Has building a fence along the US Mexico border help fight illegal Term Paper

Has building a fence along the US Mexico border help fight illegal immigration - Term Paper Example Since centuries, immigration has remained one of the most important issues legally, as well as politically due to the division of globe into developed and developing countries that inclines huge waves of people to emigrate from one place to another for their brighter future. However, in this process, it has been an observation that besides emigrating legally, documented evidence has indicated numerous occasions when huge number of people has crossed borders illegally due to various reasons, which has resulted in the notion of illegal immigration. In particular, every country confronts the issue of illegal immigration; however, statistics have indicated that USA-Mexico border is the platform that witnesses highest number of illegal crossings of the border in comparison to other parts of the globe, which results in various adverse outcomes. For instance, experts have indicated that illegal immigration causes many unfavorable effects on USA, and although many individuals and families cr oss US-Mexico border with no intention of carrying out criminal activities and purely for their brighter future, still, their illegal crossing causes impact on economy and social order of the USA . Since many years, USA has been putting efforts to reduce and eliminate activities of the illegal immigration on the US-Mexico border, and that has been putting a huge burden on the US government’s spending, still, thousands of people cross this border annually.In the result, US Congress and immigration experts came up with the idea of building a high-tech fence along the US-Mexico border, which has already resulted in huge debate and the idea has received mixed responses. The basic plan is to build â€Å"a 2,000-mile fence along the US-Mexico border and this has been the proposal of Duncan Hunter, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee†3. In order to understand whether this fence will be helpful in fighting illegal immigration, it is very imperative to understand what it will look like. In this regard, reports have indicated that it will be a combination of â€Å"barbed wire, powerful wire fences, high-technological sensors, and a path for border patrol veh icles, CCTV cameras, and movement detectors†4. As of the year 2010, the US government was successful in building approximately 640 miles of this 2,000-miles fence, and the construction is still in process. Building of such a high-tech complicated wall/fence seems very effective in curbing illegal immigration; however, this is not as simple as it looks, and various factors play a crucial role that will allow us to understand the different effects of US-Mexico border fence. In brief, analysis has shown that construction of this fence has resulted in significant reduction in the rate of illegal immigrants. For instance, San Diego was first location for construction of pilot project of this fence, and it was a 14-mile fence in the California district5. Reports indicate that the project showed successful results as the number of illegal immigrants dropped from â€Å"202,000 in the year 1992 to only nine thousand in the year 2004†6 that indicates the effective outcomes of thi s fence. On the other hand, experts have indicated that although location of the fences has reduced the activities of illegal immigration; however, locations at the end of fence has become a platform for individuals and cartels to carry out the activities of illegal immigration in more organized manner that has been a new problem due to this fence. Furthermore, in order to respond to this construction of fence, there seem two major arguments. Firstly, it has been an understanding that although the fences have been successful in restricting the illegal immigrants; however, the construction of fence has caused uneasiness and apprehension on both sides of

Homosexuality Essay Example for Free

Homosexuality Essay How would you feel if the government would not allow you the right to get married? Homosexuals in the United States do not have the full right to marriage and they should. I. Many people in the US claim they are for same-sex rights but when the idea of marriage is brought up, they suddenly become against it. II. In 1924, the Society for Human Rights in Chicago became the country’s earliest gay rights organization. III. In 1951, the Mattachine Society became the first official national gay rights organization formed by Harry Hay. IV. Five years later, Daughters of Bilitis was founded as the first national lesbian organization. V. Six years after that, Illinois became the first state to decriminalize homosexual acts in private between couples. VI. Twenty years later in 1982, Wisconsin became the first state who outlawed the discrimination of sexual orientation. VII. In 1993, the government issued the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy for the US Military stating that homosexuals were permitted to serve in the military however homosexual activity was strictly banned. VIII. On December 18, 2010, President Obama took a huge step towards homosexual rights when he repealed the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy. IX. In 2000, Vermont became the first state to legally recognize civil unions between homosexual couples. X. Four years later, same-sex marriages became legal in Massachusetts. XI. Six state governments (along with the District of Columbia, the Coquille Indian Tribe, and the Suquamish tribe) have passed laws offering same-sex marriage: New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire. XII. Following lead, civil unions became legal in Connecticut in 2005 and New Jersey in 2006. XIII. In November 2007, the House of Representatives approved the bill ensuring equal rights in the workplace for homosexuals. XIV. In just 2008: a. Oregon passes the law permitting same-sex couples to register as domestic partners. b. In May, California legalized same-sex marriage only to ban it again in November. c. In October, the law is passed that Connecticut will perform same-sex marriages instead of civil unions. XV. In 2009: d.  The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously rejected same-sex marriage laws on April 3rd only to be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples twenty-one days later. e. On April 7th, Vermont legalized same-sex marriage and also became the first state to legalize through the Legislature. f. Maine shortly legalized same-sex marriage in May only for the vote to overrule making the state the 31st to ban same-sex marriages. g. In June, New Hampshire legalizes sam e-sex marriage while President Obama also signs a referendum allowing the same-sex partners of federal employees to receive benefits except full health coverage. XVI. In March 2010, Congress approved the law to legalize same-sex marriages in the District of Columbia. XVII. People like to argue that homosexuals are just promiscuous and not able to form long-lasting relationships when that is completely untrue. Homosexual couples are just the same as heterosexual couples. XVIII. The Kinsey Institute has ongoing studies on homosexuality to determine whether sexuality is decided in the womb. As of this time, their studies show that it is something a person is born with and they cannot help it. XIX. The Kinsey Scale rates a person’s homosexuality from 0-exclusively heterosexual with no homosexual feelings to 6-exclusively homosexual. XX. In February of this year, Obama ended the Defense Against Marriage Act which had once defined marriage against a man and a woman, taking the country one step closer to legalizing same-sex marriages. XXI. Obama stated that he supports the civil unions as an alternative, however, his views are constant XXII. In February of this year, Obama ended the Defense Against Marriage Act which had once defined marriage against a man and a woman, taking the country one step closer to legalizing same-sex marriages. XXIII. Obama stated that he supports the civil unions as an alternative; however, his views are constantly evolving. XXIV. Legalizing same-sex marriage in the US really does not cause harm to anybody. XXV. It would put same-sex couples on the same level as heterosexual couples. XXVI. It is not anybody’s right to judge them for something they cannot help, no matter how hard they may try.

How Spreadsheets can Solve Complex Problems

How Spreadsheets can Solve Complex Problems Explain how spreadsheets can be used to solve complex problems (P1) Task 1: Generate a report explaining how spreadsheets can be used to solve the following complex problems giving examples to support your explanation Cash flow forecasting Cash flow forecasting is used to see what comes into a business and what goes out. This estimates amounts of cash that comes in and goes out during a period of time. A cash flow forecast will show what the firm is spending its money on.   Ã‚   Cash flow forecasting can be used in spreadsheets as you can use formulas on it to calculate sums and there is less errors whilst using it. It saves time you can calculate things quicker on it rather than doing it one by one. You can conditional format on it which sets rules and highlights the rows you need highlighting. This cash flow sheet shows the money coming and going out between a time. It shows money that comes in each month of the year and how much goes out for things like expenses, wages and so on. When you input data into the cells it will automatically calculate the data with the formulas in the cells. They can then use this years cash flow sheet and compare it to next years seeing if there is any difference. Budget control Budgetary control is how well you utilise budgets to keep track of costs under control and operations in a certain time period. Budget control is a process for managers to put financial and performance targets in place with budgets, compare the final result, and adjust performance when it is needed. Organisations will use budget control to keep costs under control so they dont over spend. This budget control shows the budget limit which is $5,000 and they have spent $3,000 leaving them with $2,000 available. This show that they have spent $1,000 on internet, $500 on postage and $1,500 on rent. It has calculated the total and has shown how much they have left to spend. What-if scenarios What-if scenario is the way businesses use a planning and modelling technique to get various projections for outcomes based on selectively changing the inputs. Scenario planning lets a business to be prepared for dramatic situations more quickly and act effectively because they have made strategies to use. In this spreadsheet, there are 11 people who have taken the test. The people who have an average of over 15 have passed and the ones who have an average of less than 15 have failed. The people who have passed are coloured in green and the people who have failed are in red. The colours displayed are according to the what-if scenario. Sales forecasting Sales forecasting is the process of predicting sales in the future. An accurate sales forecast enables companies to make informed business decisions and predict short-term and long-term performance. Companies can base their forecasts on past sales data and economic trends. If a business is creating a sales forecast on paper they will get many errors in calculations as they have to enter the data and calculate it manually. If a business uses excel to make their sales forecasts they will find it easier as there will be less errors and it will calculate automatically without any errors. Payroll projections In any businesses or organisations, they will have a system which will work out the wages for the staff and this system also calculates taxes payed according their wage. In other words, it shows how much to pay workers and employees during a week, month or other period. In this payroll projection sheet, you can see the included amounts that the business will pay its employees. This is based on the hours that they are working regularly, vacation/holidays hours, sick hours, gross pays, taxes, net pay etc. This is easy for a business to use at it will automatically adjust the wage according to the hours they work. Statistical analysis Statistical analysis is the collection of data, presenting large amounts of data and exploring data to find   patterns and trends. They can use average, mode and median to calculate the overall figures. After the data has been collected you can present it in different formats such as graphs and tables. Once the graph has been completed you are bale to analyse it for underlying patterns and trends. In statistical analysis, a business or an organisation can solve complex problems by entering different sorts of formulae to calculate the average, mode, median or total of a cell. Trend analysis Trend analysis is an analysis that will let businesses to predict what will happen with a stock in the future. Trend analysis is based on data from the past about the stocks performance given the overall trends and patterns of the market and certain indicators within the market. Trend analysis gives out ideas and records on past income, expenses and net cash flow of the past so they can use this to improve the production of their businesses. This graph show the amount of money a brand makes within a month. We can see which brand has the least and highest amounts by looking at the graph chart. By using graphs and charts it becomes more organised and shows who has made profit and who has lost money. Discuss how organisations can use interpretation methods to analyse data (D1) Comparisons of data Organisations can use many interpretation methods to analyse data. They can compare data from using SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, SUMIF, ROUND, SUBTOTAL, RAND, RATE, MIN, MAX, SYD FV etc. Sum The sum is a formula which will allow you to add different values from different cells. This makes it easier for you as it will allow you to add big numbers together without any errors. The calculation is done automatically. For example = SUM (B4:B12) =SUM (B9:B12, D4:D17) Average The average or arithmetic mean is the calculation of 2 or more different values. Where number 1 may contain a cell reference or range that you want as an average. And number2 can be optional numbers that can go up to 255 max. The average normally refers to the mean value of a variety of numbers in a set that is found by adding all the numbers in the set and then dividing the answer by how many numbers there was in the set. Count The count function counts all the cells that contains numbers and it will put all the numbers in a list of arguments. The use of count function is to get a number field in a range of numbers. For example; we can enter a formula or function that would count the from B1:B27 =COUNT (B1:B27) Sum IF The use of SUMIF function is to add up the values in a range that would meet the task or criteria that you choose. For example, if you want to add/sum only the values that are larger than in a column, you can use the formula =SUMIF (C2:C25,>5) or you can just click on any option from conditional formatting. Round The round function rounds a number to an any decimal point you want. For example, if cell E2 contains 55.86987, and you want it to be rounded to two decimal places then you can use this formula =ROUND (E2.2) then your number will be rounded to 55.86. Subtotal A subtotal is a list or database in a spreadsheet where it only contains subtotals from cells of larger cells. Once you have created a subtotal you can then edit or modify it by using the subtotal function which is SUBTOTAL (function, ref2, [ref3],). Trend analysis Trend analysis is the movements and the course of a trend that can suggest not only what has happened in the past but it can also predict what will happen in the future. The objective of the trend analysis is there to answer questions by assessing changes in a collection of values of a variable. This can things such as the changes in the profit made daily for a specific product. Businesses can use trend analysis in spreadsheets by using graph charts that would allow people to easily see the trend analysis of the business and it will be able to be understood quicker. They can also see where the business is making profit and where it is making loss. Purpose of Trend Analysis Business leaders can make mistakes, and these mistakes can cost them. Trend analysis is a helpful tool that leaders use to limit the risk of tactical, operational and financial tactics. This tool   can let leaders make decisions linked to trends that suggest the success of one opportunity compared to another. By doing this they cause less room for error and businesses will be more successful. Charts and Graphs: Many businesses and organisations use different types of charts and graphs to determine whether if they are going to experience a loss or profit by adding all monthly or yearly expenses. These charts can include pie charts, line chart, brick chart, bar box and vertical bar graph etc. Pie Charts: Line charts: Series 1: Loss: 3% Profit: 4.5% Series 2: Loss: 1.9% Profit: 3% Series 3: Loss: N/A Profit: 5% Bar box: Category 1: Series 1: 4.2% Series 2: 2.4% Series 3: 2% Category 2: Series 1:2.5% Series 2: 4.3% Series 3: 2% Category 3: Series 1: 3.5% Series 2: 1.8% Series 3: 3% Category 4: Series 1: 4.5% Series 2: 2.8% Series 3: 5%

