Name Is Asher Lev Essays - My Name Is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok, Asher

My Name Is Asher Lev Synopsis: In this major novel--a wholly new departure for the author of The chosen and The Promise--the reader becomes a galvanized witness to the development of genius, as Chaim Potok traces the making of a great contemporary painter from the time when an "ordinary" little Brooklyn boy responds to the first stirrings of a commanding talent to the triumphant exhibition that wins recognition for his art and marks his final, heartrending estrangement from the world into which he was born. The painter introduces himself. Yes, he is the Asher Lev whose Brooklyn Crucifixion has created a furor in the art world and a sensation in the press. And immediately the reader is plunged back into the world of the boy, Asher, making drawings as compulsively, instinctively, necessarily as men breathe. He draws his Brooklyn home. He draws the life on his street. He draws his father--the formidable man of action and commitment, and almost legendary Jewish hero in the battle to rescue Jews from Soviet oppression, a man who is increasingly appalled and enraged to see his only son throw away a heroic tradition for the "foolishness" of art. He draws his fragile and luminous mother, torn between the conflicting dreams of her husband and her son. . . To become an artist, Asher must wrench apart his own life and the lives of the parents he loves. And in marvelous scene after scene--moving across the years from the Brooklyn of the fifties to Provincetown, Paris, Florence, to today's New York--all is made felt with uncanny rightness: Asher's interior experience, his artist's imagination, his artist's commitment, his artist's selfishness, his encouragement by the great Rebbe who rules his parents' lives but understands Asher better than they do; his apprenticeship to the world-famous Jacob Kahn, who becomes his teacher, inspiration, and channel to the great world of art; his immersion in the Christian tradition of Madonna, Annunciation, Christ Child, and Crucifixion, which his father hates and fears but which his art needs to nourish it. Here in a context of tension--commitment colliding with commitment--is Asher's education in art and life, and the flowering of his consuming talent. This is how genius grows, not only from inner demands but from the very ancestral heritage whose civilities and laws and relationships the artist must revolt against. Chaim Potok's new novel astonishes both by its emotional comprehension of the artist and its dramatic force.

Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners

Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners Introduction Management has become a very important aspect that assists businesses in strategizing on growth and improving performance. Business oriented organizations are often made up of different groups of people who contribute to the general outcomes of the business. The entrepreneurs and shareholders are among the people who form the business organization. These two groups hold substantive amount of financial assets of the business. Are these the main shareholders of the organization? This is one of the main questions in the minds of managers. This issue complicates the exercise of management. However, management is a wide concept especially when applied to business firms.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are different aspects of management that concentrate on various functions w ithin the firm. For instance, there is finance management that centers on finances of the organization. Shareholders and business owners often concentrate on this function (Geoffrey, 1994). Shareholders of the organization are often interested in the financial worth of a firm. This is because this is what assures them of getting tangible returns out of the investments they make in the firm (Beurden and Go ¨ssling, 2008). Therefore, the essence of management in the firm is not only to increase the wealth of shareholders and business owners. Management is a large function that concentrates on the wellbeing of the entire business. The stakeholders include: Shareholders, employees, the real business owners and the general corporate environment that benefit from the business outcomes. An ethical model of doing business is discussed in this paper. This helps in explaining the essence of sustainable business practices that form the core of management in a business firm. Management, as an organizational exercise, concentrates on the sustainability of the business. Therefore, the increase of the wealth of the shareholders is just one of the many factors of sustainability in the organization. Shareholders always remain interested in the general financial outcomes of the organization. This is because they gain significantly when the firm makes a lot of wealth (Geoffrey, 1994). However, there are many parameters to whether firms are accumulating more wealth or not. This leads to a different aspect of management in the organization. The accumulation of wealth is often an end product of the entire management exercise within the firm (Cosans, 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overview of the role of the business – wealth maximization and corporate social responsibility in management For a long time in history, it has been argued by experts and scholars of business management, that the main purpose of establishing business firms is making profits. This is a rational argument because no one can invest in a business venture without the motive of making money or wealth that comes in terms of profits. It is also assumed that when a business firm is making profits, the firm is most likely to benefit the society through increased employment. Nevertheless, it should be noted that business firms operate within the environment and should respect and contribute to the wellbeing of the environment (Chapman III and Whitmore, 1974). Business owners and other shareholders should not concentrate on the accumulation of wealth alone. They should also focus on the environment that helps the business in making the wealth. There are inconclusive debates regarding the extent to which management of firms has to embrace social responsibility. This is in respect to businesses that they manage. It is argued that social responsibility is critical to businesses because it paints a good picture of the business. In turn, this helps the firms to attract customers hence, fetching more profits (Hite and Vetsuypens, 1989). According to Chapman III and Whitmore (1974), there is a lot of interest in researching about the profit motives of businesses visvis the management through the aspect of embracing corporate social responsibility. It is evident that businesses are managed to maximize on profits. However, profits cannot be generated for a long time if all business practices are not structured in a way to cater for the needs of the environment in which they operate. Therefore, maximizing wealth for any business cannot be easily separated from the aspect of corporate social responsibility (Smith, 2003). However, it is argued that, due to the prevailing competition in the business environment, modern firms respond by concentrating on activities that directly increase the wealth of business. There is an inconclusive debate on whether this works well for the sustainability of profits in these organizations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Firms that operate on a large-scale struggle to define ownership and control in the pursuit of organizational objectives. These objectives often center on the creation and sharing of the wealth of the organization. The shareholders and business owners are often characterized by a common aspect. In most cases, they are interested in making as much wealth as possible from the business. Unfortunately, this often puts them at loggerheads. This happens at times when they fail to concur on how to share the profits or business wealth. To make significant gains from business, the business owners will mostly pursue objectives that are considered to be inconsistent with the motives of the share holders. The shareholders’ main objective is geared towards maximization of wealth (Chapman III and Whitmore, 1974). Manager and shareholder conflicts have remained elusive. This has led to firms engaging in contracts and market control mechanisms that aim to reduce conflicts. This aims at reducing what is referred to as managerial opportunism, on the part of the business owners. Notably, wealth maximization remains to be a critical issue in the management of business firms. Shareholders always monitor the operational functions of the organization. Therefore, they can always be updated on the amount of wealth being accumulated by the business (Hadani, Goranova and Khan, 2011). This affects the direction of management within firms. The whole exercise of management is highly watered down due to loss of objectivity in management. Management should not be subjective, and needs to be objective in its operations. The management should concentrate on wholesome aspects that are likel y to make the internal and external environment of a firm favorable. Wealth maximization should be regarded as one of the strategic issues in the management exercise, as opposed to the main issue in the organization (Wilcke, 2004).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are several theories that attempt to explain the essence and main purpose of business firms. Most of the theories focus on corporate governance, executive compensation policies and practices, and the social and economic performance of firms. One of these theories is the shareholder theory, which is derived from economics. This theory centers on the purpose of firms. Most firms aim at creating wealth for firm owners while ignoring the interaction of the firm with many other areas. The other areas include the role of the firm in enhancing societal development by engaging in societal roles (Ghoshal, 2005). There is also another stakeholder theory that pays attention to both the creation of wealth in firms and maximization on the role of the firm in discharging its roles within the society. This theory is an extension of the first theory because it considers the management of firms as an elaborate exercise that focuses on the entire business environment. Therefore, this is the mos t preferred theory in modern management because it considers other functions like corporate social responsibility. These other aspects are regarded to be equally important for the success of the organization. This theory contrasts with the argument presented by Friedman, which the major aim of creating firms is to make money and not enhancing the moral or social development of the society. Moral and social developments are activities that should be enhanced by the government and other not-for profit agencies (Husted and Salazar, 2006). Friedman argued that the engagement in moral and social issues by firms leads to the diversion of resources. In turn, this minimizes the wealth maximization motive of firms. However, businesses exist in the society, and it is obvious that the society has an impact on the performance of firms. The management of firms cannot be secluded from the society. This is because business firms exist and are supported by the same society where they exist. Therefo re, the management should consider the aspect of societal development as they strive to establish the right channels of maximizing wealth or profits (Pfarrer, 2010). Bejou (2010) has noted that the corporate social responsibility is important in improving the management practice in organizations. This is because it adds a human touch to the profit objectives of firms. Good management practices are not only evaluated basing on the wealth accumulated by the firm, but also on adherence to ethical standards, respecting the law and maintaining good corporate citizenship. However, the standardization of the corporate social activities for companies remains a problem. This is because the standards are not set based on empirical findings and explanations. Companies may act as if they actively engage in corporate social responsibility. On the contrary, there are some companies that attach very little value to these activities. Business challenges and the role of shareholders Enhanced corpora te accountability is advocated in the turbulent business environment characterized by major difficulties like financial crises. This undoubtedly calls for responsibility on all people who make up business organizations. Firm shareholders have acquired considerable say in business firms to help in enhancing accountability. This is achieved through enlisting and overseeing the corporate affairs of business firms. Management visions of firms are crafted to go beyond the aspirations of shareholders in business firms. In fact, the management exercises embrace inclusive and sustainable strategies by engaging shareholders and stakeholders in making and abiding by the sustainable decisions. Leading firms in private and public sectors within the United States and the United Kingdom are embracing this practice. Firms in the private and public sectors are enlightened on this shift within the management paradigm (Shaw, 2009). Shaw (2009) noted that stakeholders are not only increasingly recogni zed in terms of the financial goals of goals of organizations, but also as part of the corporate plan crafters and implementers for firms. Corporate governance rules and principles in organizations are considerate of the interests of shareholders and stakeholders. Wealth maximization does not remain a norm because it used to be in ancient organizations. It is included and considered when organizations are making management decisions. Major management decisions are reached where the interests of business owners and shareholders intersect with the agreed corporate social values of firms. Efforts to encourage sustainability no longer lie with few individuals in the organization. This has been spread to include organizational shareholders. While profit maximization remains important for organizations, shareholders are slowly being discouraged from inclining their minds towards wealth maximization. They are being encouraged to focus on corporate development of the organization as a means through which the wealth of firms is maximized. Shareholding in business firms remains to be one of the emergent orders of investment. As the shareholders are taught to participate in the corporate affairs of the business, the management exercise is improved and made holistic. Financial risks often eliminate related risks within a firm. Financial rewards are considered as the end products of the management practice for shareholders and investors. However, this is not regarded as the leading factor in management (Harper, 2010). When firms focus on maximizing the stocks of shareholders, the firm is focusing on the support of a positive internal environment. The individuals who are mostly featured in this instance are employees working in different sections of the organization. This includes the production, marketing, and administration sections of the organization (Baker and Powell, 2005). This aims at increasing the price of shares on the stock so that the firm can make considerable profits. The profits should be distributed to shareholders and the business owner. However, the profits are no longer shared amongst the shareholders and business owners in whole. Instead, some of the profits are also invested in the society in terms of promoting a supportive environment for business. Without a supportive environment, the stock price of the company cannot rise. In other words, the corporate social responsibility is becoming an important facet of business management as it helps in fetching opportunities to enhance profits for a business organization. Corporate environments are crafted as part of the long-term management objectives of organizations. The long-term earnings are based on how the management sets an environment that is receptive and supportive to the firm. Therefore, all aspects of management should be given priority. This includes human resource management, financial management, corporate governance, marketing management and public relations. Raising the shareholders wealth brings about the positive prospects of organizational growth. However, it is derived from collective, organizational management that focuses on facilitating the entire departments of a firm (Moyer, Mcguigan and Kretlow, 2009). Research has shown that those organizations that focus on maximizing the social welfare in the society where they exist are bound to make significant profits. These firms maximize on participation in corporate social responsibility. The shareholders are derived from the business environment that is cultivated by the management. Many organizational managers have realized the essence of enhancing social welfare as this boosts the number of people who will be interested to invest in the firm. In other words, the way firms manage their operations is a precursor to the attraction of investors or shareholders of the firm. The success of corporate firms cannot be directly attributed to the maximization of shareholder value in the firm. Nonetheles s, this can be attributed to the successful management of the firm. On the other hand, maximizing the wealth or value of shareholding in a firm is still relevant because a firm is likely to lose its capital if the shareholders withdraw (McSweeney, 2008). Nowadays, organizations focus on the stakeholders rather than narrowing down and focusing on the business owners and the direct shareholders. Stakeholders are affected too, and this affects the operations of a firm. They have direct and indirect contribution to the general performance outcomes of a firm. Organizations are highly influenced by the general stakeholders more than the shareholders. Stakeholders include direct and indirect customers. Other stakeholders are the organizational employees, suppliers and distributors of the firm and the local communities. There is also the media, competitors, business partners, financers, and the government. The government comes in as business regulators and policy makers. In fact, organizati ons are defined in terms of stakeholders. A firm is defined as a composition of stakeholders. Therefore, all interests of stakeholders have to be given preference by the management of the firm. Managers are required to run the activities of the firm to benefit the entire firm. The rights of participation in decision making, as well as interests of all stakeholders should be safeguarded by organizational managers. In most instances, the interests of the firm owners and the main shareholders are compromised by the management of firms. This is meant to accommodate the interests of other stakeholders of the organization. An example of such a decision is cutting the prices of products in favor of customers (Fontaine, Haarman and Schmid, 2006). The resolution of conflicts of interest in firms is resolved by the management team. Conflicts often arise in organizations regarding the finances of a firm. Shareholders of organizations consider themselves as the prominent parties of the firm. Ho wever, strategic and financial management functions point to the importance of both the shareholders and other stakeholders of an organization. Firms have to cater for the interest of stakeholders and shareholders. The degree of concentration on the interests of the two groups is what theories of strategic and financial management are yet to agree. However, there seems to be an agreement that stakeholders and shareholders are of high value to firms, and should be regarded as critical by the management (Beurden and Go ¨ssling, 2008). Therefore, each of these groups is given preference when addressing organizational matters that are directly related to each. Firms are administered in the interest of the entire environment, and this includes the owners, shareholders and stakeholders. Therefore, organizational structures are being crafted so as to be accommodative to the interests of the shareholders, stakeholders and business owners. The management structures are not just based on th e interests of organizational shareholders and stakeholders (Vilanova, 2007). The concept of maximizing the shareholder value in the organization has been given a lot of emphasis by modern organizations. However, this is being checked to ensure that it does not derail the entire management function in organizations (The Chartered Institute of Management, 2004). According to Ahlstrom (2010), the profit making motive matters a lot for firms and has to be encouraged. Firms cannot operate without thinking on how they will make significant profits rather or else they risk failing to meet the definition given to business firms. The way firms conduct their activities has led to enormous criticisms. This makes them appear as if they are only interested in maximizing profits for the firm owners and shareholders. Firms that embrace good management practices end up achieving economic and societal goals. Firms have to be innovative by focusing on the broader picture of the business. This helps them meet their financial goals, as well as the social goals. Social goals end up stimulating a good economic environment for a firm. Apart from attaining financial goals, corporate social responsibilities are considered as important components of management (Beurden and Go ¨ssling, 2008). Conclusion From the ancient times, the goals of establishing firms have been entirely revolving around the maximization of wealth or profits. This made organizations to be seen as tools of enhancing profit maximization. However, there is a realization that firms should consider the entire environment in which they exist. Therefore, organizational management has become elaborate and increasingly proactive so as to enhance economic and social outcomes of a business firm. Maximization of wealth for business owners and shareholders are only reflected in the economic outcomes of business management. Otherwise, businesses are managed to achieve financial and social outcomes. Therefore, management cann ot be geared towards the realization of financial or economic goals only. The social aspect is equally important. Reference List Ahlstrom, D 2010, ‘Innovation and Growth: How Business Contributes to Society’ Academy of Management Perspectives, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 11-24. Baker, HK, and Powell, GN 2005, Understanding financial management: a practical guide, Blackwell, Malden, Mass. [u.a.]. Bejou, D 2011, ‘Compassion as the New Philosophy of Business,’ Journal of Relationship Marketing, vol. 10, pp.1–6. Beurden, P and Go ¨ssling, T 2008, ‘The Worth of Values – A Literature Review on the Relation Between Corporate Social and Financial Performance,’ Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 82, pp. 407–424. Chapman III, FM and Whitmore, GA 1974, ‘Beyond Shareholder Wealth Maximization: Introduction,’ Financial Management, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 25-34. Cosans, C 2009, ‘Does Milton Friedman Support a Vigorous Business Ethi cs?’ Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 87, pp. 391–399. Fontaine, C, Haarman, A, and Schmid, S 2006, The Stakeholder Theory. Web. Geoffrey, P 1994, ‘Shareholder wealth maximization: business ethics and social,’ Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 125-134. Ghoshal, S 2005, ‘Bad management theories are destroying good management practices,’ Academy of Learning Education, vol. 4, pp. 75-91. Hadani, M, Goranova, M, and Khan, R 2011, ‘Institutional investors, shareholder activism, and earnings management,’ Journal of Business Research, vol. 64, pp. 1352–1360. Harper, HV 2010, Enlightened Shareholder Value: Corporate Governance Beyond the Shareholder-Stakeholder Divide,’ Journal of Corporation Law, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 59-112. Hite, GL and Vetsuypens, MR 1989, ‘Management Buyouts of Divisions and Shareholder Wealth,’ The Journal of Finance, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 953-970. Husted, BW and Salazar, J 2006 , ‘Taking Friedman Seriously: Maximizing Profits and Social Performance,’ Journal of Management Studies, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 75-91 McSweeney, B 2008, ‘Maximizing shareholder-value: A panacea for economic growth or a recipe for economic and social disintegration?’ Critical Perspectives on International Business, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 55 – 74. Moyer, RC, Mcguigan, JR and Kretlow, WJ 2009, Contemporary financial management. South-Western/Cengage Learning, Mason, OH. Pfarrer, MD 2010, What is the Purpose of the Firm?: Shareholder and Stakeholder Theories. Web. Shaw, W 2009, ‘Marxism, Business Ethics, and Corporate Social Responsibility,’ Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 84, pp. 565–576. Smith, NC 2003, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: Whether or how?’ California Management Review, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 52-76. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants 2004, Maximising shareholder Value Achieving clarity in decision-mak ing: Technical Report. CIMA, Great Britain. Vilanova, L 2007, ‘Neither Shareholder nor Stakeholder Management: What Happens When Firms are Run for their Short-term Salient Stakeholder?’ European Management Journal, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 146–162. Wilcke, RW 2004, ‘An Appropriate Ethical Model for Business and a Critique of Milton Friedmans Thesis,’ The Independent Review, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 187-209. Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners Introduction Business administrators and scholars often debate about the goals that managers have to achieve. It is often believed that these professionals should be mostly concerned with the wealth of owners and shareholders.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such an assumption can seem quite plausible, because every company will cease to exist provided that it does not bring revenues to its investors. However, it also has to create the value for customers, community and employees. Without it, the very sustainability of this organization can be put under threat. Moreover, a manager who thinks only about financial benefits, can compromise his/her ethical principles. This paper is aimed at showing that maximization of profits can be possible only if the management of a company strives to foll ow both ethical and legal rules. Their main goal is to create value for customers, employees, and the society in general. They should not focus only on the needs of owners or stockholders. This is the main thesis that should be discussed. The first section of this paper will analyze theoretical origins of the belief that the primary objective of management is to maximize the wealth of owners. In particular, it is necessary to focus on the works of Milton Friedman and the way in which his ideas could be misinterpreted. Moreover, this section will show that long-term profitability of businesses is impossible without ethics and social responsibility. The second section will identify the benefits of creating value for various stakeholders. Finally, the third section will examine the dangers of thinking only about financial performance and profitability.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Le arn More Profits as a core objective of management The idea that wealth maximization should be the top priority for managers has been discussed in the works of many economists. One of them was Milton Friedman who argued that businesses had to concentrate on their profitability (Friedman as cited in Cosans 2009, p. 391). This argument could be very appealing to many corporate executives because by adopting this approach they could resolve or even dismiss many ethical dilemmas and problems. Moreover, many business administrators assumed that a company could do whatever it deemed necessary provided that these actions did not contradict the law (Cosans 2009, p. 392). Therefore, this business philosophy frees an organization and its managers from many restrictions and obligations that can be related to the rules of ethics. This is why it enjoyed popularity for a long time. Even now many business administrators apply this principle, even though they can speak about corporate socia l responsibility of their companies. Unfortunately, many business administrators and even scholars simplify the ideas of Milton Friedman. In fact, he did not exclude ethics from the functioning of companies. He said that the activities of a profit organization â€Å"should be conforming to the basic rules of society† (Friedman as cited Cosans 2009, p. 393). Overall, he placed emphasis on such issues as compliance with the law, unacceptability of deception, and openness of the company (Friedman as cited Cosans 2009, p. 396). This entity was not allowed to disregard the needs of other stakeholders such as customers or workers. This is why ethics and profit seeking should not be separated from another. Thus, even if managers believe that their main task is to increase the wealth of owners and stockholders, they should not try to achieve this objective at any cost. Business administrators or corporate executives have to reconcile the needs of an organization with legal and ethica l standards; otherwise their work can hardly be viewed as successful.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should the primary objective of management be to increase the wealth of shareholders and owners? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, those managers pursuing profits at any cost should not suppose that many scholars support this approach. There is no way in which one can reject the restrictions of business ethics. Ethical aspects of businesses continue to attract the attention of many scholars and many of them believe that ethics and responsibility are necessary for successful functioning of markets or even entire economies. For instance, William Shaw (2009) admits that businesses are driven by self-interest, yet, he also points out that by following only economic players can achieve long-term benefits only if they follow a certain set of rules (p. 568). To a great extent, the situation reminds the so-called priso ner’s dilemma in which a player has to sacrifice some of his/her interests in order to succeed (Shaw 2009, p. 567). For instance, car manufacturers have to place much emphasis on the safety of their customers, even though they have to incur extra expenses and even recall many cars. Provided that they choose to neglect this issue, they can simply lose the trust of their clients. In this regard, one can mention the notorious case of Ford Pinto. The management of Ford Corporation chose not to recall the car that had a poorly designed gas tank (Danley 2005, p. 234). When this information was revealed, the reputation of Ford Corporation suffered a severe blow. More importantly, their revenues began to decline. This case illustrates that ethics has to be an inherent part of businesses activities, because without them, no form of cooperation will be possible.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The thing is that business activities are premised on long-term cooperation and the formation or partnerships or alliances (Solomon 1999, p. 18). They can hardly exist provided that partners think only about their self-interests. Apart from that, this example shows that companies are dependent on many stakeholders, for instance, customers. Although, they do not own stocks of a company, they can strongly influence this organization. In this context, the term stakeholder can be defined as every person or organization that can affect a company is affected by it (Fassin 2012, p. 85). This is another reason why profit maximization cannot the sole objective of managers. On the whole, managers should not assume that ethical decisions always run against the self-interest of a company or individual. This is the assumption that only harms many businesses. Profitability and responsibility toward various stakeholders are quite consistent with one another. This is the main issue that business ad ministrators should consider. Such scholars as Bryan Husted and Jose Salazar (2006) argue that modern firms should not be forced to behave in a socially responsible way (p. 75). Under such circumstances, they will act as â€Å"coerced egoists† (Husted Salazar 2006, p. 76). Most likely, the managers of these organizations will only speak about social responsibility without actually practicing it. The main argument of these authors is that the ethical principles should be imbedded into the strategies of an organization. In their belief, the goals of stakeholders and stockholders do not oppose one another. In fact, one should draw a line between them. Managers should remember that it is possible to increase the wealth of stockholders without compromising ethical and legal norms. The following two sections will discuss various rationales for behaving in a socially responsible way. Creation of benefits for stakeholders At this point, it is necessary to demonstrate why managers sh ould pay attention to the needs of various stakeholders. First, even if a person assumes that the task of a business is the maximization of profits, there is still no clear-cut strategy for attaining this goal (Shaw 2009, p. 573). The need to increase revenues does not actually show the path that managers should take. Thus, one still has to evaluate alternative strategies that are available to the company. Some of them can correspond to the standards of corporate social responsibility while other cannot. In his article, David Ahlstrom (2012) points out that the most successful companies have some features in common; in particular, they are willing to create innovative goods or services that benefit customers and society (p. 12). These organizations create employment opportunities in the community and make the lives of people more comfortable. In other words, these companies strive to create value for various stakeholders. They have some of the following characteristics: 1) the empow erment of employees; 2) customer orientation; 3) the adoption of eco-friendly technologies; 4) accountability of corporate executives (Bejou 2011, p. 3). These are the most distinctive traits of these organizations. Among them one can distinguishing such corporations as Apple Inc, Google, ATT and many others. They occupy leading position in their markers. These examples are important because they show that a responsible behavior of a company does not necessarily harm its financial performance. Furthermore, one should take into account that people’s attitude toward businesses have evolved within the last fifty years. According to David Ahlstrom (2012), contemporary societies expect companies to bring benefits to the community (p. 22). These organizations should be accountable to both governmental organizations and community in general (Smith 2003, p. 63). Thus, a company that is driven only by self-interest will find it difficult to achieve success. The idea that revenues are the only goal of a business, could be acceptable thirty or forty years ago. However, it cannot be easily tolerated by people who live at the beginning of the twenty-first century. In the modern world, corporate social responsibility is a norm that an organization should adhere to. This is one of the issues that corporate executives should not overlook if they want to be successful in the workplace. It is hardly permissible to assume that advanced societies will tolerate pure pursuit of profits at the expense of the entire community. Furthermore, it is necessary to point out that for-profit organizations influence and can be influenced by a variety of people or organizations. Among them, one can single out stockholders, customers, governmental organizations, employees, trade unions, environmental organizations and so forth. Admittedly, stockholders occupy the most important place, because they invest capital in a company. Any company will simply go bankrupt provided that their needs are not fully met. Their prosperity should be the main priority for management. However, one should not disregard other stakeholders, such as customers or workers. They can affect the public image of an organization, its revenues, and internal performance. Without their commitment the very sustainability of a company can be jeopardized. Those business administrators, who focus only on the wealth of stockholders, can forget that their companies depend on other people, for instance, customers whose attitudes can profoundly impact the sales rates every company. Such corporate executives can actually lead the companies to stagnation. Therefore, managers should determine the way in which certain stakeholders can affect a company. In this way, they can better develop long-term strategies of this business. The main point is that businesses and stakeholders are interdependent entities and they have to find solutions that benefit each side. Additionally, one should note the majority of succe ssful companies are those ones which were able to win the trust of loyalty of the employees who are very influential stakeholders. If these people feel that they are valued by the organization, they will be more likely to be committed to the goals that the management sets (Bejou 2011, p. 4). They will be willing to defend the reputation of a business. More importantly, these people can hardly accept an idea that they are treated only as means for increasing the wealth of shareholders. If they realize that the management does not attach much importance to their needs, they will fewer incentives to work harder. The management will be able to motivate them only with the help of financial rewards or punishments. Moreover, one can even expect them to violate the rules that the management sets. Employees can also be considered as stakeholders and they can shape financial and organizational performance of every company. For instance, they can affect the company’s relations with its clients. Therefore, a good manager will try to find a compromise between the needs of these people and the interests of stockholders. This is one of the main tasks that corporate executives should try to cope with when they will develop long-term strategies of companies. When discussing the need for corporate social responsibility, one should not focus only on ethical considerations. It is also possible to mention economic rationale for adopting this strategy. The study carried out by Pieter van Beurden and Tobias Gà ¶ssling (2009) shows that companies, which adhere to the principles of CSR, usually yield better results (p. 409). These authors identify various forms of corporate social responsibility, namely, philanthropy, accountability to the public, environment protection, and promotion of diversity in the workplace (Beurden Gà ¶ssling 2009, p. 409). These scholars found a positive relationship between the ethical behavior of an organization and its financial performance. Soci ally responsible business activities can positively affect market return, share price appreciation, and stock performance (Beurden Gà ¶ssling 2009, p. 411). Surely, in each case, the degree of positive influence varies, but there is a marked correlation between business ethics and improved performance. Moreover, the researchers single out other benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR). For instance, Jacqueline Cramer and Fred Bergmans (2003) identify the following advantages that CSR can bring: 1) a good reputation that is earned through ethical business practices; 2) improved energy efficiency that can be achieved through the use of alternative energy technologies; 3) greater commitment of workers; and 4) the trust of customers (p. 50). Some of these benefits can be measured quantitatively, in particular, economic efficiency, in turn, some of the advantages are intangible. Yet, in each case, CSR can give a company competitive advantage over its rivals. Yet, this goal can be attained only if managers strive to reconcile the needs of different stakeholders who do not necessarily have to be owners or shareholders. A good company should be able to identify the ways in which it can influence others; they also have to think about the possible impacts of stakeholders on their performance. This knowledge will help this organization acquire and retain leading positions in the market. The following section will focus on the risks that managers take when they focus only profitability. The drawbacks of disregarding corporate social responsibility Some corporate executives may be reluctant to follow the principles of CSR because possible advantages do not always yield numerical measurement. This is why one should mention that increased emphasis on the revenues can actually harm a company in the long-term. The thing is that such an organization can become unwilling to adopt new business models or technologies. In many cases, corporate executives pay attention on ly to the short-term profitability of their businesses and overlook the needs and values of other stakeholders. Secondly, they can overlook the risks that are associated with the pursuit of profits. Such corporate leaders can overlook the dangers to which their companies can be exposed to (Christopoulos, Mylonakis, Diktapanidis 2011, p. 11). They often forget that in most cases such a strategy only harms a business. For example, one can mention such a company as Lehman Brothers. This management of this corporation was primarily concerned with the increase of short-term profitability (Christopoulos, Mylonakis, Diktapanidis 2011, p. 11). Very little attention was paid to the obligations that Lehman had toward investors and their interests. Yet, they did not to assess the threats to which they were exposed. As a result of this policy, many employees and investors lost their money. One can even argue that the recent financial crisis can largely be explained by unscrupulous policies of many businesses and unwillingness to think about long-term growth of businesses. Thus, managers should remember about the dangers of looking only at financial performance, and disregarding the social performance of a company. As it has been said before, profitability of a company and ethical behavior are usually inseparable from one another. It should be noted that the majority of modern companies are not monopolies. Only such organizations can dictate their terms to the customers and sometimes even to the entire community. Nevertheless, the number of such monopolies was reduced to a minimum. As a rule, contemporary businesses have to face severe competition. They have to differentiate themselves among others only by creating a distinct value for the customers. Provided that this goal is not achieved, a company will become stagnant or simply lose its positions in the market. Those companies that are driven by the pursuit of profits often fail to identify the needs and values of cus tomers. Therefore, it will be difficult for this organization to differentiate its products from those ones manufactured by its competitors. In the future, the revenues of this company may decline. Thus, mere pursuit of revenues can actually be self-defeating because it does not allow a company to create innovative products. Thus, managers should take this possibility into account and minimize such risks. Furthermore, one should not forget that businesses can be affected by governmental organizations. For instance, there are environmental agencies, departments of labor, internal revenue services, trade commissions, and so forth. They are able to impose fines on the company or develop regulations that can restrict the activities of many businesses. These institutions have the capacity to coerce every company. Besides, those businesses that disregard the rules of ethics often have to face many lawsuits. Sometimes, the costs of these lawsuits can be devastating for an organization. Thu s, there is a distinct and economic need to think about the needs of the community, customers, or employees. Loss aversion may not be the most ethical reason for behaving in a socially responsible way, but even in this way one can see that an unethical business is more likely to fail. Managers, who are concerned only with revenues, run the risks of violating the law and losing money. So, one can argue that there are legal reasons for thinking about corporate social responsibility. Conclusion This discussion indicates that profitability of an organization should not be separated from ethical considerations because without them businesses will not be able to achieve sustainable growth. Secondly, even if managers assume that their task is to increase the revenues of owners or stockholders, they should not forget that this goal can be achieved only if they meet the needs of various stakeholders, namely employees, customers, governmental organizations, and the community in general. They are capable of boosting the financial performance of a company, but they also can ruin it. The most rational strategy for a business is to accept the idea that self-interest should be restricted by ethical constraints, especially the necessity to promote the wellbeing of a community. Overall, special attention should be paid to customers, workers, and governmental organizations since they are the most influential stakeholders. The managers have to find a way in which the financial goals of a business can be made consistent with the principles of corporate social responsibility. References Ahlstrom, D 2010, Innovation and Growth: How Business Contributes to Society, Academy Of Management Perspectives, vol. 24 no. 3, pp. 11-24. Bejou, D 2011, Compassion as the New Philosophy of Business, Journal Of Relationship Marketing, vol. 10 no. 1, pp. 1-6 Beurden, P, Gà ¶ssling, T 2008, The Worth of Values – A Literature Review on the Relation Between Corporate Social and Financial Perf ormance, Journal Of Business Ethics, vol. 82 no. 2, pp. 407-424. Christopoulos, A, Mylonakis, J, Diktapanidis, P 2011, Could Lehman Brothers Collapse Be Anticipated? An Examination Using CAMELS Rating System, International Business Research, vol. 4 no. 2, pp. 11-19. Cosans, C 2009, Does Milton Friedman Support a Vigorous Business Ethics?, Journal Of Business Ethics, vol. 87 no. 3, pp. 391-399. Cramer, J Bergmans, F 2003, Learning about Corporate Social Responsibility: The Dutch Experience, IOS Press, New York. Danley, J 2005, Polishing up the Pinto: Legal liability, moral blame, and risk, Business Ethics Quarterly, vol. 15 no. 2, pp. 205-236. Fassin, Y 2012, Stakeholder Management, Reciprocity and Stakeholder Responsibility, Journal Of Business Ethics, vol. 109 no. 1, pp. 83-96. Husted, B, De Jesus Salazar, J 2006, Taking Friedman Seriously: Maximizing Profits and Social Performance, Journal Of Management Studies, vol. 43 no. 1, pp. 75-91. Shaw, W 2009, Marxism, Business Ethics, and Corporate Social Responsibility, Journal Of Business Ethics, vol. 84 no. 4, pp. 565-576. Smith, C 2003, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: Whether or How?’, California Management Review, vol. 45 no. 4, pp. 52-76. Solomon, R 1999, Game Theory as a Model for business and business ethics, Business Ethics Quarterly, vol. 9 no. 1, pp. 11-29.

