Analyse and Evaluate the significance of Fiscal Policy rules Essay

L1. Monetary policies are where the government use changes in the base rate of interest to influence the rate of growth of aggregate demand, the money supply and ultimately price inflation. In the short run economic growth is an increase in real GDP, In the long run economic growth is an increase in productive capacity (the maximum output an economy can produce) Economic Stability – the avoidance of volatility in economic growth rates, inflation, employment and unemployment and exchange rates. International Competitiveness – The ability of an economy’s firms to compete in international markets and, thereby, sustain increases in national output and income. L2. Monetary policies can be used to promote economic growth, Economic (this stability reduces uncertainty, promotes business, consumer confidence and investment) and International Competitiveness. This causes an ? in AD, which can be good for an economy. For example if a Government ? interest rates, people will have an ? in disposable income, because payments on credit cards will ?, mortgage payments will ? and it is not worth saving due to the reduced rate of interest, meaning they have more to spend on goods and services, thus AD ?. L3. Monetary policies can promote economic growth and stability and international competitiveness as changes in the interest rate affects Domestic Demand (Consumer Expenditure, Investment and Government Spending) and National Demand (Net Exports) via Exchange Rates as when the interest rate ? so the does the currency’s strength. So if the rate of interest increases, so does the strength of the pound, meaning that there is an ? in international competitiveness as more economies want to purchase our currency. This causes an ? in AD causing the AD curve to shift to the right, from AD1 to AD2. Causing and ? in employment, ? production and ?economic growth, ?international competitiveness and ?international competitiveness If economic growth becomes too rapid it can also be dampened nby an ? in interest rates causing AD to ? due to the fact that their credit card charges and mortgages have ? and it has become more worthwhile to keep money in the bank and reap the rewards from a higher interest rate rather than spend. So peoples disposable income ?. Monetary Policy can promote economic growth and stability because of the Monetary Policy Transmission mechanism; the way in which Monetary Policy affects inflation rates through the impact it has on other macroeconomic variables. It is said that low and stable rates of inflation provide the framework for economic stability as inflation reduces the purchasing power of money. When the government uses monetary policy to reduce the rate of inflation inflation targeting) they can stop economic stability from becoming unstable as when inflation occurs, and usually wage growth ? there is a danger that inflation will become out of control so much so that producers and consumers are no longer able to use the signalling function so it can become clear what goods and services consumers most want. Inflation targeting makes the consumers and investors more clear about the future and so they know what to expect so they can plan ahead. This can cause an ? in C and I and therefore and ? in AD (shifting the AD curve to the right). The fact that inflation targeting is flexible means it meets the policy target. The government can use Monetary to policy to ? the supply of money, so banks have more money to lend, so it is easier for consumers to take loans so there disposable income ?, this can cause and ? in Consumer Expectations and vestments, causing an ? in AD, ?production, ?international competitiveness, ?employment, ? economic stability and ?economic growth L4. HOWEVER whether the Monetary policy is affective depends on many factors, for example it depends on how big the increase or decrease in interest rate is, a small change could make little or no difference for example if income interest is reduced by 0.00000000000000000000001% then people are unlikely to start spending more and it will have little or no effect on AD. It also depends on when interest rates are changed as to what else is going on in the economy at that time, for example if there is a fiscal policy causing income tax to ? at the same time as a ?in interest rates the affects of the Monetary Policy may be cancelled out by the fiscal policy. It depends on Central Bank bringing creditability to the target as the central bank has to build up a reputation for meeting targets. This can lead to low economic growth being traded off for low inflation in the short run, but not the long run, which is what is needed for an economies economic growth to be sustainable! The Central bank must be good at forecasting inflation, as the Monetary Policy works with time lags, there can sometimes be a two year delay! So the Central bank will have to set today the interest rate to affect the rate of inflation it expects in two years time! For example Inflation targeting has to be guided by forecasts of inflation and all macroeconomic variables that affect inflation. It also costs a great deal to employ people who have the ability to forecast inflation well which could cost a lot to employ someone capable of doing this, this means that it ? costs, which means the possibility of an opportunity cost involved as that money could have been spent on something else for example new hospitals. There can also always be unforeseen circumstances such as unexpected recessions and natural disasters such as the tsunami, this affects the Central Banks ability to deliver economic stability and economic growth as they do not know if they may need to be doing other policies to help these unexpected situations, as they may only be able to do so when the economies conditions are stable. To conclude Monetary rules and Fiscal Policy targets and constraints can promote Economic Growth, Economic Stability and International Competitiveness, however there are many factors to take into account when doing so.

African Literature Essay

Despite the ignorance of most so called â€Å"literati† to the domain of African literature, African literature in fact is one of the main currents of world literature, stretching continuously and directly back to ancient history. Achebe did not â€Å"invent† African Literature, because he himself was inundated with it as an African. He simply made more people aware of it. The Beginnings of African Literature The first African literature is circa 2300-2100, when ancient Egyptians begin using burial texts to accompany their dead. These include the first written accounts of creation – the Memphite Declaration of Deities. Not only that, but ‘papyrus’, from which we originate our word for paper, was invented by the Egyptians, and writing flourished. In contrast, Sub-Saharan Africa feature a vibrant and varied oral culture. To take into account written literary culture without considering literary culture is definitely a mistake, because they two interplay heavily with each other. African oral arts are â€Å"art’s for life’s sake† (Mukere) not European â€Å"art’s for art’s sake†, and so may be considered foreign and strange by European readers. However, they provide useful knowledge, historical knowledge, ethical wisdom, and creative stimuli in a direct fashion. Oral culture takes many forms: proverbs and riddles, epic narratives, oration and personal testimony, praise poetry and songs, chants and rituals, stories, legends and folk tales. This is present in the many proverbs told in Things Fall Apart, and the rich cultural emphasis of that book also is typically African. The earliest written Sub-Saharan Literature (1520) is heavily influenced by Islamic literature. The earliest example of this is the anonymous history of the city-state of Kilwa Kisiwani. The first African history, History of the Sudan, is written by Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi in Arabic style. Traveling performers, called griots, kept the oral tradition alive, especially the legends of the Empire of Mali. In 1728 the earliest written Swahili work,Utendi wa Tambuka borrows heavily from Muslim tradition. However, there are little to no Islamic presence in Things Fall Apart. The Period of Colonization With the period of Colonization, African oral traditions and written works came under a serious outside threat. Europeans, justifying themselves with the Christian ethics, tried to destroy the â€Å"pagan† and â€Å"primitive† culture of the Africans, to make them more pliable slaves. However, African Literature survived this concerted attack. In 1789, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustava Vassa was the first slave narrative to be published. Kidnapped from Nigeria, this Ibo man wrote his autobiography in Great Britain in English, and like Achebe used his narrative as a platform to attack the injustices of slavery and cultural destruction. Back in Africa, Swahili poetry threw off the dominating influence of Islam and reverted back to native Bantu forms. One exemplar of this was Utendi wa Inkishafi (Soul’s Awakening), a poem detailing the vanity of earthly life. The Europeans, by bringing journalism and government schools to Africa, helped further the development of literature. Local newspapers abounded, and often they featured sections of local African poetry and short stories. While originally these fell close to the European form, slowly they broke away and became more and more African in nature. One of these writers was Oliver Schreiner, whose novel Story of an African Farm (1883) is considered the first African classic analysis of racial and sexual issues. Other notable writers, such as Samuel Mqhayi and Thomas Mofolo begin portraying Africans as complex and human characters. Achebe was highly influenced by these writers in their human portrayal of both sides of colonization. Emerging from Paris in the 1920s and 1930s, the negritude movement established itself as one of the premiere literary movements of its time. It was a French-speaking African search for identity, which ofcourse took them back to their roots in Africa. Africa was made into a metaphorical antipode to Europe, a golden age utopia, and was often represented allegorically as a woman. In a 1967 interview, Cesaire explained: â€Å"We lived in an atmosphere of rejection, and we developed an inferiority complex. † The desire to establish an identity begins with â€Å"a concrete consciousness of what we are–†¦that we are black . . . and have a history. . . [that] there have been beautiful and important black civilizations†¦that its values were values that could still make an important contribution to the world. † Leopold Sedar Senghor, one of the prime thinkers of this movement, eventually became president of the country of Senegal, creating a tradition of African writers becoming active political figures. Achebe was doubtless familiar with the negritude movement, although he preferred to less surrealistic and more realistic writing. In 1948, African literature came to the forefront of the world stage with Alan Paton’s publishing of Cry the Beloved Country. However, this book was a somewhat paternalistic and sentimental portrayal of Africa. Another African writer, Fraz Fanon, also a psychiatrist, becomes famous in 1967 through a powerful analysis of racism from the African viewpoint – Black Skin, White Masks. Camara Laye explored the deep psychological ramification of being African in his masterpiece, The Dark Child (1953), and African satire is popularized by Mongo Beti and Ferdinand Oyono. Respected African literary critic Kofi Awoonor systematically collects and translates into English much of African oral culture and art forms, preserving native African culture. Chinua Achebe then presents this native African culture in his stunning work, Things Fall Apart. This is probably the most read work of African Literature ever written, and provides a level of deep cultural detail rarely found in European literature. Achebe’s psychological insight combined with his stark realism make his novel a classic. Post-Achebe African Literature Achebe simply opened the door for many other African literati to attain international recognition. East Africans produce important autobiographical works, such as Kenyans Josiah Kariuki’s Mau Mau Detainee (1963), and R. Mugo Gatheru’s Child of Two Worlds (1964). African women begin to let their voice be heard. Writers such as Flora Nwapa give the feminine African perspective on colonization and other African issues. Wole Soyinka writes her satire of the conflict between modern Nigeria and its traditional culture in her book The Interpreters (1965). A prolific writer, she later produces famous plays such as Death and The King’s Horseman. Later, in 1986, she is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. African Literature gains more and more momentum, and Professor James Ngugi even calls for the abolition of the English Department in the University of Nairobi, to be replaced by a Department of African Literature and Languages. African writers J. M. Coetzee, in his Life and Times of Michael K. written in both Afrikaans and English for his South African audience, confronts in literature the oppressive regime of apartheid. Chinua Achebe helps reunite African Literature as a whole by publishing in 1985 African Short Stories, a collection of African short stories from all over the continent. Another African writer, Naguib Mahfouz, wins the Nobel Prize in literature in 1988. In 1990 African poetry experiences a vital comeback through the work I is a Long-Memoried Woman by Frances Anne Soloman. African Literature is only gaining momentum as time marches onwards.