The Partial Responsibility of the Witches in William Shakespeares Macb

It is the purpose of this assignment to explore whether the witches influenced Macbeth sufficiently to cause him to commit murder, treason and regicide, or whether Macbeth was capable of committing these crimes on his own and the witches only made this happen a little earlier and a little more certainly. We will also explore the Elizabethan audience, their superstitions, and how they would react to the character of the witches as seen in Macbeth. Historically, the witches have been seen as evil beings that gain evil powers from the devil to use during their lifetime, in return for their souls when they die. In the United Kingdom, man's belief in witches and the supernatural was very strong during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Laws were passed by Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and James I prohibiting witchcraft and making the practise punishable by death. Witches were used as scapegoats in Elizabethan society. During the years 1580-90 there was a famine and rebellion throughout the land, 160 witch trials took place in south-east England alone. In the years 1620-30, there was relatively little famine only 25 trials took place, the Civil War then broke out in 1642, the number of trials rocketed to 75. If the crops failed or if an animal was sick, people would automatically suspect that a witch was involved because the people at this time had very little medical or scientific knowledge to explain these occurrences. The majority of witches executed were old women who lived alone, if they kept any sort of animal for company, e.g. a cat, then people could claim that the animal was a "familiar", an evil spirit given to .. ...esponsible and we see these traits at work after Act 4, Scene 1, when his "boundless ambition" and the influences of the witches' apparitions make him engage in a final battle between the two armies of good and evil at the end of the play. The Elizabethan audience would have hated the witches, partly because they would attribute any misfortunes in their own lives to the actions of similar beings. Shakespeare chose to use the witches in this way for two reasons. Firstly, the audience's fear and superstition about witches would mean that there was little need to develop their characters further than evil beings, because the people would already know a lot about them, and secondly because of how fervently James I not only believed in witches, but believed that they were the cause of all the suffering in his kingdom.

Organizational Behavior-Communication Essay

1. Present which channels of communications should be emphasized and how these channels will be used to ensure that the traditional departments (e.g., IT, human resources, customer service, and sales) at SWC headquarters have necessary accurate and timely information. Communication in an organization or company is very important in achieving goals and objectives. It is oftentimes used in relaying information, messages and issues that concern the success of a company or organization. It is the medium used by most of the high ranking officials and members to have an organized and timely delivery of information in every office or department for instance. Various types of communication or channels had been used. These communication channels are used by the companies to convey and interact well with the employees in order to improve and attain growth of the organization. There are two types of channels—indirect and direct communication. Indirect communication is used when the interaction is not face-to-face. It uses medium such as different types of technologies like computers, monitors and among others. The most common type of indirect communication is the teleconferencing.   On the other hand, direct communication is a face-to-face type of communication. This is common when all of the members of the team are present in just one area. 2. Which channels will be key to those work teams with all members located within headquarters? In the case of SWC, all of the members of the team are within the headquarters, it is best to use direct communication. In relaying this message , a memo can be sent to the members of the team to inform them of the activity that will be done within the headquarters. It is a common knowledge that doing a meeting or gathering within a certain place when all of the people are present, it is best to employ the direct communication. If the head of the department do not have the time to write a memo the most common thing done is to send an email to the members stating the information and issues that should be discussed and later on meet face-to-face with the members. It is not advisable that the leader will just send an email to all the members even if all are present within one area. On the other hand, an email might be good to relay the information fast and easy but still it connotes something to the members. The members might think that the leader of the team is not interested in talking with them. So, there are also strengths and weaknesses of these channels. But in this case, a good leader nurtures a relationship with the members through constant socialization, constant talking with them and assuring that the company is still wants them and will be like a friend that whenever the company decides to change leadership and people the members will be the first to know. It is showing of sincerity with the members of the team. In a study done by the Harvard business school, they projected what a good manager is. They found out that the effective manager spends more than 80 percent of their time in interacting with their personnel and staff. Furthermore, their study said that interaction and conversations within the working area is important in leading a company or organization. It is human capital and social capital that is working in order to achieve and create what the company wants such as increasing productivity while enhancing innovation. In another research done by Ron Burt from the University of Chicago, a leading researcher on the social capital of managers has found, through numerous studies, that certain patterns of connections that individuals build with others brings them higher pay, earlier promotions, greater influence, better ideas and overall greater career success. Burt believes that good social capital provides a much higher return on investment in human capital – the two work toge ther. (Krebs, 2005) In another research done at the Norwegian school of economics, a manager or team leader with a better social networking were more productive since they are sincere with their work, they can easily coordinate with the members without hesitation and coordinate tasks in order to finish a certain project and accomplish the goals and objectives of the project (Krebs, 2005). 3. We may have virtual self-managed teams with members located in different parts of the world. The members have yet to meet each other. These teams are each focusing on designing and delivering specific products to certain customers by designated dates. On the other hand, while face-to-face interaction is important in achieving productivity the introduction of various technologies cannot be ignored. Some of the teams of SWC are located in various areas where there is difficulty of meeting face-to-face. In this kind of interaction, teleconferencing has been used by many organizations and companies in order to hold a meeting or to discuss an issue that concerns the company. Also, one of the successful interactions is through networking. This technology helps individuals communicate with each other even if it is across the world. It is a laborious and costly though but once it is set up many of the staff outside the headquarters will benefit from it. From this networking there will be better information flow and exchange of communication among the team members(Lussier, 2005) If SWC were to consider the virtual self-managed teams, below are some key areas that would be evaluated. A virtual self-managed team has been around the globe today. It is used by the outsourcing companies such as call centers, medical transcriptionist, and even tutorials online. Through the introduction of the technology people have embraced this and been nurturing and disseminating it to the others. But before going into a deeper context of the virtual self-managed team, a creation of this team is very important such as choosing the right person to manage and disseminate information. There are a lot of criteria in choosing the person. One of this is the knowledge and skills on the technology that will be used in the entire implementation of the project or program. Individuals who are adept with various types of technologies and willing to be trained again and again just to ensure that there will be no problems later on in the implementation.   Individuals who have lots of connections and networks that can assist them with their problems in terms of technology. Individuals who are willing to share later on their knowledge and not be tacit about the new information and studies so that there will be transfer of skills., and someone that cannot only design programs but can facilitate information flow and sharing of knowledge. a. What communication channel(s) would you recommend for the initial meeting? For the initial meeting of the team, it would be best that is done face-to-face. This is the first meeting so it should build rapport with each other. Even if there are the use of technologies later on, at least during the initial meeting and introduction of each other there already a communication among them. b. What communication channel(s) would you recommend as key interactions (you are not limited to those channels listed in the exhibit)? Later on, after the initial meeting the team can discuss issues through teleconferencing, phone calls, chat messengers and among others that might not require the presence of each other and spend costly fares just to be in one place. Organization of the issues beforehand is also important because this will identify how urgent the meeting should be or is it just one of the meetings and phone calls would be enough. c. Explain how these teams will meet the challenges of each of the stages of group/team development. Engaging in this kind of set-up, virtual self-managed team, is difficult to maintain though. It will require energy because this does not only entail communication but it also needs feedback and learning (source) among the team members. In order to meet these challenges there should be a constant communication even it is called â€Å"virtual† because through this monitoring can be done as well as learning along the way. d. What challenges does diversity present? What must be done to meet these challenges? Diversity in people is very challenging. Every person has its own personality, culture and attitude. Constant learning through trainings can be a good answer to it. e. From a communications point of view, what are the advantages and what are the disadvantages of virtual self-managed-teams? Virtual self-managed team is cost-effective. The only costs that will be incurred are the gadgets that will be used during the networking and conferencing. It can also be done anywhere and anytime of the day. Just put the set up and voila there will be a meeting in the middle of beach. On the other hand, it has also disadvantages. Since it will not require the presence of the person it does not nurture a relationship and does not build rapport among the team. Oftentimes than not, the reaction and the feelings will be not be felt if it is only in the monitor or phone calls. Conversations can be faked and might build walls.

