Making a killing: Hong Kong photo exhibition Essay

Photographer David Chancellor offers a unique and often visceral insight into South Africa’s hunting safaris in his exhibition â€Å"The Game is Killing the Game†. Hosted by The Salt Yard, an arts space in Kwun Tong, the photo series calls for a reflection on hunting for sport when many species are in decline. Animal lovers will find some of the images in the exhibition distressing. In one shot the severed head of a lioness can be seen placed in a cardboard box, her jaws locked open with teeth bared, gaze transfixed. In another, a giraffe has fallen to the ground in a crumpled heap, after being shot by a hunter. Chancellor was born in London but lives and works in South Africa. The three times Nikon photographer of the year and World Press Photo award winner spent up to 10 days at a time embedded with hunters to capture the images. â€Å"It’s impossible to work clandestine,† he told the Los Angeles Times last year. â€Å"I realised very quickly that you n eed to embed with the hunting party – sleep, eat and breathe the hunt. All the portraits are taken immediately after the hunter has killed. It’s impossible to duplicate that emotion which is ultimately read subliminally by the viewer of the work.† The exhibition comes as African and US politicians meet this week in Washington, with wildlife conservation high on the agenda. US Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said about 20,000 elephants were slaughtered in Africa last year, while about three rhinos were killed every day in South Africa alone. â€Å"This hugely profitable illicit activity generates billions of dollars in revenue every year, fuelling growth in international criminal syndicates and reversing decades of hard-won conservation gains across the continent,† Jewell said. [The Sun News] WASHINGTON Jiangsu couple with a group tour with his son to visit Hong Kong, yesterday morning, Hung Hom, with tours to a jewelery store shopping, mainland women refused shopping period, and to guide the requirements to continue the trip, only consumption of at least two thousand people wanted her to make arrangements Yuanshi, when both theories, mainland women fear being attacked police said. Police officers arrived at the scene  after mediation, the two sides reach an agreement, a family of three â€Å"cut† from the group trip, the trio set out by the police rushed to MTR Hung Hom Station, self drive back to the mainland. Hung Hom Station police rushed back to the mainland The men allegedly forced shopping victim surnamed Su, peer wife surnamed Li (forty years old), son of about ten. Su said that a person participated in the mainland tour groups to Hong Kong to play four days, three days before the arrival yesterday to play for two days.Eleven o’clock yesterday morning, the tour by the surname Chen (39) male guided to a jewelry store shopping Lok Street, during Li Fu Chen made no intention to shopping and want to continue their journey to another place Chan visits, but rejected, and Lee was asked at least two thousand women in the shop Yuanshi consumer can make arrangements, Li wife and husband flatly refused and said I do not know when to participate in the trip must be shopping. But someone at the scene said the tour itself has indicated shopping trip, probably a misunderstanding of the Soviet Union took part in the tour, it caused a dispute. Catfight between the two parties, Li women cry more excited, and said fear of someone brute force, then call the police for help. Police officers arrived at the scene investigation, found no wounded, no other group members received complaints from police questioning and mediation to Chen and Su family of three, the immediate family of three from the group is willing to exit the remaining two days of the trip, the final event been resolved. Since the Soviet one is not familiar with Hong Kong traffic, do not know how to ride back to the mainland, and finally by the police sent them to MTR Hung Hom Station, take the MTR own return to the Mainland.

Marketing Mini Stories

Several years ago I had a friend who worked for a Hilton hotel. At the time, fitness and low calorie or high protein meals were popular trends and a concern of travelers. Hilton, as well as other hotel chains, produced a marketing concept to address the needs of guests traveling for business by ensuring that each franchise provided a â€Å"fitness kit† which could be delivered up to a guestroom. Developed by Bally Total Fitness, it contained a yoga mat, hand weights, and an exercise band. Or, if the guest requested it, a treadmill could be delivered for use in the guestroom. The food & beverage outlets in each franchise hotel also had to undergo a change of menu to accommodate this marketing concept. The Hilton Eat Right program required low-fat and low-calorie meals such as seared tuna with a salad be added to the menu. My friend wasn’t too happy about having to provide these extra services, but guests of the hotel seemed to like it. I ate dinner in a rather upscale restaurant recently. Since I’ve worked in a restaurant before, I tend to notice the little things on the table that other patrons might ignore. At this restaurant, the table was set with linen napkins, and nice silverware, the usual condiments, etc. and in the middle of the table was a tent card advertising the â€Å"wine of the month†, which was a Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay. Knowing how distribution channels in the food & beverage industry work, I immediately surmsied the tent card was the result of promotions from a marketing intermediary. The alcohol wholesaler buys directly from the manufacturer, such as Kendall-Jackson, and then markets the product to the retailer, in this case the restaurant. The restaurant itself was also functioning as a marketing intermediary by placing the tent cards on the table and incentivizing servers to offer their â€Å"wine of the month†, which was probably purchased at a reduced price. The last time I moved to a new house, some of the items I needed to consider buying were cable television, telephone service and the access to the Internet through an Internet service provider. While my choice of company was limited, I realized that all companies advertising such items had begun to take a systems selling approach to offering packaged services. For instance, Qwest, traditionally known as the provider of telephone service, has branched out to include Internet access as well as teamed up with DirecTV for satellite television service. By using systems selling, Qwest has greatly increased its income potential. By partnering with DirecTV, Qwest does not need to produce the components for satellite television themselves, but can rely on its partner for inventory control and production. Since most customers wish to purchase all these items, especially when moving to a new location, the decision to package them all together makes perfect sense and the bundled price appealed to me. My friend that worked at the Hilton hotel made me aware of a fact I previously didn’t know – hotels continually use marketing segmentation to keep their guestrooms full. After being informed of this approach, it made shopping for a hotel room for my last vacation a different sort of venture. Knowing that a resort hotel targets one market – leisure travelers – on the weekend and another market – business travelers – during the week when occupancy levels are lower, I opted to plan my vacation over the course of a week rather than choose a weekend stay, when rates would be higher. By using marketing segmentation, most hotels offers specific packages aimed at each different market. The resort hotel I chose last spring had a special midweek package consisting of the guestroom plus breakfast and two tickets to a local amusement park at an attractive price. By targeting my market segment of leisure travel during days when the hotel typically wouldn’t be full, the hotel was able to gain revenue not normally expected. When it comes to brand, McDonald’s has this concept firmly in place. A friend and I went to McDonald’s just last week to buy a quick lunch and we were inundated with their brand, image, and logo. The golden arches outside the place themselves are part of the brand and this symbol appears on everything – from the hamburger wrapper of the Big Mac I ordered, to the cup holding my soft drink, to the menu displayed behind the order counter. As well, brand is incorporated in more subtle ways. The colors of yellow and red are seen throughout and many of the shapes inside the restaurant – from the seating to the kid’s play area – are reminiscent of an â€Å"m†. After leaving McDonald’s we stopped at a Dairy Queen to order ice cream for dessert. Walking into that restaurant made me even more aware of how pervasive McDonald’s brand presence is; there is no way McDonald’s products could be mistaken for those at Dairy Queen. That same upscale restaurant I’d eaten dinner in recently had a section reserved for bar patrons. Since there was a bit of wait before my friend and I could be seated, we passed the time at the bar having a beer and munching on a snack mix in a bowl on the table. It was really very tasty – a mix of crunchy squares and peanuts and spicy sesame pieces. I inquired of the bartender where I could purchase the same mix being served in the restaurant and he replied that it was available only wholesale. If I wanted to buy some of the snack mix for myself, I would have to find someone who worked for a wholesaler to order it for me as it was not an item I could buy in a retail store. Of course this made sense – why would I want to return to the bar and sit there to munch on the snack mix if I could buy it and eat in the privacy of my own home? Some time ago, I realized the value of public relations. As a consumer, it’s sometimes not enough incentive to patronize a company that offers good products at a low price; sometimes it is also how the company responds to bad press that influences my buying decision. At the time I was living in a town with a Wal-Mart and not much else in the way of available stores. There was a story I’d read in the newspaper regarding a customer of the local Wal-Mart who had gone into a rest room at the store and not come back out several hours later. The customer’s wife was frantic with worry and she contacted the store to help her locate her husband. The man was found, dead as the result of complications from a medical condition, in the rest room stall after a search was performed. However, it was the direct result of Wal-Mart’s ineffective public relations department that caused further problems as they refused to take any responsibility or even offer an apology to the customer’s wife for the incident. Because Wal-Mart doesn’t present a caring attitude towards their customers, I will think twice before shopping there again. E-marketing is big business these days. I happen to know an author who broke into the writing business as a result of her book being contracted with an e-publisher. Because she gets excited by this opportunity, I’ve often listened to her ideas for promotion, which include a great deal of e-marketing. According to my friend, these days, an author does not need to go to a bookstore and set up a book signing to promote her book, instead she can schedule a â€Å"virtual book tour† in which she makes appearances on several blog sites and answers questions about her and the book. Another form of e-marketing she uses is to be involved with readers’ forums whereby she can promote her book by posting online excerpts and talking it up with readers. This type of marketing can also include personal pages on websites such as My Space and Facebook and results in the ability to market from her own home. My mother is a big collector of Coca-Cola products. Her kitchen is filled with items bearing the Coca-Cola logo, in all its various forms – from dish towels to plates to banks, clocks, playing cards, etc. While some of the items are antiques, many of them were bought brand new from retail stores. It was when I was shopping for a Christmas present for my mother that I became aware of just how widely Coca-Cola products are licensed. Gibson is one manufacturer that is licensed to produce dishes and kitchen ware bearing the Coca-Cola logo, while additional companies are also allowed to produce different items, such as straw dispensers and napkin holders, with the distinctive colors and logo. Through this wide distribution of licensing agreements, Coca-Cola has certainly increased revenues incrementally. I watched the Super Bowl this year with a group of friends. Although I wasn’t particularly interested in either team playing, I was interested in the advertising during commercial breaks. Having previously read some of the buzz surrounding the company Go Daddy, I was aware of its past troubles producing a commercial which would appease the television censors. Go Daddy’s approach this year was an excellent example of innovative marketing. Not only does the company depend on the buzz from its commercials not being accepted by the censor boards, it decided this year to post the rejected commercial on its website. The Super Bowl commercial itself was cheaply produced and directed watchers to log on to the Go Daddy website where they could watch the commercial that didn’t make it to air time. This truly innovative marketing approach was so successful that it contributed to the down time of Internet services during the Super Bowl as consumers rushed to the website to view the commercial.

