g. by writing, playing an instrument, anger management sessions, etc. School counselors should be hired to help students with emotional/self-related issues as well biological problems. The school should be made aware of such problems, and be informed about how to deal with them. Programs such as The Olweus Bullying Prevention should be adapted, as advised by Christeson, Elliot, Fox, Kelikowske, and Newman (2003) in order to help prevent bullying. 4.3 Rules and regulations Another way to reduce violence would be to pass laws. Weapons, drugs, etc. should not be sold to under-age people, for instance. Harmful weapons and substances should be confiscated upon sight. If other students know that  someone is carrying a weapon, s/he should inform an authoritative figure. This would help minimize chances of violence taking place. V. CONCLUSION In conclusion, violence has many causes, such as self-related issues, inability to express emotions (in a positive way), irresponsibility, poor self-control, peer pressure, lack of information, a response to prior acts of violence, easy accessibility to harmful substances/items, exposure to violence and ignorant guardians/supervisors. While violence is a universal problem and cannot be entirely wiped out, it can be reduced with proper education, (personality enhancement) workshops, awareness programs, sufficient attention from guardians or peers, taking action against those who do not act in the interest of others, passing laws, and people available to help those going through self-related problems, like counselors. This issue, if not dealt with as soon as possible will ruin the reputation of Sacred Heart School. Even if a small difference is made by adapting these solutions, it is still a difference nonetheless. VI. REFERENCE LIST Anderson, C. A., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L. R., Johnson, J. D., Linz, D., Malamuth, N. M., Wartella, E., 2003, ‘The Influence of Media Violence on Youth’, American Psychological Society, [online], Vol. 4, No. 3. Available: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/pdf/pspi/pspi43.pdf [Accessed: 13/02/08] Christeson W., Elliott D. S., Fox, J. A., Kerlikowske R. G., Newman S. A., 2003, ‘Bullying Prevention is Crime Prevention’, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, [online], p. 9-11. Available: http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/BullyingReport.pdf [Accessed: 13/02/08] Constitutional Rights Foundation, n.d., Creating Alternatives to Violence, Available: http://www.crf-usa.org/violence/alternative.html [Accessed: 13/02/08] National School Safety Center, 2006, School Safety Statistics, p. 24. Available: http://www.schoolsafety.us/pubfiles/school_crime_and_violence_statistics.pdf [Accessed: 13/02/08] National School Safety Center, 2006, School Safety Statistics, p. 32. Available: http://www.schoolsafety.us/pubfiles/school_crime_and_violence_statistics.pdf [Accessed: 13/02/08] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001, Youth violence: a report of the Surgeon General. Available: www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/youthviolence [Accessed: 13/02/08]

Advantages of Online Shopping

Advantages of online shopping: Online shopping is accessible round the clock. You can buy whatever you want even at 3 a. m. in the morning. You can choose from a wider variety of things available for you to shop which may not be available in the local brick and mortar stores. You also have the benefit to do all from the comfort of your own home. When you buy from online store you have the comfort to take your time while checking for the things of your choice, this will lead you to a simple and quick way to perform price comparison unlike the dissatisfied and hurried shopping you do in the local stores.In addition, unlike local stores, you can avail discount coupons and get a thing at a lower rate when shopping online. Besides, when shopping online you can also avoid long lines to wait in and the unnecessary contact with cranky people. If you feel uncomfortable dragging your kids for shopping, online shopping is the best way to counter that. Most of us are sometimes concerned with pri vate shopping; online shopping offers you a great platform to do so with comfort. Also, when you are buying gifts, online mode is the perfect way to send your distant friends or relatives the gift you wanted to send.When it comes to payment, you can use anyone's credit card when shopping online. A lot of us are concerned about the identity theft when hear about online shopping. Identity theft cases take place in reality in brick and mortar store itself and not online. Websites are secure these days with powerful encryption procedures that keep your identity safe and secure. Although there are a few where your information may not be secure, you can take a peaceful breathe when dealing with the vast majority of online shopping website.Consider websites that offer free shipping and this is definitely the way to go. As the price of gas is increasing, shipping and handling might be cheaper anyway. Disadvantages of online shopping: Although online shopping is 24/7 available, you cannot fe el or touch items rather can just see what is present on a webpage whereas in brick and mortar stores you can see many things at a glance and buy after you feel or touch the product. As the term suggests, online shopping is only possible through the internet, therefore, the connection speed matter a lot here.Unlike conventional stores which don't close unexpectedly, online stores incurs frequent malfunction. The most common grumble people have with online stores is regarding warranties and some sort of guarantees, which they fail to offer in most cases. Apparently, these would mean nothing if the online store went bankrupt. Similarly returns are also very much difficult on online stores than in local stores. It very normal that many online stores don't accept cash or checks, although some sites do, you still have to use the credit cards.When purchasing online, billing errors are the common things you may encounter whereas in local stores these errors are nearly impossible. The very big disadvantage an online website may have is the credit card security issue, despite the fact that how secure the website claims to be, you can not always trust them. There have been many cases where people realized that their credit card number has been stolen and has been used by others. The bottom line is, online shopping is the ultimate solution people are finding today, but conventional stores are still here to stay.

Marketing content Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing content - Assignment Example Digital marketing is about having no second thoughts, you can do better in shorter time, with less money, effort, friendlier, whenever you feel like it and have time, with whatever resources. SECTIN B - KEY ISSUES IN DIGITAL MARKETING Chapter 1. Digital Marketing The new rules of marketing in a digital age (Wiley 7). While evolving throughout time, economy has been creating new sets of rules to conduct itself. Obviously, marketing has met with brand new evolution, thing which made us orientate towards its new meanings of expression. Nevertheless, â€Å"their success ultimately depends on their acceptability to the consumer† (Wiley 7). In the new era of business, companies have resorted to developing a one-to-one relationship with their clients so as to take the relationship to a new level which should encompass the new demands of the public (Wiley 7). In their book, â€Å"Wiley e-Book†, Wiley et al. ... virtual communities design for customer-led positioning expand the role of branding in the global portfolio leverage consumers as coproducers through customization use creative pricing in the priceline.com world create anytime-anyplace distribution and integrated supply chains redesign advertising as interactive and integrated marketing, communication, education, and entertainment reinvent marketing research and modeling as knowledge creation and dissemination use adaptive experimentation redesign the strategy process and supporting organizational architecture† (Wiley 8). This classification comes as a response to the actual and novel needs of consumers, who show a great power of adaptability and needs that are never fully satisfied. The role of the Internet in transforming Marketing (Rowan 4). In its early years Internet was â€Å"simply another communication medium† (Rowan 4). It was used more to inform than to transmit a message, thoughts, feelings, the utter mission of the company and it was treated likewise with moderate indifference cause it was thought of serving no purpose. â€Å"In the past customers seem to have had little control over their involvement in company Marketing programmes† (Rowan 5). As there was the habit of finding out about the product and ultimately buying it or on the contrary, refusing to buy it, customers didn’t expect much from the companies. Nowadays, the perspective changed to the extent of giving the client the opportunity of â€Å"communicating their interest to the company being promoted†, thus participating in the improvement of the company’s approach, as far as the client is concerned (Rowan 6). Rowan made a point when concluding to three main ideas that would enhance customers’ influence over companies, that is: â€Å"ideas of

