The Process And Problems Of Land Clearing Environmental Sciences Essay

The Process And Problems Of Land Clearing Environmental Sciences Essay Land clearing is an activity of chopping down trees, stumps, and other obstacles from an area as required to increase the size of the crop producing land base of an existing farm, to obtain logs or for urbanization. Australia native forests cover about 164 millions hectares which is about 21% of the continent (WWF 2007). Therefore, 50-100 plant and animal species are disappearing. Australia has the fifth rate of land clearing and clears more bush each year than poverty-stricken countries. It can be said that the number one threat to the survival of plants and animals in Australia is the large scale clearing of mature bushland. Biology A forest is an area with a high density of trees. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines forest as a land with trees cover the area of more than 0.5 hectare. 5 metres is the minimum height the trees should be able to reach at maturity in situ (FAO 2006). Forests are further subdivided into cultivated area and natural forests. Natural forests are forests composed mainly of original trees and not deliberately planted. The forest floor is frequently covered with decaying leaves, twigs, and other detritus where recycling occurs. Herbaceous plants such as grasses and ferns blanket the herb layer and get less. Shrub layer is categorized as woody vegetation that grows rather close to the ground. Small immature trees and trees that are shorter than the main canopy level of the tree predominant the understory of forest which give shelter for numerous animals. Canopy is where the most of the forests trees meet and form a thick layer and lastly emergents layers are trees that crown s emerge above the canopy (Klappenbach 2007). Reasons the lands are cleared Some native vegetation communities in the Southwest Australia region has been cleared, basically for food production upwards of 90%. Most landowners are economically stressed to put more land more intensively. In Tasmania, over 100000 hectares of native forest across public and land have been converted to plantation during the last 10 years (WWF 2007). Another constant pressure on Australiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s forests is livestock grazing and also fires. The international timber trade is currently the major reason of global forest destruction that contains the highest levels of biodiversity (WWF 1997). Areas of high biodiversity is likely to contain the oldest, thus in many case the largest and most commercially valuable, trees. The global timber trade tend to get appealed to forest with high biodiversity and exploit it. The conversion of non-forest lands from forest areas for settlement and agriculture is lead by rapid population and housing area developments together with urbanizati on. More people need more timber to construct houses, malls and business centres. This takes a great loss of forest lands for harvesting forest products. Besides, road constructions through the forest make the rainforest accessible for transportation and movement of timber produced from the forest. Moreover, large hydroelectric projects have led to widespread forest loss. This is due to large areas of the forest are flooded to construct dams. Effects of land clearing One of the bad impacts of land clearing is the greenhouse effect. The burning and degeneration of cleared vegetation, and the subsequent oil emissions causcausedhe greenhouse effect. from the entire transport sector every cleared vegetation, e Australiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s total carbon dioxide emissions produced to be and the subsequent oil emissions. over 13%. This equals to emissions from the entire transport sector in Australia. Over 5 million honeyeaters, parrots, robins and other land birds are killed every year as a result of land clearing. Nearly half mammal species, including wallabies, wombats and bandicoots, are either threatened with extinction or extinct because of land clearing. Australia has lost more mammals and plants to extinction than any other country and has more endangered animals than 98% of the worlds countries (Bush Heritage Australia 2002). A report (The University of Queensland 2007) showed that 150 years of land clearing added significantly to the drying an d warming of eastern Australia. Mean summer rainfall declined by between 4% and 12% in eastern Australia, and by 4% and 8% in southwest Western Australia. Runoff rapidly flows into rivers when forest cover is lost, thus rising river levels and subjecting downstream areas to flooding. During the dry season, such areas can likely to have long droughts that last for months which disturb river navigation, wreak destruction on crops, and disrupt industrial operations. 5.0 Solutions It would be ideal to replant the cleared lands quickly so as to avoid soil erosion and soil saliently instead of clearing large areas of land all at one time and leaving the soil open to the elements, to help maintain natural habitats. Sustainable Commercial Logging Options is an effort to control logging to ensure it is done in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way by authorising logging at a minimal rate. Government also has to stricken laws so that cutting trees in forest becomes a major crime. Besides its flow may be reversed, it will also lead to deforestation being controlled in a major way. All cities have to be managed properly, have enough green cover and new trees have to be planted where ever possible. Other solution is by establishing Good Wood. Good Wood is timber harvested from well managed forests or plantations or reused, recycled or salvaged wood. It allows consumers to continue using wood products without causing forest destruction (Greenpeace Good Wood Gui de 2009). Moreover, the development of a comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) system of reserves for Australias forests has been advocated by Australias National Forest Policy Statement. The aims of the national CAR reserve system are to safeguard old-growth, biodiversity, wilderness and other natural and cultural values of the forests (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2003). 6.0 Conclusion Land clearing can lead to the destruction of natural habitat and extinction and various climate problems. The developers have to balance out between suburbanization and environments. Everyone plays an important role on this planet to save the environment from being destroyed.