Internal and External Factors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internal and External Factors - Essay Example Conversely, directing and controlling are about effective administration, inspiration, general evaluation and comparison of the outcomes with the intended ones. Thereby taking up the necessary corrective measures and installing the best of practices to achieve higher performances. This paper is an analysis of the effects that internal and external forces, as mentioned below, have on the above managerial functions. Globalization Globalization is an external factor. It is about businesses and organizations expanding their operations further than nationwide into worldwide markets. This means that the business will be producing and or offering goods and services in other foreign countries. Once an organization has acquired this status, its management style changes. For instance, the Siemens Company has to exercise an expansive planning whereby by it makes available all the logistics and the necessary capital to ensure it succeeds in all these markets. In its managerial functions, it has also to understand and consider all the legal and business cultures of the host countries. This may force the firm to deviate from its usual ways of operations. Globalization brings about increased rivalry since the global market is an arena for all businesses. The Siemens Company has therefore to carry out an expansive research to know exactly what its competitors are offering. It will furthermore strive to get the best technical and more qualified staff. On the other hand, its marketing activities will have to target the worldwide market. The implication of these is an increase in cost of operations. Technology Technology changes exceptionally fast and products that were fashionable at most a year ago have been rendered obsolete. The Company on its side has extremely minimum control over such revolutions. This is an external aspect that is mainly motivated by a fluctuating market and at the same time, these needs cannot be satisfied. This aspect has ever kept the Siemens Company o n toes in matters of research and development. Apart from spending large amounts of capital on this issue, the Company always has to review its plans, procedures and methods in accordance with the recommendations from the research and development department. Technology more often has dictated that the Company evaluates and changes its management structure to realign itself to the new goals and objectives (Reddy, Appannaiah, & Sathyaprasad, 2010). Just like globalization, technology would require the firm to acquire the most appropriate state of art plants and machineries. It will as well be obligatory to employ the most competent and skilled human resources to carry out these technological requirements. Technological progresses have changed the way businesses get in touch with their customers. Today companies involve directly with clients. This effect requires a revolutionized approach in management. It calls for the introduction of data base management systems in all spheres of ope rations. The overall effects of technology will be passed on to the Company’s expenditure and as such may lead to cutting costs in other areas. For example, part of the work force may be laid off. Innovation Innovation is the ability of the firm to come up creatively with original ideas about new products, procedures and methods. Moreover, these ideas can be on how to improve on existing goods, action of events and techniques. It is therefore

Infrastructure Security of Agricultural and Food Research Paper

Infrastructure Security of Agricultural and Food - Research Paper Example Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration at the federal level. In order to serve the nation well, the sector needs to be effectively associated and dependent on other sectors that include water, transportation, energy, banking and finance, chemical, and dams (Food and Agriculture Sector: Critical Infrastructure, 2012). The present study focuses on the infrastructural security of food and agriculture which are essential for successful service to the people in a nation. Infrastructure Protection and the U.S. Food and Agriculture Sector: In the recent years, much of attention has been considered with respect to the fear of terrorism in a country like the US. Agriculture in this regard has been observed to have received lesser attention and concern. â€Å"Indeed, in terms of accurate threat assessments, response structures and preparedness initiatives, the sector continues to exist as a glaring exception to the wide-ranging emphasis that has been given to critical infrastructure protection in this country† (Chalk, 2001, p.2). Agro terrorism is a matter of serious concern with respect to the security of food and agriculture infrastructure. ... There is an increasing rate of the susceptibility of farm animals to diseases. A large number of agents are found to exist that are fatal and highly infectious to animals. The farming practices in the country can be realized to be of highly intensive and concentrated as can be reflected from the easiness and rapidity with which animals are vulnerable to diseases. This thus requires effective security measures of infrastructure protection. Lack of internal quality control, increased production of genetically modified products are other factors making the food and agriculture sector in the country susceptible to agro-terrorism and higher levels of insecurity (Chalk, 2001, pp.3-5). Infrastructural Security of Agriculture and Food: National Infrastructure Protection Plan: Under the National Protection Plan of the infrastructure of agriculture and food, the USDA or U.S. Department of Agriculture has significant roles to play. One of its most important roles is to assure that the foods and clothing of the people of the nation are met without fail. It is in charge of supervising the nation’s 192 million acres of national forests and rangelands. It is also the largest conservation agency of the country and encourages deliberate efforts to look after soil, water, and wildlife on 70 percent of America’s lands that are under the control of private ownerships. The safety of around 80 percent of the food consumed in the country is under the responsibility of the FDA. It shares its responsibility with Federal, State, and local agencies; regulated industry; academia; health providers; and consumers. â€Å"The Agriculture and Food Sector is dependent upon: the Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems Sector for clean irrigation and processed

Relationship between strategic and financial planning Assignment

Relationship between strategic and financial planning - Assignment Example lves one of the following: raising or lowering an organization’s activities, responding to changing customer demand and preferences, countering competitors, technological adjustments and responding to globalization (Chorafas, 2007, p. 5). While Starbucks takes the initiative of expanding its business outside the United States, there will be an obvious need to adjust its financial resources. This will directly reflect on its financial plan. In a business world guided by the principles of competition, Starbucks should strive to have sound financial planning to raise its competitive advantage and prevent underperformance now that it aims market outside the United States. Its strategic planning should be aimed at producing innovative and high quality products and services. This will immensely contribute on easing the strains, which may be experienced in financial resource planning. Financial risk is a factor related to strategic and financial planning that any able organization needs to thoroughly plan around. Chorafas advises that an organization should strive to attain a low cost of staying in business (Chorafas, 2007, p. 22). Losses or insufficient profits will reduce funds available to cater for expanded Starbucks’ operation expenses such as production cost and payment of employees. This threatens Starbucks’ financial stability and jeopardizes its further expansion and