Counseling Ethics Essay

Ethics are based on philosophical principles and these guidelines assist a practitioner in making the best possible decisions for the welfare of the clients and the practitioner himself. Ethics are normative or critical in nature and concern human conduct and moral decision. Morality describes decision making and judgement by an individual concerning an incident or human behaviour. This is greatly influenced by the values he or she has acquired or formed as a result of external influence or indoctrination. Value is an enduring belief that a specific that a specific end-state of conduct is desirable (McLeod, 1998). Terminal and instrumental values are two types of values where the former refer to the desired end-state of existence, for example wisdom and the later refer to the mode of conduct that leads to it, for example broad-mindedness .Values then influence and determine the decisions we choose to make in our daily lives. In providing an effective, therapeutic therapy, a practitioner helping a client encountering dilemma in decision- making may adopt the eight – step model approach to think through the ethical problems (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2007). The steps of the model are described as follows: Step 1- Identify the problem or dilemma. In the first step the existence of the problem must be recognised. The nature of the problem has to be ascertained. Identify if it is an ethical, legal, moral, professional or clinical problem. The practitioner’s and the client’s insights regarding the problem must be examined. Consultation with the client can begin at this stage as problems are being identified. Looking at the problem from different perspectives is useful as most ethical dilemmas are complex. Step 2 – Identify the potential issues involved. From the collected information, irrelevant ones must be discarded. The critical issues must be noted and described. The welfare of those involved; their rights and responsibilities must be evaluated. Ethical principles relevant to the problem must be identified and examined with the client. In doing so the moral principles namely, autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity must be considered and applied to the  situation. The safety and welfare of the client and practitioner cannot be compromised while potential issues are being sorted out. Step 3- Review the relevant ethics codes. The practitioner must seek guidance that can be found from the professional codes of ethics. They provide a basis for accountability, and through their enforcement, provide protection for clients from unethical practices (Corey, 1997). Practitioner must also examine the agreeability of his values with the relevant codes. Should they be in conflict, he must have a rationale to support his stance. It is essential to consider congruency of these values and ethics with those of the client’s. The practitioner must ensure clarity of the ethical codes and if they are applicable with the state laws of the region. Step 4- Know the applicable laws and regulations. The practitioner should be up to date with the specific and relevant laws that apply to the ethical issue. This is particularly critical in situations which deal with keeping or breaching of confidentiality, reporting of child or elder abuse, record keeping, assessment, diagnosis, issues pertaining to dangers to self or others and the grounds of malpractice. Step 5- Obtain consultation. Consulting with colleagues to obtain different perspectives on the problems is generally considered to be helpful. Seeking legal counsel for legal questions is prudent along with consulting a person with an expertise in an unfamiliar culture to serve a client from that culture. In addition the practitioner must understand current rules and regulations of the agency or organization that he or she is working for. It is wise for the nature of the consultation and suggestions provided to be documented. These records would illustrate the practitioner’s attempt to adhere to the community’s standard practice. Step 6- Consider possible and probable courses of action. At this point a list of a variety of courses of action may be identified  through brainstorming. The practitioner could discuss with the client as well as other professionals the available options. The possibilities could be identified for probable courses of actions and these should be documented. Step 7- Enumerate the consequences of various decisions. From the various possible courses of actions, implications of each course must be examined. The questions of who will be affected and to what extent will the client’s decision to pursue the actions affect them must be carefully examined. Again using the fundamental moral principles as a framework, the client must collaborate with the practitioner to ascertain the probable outcomes and consequences. If new ethical issues arise from the selected course of action, a re-evaluation of the action must be pursued. Step 8- Decide on what appears to be the best course of action. Careful consideration of all information received from different sources deliberately and with sensitivity to cross cultural issues is critical before making the best decision. Once making the decision, informing the supervisor, implementing and documenting the decision follows. Reflecting on the experience considering any follow up action could result in finding a solution for the client. While the procedural steps may help in resolving ethical matters, some implications may be noted. Firstly, the client enters a collaborative relationship with the practitioner. The implication is that the client with the practitioner’s help must draw out the details of the problem. This implicates that the client should refrain from coveting relevant information to enable an accurate analysis of the issue. This is to ascertain the true nature of the problem whether it is an ethical, legal, moral, professional, or clinical one. The different perspectives of the problem must be explored. What are the insights the client and practitioner have regarding the problem? (Corey et al., 2007). Failing which the consequence is an unnecessary delay in resolving the problem as there will be an inaccurate analysis of the situation. Secondly, in identifying the potential issues, all the persons involved in the problem must be identified. The implication of failing to identify any one individual who may be affected by the decision of the client would be unethical. The welfare, rights and responsibilities of those affected by the decision might create a different set of problems. The decision would then have to be reversed and a new course of action would have to be pursued. It is to therefore necessary to explore to what extent the course of the action will affect the client and the others (Corey et al., 2007). Next the values and ethics of the client and the practitioner must be evaluated and the degree of congruency noted. This implicates that the relevant ethical principles that are identified to the problem should not be in conflict with those of the client and the practitioner. If there are disagreements, then they must be supported with a rationale. If necessary, guidance must be sought from the relevant organization to clarify the professional codes to the particular problem. Otherwise consequently, the client’s decision may violate the ethical codes relevant to the issue. The client must be informed of the relevant and most recent laws or regulations that apply to the situation. He must look out for any law or regulations that have a bearing on the situation. The implication of his ignorance is that he may run into problems with the law. The practitioner too must abide by the rules, regulations and policies of the workplace. When in doubt practitioner must seek professional advice. The client must be informed of legal issues related to confidentiality, abuse of the vulnerable, record keeping and grounds for malpractice. If the practitioner discovers a criminal act by a client for example, sex with an under-aged girl he has the moral responsibility to report him. The practitioner has the ethical responsibility to discuss with the client on the implications of his actions before reporting the incident. The client must understand the implications of his actions that violate the law. The fundamental moral principles may be considered as framework for evaluating the consequences of the given course of action. The client must  decide the principles that apply to the situation specifically and prioritise them. By thinking through these ethical principles, professional can better evaluate their options in such complex situations. Prioritising the principles can help the client and practitioner to work through the steps of the decision-making model (Elizabeth, 2010). There are implications however when prioritizing one over another. The practitioner encourages the client to exercise autonomy i.e. making a free choice. In doing so, the client must have the concept of doing no harm or non-maleficence and acting in justice (Elizabeth, 2010). Conflict can arise when subscribing to justice which may result in the necessity of treating an individual differently. Though not easy to apply equal weightage to all the principles, it will help to explore an ethical dilemma and resolve it with the least damage to the welfare of those affected. The model may be useful when clients seek help in making decisions in their life regarding relationship issues. A client may be caught in a loveless marriage and be involved in an extra-marital affair and seek advice to take the next step in his life. The dilemma of whether to dissolve his marriage and move on with his life or stay in the marriage to fulfil his duties towards his wife and children is one that needs careful consideration. A divorce would mean breaking up of his family and causing a disruption in the relationship with his children. Staying in the marriage would mean the sacrifice of his love life. Analysing his situation using the model can shed light to clarify the implications of his actions and weigh the consequences. The model may help clients to make decisions at their place of work regarding conflicting work practices. An office worker may be tormented by the wrong practices of her fellow colleagues. She may be facing a dilemma as to whether to report her colleagues to the management or turn a blind eye to the situation. The model can help the client to analyse the situation and evaluate her moral values. She would then be able to make an ethical decision that would do least harm to those involved in the situation. In conclusion, the eight – step model can be a useful tool in helping a practitioner to guide clients to make sound decisions that do not have  conflict with their ethics and are aligned with the laws and regulations of the region. In doing so the practitioner must ensure that he or she is operating in the best interest of the clients.

Asking for Extensive Time Off by Employees Essay

Asking for Extensive Time Off by Employees - Essay Example to identify and implement required programs and policies in the organization providing equal employment opportunity, filling the current openings through interviews, training, resolving safety problems and providing benefits in wages and other increments. As a strategic human resource consultant for 1995 Auto Corporation based in Central Colorado, a company manufacturing emerging lighting systems for first responder vehicles, a HR policy needs to be put in place to resolve the issues of human resource and employee grievances need to be addressed with regard to extensive time off by employees and to develop a leave policy in consideration to employer and to extend harmonious relationship between employer and employees. R. Shaffer has been operating as the sole proprietor of 1995 Auto Corporation for 18 months and used the services of her family members to help her operate in the business, because of which she didn’t felt it important to apply for unemployment insurance, purchase a general liability insurance policy or workers compensation policy. However with increase in the business operations, the company opted for aggressive hiring strategy due to which the company now has 88 unionized and 22 non unionized employees. Despite the growth in business operations and employee strength, the company does not has dedicated human resource cell and the activities pertaining to HR are managed by Production Operations Manager who has limited knowledge with regard to HR policies, practice and regulation which over the time resulted in employee grievances. The present issue is concerned with extended time off from work by most of the employees and the owner expresses inability to sanction the same due to effects on productivity. However, it is not known whether the employees who requested for the extensive time off, are unionized or non-unionized. Every employer within US has to abide by the rules and regulations set in the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. The FMLA

