Vocabulary Tips Is Data Singular or Plural

Vocabulary Tips Is Data Singular or Plural Vocabulary Tips: Is Data Singular or Plural? In the grammarian community, there are some who will tip over a table and storm out of the room if anyone dares to combine the word â€Å"data† with a singular verb in their presence: e.g., â€Å"The data is conclusive: Many pedants have severe anger issues.† They’d probably also object to the singular â€Å"their.†(Image: CURavensLog/YouTube) Are these people overreacting? Yes, of course they are. But do they have a point regardless? Should we be using â€Å"data† as a plural noun? And, if so, what is the singular version? Datum and Data Traditionally, â€Å"data† was a plural. The singular form (i.e., the word for a single fact or piece of information) was â€Å"datum.† As such, we might say something like the following: This datum is not significant in itself, but the combined data are hard to deny. In this sentence, â€Å"datum† clearly refers to a single piece of information, with â€Å"data† reserved for a collection of facts. This is important when it comes to subject-verb agreement, so the singular â€Å"data† is paired with the singular verb â€Å"is,† while â€Å"data† is followed by the plural verb â€Å"are.† Data as a Mass Noun Over time, however, usage of â€Å"data† has changed. Thus, it is now commonly used as a mass noun (otherwise known as an uncountable or non-count noun). This means that although â€Å"data† still refers to a collection of facts, it is treated as singular for grammatical purposes: Information was collected from hundreds of respondents, so the data is very persuasive. Consequently, â€Å"data† is now essentially a synonym for â€Å"information,† another mass noun that refers to a collection of facts or a large amount of evidence. â€Å"Data is† or â€Å"Data are†? Most of the time, even in academic writing, â€Å"data† is now used as a mass noun, so it should be combined with singular verbs. This would mean that â€Å"data is† is usually correct. However, in some fields â€Å"data are† is still considered technically correct unless you’re referring to a single fact, in which case â€Å"datum† should be used instead. As such, it’s a good idea to check your school’s style guide on this issue. If it doesn’t provide specific instructions, the singular â€Å"data† is probably fine. But you could always check with your professor to see if he or she has a preference if you want to be absolutely sure!

These Ones vs. Those Ones

These Ones vs. Those Ones These Ones vs. Those Ones These Ones vs. Those Ones By Maeve Maddox A reader questions the use of the phrase â€Å"these ones†: I was wondering about a manner of speech I have been hearing or reading and that seems not right to my ears: it is â€Å"these ones† as in the following:   â€Å"If You Liked This Video, Youll LOVE These Ones†Ã‚   Isn’t the phrase complete with just â€Å"these†. I keep hearing or seeing this construction and it sounds really bad to my ear; is it just me? The construction is not new, although it seems to be more popular now than in the past. The Ngram Viewer shows the phrase â€Å"these ones† in moderate use from 1800 to the 1960s, when it begins a precipitate rise on the graph. Like the reader, I find â€Å"these ones†- and â€Å"those ones†- jarring. If I found either in a paper given me to correct, I would cross out ones in an instant. However, I can’t find a specific grammatical rule against it. Paul Brians (Common Errors In English Usage) proscribes it: By itself, there’s nothing wrong with the word â€Å"ones† as a plural: â€Å"surrounded by her loved ones.† However, â€Å"this one† should not be pluralized to â€Å"these ones.† Just say â€Å"these.† The same pattern applies to â€Å"those.† None of my other style guides reference the usage, and numerous online discussions defend it. An article at the Visual Thesaurus cites statistics from The British National Corpus and the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) to show that British speakers say â€Å"these ones† five and a half times more often than speakers of American English. Nevertheless, in American usage, â€Å"these ones† is regarded as dialect and not standard usage. The problem is not that ones is being used as a plural or that these governs ones. For example, the following phrases are standard: I want the red ones. You always take the best ones. You take these small ones, and I’ll take those big ones. So why does â€Å"these small ones† pass with speakers who would not accept â€Å"these ones†? The reason may lie with the proximity of these to ones. With â€Å"these red ones,† the presence of the adjective red signals the brain that these is an adjective. When no other adjective intervenes between these and ones, the listener interprets these as a pronoun, in which case, ones is redundant. Because they are jarring to many speakers, the constructions â€Å"these ones† and â€Å"those ones† are best avoided in formal contexts, particularly in writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About HandsYay, Hooray, Woo-hoo and Other Acclamations10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

Sickle cell disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sickle cell disease - Essay Example The chance of one of her parents being a carrier is 1 in 2 (1/2). Assuming that one of her parents had normal copies of CFTR and the other parent was a carrier, the chances of their siblings being a carrier is 1 in 2 (1/2). So the chances of my friend being a carrier is x , i.e , one out of four. Assuming that both my friend and her fianc are carriers, the chances of their baby having the disease are 1 in 4. Therefore, the overall chance of their baby having cystic fibrosis is x x . 1/32, one in a 32. Sickle cell disease: Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder caused by mutations of the -globin gene. There is a mutation of one single nucleotide from A to T, which results in a glutamic acid being replaced by valine at position 6 of the -globin gene. GAG, a codon, which codes for glutamic acid is changed to GUG resulting in replacement with valine (Pauling et al., 1949). In several forms of this disease, the red blood cells (RBC's) change their shape (Herrick, JB., 1910), upon deoxygenation caused by polymerization of abnormal sickle hemoglobin (Hanh and Gillespie, 1927). This results in the damage of the RBC's and can lead to these cells getting stuck in capillaries. The downstream tissues that are supplied by these capillaries are deprived of oxygen causing ischemia, leading to organ damage, as in stroke.