Japanese Folk Tales Mukashi Banashi

Japanese Folk Tales Mukashi Banashi Japanese folk tales are called, mukashi banashi. They begin with a set phrase like, Once upon a time (Mukashi Mukashi aru tokoro ni †¦). The characters of a mukashi banashi often include an old man and an old woman, or man with a name like Taro or Jiro. There are a few hundred stories that are considered standard Japanese folktales. Many Japanese grow up being very familiar with them. There was a popular TV series called, Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi, which is an animated version of famous folktales. You can watch some of them on Youtube. I noticed one of the stories; Hanasaka Jiisan (Grandfather Cherry Blossom) has English sub-titles, which I think would be great to use for listening practice. I wrote out the dialogue for the first two minutes in Japanese and romaji. I hope you can use it as a study aid. If you find it useful, please let me know and I will add more dialogue in the future. Japanese Translation æâ€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã¦Ëœâ€Ã¨ © ± æâ€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã£  ®Ã¥  ¤Ã£  Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šâ€°Ã¨ ¨â‚¬Ã£ â€žÃ¤ ¼ Ã£â€š Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã¨ © ±Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¦Ëœâ€Ã¨ © ±Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€žÃ£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦Ëœâ€Ã¨ © ±Ã£  ¯Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¨Ë† ¬Ã§Å¡â€žÃ£  «Ã£â‚¬ Ã£â‚¬Å'む㠁‹ã â€" む㠁‹ã â€" 㠁‚る㠁 ¨Ã£ â€œÃ£â€š Ã£  «Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£â‚¬â€šÃ£â‚¬â€šÃ£â‚¬ Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€žÃ£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã¦ ± ºÃ£  ¾Ã£â€šÅ Ã¦â€"‡å  ¥Ã£  §Ã¥ §â€¹Ã£  ¾Ã£â€šÅ Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£  Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã£â‚¬ Ã£ Å Ã£ ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£â‚¬ Ã£ Å Ã£  °Ã£ â€šÃ£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£â‚¬ Ã¥ ¤ ªÃ©Æ'Žã‚„æ ¬ ¡Ã©Æ'Žã  ¨Ã£ â€žÃ£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã¥  Ã¥â€° Ã£  ®Ã§â€ ·Ã£  ®Ã¤ º ºÃ£ Å'〠Ã£ â€"㠁 °Ã£ â€"㠁 °Ã§â„¢ »Ã¥   ´Ã¤ º ºÃ§â€° ©Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã§  ¾Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦â€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã£  ®Ã¦Ëœâ€Ã¨ © ±Ã£  ¯Ã¤ » £Ã¨ ¡ ¨Ã§Å¡â€žÃ£  ªÃ£â€šâ€šÃ£  ®Ã£   Ã£ â€˜Ã£  §Ã£â‚¬ Ã§â„¢ ¾Ã£  ¯Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šÅ Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¥ ¤Å¡Ã£  Ã£  ®Ã¦â€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã¤ º ºÃ£  «Ã£  ¨Ã£  £Ã£  ¦Ã£â‚¬ Ã¨ Å¾Ã £  Ã¨â€š ²Ã£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã¦Ëœâ€Ã¨ © ±Ã£  ¯Ã£  ¨Ã£  ¦Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£  ªÃ£ ËœÃ£  ¿Ã¦ · ±Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€šÃ£  ®Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£  ¾Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£ Å'æâ€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã¦Ëœâ€Ã¨ © ±Ã£  ¯Ã£â‚¬ Ã¦Ëœâ€Ã¨ © ±Ã£â€šâ€™Ã£â€š ¢Ã£Æ'‹ãÆ' ¡Ã¥Å'â€"㠁â€"㠁Ÿä º ºÃ¦ °â€"ãÆ'†ãÆ' ¬Ã£Æ'“ç• ªÃ§ µâ€žÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£Æ' ¦Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£Æ' Ã£Æ' ¥Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£Æ'â€"㠁 §Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£â‚¬ Ã£  Ã£  ®Ã§â€¢ ªÃ§ µâ€žÃ£â€šâ€™Ã¨ ¦â€¹Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£ â€œÃ£  ¨Ã£ Å'㠁 §Ã£  Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£  Ã£  ®Ã¤ ¸ ­Ã£  ®Ã£  ²Ã£  ¨Ã£  ¤Ã£  ®Ã£  ¯Ã£  ªÃ£ â€¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£ ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  «Ã¨â€¹ ±Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã£  ®Ã¥ ­â€"Ã¥ ¹â€¢Ã£ Å'㠁 ¤Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£ â€œÃ£  ¨Ã£  «Ã¦ °â€"㠁 ¥Ã£  Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€"㠁Ÿã€‚よ㠁„è Å¾Ã£  Ã¥ â€"り㠁 ®Ã§ · ´Ã§ ¿â€™Ã£  «Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£  ¨Ã¦â‚¬ Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£  Ã£  ®Ã£â‚¬Å'㠁 ¯Ã£  ªÃ£ â€¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£ ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£â‚¬ Ã£  ®Ã¦Å"€åˆ Ã£  ®Ã¥Ë†â€ Ã©â€"“㠁 ®Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šÅ Ã£  µÃ£â€šâ€™Ã ¦â€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã£  ¨Ã£Æ' ­Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£Æ'žå ­â€"㠁 §Ã¦â€º ¸Ã£  Ã¥â€¡ ºÃ£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã£  ¿Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€"㠁Ÿã€‚勉å ¼ ·Ã£  ®Ã¥Å  ©Ã£ â€˜Ã£  ¨Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€žÃ£ â€žÃ£  ªÃ£  ¨Ã¦â‚¬ Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£â€šâ€šÃ£ â€"㠁 Ã£â€šÅ'㠁Å'㠁‚㠁 ªÃ£ Å¸Ã£  «Ã£  ¨Ã£  £Ã£  ¦Ã¥ ½ ¹Ã§ «â€¹Ã£  ¤Ã£â€šË†Ã£ â€ Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€°Ã£â‚¬ Ã§Å¸ ¥Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£ â€ºÃ£  ¦Ã£  Ã£   Ã£ â€¢Ã£ â€žÃ£  ­Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£  Ã£  ®Ã£ â€šÃ£  ¨Ã£  ®Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šÅ Ã£  µÃ£â€šâ€šÃ§ ¶Å¡Ã£ â€˜Ã£  ¦Ã£â‚¬ Ã¦â€º ¸Ã£  Ã¥â€¡ ºÃ£ â„¢Ã£ â€œÃ£  ¨Ã£  «Ã£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Romaji Translation Nihon no furuku kara iitsutawareteiru hanashi o mukashi-banashi to iimasu. Mukashi-banashi wa ippanteki ni, Mukashi mukashi aru tokoro ni ... to itta kimari monku de hajimarimasu. Soshite ojiisan, obaasan, Tarou ya Jirou to itta namae no otoko no hito ga, shibashiba toujou jinbutsu to shite arawaremasu. Nihon no mukashi-banashi wa daihyoutekina mono dake de, ni san byaku wa arimasu. Ooku no nihon-jin ni totte, kikisodatta mukashi-banashi wa totemo najimibukai mono desu. Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi wa, mukashi-banashi o animeka shita ninki terebi bangumi desu. Yuuchuubu demo, sono bangumi o miru koto ga dekimasu. Sono naka no hitotsu no Hanasaka Jiisan ni eigo no jimaku ga tsuiteiru koto ni kizukimashita. Yoi kikitori no renshuu ni naru to omoimasu. Sono Hanasaka Jiisan no saisho no ni-fun kan no serifu o nihongo to roomaji de kakidashite mimashita. Benkyou no tasuke to naru to ii na to omoimasu. Moshi sore ga anata ni totte yaku ni tatsuyounara, shirasete kudasai ne. Sono ato no seri fu mo tsuzukete, kakidasu koto ni shimasu. Note: The translation is not always literal. Beginners Phrases There are a few hundred stories that are considered standard Japanese folktales. Nihon no mukashi-banashi wa daihyoutekina mono dake de, ni san byaku wa arimasu.㠁 «Ã£  »Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ® む㠁‹ã â€"㠁 °Ã£  ªÃ£ â€"㠁 ¯ 㠁  Ã£ â€žÃ£  ²Ã£â€šâ€¡Ã£ â€ Ã£  ¦Ã£  Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€šÃ£  ®Ã£   Ã£ â€˜Ã£  §Ã£â‚¬ Ã£  «Ã£â‚¬ Ã£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ³Ã£â€šÆ'㠁 Ã£  ¯ 㠁‚り㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦â€" ¥Ã¦Å" ¬Ã£  ®Ã¦Ëœâ€Ã¨ © ±Ã£  ¯Ã¤ » £Ã¨ ¡ ¨Ã§Å¡â€žÃ£  ªÃ£â€šâ€šÃ£  ®Ã£   Ã£ â€˜Ã£  §Ã£â‚¬ Ã§â„¢ ¾Ã£  ¯Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šÅ Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š