Managed Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managed Care - Essay Example emerged in this modern world and the employers in the present day context get involved in making as well as executing an effective plan with utmost focus on paying premiums. These premiums are paid by the workers in the form of deductibles, copayments as well as through contribution. It has been apparently recognized that this changed system of healthcare has transformed the investment pattern of the employees. In the year 2013, highest number of employees was recorded to be enrolling in the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans. The same has been illustrated in the form of the following chart: Managed care has proved its dominance in providing â€Å"qualified health plans† with the aid of different health insurance organizations. Specially mentioning, there is a need to follow the rules that are provided under the Affordable Care Act. The ACA prescribed system of medical loss is noted to be limiting the percentage of premium revenue for enhancing its use for administration, marketing as well as attaining maximum profit. However, to increase the transparency within the system, more regulations are required to be incorporated by the respective government. To increase the competition within the domain of healthcare aid, there are various additional developments being initiated to incorporate within the domain of healthcare based operations. This competitive edge is being developed with the notion to enhance the control over the premium rate fluctuations (Shi & Singh, 2011). ACA visualizes that Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs) will be developed based on finances received from the federal government. This type of plans is available in small numbers within the US Medicaid services. CO-OPs started operating as nonprofit making organizations following the developments such as the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and PPO. CO-OPs are even structured based on standard models of such organizations that have been already active within Medicaid

Aspects of sSteve Jobs, a powerful entrepreneur's life Essay

Aspects of sSteve Jobs, a powerful entrepreneur's life - Essay Example gerate about their abilities and most people take on a unilateral approach by asserting that it was Steve Jobs who was the real driver of success behind Apple, or those who are supportive of Stephen Wozniak may opt to praise Stephen and regard him as being the primary reason of success in Apple’s case. In my understanding, both approaches are flawed and I firmly believe that due credit of abilities should be given to both personalities and it should be realized that Apple’s success was due to the joint venture of both personalities; both contributed significantly towards developing, manufacturing and marketing the product and ended up winning success that was beyond imagination for many in the industry. In my opinion, if there was no Wozniak, development of superior quality electronic devices was impossible. Similarly, if there was no Steve Jobs, the marketing and selling of Wozniak’s electronic equipment would have been a dream unfulfilled. Therefore, it appears logical to assert that both individuals had been working for their mutual benefits and the puzzle of their success can only be solved if both pieces, Jobs and Wozniak, are put together. Were it not for the decent product that Wozniak designed, Jobs success could have been a remote or impossible prospect. Similarly, if Jobs marketing skills are withdrawn from their picture of success; colors of failure will dominate the picture that is left behind. In my opinion, the idea of discussing Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak in a separate fashion, originated only after the two personalities departed professionally. This incident coincides with the development of Apple II and it appears that the two geniuses underwent considerable stress prior to this decisions. This is reflected by Wozniak’s remarks that he gave upon Steve Jobs’ death, when he said â€Å"It’s like the world lost a John Lennon. We’ve lost something we won’t get back†. The truth is that Wozniak was aware of Jobs capabilities and for

American Revolution Plutocaracy or Democracy in TOWARD AN AMERICAN Essay

American Revolution Plutocaracy or Democracy in TOWARD AN AMERICAN REVOLUTION - Essay Example He writes, "The reason for the Constitution was to empower people of property over common people. Indeed, our definition of self-government and freedom have become linked, if not equated, to the interests of the corporation." (ch. 3, 'A Great Compromise,' para. 4) It is a compelling book in the tradition of writers such as Howard Zinn and America's resident crank, Gore Vidal,(1) which should be read by every citizen in this country who thinks they know what the Constitution says, who wrote it and why. The Framers of the Constitution, as Fresia points out, would have likely agreed with an IBM ad quoted in the book: "The Constitution is a political work of art . . . and . . . It's also the most important contract of your life." (Ch 1, 3 Obstacles, 1st para.) Almost every man attending and contributing to the Constitutional Convention was wealthy in land and humans, i.e. slaves. As property owners, 'better people,' these men relied on real and implied contracts to protect what they owned. A government that could not provide such protection would be no government at all. to British entrepreneurs - Peers and Knights - the right to colonize and to make money from lands in the New World.(2) As Fresia makes clear throughout his book, this right to make money became a right to govern in the New World and eventually became justification for American landowners to sever ties with England and to create their own mercantile country. What thes What these men of wealth and property wished to establish was a legal system, a government that protected their wealth. They did not wish to be subject to the whims of, as Rufus King put it, ". . . the poor and illiterate." (ch. 3, Ratification, end of 1st para). Indeed, James Madison, the 'Father of the Constitution,' wrote: Landowners ought to have a share in the government, to support these valuable interests, and to balance and check the others. They ought to be so constituted as to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority. (Ch. 3, Checks & Balances, 2nd to last para.)What has escaped many people in their understanding and reverence of The Constitution is that it is a document which was designed to secure the rights of the wealthy, the better people, while shutting out those without property or wealth. At the Convention of 1787, Alexander Hamilton put it succinctly when he said, "Give therefore to the first class [rich and well-born] a distinct, permanent share in the government. They will check the unsteadiness of the Second."(2) What he meant by Second was the masses or, as he once called them, "a great beast." (Ch 1, para 6) Check the Balances Of significant influence on the Constitution and the men who wrote it were the political theories of British philosopher

Robotics Ethics and Issues Associated With the Wide Application of Research Paper - 122

Robotics Ethics and Issues Associated With the Wide Application of Robot Technologies - Research Paper Example Furthermore, children care is the main obligation of the parents; they should be involved in the upbringing of children. We can suggest cases when parents cannot give care to their children, but now people can leave their children with their relatives or close people. And people’s care is more effective than any other version of care.   And old people also should get people’s care even in the world when all young people are busy. Robots can serve as toys to entertain them or to just give them the ability to spend time with fun, however, old people should use some attention, conversations, and other types of interpersonal activity with close people (Sharkey, 2012). However there is one good application of robots, one can maintain the camera on the robot and it can lead young children as they remain at home to have control over the children. However, in such case, we deal with much older children. Likewise, robots for seniors can be used to get information about the old people, their health indicators and to remind them to take some medicines and other things, which are substantial for their good well-being. But robots will never substitute human’s interaction, as they cannot provide substantial communication, they cannot support conversation and console when old people have some aches, or just to tell something good when older people need that. And furthermore, robots cannot give people understanding that they are needed and that they get attention from their close people. All these things are very important for older people and it definitely prolongs their life.  Ã‚  

Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Essay

Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Summary and Reaction - Essay Example Entire neighborhoods are being sealed-off, pedestrian traffic on predominantly minority-used walkways such has Old Broadway are being "redirected", former public recreation spaces such as parks are being privatized, the list goes on. The author, Mike Davis presents a number of salient points as to where cities such as Los Angeles, where capitalism, wealth, and commodification are the driving force for everything, are heading. Because the poor do not have a huge stake at this capitalistic market, their interests are relegated to the background. The city government has a hand in perpetuating this trend. More importance is given to privatization of space, and funds that are supposed to be allocated for public recreational spaces are being appropriated to private, white-collar redevelopment ventures. Wealthy communities are physically separated from the rest of the city, the perimeters converted to a kind of military "fortress", with its arsenal of high-tech gadgetry and gated enclosures. The private "security" industry is a thriving business, ready to answer to the ubiquitous slogan of "Armed Response". Even the police are being integrated to these grand scheme of securing the city from "unwanted" elements, where their watchful eyes are omnipresent. In addition to this, they control neighborhoods where minorities, Blacks and Latinos dwell. Even residential architects are getting their design inspirations from the military. The creation of these "fortress" cities, with the constant surveillance cameras, the gated walls, private security contractors, ground as well as on-air watchers, advances the progress of the social fragmentation, a polarization that serves to destroy the society's natural hegemony at the cost of the underprivileged. Davis also talks about how this same militaristic tactic is used to lure investors and retailers into opening their establishments in abandoned commercial areas. The concept of "security" taken to the extreme is the key to securing this potentially lucrative market as evinced in the case of the "Panopticon Mall". Highlighting the social barriers even more are the measures being done to rid the streets of the vagrants and "undesirables". These include the installation of outdoor sprinklers and barrel-shaped bus benches to discourage them from sleeping in public areas. Also, public toilets are being lessened, if not completely eradicated, in favor of the "quasi-public restroom" in establishments and offices where the poor and homeless would not be admitted. For the most part, I agree with Davis's opposition to these acts of militarization and abolishment of public space. In the eradication of accessible spaces, the sense of community and social interaction is also annihilated. While it seems that these changes improve the quality of life and the sense of security for the common white-collared worker, this is done at the cost of those who have little purchasing power. Access to supposed public places are dictated by those with the money. This violates the very essence of those areas being "public". This, in a sense, tramples upon our very sense of democracy, one that does not discriminate against race, class, or social stature. This kind of physical segregation underlies the concept that people belonging to different social groups should not interact or mingle. The need of the moneyed class to separate themselves is the root

BEIT 336 (Formal Report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

BEIT 336 (Formal Report) - Essay Example BEIT 336 (Formal Report) As the array of available flexibility options broadens, contemporary companies are under immense pressure to evaluate how each scheduling program affects their performance in terms of employee performance, as well as, managers’ and supervisors’ perception or acceptance of the program. Understanding the association between flexible scheduling of work and consequent organizational performance is imperative in selecting the most appropriate flexible working technique. Such comprehension is also pertinent to development of flexible working policies that would, in turn, guarantee optimization of projected benefits like increase in employees’ productivity, elevation of morale, reduction of absenteeism and decline in turnover. In addition, understanding this relationship would go a long way towards challenging or confirming assumptions made in regard to flexible work hours and in quantifying the current state of an organization to determine its readiness for implementat ion of a flexible work schedule. Most importantly, outcomes of the employee and organizational performance measurement have implications vital to the future development of flexible work programs in a company. If there is a positive connection between flexible working and employee performance, as illustrated in this research, companies can utilize the information to facilitate change in working culture and plan more effective schedules in the future.