Project program Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project program - Assignment Example The mortgage company offers a 2 year fixed mortgage, low rate variable and performance plus mortgagee designs. My Mortgage Freedom online mortgage application makes the company’s covers versatile and convenient for most people. All the same, the main challenge of the business is to attract customers to its portfolio. Online Customer Segment One way to attract more customers to My Mortgage Online shops is by maximizing the search engine visibility of the company. People in most cases will make a first stop in search engines when looking for any product or service. Search engine ensure the marketer is at the right place and at the right time. It will be important for the company’s SEO strategist to use specialized tools such as the Google’s Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics in monitoring the baseline metrics, and understanding the SEO health in the company’s website. Such a detailed analysis will showcase areas that need more attention (Brightpearl, 3). T he strategist has to start analyzing the following key metrics once per month to indicate the success of this approach: Sales generated by the search marketing, the number of visits to the page, and the number of new visitors recorded, the number of new visitors converting to paying visitors, the cost per click on all paid search adverts, and the best sources that most traffic is coming from (Bright pearl, 3). In addition, the strategist has to review the keywords used, and how these keywords will match landing on any paid search or SEO strategy. The use of good keywords would be ideal in accessing the competition, and search volume. The Google analytics tool may be used to access the search dynamics, and the keyword-to –search term relationship (Brightpearl, 4). Carrying out detailed A/B testing of the used Keywords and any used text is important in optimizing the paid search pay per click (PPC) campaigns. In the process of building intelligence around the used keyword, land ing on page relevance and search terms, the conversation rates and quality score go up while significantly reducing the CCP, which will save the business significant amount of costs. In addition, there are more platforms available at much reduced rates, or at no cost, though such free platforms may not be solely enough for attracting customers (Pozin, 2012). Strategic company branding will increase customer’s attention towards My Mortgage Online. Currently, there are a good number of such Mortgage companies online competing for customers. To overcome its competitors, the company needs critical rebranding in its website to make the webpage unforgettable. Rebranding may involve embedding real estate video clips or pictures in their websites, or any other photos that may show how people have benefited from their mortgage plans. As reflected in the My Mortgage Freedom Company, the domain name used reflects the name of the company, which makes it unique and easy for the customers to sport online. In addition, the website has to be professional and integrate their web page to social media. Integrating My Mortgage Freedom with social media such as Facebook will attract attention of social media users who will click the leads to the company’s website. This is a versatile way of increasing traffic to the company’s website (Prozin, 2012). The company has then to ensure mechanisms through which customers getting to the website from

A History of Mathematics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A History of Mathematics - Essay Example His idea used as basis the fact that the Greek mathematicians of his time knew how to square regular polygons. He proposed that if a regular polygon were to be inscribed in a circle, and if the number of sides of the polygon were doubled again and again, the polygon would eventually become indistinguishable from the circle. This solution was still incorrect, because making the polygon coincide with the circle required an infinite number of permutations. The Europeans of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci among them, tried in vain to solve the problem. They did not realize that it was impossible to square a circle using the straight edge and compass method. The Scottish mathematician James Gregory (1638 - 1675) proposed that the ratio of the area of any sector of a circle to that of inscribed or circumscribed regular polygons cannot be expressed with a finite number of terms, thus concluding that squaring the circle is impossible. Ferdinand von Lindemann (1852 - 1939) published in 1882 his proof that pi is not an algebraic, but a transcendental number (not a solution of any polynomial with rational coefficients). This essentially means that there is no way to determine if any physical object or quantity has an exact measure of pi (regardless of the unit system). Because squaring the circle involves the use of pi, Lindemann's proof ended the quest for the plane technique of squaring the circle. Trisecting an Angle Another classic mathematical problem is that of trisecting an angle, again with the restriction of using only an unmarked straight edge and a compass. Although there are certain angles that can be trisected with this method, the problem is to trisect an arbitrary angle. It has been proven that this is impossible. It can be solved, however, without the said restriction. There is no certainty of when this specific problem first arose. It is known that Hippocrates in the 5th century B.C. considered the problem. For centuries the problem of trisecting an angle (using Euclidean constructions) was pondered upon by mathematicians, but these early mathematicians focused on plane methods of trisecting an arbitrary angle, and thus failed. The first known mathematician who worked on the problem was the Greek Hippias (460 - 400 BC). He came up with the curve called the quadratix, which was originally used for squaring the circle, and was also used to solve the problem of angle trisection. Archimedes (287 - 212 BC) came up with a curve, the Archimedean spiral, and also used it to solve the problem. The Greek mathematician Nicomedes (280 - 210 BC) also worked on the problem. He came up with the curve known as the conchoid, and used it for angle trisection. These solutions, however, break the straight-edge-and-compass restriction. It was only in 1837 that it was proven that there is no solution for the original problem of trisecting any angle with only an unmarked straight edge and a compass. The French mathematician Pierre Wantzel proved the impossibility of solving the problem under the straight edge and compass restriction. Antiphon Antiphon was an orator, writer, teacher, and philosopher. He was a contemporary of Socrates. He died, like Socrates, because of political troubles. There

Topic Summary-Terence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Topic Summary-Terence - Essay Example ERP systems are designed to ensure an organisation can carry out several functions in a simple way that is convenience to the organisation. The choice of ERP as a work information system of study was motivated by the need to understand how organisations can work out their functions using simpler cost effective methods that can guarantee high returns. It is important to understand that the ERP system as used by organisations, enables them to integrate their internal, as well as external information systems into single and comprehensive solutions that fit in their activities and work schedules (Atherton 2012; Shaul & Tauber 2012). Through research in organisations online platforms and journals, I came to an understanding that the ERP strategy for business management includes all the organizations’ practical systems used in the management of their basic commercial duties that include; purchasing, finance, inventory management among many others in their daily life. This made me curious to understand the main objectives designed in the ERP tool, actually, its main objective as concerns this research, is to enhance information flow in all an organization’s internal functions while at the same time, creating and managing connections to with its external stakeholders. Knowledge is a single tool that is central to the success and failure of many large and small enterprises and business organizations. An organisation that has a database of key knowledge is always in a better position to understand market dynamics, customer behavior and other important characteristics of the business environment (Chu & Chiu 2013). The organisation then uses this knowledge to enhance its effectiveness and success in the market, on the other hand; an organisation that lacks this knowledge as well as gathering systems fails in its attempts to grow. For this reason, knowledge management is an activity that spurs

Toyota Recall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Toyota Recall - Essay Example In the late 1990’s Toyota’s operating profits were as high a 2 trillion yen in China. However, Toyota turned its back on the deficit owing to the financial crisis. The reason for the recall is mainly attributed to the management which was not able to keep up with the increase in sales that in turn affected the quality; while at the same time the scale of the company continued to grow. Before the recall happened a warning was issued to the executives that stated â€Å"If we keep this up, Toyota would be faced with a recall.† The company extended beyond its capacity which worried the executives. And as some factories were built overseas, a large number of the workforce were shifted to the foreign countries. Hence the company had to make several adjustments which led to the decline of quality control (Wook 2010). A possible way by which the company can re-gain the trust of motor vehicle consumers is by investing in commercials that project a good image of the company. It could also consider incorporating other aspects such as quality in the campaign. Cost-effectiveness of Toyota products will be a good step to start with in addition to insistence on durability. The recall is only a beginning and a positive step but however, it does not provide a complete solution to the problem as the technical problem of the pedal is not the main issue. The Toyota Company should be prepared to go the extra mile in order to reassure consumers that it has resumed its core value which is based on quality. It is likely that the problem lies in the lack of coordination between the branches which in turn compromises all its efforts in effective decision making. If it is able to correct these problems the company can hope that the public will forget the unfortunate incidences soon and help it grow. The recall has however had a positive influence on the Toyota brand