Electronic Fundamentals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Electronic Fundamentals - Essay Example The inverting input of the first comparator is attached to the voltage divider at the level of two thirds VCC, and the non-inverting input carries the THRESHOLD signal. The non-inverting input of the second comparator is connected to one third of VCC, and the inverting input carries the TRIGGER signal. The functions of THRESHOLD and TRIGGER will be explained in the operations section. The use of the voltage divider means that the device can operate across a range of supply voltages. The outputs of the comparators are connected to the reset and set terminals, respectively, of a flip-flop gate. This is the heart of the device and is responsible for the switching behaviour utilized in most of the device’s applications. It is important to note that the rest of the circuit is connected to the complement of the flip-flop logic. The base of bi-polar junction transistor (BJT) is connected to the output of the flip-flop, and is made available to discharge (hence the signal name DISCH) external capacitors. Finally, there is an output stage that increases the available output current, and inverts the logic of the flip-flop output. 1.2 Operation The 555 has three modes of operation: astable, monostable, and bistable. Each of these modes of operation requires the connection of a slightly different set of external components. In each application, however, the basic functioning of the device remains the same: THRESHOLD Signal THRESHOLD Comparator Output TRIGGER Signal TRIGGER Comparator Output Flip-Flop Output (Complement) 555 Output > ? VCC HIGH > ? VCC LOW HIGH LOW > ? VCC HIGH ? VCC LOW Keep state Keep state < ?VCC LOW < ? VCC HIGH LOW HIGH 1.2.1 Astable In astable mode the 555 puts out a continuous stream of rectangular pulses at a frequency determined by the external circuit. The circuit is said to be ‘astable’ because it does not stay in a given output state, but continuously switches back and forth between high and low states. Figure 2 - Astable ci rcuit diagram [3] The external resistor R1 is connected between VCC and the DISCHARGE pin (7), and R2 is connected between DISCHARGE and the input signals. The input signals, TRIGGER (2) and THRESHOLD (6), are connected together as well as to the external capacitor C1. This capacitor is charged through R1 and R2 when the discharge pin is isolated from ground (flip-flop output is LOW), and discharged through R2 when the discharge pin has a low impedance path to ground (flip-flop output is HIGH). The continuous oscillation of the device can be seen as follows: -C1 is initially discharged, TRIGGER is below 1/3 VCC, THRESHOLD is below 2/3 VCC, the F-F output is HIGH, and the discharge transistor is off. -C1 charges to ? VCC and the flip-flop output switches to low. The discharge transistor opens and the capacitor discharges to ground through R2 and pin 7. -Once the capacitor discharges to ? VCC, the logic in the flip-flop reverses, and the circuit is back to its initial state. The versa tility of the 555 is demonstrated by the fact that the time