Warehouse Management System Information Technology Essay

Warehouse Management System Information Technology Essay A warehouse management system, or WMS, is a key part of the supply chain and primarily aims to control the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse and process the associated transactions, including shipping, receiving, put away and picking. The objective of a warehouse management system is to provide a set of computerized procedures to handle the receipt of stock and returns into a warehouse facility, model and manage the logical representation of the physical storage facilities (e.g. racking etc), manage the stock within the facility and enable a seamless link to order processing and logistics management in order to pick, pack and ship product out of the facility. History: Warehousing roots go back to the creation of granaries to store food, which was historically available for purchase during times of famine. As European explorers began to create shipping-trade routes with other nations, warehouses grew in importance for the storage of products and commodities from afar. Ports were the major location for warehouses. As railroads began to expand travel and transportation, the creation of rail depots for the storage of materials became necessary. World War II impacted warehousing in several ways, including the need to increase the size of warehouses and the need for more mechanized methods of storing and retrieving the products and materials. As mass production grew throughout manufacturing, the needs of efficient and effective warehousing capabilities grew with it. The warehouse industry found itself recovering from a recession at the start of the twenty-first century, partially brought on by the hype of the dot-com bubble and the excess production created after it burst. It also coped with new methods of distribution, such as just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing-where warehousing is unnecessary because products are shipped directly to customers. Global Current Scenario: Warehousing companies are now striving to become more than simply storage facilities. They are transforming themselves into third-party logistics providers or 3PLs that provide a wide array of services and functions. In addition to packing and staging pallets, contemporary warehousing facilities offer light manufacturing, call centers, labeling, and other non-storage options. A significant trend is the continuing growth of 3PL providers as companies try to cut costs and management issues by outsourcing their warehouse and distribution functions. An outcome of increased 3PL activity is a wave of mergers that are consolidating the industry. Customer demands for one-stop shopping and new technologies are a driving force behind this consolidation. According to a Warehousing Management survey, competition in warehousing has become extremely tight because businesses seek warehouse firms with extremely thin margins. Warehouse management system (WMS) requirement will help managements to take their warehouse and company to the next level. An optimized WMS will play a key role in allowing a company to better manage its warehouse operations. In the past warehouse management was very paper-intensive in its coordination of a multitude of activities. This has changed with the introduction of WMS which assist managers in tracking products throughout the entire storage and distribution process. These systems span from simple computer automation systems to high-end, feature-rich management programs that improve order picking, facilitate better dock logistics, and monitor inventory management. Warehouse management systems record all events and activities in the receipt, handling and storage of products and orders in the warehouse or distribution center, including the location of inventory Companies are succeeding by remaining flexible and investing in technology. The main issues or trends in warehousing include radio frequency identification (RFID), transportation management systems, pick-to-light technology, and voice-activated receiving and packaging. A paperless warehouse management system (WMS) could cut costs by increasing productivity and accuracy, which also improves customer service. But a good WMS is more complex and expensive than most people have been led to believe. To avoid installation problems, follow up-front-planning steps to select a cost-effective WMS. The operational benefits that can be expected out of WMS installation are Misplaced or Lost stock Search Times Paperwork Human Error Labor and Overtime Need for Physical Inventory Taking Stock outs Shipping Errors On Hand Inventory Cycle Times Space Utilization Inventory accuracy Throughput Order/shipment Tracking Stock Rotation/Inventory Tums Customer Service Product Planning Fill Rate Performance Labor Productivity Prospects: The warehousing industry is a key component of the supply chain and will likely remain so as long as there are manufacturers and consumers. Past supply chain solutions were limiting due to their expense, closed architecture, lack of mobility, and inability to share with partners. WMS Software as a Service delivery model, rapid implementation and easy customization drive quick Return on Investment with minimal up-front investment. Now, any size company can reduce cost while streamlining their supply chain and improving service levels. A WMS has the potential to reduce errors, increase space utilization and decrease labor costs by offering a comprehensive suite of capabilities and work with a range of best-in-class software partners. Its state-of-the-art systems monitor and control all critical warehouse processes. They also provide support for transport and distribution operations and communicate with customs and other authorities. The implementation of the WMS led to the standardizat ion of operations throughout distribution facilities. Access to, and influence over, leading-edge supply chain technology Access to best-in-class applications that are platform and database independent facilitating standardized business processes View