Asses the Merits of Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Asses the Merits of Utilitarianism Essay Utilitarianism is a theory aimed at defining one simple basis that can be applied when making any ethical decision. It is based on a humans natural instinct to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Jeremy Bentham is widely regarded as the father of utilitarianism. He was born in 1748 into a family of lawyers and was himself, training to join the profession. During this process however, he became disillusioned by the state British law was in and set out to reform the system into a perfect one based on the ? Greatest Happiness Principle, ? the idea that pleasurable consequences are what qualify an action as being morally good. Bentham observed that we are all governed by pain and pleasure; we all naturally aim to seek pleasure and avoid pain. He then decided that the best moral principle for governing our lives is one which uses this, the ? Greatest Happiness Principle. This is that the amount of overall happiness or unhappiness that is caused by an action should determine whether an action is right or wrong. He stated, ? the greatest happiness of all those whose interest is in question is the right and proper, and only right and proper end of human action Here Bentham is saying that the principle is the only valid of deciding and justifying our actions, that the principle should be applied regardless of any others, as it is the only true and reliable way of defining whether an action is right or wrong. An advantage of utilitarianism is that it can be applied to any situation. Unlike many moral approaches you are not restricted by rules such as ? it is always wrong to lie, or ? killing is never right. This allows the philosopher to consider any dilemma or problem in its own specific context. For example applying Kantian ethics, abortion or euthanasia would have to be defined as wrong, however a utilitarian has the scope to make there own decision considering a range of factors and situations. Bentham realised that because this theory is based on the outcome of our actions it may be difficult to assess fairly which action will produce the most happiness. He therefore developed the ? hedonistic calculus, a form of calculating the happiness resulting from an act by assessing 7 different factors of the pleasure produced such as intensity and duration. In doing this Bentham was attempting to create some sort of happiness ? currency which would allow us to compare happiness as if it were measured in numbers, this of course cannot be possible, the thought of being able to compare different pleasures almost scientifically is just not feasible, and of course many pleasures rely on the context they occur in for example, if I were starving, a sandwich might seem the greatest thing in the world, however, if I went out for an expensive gourmet meal and was served a simple sandwich I expect I would be quite disappointed! Another problem with Benthams philosophy is that he would not distinguish between pleasure and pain, seemingly defining them as the same thing. In my opinion pleasure is generally a momentary thing whilst happiness is a more lasting and consistent thing. One might gain pleasure from sitting watching TV all day long. However in doing he is missing work and so will end up with no job and no money to support himself (and pay his TV licence! ) and will presumably be left unhappy. So, as demonstrated by this example, pleasure is not necessarily happiness and Bentham, was mistaken to define them together The usefulness of his calculus, and the way Bentham defined pleasure came into question from one of his students, J.S. Mill who found his approach too general and simplistic. Mill rejected Benthams idea that all pleasures are the same and can be compared, he felt that there were different types or ? levels of pleasure, and that some are more desirable or valuable than others. He decided that some pleasures or more desirable and meaningful than others, that there are ? higher and ? lower pleasures, the lower being animal pleasures such as the satisfaction of a full stomach, having a drink when your thirsty, sex etc. These are the same kinds of pleasures that an animal would experience and therefore if one only strives for these pleasures they are not much different to an animal. The other pleasures Mill described were ? higher more desirable, pleasures such as reading a good book or enjoying the opera. This concept however poses a big problem. How can one reasonably calculate pleasure as a whole if there are different ? levels of pleasure, and how much more worth does a higher pleasure carry than a lower pleasure? These pleasures would also be rated differently by different people, some might much rather watch TV than a play so TV would therefore make them happier. If an act is right because it makes one feel happy, then for the person watching TV would therefore be the right thing to do. There are sometimes slightly different criterions used in Utilitarianism. There are two different forms, ? positive and ? negative utilitarianism, ? positive seeking to maximise good and ? negative to minimise suffering or harm. The latter however seems to defeat the concept of the ? greatest good as minimising harm is not necessarily making people happy, for example not inflicting harm on someone is not really going to contribute to their happiness, it may prevent them from being unhappy, but as specified earlier, the goal of utilitarianism is happiness. ?Negative utilitarianism seems to encourage laziness, to enforce the attitude that it is better to do nothing than take an action that could possibly cause pain. There are two general types of utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism is basically what Bentham discussed, an act being right if it creates the greatest happiness, it relies on this one simple formula being applied to every single act. This method is one that virtually comes naturally and is scientific in its approach, however it has been criticised as sometimes justifying something which one would intuitively regard as wrong. An example often used to demonstrate this; in a neighbourhood where there is a lot of racially motivated disruption and violence a member of one of the involved races is raped by a member of the ? rival race. The chief officer of the law knows exactly who committed the crime and it can easily be proven. However by sentencing this man the community will learn of the crime and there would almost certainly be a riot causing mass destruction and probably multiple deaths. However he could easily dismiss the case and the crime would go unnoticed. According to act utilitarianism it would be best to ignore the case and not press charges, as it would lead to the maximum happiness to the community ? no riots, death etc. This obviously seems to completely go against what most people see as right and fair and completely contradict ones natural moral response. In an effort to try and avoid these incidents rule utilitarianism was created. This is where rules are drawn up using utilitarian principles. Rule utilitarians assess a specific act such as ignoring crime and not providing justice to the victim, rather than investigating every single act in its own individual context. Rule utilitarianism seems to avoid the potential injustices that could be permitted with act utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism seems to exclude the aspects of utilitarianism that make it more appealing than other theories of morality, the freedom to assess every single act in its own individual context. Act Utilitarianism, like any other ? list of rules approach to morality can be wrong in certain situations and encourages people to blindly follow rules. Utilitarianism is a reality, not just a theory like many other philosophies; it is practiced every day, for instance the vote system. This ongoing practice of utilitarianism in society has show that it is flawed. Just because the masses vote for something, doesnt make it right. The masses can be fooled, as in Nazi Germany for example, thousands of people were behind Hitler even though his actions were undeniably evil. Utilitarianism is a logical system, but it requires some sort of basic, firm rules to prevent such gross injustices, violations of human rights, and just obviously wrong thing ever being allowed. This could be the ? harm principle which Mill devised. ?Acts of whatever kind, which, without justifiable cause, do harm to others, may be, and in the more important cases absolutely require to be, controlled by the unfavorable sentiments, and, when needful, by the active interference of mankind. The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people.

Visiting Madrid †The City That Never Sleeps!