Information skills and system Essay Example for Free

Information skills and system Essay A system is a collection of devices that works together to archive a particular purpose. Examples include transport system, school system, digestive system etc. A system can be represented as following: Input contribution to processing of system Control commanding processing unit Processing transforming input to output Storage where content can be put away and retrieved for later use. Output the outcome of this system An information system is a system that accepts data (raw material) as input and information (organised data) as output. Examples include a computer, searchable databases etc. An information system is shown below: Purpose The use and function of the system Information process The process of converting data into information Participants All people who are involved in the system Information technology The equipment and instruction used. Data and information Data, the input (raw material), and information, the output (processed data). The information process: Collecting gathering of data from real world. Eg entering details Organising preparing data for the use of other processes. Eg arranging data into tables Analysing converting data into useful information, usually more digestible. Eg creating a graph from tables of data Saving and retrieving storing data/information for later uses. Eg saving document onto hard drive. Processing making change in data/information, including updating, correction of error etc. eg spell check Transmitting and receiving exchanging data/information with other information systems, near of remote. Eg internet, e-mailing Displaying presentation of information. Usually user-friendly, easy to understand. Eg projecting graph onto screen Digital representation of data: All data is in a central process unit is processed as electrical currents. Data is usually converted into binary decimals, consisting only 1 or 0, where 1 represents on and 0 represents off. Different data types are converted differently, and this will be discussed in tools for organising later. Binary digits: Decimal Binary Each digit in a binary decimal can only be 1 or 0. To convert from decimal x to binary: divide x by highest possible power of 2, then divide left over by highest possible power of 2, repeat until 1 or 0 is left. Eg 25 = 24 x 1 + 23 x 1 + 22 x 0 + 21 x 0 + 20 x 1; therefore 25 decimal = 11001 in binary. To convert binary into decimal you do the reverse. Eg 101011 in decimal is 25 x 1 + 24 x 0 + 23 x 1 + 22 x 0 + 21 x 1 + 20 x 1 = 32 + 0 + 8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 43 ASCII code system: The ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) system uses binary decimals to represent different characters. Each digit takes up memory of 1 bit; it takes 8 digits i.e. 8 bits i.e. 1byte to form a character. 1024bytes (210 bytes) = 1KB; 1024KB (220 bytes) = 1MB; 1024MB (230 bytes) = 1GB etc different combinations of any 8 bit forms a character. ASCII includes most if not all symbols, including intangible ones eg Del, Space etc Hexadecimals: Hexadecimal is used in computing when there are too many digits for binary decimal. Eg 255 have 8 digits in binary but only 2 in hexadecimal. It is used for large value numbers such as in the case of html colour panels. Hexadecimals are 16 digit based; 10 15 is replaced with A F respectively. To convert decimal to hexadecimal or hexadecimal to decimal uses the same method as binary conversion, but 16 based. Eg converting 1980 into hexadecimal 1980 = 162 x 7 + 161 x 11 + 160 x 12 Therefore 1980 in hexadecimal is 7BC Eg converting 15FA into decimal 163 x 1 + 162 x 5 + 161 x 15 + 160 x 10 = 4096 + 1280 + 240 + 10 = 5626 Therefore 15FA in decimal is 5626. Social and Ethical issues: Health of human body can be affect through use of information systems. The study of human body and technology is referred as ergonomics. The following are a few health problems the can arise form the use of information system: Tools for information process Collecting: The collecting process involves deciding what to collect, where to collect form and how to collect. Hardware for collecting different data Text keyboard, text scanner, voice recognition Numbers bar code readers, data loggers, keyboard Images scanner, web cam Video video recorders, digital cameras Audio micro-phone, Software for collecting different data Text Microsoft word Numbers Microsoft excel Images scanner software Video windows media player Audio Sound recorder Organizing Text as explained before texts are converted into binary decimals to be processed by other processes, e.g. displaying, analysing etc. Examples of file types: word document, HTML, PDF Numbers Like text, each numerical number can be converted into a binary number. Common file type: excel, word document Images An image is an electronic copy of a picture, photo, scanned document etc for display on screen. All images are made of pixels, which are the smallest controllable display element on most screens. There are two types of images: Bitmapped: each pixel is treated individually and represents bits in memory. Their size, colour, tone etc is stored and therefore takes up large amount of memory. The most common bitmapped file types are BMP (high quality images), JPEG (less memory, lossy compression method) and GIF (maximum 256 colours for cartoons, lossless compression by less colour and smaller size). Vector: end points containing information about the line (thickness, colour, gradient etc) common type of file is PNG, but not supported by early versions of internet explorer. Audio Series of sound measurements. Digital samples are created from real sound waves. The higher frequency of taking samples and the more accurate they are, the better the quality, but the larger the file. Common file types are MIDI and waveform (MP3, MP4 etc). Video A series of still images recorded at high speed, usually along with audio. Hugh in file size. Common file types include animated GIF, MPEG, Flash etc. data is organized using key frames, one for each image that forms a video/animation when played Analyzing: An example of analyzing data is creating a chart in a spread sheet. Charts and graphs are the most popular ways of analyzing data. They show relationships, trends and comparisons at a glance. The impact (use of colours and symbols to draw attention to important data), speed (obvious) and simplicity (easily understood) made it popular. E.g. software excel, calculator Saving and retrieving: Saving and retrieving is important because it allows edited data to be stored and edited later on. Most information systems have a primary storage and a secondary storage. Primary storage is used to store data/information that needs to be instantly accessible to the CPU. It uses silicon chips on the motherboard to store. RAM random access memory, where frequently used data/information and instructions are stored. When the power is cut off everything in RAM disappears. Data are accessed directly without going through other things. Cache is another example of primary storage. It has the same functions are RAM, but is temporary storage for quick access. ROM read only memory, permanent memory where instructions are stored. These instructions are not to be edited or it may distract the processing of the computer. These instructions are applied when booting the computer. Secondary storages are usually portable. Magnetic tape: long thin plastic coated with thin layer of magnetic metal. Magnetic tape can store large amount of data for a cheap price and little space. However it uses sequential memory access, which takes a lot of time. e.g. video tape. Good for back up. Magnetic disk works the same as magnetic tape, but with a circular piece of plastic/metal. E.g. hard disk / floppy disk. Uses random memory access. Optical media uses laser technology to read and write on CD, CDR or CDRE. Written with high power laser to create lots of tiny holes on disk. Flash memory is erasable memory chips e.g. USB, SD card, memory stick etc. Processing: Examples of processing software: audio editing programmes, movie maker, video editors Transmitting and receiving: Buses and ports are used for transmitting and receiving. Buses are connections between CPU and other parts. Ports are sockets that allow an external device to be installed. E.g. e-mail is transmitting and receiving mails. Displaying Printer, monitor speakers etc. most monitors are displayed in pixels. Number of pixels on the screen can be adjusted. Planning, deigning and implementation Understanding the problem This is the first stage of developing a system. It involves identifying the problem that needs to be solved and determining the requirements of the new system through surveys, interviews, analysing existing system, investigation, research etc. Draw up a project plan, specifying who, what how, when; consisting grant charts, schedules, dataflow diagrams, journals, plans etc. Making decisions Determine the feasibility (is it possible) of this new system, analysing potential solutions and makes a recommendation. A feasibility study shows: nature of problem and overview of existing system identifying problem outline constraints (economical, cost vs. benefit; technical, technology requirements and demands; schedule, time wise; organisational, fitting the goal of organization) restates aim of new system in detail analyse data collected suggest solution no change, new system, investigate etc Designing solution Diagrams such as data flow diagram or system flow chart are used to show context of new system. Data flow diagram is a graphical way of showing the flow of data within the system. O process, ? external entity, ? Data storage, ? data flow. System flow chart shows both flow of data and logic of system. Terminals, input/output, process, database, decision, flow line. Decision trees show all possible decisions and their results. External specification the appearance of new system Internal specifications providing technical support to build the system, identify process required by new system, specifications for input data. Information technology application software may be available e.g. existing accounting softwares. If not then programme has to be written and meets the exact needs of new system. Technical specification new hardware support need or not. User documentation user manual for new system. Must be user friendly. Implementing This is the stage of applying the new system. There are three ways of converting to the new system: Direct conversion where the new system is completely replacing the old system. Does not allow time to check that the new one works correctly, old system is erased. Parallel conversion the new system and old system is run at the same time to allow room for error. Phrased conversion gradual implementation of new system. Certain new ones are implemented while other old ones are still operation. Each operation is individually tested. Pilot conversion when a small part of the organization uses the new system. If new system fails, old is there to back it up. Training is needed to teach participants to use the new system. The participants include those who are learning and those who are teaching. Who needs to be trained is decided upon their existing knowledge. Testing, evaluating and maintaining System needs to be tested to ensure that it runs correctly. Results are compared to expectations and initial aims. Determines if change is required. Occurs after minor adjustments. Evaluation is the ongoing process of assessing the system to identify areas of weakness that needs to be changed. Maintaining is the modifying of system after installation, upgrading by making minor improvements. IPT year11 exams study notes

