Monday, September 30, 2019

Oedipus Rex

The Oral Presentation gave me a clear idea about how and what the author was trying to convey through his book. Not being from the time period at which the play was written made it difficult to interpret what Sophocles was trying to portray. Even though the presentation clarified most of my questions, I was still left pondering certain aspects of Oedipus Rex. In the book, the main question for me was if Oedipus really had control of his life or what he being controlled by the gods and fate. When Oedipus heard the prophecy for the first time, he tried to run away from it.That gives me inkling on Oedipus that tells me he believes in the prophecy and it will come to pass. When he really does kill his father without knowing and later tried to find the killer he says â€Å"Now my curse on the murderer. Whowever he is, a lone man unknown in his crime or one among many let that man drag out his life in agony† (Sophocles, 280 – 283). In reality he places that curse on himself a nd he really did spend the rest of his life in pain and agony as well as exile. In the presentation it shows the respect Greeks gave to the gods and elder as well as to their advice and wisdom.Also since they respected the gods, who were almighty, would punish you if you resisted their will. In the book it shows that because Oedipus killed his father, the plague started and until there has been justice and the man caught for the crime, the plague will keep killing people. In the presentation, it showed us that the plague was active during the time the play was written and it transfers over to the book because the author is trying to tell us that people were losing faith and thus causing plague which scared people to pin their hope on some higher power.In the book the chorus says that â€Å"great laws tower above us† (Sophocles, 957) which shows that people considered gods as the greatest Justice. That proves the fact that they respect the gods at the highest of level. This ma kes me want to learn more about their belief as well as what the prophecy meant to them. I also want to learn more about how the belief affected their everyday life and thoughts as well. That ends my thought on what I have learned from the presentation. The reflective essay also helped clear my thoughts on what I had learned from the presentation and sort out the facts. Oedipus Rex It is edifice alt to decide whether there should be a set criteria for a hero; professors use one man's SST ROR as a basis for questioning: Oedipus Rexes. Sophocles' play explores the adventures of a man and his actions, and how the two affected the way his life ended. He carried out m cost of Aristotle requirements for a highhanded man, including his pursuit of truth and a high stance in society. A key factor in his life was one that did not meet the standards, however: his I ace of good fortune.His tale challenges readers to brood over some important questions: What is a hero, and is it actions or fate that decides? One of the most important concepts Aristotle focuses on is one's good fortune e. He claims that, ‘The gifts of good fortune also are commonly thought to contribute to hi kindnesses. For those who are well born are thought worthy of honor,† (Witt, 160). A person that is highhanded generally has good things happen to him. Aristotle idea is mode irately accurat e; Decoys 2 people that aim for integrity usually encounter positive outcomes.Although it is out of his control, Oedipus fails to meet Aristotle standards in this division. The entire y of his bad luck is displayed during the final Antiheroes of the story: Ah Situation!†¦ When I was cast upon you, why did I not die?†¦ Then should never have shown the world my execrable birth†¦ My own blood, spilled by my own hand†¦ O marriage, marriage! That act that engendered me, and again the e act performed by the son in the same bed†¦ God hates me†¦ (Witt, 128) As Oedipus physically blinds himself, he finally reveals the truth about his life. Acknowledges being cursed as a baby and led to the land of Situation out of p tit, and the horrific actions he went on to commit thereafter; he ended up fulfilling his destiny Of murdering his father and sleeping with his mother. His whole life is spent running from the c ruse that was lain upon him, but fate brought him strai ght to it. Oedipus' unruly behavior is due to his lack of good fortune and the unmovable hand of fate. According to Aristotle, a highhanded man's fate tends to be positive, therefore making him more worthy of honor.In Oedipus' case, he lost all sense of respect once his true identity was revealed, making him a step below Aristotle ‘s specifications in this area. Aristotle also portrays the ideal man as one who values and strives for the true the. In â€Å"The Highhanded Man† he states, â€Å"He must care for the truth more than for what en will think of him, and speak and act openly. He will not hesitate to say what he thinks,† (Wi TTT, 160). The man described here is constant in his beliefs and is not afraid to make them know n, no matter what the consequences are.This is an extremely important virtue for any person to have, because one cannot truly believe in anything if he/ she does not believe in themselves enough to speak openly. Oedipus exhibits this trait during his conversation with his wife's brother Kerr Decoys 3 You murderer! Do you think I do not know that you plotted to kill me†¦ Am I†¦ A fool, that you should dream you could accomplish this?†¦ Thrones may be won or bought: you could do neither. (Witt, 116) This passage occurs after Terrifies admits his knowledge of Oedipus' past. Up on his return, the outraged king accuses Akron of attempting to steal his throne.Oedipus, of co ruse, is wrong in his accusations, but his underlying motive is to discover the truth. His search for answers overcame his fear of losing Akron as a friend. This selfless act would be considered as hi shinnied according to Aristotle standards. High social stature is another characteristic that a man must possess in order to be considered as highhanded. In Aristotle words, â€Å"The highhanded man, then, respect of the greatness of his deserts occupies an extreme position,† (Witt, 159). A man can not be regarded as highhanded unless his position in society is high, as well.Although there are many locals, honorable men, it is nearly impossible for one to be noticed as such without b Ewing relatively famous. Oedipus is welkin, for he holds the most important rank in the cit y, as he states in the beginning of the tragedy: â€Å"†¦ L have come myself to hear you l, Oedipus, who o bears the famous name,† (Witt, 110). In this passage, the king is addressing the people o f his city regarding their wishes to speak to him. Aristotle states that a highhanded ma n must be great in all ways, including his social status.As a fractals king, Oedipus fits this part o f Aristotle criteria perfectly. Oedipus exhibits many of the qualities Aristotle literature â€Å"The Highhanded Man† requires, despite his lack of good fortune. Looking into the origins of the mod render hero allows one to ponder about his or her own morality. Oedipus was an Larson d admirable man; he appealed to the people, sought justice, an d applied punishment where it w as deserved even Decoys 4 against himself. The wrongs he committed unknowingly were seemingly Univac addable, and every eve he made in between was aimed at goodness. Oedipus Rex The Oral Presentation gave me a clear idea about how and what the author was trying to convey through his book. Not being from the time period at which the play was written made it difficult to interpret what Sophocles was trying to portray. Even though the presentation clarified most of my questions, I was still left pondering certain aspects of Oedipus Rex. In the book, the main question for me was if Oedipus really had control of his life or what he being controlled by the gods and fate. When Oedipus heard the prophecy for the first time, he tried to run away from it.That gives me inkling on Oedipus that tells me he believes in the prophecy and it will come to pass. When he really does kill his father without knowing and later tried to find the killer he says â€Å"Now my curse on the murderer. Whowever he is, a lone man unknown in his crime or one among many let that man drag out his life in agony† (Sophocles, 280 – 283). In reality he places that curse on himself a nd he really did spend the rest of his life in pain and agony as well as exile. In the presentation it shows the respect Greeks gave to the gods and elder as well as to their advice and wisdom.Also since they respected the gods, who were almighty, would punish you if you resisted their will. In the book it shows that because Oedipus killed his father, the plague started and until there has been justice and the man caught for the crime, the plague will keep killing people. In the presentation, it showed us that the plague was active during the time the play was written and it transfers over to the book because the author is trying to tell us that people were losing faith and thus causing plague which scared people to pin their hope on some higher power.In the book the chorus says that â€Å"great laws tower above us† (Sophocles, 957) which shows that people considered gods as the greatest Justice. That proves the fact that they respect the gods at the highest of level. This ma kes me want to learn more about their belief as well as what the prophecy meant to them. I also want to learn more about how the belief affected their everyday life and thoughts as well. That ends my thought on what I have learned from the presentation. The reflective essay also helped clear my thoughts on what I had learned from the presentation and sort out the facts. Oedipus Rex It is edifice alt to decide whether there should be a set criteria for a hero; professors use one man's SST ROR as a basis for questioning: Oedipus Rexes. Sophocles' play explores the adventures of a man and his actions, and how the two affected the way his life ended. He carried out m cost of Aristotle requirements for a highhanded man, including his pursuit of truth and a high stance in society. A key factor in his life was one that did not meet the standards, however: his I ace of good fortune.His tale challenges readers to brood over some important questions: What is a hero, and is it actions or fate that decides? One of the most important concepts Aristotle focuses on is one's good fortune e. He claims that, ‘The gifts of good fortune also are commonly thought to contribute to hi kindnesses. For those who are well born are thought worthy of honor,† (Witt, 160). A person that is highhanded generally has good things happen to him. Aristotle idea is mode irately accurat e; Decoys 2 people that aim for integrity usually encounter positive outcomes.Although it is out of his control, Oedipus fails to meet Aristotle standards in this division. The entire y of his bad luck is displayed during the final Antiheroes of the story: Ah Situation!†¦ When I was cast upon you, why did I not die?†¦ Then should never have shown the world my execrable birth†¦ My own blood, spilled by my own hand†¦ O marriage, marriage! That act that engendered me, and again the e act performed by the son in the same bed†¦ God hates me†¦ (Witt, 128) As Oedipus physically blinds himself, he finally reveals the truth about his life. Acknowledges being cursed as a baby and led to the land of Situation out of p tit, and the horrific actions he went on to commit thereafter; he ended up fulfilling his destiny Of murdering his father and sleeping with his mother. His whole life is spent running from the c ruse that was lain upon him, but fate brought him strai ght to it. Oedipus' unruly behavior is due to his lack of good fortune and the unmovable hand of fate. According to Aristotle, a highhanded man's fate tends to be positive, therefore making him more worthy of honor.In Oedipus' case, he lost all sense of respect once his true identity was revealed, making him a step below Aristotle ‘s specifications in this area. Aristotle also portrays the ideal man as one who values and strives for the true the. In â€Å"The Highhanded Man† he states, â€Å"He must care for the truth more than for what en will think of him, and speak and act openly. He will not hesitate to say what he thinks,† (Wi TTT, 160). The man described here is constant in his beliefs and is not afraid to make them know n, no matter what the consequences are.This is an extremely important virtue for any person to have, because one cannot truly believe in anything if he/ she does not believe in themselves enough to speak openly. Oedipus exhibits this trait during his conversation with his wife's brother Kerr Decoys 3 You murderer! Do you think I do not know that you plotted to kill me†¦ Am I†¦ A fool, that you should dream you could accomplish this?