real-time inventory status at each individual warehouse location or all locations Search by Part number or Lot number and Track Orders out of each warehouse by Order Number, Ship to or Date. Print or download query results to a spreadsheet. Review Audit History to see chronological record of incoming and outgoing products. Rapid start-up and reduced risk in global deployment including project delivery, service management, supplier management, integration and hosting Scalability and repeatability worldwide Unrivalled expertise in interfacing with your stock control, resource planning and business information systems Proven, pre-integration with other supply chain partner systems including visibility and control Regulations in Warehousing Management Services: The Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2005 was enacted in Parliament to make provisions for development and regulations of warehouses in India. This act covers warehouses in the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir. Its scope includes negotiation of warehouse receipts, establishment of a warehousing development and regulatory authority and for matters connected to it. According to this Bill, A registration certificate in respect of the concerned warehouse is necessary for any person starting this business. The authority will issue a negotiable certificate. A warehouseman is liable for loss or damage to goods for which he couldnt take necessary precaution. If the damage is not due to the negligence of the warehouseman then he is payable to tune of the value of goods at the time bringing it to the warehouse. If the damage is caused due to the negligence of the warehouseman then he is payable to the tune of original value of goods plus the loss of profits caused to the holder of the receipt. Duties of the warehouseman are to keep the records and accounts of warehouse business. Also the warehouseman is responsible for keeping the goods in safe condition. Warehouseman has the special powers of dealing with perishable and hazardous goods. He can take necessary action to remove the potentially hazardous goods. A warehouse receipt shall be a document of title to goods in writing if it contains receipt number, warehouse registration number, name and address of warehouse, date of issue of receipt, rates of storage and handling charges, market value of goods, description of goods, name of the insurance company securing against fire, flood, theft, burglary, riots, strikes or terrorism, whether the warehouse receipt is negotiable or non-negotiable etc. Any warehouseman who knowingly issues a receipt without taking the actual physical entry of goods in his warehouse is entitled for an imprisonment for a term which may extend to up to three years. Also if warehouseman issues a duplicate receipt then he is entitled to the same punishment. Whenever any offence is committed by a company under this Act, every person who was present at the time when the offence was committed shall be liable for the punishment accordingly. Building Warehousing Competitiveness: Central warehousing Corporation (CWC) tries to implement the best practices in the field of logistics and warehousing in India. Warehousing accounts for 20% of domestic logistics industry. Thus even a 1% reduction in warehousing cost could have a significant positive impact on the national economy. In designing a warehouse, due attention should be given on how to pick best orders, how to plan the pickup time, how to use sales data to plan the product line, etc. Lay outing is therefore an important aspect of a warehouse design. Automation and modern equipment will make warehouses more efficient. E.g. Sun City and Sri City. Warehouse services providing companies: We are mentioning a few domestic and international players who are providing warehouse management services. Domestic Players: 1. AB Sea Container Private Ltd: They are providing goods warehousing services, industrial goods warehousing, commercial goods warehousing and automotive warehousing services. They are located in New Delhi. 2. Falcon Freightlink Pvt. Ltd: They provide 3PL services to the customers. They also offer cargo warehousing services, customized logistical solutions, expedite cargo transportation services. They are located in New Delhi 3. Threestar Solutions And Services Private Ltd: They provide international warehouse services, commercial warehousing, warehouse management services. They are located in Mumbai. 4. Mars Shipping Agency: They provide general warehouse management services, inventory management system, goods storage service, safe goods storage services, dock stuffing services. They are located in Mumbai. 5. Pace Carrier Private Ltd: They provide warehousing services, warehouse consultation services, goods storage services, bulk storage services, industrial goods storage services and electronic goods storage services. They are located in Ghaziabad. 6. Trinitys Clearing and Shipping Agencies: Apart from the regular warehousing services, their specialties include expedite cargo transportation services, packing services, moving facilities to exporters and importers in India. They are located in Chennai. International Players: 1. Admiral Logistics (INDIA) Pvt. Ltd: They provide warehouse management services, freight forwarding services, air freight services, freight shipping services, Cargo services, custom clearance services. They are an Indonesian company and operates in Hyderabad in India. 2. Anjie International transportation Co Ltd: They provide warehouse management services, Air freight services, and customs clearance services. They are a Chinese company. 3. Mamufa Global Ltd: They provide warehousing management services, shifting services, air and sea freight forwarding services, international freight services. They are a Nigerian company. 4. PWC Logistics: They provide warehousing and logistics services. They are a Kuwaitian company. 