New Internet Marketing Landscape Essay -- essays research papers

The internet is changing marketing not to mention the world. "The number of internet users worldwide is expected to reach almost 1.4 billion by 2007" according to Armstrong & Kotler (2007) p. 26. The internet is also changing the ways that companies are conducting their marketing. A great example of a company that has been transformed by the new digital age is Melendi Photography (wwww.melendiphotography.com), owned and operated by my dear uncle Luis Melendi and his wife Maria, located in Key Largo, Florida. Originally a mom & pop photography company, it has now been revolutionized by the internet and telecommunications in the past 10 years. They?re main source of marketing came from local newspapers. When they first opened there storefront in 1975, they concentrated on locals and local businesses as their own means of business. Business was steady, but in a small community like Key Largo, Florida, at times business could be very slow. After analyzing and planning a new marketing tactic, they decided it would just be better to close. The year that they decided to close their photography company was the year when the internet took a nose-dive. Many dot-com companies were going out of business, but shortly after the dot-com revolution began to get stronger, and it came back with a vengeance. In 2000 with the revolution of the internet, they created a website, a virtual gallery, a virtual spot on the World Wide Web (WWW) where customers- not only from their small Florida community could view their portraits, but statewide, nationwide and worldwide, in a last ditch attempt to keep their small photography studio alive. They designed an effective website. Melendi Photography took a chance, on something they new very little of.... ...as available on the Melendi?s new site, which they could only offer in there storefront location originally. They really began to see a difference in profits. In addition, using the internet in their photography business, the Melendi?s have been able to offer greater product access and selection. Conducting business in the traditional form is still habitual, but as technology is ever-changing, business will eventually need to keep up with technology and the changes in the environmental factors and understand that with the coming of the digital-age, every aspect of a business is affected, including marketing. References Kilby, Nathalie (2007). Get connected to affiliates. Journal Marketing Week Volume 30 Issue 12. p35-36 Armstrong G. & Kotler P. (2007) Marketing: An Introduction 8E Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson Prentice Hall Publishers

Is Liberal Autocracy the Optimum Form of Governance for Lesser Developed Countries?