Should organisations always try to hire employees with high levels of Essay

Should organisations always try to hire employees with high levels of Agreeableness - Essay Example In a real work environment, employees have unique character traits that in one way of the other influence teamwork, cooperation, innovation and problem solving abilities that affect their adaptation to the work environment. Management of organizational behaviour has identified five giant characters that including openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism (OCEAN), all which contribute to the development of the organization. However, they have recognized that all these characters have their dark and light side to the organization. Agreeableness, just like any other organizational behaviour, has its positive and negative sides to the firm. All in all, organizations should strive to obtain employees with the highest level of agreeableness. Agreeableness is a trait that has generated mixed reactions among many organizational behaviour analysts with some expressing a high regard for it and other pin pointing the weaknesses of this trait. Slocum and Hellriegel l defined agreeableness as the virtue of an employee to be warm, tactful, cooperative, tolerable and humble and portraying minimal coldness and rudeness1. In the general, these traits are advantageous to an organization although at times they are accompanied by elements that may be consequential to organizations. 1D., Hellriegel, and W. Slocum, Organizational Behaviour. Mason, OH, South-Western Cengage Learning. 2009. P. 45 The advocates of this trait argue that agreeableness is the source of harmony, peace, excellent team work, accommodating leadership and loyalty in a business system. On the other hand, critics have criticized this trait on the ground that employees with these traits show weakness in exercising confidence, criticizing wrong organization behaviour and conflict resolution in times that demand critical decision making. Teamwork is one of the valuable elements of an organization that binds employees to the collective goals and objectives of an organization that define its end task. Team work ensures that employees remain cohesive and cooperative during the project implementation process to execute all the designated roles. An agreeable person is friendly, sociable and warm while associating with their colleagues in the organization2. Consequently, an agreeable person will find it easy to get along with the other employees and will form part of a concrete team that will ensure a smooth progress of the business operations, hence the success of the organization. For instance, an agreeable person will avoid conflicts that arise during the period of work preferring peaceful situations rather than aggravating the conflicting. Conflicts are sources of tensions in the workplace, which slows the progress of the work and misaligns the employees from the organizational goals. From this point of view, the ability of management to select agreeable employees will form part of the role of team building. In leadership, agreeable people create a conducive work e nvironment that motivates employees to remain active and focussed in their duties in the organization. Competent leaders have a role to maintain a peaceful working environment by engaging employees in a constructive exchange of ideas. 2A., Neal, G., Yeo, A. Koy, T. and Xiao. Predicting the Form and Direction of Work Role Performance from the Big 5 Model of Personality Traits. Journal or Organizational Behaviour, vol. 33 , 2012. Pp. 175-192 Agreeable persons will encourage employees to contribute and raise their concerns more

Business case to successfully justify a suitable Knowledge Management Essay

Business case to successfully justify a suitable Knowledge Management System (KMS) for managing its tacit knowledge - Essay Example This thesis report highlights the importance of Knowledge Management System in an information-consulting firm that makes implementations of solutions like ERP in order to validate and substantiate the administration of its tacit knowledge. In addition, the Knowledge management theories, methods, and structural design that the enterprise can implement will come under evaluation in conjunction with the knowledge assessment of the company’s tacit knowledge, and will identify the necessary and existing gaps. Based on the assessments and the gap analysis, a framework and collection of possible approaches comes under proposal and recommendation that can better understand the needs of the talked about enterprise, reduce and shrink the threats involved in a Knowledge management system, and eventually facilitate the company in its development and growth. Furthermore, the discussion of the paper will also highlight and accentuate the advantages of a Knowledge Management System that will contribute to the business value of the ABC consulting firm and its productivity. Background Information As the world has entered into the twenty first century, it has undergone many technological advancements and improvements and the industries are transforming their manual processes onto technology-based processes. With this increasing demand of technology, and the growing competition, it becomes complicated and challenging to react to such market oscillations and instability. Therefore, several corporations are moving towards the implementation of solutions such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which is considerably one of the best solutions for the integrated processes, which raise and augment the competitive advantages of the corporations’ (Khosrowpour, pp. 115-118, 2001). The service provider or the information consulting company of these kinds of solutions is the subject of study and report that comes under limelight. Customization has always come under contempl ation and observation as the best alternative way out of any situation, trouble, or different business scenarios from the standard ones that the customer experiences during the implementation phase. It is imperative to comprehend the business processes coupled to the experience factor for the administration of designed and spontaneous situations while implementation. Therefore, during the entire life cycle of the ERP implementation, Knowledge Management is the key and crucial aspect that comes under utilization by the employees in the information-consulting firms (Khosrowpour, pp. 115-118, 2001). The entire life cycle comprises of planning, business process analysis, requirement mapping, gap analysis, system design and configuration, data conversion, communications, end-user trainings, pilot run and production run. As these processes are

The Picture of Edouard Manet The Monet Family in Their Garden at Essay - 1

The Picture of Edouard Manet The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil - Essay Example As the Art of the Renaissance period, Impressionism is based on the characteristics and skills of the perception of perspective. It was not important what was on the picture, but the ways it was created and painted were meaningful. The paintings of impressionists provided the audience only with positive emotions, as they revealed the best sides of life, without affecting social problems, such as hunger, disease, and death. Later it led to a split among the Impressionists. The picture of Edouard Manet â€Å"The Monet family in their garden at Argenteuil† is a great representation of the Impressionism. It was created in the 1874. In this period of time Edouard Manet was influenced by the artistic skillfulness of Claude Monet and his approach to the painting outdoors. â€Å"Monet was the first and the foremost contributor to the birth of Impressionism and to the new manner of expressing a vision, where reality was interpreted in ways never before imagined – fresh, airy, harmonious, where colors dazzled in all their solar intensity, where nature was discovered in joyous vibrating life and in changing skies† (Martini, A., 1978, 5). In summer 1874, Manet stayed at the home of his family, which lived not far from the premise of object of his inspiration. The painting represents the family portrait of Monet: his wife Camille Monet, the son Jean and Claude Monet himself working in the garden on the left of the picture. It became the maste rpiece of the Impressionism Epoch. Edouard Manet was impressed by the works and technique of Claude Monet. â€Å"Impressionism reveals a different reality, clarifying Monet’s original intentions and correcting misconceptions in the understanding of his works†.  The subject of the painting possesses the features of simple portrait, but the simplicity is supported by the great mastership of the painter. The style of work comprises the elements of classical and casual art. On the one hand the picture represents a beautiful lady, well-dressed and holding her son on the knees. On the other hand, the nobility of the picture is diluted with the simplicity of nature and the man, simply dressed.  

How do notions of the postmodern undermine the truth of the Essay

How do notions of the postmodern undermine the truth of the photographic image - Essay Example ated to bring a revolution in ways of capturing details, critiques argue that photography is not just a mere window on the world but it has become a space for nightmares, obsessions, unconsciousness and an opening of fantasies thorough computer manipulations that stage convincing fictional images (Kostikova,2013,pp.24-28). The manipulation leads into doubts over the originality of photographs. Rather than the manipulation of photographs, other notions of postmodernism such deteriorating discipline, war photography, propaganda and political agendas can be identified to be among the causes of negativity on the truth of the photographic image. To fully understand photography, it is important to understand the origin of photography and its impact on the people of the postmodern age. The presence of photographic practice shows the ability to capture reality at a given time without any intervention by man, indicating a clear distinction from a painting that was an artistic contemplation. There had been some excitements due to the technological innovation that new gadget was capable of achieving. However, two questions were arising concerning the beautiful images produced by the camera. The first question was on the origin of the photograph image. That leads to being curious on the truth about the content of the image (Applin, 2014, pp.387-389). The second question was on the purpose of the photo image; together with the uses it can be subjected. Looking at both questions, the credibility of the photography is undermined due to the various works of art that are not original, and it becomes challenging to verifying their origi nality and the purpose of having reality on them. Hughes argues that, â€Å"Despite its apparent precision, perspective is a generalization about experience. It schematizes, but it does not really represent the way we see.† The argument can be borrowed into photography meaning that its ability to capture original experience of the world is limited