Collective culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Collective culture - Essay Example With this much understanding, there emerges in each of us a real heart towards the significance of a cultural heritage even beyond national boundaries as well as the history which took to account the many remarkable struggles which its beauty and prominence had been founded by. If each citizen of our nation is made to realize the essence of ancestral efforts in several aspects, building on trust, goodwill, and pride with shared humanity, it would be spontaneously possible to take responsibility of individual actions and possess the initiative to align one’s behavior with a sense of patriotism and selfless interest. This way, respect and the value of dignity are gradually established and a citizen in this position develops profound level of communication and confidence from which to radiate genuine concern to fellow countrymen. Interdependence results in the process instead of indifference so that this enables our culture to prosper to a considerable degree which extends to the aspect of economy and diplomatic relations abroad. It then creates a picture of effortlessly dealing with cross-cultural endeavors and supporting cultural heritage beyond this nation, eliminating conflicts that arise when negative motives are rather perceived in not understanding the meaning of origins in a continuum where potential unseen similarities may gather various cultures together to a point of empowering the stewardship intended for culture well-being (LeBaron, 2003). Besides the character which an academic institution aims for each learner to acquire in breaking unhealthy misconception regarding differences among cultures, one may further assume such role based on a chosen field or profession. For instance, Nova Scotians of Canada are found capable of determining businesspeople to pay special attention for the welfare of cultural heritage through financial contributions, rendering services to or adapting a

Film critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film critique - Essay Example It also highlights the decisions and activities that characterized the Bush administration after the September 11 incident. According to Michael Moore, the Bush administration used the tragic September 11 incident as an excuse to engage in unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (Moore, 2004). The plot of the documentary revolves around the September 11 incident. This is a critical account in the history of the United States. Michael Moore pursues a very critical topic and issue in this film, expressing social, economic and political concerns that surrounded United States after the terrorist attack. This means that Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) is centrally located in the heart of American people, thereby being likely to capture massive audience. Michael Moore successfully establishes a strong audience base by pursuing an issue that many just took as terrorist attack. To Moore, the aftermath of the attack took a new perspective that laid ground for unjust practices by Bush and his administratio n. Michael Moore’s analysis of what happened after the September 11 incident leaves so much to be desired. For this reason, the setting of the film is critically positioned. The film was produced three years after the attacks, a time when wounds were still fresh in the minds of many and the political debate of the incident was still exacerbating. This timing on this film is perfect, given that all aspects of the American life had been affected by the incident. The highlighted interviews, and the collected views and opinions of the American people show that different people had different understanding of the events that followed the attacks. In this regard, Michael Moore gets those who argue alongside his claims, as well those who dispute the claims outlined in the film. This film is, therefore, two-sided, meaning that it encompasses both propositions and oppositions to the issues raised. In other words, the tragic events that befell United States in September 11 are clearly o utlined before Moore expresses his view on the matter. After these events are highlighted, a critical evaluation of the matter is done. In so doing, the American society has wholly associated itself with part of the film in one way or another, whether they agree or disagree with Moore’s views. While Moore has successfully tried to account for what happened after the September 11 terrorist attacks, some of his views are exaggerated. While his allegations against the Bush administration are true, some of them are way too much personal. The fact that United States is the world’s superpower gives it a significant reason to engage in war at it deems necessary. Moore disputes the Bush administration’s reason to engage Afghanistan and Iraq in war, terming the action unjust (Moore, 2004). However, Osama and his terrorist group Al Qaeda admitted to carrying out the attacks. This was not the first time that Osama and his team had engaged in terrorism. Other states around the world had also experienced terrorist attacks before United States did. Even if United States could not have engaged wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on her behalf, it was right to do so, on behalf of the weaker world communities that had previously been targeted by terrorist groups. Michael Moore wrote the script to the film, and subsequently directed it. He, therefore, delivers a quality film in

The US Environmental Protection Agency Essay Example for Free

The US Environmental Protection Agency Essay The US Environmental Protection Agency, USEPA or more commonly referred simply as the EPA, is federal agency responsible for the protection of the natural environment for the protection of human health and ecology. It was established under the President Richard Nixon in December 1970 and is currently being headed by Administrator Stephen L. Johnson (EPA, 2008a). The EPA acts through twelve administrative offices and ten regional offices: the administrative offices are in charge with the development and assessment of policies and regional offices are the serve as the primary executive arm of the agency (EPA, 2008b). Prior to the establishment of the agency, there was no national structure for addressing environmental concerns, develop legislation and management programs or to implement corrective measures. The EPA implements and monitors compliance to environmental protection statutes it establishes or as passed thorough by federal legislation (EPA, 2008a). Shortcomings of the agency are viewed not only as a failure of related policies but also an indication of the political will, ethical standards and social concern for the protection of the environment (Heilprin, 2008; Marris, 2007; Morrissey, 2008). Case in point: when policies are considered to be restrictive to industries, this relegates the ethical cost of violation of EPA regulations, encouraging subterfuge if not blatant opposition to policies. On the other hand, hesitation on the part of the EPA to implement polices and prosecute offenders diminishes the public’s interests and violates its functional mandates. Moreover, as Pelley (2008) and Sood (2008) have highlighted, the EPA’s mandate is extends far beyond its functions. It is designed to delivery in its fullest extent the intention behind environmental protection legislation and to provide framework standards of environmental and social responsibility. References Environmental Protection Agency (2008a).Available at http://www. epa. gov/ Environmental Protection Agency (2008b). Laws that We Administer. Retrieved July 13, 2008, from http://www. epa. gov/lawsregs/laws/index. html Heilprin, John (2006). Ex-EPA chiefs: Bush neglects environmental problems. USA Today On Deadline, January 18, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008, from http://blogs. usatoday. com/ondeadline/2006/01/exepa_chiefs_bu. html Marris, E. (2007). Car emissions are EPAs problem. Nature, 446(7136):589. Morrissey, Susan R. (2008). EPA Issues Nanotechnology White Paper Intra-agency group gives overview, identifies research needs for nanotech. Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency Pelley, Janet (2008). EPA toxicity risk assessments in crisis. Environmental Science Technology, March 21, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008, from http://pubs. acs. org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2008/may/policy/jp_iris. html Sood, Suemedha (2008). EPA Success Masks Problems. The Washington Independent, May 28, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008, from http://washingtonindependent. com/view/epa-cases-mask-long

time management Essay -- essays research papers

Time Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The way a person manages time effects the efficiency of their life. There are many ways that will help in time management. College students for example have many responsibilities. The top priority being school. Students must have time to go to class and show their best of their abilities to finish all work that needed to be done. Some students may have to fit work into their daily schedule. As Rock-Richardson describes,  ¡Ã‚ §As an undergrad, I put my self through two solid years of full-tuition college by working as a daycare provider [ ¡K] ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Rock-Richardson 12). In order to be successful at the tasks the student must eat properly and get enough sleep. The one thing that should be learned is motivation and the famous saying  ¡Ã‚ §Never give up. ¡Ã‚ ¨ If a task must be done and it is felt that there is no time, that is just the misunderstanding of time. The first step in beginning better time management is to write it into an organizer. An organizer is the most helpful notebook a student can purchase. Carol Kanar says,  ¡Ã‚ §Your schedule is the result of the inward decision you make to control events instead of letting events control you ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Kanar 93). For a student to remember important dates such as test dates they must be written down and observed. Major dates to remember are exam dates. There will be numerous tests and assignments during one quarter, which cannot be memorized. This organizing will help in figuring out how much study time the...