Is Liberal Autocracy the optimum form of governance for Lesser Developed Countries? Andre Lim, Joshua Tjahjadi August 2011 1743 Words Hypothesis: Liberal autocracy is the optimal system of governance for lesser-developed countries (LDCs) Democracy at home, and abroad: In this essay, the authors aim to compare the systems of governance in Indonesia and Singapore, as well as how their differences have led to varied repercussions in both countries; those (repercussions) that will be closely examined here are the growth/development of stable governmental institutions, as well as the just rule of law.These are relatively newly-decolonized states existing side by side, in recent years taking different paths of governance. This resulted in wildly different outcomes. What was it about their different political paths that caused the difference? Is the fault with the democratic process, or with their implementation? Is there a certain developmental threshold within which democracy is just doom ed to failure? Many of these questions traverse along peripheries of political doctrine and liberal ethics. Certainly, democracy is an unpredictable, and often messy process.Only by answering hard questions like these can it be better understood, and refined. This is what the authors hope to achieve. To start off, however several key terms first have to be defined. Liberal autocracy refers to a non-democratically elected government founded on the principles of liberalism, that is a fundamental belief in the importance of liberty and basic fundamental rights. Notably successful examples include Singapore, and in the past Hong Kong, Taiwan as well as Japan. Lesser developed countries are nations exhibiting low levels of socio-economic development.Criterion include- low economic development (GNP of less than 905 USD, per capita) as well as human resource weakness (indicators include Adult literacy, nutrition and education). Liberty vs. Democracy- Rise of illiberal democracies? As Faree d Zakaria once brilliantly put it, ‘there today exists two strands of liberal democracy, both inextricably interwoven into Western political fabric- liberty and democracy. ’ The former is floundering even though the latter is flourishing. What is the significance of this co-relation?Democracy at its purest essentially means the rule of the people, whatever it may entail. Liberty recognizes that every man is born with certain unalienable rights- rights to religion, to life, to own property and be free from unfair prosecution. These are rights that cannot be infringed upon. Thus the crux behind constitutional liberty is the construction of institutions such as an independent Judiciary and Treasury to safeguard these rights. Only with a firmly-established Constitutional Liberty can democracy become a force for good.People frequently understand these concepts in reverse. Without the restrictive tenets of a strong Constitutional Liberty, the democratic process will end up ma nipulated and reinforcing corrupted/tyrannical/incompetent governance, elevating mediocrity and triggering stagnation. This is made apparent with Indonesia’s example. Without the checks and balances provided by libertarian governance, elections more often than not grant victory to illiberal forces. Contrast with Singapore’s single-party rule that gave rise to political stability and little corruption.A lack of liberty turn erodes the egalitarian and majoritarian principles casted by founders of modern constitutional-democracy doctrine- Madison, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu. After all, the democratic system obviously has many admirable qualities. It allows a peaceful transfer of power, and renders tyrannical rule impossible. In both Singapore and Indonesia, this conundrum has been made apparent, time and again. 1960s to 2000: Emerging from the upheavals of 1960s, both the LKY and Suharto regime placed utmost emphasis on stability and order.Thus a common tactic was to st ifle political opposition; co-opting whoever they could, and proscecuting the rest. For instance, in the 1980s a group of Indonesian intelligentsia composed of former military men, public intellectuals and officials signed the Petition of 50(Petisi 50), criticizing the regime’s authoritarian tactics and following a 1984 accusation that Suharto was building a one-party state, the group was cracked down upon and many of its leaders were jailed. In Singapore, many prominent opposition leaders such as Chee Soon Juan and Joshua Jeyaretnam were proscecuted and jailed for their political activities.In both nations, the government also played a major role in different sectors of society; be it religion, social or economic. The results were astounding. Between 1960 and 1990, GDP/capita increased four-fold. After the debacle made by the Sukarno regime of economic affairs, Indonesia slowly regained trust of investors, and foreign markets. Hyper inflation was brought under control, and a s slew of measures were implemented to make Indonesia competitive again. By early 1980s Indonesia had achieved self-sufficiency of rice production, as well as basic education for all and successful family planning measures.The Golden Age of Autocrats? In the 1960s-1980s, in midst of the Cold War, amidst the geopolitical turmoil engulfing South Asia then, strong leaders were required maintain unity, as well as stability. In a sense, the turbulence of those years gave legitimacy for autocratic rule. In developing countries where the populace was mostly uneducated and politically illiterate/susceptible to radicalism, the strong hand of an Autocrat was required to provide the stability vital to building the economy, creating strong instutions, pushing forth important reforms. These would in the future be key to building a working Democracy.If there was one thing men like Mahatir, Marcos, Chiang, Lee and Suharto agreed on, it was that in an LDC, the strong, unwavering hand of autocratic rule was necessary to temper populism and keep check radicalism. 2000 onwards: Since the fall of Suharto in 1998, Indonesia evolved into a full-fledged democracy. However, democracy has brought about a whole slew of problems. For instance, the judiciary’s impartiality and reliability have often been questioned. In June 2011, a judge was caught receiving bribes from a lawyer that amounted to Rp250 million in various currencies.In addition to this, the country also faces problems such as crumbling infrastructure, falling tax revenues, environmental degradation, corruption as well as religious tensions. Singapore on the other hand has been powering forward, be it in terms of education levels, or the economy. Its political elite, un-encumbered by electoral demands is able to make long-term decisions that otherwise would have been rendered impossible in a full-fledged democracy. For example, Singapore fiscally is exceptionally disciplined.Its population exists on little subsidies, and through measures like the CPF, whereby people pay for their own compulsory healthcare insurance, it has large surpluses and little deficit. This allows the MAS and GIC to invest in new technologies and facilities vital to Singapore’s long-term growth, such as the Petrochemical facilities on Jurong- Island, or Biopolis biomedical facilities. Contrast this to Indonesia, whereby the electorate is unwilling to