Asda and Tesco - Restructuring to reflect multichannel markets Assignment

Asda and Tesco - Restructuring to reflect multichannel markets - Assignment Example Therefore, the study has utilized different leadership theories to explain the required traits and skills for the new managerial positions. The report is based on the study of the current restructuring plans of Asda and Tesco, the two retail giants of the UK. This report has also emphasised on different theories of leadership practices in any business environment, to understand the relevance of these theories in the restructuring plans of Asda and Tesco. Tesco Plc. is one of the leading supermarket chains in the UK. Tesco has its stores in 12 countries worldwide and it generally deals with food, books, clothes, electronic gadgets and furniture. The company is successfully restructuring its multichannel market operations over a period of time. In this process, they are redeploying near about 100 staffs to new job roles. They are also creating several vacancies across the organisation. Their initiative called â€Å"Building tomorrow’s Tesco† is focused on achieving the global multichannel leadership (Channel management, 2014). Asda stores Ltd. is a renowned name in the retail industry of the UK. The organisa tion deals in grocery items, general merchandise, clothes and toys. Following the trend of Tesco, Asda is also focusing on a massive restructuring of its multichannel business operations. They are creating near about 5670 new roles for various departments of its multichannel operations (Harrison, 2014). These restructuring plans are massively changing leadership roles and responsibilities of several employees in these organisations. The importance of different leadership theories on the success of the restructuring plans of these organisations have been described in this report. Leadership in an organisation describes the role where leaders utilize the available resource and capabilities of a team to attain a common goal. The

School Hierarchy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School Hierarchy - Coursework Example The ability to ethically implement decisions in schools is a function of the school management. Different characteristics school hierarchies exist and have their direct effects on the implementation of decisions. This paper will look into the characteristics that are detrimental to the ethical implementation of decisions This is the characteristic of school hierarchies that recognizes only a single channel of information flow. In such hierarchies, the top management are the sole source of information. The decisions made at the top flow downwards and access to feedback is limited. When this happens, the ethical requirements of the community such as inclusion of students with special needs do not obtain feedback from the community (National Research Council, 2012). The lack of feedback deters application of evaluation measures and is thus detrimental to the implementation of ethical decisions. Decision making is an activity that should be done with precautions. The precautions ensure that there is ethicality in the decisions and that the implementation of the decision will have the intended effects on the involved parties. When this is done, positive outcomes are anticipated and achieved (National Research Council, 2012). To achieve such a situation, the school should involve all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that all the affected people are consulted before decisions are made. This ensures that there are no complaints regarding the decisions and their ethicality. When the stakeholders are not involved in the school hierarchy, the decisions made are hard to implement. Any organizations should have all their activities directed towards the achievement of set objectives. This is also true for school hierarchies. When the hierarchies are based on objectives that are ethical, the activities and decisions made are directed towards the achievement of the objectives (Brazer et al., 2010). When; however, the

Media Kit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Media Kit - Essay Example We are surrounded by the best restaurants and recreation centres with specific touch on Brazilian art and culture. Our shopping guide speaks, talk and communicate in Brazilian culture and language, Portuguese. We offer unique Multilanguage platform for other cultures to understand the Brazilian life, in specific we have English version of the guide. We have a robust distribution center of our guide that target New Yorkers and New Jersey with aim of expanding to Brazil soon. Our guide is printed on high quality acid free paper and distributed free in the streets and via mail. The same guide in print is available as e-zine downloadable free at our site, www.descubranewyork.com. With over a million Brazilians living in the US, expect your brand to be communicated and reach the target audience. The Outlet Collection Jersey Gardens Shopper’s Guide is not exclusively on our products; other shops and restaurants will be advertising too. The magazine has details of various products including cars, apparel, alcohol, accessories and jewellery being sold in various outlets. We have a robust social media platform, we shall be running a paid ads on Twitter, Facebook, Google +, Pinterest and

Plant and People Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Plant and People - Term Paper Example Opium poppy has both negative and positive effects of opium poppy upon human society (Chouvy, 2010). The negative effects of opium poppy include terrorism, wars, international politics, crime, addiction and dependence, health problems, and negative economic issues, and the positive effects include the manufacture of drugs and for homeopathy. Negative effects of opium poppy Terrorism Opium poppy is the source of opium, which is a narcotic drug. Narcotic drugs are illegal in most countries across the world (United Nations, 2009). Therefore, many countries consider the trading of narcotics as illegal and take actions against those individuals who take part in drug trafficking. However, violence, corruption, and subversion have increasingly impeded the international narcotics control efforts. Violence increases when efforts begin to have an effect on the trafficking operations (Davids, 2002). Various countries have put more effort towards identifying those groups and individuals who atte mpt to undermine the struggle against trafficking of narcotics. Such groups can include those groups, which finance their terrorist actions through profits they acquire from the narcotics trade; groups that actively engage themselves in narcotics trafficking and use terrorist activities to sustain or enhance their positions; and groups that the narcotics traffickers organize randomly to resort to terrorist activities and violence to enhance and protect their criminal enterprise. Most of the countries that produce narcotics have political insurgents, who quite often use terrorist techniques and have become involved indirectly or directly with production and trafficking of narcotics (Davids, 2002). There are close relationships between narcotics trafficking, terrorist groups, and arms smuggling, especially in the Middle East. According to Davids (2002), there is some evidence of state-sponsored trafficking of narcotics. In a few cases, the further evidence is that some of the communis t nations have engaged to some extent in facilitating the trafficking of narcotics. Terrorism refers to the use of violence or threats to apply violence as a political weapon to attain control, to influence government policy, or to destabilize and overthrow governments (Davids, 2002). The legal definition of terrorism may not be precise in describing narcotics traffickers and their organizations. However, the tactics they employ at times are equal to, or exceed those tactics that terrorist organizations use. Most of the groups involved with narcotics production or trafficking do not meet the traditional or legal definitions of "terrorists" or "insurgents," the fact is that the use of planned, high-threat, sophisticated violence to accomplish their goals, even without a political agenda, is terrorism (Davids, 2002). Furthermore, the increasing use of violence against international narcotics control efforts, irrespective of the source as well as the dealing in narcotics for firearms a nd the financing of political insurgencies and terrorists through illegal narcotics activities, pose grievous threats to the national security of the narcotics producing countries and to the prospects for effective international narcotics control. Prostitution, Robbery, and Thievery The incidents of

Components of Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Components of - Research Proposal Example Components of Research Proposal This paper, thus, aims to discuss research proposals and their components, in order to equip the reader with at least an idea pertaining to how to write a research proposal. Discussion A research proposal defined is a statement of intent to explore a subject or topic, and following is a detailed plan for this exploration. A student seeks the help of more experienced people, such as their faculty professors for supervision of their research, as well as guidance. For this reason, the students must ensure that the research proposal they prepare is useful, as well as acceptable, and feasible, for every person involved (Kolb, 2008). One can consider a researcher to be a voyager on the path to discovery, where the proposal is the star that guides their journey and help them avoid fault turns. A few essential sections are needed in every research proposal in order to be complete, other than the title page, abstract and table of contents. These are: Introduction When one embarks on the task of exploring something, it always helps to start with a vague yet much needed description of what the research question actually is. This description is a brief statement of the reason for interest in the topic, and the general nature of the concern. There are several possibilities for the themes, which the introduction can have (Ethridge, 2004). It may describe a person or coalition, which raises an issue for the researcher such as change in law affecting taxation in municipalities. Other than this, the topic may just be one that is a subject of interest of concern for the researcher, for which there is not enough information available. Finally, the topic may be related to something that provokes the researchers’ curiosity, like wanting to know what the conflicting opinions of citizens about health policies in a certain area (Ethridge, 2004). The proposal must go on to turn this general concept into a specific research question, which reveals the authors area of focus and th e hypothesis it plans to test (Kolb, 2008). The question should be one that challenges or explores a concept, and one that the researcher cannot yet answer. One way of narrowing the proposal down to one such question is to first draft a proposal with several questions, and then specify the line of inquiry. Objectives & Rationale In the objectives, the researcher states their aims from the research, and the specific and general goals it has. The rationale of the proposal (Jansen, 1997) brings forward the problems one can expect from the research, and any limitations that the researchers will face during it. It discusses these while keeping in focus the main purpose for wanting to conduct the research, the ‘rationale.’ Research Statement Here, the researcher will state the research question mentioned above, with brevity and clarity. They will also mention their intentions in the research, and the achievements they have planned. The thesis of the paper, which will follow l ater on, will revolve around this question. Theoretical Framework (Literature Review) The literature review of the paper will consist of a heavy amount of research, from formal and scholarly sources. This will consist of information both theoretical and empirical. This information will be required to present an argument in light of the question, whether by purporting it or opposing it, in order to build a clearer understanding of the topic (Ethridge, 2004).