Definition of Accent in English Speech

Definition of Accent in English Speech The term accent has various meanings, but in speaking, an accent is an identifiable style of pronunciation, often varying regionally or even socioeconomically. It can be contrasted with a persons dialect, which includes regional vocabulary. Standard English has nothing to do with pronunciation, wrote Peter Trudgill  (Dialects.  Routledge, 2004). In fact, most people who speak Standard English do so with some sort of regional pronunciation, so that you can tell where they come from much more by their accent than by their  grammar  or vocabulary. George Mason University holds a speech accent archive, where people have been recorded reading the same English passage, for linguists to study, for example, what makes accents distinct from one another.   More on Dialects Versus Accents A dialect is a verbal departure from standard language. Dialects are characteristic of a particular group of speakers and have their own charm as well. Yall in the South, Yah in Minnesota, Eh? in Canada. The regional dialects of Brooklyn, the rural South, New England, and Appalachia, not to mention the greater contributions of Canada and Britain, and those of various ethnic cultures, have certainly enriched the English language. An accent is a particular way of pronouncing a language. Warsh for wash in Cajun Louisiana, New Yawk for New York among native New Yorkers, aboot for about in Canada. The appeal of dialects and accents comes from our appreciation of their musical intonations, imaginative word choices, and emotive speech rhythms. (James Thomas, Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers. Focal Press, 2009) Regional and Social Accents Accents are not just regional but sometimes contain information about a persons ethnicity, such as in the case of nonnative English speakers; education; or economic status. Within each national variety [of English] the standard dialect is relatively homogeneous in grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation. Pronunciation is a different matter, since there is no equivalent standard accent (type of pronunciation). For each national variety, there are regional accents, related to geographical area, and social accents, related to the educational, socio-economic, and ethnic backgrounds of the speakers. (Tom McArthur, The English Languages. Cambridge University Press, 1998) Phonetic and Phonological Differences Even though pronunciation differs, meanings of the same words often remain the same, such as around North America or between Britain and Australia.   Differences between accents are of two main sorts: phonetic and phonological. When two accents differ from each other only phonetically, we find the same set of phonemes in both accents, but some or all of the phonemes are realised differently. There may also be differences in stress and intonation, but not such as would cause a change in meaning. As an example of phonetic differences at the segmental level, it is said that Australian English has the same set of phonemes and phonemic contrasts as BBC pronunciation, yet Australian pronunciation is so different from that accent that it is easily recognized.Many accents of English also differ noticeably in intonations without the difference being such as would cause a difference in meaning; some Welsh accents, for example, have a tendency for unstressed ​syllables to be higher in pitch than stressed syllables. Such a difference is, again, a phonetic one...Phonological differences are of various types...Within the area of segmenta l phonology the most obvious type of difference is where one accent has a different number of phonemes (and hence of phonemic contrasts) from another.(Peter Roach, English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course, 4th ed. Cambridge University Press, 2009) Why So Many British Accents? Though Britain is a relatively small place, English spoken there can sound quite different from one end of the country to another. There are more accents per square mile in Britain than in any other part of the English-speaking world.This is because of the hugely diverse history of English in the British Isles, with the originally Germanic dialects of Europe mixing with the Norse accents of the Vikings, the French accents of the Normans, and wave after wave of immigration from the Middle Ages down to the present day.But its also because of the rise of mixed accents, as people move house around the country and pick up features of the accent wherever they find themselves.(David Crystal and Ben Crystal, Revealed: Why the Brummie Accent Is Loved Everywhere but Britain. Daily Mail, October 3, 2014) The Lighter Side I sometimes wonder if Americans arent fooled by our [British] accent into detecting brilliance that may not really be there.(Stephen Fry)You know, Fez, unfortunately there are some people in this world that are going to judge you on the color of your skin or your funny accent or that girly little way you run. But you know what? Youre not alone. Why do you think the Martians wont land here? Because theyre green, and they know people are going to make fun of them!(Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso in Bring It on Home. That 70s Show, 2003)[Yankees] are pretty much like Southerners- except with worse manners, of course, and terrible accents.(Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind, 1936)

Roman Lares, Larvae, Lemures, and Manes

Roman Lares, Larvae, Lemures, and Manes The ancient Romans believed that after death their souls became spirits or shades of the dead. There is some debate about the nature of Roman shades or spirits (aka ghosts). The theologian Augustine Bishop of Hippo (A.D. 354 - 430), who died when Vandals attacked Roman Africa, wrote about the Roman shades a few centuries after most of the literary, pagan Latin references to such spirits. Horace (65-8 B.C.) Epistles 2.2.209:​nocturnos lemures portentaque Thessala rides?)Do you laugh at dreams, miracles, magical terrors,Witches, ghosts in the night, and Thessalian portents?Kline translationOvid (43 B.C.-A.D. 17/18) Fasti 5.421ff:ritus erit veteris, nocturna Lemuria, sacri:inferias tacitis manibus illa dabunt.It will be the ancient sacred rites of the Lemuria,When we make offerings to the voiceless spirits. (Note that Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome died in 337.) St. Augustine on the Spirits of the Dead: Lemures and Demon: [Plotinus (3rd century A.D.)] says, indeed, that the souls of men are demons, and that men become Lares if they are good, Lemures or Larvae if they are bad, and Manes if it is uncertain whether they deserve well or ill. Who does not see at a glance that this is a mere whirlpool sucking men to moral destruction? For, however wicked men have been, if they suppose they shall become Larvae or divine Manes, they will become the worse the more love they have for inflicting injury; for, as the Larvae are hurtful demons made out of wicked men, these men must suppose that after death they will be invoked with sacrifices and divine honors that they may inflict injuries. But this question we must not pursue. He also states that the blessed are called in Greek eudaimones, because they are good souls, that is to say, good demons, confirming his opinion that the souls of men are demons. From Chapter 11. City of God, by St. Augustine, Augustine says there were the following different types of spirits of the dead: Lares if good,Lemures (larvae) if evil, andManes if indeterminate. Another Interpretation of the Lemures - Haunting Spirits: Instead of being evil spirits, the lemures (larvae) may have been souls that could find no rest because, having met with a violent or premature death, they were unhappy. They wandered among the living, haunting people and driving them to madness. This corresponds with modern tales about the ghosts in haunted houses. Lemuria - Festivals to Placate the Lemures: No sane Roman wanted to be haunted, so they held ceremonies to satisfy the spirits. The lemures (larvae) were propitiated during the 9-day festival in May named Lemuria after them. At the Parentalia or Feralia on the 18th and 21st of February, living descendants shared a meal with the benevolent spirits of their ancestral (manes or di parentes). Ovid (43 B.C. – A.D. 17) on the Lemures and Manes: Almost four centuries before the Christian St. Augustine wrote about pagan beliefs in shades, the Romans were honoring their ancestors and writing about the ceremonies. At the time, there was already uncertainty about the origins of placating festivals. In Ovids Fasti 5.422, the Manes and Lemures are synonymous and both hostile, in need of exorcism via the Lemuria. Ovid incorrectly derives the Lemuria from Remuria, saying it was to placate Remus, the brother of Romulus. Larvae and Lemures: Usually considered the same, not all ancient authors considered the Larvae and Lemures identical. In the Apocolocyntosis 9.3 (about the deification of  Emperor Claudius, attributed to Seneca) and Plinys Natural History, Larvae are tormentors of the dead. Manes: The Manes (in the plural) were originally good spirits. Their name was usually placed with the word for gods, di, as in Di manes. Manes came to be used for the ghosts of individuals. The first writer to do so is Julius and Augustus Caesars contemporary Cicero (106 - 43 B.C.). Reference: Aeneas and the Demands of the Dead, by Kristina P. Nielson. The Classical Journal, Vol. 79, No. 3. (Feb. - Mar. 1984). Also see Aeneid in the Realm of Hades Odysseus in the Underworld - Nekuia Ovid Fasti 5.421ff Judgment of the Dead in the Egyptian Afterlife Lemures and Larvae, by George Thaniel The American Journal of Philology. Vol. 94, No. 2 (Summer, 1973), pp. 182-187