give up on fuel and food subsidies they once enjoyed during the boom years, but are nowadays unsustainable and detrimental to Indonesia’s economic growth.What constitutes good Libertarian Governance? Having looked at the preceding case studies, several correlations can be made between democracy, governance and progress. Firstly, it is that democracy can only become a force for progress and stability were it to come hand in hand with strong governance. When left to itself, democracy by no means lead to consensus and effective decision making. Instead, it will end up getting manipulated and corrupted by infighting, vested interests and corruption. Take the Indonesian Parliament. It is an archetypal example of the democratic process getting hijacked by corruption and ideology.Given that Indonesia lacks strong governmental institutions and mature civil society, the democratic process frequently ends up as a medium for parties in power to battle out their vested interests and for racial, ethnic groups to push forward their own agendas. Some may ask, what is the value of strong institutions? The crux behind Constitutional Democracy lies in checks and balances. No single party should have all the power, instead; power and the decision making process should be diffused among the different branches of government.This way, it would render cronyism, patronage politics and in general bad governance less likely. Were this accomplished, decision making rests not so much on who is in power; but rather the institutions that formulate and implement them. T hus the underlying problem with immature democracies like Indonesia. Without a civil society and strong institutions to balance out the powers of the executive, there is nothing preventing irresponsible governance on the part of those who seek to use democratic institutions to push forward their undemocratic agendas.For instance, with the presence of a strong judiciary and treasury to formulate and implement a just tax code, it would be impossible for Indonesian conglomerates and their cronies in Parliament to push for tax breaks and other concessions. This is inherently undemocratic. What Democracy thenceforth would end up doing is aggravating conflicts and instability, as can be seen in places like Lebanon and Iraq, whereby the advent of democratic elections have given rise to an ethnically, politically polarized electorate. Secondly, a certain amount of economic growth has to be achieved before a stable democracy can be established.There exist several reasons for this. On one han d, a government capable of producing sustained economic growth is more likely to be stable and effective, possessing the strong institutions required for this. Their presence increases the chances of a Liberal Democratic regime surviving. Economic prosperity also means that a society is more stable, with an educated, empowered population likely to hold government account to their actions. Paradoxically, as inherently undemocratic the PAP regime may seem today, Singapore 45 years after independence is closer to becoming a successful Liberal democracy than ever before.Having a motivated, uncorrupt elite in more or less total control of public policy means that Singapore had been able to enjoy decades of sustained economic, political and social growth. This has created stability, as well as strong institutions and a flourishing civil society. With its vast ruling majority, the PAP regime has also been able to build legislative and judicial institutions that counterweigh the power of th e ruling body, since it has no need to cope with frequently detrimental populist sentiments or political infighting.The legislative body can then focus solely on advancing national interests. Therein lies the crux behind effective governance. Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be surmised that establishing the pre-requisites required for a strong Democracy is a complicated process. Developing countries lack these pre-requisites, and trying to develop Liberal institutions in these countries under democratic circumstances is arduously tough. When this process fails, as it often does, the Democratic process loses its value as a force for stability.Herein lies the value of a Liberal Autocracy; to build the foundations for a working democracy. Certainly, liberal autocratic rule has its disadvantages. With such a high concentration of power within the ruling government, things only work out if the government is able, uncorrupt and works to build the institutions required for future transit ion to democratic rule. This was the case in Singapore. In Indonesia, the establishment of growth, stability and Liberty came hand in hand with cronyism and patronage politics. This is undemocratic; a possible offshoot of autocratic rule.Like America’s founding fathers, Lee and Suharto were both elitists with a democratic cause; to improve the lot of as many people as possible. They had one consensus- Democracy has to be meticulously built, rigorously defended. Developing countries require autocracy first, were a strong democracy to be conceived. However, with the advent of internet and a new generation of young people eager for rights and freedoms, this formulae may not work in other developing countries today. After all, any system needs to be revised from time to time. No system last forever.This thus, is the dilemma developing countries face today. They face the problem of consolidation, of making a democratic regime successful, because self-government is never easy. Afte r all, democracy can be entrusted to any society, but not everyone can make it work. (1743 words) Bibliography Hard copy sources: 1. â€Å"Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 2. â€Å"Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew: Citizen Singapore-how to build a nation† by Tom Plate.December 1 2010, Marshall Cavendish Corporation, ISBN-10 9812616764, ISBN-13 978-9812616760 3. â€Å"Lee Kuan Yew-Hard truths to keep Singapore going† by Ignatius Low, Chua Mui Hoong, Han Fook Kwang, Zuraidah Ibrahim, Lydia Lim, Rachel Lin and Robin Chan. February 2011, The Straits Times Press, ISBN 978-981-4266-72-7 Soft copy sources: 1. Is Media Helping or Hurting Push for Democracy Ismira Lutfia, May 9 2011 http://www. thejakartaglobe. com/arts/is-media-helping-or-hurting-push-for-democracy/440043 2. LeeKuanYew-istan Forever Parag Khanna, May 24 2011 3.Indonesian Democracy at Standtill John Macbeth, Str aits Times Indonesia May 10 2011 4. A Replacement for Suharto’s Iron Fist Mohamed Iqbal Ahnaf April 08, 2011 5. Liberalism and Democracy: Cant Have One Without The Other Marc Plattner, 1998 http://www. foreignaffairs. com/articles/53815/marc-f-plattner/liberalism-and-democracy-cant-have-one-without-the-other? page=show 6. The Thinker: Indonesia Unplugged? Mahpud Sujai, May 27 2011 http://www. thejakartaglobe. com/opinion/the-thinker-indonesia-unplugged/443379 ——————————————– 1 ]. Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 [ 2 ]. http://www. indonesia-digest. net/3300suharto. htm [ 3 ]. ibid [ 4 ]. Jakarta Post, November 5 2009 [ 5 ]. Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 [ 7 ]. 6 ibid [ 8 ]. 7 ibid [ 10 ]. Conversations With Lee Kuan Yew February 2011, The Straits Times Press, ISBN 978-981-4266-72-7 [ 11 ]. ibid [ 12 ]. ibid [ 13 ]. Foreign Policy, May 2007