United States National Debt Ceiling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

United States National Debt Ceiling - Essay Example The debate was related with the appropriate level of the Government spending and its impacts on the overall debt and deficit of the country. The crisis was so significant that it affected the US stock market heavily. Prices of the Federal bonds increased like anything and investors were significantly confused about the future economic situations of the world’s oldest democracy. Political fraternity across the country was raising their voices to cut down the governmental expenditures to manage the debt ceiling. Budget deficit was increasing, to tame that deficit debt ceiling was a reactive measure. Due to this economic turmoil, credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded the credit rating of USA for the first time in US history. The debt ceiling of 2011 was introduced to improve the health of the US financial markets. But unfortunately the measure of debt ceiling was not at all beneficiary for the US financial markets. Lower assets prices and the higher borrowing costs had significant impacts on the public spending. People of the country were significantly uncertain related with the fluctuating assets prices and the borrowing costs. They were not willing to spend their money. Credit risk and stock prices volatility were prominent in 2011 and it continued up to 2012. VIX is a volatility index which is used for measuring the implied volatility in the financial market. During that period of time of debt ceiling that index jumped upwards. It stayed elevated for longer period of time (Irving & Engel, 2011, pp. 34-35). During that period of time investors did not invested their moneys as they perceived the situation as significantly risky. As the market was significantly volatile, investors stored their money as the buffer for the future adverse situations. During that period of time S&P 500 index of equity fell drastically. It was almost 17% down. At that point of time there was no sign of improvement. The index remained on the lower side. The fall in

Water Supply and Its Situation in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Kansas, Ca Dissertation

Water Supply and Its Situation in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Kansas, California, Nevada andMexico - Dissertation Example First, in the case of Texas that is experiencing about 40% of drought conditions as Hess & Frohlich write, the state needs to reverse the heavy use of water in the processing of natural gases in the fracking process (1). This will help save water and even save the agricultural sector. Oklahoma’s water problem may be solved by making agreements with other states on how it can save water even if it has to dig underground reservoirs for the same. Hess & Frohlich says that the same case would apply for Arizona since the state enjoys seasonal rains throughout the year (1). Through saving this water in underground reservoirs, the state can help deal with the severe drought conditions. Kansas, Nevada, and Mexico would greatly benefit from an institution of a water management plan that would even include the help of engineers to even construct underground pipes that will help store and transport water in the required places. For the case of California, investing in desalination water plants would prove useful since these plants as Hess & Frohlich explain would help save a lot of water that would have otherwise gone into waste (1). This water would also help in agricultural practices among the many farm workers in the state. From an analysis of the water supply conditions in these states, it is evident that there requires having stringent and timely measures to solve the water problems existing today. As seen in the compilation of Hess & Frohlich, fracking is a major contributor to drought in Texas (1). According to BBC, fracking is the process that involves drilling into the earth in the quest to release the gas underground (1). In this process, water of high pressure is directed at that underground rock so as to release the gas underneath. In the course of the fracking process, BBC writes that gas flares up from the ground either after the horizontal or a vertical process of hitting the rock layers.

Business asignment 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business asignment 2 - Research Paper Example 4. b. They are selling a well-designed machine. 5. a. Argentina, Brazil, Mexico-these are the countries we hope to concentrate on. 6. b. Only two sites-maybe three-offer the things we need. 7. c. How many owner-operators are in the industry? 8. b. You ever faithful assistance deserves-without a doubt-a substantive raise. 9. b. The charts are well placed on each page-unlike the running heads and footers. 10. a. Your devil-may-care attitude affects everyone in the decision-making process. Chapter 5 1. On p. 148, under â€Å"Apply Your Knowledge,† do question 1, 2 and 5. With number 5, note that at the end you are asked to explain your answer. As you do so, tell how you can make such content clearer by applying the concepts in our chapter. 1. Manufacturers do not have the responsibility of ensuring that customers read the warnings on food products. However, it is their responsibility to use simple and understandable language in the warnings. 2. When communicating business message s, I would use a direct method of communicating that is precise to ensure an authentic voice and still project my company’s image. 5. Whether the logical sequence of my message is obvious, I have to use transitions. This is because it maintains the status of my position and ensures that I am understood perfectly. 2. On p. 148-151, under â€Å"Exercises,† do 1-3, 12-13 and 19b. ... we have portrayed a lot of patience j. we fail to understand 2. a. when an email order cannot be processed, the order form can be used instead b. it is important to bring my credit card to the store c. a 25 percent discount will be offered on all 15-inch LCD screens sales by the store d. the applicant interested in the position of a bookkeeper is bright enough and capable of handling a good job e. the request for $25 has been honored f. it wouldn’t have been necessary to learn how to use the machine properly if I had cared doing a good job g. the opportunity to run the company now was as a result of the strategy presentation this morning, which had brilliant ideas that could not fail. h. everybody’s pay has been delayed due to the massive upgrade of the accounts payable system i. the sickness and lack of energy to work through the numbers by the evaluator has delayed the report j. my computer could have given me the news from online sources that MyTravel and Thorn Cook were in a merger talk 3. a 10 day remit on payment using credit card avoids spoiling its rating b. refunds are offered on returned merchandise that is not soiled c. we will ship your order after 10 days in which we will have replenished Baby Cry dolls d. for the blouse you ordered, specify the color e. during winter, waterbeds freeze in all unheated houses. Therefore, you will pay $9.50 to cover for the valve replacement and postage. 9. a. during this spring, b. a good amount of savings c. a good number was in attendance d. more efficient e. increased size of the working area f. restructure the website to flatten it 3. On p. 151, do 1-10 on the "Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics and Usage" exercise (just write out which choice is the correct one). 1. their