†¦ Thrones may be won or bought: you could do neither. (Witt, 116) This passage occurs after Terrifies admits his knowledge of Oedipus' past. Up on his return, the outraged king accuses Akron of attempting to steal his throne.Oedipus, of co ruse, is wrong in his accusations, but his underlying motive is to discover the truth. His search for answers overcame his fear of losing Akron as a friend. This selfless act would be considered as hi shinnied according to Aristotle standards. High social stature is another characteristic that a man must possess in order to be considered as highhanded. In Aristotle words, â€Å"The highhanded man, then, respect of the greatness of his deserts occupies an extreme position,† (Witt, 159). A man can not be regarded as highhanded unless his position in society is high, as well.Although there are many locals, honorable men, it is nearly impossible for one to be noticed as such without b Ewing relatively famous. Oedipus is welkin, for he holds the most important rank in the cit y, as he states in the beginning of the tragedy: â€Å"†¦ L have come myself to hear you l, Oedipus, who o bears the famous name,† (Witt, 110). In this passage, the king is addressing the people o f his city regarding their wishes to speak to him. Aristotle states that a highhanded ma n must be great in all ways, including his social status.As a fractals king, Oedipus fits this part o f Aristotle criteria perfectly. Oedipus exhibits many of the qualities Aristotle literature â€Å"The Highhanded Man† requires, despite his lack of good fortune. Looking into the origins of the mod render hero allows one to ponder about his or her own morality. Oedipus was an Larson d admirable man; he appealed to the people, sought justice, an d applied punishment where it w as deserved even Decoys 4 against himself. The wrongs he committed unknowingly were seemingly Univac addable, and every eve he made in between was aimed at goodness. Oedipus Rex Sophocles in Oedipus Rex introduces the horrors of veracity through the journey the tragic hero Oedipus takes on. This tragedy encompasses all the concepts of Aristotle’s Poetics in regards to a complex plot. According to Aristotle, a tragedy is an event that has to arouse pity and fear to the readers; Oedipus contains all the features of this demand. In terms of Oedipus’ tragedy, he’s seen as the cursed one who consequently has to suffer the tragic repercussions of fate. In Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, destiny persecutes Oedipus as it demonstrates elements such as his hubris that is exemplified through his behavior, his tragic flaws that is hamartia and the reversal of his tragic discovery that leads him to fulfill the prophecy. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the author depicts Oedipus’ tragic flaw of hubris through his kingship in Thebes. His pride qualifies as Aristotle’s concept of a tragic character. Aristotle’s tragic character is defined as a character that must occupy a high status and also embody virtues. Aristotle defines Oedipus’ hubris as â€Å"his excessive pride that causes the hero to ignore a divine warning break of moral law† (Aristotle 43). Oedipus is confident about solving the murder of king Laius. His character’s self-belief is exemplified through this quote; â€Å"by the mouth of messengers, I have myself came hither, Oedipus, known far and wide by name (Sophocles 1)†. This demonstrates how Oedipus is confident in his popularity, because he was the one who solved the Sphinx’s riddle and therefore believes that he deserves immediate respect and recognition. Oedipus illustrates himself as being the only intelligent one in all of Thebes, â€Å"with [his] readiness to afford all aid; hard hearted must [he] be (Sophocles 1)†. This passage clearly exhibits his arrogance as it also clarifies his hubris, which, in in end, leads to his downfall. Furthermore, he speaks to people in a pretentious manner; â€Å"what you come see is known already – not unknown to me (Sophocles 3)†. This once again acts as an addition to Aristotle’s concept of hubris. Oedipus permits himself to freely behave with a highly conceded attitude that is exemplified through â€Å"Come to each singly; by at my once groans for the city, and for myself, and you,† (Sophocles 3). The structure of this quote indicates Oedipus’ high attitude towards the problems that dawn upon Thebes. Instead of showing his audience that his primary concerns re of himself, his focus is the security of the town. In doing so, it displays the tenacity of his pride and thinking he can save the city of Thebes by himself, yet also displaying his dedication, which can be seen as a heroic quality: â€Å"I [am] confident, nor prone to fear (Sophocles 4)†. His hubris is once again exemplified when questioning the blind man, Tiresias. This man is known to only speak the truth, and when threatened by Oedipus to express that knowledge about the murder, it leads to a tragedy, rather than enlightenment, in this plot. Tiresias reveals the truth to Oedipus because of his perseverance in uncovering the truth. As he lets his hubris blurry his sight by believing he was lied to by Tiresisas and Creon because he thinks he is too virtuous to have committed such actions. Oedipus rejects all possibilities of such and rather refers to it as a plan to try and throw him off his reign: â€Å"For you would rouse a very stone to wrath – will you not speak out ever but stand thus relentless and persistent (Sophocles 13)†. This passage shows that there is a lingering fear within the king’s mind. He uses the excuse that they are trying to overthrow him because he was the one who solved the riddle of the sphinx, which potentially means they were jealous of his position. Oedipus believes that by tricking him, they would reign over Thebes. Oedipus’ negligence in accepting responsibility, along with his surplus of pride leads to his refusal in accepting the truth and instead opts to blame others. Tiresias tells him â€Å" you censure; but your own, at home, you see not, and blame me! Sophocles 13)†: this shows that Tiresias has had it with Oedipus’ hubris and him not being able to accept the truth, foreshadowing that Oedipus’ greatness is a tragic harbinger of his fall. Oedipus pushed himself into his fate which destruction is brought upon him through his ruthless means and arrogance. Oedipus’ hubris is portrayed through his thoughts, words and actions which eventua lly begin to work against him. Oedipus’ egoism leads him to think that he is perfect in everything, however, his superior attitude leads him to what Aristotle defines as one of the key points of a tragedy; hamartia. Aristotle’s meaning of hamartia is defined as â€Å"the change of fortune should be not from bad to good, reversely from good to bad. It should come about as the result not of vice, but of some great error or frailty in a character either such as we have described or better rather than worse (Aristotle 23). In Oedipus’ case, hamarita is seen when he wants to know the truth but also plays a role in leading to his downfall . The notion of hamartia is seen during Oedipus’ discussion with Tiresias: when the blind prophet reveals the truth to him. Oedipus disagrees with Tiresias’ statement, as he proclaims, â€Å"For I shall not be found a murderer (Sophocles 21)†. This passage indicates that he can’t be seen as the man who has killed the former king, although his determined search for the truth will uncover to him that that is exactly what he is. Because of this discussion, Tiresias abandons the scene thereby leaving Oedipus alone in his frustration, â€Å"this be the last time I shall gaze on thee, who am revealed to have nee born of those of whom I ought not – to have wedded whom I ought to be – and slain who I might not slay! (Sophocles 42)†. Oedipus believes he has evaded fate, but ironically he has fulfilled everything the oracle had explained to him, and it is is hamartia, his search for the truth that has pushed him to these realizations. Subsequently, he consults his wife Jocasta by telling her that Tiresias condemned him and revealed his prophecy. Jocasta, already knowing the truth, attempts to persuade him by giving up his search. However, because of his hamartia, Oedipus does not stop his search he continues with his attempts at finding out the truth about the prophecy of him killing his father and sleeping with his mother. This is seen as Oedipus’ annoyance of the truth, â€Å"more miserable than I am? Who on earth could have been born with more of hate from heaven? (Sophocles 29)†. This passage shows Oedipus’ realization that perhaps the prophet was right. â€Å"I am at the horror (Sophocles 41)†, indicates that Oedipus, beginning to panic, decides to consult the old man who knows the events. His hamartia is that which compels him to do so. However, the prophet refuses to say anything, so Oedipus says, â€Å"tell me the whole truth, or you will come to it! (Sophocles 41)†. Oedipus is once again arrogant in discovering the truth, but still seeks it. The old man, threatened for his life, begins to tell the tale of the patricide, â€Å"†¦and I hear. But I must hear – no less (Sophocles 41)†. The truth is out there now; Oedipus has uncovered the mystery of the murderer. It is Oedipus’ actions that bring things into motion, but it is his fate, pride and his hamartia, as he relentlessly wants the truth, that lead him to his downfall. Oedipus’ ignorance comes from his fear concerning the appalling horror of the possible truth and its devastating implications. This falls into the category of Aristotle’s concept in what makes a good tragedy; peripeteia. Aristotle defines it as the â€Å"reversal of the situation [which] is a change by which the action veers round to its opposite† (Aristotle 20). This concept is the reversal of a situation, which is the transition from ignorance to knowledge. The situations encompass scenes of suffering and of painful actions. In Oedipus’ case, his downfall is where he finally realizes that his prophecy of â€Å"self-slain† (Sophocles 44) was predestined to occur. Peripeteia, necessary for a complex plot, occurs when he realizes this, as we see in that quote. By this truth being actually understood, all consequences fall into place for Oedipus. First off, Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife and mother, knew the truth about Oedipus all along; she even pierced his tendons when he was younger so he couldn’t run away when she put him in a forest. After she found out that Oedipus discovered the truth, she locked herself in the bedroom alone and hung herself, â€Å"for whom it was impossible to watch, the ending of her misery (Sophocles 45)†. Oedipus is slowly introduced to the miseries of this truth; â€Å"say where he could find his wife – no wife, rather the [dead-corpse] of his mother (Sophocles 45)†. With his mother/wife dead, he could no longer handle the outcome of what his life came to be, so he no longer knows how to act, and is compelled to doing the most extreme of actions: â€Å"what followed; snatching from her dress gold pins wherewith she was adorned, he lifted them, and smote the nerves of his own eyeballs, saying that they should see no more (Sophocles 45)†. Oedipus could not put up with the realization; so instead, he opted to remove his sight. He could no longer bear the physical world and chose to focus on the psychological torment that accompanies the contemplation of the truth: â€Å"What deity was it that with a leap so great – farther than farthest – sprang on thy sad fate? Woe is me, woe is me for thee – unfortunate! (Sophocles 46)†. As blood is shrieking out of his eyes, he blinds himself in agony, demonstrating that nothing is worse than looking at the miserable truth. The irony is that even though he no longer has sight; he can now finally see the truth of the prophecy. As said when he was king, whoever the murderer was to be exiled from Thebes, so in order to fulfill this statement, he asks Creon, the new king â€Å"lead me to exile straight; Lead me, O my friends, the worst of murderers, or mortals most accurst, yea and to Gods chief object of their hate. (Sophocles 48)†. In addition to the demand of exile, he also asks Creon to take care of his daughters, as he can no longer bear the sight f them: â€Å"Knowing what is left of bitter in the life which at men’s hands you needs must henceforth live (Sophocles 53)†. This shows that Oedipus is talking to his daughters and telling them the truth, which is that no one will want to marry them because they were born from an incestuous marriage and because of this, they will be excluded from this society: the horrors of his actions cease to stop. Oedipus is then exiled from the city, expressing â€Å"to Gods, above all men, I am a mark for hat (Sophocles 53)†. Oedipus loses his sight and family, exiled from the city of Thebes, but gains the truth and lives in humility. Oedipus’ hubris was a mixture of rage and pride that unfortunately was possessed. The Greeks believed that this sin was grave and one of the most dangerous because people with such pride thought that they were above the Gods. Seeing that Oedipus’ arrogance is so strong as a consequent it led to his downfall. Therefore the result of hubris led him to a tragic fate. It is only when Oedipus’ plucks out his eyes that he returns to a human state. Oedipus’ character brings out his hubris, hamartia and recognition that enable it to fit under the concept of Aristotle’s complex plot.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Descriptive and Inferential Statistics2