5. Network Logistics: They provide warehousing and transportation services. They are an American company. Companies using Warehouse Management Services: Procter Gamble: PG is one of the top players in manufacturing, distribution and marketing of nearly 300 brands related to baby, feminine and home care products. Procter Gamble is concerned more about storing the manufactured products undamaged. It realised that accurate case picking and pallet making will keep the shipments free from damage. So PG implemented AutoPallet3 system to enhance its case pick operation. It takes order data and converts it into instructions to pick a high-cube damage-free pallet. Since then, PG was able to cut down case picking time in its warehouses dramatically and has created opportunity to ship damage-free truck loads. Also in China, PG invested and improved its warehouse management system by using mobile computing technology. It enabled the sales orders to enter in to an Integrated Distribution System and transfer the information to warehouse workers. So implementation of this technology enhanced productivity for a more efficient warehouse management system which led to further cost savings in supply chain. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals: Pfizer is a global pharmaceutical company which is consistently ranked in top 3 in the world. It is based in New York city. Pfizer started its warehousing services in Chicago in 1882. It built a new state-of-the-art automated warehouse and distribution centre at Kent in UK in 2001. This new warehouse provided storage for raw materials for both bulk and the dosage form drugs from manufacturing plants along with providing storage and order fulfilment services for bulk exports and for finished pack sales of pharmaceutical and animal health products. All these warehouse functions are accomplished by using a number of automated systems and managed by a computerized warehouse management system. This facilitated services like direct to hospital and direct to clinic deliveries of medicines. Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart, famous multinational retailer achieved and is maintaining its differentiation, cost leadership position mainly due to its innovative warehousing system. It has a flexible regional warehousing system. In a retail business like Wal-Mart warehouses are necessary to restock the stores frequently. Also, the warehouses should be as close to the stores as possible. Wal-Marts warehousing system solved the problem of contrast of few warehouses coupled with short distances and reduced overheads which significantly reduced production costs. This made the goods available for customers at lower prices. Maruti Suzuki: Maruti Suzuki, with its headquarters in Delhi is the first Indian company to produce and sell million cars. Its entire logistics and supply chain system especially its warehouse management system played a vital role in its success. It has a single main warehouse at Gurgaon where the components of its finished cars are stored. Its warehouses are fully automated with latest equipment and technology required for material identification, periodic stock taking and inventory carrying cost analysis. This system was devised to ensure quality and was highly successful because dealers order spare parts along with the cars. Now, Maruti is decentralizing its warehouse management system with warehouses in every region of the country due to increased competition. Future Prospects in Warehouse Services: Outsourcing: Many companies are already opting to outsource their warehousing functions to Third party logistics providers (3PL). This move not only cut down the costs of warehousing for the company but also provides the ability to leverage on the expertise of 3rd party service providers. Labour Management Systems: These can be used to track the performance of the employees working in a warehouse. Accordingly incentives can be provided along with enhancing the efficiency of working. Decision Support Tools: These tools provide the ability to design key performance indicators that can be tailored to achieve specific goals. These are usually web-based and deliver their metrics through graphical dashboards. Reverse Logistics: Reverse logistics help the companies to increase the efficiency of operations of returns from first customer interaction to final product disposition. It also increases the service levels of a company. Slotting: Slotting of packages is done to allow operations to optimize product location with respective warehouses for increased picking efficiency. RFID(Radio Frequency Identification): Famous retailers like Wal-Mart is already using this technology due to its potential to help supply chains lower operating costs, improve inventory accuracy, increase throughput, reduce inventory levels and increase visibility in warehouses. But the usage is limited because of high cost of implementation. It is expected to be one of the dominating technologies in the coming years. Future needs of Warehousing Industry: Current shift to goods and services tax (GST) will have a positive impact on the warehousing industry. It will help the industry to work more efficiently. Also free trade warehouse zones (FTWZs) should come up. In the longer run, the growth will come from space optimization, use of new technologies, efficient tax policies, IT adoption, value added services, use of appropriate storage types, adoption of right architecture, installation of surveillance and security systems and skills training. Warehouses should not just stock goods. It should also equip itself to receive goods, break shipments, and prepare for shipments. Warehousing industry is hampered by lack of capital and sufficient funding options are not available. Hence government should consider introducing tax holidays that might attract private equity players to the industry. The industry players will also do well to get listed on the secondary markets. Also the government should consider granting industry status to warehousing, which will improve the funding prospects. The bigger challenge for the industry would be to bridge the skill gap. This is because the major part of the industry is unorganized and there is deficit of industrial skills development centers in the country.