Visiting Madrid – The City That Never Sleeps! Madrid – The City That Never Sleeps! Hola! (Hello in Spanish) Madrid, a city located in the middle of the Castilian plateau is the capital city of Spain. Madrid is called the London of Spain and is known for its 18th century architectural monuments and palaces and also for its home football team. At Madrid, you can stroll around its streets, visit its palaces during the day, watch a flamenco show, drink sangria and make it your perfect holiday. Madrid holidays can go on till sunrise with nightlife going on till almost 6am. Best Season to Visit Madrid Weather in Madrid can be unpredictable with extreme temperatures but Madrid has dry weather for the majority of the year. The best months to visit Madrid are the summer months from April to June and the autumn months from September to October. During winter, Madrid gets snow for only a few days. Highlights (Special things to do in Madrid) Visit the amazing Plaza Mayor Square, the main landmark of Madrid for the actual Madrid experience. Enjoy the city’s aerial view of the massive palaces and gardens on a cable car ride. Try the Chocolate Con Churros (Spanish donuts) which is a specialty in Madrid given with a cup of chocolate sauce. Indulge yourself with a carafe of Sangria and enjoy a romantic dinner with your loved one at Las Tablas at the Plaza Espana. Try the delicious traditional Spanish tapas, spicy beef tripe and chickpea stew with meat and vegetables. Watch a Flamenco show and learn a few dance steps. This is one of the top things to do in Madrid. Visit a nightclub to feel the music and experience the nightlife energy of Madrid. Do not miss the bull fight at Las Ventas Bullring if you visit Madrid during May. This is the season for bull fighting festival called San Isidro. Enjoy the Spanish culture watching films, dance, music and theatre performances at the Circulo de Bellas Artes. Enjoy the streets of Madrid filled with music and festivities during the La Paloma festival. Visit Madrid’s art museum Museo El Prado (Prado Museum) which is the home of the best European painters including the famous Velazquez. Walk into the football field and dressing room of Real Madrid’s stadium Santiago Bernabeu. Hotspots of Madrid Plaza Mayor Square (originally called Plaza del Arrabal): This is a huge traditional Spanish architectural square located at the center of Madrid. It has cafes and traditional Spanish restaurants and stores. It is the location for bullfights, celebrations, soccer games and markets. Royal Palace: This is the official residence of the Spanish Royal family. The entrance to the palace is through the vast beautiful Plaza de la Armeria. Buen Retiro Park (Park of the Pleasant Retreat and also known as Retiro Park): This is a must visit park with beautiful landscapes and lots of activities round the year. The park has puppet shows and other performances and free concerts. You can also enjoy a boat ride or a ride on the horse drawn carriage for a fairy tale holiday. Golden Triangle: This consists of the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia museums; the three art galleries are located within a short distance from each other and hence the name. Royal Theatre: Known as Teatro Real, this is Madrid’s Opera House. It has rich interiors that adds effect to the performances. Plaza de Cibeles: Cibeles Palace (Palace of Communication) has a stunning look and cannot be missed from anywhere in the city. The surroundings of the palace take you back to the 18th century. Templo de Debod: Originally built on the Nile Valley in Egypt, it was brought to Spain via ship and then train and then reconstructed in Madrid. There is a museum inside which displays paintings and pictures telling the story of the temple. Nightlife in Madrid: Break a leg to Spanish music after midnight at the various nightclubs like Ole Lola, Joy Madrid, Marula Cafà ©, Liquid or Soul Station. The clubs have traditional tasty Spanish tapas and other traditional Spanish snacks and music from evening till the next early morning. Shopping in Madrid Visit the Sunday flea market at El Rastro with street music and performances, a must visit place in Madrid. Be careful in this area as it is known for pickpockets. Fuencarral Market (Mercado de Fuencarral) that is open till midnight has lots of shopping and loads of cafes, exhibitions and cinemas. Retail shopping with international brands is found in Salamanca and Goya Street. Plaza Mayor has Calle Toledo and El Mercado de San Miguel (San Miguel Plaza) if you want to shop for traditional Spanish products like leather and jute goods. Calle Ortega y Gasset and Jorge Juan St are the places for high end shopping and designer products. If you want to shop designer products at almost half the price then visit Las Rozas Village Chic Outlet at Las Rozas. Plaza de Espana in Madrid’s city center and Salamanca have huge shopping malls with a wide range of retail outlets and eateries. How to reach Madrid By Air – Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport or the Barajas Airport is the home of Iberia Airlines and is one of the largest airports in Europe. The airport has direct flights to all major cities in the world. The local transportation modes are available throughout the day and night with buses, trains, metros, taxis and 24 hours shuttles making it easy for tourists to arrive into the city at any time. By Train – Chamartin and Atocha are the two train stations on Madrid that are well connected with the other areas in the city as well as cities outside Spain. By Road – You can rent a car from the several car rental companies including Hertz, Europcar, Avis, Budget and others which have their offices at the airport, bus and train stations. Ensure to check the route much prior to any turns as GPS signal may not be available if you drive through the underground tunnels. By Bus – There are 8 bus stations connecting cities within Spain and outside. The main bus station is the Estacion Sur de Autobuses where you can purchase tickets for all bus services even if they depart from a different bus station. Avenida de America bus terminal would be the place if you are travelling to/from Barcelona. How to get around in Madrid Madrid’s Metro network system is the second best in Europe after London. Metro is the most efficient way to move around the city. A single ticket will cost you between 1.5 and 2 Euros for 5 stations and the travel pass for unlimited travel within a day will cost you 8 Euros. The sign boards are in English and Spanish but the announcements are only in Spanish. By Tram – Madrid has the Metro Ligero de Madrid network which connects 38 stations with 3 lines which makes it convenient to travel to any area within the city. Cycles are recommended only to explore the narrow streets of Madrid or to cycle on the cycle paths available near the river side and parks. You can rent the regular cycle or an electric cycle from the cycle renting places which also offer guided tours. Buses in Madrid cover the areas which are not covered by the metro. They offer free Wi-Fi facilities on their buses. There are night buses that are available almost every 20 minutes. The local train called Cercanies has good connectivity between the city center and suburban areas and also some local villages. You will not have to take the train for most Madrid attractions. Taxis are easily available anywhere within the city. Watch out for the taxi drivers driving through a longer route and crowded areas to increase the fare. Driving a car within the city can be cumbersome with traffic jams, narrow streets and limited parking space. Renting a car is not a good idea to travel within Madrid; it would be a good idea if you are traveling outside the city. Top areas in Madrid Madrid Centre – Located at the center of Madrid, this is the area to stay in if you are a tourist as it has the maximum number of hotels and most landmarks and monuments are located close by. The Hop-On Hop- Off buses also pass through this area making it a convenient location for a Madrid tour. Barrio de las Letras (District of Letters) – You can see the Spanish culture in this area with squares, museums (few minutes to Prado Museum) and sidewalk cafes. The streets of Barrio de las Letras have inscriptions from famous Spanish writers. Salamanca – This is considered as the area for the elite with high end houses and highly valued real estate. You can shop for high end designer products at Goya Street in Salamanca. The area has a lot of fine dining restaurants and classy pubs. Malasana – This area is popular for its shopping and eateries and is an upcoming area. Malasana is similar to the Camden area in London where you can walk around on a Sunday afternoon visiting unique shops and sidewalk cafes with the local traditional Spanish snacks and coffee. Chueca – Located very close to the city center, it is known for its Europride procession (march for the gay community) and lively and colorful neighborhood with unique stores, outdoor cafes and pubs. The most known Fuencarral market is at Cheuca. Moncloa-Aravaca – Also known as Moncloa, it is located close to the city center and is popular for its residential properties. Bajaras – The area with Madrid’s airport has a lot of budget hotels for tourists just outside the city. Fortress Castillo San Felipe de Bajaras (World Heritage Site), located on Hill San Lazaro is located in the vicinity. Lavapies – This is one of the areas in Madrid where you will find restaurants and stores which are not traditional Spanish due to the large immigrant population living in this area. San Blas – This is the old town of Madrid with narrow streets and old buildings. Tetuan – This is not an area to stay at unless you want a long holiday with budget accommodation. Gracias! (Thank You in Spanish)

Sweat Shops :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of my life I have considered myself as a person who loves children. I enjoy playing with them, helping them, and just being around them. So when I first agreed with corporations who use child labor I shocked myself completely. After examining two articles; one â€Å"The Case for Sweatshops†, by David R. Henderson, and two â€Å"Sweatshops or a Shot at a Better Life†, by Cathy Young, I came to the conclusion that in some cases when young children work under proper conditions it can keep them out of the streets and be helpful to them and their families.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The lives of people in some third world countries such as Honduras and Indonesia are completely different than ours hear in a much more prosperous nation. So when citizens of this great nation hear about people working for thirty to fifty cents an hour they think it’s absolutely absurd. But what they don’t realize is that this amount of profit is acceptable to these people. David R. Henderson backs this up by stating, â€Å"Take the 31 cents an hour some 13-year-old Honduran girls allegedly earn at 70-hour-a-week jobs. Assuming a 50-week year, that works out to over $1,000 a year. This sounds absurdly low to Americans but when you consider that Honduras’s GDP per person in 1994 was the equivalent of about $600.† You can also see proof of this in Cathy Young’s article when she writes, â€Å"I have also wondered why, when we are shocked by reports of 50-cent-an-hour wages, we never think of those Save the Children ads reminding us that a contribution of $15 can feed and clothe a Third World child for a whole month.† Also, Young brings up another good point by stressing the fact that to many Third World country families having children is one more financial burden, â€Å"†¦in poor societies, a family cannot afford to support a child for 18 years. For virtually all of human history, most children worked†¦Ã¢â‚¬    Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many children in these Third World countries have no other option but to go to work and help support their families. Otherwise they are left to survive for themselves on the streets ruled by crime and danger. Cathy Young strengthens this point by saying, â€Å"Some children, left with no other means of earning a living, may even be forced into prostitution.† Yes, to most people, working in a sweat shop does not seem like a good option but for some it is the only one so why get rid of it.

Lets Put an End to Parking Problems! Essay -- Argumentative Persuasiv

Let's Put an End to Parking Problems!    I would like to see the parking and traffic crunch on and around this campus eased. Unless a student arrives before 8 o'clock in the morning or in the afternoon, cruising the parking lots or streets for a place to park is routine. Even buying a parking sticker does not mean you will have the privilege of a space. Competition for spaces during the rush hours of 9 A.M. to 11 A.M. is cutthroat. Would-be parkers stake out sections of a parking row and sit in their cars hoping someone in their section will leave. The other ploy is to try and catch someone who is just walking back to their car in order to plead for that space. lf these tricks fail, the only thing left is to park far away on the street and walk.      There would seem to me to be several ways to help the situation. The most obvious of these solutions is to increase the amount of parking available. Another solution is to make car pooling more attractive. Set aside space in a convenient lot for these cars with three or more occupants. Perhaps another incentive...

Emotional Hinderance :: essays research papers

Emotional Hinderance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"You must put your emotions into your work† is a phrase often heard in life. It proposes that emotions, which are often ignored, are a key to success. This holds true in many regards, however there are times when emotion should be restricted in swaying one’s thoughts. The pursuit of knowledge is to be completely objective. Thus, although emotional intelligence is necessary, it is more of a hindrance than a help, and should be controlled.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since knowledge is justified true belief, it follows that the justification must be logical and true in itself. It must also be accurate, but broad. Emotional intelligence goes against this by treating subjective feelings as fact. Because the chain of logic is only as strong as its weakest link, knowledge built strongly with emotional intelligence can often turn out to be incorrect. Take, for example, an individual studying the disposition of dogs. If this individual had a traumatic childhood experience involving a dog (an attack, for example), this snippet of emotion will always taint the individual’s research, even if the circumstances are unrelated (the childhood dog may have been rabid).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emotional intelligence is very important, however, in living life. That is why we evolved it. Revisiting the aforementioned dog and disregarding rabies, it is possible that there is something about this individual that entices hostility in canines. Although this says nothing about dogs, the childhood experience conditions the individual to avoid dogs in the future. This gives the person a greater chance of living longer, and procreating, the innate goal of man. Emotional intelligence is very important, however it is primarily for survival in everyday life. The pursuit of knowledge, however, is not an everyday event required for survival. It is part of a deep thinking about life, reserved for philosophers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is no question that emotional intelligence is required in the pursuit of knowledge. Without any emotional attachment, there would be no pursuit of knowledge, in the first place. Some may argue that emotional intelligence helps to guide us in the pursuit of knowledge. This notion is not logical in that it is subjective, itself. How are we to know whether or not we are being guided correctly? As illustrated earlier, just because something â€Å"feels† correct does not mean that it is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Things that can be discovered through emotional intelligence can also be found objectively. Using emotional intelligence, one can infer that sugar is good for the human body because it gives the consumer pleasure.