TELS 3340 Case Studies Essays

TELS 3340 Case Studies Essays TELS 3340 Case Studies Paper TELS 3340 Case Studies Paper Narmin Azizli Case study 2-A 1 . What is Marilyns responsibility to her present employer regarding her knowledge that several employees are planning to seek positions with the new company? Marilyn is an experienced supervisor, and she is responsible to report if there are any problems with employees. In my opinion, she should inform middle or top management that there is possibility that some employees might leave. By doing this she is not telling on her employees. She is making sure that management will be prepared if someone leaves. In addition, if Marilyn informs top management about he issue, they might consider higher pay rates and better benefits in order to keep their current employees. 2. How should Marilyn reply to the recruiter who is asking her to come in for an interview? Does this constitute an ethnical decision for her? This does constitute and ethical decision for Marilyn. First, she needs to decide if she wants to stay with her current employer, or work for a new company. I believe that it is not unethical to take a Job interview, or find out more about benefits this new company might offer her. In my opinion, she needs to inform her current employer hat she is considering other options before taking an interview. 3. Is it ethical for one company to receive funds to move into an area when other companies struggle to keep Jobs from going offshore or from being lost to automation? First, the company that is moving into an area specializes in computer parts. Other companies which struggled with Job losses were in the textile field. There is a possibility that computer parts manufacturing plant has better chances of succeeding in that town than textile company. So why not? I dont think this is unethical. Especially, if new Jobs will be created in a small town that was hit hard ith Job losses. Community will benefit if there are new Job opportunities. Case study 3-A 1 . Outline the specific steps Cliff should have taken with Sonja prior to their meeting with Cindy to ensure the meeting went smoothly with no surprises. First, if the company had problems with Cindys performance at work they needed to follow certain procedures. Supervisor needs to identify the problem, once it is clear, so is the procedure to handle it Procedure is a standardized way ot responding to repetitive problems. Cliff is the corporate property manager; Sonja is corporate assistant property manager. Cliff should have been the one talking to Cindy, not Sonja. In my opinion, Sonja was not even supposed to be in the room. In this case, Cliff was supposed to tell Sonja if she wants to sit in, she can, but he will be the one talking to Cindy. He has the firing power, not Sonja. In addition, it was Just simple meeting to discuss sales expectations for Cindy. Cliff showed that he is a weak supervisor by letting his assistant to fire an employee during sales expectations meeting. 2. As supervisor, what should Cliff have done when it became apparent Sonja was overstepping her authority during the meeting with Cindy? Cliff was supposed to stop Sonja and let her know that she doesnt have that power. Moreover, he also could ask her to leave the room. He did not follow company protocol during the dismissal, which is very bad for company image. 3. What steps do you believe Heather should take with Sonja? With Cindy? I believe that Heather, as a seasoned veteran of HR needs to talk to Sonja and let her know that she needs to apologize to Cindy, and never overstep her authority again. In addition, I also think that it would be appropriate for Cliff and Cindy to have another meeting, where Cliff should apologize for what happened to make sure that this ncident does not affect the company and all members of the executive committee. Case Study 4-A 1. Explain how work specialization is important to Jack as a building and grounds supervisor. Work specialization means that rather than an entire Job being done by one individual, it is broken down into a number of steps that are each completed by a separate individual. Jacks main Job is to ensure that the inside of the buildings and the grounds are clean and in good repair and are pleasant places for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. This sounds like a simple description of his Job, but it includes a lot more responsibilities. He has to make sure that everything is working fine, take care of plants, snow removal, heat and air conditioning, and maintain constant level of humidity in the greenhouse for biology department. He manages seven other full time workers. Each of them has their own responsibilities. He also hires part time workers depending on the need. Jack cant possibly do it all alone. He needs at least one person for each Job. In addition, he monitors their work, makes sure that everything is getting done. Work specialization is very important for Jacks job. It is very beneficial, but it also has its cons. Boredom, fatigue, stress, low productivity, poor quality, high turnover are all negative things that can come with work specialization. Jack needs to motivate his employees, make sure that they are nappy and nave no problems. A good way to do this is to make them teel I ike DOSS of their Job, he needs to show that he trusts them and they can make good decisions. Moreover, it will be beneficial to involve them in decision process too. For example, one of the employees has specialization in heating and plumbing. He is more experienced in this field. So listening to ideas he has to offer will be beneficial to Jack nd will show to that employee that his thoughts and ideas count. 2. What type of organizational structure does this community college have? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this structure? This community college has functional organizational structure. Functional structure is defined as an organization in which similar and related occupational specialties are grouped together. The strength of this structure is work specialization. Putting like specialties together results in economies of scale, minimizes duplication of personnel and equipment, and employees are satisfied because they are working ith people Just like themselves. The weakness of this structure is that organization focuses on functional goals and loses sight of its best interests. In other words, this can lead to complicated communication and long decision making processes. No one is responsible for end results, so members within individual functions have little understanding of what people in other functions are doing. In addition, employees can neglect the larger view of the company and its goals and objectives. When an employee has understanding of future goals, and visions of the company he/she can contribute more. When you are doing one Job and not seeing how it benefits the organization in long term can lead to burnout and low productivity. It is important to feel and see that what you are doing matters and benefits the company. 3. Discuss the factors that determine the size of Jacks span of control. Span of control stands for the number of employees a supervisor can efficiently and effectively direct. However, there is no universal answer. The factors that determine the size of Jacks span of control are his experience and competency, level of training and experience of his employees, how complex are employee activities, how many ifferent types of Jobs are under the supervisors direction, how extensive the departments formal rules and regulations are. Since each of Jacks full time workers specializes in different areas, it shows that the Jobs are more varied which leads to the narrower span of control. Each worker is responsible for different types of things that needs to be done around campus, which makes their activities more complex. More complex activities lead to narrower span of control. Since each worker does different things Jack needs to review each task that is completed separately, it takes more time. I think seven full time workers and part timers depending on season is enough for Jack. Case study 5-A 1 . Why is it important for Jameel to know about the laws and regulations that affect human resource practice? Since one of Jameels responsibilities is to coordinate the part-time temporary work needs of several local companies, it is very important for him to know about laws and regulations that affect human resource practice. He needs to know about equal employment opportunities laws, and selection process which must be handled without regard to race, sex, religion, age, color, national origin, or disability. 2. Why is it important for Jameel to know how to determine staffing needs? Demand for human resources is a result of demand for what the department produces. If company needs to complete certain amount of work, and there are not enough current employees to complete the work, the company will need more employees. By assessing current human resource and future human resource needs and developing a program to meet future human resource needs which is employment planning, Jameel can know exactly how many potential employees he needs to recruit. 3. What are some recruiting methods that Jameel might use to ensure that he has the ight employees to match the needs of employers? Some recruiting methods Jameel might use are employee referrals, advertisements, school placements, temporary help services, and employee leasing and independent contractors. In addition, he could also use online recruiting websites which are very popular. . Research the employment selection process of three businesses in your community. Ask questions like these: What type of and how much testing do they require? Is an application, resume, or work sample required? Who conducts the interviews and how long are they? Who makes the final decision to hire a new mployee? How long is the process? Three businesses that I researched are Kroger, Starbucks, and Mason Nails. In order to apply for a Job at Kroger you need fill out an online application. First part of their application is designed to collect personal information, and second part is assessment. The assessment is 17 pages long with 5 questions on each page. The assessment helps them to determine if you are a good fit for the company. Moreover, they also do background check and drug testing. Once your application is selected local manager of Kroger in the area where you live will conduct the interview. The nterviews usually lasts 15/20 minutes. Local manager makes the final decision to hire an employee. The process can take 60 to 90 days (including application processing time). In order to apply for a Job at Starbucks an application process is required. They dont require any testing. Usually branch manager conducts the interview and it is approximately 20/30 minutes. Branch manager makes final decision to hire a new employee. The process is 20/30 days long. In Mason Nails usually potential employee does not need to till an application. It someone is interested they need to come in and talk to the manager. If manager needs additional employees he/she will set up and interview with interested person. They would do skills test on potential employee (to see if they can do manicure/pedicure). In addition, license from cosmetology school is required. Manager/owner makes the final decision to hire. The process is short, it can be a week or two. Case Study 6-A 1 . Refer to the steps of the control process. Where in the process do the steps taken by the Florida resort hotel fall? The steps taken by the Florida resort hotel fall into the first step of control process which is measuring actual performance. Managers started evaluating room leanliness based on the instructional video information. Because of economic turmoil hospitality industry has been hit hard. Since clean rooms are critical component in customer satisfaction, managers of Florida resort hotel decided to use $10 test. This test worked and guest rooms cleaned to an impeccable standard. 2. As a supervisor, do you think the $10 test is a fair and appropriate method to measure the performance of the housekeeping staff? Why or why not? I think the $10 test is appropriate and fair method to measure performance. Housekeepers usually do their Job, but they dont clean every single little spot. They are not motivated to do so. If you fire them and hire new staff, the new staff will do the Job, but it wont be perfect. Perfect clean rooms are essential for customer satisfaction. Therefore, for housekeepers to have motivation to clean to perfection $10 test works. I look at it like tips, for good service you get tips. Same can be applied to this situation. 3. Describe which type of control is illustrated in this case. How do you know? Corrective control is a type of control that provides feedback after an activity is finished to prevent future deviations. Corrective control is illustrated in this case, ecause after the room has been cleaned, the manager would walk in lay 10 one dollar bills on the bed and take a dollar for each mistake. The manager gives feedback after the cleaning has been done. Case study 7-A 1. In her new Job, how might Toby make use of the knowledge she has about decision-making styles? Toby can use her knowledge about decision-making styles by examining how her boss, and other supervisors make their decisions. Once she knows their styles, she could find the best style to introduce her new ideas and take actions that she thinks will work better in the call center. 2. How would Toby benetlt by examining the styles ot ner boss and those ot the other supervisors? By examining the styles of her boss and other supervisors Toby can understand how two different people, with access to the same information, can differ in the ways they approach decisions and in the final choices they make. In addition, once she fgures out their decision-making styles she will know exactly how to approach them with new ideas and offers. 3. In a popular television show The Apprentice, we see a particular style of decision making. Identify other public personalities by their decision-making styles. George W. Bush the 43rd president of US has directive decision-making style. Most of his decisions are quick and made with minimal information. On the other hand, Barack Obamas decision making style is analytical. He tends to be more careful with his decisions, considers more alternatives, and reviews a lot of information before making a decision. Moreover, Jimmy Kimmel famous talk show host has behavioral decision making style. He works well with others, tries to avoid conflict, and seeks acceptance. In conclusion, Marc Jacobs who is a famous designer has conceptual decision making style. He tends to consider many alternatives, his focus is long range, and he is creative. Case Study 8-A 1 . Describe the behaviors (stealing) by these employees in terms of their needs, the organizations effect on them, equating their inputs and outcomes, and what employees expect from their employer. Need is a physiological or psychological deficiency that makes certain outcomes seem attractive. When your needs are unsatisfied it leads to tension, which sets off a drive to satisfy that need. These plant workers are unhappy with decisions that their company is making, they cant do anything about it. If they quit, they will have no income at all. Stealing seems like a revenge for them. In order to satisfy their needs they steal. Moreover, the organization was too busy with its own problems that they forgot about their workers. According to Herzbergs research if we want to motivate people in their Jobs, we need to emphasize on achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and growth. The organizations decisions had negative effect on the employees. Organization made them feel like they dont have a voice. Equity theory states that employees perceive what they can get from a Job situation outcomes) in relations to what they put into it (inputs), and then compare their input-outcome ratio with the input-outcome ratio of others. These plant workers were getting paid certain amount of money for their Job, suddenly their salary decreased. Naturally, they are very angry about the situation. They know that they are getting paid less for the amount of work they are doing. Finally, according to expectancy theory, an employee will be motivated to exert a high level ot e ttort when ne or sne believes that effort will lead to a good performance appraisal; that a good appraisal ill lead to organizational rewards such as a bonus, a salary increase, or a promotion; and that the rewards will satisfy the employees personal goals. In this situation, plant workers are definitely not expecting anything from their company. All they got is salary decrease, and there will not be any bonuses or salary increase. They have no motivation to put full effort in their Job. 2. What do you believe supervisors could have done differently to avert this potential problem? I believe that, the idea that pay cut would cause less harm than eliminating several obs altogether was a bad idea. Reducing pay levels in order to prevent layoffs is not a solution. It will bring more harm to the company, Just like it did in this case. Imagine you are making certain amount of money at your Job, and one day your supervisor announces that you will be making less. It is definitely not fair for you. A company provokes anger of all of its employees by decreasing their salary, whereas layoffs are hard and sad but they dont affect work productivity of remaining employees. Layoffs could have been hard but better decision to make.

Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 24

Article Example His sentiments do not support a patriarchal system since he recognizes that God the creator created all men as equal. He supports a free Government that the people decide to elect. That is, if the people select women leaders, so be it the will of the people. Jefferson uses the parallel structure when outlining the grievances that they have against the British Government. To achieve this, there is a consistent use of the words ‘He has’. By so doing, he emphasizes on the importance of each grievance listed. The accusations on the frustration of the state governance and accent of laws are serious. However, the accusations of the British government starting a war against the American people can cause serious revolution. ‘A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This sentence comes, toward the end of the declaration, to summarize the accusations to the king and provide an opportunity to denounce his

This is the Trade Law Exercise Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

This is the Trade Law Exercise - Term Paper Example The WTO law that Newland first has to look into is based on the definition of unfair and what is considered as problematic to the company. Unfair trade is based on cartel agreements, price fixing and the abuse of a dominant position in the market. There are also specific rules that are based on dumping which Newland will need to look into. The dumping and subsidization that Newland is currently practicing doesn’t show that they are violating provisions of the WTO law and are practicing in compliance with what is expected in these terms. However, the problems with others in Richland lead to questionable actions that can be taken against Newland. Changing the operations then becomes necessary to keep offering products within Richland. Dumping and Newland Dumping is defined as bringing a product into another country at a lower value and price of the product. WTO doesn’t prohibit the practice of dumping in an organization; however, the problems with dumping becoming harmful to the domestic affairs to the community cause the WTO standards to change to ensure consistency and that specific regulation measures are taken. From this viewpoint, Newland isn’t breaking any laws, specifically in terms of dumping. They offer specific prices at a lower value to Richmond; however, this isn’t one that is considered illegal according to WTO practices. The problem that is arising is based on the domestic harm that is occurring. Richmond is now having difficulties with suppliers of the domestic product, which is causing the main conflict and has led to a loss of income and many businesses have lost their practice to Newland. The loss of business shows that there needs to be a different provision specifically for Richland because of the crisis with domestic products. While Newland technically isn’t breaking any laws with the anti-dumping measures, there are specific ways in which Richland can form against the large amount of profit that Newland is taking. The first way is through Article VI of GATT 1994. This states that if a specific company or individual files a grievance against the company, then it can be referred to in court. These specific actions against dumping may move into civil or criminal proceedings and penalty. However, since there are no other regulations with anti-dumping measures in the WTO law, this is dependent on a case by case basis. The only determinant is if the law suit is filed correctly and with the right type of grievances. However, under this same agreement, price undertakings and provisional measures are not the responsibility of WTO. The individual case that has to be created against Newland has to take calculations and measure to prove that dumping is being done, specifica lly in terms of price and the amount of products that are being sold. The calculation first implies that dumping is occurring, which compares the price to price value of Newland and other furniture manufacturers. Newland is known for carrying cheap furniture; however, the production isn’t inclusive of being outside of the price zone of other furniture zones and can’t be calculated. For Newland to be subjected to anti-dumping duties there would need to be proof that the furniture is below the regulation level for selling the furniture under priced. Determining whether the sale is in the ordinary course of

How does deforestation of the Amazon affect wildlife Research Paper

How does deforestation of the Amazon affect wildlife - Research Paper Example Over half of the planet’s remaining rainforest is represented by Amazon. It is one of the most bio diverse amongst all the tropical rainforests that are found in the world. Amazon contains about 40000 species of plants, 427 species of mammals, 1200 species of birds, 378 species of reptiles, 400 species of Amphibians, 3000 species of freshwater fish. Since the human settlement has begun in the area there has been rapid scale of deforestation that is going on in the area. The deforestation of Amazon has a tremendous impact on the ecosystem. The present research paper aims to find out Amazon rainforest is mostly located in the state of Brazil as it covers most of the land area of that country. There have been many factors that have led to the deforestation in that region such as agriculture and other allied activities. With least regard for the diverse Amazonian ecosystem and the aspiration of the local people the Amazonian rain forest is being rapidly degraded and the forest area rapidly cleared off with singular approach to move towards a rapid scale of economic growth and development. According to Vieira, Toledo, Silva and Higuchi the highest rate of deforestation in the Amazon rain forest occur in the area known as the deforestation arch. The deforestation arch is typically located in the east west area of the forest. They argue that the cultivation of land in the Amazon since 1960s has been characterized by violent environmental degradation which is the characteristic of frontier economics (Viera, et al 950). The degradation of the forest cover of the Amazon basin works at a pace which assumes that the natural resources are limitless and the economic growth and prosperity is based on boundless exploitation of the limitless natural resources. The researchers argue that there are several factors that have led to the rapid scale of degradation of the Amazon such as human occupation, lack of territorial planning, monoculture, introduction of exotic

Website Migration Project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Website Migration Project - Term Paper Example It entails the technical, functional and aesthetic factors that relate to a website. The focus of web architecture is on the user and particularly on their requirements. Web architecture addresses this by focusing on the web content, usability, business plan, interaction design, web design and information architecture. Web architecture is also a fundamental concept that includes web site map and website navigation (Linux Home Networking, 2011). In the Tony’s Chips context, the website will be a two-tiered web architecture that entails the web browser that will be used to display the information and content to the different users and a web server that is used to transfer the requested information to the clients/users. Essentially, web pages will be designed using the conventional HTML language, the site will also maintain the initial URL (universal Resource Locator) this will allow it to be accessed and used by users globally. Websites are either internally (self hosting) or externally hosted. Each of these options has different advantages and disadvantages depending on the business needs and requirements. The decision as to whether to self host or externally host a website is dependent on many factors including cost, reliability, convenience, privacy and other ethical concerns. Tonys’ Chips wishes to transfer their website from external hosting to internal (self) hosting. In order to achieve this objective, there are several steps and procedures that must be followed for effectiveness and reliability. The aim is to move the website from an external host to an internal host with minimum or limited down time and disruptions to the normal business operations. Many technologies have been invented that has ultimately made the transfer of web sites from one host to another easier. Despite the leap in technology advancement, there are minimal downtimes and delays expected in the transfer. Such transfers

Research paper for Don't ask, Don't tell' policy is a tacit Essay

Research paper for Don't ask, Don't tell' policy is a tacit recognition discrimination in United State armed force - Essay Example men have served their country wonderfully in the past and are striving hard to continue in the same vein in the present leading up to the future is a fact that is also acknowledged by General H. Norman Schwartzkopf. However, the problem that these opponents face, not necessarily citing the aforementioned personal as members of the group of opponents is the notion whether the productivity of heterosexual people will be in any way adversely affected by the presence of these homosexuals in their ranks. This fact is largely based on the apprehension amongst all that allowing homosexuals to serve side by side in the country will only contrive in augmenting the levels of discomfort of the scores of heterosexuals who are serving in the army. This discomfort on the part of the heterosexuals will only lead to the sad demise of the paradigm of â€Å"unit cohesion† i.e. everyone serving in a unit is treated on the same scale and as one entity regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity e tc; and this paradigm of governance is extremely important for the purpose of successful soldiering. Now, the proposition of the notion that these fears are responsible for the creation of a type of an unspoken, unwritten policy of preferential hiring and specific exclusion based on factors that should not be present for the process of recruitment would certainly seem to be a bit unfair at this point. However, we will tackle this problem from this exact viewpoint in order to ascertain whether there is any reason to believe in the truth of this statement. For this matter, we will also look at the empirical example of the military of four countries i.e. Britain, Australia, Israel and Canada and try to extrapolate any inferences for our specific case. Fifteen years ago, President Bill Clinton, the US Congress, and most of the nation were debating about whether self-proclaimed gays and lesbians could serve in the US military or not. Having promised in his campaign to extend this civic right to