Love in A.S. Byatts Possession, Zadie Smiths White Teeth, and the Ful

Love in A.S. Byatt's Possession, Zadie Smith's White Teeth, and the Full Monty by Peter Cuttaneo As British literature and film seek to sort out the identity crisis that England finds herself in as a post-imperial nation, a variety of views have emerged concerning solutions for Britain’s confusion. One reoccurring theme to these views is love. A.S. Byatt’s Possession, Zadie Smith’s White Teeth, and The Full Monty, directed by Peter Cattaneo, all deal with a traditional, romantic view of true love, whether it is presented as a necessity or a dispensable ideal. While Possession and The Full Monty show romantic love as an essential part of what will push Britain towards rejuvenation, White Teeth presents romance as something that can be forfeited in light of the fact that mere survival is the ultimate goal. In Possession, Byatt juxtaposes many different types of relationships in order to set up an obvious comparison between what brings renewal and what does not. Roland Michell, a twentieth century scholar studying the works of nineteenth century poet R.H. Ash, is initially in a boring relationship with Val, an embittered ex-scholar, whom he has admittedly settled for. He does not love her, and, as a result, his life with her is bland. Roland later becomes colleagues with feminist Maude Bailey, whose work with another nineteenth century poet, Christabel LaMotte, coincides with his research on Ash. As they uncover Ash and LaMotte’s secret love affair, Byatt is able to display an exciting yet sorrowful love. Despite its sad ending, LaMotte and Ash’s relationship brings freshness into their otherwise monotonous lives. As the novel progresses, Maude and Roland come to respect and, ultimately, love each o... ...r future but rather settle with her present in order to survive. While Byatt’s Possession and Cattaneo’s The Full Monty are concerned with a Britain that pushes herself towards greatness through love and acceptance, Smith is more concerned with Britain just moving forward. Yet all three of these works have interesting viewpoints on the importance of true, romantic love in post-imperial Britain. Perhaps Britain can be rejuvenated through love, as Byatt suggests. Perhaps only love can bring new life to her bored, undefined citizens, as Cattaneo puts forth. Or, as Smith proposes, perhaps Britain just needs to stop all this focusing on the ideal and trying to redefine herself through these fairytale, unrealistic notions. No matter which stance the British work takes, it is important to note the question that they each pose: could love really find a way?