Descriptive and Inferential Statistics The world of science would find itself lost without research. Research alone however, oftentimes will not answer the questions or solve the problems that scientists set out to solve. Statistics is where research becomes applied and scientists can make educated guesses about future outcomes. â€Å"Formally, statistics is a branch of mathematics that focuses on organization, analysis, and interpretation of a group of numbers† (Aron, Aron, and Coups, 2006). There are two main branches of statistics that we will explore; descriptive and inferential statistics. The main relationship between descriptive and inferential statistics is that they all include numbers from either actual given information or inferred assumptions that try to draw a conclusion or complete given data. Descriptive Statistics Descriptive statistics is a method of research used by psychologists. Descriptive statistics make statistics understandable and describes a group of numbers for a research study (Aron, Aron and Coups,2006). Descriptive statistics are used in summarizing large sets of quantitative or numerical information. If there is a large amount of information for measurement, the best way to show the information is by a graph (Boerre, 2005). Descriptive statistics provide a simple summary about the sample and the measurements. Descriptive statistics describes the data; it allows the researcher to understand a large amount of numbers or data in a simple way (Social Research, 2009). Central tendency refers to the idea that one number can summarize the entire set of measurement. This is a number that is in some way central to the set (Boerre, 2005). The mode is the measurement that has been found to be the most frequent. Although the mode, or greatest frequency number, is not used very often, it is useful when differences are rare or non-numerical (Boerre, 2005). The median is the number which is half of the measurement, or midpointof the numbers. The median is a good measurement of the centrality of the numbers and is a better measurement in centrality that the mean when the data is skewed (Boerre, 2005). The mean is the average. The mean is the sum of all the measurements, divided by the numbers of the measured. Mean is often used in central tendency (Boerre, 2005). Descriptive statistics may be used in measuring a person’s IQ. When intelligence testing is done, some of these tests are then shown in descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics might also be used in showing the GPA or grade point average of a class. Descriptive statistics makes information clear, concise, and easy to read (Social Research, 2009). An example of descriptive statistics would be tables and graphs which are used a lot in medical research studies. Descriptive statistics allow a researcher to describe or summarize their data. For example, descriptive statistics for a study using human subjects might include the sample size, mean age of participants, percentage of males and females, range of scores on a study measure, descriptive statistics are often briefly presented at the beginning of the Results†, according to, (Statistically Significant Consulting, LLC, 2003-2010). Inferential Statistics Conclusio n Statistics gives form to research in that it organizes, analyzes, and interprets the data collected. Descriptive statistics often describe groups or populations researched, whereas inferential statistics help its users draw conclusions about future events. Both of these statistical methods play valuable roles in science. References Aron, A. , Aron, E. , & Coups, E. (2006). Statistics for Psychology (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Statistically Significant Consulting, LLC, (2003-2010). Statistics Overview. Retrieved from http://www. statisticallysignificantconsulting. com/statistics101. htm

Friday, September 27, 2019

Future Direction of Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Future Direction of Health Care - Essay Example One of the most important challenges that will influence the future strategic direction of the healthcare sector is the advancement of information technology. The sector will face challenges with the implementation of technological platforms such as electronic medical and health records. For instance, the sector has to train workers on how to use the platform in order to maximize service delivery and achieve organizational goals (Shi & Singh, 2010). Additional complications may emerge in cases where service providers try to avoid penalties because of the failure to implement the platforms. The issue of information confidentiality is also applicable in this case. Users of healthcare information technology must maintain high levels of confidentiality, while ensuring that the systems are safe and efficient. The healthcare sector will expectedly experience a shortage of skilled workers. Most of the skilled and experienced workers are within the retirement age. The fact that the workforce is aged leads to problems of reduced productivity. When the retiring workforce leaves the workplace, there will be a loss of skill, knowledge and experience (Shi & Singh, 2010). In addition to the retiring workforce, the healthcare sector faces competition for workers from other countries and international organizations. Most healthcare practitioners are relocating to countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. Economics will influence the future strategic direction of healthcare because they determine the cost of healthcare and the availability of financial resources for the management of the sector. Government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare are unsustainable (Shi & Singh, 2010). The current structure of these programs is not sufficient for the achievement of their goals. Funding towards these programs increase yearly, but they are not able to provide services to their target

Relate the structure of the retina to its function. Explain how the Essay

Relate the structure of the retina to its function. Explain how the retina changes due to retinitis pigmentosa - Essay Example The photoreceptors function by receiving information transmitted in the form of light. This information is then transferred to the optic nerves, to the brain through the optic disc, the spot on the lower outside of the retina. The eye has two major cavities filled with clear water liquid. One, is located between the lens and the cornea, which is filled by the aqueous humor. The other is located behind the lens within the eyeball itself, just touching the retina. This is filled by the jellylike vitreous humour which constitutes the bulk of the eye. These liquids function as liquid lenses. Similar to the cornea and most parts of the eye, their function is to focus the light into the retina as liquid lenses. As said earlier, the retina houses the photoreceptors so that information can then be transferred to the brain for interpretation (Vander, et. Al, 2001). The main question now is why is the retina placed as far inside the eye where information has to be passed from many different parts like cornea, pupil and liquid lenses, and when speed of information transmission is very necessary especially in sensory organs. The last thought exactly answers the structural question of the anatomy of the eye. The retina is structured to layer the inner cavity of the eye to allow more surface area for information to be passed to the many different photoreceptors housed in the retina. The liquid vitreous humor helps disperse this light so that information can pass to the photoreceptors at a single instant instead of the light being directed at a single line and spreading to the many different photoreceptors in the retina. This means that the retina is perfectly structured for speed in processing of information. It is also easier to vascularize this way than if the whole cavity is filled with retinal cells (Feinberg, 2004). What is it with the retina that allows its function? The retina contains two types of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

K Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

K - Assignment Example Also when certain operations are not running well, I point out the problem, act with speed and resolve the issue. Wrong information leads to great and unexpected losses. They must be dealt with as fast as possible and great conscious to avoid further misleading information. For an organization to run smoothly and efficiently, rules and regulations must be totally adhered to. For this reason, I fearlessly make sure that all the organizations rules and regulations are well set, well known to all and also followed to the letter by all the employees within the organization. This can be simpler during recruiting and hiring new staff where they will sign the rules they will apprehend with before they are hired. Also strict penalties to those who fail to abide. Different problems arise in different occasions as well as from different personnel’s. As a result, once a problem is reported to me, I’ll identify the cause of the problem by listening to the grievances from both parties and together we come up with a long lasting solution. Different problems call for different solutions and a lot of attention will be a necessity to avoid future recurrences. It is always my great pleasure and passion to work and properly relate with different personnel’s from different cultures, tribe, and country. This has given me a chance to learn more about other cultures and learn new things. This brings along different ideas that can also bring around accepted changes and growth to the company. Proper interaction with people of different race, culture and country will help them feel accepted, motivated and recognized. Whenever I receive any kind of information from any employee of my organization, I listen and handle the information carefully. I secretly investigate and analyze the information which leads me to better conclusions that will always favour the organization and all its employees and still maintain the informer

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Wk2 INTL304 Forum Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wk2 INTL304 Forum - Coursework Example Human source intelligence is considered the oldest method of information collection. The intelligence is collected from human sources. Collection of such data entails clandestine acquisition of documents, photographs and other related materials1. Going for the source of information ensures that the data collected is reliable and viable. Human intelligence entails all the information that is directly obtained from various human sources. It includes a wide range of activities from direct observation and reconnaissance to the use of spies and informants. The source of information is of essence since the information can be distorted when being moved from one source to the other. It is important to evaluate the target of collection before actual collection is done to avoid confusion and to ensure the information is thoroughly collected2. The intelligent information may end up not being viable in cases where wrong targets are selected. It may also take a long time to reach the source if the wrong targets are the ones selected in the beginning. Being aware of the source of intelligence information will help to identify the magnitude of the threat and thereby coming up with effective mitigation measures. Intelligence officials are t herefore tasked with a mandate of ensuring that the information collected is reliable and of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Amearican Pop Cultures and Politics from 1940 to Present ( short Essay