Data Collection Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Data Collection Plan - Assignment Example Tied to this are problems with regard to effective teaching methods, and strategies to support Arabic learning. The basic methodology entails a comparison of my own teaching strategies and styles for my Arabic language class and those of another teacher in another class. The end goal is partly to be able to understand what motivates students to learn Arabic, the psychology that drives them to pursue Arabic language learning intently. The basic question I want to answer is as follows: What strategies are best for teaching Arabic to my students, and how do my strategies align with the motivations of my students to learn the language to advance themselves? To the question of the useful types of data, my answer is that data from my own classes, and the comparison with the data from the other class I have chosen, including learning outcomes and motivations as gathered from the students, ought to provide me with the right kind of information to answer the pressing questions of my research. To the question of the types of data already available, my answer is that data from previous studies, extensively tabulated, are already available to me, in the form of secondary research materials. To the question of the types of data I need to generate, the answer will be data on learning outcomes and similar data as from previous studies. ... n Qualitative Inputs Effectiveness of strategies for learning Arabic x x x x Student Motivations for Learning Arabic x x x x Areas for Improvement in Teaching and Learning Styles X x x x Fit of Teaching Strategies to Student Aspirations and Motivations for Learning Arabic x x x x III. Narrative Connecting Matrix to Starting Point My matrix details the fundamental aims of my action research, and those aims are noteworthy as far as I am concerned for their being open-ended and lending themselves to being answered in a broad sense. I think there ought to be a strong link between the teaching strategies and the motivations and inclinations of students for learning the Arabic language. Taking off from the interesting answer that I got from a student, where the student sees Arabic as a road to material prosperity, it is clear to me that some of the strategies ought to focus on being able to give the students a functional understanding and mastery of the Arabic language. This functional app roach lends itself to being measured via the learning outcomes of the students, and the learning outcomes of the students in the other class. The comparison ought to yield interesting insights into what works and what does not work as far as teaching styles is concerned. Also, as far as learning outcomes are concerned, it is not enough that the students pass the tests to measure learning, but that the tests should be measuring the right kinds of language competencies. In this regard, it is important that my class and the other class should agree on some baseline language course contents that should be similar for both classes. Both should focus on functional learning, and the teaching of Arabic that has real-world applications, such as in being able to transact business and being able to

Website Migration Project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Website Migration Project - Term Paper Example It entails the technical, functional and aesthetic factors that relate to a website. The focus of web architecture is on the user and particularly on their requirements. Web architecture addresses this by focusing on the web content, usability, business plan, interaction design, web design and information architecture. Web architecture is also a fundamental concept that includes web site map and website navigation (Linux Home Networking, 2011). In the Tony’s Chips context, the website will be a two-tiered web architecture that entails the web browser that will be used to display the information and content to the different users and a web server that is used to transfer the requested information to the clients/users. Essentially, web pages will be designed using the conventional HTML language, the site will also maintain the initial URL (universal Resource Locator) this will allow it to be accessed and used by users globally. Websites are either internally (self hosting) or externally hosted. Each of these options has different advantages and disadvantages depending on the business needs and requirements. The decision as to whether to self host or externally host a website is dependent on many factors including cost, reliability, convenience, privacy and other ethical concerns. Tonys’ Chips wishes to transfer their website from external hosting to internal (self) hosting. In order to achieve this objective, there are several steps and procedures that must be followed for effectiveness and reliability. The aim is to move the website from an external host to an internal host with minimum or limited down time and disruptions to the normal business operations. Many technologies have been invented that has ultimately made the transfer of web sites from one host to another easier. Despite the leap in technology advancement, there are minimal downtimes and delays expected in the transfer. Such transfers

Data Collection Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Data Collection Plan - Assignment Example Tied to this are problems with regard to effective teaching methods, and strategies to support Arabic learning. The basic methodology entails a comparison of my own teaching strategies and styles for my Arabic language class and those of another teacher in another class. The end goal is partly to be able to understand what motivates students to learn Arabic, the psychology that drives them to pursue Arabic language learning intently. The basic question I want to answer is as follows: What strategies are best for teaching Arabic to my students, and how do my strategies align with the motivations of my students to learn the language to advance themselves? To the question of the useful types of data, my answer is that data from my own classes, and the comparison with the data from the other class I have chosen, including learning outcomes and motivations as gathered from the students, ought to provide me with the right kind of information to answer the pressing questions of my research. To the question of the types of data already available, my answer is that data from previous studies, extensively tabulated, are already available to me, in the form of secondary research materials. To the question of the types of data I need to generate, the answer will be data on learning outcomes and similar data as from previous studies. ... n Qualitative Inputs Effectiveness of strategies for learning Arabic x x x x Student Motivations for Learning Arabic x x x x Areas for Improvement in Teaching and Learning Styles X x x x Fit of Teaching Strategies to Student Aspirations and Motivations for Learning Arabic x x x x III. Narrative Connecting Matrix to Starting Point My matrix details the fundamental aims of my action research, and those aims are noteworthy as far as I am concerned for their being open-ended and lending themselves to being answered in a broad sense. I think there ought to be a strong link between the teaching strategies and the motivations and inclinations of students for learning the Arabic language. Taking off from the interesting answer that I got from a student, where the student sees Arabic as a road to material prosperity, it is clear to me that some of the strategies ought to focus on being able to give the students a functional understanding and mastery of the Arabic language. This functional app roach lends itself to being measured via the learning outcomes of the students, and the learning outcomes of the students in the other class. The comparison ought to yield interesting insights into what works and what does not work as far as teaching styles is concerned. Also, as far as learning outcomes are concerned, it is not enough that the students pass the tests to measure learning, but that the tests should be measuring the right kinds of language competencies. In this regard, it is important that my class and the other class should agree on some baseline language course contents that should be similar for both classes. Both should focus on functional learning, and the teaching of Arabic that has real-world applications, such as in being able to transact business and being able to

Toyota Management Planning Essay Example for Free

Toyota Management Planning Essay In order to keep an organization flowing and to achieve the goals that are set-forth the management teams have to continually watch their planning processes. To make sure that nothing is missed in any of the steps the planning teams such as change management taking charge to monitor the growth is able to happen. For Toyota there have been some large changes going on over the past few years with the difficulties from the over-seas suppliers due to the tsunami then in the auto world there is always troubles that lie ahead with design changes and technology changes. Although the company in whole is not performing all that poorly with such difficult times they have had along with all the struggles the other automakers have had in the market. Upon research for the Toyota Motor Company you will find that they are the largest automaker in the world followed by General Motors. Recently Toyota had made a very bold move on their planning side to be able to stay the largest automaker in the world. On March 6th 2013 the company appointed non-Japanese Executive to lead three out of its four global regions. It also appointed three outside members to its board of directors, including longtime former General Motors executive Mark Hogan (Snavely, 2013). This is the strategic and also tactical form of planning the short term being able to make the vehicles more intriguing along with making sure that Toyota stays in the eyes of the American consumers. Foreign auto makers tend to do this no matter where they come from because no matter what their mother-ship is in a different country not realizing what the true difference in design and passion is. Planning for growth such as theirs with long term customer retention is not always easily to be done with the poor quality from large and important recalls here in the United States. * Legal issues can stem from anything in the auto world, anything from large safety recalls to buy backs caused by not having parts in stock or taking too long to get from the supplier. The largest influence of the legal issues are the recalls in parts greatly increased if Toyota claims it to be a safety issue such as the breaks going out, or the Prius not shutting down and driving out of control. When the planning team starts to build ways to fix their issues it needs to be the fast way possible so that customers feel safe with what they have implemented to correct the issues. So when they find an issue with a vehicle tactically they need to develop the fix, then plan for what parts are needed ordered to ensure that the cars can be fixed when you tell the owners. * This is ethically important to the business knowing that there is a problem with the vehicles and it is still safe you are not setting up for angry customers. You have informed them that you have located the issue figured out the fix and also have everything ready for you when you come in for the repair, not sweeping it under the rug and hiding it. In order to make things flow together and showing everyone that Toyota works on being the top employer in the United States in order to do this they need to show the commitment on doing the right thing for the employees in the plants or parts distributions channels. Making everyone aware that Toyota’s management is working on fixing its past and will be a new richer company in no time as long as customers remove the old pasts they will be able to hit the next level. * Socially as the auto company works on the growth they have setup for you will always see more and more of what they have done and what they plan to do for you in the future as they grow. Seeing them display their new developments such as starting off with the original Prius then hearing what the consumers said they added the next line of Prius C smaller, Prius V larger and the plug in Prius. By hearing socially what the customers need and want management heard this used it to develop the next line of models. Social networking is a way to press conference to the customers or a fan so that they know and can hear what the management has planned; every business uses these forms to get across to the customers. Toyota in the United States has a hard win for getting new customers in the door. Their design of the vehicles is a little too Japanese for the American buyers. Over the next few years the new designs will need to be marketed to bring the new customers in the doors. Strategically they have changed a lot inside the walls of the business to make sure that it can sustain the goals set forth. Toyota has condensed its businesses into four main units, creating a structure that the company said should clarify operations and earnings responsibility as well as speed up decision-making. (Takahasha, 2013). All the movements that have been made were all done to make sure that the goals will be achieved in the time line that they have tasked themselves with. As we think on the directions that business are going you will realize that every aspect of the business Toyota has to be revamped in order to setup for their goals of not being so old fashioned in design. The largest factors for implementing these changes in the poor turn around on issues such as recalls from 2009-2010, this has halted their growth in continuing to be benchmark in the auto world. New managers to make quick and fast acting decisions in if the most important thing for Toyota to make the customers see when something is happening to the business. This also goes back to the social side of things, customers notice a flaw then it will be plastered for all social networks to be able to be seen by all. Proving the quality has changed with the new management and them being transparent so that a management should do is see them implementing their changes. Resources: Snavely, B. (2013). USA Today. Retrieved from http://www. usatoday. com/story/money/cars/2013/03/26/toyota-management-changes-bob-carter/2021639/ Takahasha, Y. (2013). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001424127887323628804578343552255704028. html.