Cocaine :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For many centuries people have used different drugs for various reasons. Depending on which decade you are in there are particular drugs of preference and abundant usage. Cocaine is most commonly used among 18-25 year olds rather then other age groups. I chose cocaine because it is what effects people my age most commonly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cocaine was first used in the late 1800’s as a local anesthetic during surgeries. Cocaine is considered the most potent stimulant of natural origin. Cocaine can be used in many different ways. Snorting cocaine is the quickest way to use the drug. The drug is snorted through the nose and absorbed by the nasal tissues and spread through the blood stream. The quickest way to feel the impact of the drug is through injection. The drug is directly injected into the bloodstream causing immediate effects. The last way is inhalation. Cocaine can also be smoked by which it is inhaled into the lungs then into the bloodstream. Inhalation can be as rapid as injection. Another form of cocaine is known as crack. Crack is processed with ammonia or baking soda and water; it is then heated to a smoke able consistency.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in 2002 there were an estimated 1,059,000 new cocaine users in the United States. The average age of those who first used cocaine during the year was 20.3 years. Sadly in 2003-2004 approximately 34.9 million Americans over age 12 had tried cocaine at least once. The numbers are sad and shocking but amazingly continue to increase throughout the years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many health factors and risks arise with the use of cocaine. Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant. Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels and increased temperature, heart rate, dilated pupils, increased energy and increased blood pressure. Cocaine use in its early stages is often hard to detect. Some of the signs of possible cocaine use are, nosebleeds, lose of appetite, stealing from loved ones for money, and lying. A cocaine user, once dependant, will experience stomach cramps, increased heart rate and random cold sweats. Some other long-term effects of the use of cocaine are paranoia, irritability, restlessness, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances and many others. Users may also experience feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety (NIDA). Many people who inhale the drug may suffer from acute respiratory problems including coughing, shortness of breath, and severe chest pains with lung trauma and bleeding.

Alexander Hamilton: Triumph and Tragedies Essay -- Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton:Triumphs and Tragedies To die a tragic death by the hand of another man- to carve ones way through destiny and shape one's future from the humblest of beginnings- to forge a legacy by a medium only those heralded as our countries "Forefathers" have per chanced to meddle with- these are the makings and the foundations for which great men and the dreams of our country rely upon. Everyone has heard the name Alexander Hamilton, but few are familiar with his views and actions regarding the survival of the young American republic. He could be recognized for anything from serving our fledgling country by fighting in the New York militia; to serving his community as a lawyer and as a national tax agent; to beginning his political career as a representative for New York at the National Congress. Though most would agree his most important contribution to our struggling republic was to spearhead the project which formed the doctrine helping to establish the foundation in which modern democracy is based, the Articles of Confederation. Alexander’s family history along with his life story is almost as rich as the country’s who he helped to build. "[Alexander's] maternal grandfather, one John Faucette, ...emigrated from France to the West Indies sometime before 1700, ...moved to Nevis, became a planter and took a wife- Mary, [with whom he had children]. Confusion reigns as to whether there were one or two Mary Faucettes or two Faucette couples" (Emery 52). There was a "deed of gift"(Emery 54) between John Faucette and Mary Faucette in 1714 and another record of marriage between John Faucette and Mary Uppington of Nevis on August 21, 1718, leading to the possible conclusions either John had multiple lovers of the same first name at or around the same time, or it is uncertain beyond this point in history as to what is truly known about Alexander Hamilton’s past. Either way, Mary Faucette (Alexander’s grandmother) has been thought to have been plagued with poor luck, so much so that it is eve n referred to as an "extraordinarily stormy passage" (Emery 54) of a life. Though she appeared to have weathered well- "John Church Hamilton, Alexander's fourth son and first biographer, leaves this record of Rachel's impact on her son: 'He spoke of her as vividly impressed upon his memory' as a woman of intelligence, culture and elegance of form..." (Emery 55)... ...palian church, and was read his last rights. From the meager beginnings of a bastard child born out of wedlock, to one man heralding the power of friendship to the most powerful man in an early republic, Alexander Hamilton proved that what would come to be known as the American dream can be realized by anyone. Native or not; rich or poor; with the drive to realize your dreams, you can achieve them. Hamilton made great advances toward what we know as America today and left behind a legacy that has too commonly become forgotten. Bibliography Emery, Noemie. Alexander Hamilton an Intimate Portrait. New York. G.P. Putnam’s Sons.1982 Hendrickson, Robert. Hamilton I (1757-1789). New York. Mason Charter. 1976. Mitchell, Joseph B. Decisive Battles of the American Revolution. New York. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. 1962 Morgan, Edmund S. The birth of the Republic, 1763-89. Chicago London. The University of Chicago Press.1956. Morris, Richard B. Witnesses at the creation Hamilton, Madison, Jay, and the Constitution. New York. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1985. Stokesbury, James L. A short History of the American Revolution. New York. William Morrow and Company, Inc. 1991.