Amearican Pop Cultures and Politics from 1940 to Present ( short questions) - Essay Example During the formal political protest of 1950-1970, audiotopia music was used to make an awakening call to Americans to oppose bad governance and fight for more civil rights and liberty. 2. Formal politics are the kind of politics that is defined by the law. In this case, there exists a legal framework on which all political issues are inclined. Just as the title implies, they are formal, organized, and very easily defined and identified. Formal politics are done be organized groups and individuals and in most cases, they involves divergent opinions on some legal perspectives. On the other hand, cultural politics are informal. In this case, culture politics basically defines the role of culture in defining economic, social and political lives of the people. As such, it involves everyday acts of political changes and ideas that are not intentional or at least based on cultural aspects. During 1940-1950, politics in America were marked with huge changes as a result of amendments made on the law to regulate the way politics are conducted. In this case, the two types of politics were harmonized so as to complete each other. between 1960 and 1970, more formalization of p olitics was done such that a shift from cultural politics to modern politics were experienced. 3.A moral panic is the term used to express a strong feeling of fear among the population that the social and moral orientation of their culture is being threatened. In this case, moral panic in America during the period 1950 to 1990 was marked with changes in the moral aspect of people. As such, more and more people started engaging in immoral behavior that was seen as catastrophic to future generation. Moral decadence was experience mainly in 1980s and 1990s whereby the issue of sexual immorality was seen to be on the riding trend. Many cases of teenage pregnancy and indecency acts

Monday, September 23, 2019

What do you see as advantages & disadvantages of being native a Essay

What do you see as advantages & disadvantages of being native a speaker and a non-native speaker - Essay Example Native speakers of a language enjoy numerous advantages over their non-native counterparts who, subsequently, experience a range of disadvantages due to social exclusion, lack of any intense or ongoing semantic familiarity and the burden of social or ethnic otherness that finds itself replicated in language systems. Advantages also exist for non-native speakers however, as the concept of English as a 'global language' creates a simplified, secondary stream of English language communication. Native and non-native speakers therefore enjoy both positive and negative flow on effects from their degree of expertise or familiarity - and these effects vary as global language systems evolve. As the use of English spreads throughout the world and the concept of a 'global english' becomes more viable - a clear delineation emerges between native and non-native speakers of the promoted dominant language. There is a clear linguistic stratification within groups who are 'speakers' of a certain lang uage. Even within groups of native speakers there are cultural, socio-economic and micro-social dialectic particulars creating sub-categories of communication that produce exclusivity within even smaller groups.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Curriculum Development for Small Group Esl Essay Example for Free

Curriculum Development for Small Group Esl Essay I. Description of Learners This private tutoring course has been developed for three elementary school girls, ages 8 11. They are sisters, recent immigrants from Saudi Arabia, who will be living and attending school in the U.S. for approximately two years. These students have been assigned a private English language tutor by Cartus Intercultural Language Solutions on behalf of Chevron Corporation, as part of their family’s transfer package. The students have a language background in Arabic, which is the primary language spoken in their home. They each attend a small, private, international school, where their teachers allow them certain â€Å"ESL modifications†. Information gathered from these students’ needs assessment evaluations (to be discussed in section three) showed them to be in the early production stage of English language development. They have limited listening and speaking proficiency, a firm grasp of the Latin alphabet, and the ability to read and write at about a kindergarten level. The students were very hesitant to speak English initially, which made assessment difficult. II. Course Rationale Cartus’ language trainers develop individualized programs to meet the needs of each participant, based on the results of the initial needs assessment process. Language trainers design programs for such practical applications as function-specific skills and vocabulary and conversational proficiency in order to increase your participant’s competency and confidence. Every aspect of the training program is customized. Considering this scenario, there is no standardized curriculum. Once students’ needs have been assessed, and reachable goals have been determined, then materials must be purchased in order to meet course objectives. The primary stakeholder is the children’s father, the students themselves are the secondary stakeholders, and their elementary teachers could be considered as tertiary stakeholders. III. Needs Analysis Cartus leaves analysis and evaluation up to the individual language instructor. An interview was conducted with the father over the phone to determine his goals for each child. During this conversation he also provided insight into each child’s personality and individual English proficiency. It was then discovered that a previous trainer had conducted an English language assessment while the children were still in Saudi Arabia. This assessment can be seen in Appendix 1. Considering the results of the previous assessment, the instructor conducted one on one interviews with each child trying to gauge their levels of proficiency in the following areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The instructor sought to identify any gaps between what students are able to do and what they are required to do at school. Low beginning level questions, such as the ones listed below, were asked in order to define both preliteracy and literacy skills the students possessed. These initial questions were asked orally. How many brothers do you have? How many sisters do you have? What is the name of your teacher? What is the name of your baby sister? How many fingers do you have? What is your favorite toy? In addition, during the course of the program, one of the children’s teachers was consulted in order to identify more specific goals. IV. Goals and Objectives The students’ father is the primary determiner of their educational goals. He stated, â€Å"They each need to be able to read passages at a faster rate and be able to speak and conversate.† (sic) In order to achieve these goals, the instructor took into account the students’ needs and abilities and set the following objectives to meet the father’s fairly broad goal: * Know the names and sounds of all the consonants and vowels * Understand phonics concepts such as consonant combinations * Follow along, reading, and summarizing simple stories with pictures * Demonstrate understanding of everyday vocabulary * Follow simple oral instructions * Demonstrate understanding of the most fundamental, specialized vocabulary in content areas (e.g., shapes, colors, alphabet, numerals, animals) * Understand nouns, verbs, and punctuation * Understand singular and plural * Understand common and proper nouns * Understand simple past, present, and future tenses. V. Course content Lessons are conducted in the students’ home for three hours four days a week. The instructor has purchased all study materials and supplies to be used for the program. The materials are kept at the students’ home for them to use on their own over the weekend. Occasionally a student will have a homework assignment that needs to be addressed by the language instructor. In those instances the subject matter is incorporated into the curriculum and each student will learn key aspects of the material in a situational capacity. Although the students are of varying ages, due to their intimacy and language background, lessons are often conducted as a small group. It has been established that they challenge one another to speak English and are competitive when it comes to reading and responding to questions in English. They have a positive effect on one another, so the occasional situational content can be either elaborated upon or simplified as needed. Over the first months of the program, lessons were focused on advancing the students from the silent period to initial stages of speech. The students were introduced to concepts of consonants, vowels, and phonics before additional topics were explored. Once students began to speak and read with increasing frequency, they began reading sentences and discussing stories. Recently they have been able to volunteer information about themselves, their day at school, and other activities. Below are examples of lessons on vowel sounds, consonant blends, rhyming, and reading VI. MaterialsThe instructor has purchased compatible study materials to be used and shared by all of the girls. There is no one overaching core book, rather many workbooks, puzzles, games, and story books are used throughout the lessons. In addition to some of the worksheets shown above, those materials include the following: This book introduces consonant combinations such as â€Å"sl†, â€Å"st†, and â€Å"sk†. Students read the instructions and follow the instructions to fill in the blank, match sentences to corresponding pictures, and fill in crossword puzzles. This book introduces consonant combinations such as â€Å"sl†, â€Å"st†, and â€Å"sk†. Students read the instructions and follow the instructions to fill in the blank, match sentences to corresponding pictures, and fill in crossword puzzles. This phonetic puzzle reinforces students’ understanding of long and short vowel sounds, and is also used to increase vocabulary. This phonetic puzzle reinforces students’ understanding of long and short vowel sounds, and is also used to increase vocabulary. This pack of cards is used to refresh student’s memory of past lessons, and also to make short sentences or phrases. This pack of cards is used to refresh student’s memory of past lessons, and also to make short sentences or phrases. These beginning reading books provide pictoral cues to accompany the sentences. Students are able to recognize animals and food in the books and learn their English names. They are also able to practice phonetic reading skills. These beginning reading books provide pictoral cues to accompany the sentences. Students are able to recognize animals and food in the books and learn their English names. They are also able to practice phonetic reading skills. Magnetic letters are used to create words and fascilitate reading phonetically. Students make rhyming words and create new words by adding â€Å"sneaky silent e† to the ends of short vowel sound words. Magnetic letters are used to create words and fascilitate reading phonetically. Students make rhyming words and create new words by adding â€Å"sneaky silent e† to the ends of short vowel sound words. VII. AssessmentBecause these students are not graded or scored, their knowledge and ability must be assessed in less structured, more organic ways. The students attend English language school every day and have certain anxieties in regard to tests and quizzes. Assessment is performed during every lesson to determine what tools and materials are meeting the students’ needs, as well as how the students respond to the materials. The students’ father, as well as comments from classroom teachers provide vital information that the language instructor uses to assess the students, to inform future lesson content, and to raise the bar for students’ objectives.Students are on a break for the holidays, but during their last lesson they were asked some of the following questions:What is a noun?Can you each name three common nouns?What is a proper n oun? How do you write a proper noun?If one is a â€Å"fox†, what are two called?If one is a â€Å"foot†, what are two called?Can you name three words that rhyme with â€Å"cat†?Can you name three words that start with â€Å"sk† like â€Å"skip†?The word â€Å"dime†, does it have a short or long vowel sound?What gives it that sound?How much is a dime worth?What is the opposite of â€Å"up†?What is the opposite of â€Å"hot†?If your body needs food you are _______If your body needs water you are _______Their answers were used to set homework assignments and to establish new goals once lessons resume in January.Observation and interview results have indicated that the students are progressing well into â€Å"high beginner proficiency† and are beginning to understand language and use it in a limited capacity. Typically, they memorize words and phrases and can comprehend and utilize language that they havebeen taught. The curriculum focuses on applying literacy skills to the development of new knowledge. In second language acquisition, social language usually precedes academic language development.Appendix 1. References Dept. of Education, State of Tennessee. 2005. ESL Curriculum Standards: Proficiency Levels. Retrieved December 22, 2012, from http://www.fentress.k12tn.net/ESL Cartus, 2012 Intercultural and Language Training Worldwide. Retrieved December 22, 2012, from www.cartus.comFerlazzo, L., and K. Hull Sypnieski. 2012. The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.FlashKids Editors, 2010. Phonics Blends. U.S. FlashKids Books.Magnetic Letters, 2012, Lakeshore Learning Materials.Richards, J.C. 2001. Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Sight Words, 2012, Lakeshore Learning MaterialsWho Lives at the Pond? Parents. Minibook. Activities: Science Nature: Ages 3-6. Retrieved December 22, 2012 from www.scholastic.com Worksheets for Young ESL Learners. Retrieved December 22 from 2012,www.bogglesworldesl.com Vowel Sounds Match Ups,