U.S. Transportation Energy Analysis of Modal Use and Trend

U.S. Transportation Energy Analysis of Modal Use and Trend Joe Willie   U.S. vehicles travel over three trillion miles per year. The vast majority (99.64%) of these miles are traveled on U.S. roads, with the greatest portion of these miles attributed to passenger and light-duty vehicles (US Dept of Transportation, 2014). Transportation accounts for 28% of the energy used in the U.S. (US Energy Information Administration, 2016) and 26% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions equaling 1.786 billion tons of CO2 equivalent.(EPA 2016). U.S. vehicle travel increased from 724 billion miles in 1960 to the current level by 2006, at which point the total vehicle miles stabilized (US Dept of Transportation, 2014). 90% of the fuel used for transportation in the U.S. is petroleum based (US Energy Information Administration, 2016). Transportation has become the leading and most-rapidly increasing contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions both globally and the U.S (Schipper, Saenger, and Sudardshan, 2011). Between 1991 and 2006, nearly half of the growth in U.S. carbon emissions was attributable to transportation. CO2 emission growth due to transportation has been driven by several factors, including increasing demand for passenger and freight transport, urban development and sprawl, lack of rail and bus transit and cycle infrastructure in many regions, fuel-inefficient vehicles, relatively low oil prices, and the limited availability of low-carbon fuels (Brown, Southworth, Sarzynski 2008). Given the scope and growth of transportation and associated emissions, it is becoming increasingly important to understand and quantify impacts and trends in various transportation modes. Light trucks (pickups, minivans, and SUVs) and passenger cars account for 34% and 24% of U.S. transportation fuel usage, respectively (US Energy Information Administration, 2016). Light trucks and passenger cars combined contribute 59% of U.S. transportation carbon emissions (U.S. Department of Energy, 2014). Fuel efficiency standards in the U.S. were initially established by Congress 1975. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards set the average, sales-weighted, fleet fuel economy for new vehicles starting with the 1978 model year, with the intention of doubling average fuel economy to 27.5 mpg by 1985. The Department of Transportation also established CAFE standards for light trucks ( pickups, minivans, and SUVs) beginning with the 1978 model year. In 2007, CAFE standards for light trucks were increased to 22.2 mpg, with further increases scheduled. No increases were made beyond 1985 levels for passenger cars until until 2007, when the Energy Independence and Security Act ra ised the fuel economy standards of Americas cars, light trucks, and SUVs to a combined average of at least 35 miles per gallon by 2020 (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2017). However, it seems likely that this standard will be scaled back by the current administration before it is implemented. Minimum fuel efficiency standards for cars and light cars are set at different levels. A passenger car is any 4-wheel vehicle not designed for off-road use that is manufactured primarily for use in transporting 10 people or less. A light truck is any 4-wheel vehicle which is designed for off-road operation (has 4-wheel drive or is more than 6,000 lbs. gvwr and has typically truck-like physical features); or which is designed to transport more than 10 people, provide temporary housing, provide open bed transport, permit greater cargo-carrying capacity than passenger-carrying volume, or with the use of tools can be converted to an open bed vehicle by removal of rear seats to form a flat continuous floor (NHTSA, 2006). The ambiguity of this definition enables manufacturers to define vehicles as trucks or cars at their discretion. Many sport utility vehicles (SUVs) produced today which seem to meet the passenger car definition above are classified as light trucks, allowing their manufact urers far greater leeway to meet CAFE standards . It is useful to analyze vehicle carbon intensity for cars and light trucks. This is defined as the amount of carbon dioxide emission per vehicle distance traveled. Carbon intensity is inversely proportional to fuel economy. From 1973 to 2008 carbon intensity decreased 33% per vehicle mile and 15% per passenger mile. After 1973, new cars became much lighter, less powerful, and gradually more efficient. By 2007 a new cars and light trucks used half as much energy per unit weight as ones sold in the 1970s. However, new car weight had increased to 80% of the 1975 values for cars, and light truck weight increased above 1975 values. As a result the decline in fuel usage per mile of new cars and light trucks sold in the 1990s was closer to 33% less than those sold in 1973 (Schipper, Saenger, and Sudardshan, 2011). Low-density suburban development, or urban sprawl, has dominated development in the U.S. since World War II. This also includes scattered and commercial strip development, as well as large expanses of single-use development . Suburban households drive 31 percent more than urban households, while western households drive 35 percent than northeastern households (Kahn, 2000). Whats more, households in low density areas tend to own more cars, are more likely to own less fuel efficient vehicles such as SUVs and trucks, have lower vehicle occupancies, and use public transportation less than households in high density areas (Brownstone, 2008). Domestic air carrier service accounts for 6% of the total U.S. transportation energy use and 11% of the U.S. transportation carbon emissions. U.S. planes traveled 6 billion vehicle miles (608 billion passenger miles) for such travel in 2014. Domestic airline mileage increased from 858 million vehicle miles (31 billion passenger miles) in 1960 to 6.7 billion vehicle miles (588 billion passenger miles) in 2006 before decreasing to current levels. (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2016). It is interesting to note that although total vehicle miles have decreased by over 10% since 2006, total passenger miles have increased 3.4% during the same period. This is likely due to efforts by airlines to increase cost efficiency by increasing plane occupancy. While automobile fuel use was affected by efficiency standards, there were no similar policies for air travel. Instead, technological progress and efforts to support profitability have led to reduced carbon intensity in air transportation. Many unprofitable non-stop flights between smaller cities have been eliminated in favor of hub-and-spoke patterns developed by the major airlines, which increased plane loads. In addition, air travel intensity declined as plane occupancy increased to about 80% capacity in 2006 from around 50% in the early 1970s. This created more crowding on aircraft, but led to considerable reduction in fuel consumption. As a result, the carbon intensity of air travel declined by 60% between 1973 and 2006, greatest for any major mode of transportation (Schipper, Saenger, and Sudardshan, 2011). Rail and bus shares of U.S. transportation decreased from just over 7% in 1960 to around 4% in 2008, in terms of passenger miles. This is disconcerting given that the carbon intensities of bus and rail travel are (potentially) significantly lower than both passenger cars and air travel. Rail intensity can vary considerably. Heavily used intercity passenger (Amtrak) or commuter rail lines (Metro North, LIRR) typically have very low energy intensities, well below that of auto or air travel. Unfortunately, only a few large urban transit systems provide energy intensities that are competitive with automobile travel. As a result, North American public transportation service is overall not very energy efficient (energy consumption per passenger-mile). Under current conditions, U.S. transit vehicles consume about the same energy per passenger-mile as cars, although less than vans, light trucks and SUVs (Litman, 2015) . Bus travel, including intercity buses, school buses, and urban buses, has a mixed record. In fact, because buses carried so few passengers, city buses released more CO2 per passenger-mile on average than cars/light trucks during periods in the 1990s. But by 2000, newer, more efficient buses used progressively less fuel/mile, to the point where the intensit of a bus with an average of 9 passengers fell below that of automobiles again. (Steiner Mauzerall, 2006). Efficiency of public transit vehicles is highly dependent on passenger occupancy. A bus with seven passengers is about twice as energy efficient as an average automobile, while a bus with 50 passengers is about ten times as energy efficient. Rail transit tends to be about three times as energy efficient as diesel bus transit. New hybrid buses are about twice as energy efficient as current diesel buses. Chester and Horvath (2008) and Chester, et al. (2013) calculate life cycle energy consumption and pollution emissions for vari ous modes of transportation, including fuel used in their operation, and energy used in vehicle and facility construction and maintenance. While, public transit typically uses less than half the energy of a passenger car and a quarter of the energy of a light truck or SUV, these efficiencies vary significantly with on travel conditions. During peak periods, when occupancy is high, buses are the most energy efficient mode, but during off-peak, when occupancy ise low, buses are least efficient. (Litman, 2015) Although public transit is on average only modestly more energy efficient than automobile travel, and less efficient than some commercially available cars, this reflects the relatively low occupancies of transit vehicles. Transit services with high passenger occupancy rates are relatively energy efficient. Public transit improvements can provide significant energy savings and emission reductions by increasing operation efficiency, reducing traffic congestion, and substituting for automobile travel. Residents of transit-oriented communities tend to drive significantly less than they would in conventional, automobile-oriented locations. Transit improvements support other energy conservation strategies, such as efficient road and parking pricing policies. Without high quality transit such strategies are less effective and less politically acceptable. Current demographic and economic trends are increasing demand for high quality public transit and transit-oriented development (Litman, 20 15). American railroad passenger traffic grew steadily from the late 1800s until the 1920s, when long distance travel shifted to private automobiles and rail travel began a long decline. This decline was interrupted briefly due to gasoline rationing and the suspension of auto production during World War II when railroads were put back into service to transport the great volume of soldiers and war workers. Intercity bus service, which had been very limited before 1940, expanded during this period, as well. After the war, however most rail companies discontinued passenger service entirely. Passenger stations were demolished or abandoned, and railroad cars were taken out of service. In an effort to preserve rail service, Congress created Amtrak in 1970 and provided federal funds to support the new rail system. Commuter lines provided the remaining service. This was followed within a few years with the federal governments deregulation of U.S. airlines. The great increase in air travel that be gan after mid century is projected to continue indefinitely, offering speedy and safe transportation that strain air transit facilities. Bus travel provided a low-cost alternative airplane or train travel and has retained a small but relatively stable niche (Caplow, Hicks and Wattenberg, 2000). The MTA, which is the New York Metropolitan areas transit system, is a noteworthy case study of a large-scale US public transit system. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is North Americas largest transportation network, providing service for 15.3 million people in 5,000 square miles including New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York State, and Connecticut. MTA subways, buses, and railroads provide 2.73 billion trips each year to New Yorkers, including about one in every three users of mass transit and two-thirds of the rail riders in the U.S. While 15 percent of the nations workers use public transit to get to their jobs, four of every five of New York Citys central business district rush-hour commuters use transit service, most of it operated by the MTA (MTA, 2017). The MTA accounts for 65 percent of all New York City commutes while using just 5 percent of New York Citys total energy consumption (MTA, 2008). The MTA also boasts the largest bus fleet in the U.S. and more subway and rail cars than all the rest of the countrys subways and commuter railroads combined. According to the MTA, ridership on its mass results in a 15 million metric ton net reduction of pollutants, making New York the most carbon-efficient state in the nation (MTA, 2017). New Yorkers consume one quarter as much energy per capita as the average American, largely attributable to the MTA system (MTA, 2008). While the energy and carbon emission efficiencies of the MTA system is impressive, the economy of such an operation poses significant ongoing challenges. Fares and tolls provide 53% of the MTAs $14.6 billion dollar annual operating revenue, but the system relies on taxes and subsidies for the remaining operating funds (MTA, 2015). In addition the agency relies heavily on debt to fund capital projects, with debt payments consuming a growing share of the MTAs annual operating budget, increasing the likelihood of fare increases and, creating an estimated debt service cost of $3.5 billion a year by 2030 (Tri-State Transportation Campaign, 2017). It seems that the inspiring environmental and fuel efficiency gains attributed to a large-scale public transportation system comes with a burdensome cost. Freight accounts for about 26% of all petroleum-based fuels consumed in the U.S. transportation sector. Freight transportation demand is typically measured in tons, ton-miles, and value (dollars) of goods moved by the freight sector. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that 18.5 billion tons of goods worth $16.7 trillion were moved in the United States in 2007, for a total of 5.4 trillion ton-miles of travel (U.S. DOT). Trucks moved about 72% of all freight tonnage, accounting for 42% of all ton-miles and 70% of freight commodity value. Rail accounted for only 11% of tons moved, but 28% of ton-miles and 3.5% of total value, reflecting rails cost effectiveness in hauling heavier, but generally lower-value, commodities, such as coal and grain, over long distances. Excluding international maritime shipments, waterborne transportation accounted for a smaller percentage of tons and ton-miles. Air freight transportation constituted an even smaller share, except when measured by va lue (Grenzeback, Brown, Fischer, Hutson, Lamm, Pei, Vimmerstedt, Vyas, Winebrake, J.J., 2013). Between 1960 and 2008, the share of trucks to almost 42% of ton-miles, while rail fell from 36% of freight in 1960 to 33% in 2008. The share of waterborne freight decreased significantly while air freight grew ten-fold over the entire 48 year period, despite accounting for less than 1% of total freight travel in 2008. Disconcertingly, the modes of travel and freight that consume the most energy per unit grew faster than those that use the least energy. Freight demand is estimated to grow to 27.5 billion tons in 2040 and to nearly 30.2 billion tons in 2050, requiring ever-increasing amounts of energy. In the coming decades, all modes of domestic freight transportation are expected to increase significantly, but truckings share, when measured in both tons and ton-miles, is projected to continue to grow at the expense of rail and waterborne freight (Grenzeback, Brown, Fischer, Hutson, Lamm, Pei, Vimmerstedt, Vyas, Winebrake, J.J., 2013). The cost and volatility of fuel prices in the past decades as well as increasing interest by shippers in decreasing fuel costs and carbon emissions from goods movement have led the motor carrier industry to search for better fuel efficiency. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPAs) SmartWay Transport Partnership program works with the shipping and trucking community to reduce fuel use and emissions by promoting cleaner and more efficient engines and transmissions, more aerodynamically clean truck shapes (including nose cones, skirts and gap fairings), idle reduction technologies, low rolling resistant and single-wide tires, lower weight components and aluminum wheels, driver training, and more efficient routing and dispatching (EPA 2011). Railroads spend relatively less than trucks on fuel, due to the economies of scale and fuel savings by hauling very large volumes of freight over long distances. In 2008, railroads consumed approximately 320 Btu per ton-mile, compared to trucking, which used approximately 1,390 Btu per ton-mile. The difference in fuel use is reflected in the generally higher price of trucking services and the generally lower price of rail services, but the services provided by truck and rail also differ substantially in load capacity, routes and destinations served, frequency of service, transit time and reliability of travel time (Grenzeback, Brown, Fischer, Hutson, Lamm, Pei, Vimmerstedt, Vyas, Winebrake, J.J., 2013). Understanding trends in fuel consumption by mode of travel merits an analysis of public investment in transportation and transportation infrastructure. In the U.S., transportation infrastructure is funded primarily by user-related taxes and fees which support construction and maintenance. Congress created the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) in 1956 to provide money for construction and maintenance of the Interstate Highway System. In 1982, the Mass Transit Account (MTA) was created to invest in public transportation systems. Taxes paid by highway users are credited to the HTF and are used solely to pay for highway and mass transit improvements. Currently, a federal excise taxes on gasoline, gasohol, diesel fuel, compressed natural gas, and taxes on heavy trucks and truck tires provide revenue for this fund. Revenue from motor fuel taxes are divided between the Highway Account (HA) and the Mass Transit Account, while all revenues from heavy truck taxes are dedicated to the Highway Account. I n recent years, revenues have totaled $38 billion to $42 billion per year, with about $5 billion for the Mass Transit Account and the rest for the Highway Account. In 2015, Congress passed the $305 billion Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, a five year plan to increase highway investment from $40 billion per year to $46.4 billion per year and increased public transportation funding from $10.7 billion per year to $12.6 billion per year (The American Road Transportation Builders Association, 2016). There is also a federal Airport and Airways Trust Fund, financed by fees on air travelers and taxes on aviation fuels.which finances airport improvements and the air traffic control system. State governments finance highway construction and maintenance through a variety of primarily user-related taxes and fees including taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, vehicle registration fees, driver license fees, sales taxes on motor vehicles and heavy trucks, and traffic violation fines (The American Road Transportation Builders Association, 2017). Given the considerable and increasing concern regarding greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, understanding and adapting energy use seems increasingly urgent. The transportation sectors share of energy usage and carbon emissions makes it ripe for such analysis. While improvements in fuel efficiencies in all modes of transport, conservation efforts, and expansion of non-carbon based fuels provide hope for long term sustainability of transportation in the U.S., fundamental underlying factors make significant and meaningful improvement difficult to achieve. A U.S. landscape and infrastructure which was initially designed with an emphasis on rail-based public transportation has shifted over the last century to an auto-based transportation system. The Northeast United States is littered with bike paths that used to carry an extensive rail network that has been largely abandoned. Remaining public transit systems such those run by the Metropolitan Transit Authority have provided exte nsive, well utilized bus and subway service, and salvaged right of way remnants to recover rail for commuter service that is also heavily utilized. Unfortunately, high operating and capital costs combined with a dependence upon public funds make them difficult to sustain, particularly during periods of economic difficulty. Whats more, the cost of maintaining the nations extensive highway, road, and bridge infrastructure is becoming increasingly burdensome, crowding out funding for public transit systems. Similarly, shifts in freight transport modes to more carbon-intensive forms such as heavy trucking, and the rapid expansion of air travel over the last 60 years have led to an increase in fuel usage and carbon emissions in trends that are difficult to reverse. And while the introduction of CAFE requirements for autos and trucks have improved efficiency, increases in vehicle and passenger miles and vehicle weights have limited these benefits. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 promises a future fleet of significantly more efficient cars and trucks by 2020, but this gain could be abandoned by the current Congress and President. Despite great advances in technology and awareness, sustainable transportation in the U.S. will require greater initiative on the part of the public and government. Until that occurs, transportation sustainability will remain elusive. References American Road Transportation Builders Association Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act A Comprehensive Analysis 2016 http://www.artba.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/FASTAct_Publication.pdf Ben Steiner Professor Denise L. Mauzerall. Achieving Vehicle Fuel Efficiency: The CAFE Standards and Beyond May 10, 2006 Brownstone, David, and Thomas F. Golob. The Impact of Residential Density on Vehicle Usage and Energy Consumption Journal of Urban Economics, 2008 EPA. 2011. EPA and NHTSA Adopt First-Ever Program to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improve Fuel Efficiency of Medium-and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. EPA-420-F-11-031. Washington, DC: Grenzeback, L.R.; Brown, A.; Fischer, M.J.; Hutson, N.; Lamm, C.R.; Pei, Y.L.; Vimmerstedt, L.; Vyas, A.D.; Winebrake, J.J. (March 2013). Freight Transportation Demand: Energy-Efficient Scenarios for a Low-Carbon Future. Transportation Energy Futures Series. Prepared by Cambridge Systematics, Inc., and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, CO) for the U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC. DOE/GO-102013-3711. 82 pp. Jay Young Infrastructure: Mass Transit in 19th- and 20th-Century Urban America Subject: 20th Century: Pre-1945, 20th Century: Post-1945, Urban History, History of Science and Technology Online Publication Date: Mar 2015 DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.013.28 PRINTED FROM the OXFORD RESEARCH ENCYCLOPEDIA, AMERICAN HISTORY (americanhistory.oxfordre.com). Oxford University Press USA, 2016. Kahn, M. E., 2000. The Environmental Impact of Suburbanization. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 19, 569-586. Lee Schipper, Calanit Saenger, and Anant Sudardshan. Transport and Carbon Emissions in the United States: The Long View. Energies 2011, 4, 563-581; doi:10.3390/en4040563 Marilyn A. Brown, Frank Southworth, Andrea Sarzynski Shrinking The Carbon Footprint Of Metropolitan America. Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, May 2008 Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Greening Mass Transit Metro Regions: The Final Report of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Sustainability and the MTA, 2008 http://web.mta.info/sustainability/pdf/SustRptFinal.pdf Metropolitan Transportation Authority Adopted Budget February Financial Plan 2015 2018, 2015 http://web.mta.info/mta/budget/pdf/ Metropolitan Transportation Authority 2017 http://web.mta.info/mta/network.htm Mikhail Chester and Arpad Horvath (2008), Environmental Life-cycle Assessment of Passenger Transportation: A Detailed Methodology for Energy, Greenhouse Gas and Criteria Pollutant Inventories of Automobiles, Buses, Light Rail, Heavy Rail and Air v.2, UC Berkeley Center for Future Urban Transport, Mikhail Chester, Stephanie Pincetl, Zoe Elizabeth, William Eisenstein and Juan Matute (2013), Infrastructure And Automobile Shifts: Positioning Transit To Reduce Life-Cycle Environmental Impacts For Urban Sustainability Goals, Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 8, pp. (2013) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. CAFE Overview. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/cafe/overview.htm, 2006. The American Road Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) 2017 http://www.artba.org/ Theodore Caplow, Louis Hicks and Ben J. Wattenberg, The First Measured Century: An Illustrated Guide to Trends in America, 1900-2000, American Enterprise Institute Press, 2000, 2000 Todd Litman. Evaluating Public Transit As An Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Strategy 17 April 2015 Victoria Transport Policy Institute Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Transportation 101: Whats up with the MTA? 2017 http://www.tstc.org/101/mta.php Union of Concerned Scientists, A Brief History of U.S. Fuel Efficiency Standards, 2017 http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/fuel-efficiency/fuel-economy U.S. Department of Energy. Transportation Energy Data Book, Table 2.5, 2014. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database, http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/data.htm Apr. 26, 2016. US Energy Information Administration. Monthly Energy Review, April 2016