Iagos soliloquy at the end of Act 1 Essay Example for Free

Iagos soliloquy at the end of Act 1 Essay Iagos soliloquy at the end of Act 1; what does his language tell us about his character and motivation? How does it compare with his language in the rest of the act? Iago seems to be presented as a Machiavellian villain; he is cunning and always seems to know whats going to happen. In Iagos soliloquy at the end of Act 1 Scene3, he says of Roderigo thus do I ever make my fool my purse. This conveys Iagos character as superior and manipulative. Iago states that Roderigo is a fool; a stupid moron. He also calls him a snipe which is a small bird which also is used to mean unintellegent. Iago refers to Roderigo possessively, referring to him as my fool as if the extent of his own influence makes Roderigo his own possession (as with my purse; purse being an object that is owned). By saying I even make Iago is implying that manipulating a fool for their money is a usual activity for him, as if he always does this. Iago holds such little respect for Roderigo and feels himself so superior that he should profane if [he] time expend with such But for [his] sport and profit. Hes claiming that Roderigo is so beneath him that it is only for the money (profit) and the game he plays with the characters (sport) that hed ever bother wasting his time with such an idiot. This seems to be revealing of Iagos attitude toward social classes. Just because another character is richer or has higher social standing this does not mean that he has any extra respect for them. Taking into account that England in the Elizabethan era worked with strict social classes I think that Shakespeare uses Iagos lack of respect for the system as another way of demonising him. He is the villain because he believes himself to be superior to everyone else. Iago is Othellos ancient. However, Iago obviously feels he is superior to his master. Iago likens Othello to a donkey; a dull, stupid animal. Iago says Othello will be led by th nose. As asses are. Asses, or donkeys, are literally led by the nose with a harness. Might the harness be the society they are both part of? This implies that Othello is not free. It implies that he is tamed, obedient, dependent and without a mind of his own. It is Iagos intention to use this harness to lead Othello to his ruin. In act 1 scene 1 Iago reveals his views on the roles of master and servant (in his case ancient) to Roderigo. Iagos opinions show his perceived superiority in his character. Iago says how there are many a duteous and knee crooking knave thatwears out his time, much like his masters ass. He is saying that the dutiful are knee crooking, meaning that they bow down, accepting their inferiority. To say that a subordinate wears out his time much like his masters ass shows how he feels that they waste their lives being anothers workhorse while receiving none of the profits. In this respect Iago feels himself above Othello. By later referring to Othello as an ass he could be the knee crooking knave to the governors of Venice. This is what I feel is supposed to be conveyed by the line: were I the Moor, I would not be Iago. Iago is resentful of the lack of recognition he has received from his society. I would say that Iago has motivation against his society. He misses out on promotion and Cassio takes the position. He resents Cassio for being better educated and of higher social standing. From scene 1 Iago says I know my price, I am worth no worse a place when telling Roderigo of being passed over for promotion. I think that Shakespeare has Iago say this because hes supposed to be resentful of the lack of recognition hes received. By saying I know my price he is also saying that no-one else perceives his worth. Iago mentions that Cassio is a Florentine while disrespectfully describing him. That Shakespeare has Iago mention this means that it is relevant. Perhaps that Iago disapproves of a Florentine being promoted in a Venetian army shows he has a kind of respect for the society hes in. If he is ambitious then he is ambitious toward the higher roles/accomplishments of his own society; Venice. Iago may also feel he has not been duly acknowledged for the fighting he has done for the causes of Venice at Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds Christian and Heathen. By not being advanced he may have felt the sacrifices he made were not appreciated, as if hed been cheated, which may explain why he cheats so much in the conventions of his society. Iago is presented as being a very effective user of language. He seems to know exactly the right language to use in order to affect the decisions of the other characters. When bating Brabantio he uses course language about his family to infuriate him. Instead of merely informing Brabantio of his daughters whereabouts and who she is with Iago tells him that your daughter and the moor are now making the beast with two backs. Making the beast with two backs is a crude euphemism for having sex. Beast implies that the sex is ugly and savage. Iago uses the word moor instead of his name, Othello, to bring attention to his race as opposed to his high rank and standing in Venice. Iago knows how to offend. He immediately starts referring to Brabantios family in animal terms; youll have your nephews neigh to you; youll have coursers for cousins and jennets for germans. In the Elizabethan era it was probably a taboo to have a mixed race marriage probably because people of African origins would have been considered inferior. This is a reason why Iago refers to Othello as a horse (coursers for cousins). As a further example of Iagos ability to alarm through his seemingly perverted perception would be youll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse. Iago alarms him by conjuring bestial imagery. Bestiality is sacrilegious, which a few hundred years ago was more important than it is now. Perhaps this sacrilegious imagery influenced Brabantio to rationalise his daughters behaviour as witchcraft. Shakespeare presents Iago as an effective liar. This must be the case as Othello refers to him in Act one as Honest Iago. He also describes him as a man he is of honesty and trust. Despite Iago keeping Roderigos presents to Desdemona for himself he still can convince him of his trustworthiness. When reassuring Roderigo he says I have professed me thy friend, and I confess me knit to thy deserving with cables of perdurable toughness. By claiming that he is Roderigos professed friend and that hes prepared to help him with everlasting strength he convinces of his honesty. Iago also successfully manipulates Roderigo by repeatedly suggesting (instructing really) to put money in thy purse so as he can take it from him. Iago repeats this six times. Iago also convinces Roderigo to do his biddings by distracting him with his philosophies; Our bodies are our gardens, to which are wills are gardeners. In this speech Iago basically turns Roderigos loss into his own gain.