Analysis of the poem A strange Meeting Essay

In the elegy â€Å"strange Meeting â€Å", Owen brings the horrors of wars and their devastating effect on those involved, he emphasizes their part in hindering the world from progress . War and death are presented in this poem through the story of two dead soldiers ,who fought on opposite sides , and who meet again in Hell . They speak of their shared hopefulness of the â€Å"undone years † . Owen’s manipulation of words and his use of artistic devices in the poem takes the reader to a vivid awareness of the real dreadfulness of battles and death. The speaker in the poem ,who is a soldier, starts the poem by saying that he seemed to † escape† the battle to somewhere else , a place he discovers later to be Hell . The mere use of the word † escape † implies that the speaker was trapped in war before he escapes to Hell which is , when compared to battle, a relief. Owen says that common words associated with wars like chivalry , courage and gallantry do not describe wars, not really, instead war is pain , sorrow and loss . He emphasizes on the destructiveness of wars to those involved . He says † yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned † , so they are † encumbered † physically with their uniforms and sacks and emotionally with too much sadness and sorrow brought to them by war . Those sleepers are † too fast in thought or death † to be stirred . One of those sleepers † sprang up † from death and smiles , although he smiles but still it is a smile of death . That man recognizes the speaker for he, the speaker, is the one who killed him as we know later in the poem . The poet describes this other man’s face as † grained † with † a thousand pains â€Å", pains from his previous life and past experiences in battle . Now they are in Hell , a place of anguish and despair , a place where shouts of pain and torment is expected , but oh no , not in this poem . Hell is a quit place where there is silence † yet no blood reached there from the upper ground † † and no guns thumped , or down the flues made moan † . So Own draws a picture of silence in Hell and contrasts this picture with battle where noise, blood and moans are everywhere . The speaker says about Hell that † here is no cause to mourn † no more grief or sadness . The stranger agrees with him † None † as if they are both relieved that it finally Al Neghaimshi 2 ended , finally they will rest . † Save the undone years , the hopelessness † This is their only regret . They shared so many in the past , the two of them , similar lives , experiences and similar horrors and pains that they could be called â€Å"friends † in spite of the fact that they are actually strangers . â€Å"Strange Friend † as paradoxical as it seems but still true , † Whatever hope is yours , was my life also † . Owen argues that wars † trek† the nations from progress and he calls it † retreating world † . The poet says † when much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels † he would go and † wash them † . Owen takes into his hands as a poet † to warn † as he said himself once , † Even with truths that lies too deep † . He says he will do it † not through wounds ; not on the cess of war † , so it is not through innocent people , not through wars that destroys the lives of many . † Forehead of men have bled where no wounds were † that’s a clear indication to the myth of Christ which says that before he was crucified his body sweat blood , He was the one who paid for the sins of the humankind and so are those men paying their lives in wars whom foreheads † bled where no wounds were † . † I am the enemy you killed , my friend † a beautiful line towards the end of the poem . Although we stand in life different and enemies , but we shared the same experience and will share the same destiny . He closes the poem by saying † let us sleep now ..† let us finally rest and forget the horrors and pains . So ironic of Owen to let his protagonist finally rest in † Hell† . Aren’t people who fight for their countries are supposed to be martyrs and go to Heaven ? It is Owen’s way of doubting the cause which wars stand for , the cause after all is false . Owen by letting his two protagonist rest in Hell , he also conveys the message that Mankind must seek reconciliation , stop this bloodshed , they must embrace pity and love for each other . Owen writes this beautiful elegy that talks about war and death , but what is most ironical is that he himself dies in war .

NSG KWLA Essays

NSG KWLA Essays NSG KWLA Essay NSG KWLA Essay Through invitation held with not only subject X but alls her mother we were able to gain a better insight on her psycho-social development. There are various developments throughout this stage of life and some theorists that I found interesting that relate to school aged child development were Pigged, Goldberg especially in the aspect of peer relationships and Erickson in particular pertaining to morality development and self-concept. WALLA: 1 . ) How does increased television and video-games correlate with health- related risk factors during middle childhood? A. Rationale: Generally, the middle childhood stage of development is seen as one of the healthiest periods of our lifetime. As most people already know, lack of physical activity does not promote healthy living and can in return cause health problems and concerns such as obesity. Research that has been conducted shows that among U. S. Children physical activity and fitness have been declining and it is believed to be correlated with increased time devoted to television and video-games. According to Dunn and Craig obesity has become a major problem among this age group, studies show that nearly 9% of grade school aged children are obese. Middle childhood obesity is seen to have not only early medical effects such as asthma but also long term affects that may not develop until adulthood. According and article on childhood obesity by Baron and Marcus, children who are obese are more predisposed to health complications later in life such as heart failure and type II diabetes. B. References: Craig, G. J. , Dunn, W. L. (2013). Understanding Human Growth and Development (3. De. , up. 203-205). New Jersey:Prentice Hall. The Effects of Childhood Obesity. Education. Mom. N. P. , n. D. Web. 28 Cot. 2014. 2. How does cognitive development at this age change perception of the child? A. Rationale: According to Pigged, children at this age have a concrete operational way of thinking. The thought of a child at this age is more logical and they realize that there is a cause-effect mechanism to their action. This changes their perception because they have become less egocentric and have developed social cognition which is an unders tanding on the social world around the child and there self within the social world, the child becomes ore focused on how their thoughts compare with other. Goldberg expanded piglets two stage theory of moral development and explains that this operational stage of development is based on social conformity to their win the approval of peers or to avoid disapproval. B. References: Craig, G. J. , Dunn, W. L. (2013). Understanding Human Growth and Development (3. De. , up. 203-205). New Jersey:Prentice Hall. 3. ) How do peer relationships change throughout this stage of development? A. Rationale: Subject X explained that she had a big group of friends at school and they have similar personality traits to her own. In early childhood friendships and peer relationships are based on physical similarities and are informal and relatively unstable. Robert Salesmans research explained that during this age unlike early childhood, friendships are more genuine and friends are seen as those who help the child, also a bond of trust begins to develop and friendships are seen to be more stable. Peer groups in this age share interests, norms and goals and are very important throughout middle childhood. Growth and Development (3. . , up. 203-205). New Jersey:Prentice Hall. Reflection: I personally really enjoyed this project and I think it was an excellent way of being able to go through the stages Of development at a more personal, hands on experience. It also allowed me to work on communication skills as well as better developing in working with a group. Since I have already been trough this stage of development was able to reflect on past experiences of my own that made me understand this stage a little be tter.