Comparison between Lennie Smalls and Isaac Statchard Essay

These two texts, â€Å"Of Mice and Men† and â€Å"The Ostler†, seem extremely different when you read them through. Once you have thought about them though, they do have many similarities. The two texts are set in very different times with many social, historical and cultural differences. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is about two friends who are looking for work during the Great Depression. â€Å"The Ostler† is about a stable buck who has a dream, which becomes reality but ends in a tragic way. Both texts are set in different times and both the characters come from very different backgrounds. Lennie, for instance, has some form of disorder, which affects his speech and memory, and he had been looked after for all of his life. Isaac has lead a very conservative but unlucky life. There are many similarities despite their obvious and not so obvious differences. After the excitements of the 1830s and ’40s, mid-Victorian England was relatively quiet, with the family being regarded by most mid-Victorians as the central institution in society. This is extremely likely to have something to do with Isaac wanting to settle down. The differences in the rights people had were quite shocking. For instance women didn’t have the vote and men were judged whether they were allowed to vote on the size of their estate. The U.S. economy had gone into depression six months earlier; the Great Depression may be said to have begun with a catastrophic collapse of stock-market prices on the New York Stock Exchange in October 1929. The result was a large decrease in output and large increase in unemployment. There are similarities linking the backgrounds of the two texts. The employment situation is similar as in â€Å"The Ostler† it is hard to get casual work and in America where â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is set work, is almost non-existent. Women are considered the lower sex and they both have pretty much the same position in, living at home and tending to children etc. We are introduced to Isaac in a dream, in which it tells his story we think but really, it is foreseeing what is going to happen to him. It is a bit confusing for the reader because we get no information about setting or what has happened, we are launched into it knowing nothing. It changes narrators in the third column, â€Å"after a little hesitation, he compiles with my request. Some years ago†. This is where the text leaves his dream and starts the whole story over again but in greater detail. We know that Isaac lacks intelligence by his mother saying that he has a poor memory. I think Collins has chosen a protagonist such as Isaac because he is a very normal person. I think he wanted to create a character that people could almost relate to and look into their personality. Collins creates a seemingly real character by creating a life and a lifestyle that he follows. Every aspect of a person’s life seems to be covered. He takes the reader into the mind of Isaac and you could almost control him after you have read the text because it is so detailed. We are introduced to Lennie Smalls after he and George are on the run from their native Californian town, Weed after Lennie is involved in an incident with a women. We learn in section one that Lennie is travelling with a friend, George Milton who is like a Father to Lennie. We find out that he is a very large and slow man and he has a very pleasant temperament from what we read. Lennie’s description is significant. He is a â€Å"huge man† and â€Å"dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws† and also the way he speaks: â€Å"where we goin’, George†. The descriptions from other characters, â€Å"a child’s mind locked inside a mans body†, also when George is talking to the head of the ranch he describes Lennie as not being very intelligent. Steinbeck comes across very truthful in the way he describes Lennie he uses words, which make us build up images in our minds. Steinbeck has used words such as ‘gentle giant’, ‘huge’ and ‘nice fella’. The way he is described is a complete contrast to his personality. I think he uses these words to show that Lennie does have strengths but he also has quite a considerable number of weaknesses such as his speech. Lennie has been compared to several animals throughout the first section of the book. I think Lennie’s characteristics are either similar to these animals, or he is copying them.It is obvious that he has a liking for animals, especially rabbits. Third person narrative has been used effectively, it gives the reader the story from different points of view which brings out different things in characters which you may not have got otherwise. Lennie and Isaac are surprisingly similar; they are both people anyone I believe can relate to in some way or another. Neither of them are particularly bright especially Lennie who suffers from an unspecified illness. They both want different lifestyles. Lennie wants to tend the rabbits and Isaac wants to get married. They are in very different circumstances at the start and the whole way throughout the books, Isaac living with his mother and having her support and Lennie having no family. George is not really the same kind of support. Lennie looks upon George as a friend not a parent figure. Steinbeck’s way of developing characters is similar to Collins. He tries to make the characters seem as realistic as possible. He gives them each their own way of doing things. The way Steinbeck has done it makes you want to read on because you feel closer to the characters and you almost feel a part of them and you experience there emotions and thoughts. Lennie has a disability, which affects his speech, and this I think is the reason for such short sentences from him. I do not think he has the intelligence to put together a large sentence. A few examples of his dialogue, â€Å"I am not takin’ it away jus’ for meanness† and â€Å"I ain’t gonna say nothin'†. Using slang, colloquialisms are effective because it makes it a bit more realistic. It is using terminology, which the characters would have done. Some examples of this are â€Å"I think Curley’s married a †tart† said by Candy or â€Å"an live of the fat of the land† said by Lennie. It is all part of developing a character you have to get every characteristic right. Collins describes Mrs Scatchard with words that describe the mother. He uses positive descriptions with words like happy. She is a typical mother person who looks out for her son and tries to do the best for him. We know she is quick and witty unlike her son because when Isaac comes to her with his problem she takes down a description of the girl and puts it away. It is almost like she knows that Rebecca is going to turn up. We have learnt that she is very happy being a mother and loves her sons very much, she has fallen on hard times but still marches on she is determined to do her best for herself and her son. She is always there if he has a problem he has; we have a problem in the story of Rebecca being part of her son’s life. George in Chapter one is described as an exact opposite to Lennie. George has all the qualities that Lennie does not have. George has a hard time looking after Lennie. He finds all the food, work and shelter. He keeps Lennie in order taking things like dead mice away from him. George and Lennie are equally as close as Isaac and Mrs Scatchard. They both depend on the more intelligent one of each pair; they seem to be able to overcome a lot when they both work together. Collins makes us feel sympathetic with Rebecca, the first time you actually meet her he describes her as â€Å"a poorly dressed woman†. I think he is trying to mislead us he is making Rebecca look harmless when she is really a murderer. Our suspicions are aroused when Mrs Scatchard meets Rebecca and she wants to see the paper with the description on. Physiognomy has been used when Mrs Scatchard reacts to Rebecca. She treats Isaac with respect at first so that she can get close to him and lead him up to marriage. When she got close to him her attitude changes completely, she becomes violent towards Isaac it is like she wants to marry him for money then kill him off. Isaac’s mother stays the same the whole way throughout she continues to be supportive, she plays the mother figure. Rebecca is a very deceptive character she plays the nice she plays the innocent responsible adult to get really close to Isaac. When Mrs Scatchard meets Rebecca, she realises before Isaac that this person is really the person out to the dreams. Then Rebecca seems to use that as a turning point in her attitude towards Isaac. She becomes emotionally unstable and goes on the rampage with violence and hatred. We are introduced to Curley’s wife when she wonders into the bunk house. They are both considered as no go zones. George gives her a negative picture where as Lennie when he is in the stable playing with the pup thinks she is a nice person. Lennie is just too dumb to take on people’s real personality but he seems to charm people with him manor and people are nice back to him. Our reactions to Rebecca and Curley’s wife are very different. Rebecca we start to not like because we see her turn from good to evil or from loving Isaac to wanting to kill him. Curley’s wife on the other hand we do feel sorry for because she has no one to talk to nor anyone to socialise with, she is expected to just amuse herself and live in her own little word. Rebecca does deceive Isaac, she puts on a false character, which is the ideal person for Isaac to love and to hold, but then she changes her character completely, everything about her seems to change her behaviour, her attitude towards Isaac and they way she does everyday chores. Victorian writing was all about mystery or melodrama. This is certainly present in â€Å"†The Ostler†Ã¢â‚¬ . The mystery in this text revolves around the arrival of Rebecca. Melodrama I do not think is present that much in this text. Melodrama is all out over exaggerating movements and there is not much of this. When you try doing some background research into â€Å"The Ostler†, it is almost impossible. If you do some research into Collins, it always refers to his more famous pieces of writing. He does create tension very well by having Rebecca on the loose and having Isaac on the run. Collins is like Steinbeck he gives you an amazing wealth of knowledge about each character. He gives them a very life like personality. Steinbeck set his book in the 30’s, so it is obviously a lot more modern and up to date. He has set his book just outside Weed and as the author is American, he can relate to their way of life. He sets it just after he Great Depression and it was probably set on two real characters at the time. I think that the level of suspense is equally as high in Steinbeck’s novel because you do get signs on what is going to happen but you don’t know when they are going to happen. This is because they have their dream and it comes so close. It is very successful because it makes the reader want to read on. It gives small hints about what is going to happen â€Å"If you get into any trouble come and hide by river and wait for me† but it doesn’t make it clear what is going to happen. This makes the book more interesting and it makes you want to read on. The aim in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† was I think to show readers the lives of two normal everyday people after the depression and the recovery. I think Steinbeck would have written this to tell people what going through the depression was like and how much of a struggle it really was. â€Å"The Ostler† is really a mystery and I do not think there is really an aim to this book. Collins may have written this to show the readers an example of life in the 19th Century and wrapped a story into it to make it interesting. I preferred â€Å"Of Mice and Men† only because I felt I could relate more to it. I have seen these ranches in work just outside Weed which also made the story more interesting whilst reading it. It seemed to be a more normal text with things which definitely could have taken place, where as in â€Å"The Ostler† we don’t know where it is set or any other key details. The stories both portray two less than bright individuals who survive in life. I believe Lennie Smalls is les cleaver than Isaac Scatchard due to Lennie requiring George to live. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and The Ostler by Collins Dreams play a crucial role. Lennie used dreams as a way of inspiration where as Isaac Scatchard’s life was dictated by a dream he had, had in a hotel.