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Premarital Sex Essay Example for Free

Premarital Sex Essay Premarital sex is a huge problem in society today; the numbers are staggering. Among people who have been married, a raging ninety- three percent of men, and eighty percent of women (between ages eighteen and fifty-four) have lost their virginity before their honeymoon. Teens everywhere are not waiting until they are married to have sex. Teenagers are saying, ‘sex is fun’ and ‘everybody is doing it’. Teens are less developed, emotionally and physically before having sex, and they are not prepared for the serious problems that come along with their decision to have sex. There are always consequences when a teenager chooses to have sex. Teenagers, according to some polls, view premarital sex as acceptable as long as ‘two people love each other’. If at age sixteen a teenager tells a parent or someone older that they are in love, the parent will laugh and say that no teenager at sixteen has experienced true love. Love is something one experiences when one is mature and ready for a life-long commitment, not when one is involved in a two-year high school crush. Premarital sex is based on selfishness, not on love†. If one has passionate feelings for someone, one may feel the need to have intercourse with that person. Teens need to open their eyes and see the harmful effects of premarital sex. Premarital sex hurts you, running the risk of getting diseases and it profoundly scars you emotionally, by cutting you off from God. Some teenage girls are saying, Oh I’ll be fine, I am on birth control and we used a condom; there are no worries. No form of contraception can prevent a heart from being broken and a soul from being lost. Sexuality is an instinct imprinted into the genes of each living creature. Attraction to the opposite sex has been the key factor behind reproduction and survival of each species. Most of the species are born with only seasonal sexual necessities. They mate and reproduce only at limited times a year. Human beings, on the other hand, have active sexual instincts throughout his/her life; right from the very day he/she discovers his/her sexuality in pre-adulthood. This instinct has found overpowering the cultural advancement we have gained over the past. Sexuality is only sexuality for all other animals, but human beings have restricted forms of sexuality like pre-marital sexuality and extra-marital sexuality. The main reason behind introducing this restriction is that unlike all other animals we live in a civilized society with strict norms of morality and cultural obligations. The society always long for mature relationships and mutual respect between each member of this society. The main goal behind bringing in the sexual restrictions is that each member of this society should be treated with dignity and not as instruments of fulfilling lust. II. Body Meaning Though a human being gains the physical maturity of procreation at the beginning of puberty, he/she is considered eligible for mating and reproduction much later may be after 18 years of age or 20. And also the society insists that a sexual practice outside a marriage is improper and illegal at times. Premarital sexuality is any sexual activity with an opposite sex partner or with a same sex partner before he/she has started a married life. The term is usually used to refer the intercourse before the legal age of a marriage. Adults who presumably marry eventually also fall under this definition.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Potential Of The Kalabagh Dam Environmental Sciences Essay

The Potential Of The Kalabagh Dam Environmental Sciences Essay Should the government commence the construction of Kalabagh Dam or should the project be abandoned? Kalabagh Dam, one of the largest projects pending in Pakistan, is to be located on river Indus at a site about 100 miles away from the capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad. The project was first conjured by the Government of Pakistan under the regime of Ghulam Muhammad in 1953. However, its project report which intended to inform and convince everyone about its economic and technical feasibility was completed by 1984 during the rule of the military leader Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. The Kalabagh Dam project was designed with the support of the United Nations Development Program under the supervision of the World Bank. Having a live storage capacity of 6.1 million acre feet of water and producing 2400MW of electricity, Kalabagh Dam appears like the only solution to the water related issues facing Pakistan. Since the inception of this project till today, all four provinces continue to argue abou t the projects potential disadvantages and advantages. The benefits of building and running this dam which include obtaining cheap energy and increasing crop yield are tempting; however, after conducting an unbiased cost benefit analysis, it appears that the projects harmful effects like the displacement of people, damage to the environment, high cost, and no significant control over flood water flow outweigh the few advantages that might be achieved through its construction. The first and foremost important purpose for the Kalabagh Dam is considered to be the filling up of the huge gap in the demand and supply of electricity. According to PEPCO, Pakistan Electric Power Company, the total electricity shortfall in Pakistan is 3000 to 4000 MWs; supply from various sources being 11,815 MWs and the demand being 14,904 MWs. Pakistans population suffers greatly due to this deficit because it has to face long hours of load shedding also in areas which face unbearably hot summers. Electricity shortage to industries is detrimental to the economy, reducing exports in a country which already faces an alarming negative balance of payments. Not only is industrial load shedding disconcerting, threatening to destabilize the economy drastically if supply is not urgently met, or programs are not put into action immediately, but household shortage of electricity is also upsetting the social and economic infrastructure of the country. A study carried out by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) on the development of the power sector found that presently only 65 to 70 percent of 172 million people have access to electricity. The dire need for the demand of electricity to be met, then, cannot be ignored. The study by the Competition Commission of Pakistan also detailed that the country can generate a total of 40,000 MWs from Hydel resources, but owing to lesser exploitation, only 6500 MWs have been utilized from this energy source. The Kalagbagh Dam can hence be seen as a project that is immediately required in order to extract electricity from Pakistans natural resources. However, alternative, less controversial and hence more readily implementable plans to meet energy demands are also prevalent. Various small plans that cater to meeting the demand for electricity cannot be ignored; for instance wind energy projects, nuclear power reactors, coal power projects as well as solar energy utilization projects are also present. Solar energy panels covering several rural areas of Pakistan are under construction right now, with some of them near completion. These projects as a whole are expected to generate electric power of at least 3500 MWs together. Similarly Pakistan has a total of abou t 185,000 metric ton reserves of coal, while only 3300 metric tons have been exploited as yet for power generation. China has agreed to build several other power plants in Pakistan which are set to complete in the coming years; these plants, including Nandipur (425 MWs, Thermal), Guddu(800 MWs, Thermal) and Neelam-Jhelum(1000 MWs, Hydro), Chashma (1200 MWs, Nuclear) will add more than 3000 MWs of power generating capacity. Therefore Kalabagh dams importance as the only source for filling in the energy shortage is diluted; furthermore the heightened debate over it which has been stretching over for many years now stalls the process of implementing more energy generating programs. At the same time, the Kalabagh Dam project is considered to act as a cheap alternative source of energy. However, this cheap energy advantage in the production of electricity conversely will not benefit the population because WAPDA (Water And Power Development Authority) and KESC (Karachi Electric Supply Company) are both under debt incurring losses of 28% and 40% respectively.(Forex) This means that any cost advantage earned by both of these bodies due to using a relatively cheaper hydro-electric energy source will not be passed down to the customers. Additionally, Pakistan has abundant coal in the Thar reservoir in Sindh from where coal can be extracted and used to produce cheap electricity; foreign investment has been attracted over the years to exploit such reserves providing a feasible alternative to the much disputed Karbala Dam. The problem posed by diminishing storage capacities of dams due to silting which occurs over the years must be taken into account as well. A study carried out by TAMS-Wallingford in March 1998 explains that the capacity lost in Tarbela and Mangla Dams is approximately equal to the proposed capacity of Kalabagh Dam. The study says that a de-silted Tarbela Dam will yield the same benefit as the Kalabagh Dam; however the cost incurred would be one seventh of that than in the case of the construction of a new dam in net present value terms. Therefore, the Kalabagh Dam will only be a more expensive replacement providing storage capacity that is equal to that provided by the construction of new outlets at Tarbela dam which will enable sediments to flush out from the reservoir and will be far more beneficial as indicated by the study as well. Thus it appears that Kalabagh Dam is merely amongst one of the many options available when it comes to filling the energy gap and not the only solutio n possible, and certainly not the most viable one. Additionally, the proposed Kalabagh Dam Project is an expensive one. Pakistan, being the 54th poorest country in the world has recently been struck with a devastating flood which has exacerbated the prevalent poverty among the populace.(Aneki) The total expected cost of the Kalabagh Dam project was estimated to be about 6 billion dollars in 2000.(Khan) Pakistan expects to meet this cost by private funding, government funding, and foreign aid, the latter forming the major portion. However, Pakistans lower credibility and high rate of corruption makes it unlikely to be a candidate for private funding. Additionally, 6 billion dollars invested in Kalabagh Dam can rather be spent on the development of smaller projects costing lesser and directed at uplifting and benefiting the poverty struck masses. However, proponents of the Kalabagh Dam argue that Pakistan is facing an acute water shortage which is negatively affecting its agro-based industries. Pakistan relies heavily on rain water for irrigation and due to irregularity in the rain pattern agriculture output is suffering. Water is not only needed for irrigation purposes but also to increase crop production; the NCS report states: at present 12.2 million hectares of land are available for double cropping, as against the 4.38 million hectares that are double cropped clearly water is the constraining factor. This report tells us about the significance of the water shortage faced in Pakistan. However it needs to be assessed whether the shortage of water really is the problem or if the inefficient use of available water is the actual cause of reduced output. Excess water seepage in Pakistan has resulted in the issues of water logging and salinity which renders fertile land unusable. Rather than building a new dam, if the emphasis is laid on a more efficient use of the available water, the chances for water logging and salinity will lessen, resulting in a more cost efficient and beneficial course of action. The World Commission on Dams reported that lower irrigation efficiency than expected resulted after the construction of the Tarbela Dam, one of the largest dams in Pakistan; it seems unlikely that a new dam can cater to the irrigation problems being faced currently when the efficiency level of the existing dam is poor. Money should instead be spent on devising efficient ways of water distribution to the agricultural land. A widespread notion amongst the masses is that dams help to prevent floods. It is commonly held to believe that if the Kalabagh dam had been constructed and was running at the time when the flood hit Pakistan, it would have helped in reducing the extent of damage that occurred. This thought was further reinforced when the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousaf Raza Gilani, gave a statement in Multan after visiting a flood affected area that deaths and destruction in the floods could have been averted if the Kalabagh Dam had been built.(Daily Times). However, a former chairman of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), Fatehullah Khan Gandapur, who headed IRSA from 1993 to 1998 said, The dams effect on floods would have been contrary to what the prime minister claimed. Gandapur elaborated on how he thought that Kalabagh dam would have resulted in increased flooding; he also claimed that the dams construction would have caused reverse flow in Kabul River, water logging in the entire Pesha war valley and the submersion of the Nowshera district. His statement shows how the idea that the Kalabagh dam could have prevented or reduced the damage of the flood may not be entirely true. Politically driven statements can lead the general public to form an uninformed and uneducated opinion. The flood which began in July 2010 and resulted at one point in one-fifth of Pakistan being under water was estimated to have floodwater of volume approximately equal to 100 Million Acre Feet whereas Kalabagh dam has a capacity to hold just 6 Million Acre Feet of water. It may be indeed troubling to see how the Prime Minister of Pakistan thought that Kalabagh dam with capacity almost 17 times less than the floodwater would have considerably averted the damage caused by the flood. Moving on to the environmental aspect, the construction of the Kalabagh dam would disrupt the Delta ecology and the Mangrove forest. Environmentalist Muhammad Tanveer warns that large dams have depleted wetlands in the Indus Delta and destroyed marine life; the effects spread over 300 square kilometers. Mangrove forestation is also suffering; mangroves are salt tolerant trees that grow on river deltas and in coastal areas and are important economically and environmentally. They help clean the soil and water containing excess salt by taking it up through the roots and later excreting it by shedding its leaves. Also Mangroves are a natural habitat to a large number of insects, birds, micro organisms, different mammals as well as snakes; further advantages include protection of coastal areas from cyclones and hurricanes, reducing sedimentation in the sea and acting as a breeding ground for fish and crabs. Mangrove forests have reduced to 100,000 hectares from 3 million hectares and the primary reason Tanveer quotes is the impediment upstream in Indus delta. He goes further and claims that Riverine forests on the banks of the Indus also face extinction. If another large dam is built, forests will have to face the consequences which will eventually upset the balance of the whole ecosystem. Reduced water flow in the River Indus which will result if the Kalabagh dam is constructed will also adversely affect forests and the ecosystem they support. The cost of land acquisition and resettlement of the displaced people is also necessary in deciding about the construction of the Kalabagh Dam. The newspaper Dawn reported in 2008 that the dam would take up 110,200 acres of land and displace about 120,000 people; the land acquisition and resettlement cost had been estimated to be 68 billion rupees. According to the World Commission on Dams, the Tarbela Dam directly affected 96,000 people from 120 villages while those people indirectly affected were not quantified. Out of those 96,000 people displaced in 1953 with the promise of land at another place, many affectees hold valid allotment letters but have not been given land due to non-availability. If all the affectees of 1953 have not been given lands by now, guaranteeing land for 120,000 more people seems like a flimsy commitment, and would result in greatly increasing the number of the homeless. In any case, even if all the harmful effects of the project are ignored, the project cannot be carried out without the consent of all the provinces. Without political agreement over this controversial topic, this project will turn into a disastrous one in the history of Pakistan. Building a dam at the cost of national unity does not seem like a reasonable course of action. Although China and India when faced with similar problems went ahead with the projects and did benefit from them, unparalleled political instability is at stake in the case of Pakistan. Since 1953, all four provinces are at a conflict over its construction with Punjab being in its favour while the other three rejecting it, Sindh being the strongest opponent. Officials in other provinces have blamed Punjab of only being concerned in its own water requirement at the cost of harming other provinces. About 11 members of Jiye Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) went on a hunger strike demanding the immediate shutdown of the Kalaba gh project over which chairman Bashir Qureshi said that his movement is backed by the 40 million people of Sindh. The Sindh assembly and all political, religious and nationalist parties, irrespective of ideology, have given the thumbs-down to the controversial water projects. (OneWorld South Asia). This shows that going ahead with the Kalabagh Dam project will jeopardize national unity and thus abandoning the project in favour of another hydro-electric dam or other alternative energy source seems like a much viable option. Kalabagh Dam projects cost benefit analysis shows that it is not economically and environmentally feasible. If the project is carried out, not only will national unity be threatened but agricultural land, mangrove forests and in turn the eco system will also be harmed; additionally 120,000 people will be at risk of becoming homeless. Furthermore, the advantages of the Kalabagh Dam can be obtained in other ways which do not have significant costs attached to them. The benefit of increased water storage capacity can be obtained by de-silting the Tarbela and Mangla dams, increased crop yield can be achieved by improving the efficiency with which water is utilized and the energy gap can be filled by completing and starting new small projects and making use of abundant coal reservoir in Thar. The Kalabagh Dam project is not a necessity, it is just one proposal, formed during the process of finding solutions to the problems Pakistan faces, which seems to have taken the shape of an irresolv able dispute. As such then, it is evident that this dam rather than being a viable solution to the energy crisis has instead stalled the urgently required process of exploring Pakistans natural resources.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Privatizing a State Run Natural Monopoly Essay -- Economics Economy Pa