International Water Conflict Essay

Water is one of the most precious commodities for human beings. To some, it is the very lifeblood of the world. From time immemorial, the availability of water has determined the rhythms of daily life in many regions. The critical importance of water to the survival of the human race can be seen in the earliest civilizations whose growth and sustenance were closely tied to its water distribution systems. Many authors have located the importance of water in different religious observances. In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, the rivers of the earth, including the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, originate from the mythical Mount Meru, the living place for the gods. In the Christian tradition, the waters originate from the Garden of Eden, and that divides the world into greatest streams: the Nile, the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Indus and the Ganges. Islam also gives water its due importance. The holy book Koran describes that every living thing is made from water. As Caponera points out, it seems that in the Koran, the most precious creation after humankind is water. There is a water crisis today. Water is not only a ‘commodity’, it is synonymous with life. All life on earth is dependent on water. If water is life, its possession bestows power. Water has crucial economic value, and it is a subsistence resource. Also, water has an emotional and symbolic value for certain countries and communities. The scarcity of water is increasing worldwide and its quality is continuously deteriorating. Water shortages reduce food production, aggrandize poverty, amplify disease and force people to migrate. The scarcity of water also undermines the state’s capacity to govern. Nearly half of the world’s population lives in international river basins. Sharing of the international rivers can therefore be a serious object of contention between riparian nations. For the last few years, ‘water war’ has been a topic of widespread debate. However, wars over river water are likely only under a narrow set of circumstances, as there are also more examples of water cooperation than water conflict among countries. Nevertheless, the increasing scarcity of water raises doubt about the sustainability of these cooperative agreements over the international rivers. Water scarcity is particularly severe in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, owing to population growth, urbanization and industrialization. Whether the water crisis intensifies the dispute over the shared waters or whether it can be turned towards sustainable cooperative management of river resources, depends on many interacting processes. In this book (International conflict over water resources), after analyzing the existing sharing mechanisms of the major international river systems in these regions, argues that the real solution lies in a comprehensive approach to river basin management. The scarcity of water is increasing worldwide and the quality of the water is continually deteriorating. The growing global water stress poses a threat to the survival and prosperity of present and future generations. The gap between the needs of the growing population and the diminishing fresh water resources is widening every day. In the arid and tropical regions, where countries possess a very limited supply of water, it is not difficult to perceive the consequences. Water, a key necessity of life, can also cause friction between communities and countries, particularly in climatic zones where it is hard to come by. The over-exploitation of water resources might result in an acute shortage. From this perspective, it will be impossible for all the social actors to remain comfortable with the present or future prospects of the availability of the resource. These actors will work purposefully and consciously for their own interests. Increasing competition can potentially destroy the existing social arrangements for water distribution in the society. Newly organized actors with conflict behaviors might emerge in the future or the incompatibilities between existing actors might grow in societies with a weak administrative structure and laden with ethnic and social dichotomies. Scarce water resources can potentially trigger conflicts between the state and its internal groups. The development of water resources by the state by building dams, irrigation infrastructures, or industries in a particular region might be perceived by the local population as exploitation for the interest of others. Regional parties may be activated or environmental groups may be formed to challenge the actions of the state. If a particular group is involved in exploiting more than its ‘perceived’ share of water with the backing of the state, then this inter-group conflict may escalate into conflict between the exploited group and the state itself. As discussed earlier, the construction of large dams for the ‘efficient’ use of water resources has created tension between the state and a group of its own citizens in the past few years. The growing demand for irrigation and energy activates the state agencies to plan and build mega hydro-projects, which displace large population and inundate vast areas. In many places, the project affected population takes up of the struggle against the state. The list of mega dams that have witnessed this sort of protest is very long. The major ones include: Sanmenxia and Three Gorges in China; Madur Oya and Mahavali Project in Sri Lanka; Mangla, Nanela and Tarbela in Pakistan; Kaptai in Bangladesh; Arun in Nepal; Akasombo in Ghana; Kossou in Ivory Coast; Tana and Athi in Kenya; Itaparica and Tucurui in Brazil; Kainji and Niger Dams in Nigeria; Ataturk and Keban in Turkey; Lam Pao and Nam Pong in Thailand; Kedong Ombo and Batang Ai in Indonesia; Upper Pampanga in Philippines; Manantali in Mali; Savajina in Colombia; Brokopondo in Suriname; Caracol and Netzahualcoyotl in Mexico; and Nam Ngum in Laos. India, currently in the forefront of dam construction, deserves a separate list of its own. The Indian hydro-projects that have recently led to protest movements by the displaced people are: Pong Dam, Subarnarekha Project, Nagarjunsagar Project, Srisailam Project, Lower Manair Dam, Upper Krishna Projects, Tehri Dam, Narmada Projects and Ukai Reservoir Project. Sometimes disagreement over the development and sharing of water resources may begin with competing groups inside a state, but the state’s perceived favour of a particular group brings the state as a party to the conflict. Similarly, if the water source exploitation is perceived as the state’s intentional act on a particular region or people, a group identity may form, leading to conflict with the state. The construction of dams for hydropower generations in the northern part of Sweden to provide energy to the industries and factories in the South has become an area of disagreement between the Sami people of the North and the Swedish state. The Samis, who live in the forests in the Arctic Circle, accuse the state of favoring city dwellers at the cost of their livelihood and welfare. Even though this dispute has not transformed into a violent separatist movement, the reactions to similar issues in South Asia have been quite different. Disagreement over the sharing of river water from the Indus river system has been one of the major causes of violent secessionist movement in the Punjab province of India in the 1980s and 1990s. This Sikh-dominated province has been traditionally provided with a water supply from the Beas, Sutlej and Ravi Rivers. The demands of the downstream provinces of Rajasthan and Haryana persuaded the Indian government to construct canals and divert 60 per cent of Punjab’s water and energy to those Hindu-majority regions. This became one of the major motivations for the Sikh Party (Akali Dal) to ask for autonomy in the 1970s, which subsequently transformed into an extreme violent secessionist movement in the 1980s and 1990s. On the other side of the border, the dispute over the sharing of the same Indus river system water has also played a critical role in a major separatist movement in Pakistan. The Pakistani part of Punjab, which is economically and politically the most powerful province in the country, takes advantage of its upstream location and consumes most of the waters of the Indus river system through the help of barrages and dams, ignoring the demand of the downstream Sind province. The perceived close tie of the federal government with the Punjab province has escalated this conflict between the Sind province and the Pakistani government. The link between fresh water resources and international conflicts can be investigated at least in two different dimensions. First, in an interstate conflict, the deliberate targeting of water storage facilities may be directly responsible for inducing water scarcity or reducing the water quality of the opponent. Thus, water scarcity becomes part of a military strategy and military behavior. The British Royal Air Force damaged a few German dams in the bombing runs of 1943. Dams and dykes were destroyed during the Korean and Vietnam wars by the US bombing. Iran claimed to have hit a hydroelectric station in Iraq in July 1981, as part of the Iran-Iraq War. Dams, water storage and conveyance systems were targeted by the warring sides during the 1991 Gulf War. Allied forces even had thought of a plan to shut off the flow of water to Iraq by using the Ataturk Dam in Turkey. Armies in Yemen (in the 1994 war) and former Yugoslavia (1991-95) used the water storage facilities as targets to create problems for their adversaries. In January 1993, the Serbian militia seriously damaged the Peruca Dam in Croatia. There are cases where in fact a human population is held hostage to political and military leaders. Manipulation with such basic human supplies in times of war should be an urgent issue for international humanitarian law, and it certainly would be unacceptable under conditions of peace. However, the aim here is to concentrate on a second dimension of the relationship: the likelihood of changes in fresh water resource supply to cause or contribute to the emergence and/or escalation of conflicts among states. As discussed before, there has been a general decline in the quantity and quality of global fresh water resource. This leads us to consider scarcity of resources as a cause of conflict, in conflict theory language: an incompatibility between already existing parties. A common starting point in the analysis of many inter-state conflicts has been sought in the desire of the leaders of states to acquire territory. In the post-Second World War period, it has become unfashionable and immoral to conquer territories of others. Nevertheless this has happened repeatedly, for instance, in the Middle East, in South and Southeast Asia and lately in Europe. Huth characterizes territorial dispute as ‘one of the enduring features of international politics’. But, why do states fight for each other’s territory? As Toset, Gleditsch and Hegre explain, ‘territory can be a symbol of self-determination and national identity, but it can also be a proxy for tangible resources found on the territory’. Thus, access to water supply can be a motive of waging war. Under special circumstances it is a possibility that scarcity of fresh water resources may give rise to serious armed conflict. â€Å"Water is not transported across large distances, as is the case with oil or minerals, for instance. In the post-Second World War period, political actions are taking place more in order to satisfy the demands of the majorities of a country. † (Barrett, S. 1994, p. 24) This means that stronger nations might be more in need of natural resources on the territory of other states, to meet the growing needs and desires of the home population. In this way, ‘development’ might be seen to require the acquisition or exploitation of a larger share of jointly owned fresh water resource. The water on the surface of the earth is naturally organized within river basins. The river basins are the fundamental units of the fresh water world and the central feature of the ecology of the planet. Moreover, the river runoff is the most important source of available fresh water for human consumption. However, the rivers do not follow the political boundaries; nearly 260 rivers flow from one country to another. More than 40 per cent of the world’s population is directly dependent upon the fresh water from these international rivers and about two-thirds of these people live in developing countries. The use or misuse of water in the upstream countries affects its quantity and quality in the downstream countries. Downstream nations can affect the flow of water by building large-scale dams, with effects spilling over the borders. The International Water Management Institute in Colombo projects that in 2025, 3 billion people will be living in countries facing water stress. Water tables are increasingly falling in every continent. Many developing countries already face serious problems in meeting rapidly growing water demands. In order to meet such demands, further pressure is being placed on these ‘blue’ water resources, this over-exploitation resulting in acute shortages. Faced with such scarcity, water has increasingly become a source of social tension, bringing further competition and creating conflict which, together, have the potential to destroy the existing arrangements for water distribution. Even though such tensions are omnipresent, they tend to be more complex and difficult where international rivers, lakes and aquifers are concerned. The Centre for Natural Resources, Energy and Transport (CNRET), now a defunct UN unit, brought out a Register of International Rivers in 1978. In that it listed 214 internationally shared rivers and lakes: 57 in Africa, 40 in Asia, 48 in Europe, 33 in North America and 36 in South America. The CNRET study has become dated because of significant changes in international geopolitical borders and names of countries and rivers in the last 25 years. The names of some countries and rivers have also changed in this period. The disintegration of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Ethiopia and Czechoslovakia has helped to increase the number of internationally shared rivers and lakes, and also the number of basin countries. For example, the Volga River is now international, and the Aral Sea is shared by at least four independent states. The re-unification of Germany and Yemen has made the Weser basin and the Teban basin national, contributing to a decrease in the number of international fresh water resources.