How influential is the United Nation to protect and implement the Dissertation

How influential is the United Nation to protect and implement the death penalty in regards to human rights - Dissertation Example Moreover, the nations aimed to achieve better standards of living, human rights and social progress. The UN has a unique international nature and it can intervene in a wide range of issues. It also provides a forum for its Member States to voice their opinion. This is facilitated by the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the other committees and bodies.1 Moreover, the influence of the UN is felt all over the world. The UN performs humanitarian assistance, conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. In addition, the UN and its system affect the world and tend to improve it. A large number of issues are dealt with by the UN. Some of these include, environment and refugee protection, sustainable development, disaster relief, counter terrorism, gender equality, human rights, governance, improving food production and the promotion of democracy. 2 In addition, the international human rights and humanitarian law clearly prohibit torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading trea tment or punishment. This prohibition applies to all the states and is independent of their treaty obligations. Several of the international and regional treaties have clearly included this prohibition. The regional systems and the UN have declared that some features of the death penalty cannot be permitted. These aspects have been considered to be cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. 3 Some examples are the manner in which death row inmates are kept in their cells; the torment of being under the never ending threat of execution; and the confidential nature of the imposition of the death penalty. These factors have a tremendous effect upon the condemned person and his family. As a result, the UN Human Rights Committee addressed the states with the death penalty. It asked them to improve the conditions of detention of the individuals on death row.4 Such improvements had to comply with the requirements specified in the International Convention on Civil and Political R ights (ICCPR). Furthermore, the UN Human Rights Committee had declared unwarranted delay in informing a convicted person of a stay in execution, as an instance of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Moreover, the UN Human Rights Committee has made a recommendation. This suggests that the condemned and their families are to be informed reasonably and sufficiently in advance regarding the date and time of the execution.5 Such advance notice, would provide them with sufficient time to prepare for the occurrence. In this regard, the important organs of the United Nations and their functions are described below. Functioning of the UN The principal bodies of the UN are the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice and Secretariat. Among these the Security Council is responsible for international peace and security. Consequently, the Security Council may conduct a meeting, whenever a threat to international peac e and security is perceived.6 These six bodies do not have the same

Money, Class, and Opportunity Myths in America Essay

Money, Class, and Opportunity Myths in America - Essay Example The story may not be dispelling this assertion but it does open one’s eyes that it is not always about hard work, nature has to be kind to you. The story also brings to focus the value of wealth, here the story holds that wealth alone does not mean success and is not significant if it is not coupled with respect and good reputation. To this end, the characters enforce the idea that wealth is an award for leading a good life, a life characterized by honesty, self-reliance, thrift and hard-work. The assertions held here have a definite implication on the lives of the workers, who are bound to change their approach in bid to get money success (Colombo 167). In this regard, this study implores the idea of success, is money always the measure of success and is money a result of meritocracy? Success means different things to different people. But there is no dispelling that the current generation always thinks of money as the sole measure of success. It is understandable, given the publicity of such stories as â€Å"The worlds richest† annually published by Forbes magazine. Such stories have every one thinking of ways through which they can make money and assume such success. This means they already look at these individuals as successful, they are a representation of what success means in the 21st century. However, the idea that success is strictly measured by ones material wealth is quite misleading. In fact, success is more personal than the world understands. For instance, the Nobel Prize winner, this award recognizes success. Mostly in fields that have little to do with money, such as peace making and environmental consciousness. People awarded based on these acts are considered to have succeeded they have obviously done much better than billions of earth inhabitants. Yet, there is little financial accompaniment to this success. In most cases, these were people who are driven by passion and love for what they do (Hammer and Douglas 432). A similar scenario can be seen in the sports world, we have people like Usain Bolt and Allison Felix who were recently feted. These have definitely succeeded, but their success has had little to do with money. In this sense, we all have to agree that money is not always a measure of success, there are many other measures mostly realization of one’s potential, gratification and peace. Looking at the idea of wealth, many of us just like the story â€Å"money and success† believe that a lot of money means hard work, sometime painstaking. Thus, how much money one has depicts one’s level of hard work which is quite flawed. Because were it correct, we would have so many millionaires because everyone who wakes up and dawn and break their back till dusk merits wealth, at least by the virtue of hard work (Aldrich 271). However, this is not the case, in any case we have the bulk of our working class grappling with debts, be it mortgages or car loans which means they are quite far f rom success. Such observation brings one into wondering, is money a result of meritocracy. The answer to this is a definite no, were it so, we would have everyone who works from dawn to dusk or at least eight hours a day command a significant amount of wealth. This points to the idea that wealth or money in this case is a reward by systems. These systems

Horizontal Map and Curriculum Chart Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Horizontal Map and Curriculum Chart - Coursework Example Type in the resources used to obtain your mission statement here: http://school.stmcary.org/school%20philosophy.htm Part II: CHARACTER EDUCATION PLAN List 8 character principles that you feel should be taught throughout the curriculum. Response: 1. Communication 2. Commitment 3. Acculturation 4. Flexibility 5. Team work 6. Responsibility 7. Confidentiality 8. Interdependence Create a corresponding learning experience that could be used to teach and practice the identified 8 character principles. Response: 1. Communication: The idea behind any language use is to create understanding. The learners involved in English language use should comprehend each other so much so that there is no room left for doubts or misunderstandings. Any form of miscommunication is lethal to peaceful co-existence of a people. 2. Interdependence: There is a need to view the use of English language in the form of a clear relationship among the communication components. Communication is complete where there is effective listening, which leads to a better response while speaking. Reading also should affect the way a person applies their writing skill. These four elements are the necessary skills for any language use. 3. Acculturation: The use of English language should be such that it makes a people accept and respect the cultures of other peoples. Thus, language use should be integrated with the cultural activities and contexts of the people to create the appropriate meaning. 4. Flexibility: English language should enable learners to be flexible in terms of adjusting to different contexts and situation. Owing to the fact that language use in one context could be interpreted to mean differently in another context, there is then a need to accord each situation and context, a particular communication mode. 5. Teamwork: English language should encourage free interaction and cooperation in all activities that the learners undertake in all aspects of life. Learners should appreciate the importa nce of teamwork in achieving individual and organizational goals. Through effective communication and clear understanding, teamwork is enhanced. 6. Responsibility: English language use should instill the element of responsibility on the part of the learners. English curriculum should lay emphasis on accountability by encouraging the learners to avoid misuse of the language. 7. Confidentiality: The English curriculum should encourage learners to observe confidentiality in formal settings. The learners should observe discretion when making formal speech and formal writing. This is necessary when communicating information that has limited accessibility. 8. Commitment: The English curriculum should encourage obligation to ones duties. The learners should learn to accomplish various assignments and fulfill any of the promises they make. Commitment enables students to achieve their set objectives in the stipulated time. Part 3: Section A STANDARDS – Comparison and Contrast Standard s of English language 1. English language Arts (ELA) of the Georgia 2. English Standards of learning, (SOL) of Virginia state Comparison of the two sets of standards In both the English language Arts (ELA) of the Georgia state and the English Standards of learning, (SOL) of Virginia state, the students are exposed to similar content, and by the time they leave school, they are in a better position to