Comparison of strategy of Nike and Adidas Essay Example for Free

Comparison of strategy of Nike and Adidas Essay 1.0 Introduction: Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2005, p.9) defines strategy as the way in which an organisation plans to use its resources effectively in order to gain a competitive advantage over the long term. In other words the carefully planned guidelines that organisation’s follow, which differentiates them from other organisations. Mirow (2005,p.10) suggests that strategy of Amazon.com,Inc., a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, focused on providing customers with low price, convenience and a wide selection of merchandise. They focused on this strategy and started their website in 1995 as an online book retailer. They slowly expanded their products and are currently an online shopping website with the largest product supplies online earning revenues in billions. Hence we can see how important strategy is for the success of an organisation. There are three levels of strategy, which are corporate level, business  level and functional level strategy. Strickland and Thompson (2003, pp.50, 55 and 56) suggests that the corporate level strategy is the strategy which is determines the overall purpose and prospect of an organisation and reflects on how to add value to different parts of the organisation. The business level strategy provides guidelines on how to excel competitors or survive in a particular market and the functional strategy is the contribution made by the resources, people and processes to the business and corporate level strategies. Companies strive with their strategies in order to become the leader in their specific industry or market. Nike and Adidas are the top two competitors in the footwear, apparel and accessories segment of the textile industry. The focus of the latter part of this report is on how these competitors compete with each other using their strategies. 2.0 Literature review: In order to fully understand about strategy, it is mandatory to know about the five generic competitive strategies. The five generic strategies according to Strickland and Thompson (2003, p.150) are low-cost provider strategy, in which the organisation provides goods or service at a low cost, broad differentiation strategy, in which the organisation differentiates its products or services making it appeal to a vast range of customers, best-cost provider strategy, in which the organisation provides goods or services of high quality making it worth the amount they are charging which is lower than their competitors, a focused strategy based on lower cost, in which the organisations focus on a narrower buyer segment and provides them their goods or services at a lower cost than its competitors and focused strategy based on differentiation, in which the organisation focuses on a narrower buyer segment and produces product customized according to their needs. 3.0 Backgrounds of Nike and Adidas: [IMAGE URL: http://digestingdesign.wordpress.com/tag/nike/] 3.1 Company overview of Nike According to (www.nikebiz.com) NIKE,Inc. was founded in 1972 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. It designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear,  apparel, equipment and accessories for a vast range of sports and fitness activities and are currently the world’s leading company in the athletic footwear, apparel and accessories segment in the textile industry. It is based in Beaverton,Oregon and has subsidiaries such as Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury items such as shoes, handbags and coats. Their subsidiaries also include Converse,Inc. and Hurley International LLC and Umbro,Ltd. The revenue of Nike,Inc. as at May 2010 is around US$ 19014 million according to (www.biz.yahoo.com). [IMAGE URL: http://www.soccercleats101.com/2009/10/07/adidas-predator-x-get-ready/] 3.2 Company overview of Adidas Group: According to (www.adidas-group.com) Adidas, founded in 1949 by Adofl Dassler, is a sports apparel manufacturing company. Starting with athletic footwear such as running shoes and soccer shoes, they currently manufacture a wide range of products such as bags, watches, shirts and accessories. They are the second largest sportswear manufacturer, behind Nike,Inc. Adidas Group is made up of three companies, Reebok, TaylorMade Adidas Golf company and Rockport. The revenue of Adidas as at May 2010 is 14878 US$ Million according to (www.biz.yahoo.com). 4.0 Critical Incidents that occurred in the past: 4.1 Critical incidents that affected Nike: Nike, Inc. had gone through various incidents which had an impact on their success. According to Dermesropian, Drage, Grigaite and Lopez (2004,p.3) in 1972, Nike persuaded marathon runners at Olympic Tracks to wear their shoes which was an innovative strategy as it resulted in strong advertising when some of the runners were the top finishers and popularity of Nike continued to grow throughout the 70s. In 1979 Nike had 50% of the US running shoe market. In 1988 Nike introduced their famous slogan ‘Just do it’ and acquired a company called Cole Haan. They sponsored many famous athletes such as Michael Jordan, a famous basketball player and Tiger Woods, an excellent young golf player. During 1992 Nike acquired Canstar sports which included the hockey equipment maker Bauer and opened its first Niketown store. In early 1995 Nike acquired a license to put its logo on NFL uniforms  which resulted in strong marketing. Air Jordan [IMAGE URL: http://www.myairshoes.com/air-jordans/air-jordan-xx3-officially-unveiled.html] They launched a new brand called Jordan, in 1997, which was influenced by the famous basketball player Michael Jordan and one of the most famous shoes of that brand were called Air Jordan. Some incidents harmed Nike during 1998 as they had to cut 1,200 jobs due to the fall of sales in Asia and the demand of athletic shoes fell in 1999. Nike wanted to diversify and in the year 2000 they shifted a little towards the technological and electronic sector and introduced athletic electronics, which included MP3 players, heart monitors, and two-way radios. Products of Nike in the BCG matrix [IMAGE URL: http://www.robmillard.com/archives/BCG%20Matrix%20Big1.html] They opened their first Nikegoddess store in California in 2001. They acquired Hurley International, a distributor of action sports apparels and lost their license to put their logos on NFL uniforms to Reebok in 2002. In 2003 they acquired one of their competitors called Converse but it continued to operate independently in order to sustain the brands popular name. 4.2 Critical incidents that affected Adidas: Adidas also faced various occurrences in order to attain the title of the second largest athletic footwear sportswear and accessories manufacturer.   Adidas Samba [IMAGE URL:http://www.bestshoesmen.com/adidas.Men.Samba.Classic.Soccer.Shoe/detail.html] According to (www.adidas-group.com) Adidas registered as a company in 1949 with the three stripes logo as their trademark. (www.footballshirtculture.com) explains that in the year 1950 they produced the â€Å"Samba† all-round soccer shoes which are even now considered to be the best classic training shoe today. One of the biggest successes of Adidas was in 1952 when it was the most common shoe brand worn at the Olympic Games  held in Helsinki. They made the first track shoes with removable spikes. Emil Zatopek, in Adidas shoes, won three gold medals in one week creating a huge impact on the image of the brand. German National Team wearing Adidas in the 1954 football world cup [IMAGE URL: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/feature?id=696762cc=4716ver=global] In 1954 Adidas became famous all over the world as the German national team was victorious in the football world cup for the first time, wearing Adidas shoes with screw-in spikes. In 1955 Adidas came up a shoe with exchangeable spikes which became very popular among the high jumpers. In 1964 Billy Mills won the men’s 10,000 meters wearing the new Adidas shoe which was considered the lightest shoe weighing 135 grams. In 1969 Adidas produced the world’s first injection molded multi stud soles of polyurethane, which gave a one year guarantee on the soles. Adidas began production of balls in 1961 and in 1970 their football was the official ball of the football world cup. In 1971 the famous ‘Fight of the century’ where Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought with each other, both of them wore special boxing shoes d esigned by Adidas. Products of Adidas in the BCG Matrix [IMAGE URL: http://www.robmillard.com/archives/BCG%20Matrix%20Big1.html] Adidas Copa Mundial [IMAGE URL: http://www.footballbootroom.com/Adidas-Copa-Mundial] In 1979, Adidas produced ‘Copa Mundial’, which even today is still the world’s best selling soccer shoe. In 1986 Adidas introduced Azteca, the first synthetic world cup matchball in the world. However, in 1993 Adidas took over Sports Inc., a US based sports marketing company and Adidas was loosing US$100 million a year. Robert Louis Dreyfus had become the new president of Adidas and he downsized the German staff and went subcontracting to China. Adidas once had 70% market share in the US and it fell to 2% in 1993. In 1994 Adidas made a comeback by producing the revolutionary soccer shoe called the Predator during the soccer world cup in the USA. They went public in 1995 and acquired the Salmon Group which consisted of the brands TaylorMade, Mavic  and Bonfire in 1997. The new company is named Adidas-Salmon AG. They were the first sporting goods company to chosen as the official sponsor of a soccer world cup in 1998 when they sponsored the 1998 FIFA World cup in France. Adidas Predator Mania [IMAGE URL: http://www.produktenews.ch/newsflashartikel.cfm?key=179710] In March 2002 Adidas launched ClimaCool a footwear with a ventilation system and introduced the new Predator Mania boots and jerseys with the dynamic layering concept in the 2002 FIFA world cup with their own official ball called the Fevernova. They sold over 6 million footballs and more than 1.5 million jerseys and half a million of the Predator Mania that year. In 2006 Adidas became the official partner, supplier and licensee for the FIFA world cup to be held in 2006, 2010 and 2014. They acquired Reebok International in the same year. 5.0 Comparison of the strategies of the companies: 5.1 Strategies of Nike: In order to become the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories, Nike followed many strategies. Their corporate level strategy, according to Dermesropian, Drage, Grigaite and Lopez (2004,p.15) is their focus on innovation and emphasis on their research and development department in order to be profitable in the long run and they do their best to produce footwear, apparel and athletic equipment that reduce or eliminate injury, help in athletic performance and maximize comfort. They continue to expand their operation in the USA, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the American regions trying to reach as many customers as possible. Their business level strategy is a combination of the best cost provider and broad differentiation strategy, but more emphasis is put on the best cost provider strategy. They rely heavily on strategic outsourcing and most of their products are manufactured outside the United States. One of the main reasons behind their success following the cost leadership strategy is their extensive network structure that allows them to cancel their alliance with any company that fails to maintain their standards. They work very closely with their suppliers which allow them to produce their goods at a very low price and of superior  quality with the newest technology which makes them the market leader and the rest have to try producing similar goods close to their standard in order to survive in the market. They work very hard in their marketing strategies and which one of the primary reasons behind its success. Fig.1Fig.2Fig.3 Players who wear Nike – Fig.1) Cristiano Ronaldo [IMAGE URL: http://s702.photobucket.com/albums/ww24/bleedingblue97/?action=view ¤t=Cristiano_Ronaldo_Manchester_United.jpgnewest=1 Fig.2) Michael Jordan [IMAGE URL: http://www.ionlinephilippines.com/2009/12/michael-jordan-look-alike-michael-jordan-imposter-video/] Fig.3) Tiger Woods [IMAGE URL: http://www.dailyworldbuzz.com/tiger-woods-still-has-support-of-nike-gatorade-and-gillette/4970/] Nike hired famous basketball player Michael Jordan, tennis player Serena Williams and Tiger Woods who signed a seven year contract in order to be the spokesperson of Nike. In 2003 they spent around US$ 32.4 million on Net TV commercials and another US$ 39.8 for magazine ads. In order to become the market leader one has to follow a rigid and innovative strategy but to remain as the market leader the strategy has to be sustainable. According to (www.bizjournals.com) on a report published by Nike, suggest that they have planned five major programs in order to keep their corporate level strategy sustainable. In order to sustain in the long run Nike is now emphasizing more on the concerns about global warming. They have decided to focus more on their product design process, eliminating toxics and wastes wherever possible, start a GreenXchange web marketplace to share intellectual property which have been designed to act as a catalyst in green development, establish a lean manufacturing and human resource management in order to acquire a more equitable supply chain, establish a social program which combines education and sports programs for the third world countries and establish a new group call the Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy. 5.2 Strategies of Adidas: The strategies of both these sports giants are very similar but Adidas  focuses more the broad differentiation strategy. According to (www.adidas-group.com) the corporate level strategy of Adidas also focuses on innovation, trying to produce new products, services and processes in order to cope up with the competition. In 2009 the Adidas Group strategically decided to move from a vertically integrated brand structure into a functional multi-rand structure for the Reebok and Adidas brands. This created a global sales function which were responsible for commercial activities and a global brands function which were responsible for the marketing of both brands. The global sales function was also split into two departments, wholesale and retail, which catered to the various needs of both these business models. This was done in order to sustain their corporate level strategy for the long run so that these divisions could emphasize and work hard in their respective departments in order to make the most of their efforts. This led to the elimination of regional headquarters and moved towards more direct communication between the local markets and the global functions. They implemented a multi-brand strategy by having a diverse brand portfolio which allowed them to cater all segments of the market from players to almost everyone. This helped them to keep a unique identity and concentrate on their core competencies. Adidas focused their investments in the best marketing and distribution channels in different countries by critically evaluating the consumer buying behaviors and their constant struggle to secure prime shelf space. They have also embraced e-commerce in order to become more efficient and appeal to more customers and make purchasing much more easily accessible for them. Their supply chain is closely communicated and hence it helps them to customize their products which appeal to a wide range of customers. The organizational culture of Adidas group obligates employees to be innovative. This culture forces them to produce goods which are highly innovative and with the use of the latest technology their products have a very good quality. According to (ar2001.adidas-salomon.com) using latest technologies they produce products which enhances performances of players and they focus on sports such as football, tennis, basketball and even training shoes which are used by anyone with the ability to run. Their new technologies have lead to the production of Climacool, a shoe with a ventilation system and a ­3 a shoe with an energy management system that guides and drives an athlete’s foot  through each stride. Fig.4Fig.5Fig.6 Famous players who wear Adidas – Fig.4) Zinedine Zidane [IMAGE URL: http://s670.photobucket.com/albums/vv70/tomdavies99/?action=view ¤t=09_zinedine_zidane_dpa_300.jpgnewest=1] Fig.5) Kaka [IMAGE URL: http://soccerpitch.co.za/tag/real-madrid/] Fig.6) Kobe Bryant [IMAGE URL: http://family-fitness.mattters.com/2010/7/2/couldnt-wait] Adidas Trefoil logo [IMAGE URL: http://free-extras.com/images/adidas_logo-658.htm] Adidas has world class players who wear their products such as Zinedine Zidane of France, Alessandro Del Piero of Italy and Kobe Bryant an NBA champion who is a style icon for basketball lovers. They also concentrate on their classic items, reintroduce and redesign them under their Trefoil logo. 5.3 Comparison of the strategies of Nike and Adidas: According to (http://comparisonz.com) Nike and Adidas have almost similar strategies but different implementation methods. Both the companies concentrate heavily on technology and strive to produce new and innovative products. Nike focuses on the American markets whereas Adidas focuses on the European market. Nike does not have any production plants as they only design, distribute and market their products and hence they outsource to various countries in Asia, mainly Taiwan and Korea, which outsource their production to China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Adidas on the other hand, carry out all their production in Germany and recently has adopted Nike’s outsourcing policy by outsourcing to Asian countries. Nike and Adidas both follow a premium pricing strategy which according to Kotler (2003, p.272) is a strategy where companies charge a premium price for their products. Their competition is always intense and according to Anderson (2010) during the world cup 2010 Nike launched the popular â€Å"write the future†, three minute advertisement featuring world cup stars which was a major hit on Youtube and Adidas replied with their two minute video with celebrities like Snoop Dogg  and Daft Punk into a famous scene from the movie Star Wars. Nike sponsored nine teams whereas Adidas sponsored 12 teams. World’s Largest LED by Nike [IMAGE URL: http://johannesburgbc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nikefootball-delivers-the] Even though Adidas was the official sponsor of the World cup 2010, Nike attached an LED display to a 30 story skyscraper in Johannesburg where soccer fans could write short messages using popular social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook and Nike put up 100 messages on the side of the walls every night. Adidas adiPURE III Nike Tiempo Elite [IMAGE URL: http://soccerlens.com/shirts/nike-vs-adidas-buying-football-shoes-in-2010/6410/] Umair (2010) compares the constant rivalry between Nike and Adidas using their products. During the world cup Nike launched an Elite series for the 2010 world cup called Nike Tiempo Legend Elite which had customized shoes worn by famous football players such as Christiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas. Adidas on the other hand, launched a new collection called Adidas Adipure for the world cup 2010 which also had customized shoes worn by famous players such as Kaka and Lionel Messi. In soccer Adidas shoes are worn by famous players such as Zinedine Zidane, Kaka and Lionel Messi, whereas Nike shoes are worn by Christiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and the original Ronaldo. In basketball Nike shoes have been used by Michael Jordan and Adidas shoes have been worn by Kobe Bryant. 6.0 Future Plans of Nike and Adidas: It is easy to become the market leader or the market challenger for organisations but sustainability is the primary concern and hence organisations focus of the sustainability by coming up with strategies that will make their position sustainable in the long run. According to (www.environmentalleader.com) Nike’s future plans are to focus on the environment and production of eco friendly products. They mentioned in their 2005 and 2006 Corporate Responsibility Report that they will become carbon neutral by 2011 by reducing their Caron Dioxide emissions. They have decided  to design all Nike brand footwear in ways through which they can reduce waste production during product design and packaging. They will eliminate the use of volatile organic compounds and use more environmental friendly material in their products and be carbon neutral by 2011. Adidas on the other hand became the official sportswear partner of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The London Organising committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOGOC) has few regulations which all of its partners are obligated to follow. These obligations are focused towards the environment. Adidas, being a partner of LOGOC has to follow all these regulations as their future plans are to be the official sponsor of almost all major events in the world, and in order to achieve this goal their strategy is to produce environment friendly goods as well. They have to ensure that all their products are produced with environment friendly materials, which would protect the human health and the environment and their packaging should also be produced with materials that can be recycled. Hence we can see that both the future plans of Nike and Adidas are quite similar. 7.0 Conclusion: The main element that determines an organisation’s success or failure is the strategy it follows. Any industry is vast and the competition is also fierce and in order to survive in the competition organisations must devise innovative strategies. Nike and Adidas have started their journey decades ago and they have struggled but sustained their positions; Nike as the market leader and Adidas as the market challenger. Various incidents have occurred in the past to both the companies which were both good and bad, but it was the strategies that helped them survive and sustain their positions. The strategies of both these companies are quite similar and Adidas is not far behind from Nike, but any small mistake by Nike, might make them the market challenger and Adidas the market leader. Nike has to be very careful while implementing their strategies because Adidas is very close to becoming the market leader. Nike’s initial strategy of being just the product designer, distributor and marketer gave them the competitive edge against Adidas, because their investments were low compared to Adidas as they have production plants, but Nike should be very careful to sustain their market position. 8.0 List of references: Books: Johnson,G., Scholes,K. and Whittington,R.(2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases. Seventh Edition. Prentice Hall. Thompson,A.A., and Strickland,A,J.(2003) Strategic Management Concept and cases. 13th edition. McGraw Hills. Kotler,P. ( 2003)Marketing Management, Eleventh Edition, Pearson Education. Websites: (2010) NIKE, Inc. Company Profile, [URL:http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/14/14254.html] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2009) Adidas Group History, [URL:http://www.adidas-group.com/en/ourgroup/history/history.aspx] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) Nikebiz: Company Overview, [URL:http://www.nikebiz.com/company_overview]/ (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) Adidas AG Company Profile, [URL:http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/92/92632.html] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) The history of Adidas, [URL:http://www.footballshirtculture.com/2006102796/history/adidas-football-shirt-history.html] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) Strategy, [URL:http://www.adidas-group.com/en/ourgroup/strategy] (accessed: 29 August 2010)/ Strategy: Adidas, [URL:http://ar2001.adidas-salomon.com/adidassalomon2001/strat_adidas/] (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2010) Nike vs. Adidas – Compare Side by Side, [URL:http://comparisonz.com/comparisons/100305/nike-vs-adidas]/ (accessed: 29 August 2010) (2009) Adidas: 2009 Sustainability review, [URL:http://ser2009.adidas-group.com/suppliers/3_4.html] (accessed: 29 August 2010) Articles: (2010) Nike plans to be Carbon neutral by 2011, [URL:http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/05/31/nike-plans-to-be-carbon-neutral-by-2011] (accessed: 29 August 2010) Umair,A.(2010) Nike vs Adidas – Buying football shoes in 2010,