Visual Rhetoric Research

Visual rhetoric is a sort of communication that happens in a test but its happen by the visual images or you can say visual rhetoric is the images you turn into an argument. The term visual rhetoric itself has a lot of things that determine it, when evaluated a visual rhetoric essay you must know the shape, the nature, the color, the architecture, the design, etc. of the image. The most accurate place that use visual rhetoric is the advertisement company and one of the causes is to attract customers. Visual Rhetoric does not necessary need an academic knowledge to understand or to evaluate an image because everyone can evaluate an image by there own understanding of the design. My research show that the term visual rhetoric is broader than I can imagine and to go inside that term, we need a visual literacy process. When I went to https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/691/01/. It is a page that is more focus on the academic world of visual rhetoric, that is why they explain that the term visual rhetoric comes under the words visual literacy and it brings into three categories: Visual Thinking, Visual Learning, and Visual Communication. Through the understanding of visual thinking is the metaphoric thinking, the visualization, the source of imagery, and the working brain, the visual learning is the reading, the design, and the research, the visual communication is the art, media, and aesthetics. When looking at an image, you think first about the image in front of you, then you start to learn about the source, the shape, and the value of what you see, and then you start your argument with the image in front of you. I also learned at the same OWL page section 04 that the visual rhetoric use of images has a lot of impact on the ethos (credibility), the design of an image can determine whether an audience will appreciate your work or take you seriously. That give us an understanding, when using visual rhetoric, we need to thing about our audience and make sure that the color, design, architecture, shape, and the nature of the image is well place in our design. Another source says that the more you know about your audience, the more effective you will be on your message. You must have a purpose and you need to inspire your audience through your visual design. When working to find the purpose, context, and your audience in a rhetorical situation, you need to ask yourself same question. According Kostelnick and Roberts, authors of Designing Visual Language, we need to ask those question; â€Å"Is the message call to action? Is the message intended to inform? Who the message directed to? And What is the purpose of the document and where it will be viewed?† When those questions have a clear answered then your visual rhetoric skills will be very meaningful. According to A Research Guide for Student, â€Å"the term visual rhetoric is closely linked to Semiotics, a science studying signs and meaning.† I learned that a can looking at a same image with someone else and it may mean something different for both of us. This is because we both can come from different culture or society, because of that situation, the author must choose his/her audience very carefully. This page show that visual rhetoric is become more significant everyday because society is contemporary increasing visual, and even if a text does not include any design or image, it still provides a visual image to the readers. Wikibooks see visual rhetoric as an intertextuality. Which work how an image has the same similarity with another image, that give visual a more important aspect to the world we are living in. That wikibooks page see objects in images represent something that we value in our society or something that have a meaning in our culture. They give an example of the American flag, how people see it as freedom in America. The term visual rhetoric varies culture to culture, you cannot judge someone prospective on a design. Red in an image can mean something in one country and mean something else in another country. The term visual rhetoric become more understandable to me because of all that I have learn throughout my research. How one image can have an infinite meaning because of the variation of culture and the way each person can examine the image. I also learn that when designing I need to know who my audience would be because that is one of the strength of visual rhetoric.

Assessing Ethanol From Cell Wall Polysaccharides Essay Example

Assessing Ethanol From Cell Wall Polysaccharides Essay Example Assessing Ethanol From Cell Wall Polysaccharides Essay Assessing Ethanol From Cell Wall Polysaccharides Essay Introduction With lifting demand for alternate fuels, ethyl alcohol is emerging as a good option for some good grounds more significantly, it can cut down pollution. The major beginning for production of ethyl alcohol is transition of biomass by agitation. Conventionally, ethyl alcohol is made from agitation of Sugarcane or maize. However they are non economical compared with costs of fossil fuels. The recent development is production of ethyl alcohol from cellulose due to copiousness of the later. However, due to legion jobs associated with separation of cellulose, and besides due to high cost involved in hydrolysis, the production is yet to be commercially employed. The Source stuffs may include wood waste, harvest residues and even some grasses. Ethanol is made from the cell wall constituents like cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. Breakdown of sugar from maize is much easier than the dislocation of sugar from cellulose doing the subsequently more complex. Presently the production employes two methods ; Biochemical and Thermochemical Biochemical involves involves Size decrease of natural stuffs, pretreatment by hydrolysis devising usage of either dilute/ concentrated acid or by doing usage of enzymes for transition of Cellulose to glucose and so agitation of glucose and pentose by barm and/or bacteriums, and so recovery of ethyl alcohol by desiccation. Thermochemical involves heat and chemicals breakdown cellulose to syngas. The gas obtained can be converted into ethanol thourgh pyrolysis. The advantage of thermochemical procedure is over transition of lignin which makes up one tierce of cellulosic provender stock. The procedure involves drying, transition of provender stock to syngas, transition to liquid by pyrolysis, remotion of contaminations anddistillation to take H2O from ethyl alcohol. 2. Beginnings of Cellulose 2.1 Sugar Feedstocks The major sugar provender stock is sugarcane. The other biomass provender stocks rich in sugar includes sorghum, Beta vulgaris, and fruits. Even though it is inexpensive to do ethyl alcohol from sugar, the beginnings are within the human nutrient concatenation and may adversely impact the concatenation if extended production to come into being. 2.2. Starch Feed stocks Another major beginning for ethyl alcohol is starch feedstock. The long concatenation of glucose molecules in amylum can be easy broken down and the amylum provender stocks includes corn, wheat, murphy and manioc. The Starchy stuffs will be hydrolyzed with H2O and heat for dislocation of amylum into fermentable sugar. 2.3. Cellulose feedstocks, While both the above beginnings are within the human nutrient concatenation therefore going expensive, this alternate provender stock is the most abundant 1. These cellulosic provender stocks comprises of lignin, hemicelluloses, and cellulose. Lignin which provides structural support airss major job in production of ethanol fro cellulose. The lignin encloses both cellulose and hemicelluloses and extended pretreatment procedures were needed to make the cellulose and hemicelluloses. Grasss have least lignin and trees have the highest. Compared with amylum, the cellulose has long ironss of glucose molecules with a different structural constellation. Hyrolysis is made hard by these different structural constellation along with the encapsulation of lignin. The other constituent hemicelluloses have same long concatenation of glucose molecules but with an extra constituent pentose. 3. Lignin job in Ethanol production The major job with the production of ethyl alcohol is lignin. It is ?-glucosidases that breakdowns the cellulose to saccharify. And lignin are known to suppress ?-glucosidases. Another major job is that lignin encloses the cellulose and hemicelluloses and act as a barrier forestalling the contact between enzyme and cellulose there by suppressing the transition. Enzymes will hold non polar cellulose spheres which involves in hydrolysis of cellulose. In a recent survey, it was found the lignin was able to adhere with those non polar spheres in the enzymes ( 7 ) . 3. Ethanol production procedure: 3.1. Pretreatment Pretreatment is the readying of cellulosic provender stock for hydrolysis.The chief intent of the pretreatment is to interrupt the natural bonding between cellulose, hemi-cellulose A ; lignin, decrease crystallinity nature A ; complex construction. In a survey by singh, Delignification procedure increases the output of cut downing sugars. So any anterior procedure done earlier hydrolysis to cut down lignin is considered to be pretreatment. Pretreatment methods classified onphysical, chemical, physicochemical and biological. Physical pretreatment: Physical interventions include size decrease ( milling, tear uping, mulching ) and pyrolysis. Milling: One such physical pretreatment procedure is milling i.e. , cut downing atom size. Particle size is one the cardinal factor for the sugar transition ratio. Particle size is indirectly relative to the sugar transition rate. This is due to the fact that, smaller size atoms have higher surface country that in bend helps in higher reaction rate. Singh postulated that atom size to less than 417 micrometers does non better the cellulose transition. A. E. Abasaeed A ; Y. Y. Lee found from their research that increasing the hardwood cellulose atom size, decreases the glucose outputs and increases the reaction clip at which maximal output occurs, utilizing dilute acerb hydrolysis. Pyrolysis: At higher temperature, Cellulose dislocations and we get gaseous and char merchandises. Under lower temperature pyrolysis, in presence of mild acid ( 1N H2SO4, 97 grade celcius and 2.5 hours ) , the pretreatment consequences in 80-85 % transition of cellulose to cut downing sugars. This procedure is enhanced in presence of limited O and Zn chloride. ( Yu and Zhang 2003 ) . Chemical pretreatment: Chemical pretreatment includes add-on of chemicals, which reduces the screening consequence of lignin, cut downing crystallinity and increases the cellulose puffiness. Major categorization includes Ozonolysis, Oxidative delignification, organosolv procedure and there are figure of minor categorization. Ozonolysis: The chemical compound, ozone is used to degrade lignin and hemicellulose. Degradation of lignin consequences in higher hydrolysis rate. Main advantages of ozonolysis: efficaciously removes lignin, does non necessitate elevated environmental conditions for the procedure to take topographic point and it does non bring forth toxic or repressive stuffs. However, a big measure of ozone is required, which makes the procedure expensive. Oxidative delignification: Peroxidase enzyme nowadays in the works tissue biodegrades lignin in presence of H202. This pretreatment is found to be working good with sugarcane bagasse. Fifty per centum of lignin is solubilized by 2 % H2O2 at 30 degree Celsius and 8 hour. ( Ye Sun et Al. 2002 ) Organosolv procedure: An organic dissolver mixture with inorganic accelerators ( Hcl A ; H2SO4 ) is used to breakdown the linkage between lignin and saccharide. Organic dissolver used are methanol, ethanol, propanone, ethene, ethanediol, etc.. At the terminal of the procedure, dissolvers need to be removed to avoid the repressive action on farther procedure. Physico-chemical pretreatment: These are the new pretreatments found in the last two decennaries. This type uses the combination of both physical parametric quantities and chemical features. Steam detonation: Biomass is exposed to high-pressure concentrated steam for a certain period and so its force per unit area is fleetly reduced ( 260 grade Celsius at 0.69 Mpa ) . Steam acts on complexness construction of lignocelluloses and causes hemicellulose and lignin transmutation. Surveies shows that lower temperature, long clip procedure is better when compared to the frailty versa. Residence clip, temperature and atom size are impacting factors in the procedure. Addition of H2SO4 improves the hydrolysis rate, decreases repressive merchandises and obtains complete remotion of hemicellulose. Advantages of steam detonation: Low energy demand, no recycling and effectual on agricultural residues. The restrictions of this pretreatment are that certain repressive compounds will be produced by uncomplete lignin break. Besides big measure of H2O is needed to take repressive compounds. Ammonia fibre detonation ( AFEX ) : Similar to steam detonation. Lignocelluloses is subjected to liquid ammonium hydroxide at decreased temperature ( 90 degree Celsius ) and force per unit area for a period of clip ( 30mins ) and so the force per unit area is fleetly reduced. Dose of liquid ammonium hydroxide is 1-2 kg ammonia/kg dry biomass. AFEX works better with low lignin content and smaller atom size biomass. The disadvantage is that Ammonia has to be recovered for economic issues Carbondioxide detonation: Theexplosion of CO2 would organize carbonaceous acid and increase the hydrolysis rate. This procedure obtains 75 % of theoretical glucose, which is comparatively low when compared with other two methods. Irradiation: . Irradiation like negatron beam, microwave, gamma irradiation, ultraviolet irradiations is used as the beginning of irradiation. Acid or Alkali, in little measures ( 1-5 % ) , is added to the substrate and so exposed to irradiation. Azyma found that irradiations help in disintegrating the complex construction of Lignocelluloses ( Azuma et al. , 1984 ) . Biological pretreatment: Microorganisms such as Brown-rot, whit-rot and soft putrefaction Fungis are used to degrade lignin and hemicellulose. Brown-rot can degrade cellulose, where as white and red-rot degrades cellulose and lignin. Biggest advantages of this biological intervention are that it is environmental friendly and requires really less energy input. However, the rate of hydrolysis in most biological procedure is really low. ( A.I. Hatakka. 1984 ) 3.2. Compaction One of the major restrictions of biomass transit is its low denseness. The denseness ranges from 60-80 kg/m3 for agricultural straws. Due to this, it occupies high volume doing the biomass hard for storage, transit, use and handling. Density increases over 10 times after compaction. Baling, pelletization, bulge and briquetting are the four chief types of compaction procedure done on agricultural straw. Baling is a field type compaction procedure, where all other compaction procedures are industrial type. Pelletizing and briquetting are normally found in biomass solid fuel industries, frequently called as binderless engineerings , which uses either piston imperativeness or a screw imperativeness. 3.3. Hydrolysis Hydrolysis is frequently defined as the chemical reaction type in which polymers of holocelluloses breakdown into monomers. Hydrolysis produces cut downing sugars from helocelluloses, which is comprised of cellulose and hemicellulose. Hydrolysis involves exposure of chemicals, enzymes for a period of clip at a specific temperature. Hydrolysis is the chemical reaction which involves transition of complex cell wall polyoses in the feedstocks into simpler sugar for farther agitation into ethyl alcohol. Acids and enzymes were used in ethanol production to catalyse this production procedure. Two common types of hydrolysis are Acid hydrolysis by either dilute or concentrated acid and Enzyme hydrolysis. Acerb Hydrolysis: Sulphuric acid and Hydrochloric acid are the powerful agents for Acid Hydrolysis. In-between these two, sulfuric acid is prevailing, as it was found to be better hydrolytic agent than Hcl. ( A.Singh et al. 1984 ) . In general, acerb hydrolysis requires either dilute Acid at higher temperature A ; force per unit area, or concentrated acid at low temperature. Concentrated acerb hydrolysis output high monomers than dilute acid hydrolysis.Xylan to xylose transition will be done in dilute acid hydrolysis. After this type of hydrolysis, the feedstock needs to be neutralized. Enzymatic Hydrolysis: This method of hydrolysis a a late developed method came into being by 1970 s, while the former one is being used since 19th century. Enzymatic interventions are preferred to the chemical 1s. Cellulase enzyme, synthesized from Fungi, bacteriums and workss, is the cardinal function for the reaction. Besides enzymes are of course obstructing in the palnt proteins. However, pretreatment is ver y much necessity for enzyme hydrolysis to interrupt the crystalline lignin so the enzyme can interact with cellulose and hemicelluloses. Glucose concentration is one of the hydrolysis rate-limiting factors in enzymatic hydrolysis. ( Lynd et al. 2002 ) . 3.4. Agitation Agitation the dislocation of sugar obtained from hydrolysis procedure into ethyl alcohol by action upon micro-organism. Types of agitation Separate hydrolysis A ; Fermentation Coincident Saccharification A ; Fermentation Direct Microbial Conversion ( Using thermophilic Bacteria ) Seperated Hydrolysis and agitation: Pretreatment and agitation are conducted individually and glucose concentration is one of the chief hurdlings for the procedure. Coincident sacarification and agitation ( SSF ) : This procedure requires less enzyme burden and the taint is reduced. This method is relatively faster and supply higher output. Gauss et al. , ( 1976 ) says that SSF procedure is already patented and is known as the Gulf SSF procedure. Direct Microbial transition: It combines all the three chief procedures in lignocelluloses bioconversion ( Cellulase production, cellulose hydrolysis and agitation ) . However, it has less hydrolysis rate than SSF or SHF. The being that has been most investigated for DMC method is C. thermocellum. ( Kiyoharu F. et Al. 1996 ) 3.5. Purification Removing unwanted compounds and bettering the ethanol per centum in the concluding merchandise is called purification. Distillation procedure is employed for purification. Purification is done in two stairss: Rectification, which achieves 96 % and desiccation that achieves 99.9 % 4. Options Swtich Grass The job with the current cellulosic ethyl alcohol production is due to lignin. To get the better of the job of lignin, switch grass has been tested over recent old ages due to its low degrees of lignin and high degrees of cellulose. Panicum Virgatum ( Switch grass ) can bring forth more 700 % energy than what it is supplied with. ( 16 ) The perennial works consumes low sum of H2O and it wont compete for nutrient with other harvests. The of import advantage of switch grass is that the 10 % of the genome is dedicated to cell wall and so by familial alteration it is further possible to increase the look of saccharides and finally high ethanol output. ( 18 ) Decision Cell wall polysaccrides forms the most effectual beginning for production ethyl alcohol and Fuel production by this method has large feasibleness due to abundance in Biomass handiness.