Locke on Language Essay Example for Free

Locke on Language Essay John Locke (1632-1704) is a great influential British philosopher, reputed by many as the first of the great English empiricists. He offered a comprehensive philosophy of language as well, which was the first of its kind in modern philosophy. In line with Descartes, he pushed reason to the forefront as a tool of philosophical enquiry and opposed authoritarianism and blind acceptance of dictates of religion or superstitions. Lockes masterpiece, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, concerns itself with determining the limits of human understanding and the legitimacy of knowledge claims. Specifically, Book III of the work investigates into language and its importance in the process of knowledge and epistemological enquiries. Let me brief the main aspects of his approach to language and the context from which it evolves out. Body of the Essay (Lockean Enquiry into Language) In the four Books of the Essay, Locke considers the sources and nature of human knowledge and as a part of it he takes up a study of language. (An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke, 1. 1. 7. , p. 47). Against Descartes, he claimed, that mind has no innate ideas (primary notions or inborn ideas). Human mind is a tabula rasa (clear slate) and experiences write on it. In holding this view he subscribes to the axiom of empiricism that ‘there is nothing in the intellect that was not previously in the senses’. Ideas are but materials, out of which, knowledge is constructed. Neither speculative or innate moral principles, nor ideas, such as God, identity, etc. , are there in the mind of the new-born. ‘Children and the idiots prove it’, Locke says. His theory of substratum and substance, and the distinction he makes between primary and secondary qualities are all someway connected to his theory of language. The distinction between real essences and nominal essences, which he makes, stems from his theories of substance and qualities. It seems Locke holds some version of the representational theory of perception, though some scholars dispute it. Locke is not at all skeptic about substances as did Hume. Since Berkeley, Locke’s theory of the substratum or substance has been attacked as incoherent. Since we have no such experience of such an entity there is no way to derive such an idea from experience, his critics argue. (cf. I. IV. 18. p 95) The real essence of a material thing is its atomic constitution. The atomic constitution is the causal basis of all the observable properties of the thing. If the real essences were known all the observable properties could be deduced from it. These real essences are quite unknown to us according to Locke. Ayer interprets: ‘substance in general’ means whatever it is that supports qualities, while the real essence means ‘the particular atomic constitution lying behind observable qualities. Ayer treats the unknown substratum as the same as real essence. This interpretation eliminates the need to explain particulars without properties. But it is to be accepted that such reductionism lacks textual support from Locke and it conflicts some of Locke’s own positions according to some critics. A theory of meaning (semantic theory) is central to any philosophical account of language Locke also develops one when he claims that our words (general terms) refer to our (abstract) ideas. Abstract ideas and classification are of central importance to Locke’s discussion of language. Words that stand for ideas can be distinguished as ideas of substances, simple modes, mixed modes, relations etc. Not all words are ideas, for example, particles that relate. In his analysis of language, Locke gives more attention to nouns than to verbs (II. 7. 1. p 471). Though Locke’s main semantic theory claimed that â€Å"Words in their primary or immediate signification signify nothing but the ideas in the mind of him that uses them†, it was vehemently criticized as a classic blunder in semantic theory. For J. S. Mill, Locke seems not distinguishing the meaning of the word from its reference. But as Norman Kretzmann rightly points out Locke distinguishes between meaning and reference (Tipton, 1977, pp. 123-140). In Locke’s discussion on substances, he says, physical substances are atoms and things made up of atoms. But we have no experience of the atomic structure of horses and tables. Horses and tables are known through secondary qualities such as color, taste, smell etc and primary qualities such as shape and extension. Hence he held that real essence cannot give meaning of names. Ordinary people are the chief makers of language, he believed. Conclusion Locke brought in a tradition in language theory that influenced James Campbell and I. A. Richards, rhetoricians like Edward P. J. Corbett, Condillac, Saussure and structuralists like Claude Levi-Strauss. Linguistic philosophy (logical positivism, logical atomism and so on) in 20th century had something to respond to Locke if not to receive from him. However, I wouldn’t reckon Locke as a linguist than an empiricist. References Locke, John (1995) An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Aemherst, New York: Prometheus Books. Kretzmann, Norman (1977) â€Å"The Main Thesis of Locke’s Semantic Theory†. in Locke on Human Understanding,(ed) I. C. Tipton. pp. 123-140.

Domestic Violence and Ethical Dilemma Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Domestic Violence and Ethical Dilemma Worksheet Essay 1.What is the ethical issue or problem? Identify the issue succinctly. The ethical issue that the police officers did not visibly see the husband drive his car they only suspect that he did so therefor they cannot arrest him on a DUI 2.What are the most important facts? Which facts have the most bearing on the ethical decision presented? Include any important potential economic, social, or political pressures, and exclude inconsequential facts. The most important facts would be what the police officers observed. The husband staggering up to the door him also is fumbling with his keys the hood of the car being warm. In addition to the husband being visible intoxicated with slurred speech and failing a sobriety test. However the most important factor is officer Nixon’s experience and him being able to provide probable cause for an arrest. 3.Identify each claimant (key actor) who has an interest in the outcome of this ethical issue. From the perspective of the moral agent—the individual contemplating an ethical course of action—what obligation is owed to the claimant? Why? Claimant (key actor)Obligation (owed to the claimant)Perspective (What does the claimant hope will happen?) HusbandJusticesThe husband will try to avoid being arrested and possible prosecuted for domestic violence and driving under the influence. Wife Fidelity May not want her husband being arrested however she would like to feel safe in her own home. In addition, she does not want her husband to hurt someone or kill them while he is driving drunk. Officer NixonFidelity Wants to be able to protect the wife from her abusive husband and the citizens. However in his oath he took he needs to follow the law. Officer RookBeneficenceWould be the same as officer Nixon however with him being new on the job his decision in this situation could affect his future decisions. Citizens of the communityFidelityCitizens want to feel safe in their community.