Impact Of Floods In Low Lying Areas Environmental Sciences Essay

Impact Of Floods In Low Lying Areas Environmental Sciences Essay Vijayawada city is situated on the banks of river Krishna. Floods affect the city many times, which creates damage to the people and properties. The city has faced many floods since long back. The aim of the study is to find out the factors which are responsible for the floods in the city and the impact of the floods in the low lying areas (which are mostly affected) of Vijayawada. This study will be useful to work out the measures to handle the floods in the city. A few suggestions have been given to tackle the damaging phenomenon of the floods. Keywords: Vijayawada, Krishna River, Budameru canal, Floods, INTRODUCTION: Vijayawada is the third largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Over the years, Vijayawada has been experiencing extensive development coupled with high urban growth. It is an important commercial and transport centre of the State. Being a big city people from all over the country are migrating to Vijayawada for their livelihood irrespective of their caste and creed. The rapid urbanization in the city has led to increase the problem of settlements with the unsafe locations which ultimately causes natural disaster. In addition to this, heavy rains in this area have been causing frequent floods with roads in many places submerged for several hours and the road traffic coming to a halt, bringing in considerable damage to public and private properties. Floods are the most damaging phenomena that effect to the social and economic of the population. It is one of the major disasters affecting the population especially those living in high risk areas, in the flood plains and the low lyi ng areas causing extensive damage to properties and even loss of lives. But before studying the impact of the floods in the low lying areas of Vijayawada, let us first understand the meaning of Floods. A  Flood  is an overflow of water that submerges land.  The  European Union  (EU)  Floods Directive  defines a flood as a covering by water of land not normally covered by water. Flooding may result from the volume of water within a body of water, such as a  river  or  lake, which overflows or breaks levees, with the result that some of the water escapes its usual boundaries,  or may be due to accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground in an aerial flood Floods are caused by many factors: heavy rainfall, highly accelerated  snowmelt, severe winds over water, unusual high tides,  tsunamis, or failure of dams,  levees,  retention ponds, or other structures that retained the water. Flooding can be exacerbated by increased amounts of impervious surface or by other natural hazards such as wildfires, which reduce the supply of vegetation that can absorb rainfall. The factors which are responsible for the flooding of Vijayawada city will be studied in a detailed manner in the following study. TOPOGRAPHY OF THE CITY: The city is sited at the foot of a low range hills on the northern bank of the river Krishna with its cardinal points as 16 ° 31 North latitude and 80 ° 37 East longitude, around 70 km away from the coast. The land lay of Vijayawada is characterized by four canals, four hills and the river Krishna. Vijayawada when approached from Guntur is welcomed by the historic gates across the holy river Krishna. The way to Machilipatnam runs parallel to Budameru canal and crosses two other canals. There are four major hills: a) Indrakiladri Hill b) Machavaram Hill c) Gunadala Hill d) Moghalrajapuram Hill The natural slope of the old town is falling from north to south whereas the new town slopes down from west to east. When compared to the old town, the new town is flat and hence makes drainage less effective. Though the city is protected from high flood banks in the southern side, the low-lying lands are not immune to floods. Indrakiladri hill (One town Vidyadharapuram):- The areas covered by Indrakiladri hill are popularly known as I Town and Vidyadharapuram. It is located on the West Side and Northern Side of Vijayawada City. The height of the hills is about 240 Meters. The perimeter of the hills is about 10 km. The areas such as Ramarajaya Nagar, Kummaraalem, 4-Pillar center, Ali Nagar, Kabela Road are falling with in this hill area. Mogalrajapuram hill Mogalarajpuram Hills of Vijayawada is a major hill range located on the Eastern side of Vijayawada city. The maximum height of the hills is about 250 Meters. The perimeter of the hills is about 6 kms. The areas such as Dasari Ramana Nagar, Ravi Chettu Center, Sunnapubattila Center are falling within these hill areas. Machavaram hill Machavaram Hills of Vijayawada is a major hill range located on the East Side of Vijayawada City. The maximum height of the hills is about 240 Mts. The perimeter of the the hill area is about 4 km. The areas such as Karimkanagar, Gulammohiddin Nagar, Maruthinagar are falling within these hill areas. Gundala hill Gunadala Hills of Vijayawada is a major hill range located on the Eastern Side of Vijayawada city. The maximum height of the hills is about 242 Meters. The perimeter of the hills is about 10 km. The areas such as Ayyapanagar, Kristurajapuram, Vijayanagar Colony, Arunlagar, Lurthnagar, Betlahem Nagar etc. are falling within these hill areas. Source of the Information: MRO (Urban), Revenue Dept, Vijayawada. Canals:- The Krishna Eastern Main Canal on the left bank of Krishna River, after traversing for one km gets divided into three canals; Eluru canal, Bandar canal and Ryves canal traversing the inner city. Apart from these, Budameru stream skirts the city limits to pass through the rural part of the VMC. Bandar Canal The canal traverses for a distance of 7.5 km on the southern side of the city. For free movement of traffic, the canal has 10 bridges built across it. Ryves Canal The canal flows for a distance of around 7.6 km on the north-eastern side of the city. There are about 8 bridges across it. Eluru Canal The canal runs for a total distance of around 65 km in Krishna and West Godavari districts. There are about six road bridges, two railway bridges and two foot-over bridges across the canal. Land Use Profile The city area can be broadly divided into two categories one Developed area and the second Undeveloped area. Of the Vijayawada corporation area of 6188 ha, the developed land part of the city covers 3753 ha accounting for around 61% of the city area, leaving 2435 ha undeveloped. Land Use Composition: Vijayawada, 2004 S.No Land Use Area in Ha. % to developed area % to total area Developed component 1. Residential ( Built -up ) 1348.25 35.92 21.79 2. Mixed-Residential ( Built -up ) 141.36 3.77 2.28 3. Residential vacant plots 229.02 6.10 4.11 4. Commercial 247.91 6.6 4.01 5. Industrial 72.38 1.93 1.17 6. Public Semi- public 270.16 7.2 4.37 7. Institutional 178.31 4.75 2.88 8. Parks Play grounds 60.34 1.60 0.56 9. Recreational / Others 3.1 0.08 0.05 10. Roads 800.81 21.34 12.94 11. Railway 190.49 5.08 3.08 12. Water Bodies ( Canals Others) 211.26 5.63 3.41 Sub Total 3753.39 100 60.65 Un-Developed component 13. Agricultural Area 885.97 36.40 14.32 14. Vacant Lands 618.27 25.39 9.99 15. Water Bodies ( River) 668.42 27.45 10.80 16. Hills 262.06 10.76 4.23 Sub Total 2434.72 100.00 39.35 Grand Total 6188.11 100.00 100.00 Source: VGTMUDA Rivers and Dams There are two rivers flowing from Vijayawada Krishna River Budameru river/Drain which creates havoc during rainy season. Krishna River The River Krishna takes of its origin in the Western Ghats at an elevation of (+) 1336 Mts and runs for a length of about 1400 km and runs through Vijayawada city and joins at Bay of Bengal. The length of Krishna River up to Prakasam Barrage is about 1310 km. The flow of the river is managed partially by the Nagarjuna Sagar dam which is located to the west of Krishna District and Prakasam Barrage which is located at the beginning of the city. The Krishna Flood bank Above Prakasam Barrage is about 13km and below flood bank is 6.40 km which creates havoc in flood season which starts from June to December. Water release from barrage with 4, 12,734 to 10, 94,422 Cusecs is been observed over the years. Dam management Since the main purpose of the dam is to provide irrigation, the dam authorities try to fill the reservoirs during the monsoon to ensure water availability for the farmers in the surrounding districts during summers. Therefore occurrence of severe rainfall (1 day or 2 day extreme precipitation) due to cyclone or depression during the latter half of the monsoon season in the lower and middle Krishna basin leads sudden increase in the reservoir level forcing the dam authorities to release water which sometime exceeds the carrying capacity of the river. This leads to flooding along the downstream. Flood Banks The total length of flood bank in Krishna District (within which the Vijayawada city is located) is 226.98 km. The flood banks of the River Krishna were originally formed in 1892. The flood banks were provided on both sides of the River up to sea as detailed below to contain the flood water with in the flood banks and there by protect the properties and human lives etc in Krishna District. Details of Flood Banks in Krishna District S.No. Details Of The Flood Banks Length In km 1. Krishna Left flood bank (above Prakasam Barrage) 13.00 2. Krishnalanka Flood bank (below Prakasam Barrage) 6.40 3. Krishna Left flood Bank (below Prakasam Barrage) 89.60 4. Divi Left flood bank 36.00 5. Divi Right Flood Bank 32.00 6. K.E. Tidal Bank Divi Island 22.00 7. Kona Tidal Bank (Machilipatnam Side) 18.50 8. Seadyke Flood Bank (Machilipatnam Side) 2.50 9. West Side Flood Bank (Machilipatnam Side) 6.00 10. Rudravaram Flood Bank (Machilipatnam Side) 4.00 Total 230.00 Source: Irrigation Dept Krishna Lanka Flood Bank: (3.38 km): This flood bank was formed during 1967 to protect the residents of Krishnalanka of Vijayawada city. Embankments /Flood Bank locations S.No Name of the Embankment Length of the Embankment in km Area covered Length of the Embakment within the ward 1 Krishna Left Flood Bank(Above Barrage) From ( Ibrhimpatnam to Prakasham Barage) 13km IbrahimPatnam to BhavaniPuram 6km 2 Bhavani puram To Karakatta South 5km 3 Krakatta South to Lanchi revu/Punnami Hotel 2km 1 Krishna Left Flood bank (Bellow Prakasham Barrage) From Brrage to Ramalaingeswara Nagar (Krishna Lanka) 6.40km Ranadheevi nagar 2 2 Taraka Ramanagar 1.40 3 Bhupesh Gupta Nagar 1 4 Ramalingeswar Nagar 2 Budameru River/Drain Information given in the following pages. Floods Floods are caused by two rivers in the Vijayawada. One is Krishna River which is on the southern part of the city and the other is Budameru River which is on the North- Western part of the city. Both these rivers contribute to the canal network. Bandar canal and Ryves canal are fed by Krishna River while Eluru canal is fed by Krishna River and partially by Budameru River. The contribution of water from Budameru is mostly seasonal and the canal networks are used to discharge excess/flood waters. The topography of the city is complex. The central part of the city is above flood plain with hills while Southern and Northern parts of the city are on flood plain. This problem was realized by the irrigation department in later half of twentieth century and bunds were constructed along canals to prevent flood waters from entering the city. The floods in Vijayawada city due to Krishna River, is a regular phenomenon. Almost every monsoon people living in the flood plains of Krishna River are affected. Krishna Floods The primary reason for the flooding is the unauthorized settlements along the river which had taken place due to lack of planning and enforcement. Flood in the River Krishna are both due to South West Monsoon in the middle of June and continues up to end of September and North East Monsoon begins in October and continues till end of November. High floods usually occur during October. History of Hazard In general, flooding by the Krishna River is a regular phenomenon. The flood history of Krishna River indicates that its flow is uncertain. With the embankments in place the river flows bank to bank almost once in every five years or twice every decade. This time span of five years usually encourages low economic class people to settle on the flood bank. Further the presence of embankments provide a false sense of security to the people and also encourages people who are on the river bed that soon the government is going to construct a embankment that will protect their house. With the rapid increase in population, large numbers of people end up occupying the area between the flood bank along the Bandar canal and the Krishna River. These areas are subjected to regular flooding during monsoons. In order to safe guard the people and the livelihood the Irrigation department constructed a flood bank parallel to the old bund including the unauthorized settlements which had come up. This s tructure was designed to prevent the settlements from flooding. The old flood bank was then converted to serve the purpose of transportation (currently NH5). The people who were earlier residing in flood plain were provided with legal ownership and the area was included within the city town planning scheme. Year Wise observed Maximum Floods in Krishna River Sl.No. Date Month Year Cusecs U/S Side D/S Side Barrage 1. 