History of the North American Free Trade Agreements

History of the North American Free Trade Agreements A free trade agreement is a pact between two countries or areas in which they both agree to lift most or all tariffs, quotas, special fees and taxes, and other barriers to trade between the entities. The purpose of free trade agreements is to allow faster and more business between the two countries/areas, which should benefit both. Why All Should Benefit from Free Trade The underlying economic theory of free trade agreements is that of comparative advantage, which originated in an 1817 book entitled On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation by British political economist David Ricardo. Put simply, the theory of comparative advantage postulates that that in a free marketplace, each country/area will ultimately specialize in that activity where it has comparative advantage (i.e. natural resources, skilled workers, agriculture-friendly weather, etc.) The result should be that all parties to the pact will increase their income. However, as Wikipedia points out: ... the theory refers only to aggregate wealth and says nothing about the distribution of wealth. In fact there may be significant losers... The proponent of free trade can, however, retort that the gains of the gainers exceed the losses of the losers. Claims that 21st Century Free Trade Doesnt Benefit All Critics from both sides of the political aisle contend that free trade agreements often dont work effectively to benefit either the U.S. or its free trade partners. One angry complaint is that more than three million U.S. jobs with middle-class wages have been outsourced to foreign countries since 1994. The New York Times observed in 2006: Globalization is tough to sell to average people. Economists can promote the very real benefits of a robustly growing world: when they sell more overseas, American businesses can employ more people. But what sticks in our minds is the television image of the father of three laid off when his factory moves offshore. Latest News In late June 2011, the Obama administration announced that three free trade agreements,.. with south Korea, Colombia and Panama... are fully negotiated, and ready to send to Congress for review and passage. These three pacts are expected to generate $12 billion in new, annual U.S. sales. Republicans stalled approval of the agreements, though, because they want to strip a small, 50-year-old worker retraining/support program from the bills. On December 4, 2010, President Obama announced completion of renegotiations of the Bush-era U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. See Korea-U.S. Trade Agreement Addresses Liberal Concerns. The deal that weve struck includes strong protections for workers rights and environmental standardsand as a consequence, I believe its a model for future trade agreements that I will pursue, commented President Obama about the U.S.-South Korea agreement. (see Profile of U.S.-South Korea Trade Agreement.) The Obama administration is also negotiating an entirely new free trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which includes eight nations: U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and Brunei. Per AFP, Nearly 100 US companies and business groups have urged Obama to conclude TPP negotiations by November 2011. WalMart and 25 other U.S. corporations have reportedly signed onto the TPP pact. Presidential Fast-Track Trade Authority In 1994, Congress let fast-track track authority to expire, to give Congress more control as President Clinton pushed the North American Free Trade Agreement. After his 2000 election, President Bush made free trade the center of his economic agenda, and sought to regain fast-track powers. The Trade Act of 2002 restored fast-track rules for five years. Using this authority, Bush sealed new free trade deals with Singapore, Australia, Chile and seven smaller countries. Congress Unhappy with Bush Trade Pacts Despite pressure from Mr. Bush, Congress refused to extend fast-track authority after it expired on July 1, 2007. Congress was unhappy with Bush trade deals for many reasons, including: Losses of millions of U.S. jobs and companies to foreign countriesExploitation of labor forces and resources and defilement of the environment in foreign countriesThe enormous trade deficit generated under President Bush International charity organization Oxfam vows to campaign to defeat trade agreements that threaten peoples rights to: livelihoods, local development, and access to medicines. History The first U.S. free trade agreement was with Israel, and took effect on September 1, 1985. The agreement, which has no expiration date, provided for the elimination of duties for goods, except for certain agricultural products, from Israel entering the U.S. The U.S.-Israeli agreement also allows American products to compete on an equal basis with European goods, which have free access to Israeli markets. The second U.S. free trade agreement, signed in January 1988 with Canada, was superceded in 1994 by the complex and controversial North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico, signed with much fanfare by President Bill Clinton on September 14, 1993. Active Free Trade Agreements For a complete listing of all international trade pacts to which the U.S. is a party, see the United States Trade Representives listing of global, regional and bilateral trade agreements. For a listing of all worldwide free trade pacts, see Wikipedias List of Free Trade Agreements. Pros Proponents support U.S. free trade agreements because they believe that: Free trade increases sales and profits for U.S. businesses, thus strenghtening the economyFree trade creates U.S. middle-class jobs over the longtermFree trade is an opportunity for the U.S. to provide financial help to some of the worlds poorest countries Free Trade Increases U.S. Sales and Profits Removal of costly and delaying trade barriers, such as tariffs, quotas and conditions, inherently leads to easier and swifter trade of consumer goods. The result is an increased volume of U.S. sales. Also, use of less expensive materials and labor acquired through free trade leads to a lower cost to manufacture goods. The result is either increased profit margins (when sales prices are not lowered), or increased sales caused by lower selling prices. The  Peterson Institute for International Economics estimates  that ending all trade barriers would increase U.S. income by a whopping $500 billion annually. Free Trade Creates U.S. Middle-Class Jobs The theory is that as U.S. businesses grow from greatly increased sales and profits, demand will grow for middle-class higher-wage jobs to facilitate the sales increases. In February, the  Democratic Leadership Council, a centrist, pro-business think-tank headed by Clinton ally former Rep. Harold Ford, Jr., wrote: Expanded trade was undeniably a key part of the high-growth, low-inflation, high-wage economic expansion of the 1990s; even now it plays a key role in keeping inflation and unemployment at historically impressive levels. The  New York Times wrote  in 2006: Economists can promote the very real benefits of a robustly growing world: when they sell more overseas, American businesses can employ more people. U.S. Free Trade Helps Poorer Countries U.S. free trade benefits poorer, non-industrialized nations through increased purchases of their materials and labor services by the U.S. The  Congressional Budget Office explained: ... economic benefits from international trade arise from the fact that countries are not all the same in their production capabilities. They vary from one another because of differences in natural resources, levels of education of their workforces, technical knowledge, and so on. Without trade, each country must make everything it needs, including things it is not very efficient at producing. When trade is allowed, by contrast, each country can concentrate its efforts on what it does best... Cons Opponents of U.S. free trade agreements believe that: Free trade has caused more U.S. jobs losses than gains, especially for higher-wage jobs.Many free trade agreements are bad deals for the U.S. Free Trade Has Caused U.S. Jobs Losses A  Washington Post columnist wrote: While corporate profits soar, individual wages stagnate, held at least partly in check by the brave new fact of offshoring that millions of Americans jobs can be performed at a fraction of the cost in developing nations near and far. In his 2006 book Take This Job and Ship It, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) decries, ... in this new global economy, no one is more profoundly affected than American workers... in the last five years, weve lost over 3 million U.S. jobs that have been oursourced to other countries, and millions more are poised to leave. NAFTA: Unfilled Promises and a Giant Sucking Sound When he signed NAFTA on September 14, 1993,  President Bill Clinton exulted, I believe that NAFTA will create a million jobs in the first five years of its impact. And I believe that that is many more than will be lost... But industrialist H. Ross Perot famously predicted a giant sucking sound of U.S. jobs heading to Mexico if NAFTA was approved. Mr. Perot was correct.  Reports the Economic Policy Institute: Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed in 1993, the rise in the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico through 2002 has caused the displacement of production that supported 879,280 U.S. jobs. Most of those lost jobs were high-wage positions in manufacturing industries. The loss of these jobs is just the most visible tip of NAFTAs impact on the U.S. economy. In fact, NAFTA has also contributed to rising income inequality, suppressed real wages for production workers, weakened workers  collective bargaining  powers and ability to organize unions, and reduced fringe benefits. Many Free Trade Agreements Are Bad Deals In June 2007, the Boston Globe reported about a pending new agreement, Last year, South Korea exported 700,000 cars to the United States while U.S. carmakers sold 6,000 in South Korea, Clinton said, attributing more than 80 percent of a $13 billion U.S. trade deficit with South Korea... And yet, the proposed new 2007 agreement with South Korea would not eliminate the barriers that severely restrict the sale of American vehicles per Sen. Hillary Clinton. Such lopsided dealings are common in  U.S. free trade agreements. Where It Stands U.S. free trade agreements have also harmed other countries, including: Workers in other countries are being exploited and harmed.The environment in other countries is being defiled. For example, the  Economic Policy Institute explains  about post-NAFTA Mexico: In Mexico, real wages have fallen sharply and there has been a steep decline in the number of people holding regular jobs in paid positions. Many workers have been shifted into subsistence-level work in the informal sector... Additionally, a flood of subsidized, low-priced corn from the U.S. has decimated farmers and rural economics. The impact on workers in countries as India, Indonesia, and China has been even more severe, with innumerable instances of starvation wages, child workers, slave-labor hours and perilous work conditions. And  Sen. Sherrod Brown  (D-OH) observes in his book Myths of Free Trade: As the Bush administration has worked overtime to weaken environmental and food safety rules in the U.S., Bush trade negotiators are trying to do the same in the global economy... The lack of international laws for environmental protection, for example, encourages firms to go to the nation with the weakest standards. As a result, some nations are conflicted in 2007 over U.S. trade deals. In late 2007, the  Los Angeles Times reported  about the pending CAFTA pact: About 100,000 Costa Ricans, some dressed as skeletons and holding banners, protested Sunday against a U.S. trade pact they said would flood the country with cheap farm goods and cause big job losses. Chanting No to the free-trade pact! and Costa Rica is not for sale! protesters including farmers and housewives filled one of San Joses main boulevards to demonstrate against the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the United States. Democrats Divided on Free Trade Agreements Democrats have coalesced in favor of trade policy reform over the past decade as President Bill Clintons NAFTA, WTO and China trade deals not only failed to deliver the promised benefits but caused real damage, said Lori Wallach of Global Trade Watch to  Nation contributing editor Christopher Hayes. But the centrist  Democratic Leadershp Council insists, While many Democrats find it tempting to Just Say No to Bush trade policies... , this would squander real opportunities to boost U.S. exports... and keep this country competitive in a global marketplace from which we cannot possibly isolate ourselves.

Why Cash Flow From Operations is important information Article

Why Cash Flow From Operations is important information - Article Example Operating expenses are subtracted from the operating revenues to extract the net cash flow from operating activities; this is why it is so important for small businesses to keep in check its operating cash flows. The other reasons why cash flow from operating activities is so important for small businesses is its ability to quickly determine the immediate financial health of the company. Cash flow is important as it gives the firm the ability to pay off current expenses. The current expenses usually include; labor costs and debt repayments. For these reasons, cash flow from operations (CFO) is important for both parties; the firm as well as the lenders and creditors. The creditors can assess the investment potential of the company from its CFO. Small businesses usually start with debt financing and the interest is an operating cash flow, since this figure is adjusted for liabilities, depreciation and receivables (Ross, Westerfield, Jordan, 2012), an operating cash flow is generally more accurate measure of how much cash the business has generated as compared to other measures such as Net Income (NI) or Earnings Before Interests and Taxes