Beauty Queen

`The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ is set in an isolated cottage situated in a small Irish town called Leenane, during the latter half of eighties. The two characters that anchor the play are the mother-daughter duo of Maureen and Mag Folan. Maureen is a forty-year old spinster who had lived all of her life with her mom, while Mag is the seventy-year old mother who is not prepared to let go of her daughter. Mag is very ungrateful and unappreciative, in spite of Maureen dedicating her life to help Mag lead a somewhat normal life.Although both of them have gotten used to each other’s idiosyncrasies over the years, there still exists a power struggle of sorts between the two of them. At times, they even loathe and blame each other for their own miserable plights. The mother character is portrayed as a mean, selfish woman who believes that her daughter should feel indebted to serve her. The daughter desperately wants to find love, rather a husband who could free her from the ble ak existence. Maureen somehow wants to escape from the clutches of her mother and get married like her sisters.She even believes, at times, that her mother pretends to be sick to keep her confined to the four walls of the house. On the other hand, Mag tries to make her daughter feel guilty by accusing Maureen of ignoring her. As both of them had remained isolated for many years, they were reaching a state of social and emotional void. Many aspects of the play’s storyline draw parallels to Ireland’s socio-political standpoint. Many rural areas of Ireland like the one featured in the play are economically dead zones, where misery and dullness rule the day.This tone reflects in the play as Maureen and Mag lead a dull life which seldom lightens up. They also endlessly complain about how bad their lives are due to natural calamities and atrocities committed against the Irish community. It is quite ironic that the only time they enjoy talking is when they discuss their death . The ambiance of the play is quite claustrophobic as it takes place in a confined, darkly lit environment. The gray walls of the room are analogous to the sleepy town of Leenane, which breaks the usual conception of Ireland being associated with greenery and hills.This gives the viewer an unsettling feeling and conveys a sense of helplessness that haunts the play’s main characters. The other two characters in the play are Pato and Ray Dooley who happen to be brothers. Pato is a well-mannered gentleman who is sick of working in England for low wages and plans to go to America to try his luck there. He is instantly is attracted to Maureen as he expected every little. This made Maureen to be overjoyed over the prospects of being together with Pato and getting a second chance in life.On the other hand, Ray is a brash and irresponsible young man, but nonetheless amusing. This element of the play shadows on the restless youth of rural Ireland. The youth in Ireland apparently have only two possible choices; they would have to either rot their lives in boredom. or seek greener pastures in London. Although immigrating into England was not the easiest task in the world, it was their only hope to flee from poverty. The two brothers represent the two equally helpless groups of the rural youth in Ireland.This theme is universal since it can very easily be related to almost anyone living in any rural part of the world. Mag relentlessly tries to disrupt Maureen and Pato’s chances of falling in love, fearing solitude. Pato tries to pacify the situation between Maureen and Mag by talking to them, and gains Maureen’s respect. Maureen’s initial physical relationship with Pato was a result of several factors; it was due to sexual repression caused by Ireland’s ridiculously strong moral code and she also wanted to go against her mother for once in her life.However, she eventually falls in love with Pato and longed to be with him. Maureen’ s final ray of hope gets shattered as Mag’s purposely lets out certain sensitive information about their family. Mag also unscrupulously destroys a letter written by Pato which asks Maureen to come with him to America. Since Maureen does not get her hands on the letter on time, she does not get the opportunity to leave Leenane and unite with Pato. Ray inadvertently plays a role in the disaster that Mag plans to prevent Maureen and Pato from getting together.The violent unfolding of events, her medical history, Mag’s death and the grief of not being with Pato forces Maureen to go into a state of chronic depression and eventually turns into the person she dreaded most, her mother (Chang 2001). Mag was not only her daughter’s captor but also a captive of her own lifestyle and choices. Although Mag might seem like the root cause of the disaster, she was also barely a victim of the human condition. Maureen being forced to take care of her mother is a motif to Ireland ’s culture where love plays second fiddle to family responsibility.Maureen could not leave her old mom alone because she grew up on Irish values that condemned people leaving their elder alone during old age. The world needs to view Mag’s character as a self-indulgent parent from Ireland’s cultural perspective. In the rural parts of Ireland, children were raised merely to be additional hands in the family workforce, contrary to the western world’s perception of children being objects for showering love and care (Cobbe 2008).Since love is not a big part of the practical Irish life wherein arranged marriages are still the norm in