A Natural Monopoly In Economics, a natural monopoly can be defined as an industry where the fixed cost of the capital goods is so high that it is not profitable for a second firm to enter and compete. The reason is that the nature of that product or service makes a single supplier more efficient than multiple, competing ones. The purpose of this essay is to discuss that the economic arguments for and against on privatizing a state run natural monopoly. You will find out on following contents. Main body --------- Natural monopolies are typically utilities such as water, electricity, and natural gas. It would be very expensive to build a second set of water and sewerage pipes in a city. Because this sort of service has a high fixed cost and a low variable cost. To prevent utilities from exploiting their monopolies with high prices, they are regulated by government sometime. Typically, they are allowed a fixed percentage of profit above cost. But this type of regulation can lead to inefficient high costs, since the monopoly is guaranteed a profit. To get around this problem, the government districts own the local utility and provide the service at cost. Another way to handle the natural monopoly is a significant shift of resources out of the state sector and into the private sector. Many governments around the world have followed this policy. For State owned monopolies across the world have proven themselves unable to invest properly in infrastructure, they provide relatively expensive and inefficient services and have poor labour re... ...ises such water supply, electricity, and telecommunications will always remain monopolistic in nature. It may not matter whether they are public or private. It is only in very large markets where there are sufficient economies of scale allowing for serious competition among privately owned utilities. Conclusion ---------- In conclusion, the arguments for privatising natural monopoly businesses are the same as for privatising any business. These monopolies usually dominate any nation's national economic efficiency, access to investment capital, innovative technology and effective management is even more important. Even after this kind of concern, we have to continue searching, through learning by doing, in order to reduce the power of monopolies on the daily lives.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Ice Hockey Vs. Roller Hockey Essay -- essays research papers

Despite the fact that ice hockey and roller hockey both have the word hockey in common, there are extreme differences between the two sports. There are the obvious differences like one being played on ice and the other on a plastic surface, but many of the differences are only noticed by people that have played both sports. As everyone knows, ice hockey is played on ice, which makes it an extremely high paced game. Unlike ice hockey, Roller hockey is played on a plastic floor that consists of many six-inch by six-inch tiles. The plastic floor makes roller hockey a much slower paced game than ice hockey. The reason that roller hockey is so much slower than ice hockey is because there is more friction. The friction is produced in the bearings of the wheels as well as between the floor and the wheels. Turning, stopping, and making lateral movements are extremely easy to do on ice, but roller hockey is completely different. In roller hockey there is no such thing as making a tight turn or stopping on a dime, because the wheels just slide out from underneath the player. The stopping technique for roller hockey is basically the same as ice hockey, but the player slides a little before coming to a complete halt. If a player happens to fall in ice hockey he or she just slides along the ice and most of the time it doesn't hurt, but in roller hockey if a player falls on the plastic floor, it is going to hurt. When players in roller hockey fall, they do not slide, it is more of a...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Dow’s Bid for Rohm and Haas Essay