Is Compost Tea Fact Or Fiction Environmental Sciences Essay

Is Compost Tea Fact Or Fiction Environmental Sciences Essay Horticulturists, scientists, teachers, gardeners, practioners and farmers all rave about compost and the benefits to the soil, like improving soil structure, reducing water use, improving aeration, attracting earth worms and many more. I want to believe the same thing holds true for compost tea, is it the cure all for damping off disease, will it make my tomatoes luminescent(6), will it make my lawn greener, will my plants have less disease and eliminate pest problems, will it make my soil a better place for my plants, the claims for compost tea are numerous, does it really work? Compost tea has been around for thousands of years perhaps as far back as the Roman Empire (6). Somebody noticed that plants grew better around manure or on manured ground. But solid manure was hard to work with. So it went into a container of water to let it steep for awhile and we can be sure that it got stirred. When used as a drench, plant growth improved. In the late 1990s aeration was first introduced into the compost tea.(4) Aeration claims to increase beneficial microbes and accelerate the process by creating optimum levels of oxygen for growth and reproduction of beneficial aerobic microorganisms. So there are now numerous definitions of compost tea. Compost leachate which is the runoff of water from compost or worm bins. The material is a brown colored water that runs out of compost or worm bins when the bins or piles become too wet. The liquid is a product of compost or worm casting that has not completely finished the compost process. Most likely rich in soluble nutrients; but in the early stage of composting it may also contain pathogens(11) Compost extract is what was originally called compost tea. Compost is wrapped in coarse fabric and soaked in water for days. The primary benefit of the extract will be a supply of soluble nutrients, which can be used as a liquid fertilizer(11) Compost tea is an aerated mixture of compost and food sources for microbes; such as kelp, molasses, fish hydrolysates, rock dust and humic acids. The compost-tea brewing technique and aerobic process extracts and grows populations of beneficial microorganisms. (11) Compost tea can be added to soil to improve soil life and impacts plants more quickly than a composted mixture. (7) The reasoning behind compost tea is that once the mixture has completed and is applied as a soil drench it will add microbes to soils which in turn help to break down organic material in the soil and can then be used for food for plants. And the need for synthetic fertilizers becomes less. There are many different recipes for compost tea based on your needs, there are fungal teas which are good for acid loving plants and trees and shrubs, there is some evidence that beneficial fungus will help with some diseases like powdery mildew and downy mildew. And there are bacterial teas which are good for vegetables, annuals, perennials and grasses. What is compost tea? The soil food web defines compost tea as: essentially, is a brewing process that extracts microorganisms from compost followed by microbial growth and multiplication. This includes beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes. When compost teas are sprayed onto the leaf surface, these beneficial organisms occupy spatial niches on the leaf surface and gobble up leaf exudates that pathogenic organisms would otherwise feed on to prosper; other microbes directly interfere with pathogenic organisms through antagonism. A more simple definition: Compost tea, in modern terminology, is a compost extract brewed with a microbial food source-molasses, kelp, rock dust, humic-fulvic acids. The compost-tea brewing technique, an aerobic process, extracts and grows populations of beneficial microorganisms (11) based on the ingredients that you use you will either have bacterial tea, fungal tea or a combination Compost Tea has been field tested to be effective in suppression of the following diseases: black spot, mildew (downy), needle cast on pine, vertilcillium wilt, white flies, mealy bugs, rust, aphids, tent caterpillars, mites, leaf curl, red thread (early and late), fungal diseases in ornamental cherries per the website http://www.simplici-tea.com/disease_suppression.htm. However, I have not found any science based information to back this claim. What about the science? A trial at the University of Oregon conducted on black spot on roses showed Roses in locations with shade suffered from powdery mildew. Compost tea did not seem to affect powdery mildew. One private location observed that the roses sprayed with tea at that location seemed healthier overall than those that were not sprayed. They had glossier leaves and more blooms overall. Two of the three test groups in 2007 showed a slight improvement in incidence of disease over plants that were not sprayed. The difference was not statistically greater. The average between 2006 and 2007 still showed control group doing better than the experimental group. (8) In comparing the matched pairs of eight Prunus spp., the compost tea extract was not significantly different from the water application for any of the eight cultivars tested. In fact, for some trees it made the problem worse. (9) An excerpt from a study on aerated compost tea to suppress dampening off disease While further work is needed to directly quantify the residual sucrose concentrations in aerated compost tea produced with molasses-based additive to determine the effect on damping-off suppression, there are strong indications that the use of simple sugars as additives should be avoided when producing compost tea for disease suppression. In addition to the potential of residual nutrients increasing Pythium damping-off, the use of simple sugars in producing compost tea has been linked to growth of E. coli in aerated compost tea makers when compost contaminated with E. coli was used. (1) Turf quality ratings initially were very low for the tea drenches, therefore it was decided to apply liquid fertilizer over the tea treated plots to maintain acceptable turf quality. This addition masked any further differences in turf quality. The foliar tea applications suppressed dollar spot 40 to 60 percent when compared to untreated plots in one of three years. It is unlikely that due to the variability of brewing results, little microbial benefit, and the labor required for brewing tea that this technology will see widespread adoption in its current form. (2) However a trial at Harvard University (Prepared by Harvard Facilities Operations Maintenance) which used a combination of compost tea, compost and organic fertilizer, increased the depth of turf roots, decreased water usage, and increased available nitrogen, since they were using a combination of organic methods there is no definite proof that the compost tea was a main contributor. When asked if they had done any studies on compost tea, they said We only use compost tea as a portion of our organic program so unfortunately we have not done any studies on compost tea alone. Dr Linda Chalker-Scott PH.D. WSU states that clearly the science is not strong for aerated tea use on crop plants, much less on lawns, shrubs and trees. (3) After twelve weeks of compost tea treatment, there are evident responses among the microbial community, however, its too early to draw conclusions about the efficacy of the compost tea treatment. (5) The production and application of compost tea is primarily focused on: disease suppression, supplementing plant nutrients, and increasing soil microbiology to improve soil structure, water percolation/retention, rooting depth and consequently improved plant growth. The research conducted worldwide on compost tea is scarce and the results are highly variable. Results vary from suppression of some diseases to no effect in disease suppression at all, or in few cases increased incidence of diseases. Where compost teas are compared with conventional fungicides, in most instances compost teas have been relatively ineffective. Compost tea producers estimate that up to 5,000 farms are using compost tea in New South Wales, Australia these are mainly organic farms. Use of compost teas is based on faith or anecdotal evidence rather than based on replicated scientific research at this stage. Researchers acknowledge that there are significant limitations in our knowledge of compost teas and its u se, and hope that an increased understanding of compost tea microbiology and the survival and interactions of microbes on plants surfaces will enable compost tea production practices and application technology that optimizes disease suppression. (15) Lee Reich PhD in horticulture wrote in Fine Gardening Magazine January 2007 an article titled The Jury is Still Out on Compost Tea where he says Benefits from compost teas are on even shakier ground when the tea is used to improve the soil. Compost has been shown to improve soil tilth, help soil retain nutrients, enhance nutrient availability, increase rooting depth, and suppress root diseases. Compost tea, by extension, is credited with providing these same benefits. Therein lies part of the great appeal of compost tea. Who  wouldnt rather improve an acre of soil with the recommended 15 to 20 gallons of compost tea rather than have to heave around 2 to 5 tons per acre of compost? But compost and compost tea are not the same. They differ quantitatively and qualitatively in microbial makeup, and most dramatically, one is a relatively small volume of liquid and the other is a relatively large, mostly solid mass. Composts bulk comes mainly from carbon compounds, which are the major fo ods for beneficial microorganisms. Compost tea contains relatively little of these carbon foods. The beneficial microorganisms of composts and compost teas are already present in most soils and will multiply rapidly if food supplies permit. If your soil does not have beneficial microorganisms, it probably means the conditions arent hospitable to them. Unless you improve those conditions, any added microorganisms will die.   This article provided a lot of discussion on the internet when it was first published and now includes a new string of posts on http://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-tea/is-compost-tea-just-a-fad/ dated January 13th 2011 since that date there have been fifty eight posts. Most of the posts favor the use of compost tea and the major opinion is no compost tea mix is the same and if it works for you continue to use it. If you have good soil conditions and your plants are healthy there may be no reason for compost tea. But if you have a small amount of compost and need a vast improved soil, when plants are struggling, showing signs of stress or when you want to apply composts benefits to a lawn these might be good reasons to use compost tea (Plesand). With so many claims about compost tea, in 2003, the National Organic Standards Board convened a Compost Tea Task Force to review the relevant scientific data and report their recommendations on compost tea. The Task Force was composed of 13 individuals with knowledge and expertise in organic farming practices, organic certification, EPA pathogen regulations, compost, compost tea production and analysis, plant pathology, food safety and environmental microbiology. The final report can be found at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5057213. They came back with ten steps to be used in making compost tea, found a lot of practioners that use compost tea and also established there was not a lot of science based evidence behind the use the compost tea, and a possibility of contaminating crops. In conclusion there could be benefits from compost tea but there have not been a lot of scientific studies on the use as prevention for diseases and pests or that it increases dramatically the growth of plants. Compost tea has a lot of different variables by the type of compost used; vermicompost, manure compost, leaf and grass clipping compost, and any other possible compost mix. Another variable would be the additives to the tea molasses, kelp, humic acid, granite dust, fish hydrolysates, fungal foods like oatmeal and powdered baby oatmeal. And then there is the time and temperature of mixing with aeration. There appears to be some advantage of using compost tea but a lot more studies need to be done to prove the claims of the some websites and even some famously written books. The question has been asked why not more research on compost tea? Compost teas are highly variable in their microbial and nutrient content from batch to batch. This translates to high variation within data sets and often leads to inconclusive results. Unfortunately, these results are often not published even though they are just as important as positive outcomes. In other words, if a particular treatment doesnt work well under controlled experimental conditions, its unlikely to work consistently anywhere else.