How to Make Easy, DIY Rochelle Salt

How to Make Easy, DIY Rochelle Salt Rochelle salt or potassium sodium tartrate is an interesting chemical that is used to grow large single crystals, which are attractive and interesting, but also may be used as transducers in microphones and gramophone pickups. The chemical is used as a food additive to contribute a salty, cooling taste. It is an ingredient in useful chemistry reagents, such  as Fehlings solution and Biuret reagent. Unless you work in a lab, you probably dont have this chemical lying around, but you can make it yourself in your own kitchen. Rochelle Salt Ingredients Cream of TartarWashing Soda or Sodium Carbonate (which you can get by heating baking soda or sodium bicarbonate in a 275 °F oven for an hour) Instructions Heat a mixture of about 80 grams cream of tartar in 100 milliliters of water to a boil in a saucepan.Slowly stir in sodium carbonate. The solution will bubble after each addition. Continue adding sodium carbonate until no more bubbles form.Chill this solution in the refrigerator. Crystalline Rochelle salt will form on the bottom of the pan.Remove the Rochelle salt. If you redissolve it in a small amount of clean water, you can use this material to grow single crystals. The key to growing Rochelle salt crystals is to use the minimum amount of water needed to dissolve the solid. Use boiling water to increase the solubility of the salt. You may wish to use a seed crystal to stimulate growth on a single crystal rather than throughout the container. Commercial Preparation of Rochelle Salt Commercial preparation of Rochelle salt is similar to how its made at home or in a small lab, but pH is carefully controlled and impurities are removed to ensure product purity. The process starts with potassium hydrogen tartrate (cream of tartar) that has a tartaric acid content of at least 68 percent. The solid is either dissolved in liquid from a previous batch or in water. Hot caustic soda is introduced to attain a pH value of 8, which also causes a saponification reaction. The resulting solution is decolorized using activated charcoal. Purification involves mechanical filtration and centrifugation. The salt is heated in a furnace to drive off any water before being packaged. Persons interested in preparing their own Rochelle salt and using it for crystal growth may wish to adopt some of the purification methods used in commercial production. This is because cream of tartar sold as a kitchen ingredient may contain other compounds (e.g., to prevent caking). Passing the liquid through a filter medium, such as filter paper or even a coffee filter, should remove most of the impurities and allow for good crystal growth. Rochelle Salt Chemical Data IUPAC Name: Sodium potassium L()-tartrate tetrahydrateAlso Known As: Rochelle salt, Seignettes salt, E337CAS Number: 304-59-6Chemical Formula: KNaC4H4O6 ·4H2OMolar Mass: 282.1 g/molAppearance: Colorless, odorless monoclinic needlesDensity: 1.79 g/cm ³Melting Point: 75  Ã‚ °C (167  Ã‚ °F; 348  K)Boiling Point: 220  Ã‚ °C (428  Ã‚ °F; 493  K)  Solubility: 26 g / 100 mL (0 â„Æ'); 66 g / 100 mL (26 â„Æ')Crystal Structure: Orthorhombic Rochelle Salt and Piezoelectricity Sir David Brewster demonstrated piezoelectricity using Rochelle salt in 1824. He named the effect pyroelectricity. Pyroelectricity is a property of some crystals characterized by natural electrical polarization. In other words, a pyroelectric material can generate a temporary voltage when heated or cooled. While Brewster named the effect, it was first referenced by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus (c. 314 BC) in reference to the ability of tourmaline to attract straw or sawdust when heated. Sources Brewster, David (1824). Observations of the pyro-electricity of minerals. The Edinburgh Journal of Science. 1: 208–215.Fieser, L. F.; Fieser, M. (1967). Reagents for Organic Synthesis, Vol.1. Wiley: New York. p. 983.Kassaian, Jean-Maurice (2007). Tartaric Acid. Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (7th ed.). Wiley. doi:10.1002/14356007.a26_163Lide, David R., ed. (2010). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (90th ed.). CRC Press, pp. 4–83.Newnham, R.E.; Cross, L. Eric (November 2005). Ferroelectricity: The Foundation of a Field from Form to Function. MRS Bulletin. 30: 845–846. doi:10.1557/mrs2005.272