certain areas, it gives the Irish another reason to escape to England. Also, the violent scenes in the play are not only an indicator of the true domestic violence that has become commonplace in the day-to-day lives of Irish people, but also a signifies that the petty fights that we as citizens of the world go through in the name o f war and so on (Gonser).Like love and hate in human relationships, there is a fine line separating tragedy and comedy in plays. What ‘the Beauty Queen of Leenane’ successfully does is strike a fine balance between the two elements, making it quite engaging albeit intense. Ultimately, the play is a strong cultural satire of sorts that showcases rural Ireland’s way of life to the rest of the world. One could interpret this play as ironical for relating the lack of economic wealth to the people’s lives devoid of happiness, thereby criticizing the spate of our modern soulless existence.Beyond the dark humor is a darker message signifying that the worst of human qualities can very easily come out under suitable circumstances. ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ is a play that makes us look past the obvious and think about things that we usually avoid because they are too complicated and stressful. However, these kinds of plays do remind us of the true n ature of human beings that lies dormant behind years of cultural training. Also, Maureen growing old and turning into her mom is a classic case of the vicious cycle of life.Reference: Chang, E. (2001, May 7). Theatre: The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Retrieved 27 June 2008, Cobbe, E. (2008, June 20). Review – The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 27 June 2008, Gonser, J. â€Å"Welcome to McDonaghland – About Language, Biscuits, and a Certain Taste for Aussie Soaps†. Retrieved 27 June 2008,

Cross-cultural Communication Essay

In order to accomplish the task I decided to interview my friend from Italy who arrived to the USA after having won a language competition to live and study here and whom I recently visited in Italy. So, below you may see some differences and similarities of American and Italian culture. First of all he decided to rent a car since it was more convenient than a train or other transportation vehicle. He noted that there are almost no pedestrians in the streets as everybody drives a car. Also, he stated that American people take care of their life as no other culture in the world because they have a list of emergency calls in every household and therefore are rightfully scared to death of Italian drivers. The system of driving in Italy is almost beyond American understanding. The basic difference is that Americans like lanes and pretty much expect everybody to stay in one. Italy does not work like this at all. Instead they use a surprisingly tolerant system of swerving, tail gating, and other go-as-you-please driving etiquette that Americans would be driven to homicidal road rage by if it happened in the hometown. Traveling through Italy American person will never see anyone irritated or aggressive while driving. Italians just casually drive like maniacs and know that everyone else is too. Along the way, they adore chatting and laughing with each other. As a huge generalization Italians are very attractive people. It felt like people are living in an Armani commercial. But as he says they smoke everywhere, all the time. As expected, he liked American food everywhere: in restaurants, in coffee shops, etc. although he was more accustomed to have a dessert and a thimble of coffee. It was quite a surprise for him to reveal that dinners last an hour or an hour and a half at most while in Italy they go on for hours. Time in general moves differently in the USA, as he says. In the USA days start earlier than according to the Italian standards. In Italy the whole country shuts down from one o’clock to three or four o’clock every afternoon. There is also a great difference in architecture of these two cultures. Italy is full of narrow streets, plazas and buildings. He says if you want to live in an apartment that is several hundred years old and is probably built on top of even older building you can do it. In the USA it is hard to find something older than about 200 years old. In my essay I would like to refer to the idea of the context of situation (Kramsch 25) that includes three major parts: o The field of discourse o The tenor of discourse o The mode of discourse The field of discourse covers the situation of visiting another country and penetrating into its culture. The tenor implies the participants, while the mode includes the role of the language in this situation. Therefore, it would be appropriate to note that Italian tradition of driving may serve as a good example of the context of situation. First of all, it involves such important factors as high level of emotionality, hot weather, narrow streets, and their somewhat confusing location. As the tenor of discourse investigates the members of the situation, it is necessary to mention here the importance of the origin of the participants. As we may see from the interview and from my own experience Italians and Americans drive in completely different way and both of them believe that their driving tradition is the best and most convenient. In conclusion, I may add that cultural diversity implies different traditions that require understanding, open-mindness, and tolerance. References Kramsch, Claire. (2003). Language and Culture (4th edition). New York: Oxford University Press.