7th Oct 1903 10,60,830 (+)70.55 (+)69.55 23.50 2. 11th Aug 1914 9,48,632 (+)68.20 (+)67.95 21.15 3. 2nd Nov 1917 9,55,460 (+)68.10 (+)67.25 21.05 4. 24th Sep 1949 9,24,736 (+)68.15 (+)66.00 21.10 5. 2nd Oct 1964 9,87,852 (+)68.25 (+)65.30 23.20 6. 6th Aug 1966 4,12,734 (+)57.95 (+)55.90 12.90 7. 30th Sept 1974 5.97.800 (+)60.65 (+)58.40 15.60 8. 10th July 1983 8,27,310 (+)64.05 (+)62.35 19.00 9. 24th July 1989 6,86,910 (+)61.95 (+)55.0 16.90 10. 17th Oct 1998 9,32,000 (+)65.45 (+)63.30 20.04 11. 21st Sept 2005 7,40,232 (+)62.65 (+)60.00 17.60 12. 17th Aug 2006 5,56,618 (+)59.85 (+)57.60 14.80 13. 21st Sept 2007 5,56,618 (+)59.85 (+)57.60 14.80 14. 11th Aug 2008 4,22,660 (+)57.55 (+)55.20 12.50 15. 5th Oct 2009 10,94,422 (+)68.78 (+)67.50 23.47 Source: Irrigation Dept The maximum flood discharge observed during the year 1903 is 10.60 lakh cusecs. After the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in the upstream of the river, during the year 1998 Krishna River received a maximum flood discharge of 9.32 lakh cusec and caused alarming situation throughout the flood banks below the Prakasam Barrage. Subsequently the flood banks of Krishna River were restored to original standards during the year 1999 to 2000.These restorations did not include flood banks which are within and nearby Vijayawada city namely Krishna Left Flood Bank (upstream of Prakasam Barrage) and Krishnalanka Flood Bank (downstream of Prakasam Barrage). Reasons for Krishna Flood This region receives maximum rainfall both by southwest and retreating monsoons. The primary reason for the flooding is the unauthorized settlements along the river which had taken place due to lack of planning and enforcement. Vijayawada is located on the line which separates the delta-irrigated lands. Flood bank below barrage is about 6.40 km which creates havoc in flood season from June to December. High Water release at time from barrage with 4, 12,734 to 10, and 94,422 Cusecs of water released in various years. Developmental activities like sluice connectivity to into the river is causing back water (3 sluices connected into river). Bund cutting for public private developmental activities (ex: sluice, storm water drains) approach roads for bigger vehicles. Allotting the residential areas officially in flood zone. Ex: Police colony. Breach occurrence and damages occurred to the flood bank with slips and erosion. With little authoritative power over the settlements along the flood banks, the irrigation department is unable to attend swiftly in vulnerable areas. This situation is further complicated by the false hope provided by the politicians in their campaigns during elections that they would support these illegal settlements. In order to gain vote, some of them even promise to protect these people by assuring that once they are elected they would legalize their settlements and will also revisiting the existing embankments. This measure was taken in 1970s when the location of embankments were changed to include people who are in the flood plains. Elevation and location details of Flood affected areas Elevation and location details of Flood affected areas Area Elevation Longitude Latitude Krishna River 37 Ft. Krishna Lanka 86 Ft. 1603017.70 N 8003622.61 E Krishna Lanka 72-83 Ft. 1603012.64 N 8003719.48 E P.N.Bus stand 85 Ft. 1603030.54 N 8003659.67 E VMC 97 Ft. 1603038.41 N 8003642.15 E Krishna Lanka Tardwra 62-73-74Ft. 1603727. 80N 8003011.79 E Ranadhive Nagar 74-79 Ft. 1603020.69 N 8003712.75 E Bus Stand back 69 Ft. 1603022.00 N 8003700.54 E Bhupesh Gupta Nagar 55-64 Ft. 1602946.92 N 8003807.91 E Ramalingeswara Nagar UGD 53 Ft. 1602907.94 N 8003921.17 E Police Colony 59 Ft. 1602908.01 N 8003924.18 E K.R.Market 81 Ft. 1603048.62 N 8003649.36 E Indira Gandhi Stadium 70 Ft. 1603017.72 N 8003817.23 E RTC Colony 85 Ft. 1603151.24 N 8003615.21 E Gannavaram 80 Ft. 1603150.99 N 8004745.57 E Patamata girls High School 69 Ft. 1602943.39 N 8004005.38 E Krishna River at Punnami 52 Ft. 1603128.76 N 8003508.48 E Punnami Ghat 82 Ft. 1603134.71 N 8003516.88 E Source: Irrigation Dept List of vulnerable areas to the Krishna flood Vulnerability population area Area Krishna Flood 15557 1.15 Lanchi Revu 15722 1.88 karakatta Krishna Flood 15814 2.81 Police colony 14798 0.65 Bhupesh Gupta nagar 14608 0.5 Tarakaramanagar 14725 1.46 Randheer Nagar 15418 0.72 15320 1.92 Busstand (back)Saibaba temple 121962 11.09 Source: irrigation Dept Budameru Floods The Budameru River flows from the North Western part of the Krishna District. The river originates in the hills surrounding Mylavaram and flows into Kolleru Lake. In order to control the floods the river is dammed at Velagaleru village, Budameru diversion channel (BDC) is constructed from Velagaleru to join Krishna River upstream of Prakasam barrage. Budameru River is mainly controlled at two areas before reaching Vijayawada city. The first is the regulator across the Budameru drain at Velagaleru village and at Vijayawada Thermal Power Station (VTPS) which is located on the western part of the city on the upstream of Prakasam barrage. The Budameru River apart from flowing along the western part of the city towards the VTPS also enters the city from the north leading into the Budameru canal which runs parallel to Eluru Canal. The problem starts at the tail end of the monsoon, with the reservoir being almost full (but not to its full capacity) and the occurrence of severe rainfall. Since the mandate of the regulator management at Budameru is to fill the reservoir to its capacity and the uncertainty within the rainfall information the release from the regulator drain block, water flow from local catchment causes flooding usually in the northern part of the city The uncertainty in the rainfall is a common phenomenon within the Krishna Basin. This is especially due to the depressions and cyclones which form in both the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. This uncertainty combined with the limited carrying capacity of the river and the proximity of the Velagaleru Village regulator provides low respite time for both the administrative personnel to prevent the floods and people to prevent their losses. The design and establishment of the EWS should take into account of this important aspect. The Budameru flood assessment is based on the study of topography and location information collected from secondary sources. There was not much information made available with respect to the regulator release at the Velagaleru Village. Budameru canal has already been indiscriminately blocked by developments and encroachments resulting in thousands of people abandoning their shelters to safe places, loss of property, leaving unhygienic environment for weeks. Settlement along the river course, the vast land pockets on both the sides of the rivulet in New Rajarajeswari Peta, and the Rajeev Nagar area are the prominent low lying areas prove to flood disaster. History Budameru Water discharge during floods Quantified Budameru Water discharge during floods Sl. No. Date Year Discharge Through Total Discharge in cusecs Budameru in cusecs Diversion Channel in Cusecs Budameru Course Cusecs (below reguletor) 1 9.9.62 5900 2923 8823 2 22.8.63 6150 6168 12318 3 22.9.64 11125 28470 39595 4 19.5.69 7500 18580 26080 5 21.8.71 526 3196 3722 6 10.8.76 2225 14784 17009 7 31.7.78 6150 16302 22452 8 6.10.83 4250 9600 13850 9 13.8.86 6800 13200 20000 10 23.7.89 10625 24371 34996 11 11.5.90 7800 24473 32273 12 23.9.91 7500 18572 26072 13 24.8.2000 7850 3699 11549 14 20.9.2005 10945 14000 24945 15 20.9.2005 9900 7100 17000 Source: Irrigation Dept Rainfall and Flood particulars Rainfall and Flood particulars Flood flow (Cusecs) Year Rainfall (MM) Flood flow (Cusecs) Actual Normal 1988-89 1264 1029 24371 1989-90 1580 1029 24473 1990-91 921 1029 18572 2005-06 1239 1034 14000 2008-09 1188 1034 7100 Reasons for Budameru Floods Flood plain While Krishna River flooding affects to the flood plains on the outside of the embankments, but the Budameru River affects the entire North and North western part of the city. This is mainly due to the limited carrying capacity of the Budameru river channel and lack of sufficient mechanisms to drain the excess water during severe rain into the Krishna River. The problem arises when Budameru catchment gets more than average rainfall within 24 48 hours. This leads to the reservoir in the Velagaleru village reach critical level forcing the irrigation department to release water causing floods in Vijayawada. Adding rain water from local catchment and Hills. 2. The settlements The population growth of the city has led to the slow movement of people towards the foot of the hills, which later led to expansion in to the flood zones. Even though much of these settlements are unauthorized the municipality attempts to cater to the basic needs of these illegal settlements by providing services such as roads, water supply and sanitation. These privileges have further encouraged the settlements in expanding in the high slope / risk prone areas. Other reasons Non feasible house constructions Silting of drains Back water due to conjution in storm water (HB colony, Bhavnipuram) Raising the road levels in flood path Occupying the flood bunds Cutting the bund for development activities like bus shelters, beautification etc (Singh Nagar) Less awareness about the situation and negligence about the problem among people. Besides this chocking storm rain water canals, sluice and back water also cause the Budameru flood severely and damage the lives and property Elevation details of probable Flood affected areas with Budameru Area Elevation Longitude Latitude Ajit Singh Nagar 75 Ft. 1603221.66 N 8003828.52 E Vambay Colony 68 Ft. 1603214.17 N 8003917.80 E R.R.Pet 72 Ft. 1603159.80 N 8003747.60 E Budameru at New R.R.Pet 67 Ft. 1603207.69 N 8003753.65 E Rajeev Nagar 67 Ft. 1603215.18 N 8003912.40 E R.R.Peta field 67 Ft. 1603243.98 N 8003725.68 E Jakkampudi 91 Ft. 1603501.71 N 8003655.58 E LBS Nagar 68 Ft. 1603259.87 N 8003655.58 E Andhra Patrika Colony 1603300.92 N 8003841.56 E Rajeev Nagar 64 Ft. 1603322.73 N 8003845.93 E LBS Nagar 68 Ft. 1603257.55 N 8003858.98 E List of Budameru flood effected areas Budameru effecting Areas S. No. population Area(Sq km) Circle Division Areas 1 7744.5 0.64 I 29 Rotary nagar, Ekalayvya nagar,Urmila subbarao nagar,ambedkar road,Kabela 2 7396.5 0.49 30 KLRao Nagar 7814.5 0.21 31 Deenadayal Nagar,Ambedkar nagar 4 7861 0.94 27 Ambedkar Road 5 15201 1.25 28 Housingboard colony, Labor colony Subtotal 46017.5 3.53 6 10 15 15355 0.33 2 36 Deenadayal Nagar,Ambedkar nagar 16 13023 0.56 49 Old RR Peta 17 14092 4.21 52