(18) With that being said, there is no harm in trying to make your own compost tea and doing your own experimentation. There has been some back and forth discussion on the use of molasses and e coli in compost tea, so if one uses molasses read the scientific data before applying to edible plants. Per Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, PhD While the scientific evidence is certainly lacking for Aerated Compost Tea activity in disease control, there is a serious, documented concern with these types of compost teas, says Dr. William R. Schneider, a research scientist in the Biopesticides Pollution Prevention Division (Office of Pesticide Programs) of the USEPA. He continues it is very difficult to do a microbial pesticide risk assessment on a mixture of unidentified microorganisms that could easily contain human and nontarget organism pathogens. Indeed, this risk is significant in ACTs that have been enhanced with molasses, kelp, and other high-nutrient additives. Such ACTs have been documented throug h scientific research to contain E. coli and Salmonella populations, both of which are human pathogens. The recent deaths due to E. coli-contaminated spinach illustrate how dangerous compost tea applications can be, particularly on food crops. Even though there have not been any reports of problems from compost tea make sure you read all the reports. The use of compost tea as part of an integrated plant health management strategy will require much additional whole systems research by a cohesive team of farmers and experts in composting, plant pathology, phyllosphere biology, molecular microbial ecology, fermentation science, plant physiology, plant breeding, soil science, and horticulture. From the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada posted April 2010 (13) A controversial name in compost tea is Dr Elaine Ingham with Soil Foodweb who has published The Field Guide I for Actively Aerated Compost Tea, Compost Tea Manual 5th ed. and a number of other books, CDs and offers seminars on compost tea. She has done a lot of research on soils, and helps farmers all over improve their soils; but has not published a lot of peer reviewed research on compost tea. In January 2011 the Rodale Institute a non-profit dedicated to pioneering organic farming through research and outreach named her Chief Scientist; and will be in charge of research at the institute, hopefully now, there will be more research on the benefits of compost tea. So despite all the hype, compost tea is not the silver bullet everyone is looking for.   Unfortunately, nature is not that simplistic.   But its fun to experiment.   (I do lots!) If you do experiment, and come up with a formula that you think works-try replicating it in a scientific way (16) per the Whatcom County Master Composter Recycler Program. How do I make compost tea? The USDA suggests using a sump pump to bubble air into the extract for 24-36 hours (Sac Bee). First you need a brewer you can purchase a brewers which makes 500 gallons for around $11,647.00 to $50.00 for a 5 gallon brewer. And then purchase packaged mixes and just add water. You can also buy brewers and make your own mixture, using your own compost or vermicompost. Another option would be to make your own brewer using a five gallon bucket, an inexpensive aquarium pump, an air stone, some aquarium tubing and a porous bag of some type. There are numerous directions on the internet. Once you have a brewer to make the tea; there are numerous recipes on the internet. One simple recipe is five gallons of chlorine free water, six cups of compost or vermicompost, three tablespoons unsulfured black strap molasses. Cover the container Brew this for twenty four to forty eight hours at 75à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ° let rest ten minutes and then use immediately.(Remillard) The compos t tea should smell good (earthy) and have a brownish tea color. If the tea smells bad it has gone anaerobic it could contain ammonia and dangerous bacteria and should not be used. Once the tea is made it can be diluted one to three, one to two or used full strength. It can be used as a soil drench on a wet soil any time of the day. It can be used as a foliar spray in the early morning or evening. If you are using a foliar spray it would be a good idea to filter the tea first so you do not clog your sprayer. When making compost tea make sure you start with good smelling compost or vermicompost the better the compost the better the tea. Another easy recipe for compost tea Home-size compost tea recipe comes from W.F. Brinton at Woods End Laboratories Inc., Maine. 1) Use well-aged compost, at least 4 months old. 2) Put in a large pail or barrel outdoors between 59à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ° and 68à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C. 3) Add water, 1 part compost to 5 to 8 parts water (i.e. 1 cup of compost to 5 cups of water). 4) Stir daily for five days. The strong smell should slowly dissipate. 5) On the fifth day, pour through a sieve or a cheese cloth. 6) Spray on plants in periods of disease outbreak, or drench the soil at the base of the plant. 7) Do not spray edible plant parts to be harvested in the following 2 to 3 weeks. CalRecycle (a CA.gov website) on their website says But why go to all the trouble of brewing and spraying this tea instead of just working the compost into the soil? Two reasons: To inoculate microbial life into the soil to feed the foliage of plants, and to add soluble nutrients to the foliage or soil in order to feed your plants. Compost tea is a readily available form of compost that will impact the plant more quickly than compost mixed into the soil. I am not sure how they came up with this information as no scientific evidence has been found that all this is true. When it comes to state Master Gardener programs there is also a lot of different opinions. The state of Pennsylvania tells you how to make compost tea at http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/tea/tea1. Arizona state university extension tells you how to make compost tea at http://ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/composttea.html. However, Washington state master gardeners cannot recommend compost tea. Because Washington State University Master Gardeners are volunteer educators who rely on science-based information, they cannot recommend a practice or product that lacks a legitimate scientific basis. Furthermore, it is illegal to sell unregistered substances for use as pesticides. There are no compost tea products registered as pesticides within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Neither WSU Master Gardener volunteers nor Web sites may encourage the use of compost tea as a pesticide. (9) Then Oregon State University extension tells you how to make compost tea on their website and their Master Gardeners sell compost tea as a fund raiser . In California per Pam Geisel Statewide University of California Master Gardener Coordinator We dont recommend compost tea because we do not have science based information on it at this time.   Also, compost tea is so variable in terms of content that making a generalized recommendation would be impossible as to the quality and the plant response. Organic Gardening senior editor says he is convinced that There is the potential for a health hazard from its use (compost tea) that being the possible presence of E. coli.   And hes concerned that some Cooperative Extension Service websites happily provide the recipe for making compost tea at home with no warning about the health risks if its applied to food crops. Finally, I think the Extension Horticulture Agent, in Anchorage Alaska, Julie Riley sums it up best, Compost tea is like a religion-you have to have faithà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I know there are Anchorage Master Gardeners who feel they get good results with compost tea. Ive always said to gardeners if you are happy with your results, keep doing what you are doing' Bibliography and Citations (1) Scheuerell Steven J. and. Mahaffee Walter F First author: Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University; and second author: U.S. Department of Agriculture- Agriculture Research Service-Horticulture Crops Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR 97330. Compost Tea as a Container Medium Drench for Suppressing Seedling Damping-Off Caused by Pythium ultimum Accepted for publication 14 June 2004. Web March 2011. (2) Rossi Frank, Cornell University, Cornell University, 134a Plant Science Bldg., Ithaca, NY 14853 Effects of Compost Tea on Turfgrass Performance, Disease Incidence, and Soil Microbial Populations. Nov. 8, 2007 Web March 2011. (3) Chalker-Scott, PhD. Linda, Extension Horticulturist and Associate Professor, Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University www.MasterGardenerOnline.com à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ MASTERGARDENER winter 2007 pages 8-10, Web March 2011 (4) Moore, Robert C; History of Compost Tea thesoilguy.com N.p, n.d web March 2011 (5) Stevenson, Emily; Yale School of Forestry, Alexander Felson and Mark Bradford Environmental Studies Advisors, Closing the Loop: Alternative Land Management at Yale, Hixon Fellowship 2010, web April 2011 (6) Remillard Marc, Compost Tea Making, Ascension Press, April 2010 (7) Author unknown, What Is Compost Tea, and Why Use It? CA.Gov CalRecycle, California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, March 24, 2005, web April 2011 (8)Wise, Cindy, Compost Specialist Compost Tea Trial 2007, OSU/Lane County Extension Service Compost Specialist tea trial, December 2007, web April 2011 (9) Chalker-Scott, Linda Ph.D., Extension Horticulturist and Associate Professor, Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University The Myth of Compost Tea Revisited: Aerobically-brewed compost tea suppresses disease, April 2001, Web May 2011 (10) Lanther, Mario, Compost Tea and Its impact On Plant Diseases, BC Organic Grower, Volume10, Number 2, spring 2007, Web April 2011 (11) Diver, Steve, NCAT Agriculture Specialist Notes on Compost Teas The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service ATTRA 2002 Web March 2011 Ingham, Dr Elaine, Rollins, Carole Ann ed., Sustainable Studies Inc. and Natural Technologies, The Field Guide 1 for Actively Aerated compost Tea (AACT) April 2001-June 2003 Second Edition, Second Printing March 2007 Pleasant, Barbara and Martin, Deborah; The Complete Composting Guide, Storey Publishing, LLC February 13, 2008 Arrington, Debbie, Now theres distinction between compost tea, extract', Sacramento Bee, Saturday, February 26, 2011, page D5. 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