Dow started as a manufacturer of commercial bleach in 1897, and was founded by Herbert Dow. He merged his company in 1900 with Midland Chemical, which lead to diversification of his portfolio to agricultural and food products. In 1912, Dow started to pay dividends every quarter without any reductions or interruptions. By doing so, they were the only Fortune 200 firm that established these figures. Dow became a major player in the M&a field, since they acquired between 1983 and 2007 95 business, took stakes in 58 firms and divested 166 businesses. In 2006, Dow’s CEO Andrew Liveris announced the ‘Dow of Tomorrow’ strategy, which consisted of two pillars. One was pursuing an asset light approach to its commodity business. In order to do so, he signed a JV agreement with a subsidiary of the Kuwait Petroleum Company, named Petroleum Industries Company. Dow and PIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which generated Dow a $7.2 billion after tax revenues. Second, Mr. Liveris wanted to build a high-growth and high-value added performance business. In order to achieve this objective, Dow agreed to purchase Rohm and Haas. This acquisition had the purpose for Dow to become a producer of high-value chemicals and advanced materials. Why does Dow want to buy Rohm and Haas? As mentioned in the introduction, CEO Andrew Liveris announced the ‘Dow of Tomorrow’ strategy. This included becoming a high growth and high-value added producer of specialty chemicals, with less cyclicality. Rohm and Haas fitted the picture perfectly, since they were an advanced material and specialty chemicals company, operating in 27 countries. Besides the interesting company profile description, there were several other reasons  why Dow was interested in the Rohm and Haas company. Most important reason was that the acquisition would make Dow reduce its cyclicality and increase its growth prospects. Expanded product portfolios, increased geographic market, improved market channels and innovative technologies will obtain the expected growth and cost synergies. Forecasts predict additional growth synergies values between $2.0 and $2.6 billion and $0.8 billion costs synergies, including shared services and governance, manufacturing, supply chain and work process improvements. Besides the above-mentioned advantages, Dow and Rohm could be a global leader in specialty chemicals and advanced materials if they combined forces. Also by combining their R&D, the development of new products and innovations could be stimulated. So overall, Rohm and Haas fitted the picture projected by Andrew Liveris perfectly. Rohm and Haas supported Dow’s commitment to maintain their highest standards in pursuing and selecting growth opportunities to satisfy their long-term shareholder values. Was $78 per share a reasonable bid? In order to draw a conclusion of the reasonability of the bid, we need to valuate Rohm and Haas as a firm with and without the synergies created by the acquisition. If this total value exceeds the $78 share price, Dow will pay the price, since it will be beneficial for them. The benefits of the synergies can be calculated by dividing it between the two firms on a multiple or 50/50 basis. The excel file attached to the assignment contained a WACC of 8,5% based on a tax rate of 35%. In our analysis, we also calculated a WACC with a tax rate of 26%, since this was the average tax rate. This leads to a WACC of 8,7%. As a basis, we took 2% growth. Rohm and Haas had at time of the acquisition 195,200,000 shares outstanding. From the balance sheet of Rohm and Haas 2008H1, we took the values of cash and debt (long and short term debt). Both inputs were needed in order to calculate the share price. Below, you can find how we calculated the share price for the situations with and without synergies. The synergies involved consist of two different types, namely growth and cost synergies. Growth synergies include expanded product portfolios, increased geographic reach, improved market channels and innovative technologies. These synergies are expected to create between 2 and 2.6 billion dollars, which gives an average of 2.3 billion. Second, potential cost synergies consist of purchasing synergies, shared services and governance, manufacturing & supply chain improvements and work process optimization. These synergies are expected to generate 0.8 billion dollar. The values of these synergies combined totals a 3.1 billion dollar gross benefit, which is a netted by deducting the 1.3 billion cost of implementation, leaving a value of 1.8 billion dollars. In order to make the most suitable valuation and draw the best conclusion for the reasonability of the share price of $78, we take the original and revised forecast into account. Both cases are also used for the sensitivity analysis to be as specific as possible. Below are the sensitivity analyses of Rohm and Haas for the original forecasts. Based on our assumptions, share price of Rohm and Haas is $55.79 without synergies and $65.01 with synergies. These values differ a little from the share price we found in our valuation analysis, however this is due to rounding and number of decimals difference in WACC and growth percentages. Lowest value without synergies is $47.10 with a growth of 1% and a WACC of 9% and a highest share price of $95.58 with a growth of 3% and a WACC of 7%. If we now look at the original forecast with synergies, we see an increased share price, which is logical, since value is created by the synergy. The share price of Rohm and Haas is $65.01 based on the growth rate of 2% and a WACC of 8.7%. The share price differ between lowest value of $56.32 and highest value of $104.80, based on the same input as with the analysis with no synergies. In both cases, the share price is below $78 so if Dow offers this price in both situations, the will not profit from this acquisition. However, we will still perform the 50/50 and multiples valuation in order to see which is the best in the situation if Dow is obliged to acquire Rohm and Haas. Looking at  case were synergies are created and using the 50/50 method, we get a share price of $55.79 + ($65.01 – $55.79)/2 = $60.4. As we already mentioned, this price does not match the $78. Now using the gross profit of Rohm and Haas as a percentage of the gross profit of both companies combined, we get a multiple of 26.11%. Using this 0,2611 multiple, the appropriate share price is $55.79 + (0,2611 * (65.01 – $55.79)) = $58.20 Again, this is below the share price of $78, which makes the outcomes of both methods unfavorable for Dow. Now let us look at the revised forecast. Since this is a post-crisis forecast, predictions were lowered, which lead to a lower overall value. Hence, this will be reflected in our sensitivity analysis by lower share prices. Below are our findings. As already predicted, share prices are lower in the revised forecast due to the crisis adjustments. For the sake of the case, we will also perform a 50/50 and multiples calculation. If we look at the 50/50 share price, we get a share price of $41.38 + ($50.60 – $41.38)/2 = $45.99. The multiples basis will give us a share price of $41.38 + (0,2661 * ($50.60 – $41.38)) = $43.79. Reviewing both forecasts and within these forecasts both with and without synergy, we can conclude that a share price of $78 is not reasonable. This conclusion holds in the case of 50/50 and multiples calculations. Major deals risks and allocation We will pay special attention to Exhibit 4 when examining the major risks and their respective allocations. The first risk comes from the item 1.01 describing the financing of the deal. Dow will issue a fixed amount of $4 billion in convertible preferred stocks to Berkshire, Hathaway and Kuwait Investment Authority. This amount is independent of the current stock price of Dow, meaning that a drop in Dow’s share price would need more shares to pay for the deal, decreasing the relative voting rights of current shareholders. To be even more precise, in paragraph 2.1a it states that no matter what happens Dow has to pay $78 dollar per share at the time of the merger, transferring all the financial  risk to Dow. Furthermore, a large part of the deal is financed with a $13 billion loan, issued by a consortium of 19 banks lead by Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, increasing their leverage ratio and overall risk of the company. These high debt values come with high interest payments, leaving fewer cash to meet its dividend obligations. In a possible economic downturn this problem becomes larger, increasing the probability of not meeting their dividend payments which have not been changed for over 97 years. A further interesting statement is the ticking fee to ensure the deal would close. When the deal is not closed before January 10, 2009, the payment per share will increase with 8% annually, translating to a higher deal price of approximately $3 million more per day until the deal is closed. In addition if the deal is not closed before October 10, 2009, Dow has to pay $750 million termination fee. This will, again, transfer all the risk to Dow if the deal cannot be closed before October 10, 2009. In paragraph 3.1 the Material Adverse Effect clause states that Dow is allowed to withdraw from the transaction if the business, operations or financial conditions of Rohm is hit by a material adverse effect. This seems fair but there is a large set of exceptions made in the clause for which Dow cannot withdraw from the transaction, including the following events: any event which affects the chemical industry, macro economy as a whole, the financial, debt, credit or security market, any decline in Rohm’s stock price or any failure to meet internal or published projections. So, in case of an economic downturn mainly Dow is affected and not Rohm. Roam and Haas are even protected from a decline in their share price. Thus, these statements will, again, transfer almost all the risk to Dow Furthermore, Dow takes on another risk by relying on the joint venture with Kuwait’s PIC to finance $7 billion of the deal. They do not take into account the possibility that this joint venture could fail due to i.e. a downturn in the overall economy. If it fails it leaves a gap of $7 billion in their financing plan, exposing Dow to even more risk. Finally, the overall high price and ticking clauses make it a risky deal when compared to the expected synergies. The probability of achieving all expected synergies is a magnitude smaller than the probability of high costs, which is certain. It leaves Dow exposed to a possibly large loss when the expected synergies are not met in the future. The only risk that Rohm and Haas face is the possible termination of the deal from their side if the deal is i.e. taking too long. They have to pay a $600 million termination fee if the decide to do so. Other than that, considering the mentioned risk allocations from above, the total risk of this deal is mainly resting on the shoulders of Dow Chemical. CEO recommendations To give a complete view of the options that both CEOs had at the time we will first describe the situation they were in.   Shortly after the deal announcement the financial crisis started, causing an overall recession including in the chemical industry. Dow was hit on many fronts: overall share prices dropped with over 50%, a fourth quarter loss of $1.6 billion, quarterly sales decline of 23% and a drop in operating rate to 44% in 2008. Forcing Dow to close off 20 facilities and firing over 5000 employees. Furthermore, after the joint venture deal was closed with KPC’s PIC, the failing oil prices and overall recession caused KPC to terminate the contract by paying a termination fee of $2.5 billion to Dow. This caused a gap in the financial plan for the merger for Dow, decreasing their stock price even further and degrading their rating to BBB. As mentioned before, Dow was not the only one affected by the economic recession. Rohm was facing a poor performance as well, forcing it to fire over 900 employees, freeze spending and a 20% decline in sales. Considering the above, Dow refused to close the deal with Rohm and Haas after approval from the European Commission and U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Arguing that the recent macro-economic developments are material adverse effects, enabling them to terminate the deal. Options and recommendation for Dow’s CEO, Andrew Liveris Considering the situation as described above, Liveris had three different options: continue with the termination of the deal, close the deal for $78 per share or renegotiate with Rohm and Haas to agree on different terms. If Dow continues to terminate the deal it will go to court for the approval by the judge. It needs to win in court otherwise Dow is forced to commit to the deal. Given the statements enclosed in the material adverse effect clause, the chances for Dow to win are pretty slim. If Liveris opts to close the deal for $78 per share he will need a lot of additional cash. Considering the economic situation, and the fact that the joint venture failed, acquiring this amount of additional cash will be very hard. The possibility to acquire more debt through the already existing bridge bank loan from 19 different banks is pretty small considering the low credit rating of BBB. If he does succeed in acquiring more debt he will probably not be able to meet the net-debt-to-total-capitalization restriction in the covenant. This is, according to the first loan of $13 billion, required to be lower than 65% which they will not be able to meet, thus not creating incentives for the banks to lend more money. Considering the above, terminating the deal will not be possible and closing the deal for $78 per share lacks financing. The best option Andrew Liveris thus has is to renegotiate the merger deal and buy some time. He will then be able to look for other sources of financing or renegotiate the already existing bank loan. One possible option could be to sue KPC for terminating the joint venture and claiming the $2.5 billion, which in turn could finance the termination fee. Considering that this will destroy the relationship between these two companies this would not be recommended. Options and recommendation for the CEO of Rohm and Haas, Raj Gupta The situation for Raj Gupta is a bit simpler: either sue Dow for not completing the deal or renegotiate with Dow to postpone the deal. Both having different advantages and disadvantages. The first option is to go to court and continue the case that Dow has to complete the deal or otherwise pay the termination fee. Considering the  exceptions stated in the material adverse effect clause that macro-economic effects and effect on the chemical industry in general are excluded from this clause, Gupta will have a strong case and is likely to prevail in court. Committing Dow to the deal or otherwise paying the termination fee of $750 million. The second option is to renegotiate the deal with Dow. The most important disadvantage considering this option is that it would almost certainly come to a deal which is less favorable for Rohm and Haas when compared to the original deal. Which term should be reconsidered? For example, a lower price per share would decrease the expected value for the shareholders. Shareholders will not vote for such a deal, especially the Haas family who owns 30% of the company and is waiting to exit for $78 a share. The only option, although shareholders will not be amused in the least, is to delay the due date of the deal, preserving the harmony between the companies. Even if Gupta will win in court, the possibility that the deal will go through considering the financing problems of Dow is still small. Rohm and Haas will in this case only receive the termination fee of $750 million. Gupta obviously wants the deal to go through and so do the shareholders of Rohm and Haas, enabling them to exit the company and receiving a high premium while doing so. Terminating the deal will negatively affect both companies and their shareholders. Therefore it would be better for Gupta to facilitate any possibility that the deal will go through, even implying a possible decrease in price per share. Our recommendation thus is to renegotiate the deal, making sure that it succeeds. The premium for the shareholders might be lower but both companies can benefit from the acquired synergies and shareholders can still opt to exit. Resolving the legal dispute Considering the above, it would have been in the best interest of both companies to renegotiate the deal. However, Rohm and Haas decided to continue their trail against Dow Chemicals. The judge will therefore make a decision based upon the facts presented to him. Based on the facts alone, the most likely option for me, William B. Chandler  the Third, Chancellor in the Delaware Court of Chancery, is to enforce the merger contract between the two parties. In particular, the specifics of the Material Adverse Effect clause in paragraph 3.1 state that the MAE clause does not include the following events: â€Å"any event which affects the chemical industry, macro economy as a whole, the financial, debt, credit or security market, any decline in Rohm’s stock price or any failure to meet internal or published projections.† To be more specific; the argument according to Dow that the recent material developments have created unacceptable uncertainties on the funding and economics of the combined enterprise, justifying the termination of the deal, is overruled by the ‘specific performance’ clause in paragraph 3.1. Therefore, the ‘specific performance’ clause, as requested by Rohm and agreed upon by Dow, is binding and hereby enforced. The merger will be executed as planned. Dow will have several different options to solve the financing issue, cutting dividends, renegotiating debt and other means to generate cash could be used. If the deal is not closed before January 10, 2009, as stated in the contract, Dow will pay a ticking fee of 8% per annum. Dow should have been more careful drawing up the contract as it is signed and before me today. Since the possibility of an economic downfall is especially stated in the deal clause, I will make no exception and hereby conclude that the Dow will meet all deal requirements as stated in the contract. Every penny has to sides, if you risk it, you could lose it. Thank you. *slams the hammer*