Eastern Thought in the Works of Kerouac and Ginsberg Essay -- Biograph

Eastern Thought in the Works of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the late 1950's and throughout the 1960's, a fascination with Eastern thought developed, concentrating on Zen Buddhism and Daoism. This attraction can be explained in part by the complete strangeness of these thought forms to Western ideals. Buddhism's denial of reality and Daoism's wu-wei or flowing with life were revolutionary ideas to the people of the late '50's who had been brought up with consumerism, patriotism, Christianity, and suburbia. As people began rebelling from this cookie-cutter society, Eastern thought became a tool for the revolution, denying previously indubitable truths such as reality, attachment and God. This polar opposite belief-system, though it worked well as a slap in the face for conservative America, had difficulty being accepted in it's purest totality. Many aspects were too strict, too foreign and even too conservative to fit properly with the atmosphere of revolution and freedom. Thus began the process of "domestication". In order for these belief-systems to be embraced by the revolutionaries, a sort of depurification had to take place. Writers like Kerouac and Ginsberg combined Zen Buddhism, Daoism, and forms of Tibetan mysticism with parts of Western religions to create a medley of traditions much more liberal in practice than any of it's component belief systems. This "corruption" of Eastern thought began with the inclusion of sex, drugs and even facets of Christianity and other modes of Western thought to produce a hybrid of spirituality, and ended as an accepted mode of belief among the revolutionaries in a way the purest forms of these religions never could have. Jack Kerouac in his book, The Dharma Bums, and Allen... ...beliefs with their own, or tracing the traditions to their purest roots and taking the religion from there. It was a long road, but the sincerity of the Dharma Bums and the other poets and writers of the 1960's left a legacy of religious freedom, breaking out of the barriers of middle-American Christianity and setting out for the new frontier. Kerouac muses over this in The Dharma Bums, "'Yes, Coughlin, it's a shining now-ness and we've done it, carried America like a shining blanket into that brighter nowhere Already'" (138).    Works Cited Allen, Donald ed. The New American Poetry 1945-1960. Berkeley: U of CA, 1999. Ginsberg, Allen. "Kaddish". Allen, pp. 194-201 Ginsberg, Allen. "Sunflower Sutra". Allen, pp. 179-180. Ginsberg, Allen. "A Supermarket in California". Allen pp. 181-182. Kerouac, Jack. The Dharma Bums. New York: Penguin, 1986.