Disabilities Websites: A review

Children and individuals with disabilities have unique challenges. Parental dispositions toward their special child are crucial to the child’s progress in their individual growth and development. Fortunately, great strides in researches and/or studies in a specific disability had been made and implemented in private and public sectors. The global internet community keeps abreast with the latest breakthroughs also. The following review of choiced websites has their own strengths and weaknesses as they try to be of help not only to the physically or mentally challenged themselves, but especially to their caregivers – the parents.Discussion A. Provide a brief summary of each website. 1. Blind website Features: Blind Resource center a. Information about blindness b. Newsletter for account members c. Education and development d. Independent movement and travel- workshops or seminars designed for greater independence and mobility. e. Sports, games, and travel Description/Disc ussion: This is considered a good resource center for families with a blind child or children. It provides current advances or innovations meant to enhance the capabilities and minimize difficulties of the blind.For the curious and the people who are just embarking onto becoming a volunteer or potential caregiver for the blind, the cyber site provides an introductory portion to describe what it likes to be blind, broad and specific definitions of blindness; some limitations that typify their experiences with life. Moreover, they provide rich resources for the blind individual including educational opportunities, workshops and/or seminars for improvement of their welfare; their adjustments with society at large. Comments/Recommendations:Children with this kind of disability will greatly be enriched with the resources of this website. Personally, in my own opinion, it has reached the minimum requirements for a website that somehow contributes to a certain extent, something to the targ et population. However, I should say that with regards aesthetic values, the website can do much improvement in enhancing its attractiveness with regards style. Although blind individuals are their primary clients, there many curious visitors who may visit them who will benefit from their resources and attractiveness in terms of web appearance are of great value.Secondly, I have not noticed a â€Å"BrowseAloud† component similar with that found in the NDCCD website, which is vital specifically for the blind person. Thirdly, for teachers who handle this kind of job, I think, the website should provide for such a category; not just for parents and the children with the disability. Teachers can still benefit from accessing the website though (http://www. blindchildren. org/). 2. Deaf website Description: American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) Features: Resources a. Membership Privileges b. Convention c. Magazine d. Other resources: â€Å"1. ) Communication Access.We believe deaf or hard-of-hearing children are entitled to full communication access in their home, school, and community. We also believe that language development, respect for the Deaf, and access to deaf and hard-of-hearing role models are important to assure optimal intellectual, social, and emotional development. 2. ) Child. We believe there should be access to identification and intervention by qualified providers, family involvement, and educational opportunities equal to those provided for hearing children.The goal should be to provide children what they need in order to become self-supporting and fulfilled adults. . ) Parent. We affirm that parents have the right and responsibility to be primary decision-makers and advocates. For this role, parents need education, access to information, and support. † Description/Discussion: This is a good website with various features both for the parents and the deaf child with different features as promoted by the website such as standard me mbership privileges, and convention/workshops. Comments/Recommendations: In terms of its features, the website still lacks a lot of amenities, like more activities for the deaf child.Although, â€Å"physical appeal† is already evident in the way people behind the web had put their efforts into, there are still rooms for improvement. It looks simple and a lot more resources for parents should be added. Recommended for teachers with students who have hearing disabilities, although with some limitations because the primary recipients are only for the parents and their children with the disability (http://www. deafchildren. org/)National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Features: a. Multilingual b. Provision of a â€Å"BrowseAloud† text reader. . Government policies update on disabilities d. Other Government funded resources and researches Description: Excellent resource for the parents and children with a variety of disabilities, especially with its â €Å"BrowseAloud† text reader, accessibility for those with disabilities is enhanced. Provision for funding and update of government projects toward the disabled is also posted periodically in the website. This is important for people/parents or families concerned, and also for advocates. Teachers can benefit a lot from the website. Comment/Recommendation:Understandably, this is one website that many concerned parties are significantly benefited, hence, highly recommended to the curious and those who need resources for research, etc. There is still room for upgrading and development though when it comes to attractive appeal and other resources. The website should provide more pictures and activities update. B. Compare and contrast the 3 selected websites. Given the description and comments, obviously, the third website is the most advanced or developed from among the three where the criteria on appeal, resources for concerned parties are concerned (http://www. ichcy. org/(Nati onal Dissemination Center for Students with Disabilities).Discuss what you found to be relevant and useful to you as a teacher and what you did not. As a teacher, the first two websites are more basic, while the third can be classified as more advanced than the first two; hence I derive much help and assistance in terms of my professional objectives in career and educational requirements from the NDCCD website. I highly recommend the NDCCD website to my colleagues. They will profit from the three websites, but especially in the NDCCD cyber net compared to the other two.