Monday, September 16, 2019

Intellect vs. Instinct in “To Build a Fire” by Jack London Essay

The ignorance of the main character in To Build a Fire by Jack London is what ultimately causes his failure. He has never experienced cold like that of the Yukon Trail but is confidant, regardless, that he will reach his goal of meeting his friends at the campsite. It is the man’s determination to follow his intellect rather than his instinct that reveals his ignorance. The man begins his journey relying on flawed intellect. He illogically treks through snow, wetting his boots and feet, and must dry them before they succumb to frostbite. When the dog’s feet get wet, it instinctively licks and bites at the ice that forms between its toes. The man helps the dog, briefly removing his mitten in the numbing cold. The man does not take the same precautions, he continuously ignores his instinct. The man’s second accident occurs when he proceeds to build a fire under a snow covered tree, which begins to melt and blots the fire out. Logic is eluding him and his confidence begins to dwindle, as his journey quickly turns to failure. The old man never learns from his mistakes, and his failures compound. London writes that this second mistake was his â€Å"own fault or, rather, his mistake.† Here London is showing his beliefs as a naturalist. Had this second problem been his â€Å"fault† the author would be condemning his protagonist much more strongly; however, he calls this a mistake, a much softer term, suggesting that the man should not be held liable for his actions. Had he anticipated that lighting a fire under a frost-covered tree would cause the heavy ice to melt and fall, yet still done it, only then would he be held liable. The man’s mind begins to run wild with thoughts of insecurity and death when the second fire fails. He recollects the story of a man who kills a steer to stay warm and envisions himself killing his dog and crawling into the carcass to warm up so he can build a fire to save himself. London writes, â€Å"a certain fear of death, dull and oppressive, came to him.† Had the man been following his instinct instead of attempting to survive on his (obviously flawed) intellect throughout the story, he may have survived. The dog â€Å"experienced a vague but menacing apprehension†(921) that the man coldly did not allow himself to also experience. The man’s dog uses his instincts to survive the cold. â€Å"The dog did not know anything about thermometers. Possibly in it’s brain there was no sharp consciousness of a condition of very cold such as was in the man’s brain. But the brute had it’s instincts† writes London. The dog, who has an innate understanding of the cold, tries to burrow under the snow for warmth. He even senses the danger of remaining with the man who would kill the dog in order to bury his hands in it’s warm carcass, and escapes him by snarling and growling. When the animal leaves for the campsite he is showing that animals are not afraid of injuring their pride. The dog knows he needs fire and food. The story is a struggle of nature versus man, and throughout the story nature succeeds. The frigid arctic environment will yield nothing to the man. The tone of the story is as frigid and frightening as the setting the man has found himself in, the reader is just as unaccustomed to the cold as the old man and London’s vivid and descriptive language serve as a tool to shock the reader into realizing just how dire the man’s situation is. The cold becomes a character, fighting the man and foiling him at every turn. London emphasizes the importance of having a respect and a knowledge of the world that was surrounding the man, writing that â€Å"the man did not know the cold. Possibly all the generations of his ancestry did not know the cold, of cold one hundred and seven degrees below freezing point. But the Dog knew; all it’s ancestry knew, and it had inherited that knowledge.† (London, 924) Here we see London’s position as a naturalist taking shape in his writing. Ideally, in a successful naturalist story, the dire cold situation would have brought out the man’s most basic natural instincts. The story repeats that the man is not thinking of material things in the arctic â€Å"once in awhile the thought reiterated itself that it was very cold and he had never experienced such cold.† This is probably to emphasize that when one is experiencing such extremes of nature, the extreme is what takes over, and the mind almost shuts down to anything except the nature around them. â€Å"Empty as the man’s mind was of thoughts, he was keenly observant, and he noticed changes in the creeks, the curves and bends and timbre jams, and always he sharply noted where he placed his feet. Here, the man is learning from his  prior mistakes and letting himself be led by the cold, earlier when he was thinking of his goal and not of his feet, he found himself with freezing toes. Now, after time in the Yukon, he has found a respect for the cold. Although, this respect is not enough to drive him to the next campsite, London is unforgiving of the man’s original eubrice in taking on the cold, and does not seem to want to allow him to succeed. Eventually the man’s focus had to turn from his own goal, reaching the riches of the Yukon Trail, to survival, and fighting the frostbite that is slowly overtaking his body. However, the man refuses to consider the consequences of his actions, even when his life is threatened by the accidents: â€Å"And all the time, in his consciousness, was the knowledge that each instant his feet were freezing. This thought tended to put him in a panic, but he fought against it and kept calm† (923). Had the man allowed his instinct to take over here, he may have succeeded, but his rationality is his greatest enemy. The man also lacks foresight, â€Å"He drove the thought of his freezing feet, and nose, and cheeks, out of his mind, devoting his whole soul to the matches† (922). He should not be focusing on the matches when frostbite is obviously overtaking his body because once he does light a fire, he still has these other obstacles to tackle. He never acknowledges, and perhap s never sees, that he should have been valuing survival over wealth from the very beginning. It is unclear whether the end of the story is a message fromt he author that the old man should not have given up, and allowed himself to die, or continued to fight the cold. It is only when he is certain of his death that he acknowledges the wise words of the man at the campsite who told him not to attempt the trek. â€Å"You were right, old hoss, you were right† he says to himself, drifting into a comfortable sleep that one can only interpret as death. The message seems to be that giving up was the correct thing to do, because in allowing himself to die he is finally escaping from his pride and ignorance, and praising the words of the wise traveler. His self realization allows himself to be seen as a simile, a chicken with it’s head cut off running around in vain trying to save himself. It is when he decides that all is lost, and realizes he was wrong to set out that he is finally  comfortable, the tragedy is that his comfort is in death. The traveler’s struggle with the tremendous cold is apparent, but he never admits that his plight is his own fault. â€Å"He cursed his luck aloud† (London, 923) notice he speaks of luck, and not of a lack-of-common sense. Repeatedly warned of the dangers, he still singularly set out to locate timber and travel to the next campsite. His stubbornness is foolish. His confidence, merely arrogance, draws attention to an even more concerning internal conflict: The story is a fatal example of the human inclination to sometimes allow determination to drown out our intuitive voice.