Margaret Atwood †Relationship between three of her poems Essay

Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet, novelist, and critic, noted for her feminism and mythological themes. She was born in 1939 in Ottawa, about the same time World War 2 started. Her life was lived in a time of male dominance, which she did not like. She expressed her views of this by writing, and her writings showed many of the feminine views that she believes in. According to a reviewer, Atwood’s writings are obtained from the â€Å"traditional realist novel,† where often the female protagonist is representative of an ‘everywoman’ character, and is victimized by gender and politics. In her stories Atwood combine fantasy and social realism, myth and parody and poetry, and also uses postmodernist devices to unsettle the certainties of traditional realism. The reason why she uses a lot of mythological themes is because her father was a forest etymologist. Many of the experiences that she had when she was a child, influenced her to write about the things of nature. Her writings were praised by many, this can be seen through all the awards and recognitions that she has received throughout her long and productive life. Her most outstanding award would be the Canadian Governor General’s Award for poetry in 1966. Her work has been an inspiration to many and she will be recognized for many years to come. The three poems that I am going to discuss are: The Landlady, Rat Song and Song of the Worms. All three of these poems use strong imagery to show Margaret Atwood’s view of the way that women are treated. She uses several tones in her poems, the tone that she generally uses for these three poems are frustration and anger. Another thing that she likes to use is a run on style of poetry, which allows for the readers emotions to carry on to the next line all the way to the end of the story. Almost all of her poems are free verse, I could not find any rhythmic or rhyming devices used in any of them. She likes to use symbolisms to get her point out, and when she uses them they are direct. One thing that I find interesting in her writings is that she likes to use something like personification, but it is the opposite. She is giving people qualities of animals. Her writing style is unique and interesting, and this style will be seen in the three poems. In the poem The Landlady, Atwood shows that women are stronger than men. In the beginning of the story, someone is describing the landlady and we do not  know who this someone is, but I think that this someone represents men. This person describes the landlady as intrusive and she is everywhere. This symbolizes that women are getting stronger and will be controlling the men. The next section says that the landlady controls the man’s life. Everything belongs to the landlady and nothing to the man. The next section is where the man tries to escape from the landlady, but she is always surrounding him. Even in the man’s dreams the landlady will be there and there will be no way around it. The last section describes how the landlady is overpowering and will not let the man go through her. This poem is free verse, which means that there are no literary devices. The only style of writing that I can see in her poem is a type of run on poem, which allows the reader’s emotions and thoughts to carry through to the end of the story. The tone of the story is fear and entrapment by the male because of the woman’s power and authority over them. I think that this is a poem about how strong the female can be over the men. The woman will be able to control the men, and men will be at the mercy of the women. This is a strong feminist view that Atwood supports and shows through her writing. This is a strong poem and was criticized by an American journalist for being too one sided. I think that Atwood got her point through in this poem. In the poem Rat Song, Atwood is trying to show how the rat symbolizes the woman. In the first section, it says that when the man hears the voice of the rat singing, the man takes out his gun and tries to kill the rat. This symbolizes the woman when she is trying to be heard, and the man is trying to shut the woman up. The next stanza shows that when the man tries to trap the rat, the rat outsmarts it. This makes the man think that the rat is dangerous because it is very smart. That stanza symbolizes how women are smart and men should watch out for them. The following stanza talks about what the rat really wants. It says in the poem, â€Å"All I want is love,† the rat does not want to bother the man or live off of the man, all it wants is some love. This is just like women today, they do not want to annoy men, and all they want are love and respect. The reason why the rat lives off the man is not because it wants to, but because it is the only thing that it can do. Atwood is tr ying to say that women are weaker because men are suppressing the women. In the last section, there is a line that says, â€Å"he is hiding /  between your syllables.† This line talks about how the rat can hear compassion, but it is trying not to be shown by the man. This is a really interesting poem that shows how Margaret Atwood feels about men. She uses many symbolisms to imply what the men are thinking about he women. His style of writing is basically free verse; there is no recognizable beat or rhyming scheme. The only type of literary device that I can see is that she uses a style of run on poetry. This style can be seen throughout the entire poem to allow the reader’s emotions to carry all the way to the end of the story. The tone that she uses in the poem is anger. Atwood is mad about how women are treated by men. She finds that men know that women are smart and therefore are trying to suppress females. Her imagery is convincing and really makes us want to think about the truths in her writing. This poem was written in the early seventies, which is about the time when the feminists’ ideals were strongly implanted into the women of North America. This feminist view can be seen throughout the poem and what Atwood feels is expressed in the entire poem. Overall, this was a great poem with a message to the men on how they are treating the women. In the poem Song of the worms, Atwood tells us how women have been stepped on and taken advantage of. In the first section, it talks about how the worms have done their work and have been underground for so long. This section shows us that men have suppressed women for a long time. The women have done enough work for the men and it is time for a change. The second section talks about how all the women want is to be loved. This section is similar to a part in the first poem where it says that all women want is to be loved. The twist here is that they are rejected by the â€Å"boots† of men. This symbolizes the men stepping on the women and treating them like dirt. The women have been stepped on long enough and they know what being stepped on is about. The next stanza says, â€Å"Soon we will invade like weeds, everywhere but slowly.† This is a very strong stanza that is trying to tell the men that soon the women will stand up for themselves and rebel. They will be stepped on no longer and have no fear of what men will try to do to them. The last stanza says that until the time comes, the worms will be in the dirt waiting for the right time to come out and attack. This poem is again free verse and uses a run on style of writing. Atwood makes the worm  symbolize the women who are hardworking and oppressed. She believes that one day, women will rise up and say, â€Å"Enough is enough,† and rise up to rebel against the men. All three of these poems deal with feminism and show what Atwood thinks is going on and what will happen. The writing styles of these three poems are similar. All of them use free verse and a run on poem style, which can be seen in almost all of her work. This allows an easier way to get her point through. Her poems are strong and provocative showing what many people do not want to hear or accept. In the last two poems, they both use certain types of animals to symbolize the woman and how the men are treating them. They both say that men are stepping on women and that the women will one day rise and take down these men. Atwood uses animals because of the way that she was raised up, which was in a home with the father as an etymologist. Her father’s occupation made her enjoy the wilderness and nature, which has influenced her writing today. The first poem is similar to the other poems because it shows that the women have finally stood up for themselves and is now in control. Her feminist views are influenced by the time period that these poems were written in. During the late sixties and early seventies, there was a strong feminist uprising making the women realize that they were like being treated like slaves.

Infrared Film and Thermography Essay

Thermogram of a traditional building in the background and a â€Å"passive house† in the foreground Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal imaging, and thermal video are examples of infrared imaging science. Thermal imaging cameras detect radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (roughly 9,000–14,000 nanometers or 9–14  µm) and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms. Since infrared radiation is emitted by all objects above absolute zero according to the black body radiation law, thermography makes it possible to see one’s environment with or without visible illumination. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature; therefore, thermography allows one to see variations in temperature. When viewed through a thermal imaging camera, warm objects stand out well against cooler backgrounds; humans and other warm-blooded animals become easily visible against the environment, day or night. As a result, thermography is particularly useful to military and other users of surveillance cameras. Thermography has a long history, although its use has increased dramatically with the commercial and industrial applications of the past fifty years. Government and airport personnel used thermography to detect suspected swine flu cases during the 2009 pandemic.[1] Firefighters use thermography to see through smoke, to find persons, and to localize the base of a fire. Maintenance technicians use thermography to locate overheating joints and sections of power lines, which are a sign of impending failure. Building construction technicians can see thermal signatures that indicate heat leaks in faulty thermal insulation and can use the results to improve the efficiency of heating and air-conditioning units. Some physiological changes in human beings and other warm-blooded animals can also be monitored with thermal imaging during clinical diagnostics. Thermogram of cat. The appearance and operation of a modern thermographic camera is often similar to a camcorder. Often the live thermogram reveals temperature variations so clearly that a photograph is not necessary for analysis. A recording module is therefore not always built-in. Non-specialized CCD and CMOS sensors have most of their spectral sensitivity in the visible light wavelength range. However by utilizing the â€Å"trailing† area of their spectral sensitivity, namely the part of the infrared spectrum called near-infrared (NIR), and by using off-the-shelf CCTV camera it is possible under certain circumstances to obtain true thermal images of objects with temperatures at about 280 °C and higher.[2] Specialized thermal imaging cameras use focal plane arrays (FPAs) that respond to longer wavelengths (mid- and long-wavelength infrared). The most common types are InSb, InGaAs, HgCdTe and QWIP FPA. The newest technologies use low-cost, uncooled microbolometers as FPA sensors. Their resolution is considerably lower than that of optical cameras, mostly 160Ãâ€"120 or 320Ãâ€"240 pixels, up to 640Ãâ€"512 for the most expensive models. Thermal imaging cameras are much more expensive than their visible-spectrum counterparts, and higher-end models are often export-restricted due to the military uses for this technology. Older bolometers or more sensitive models such as InSb require cryogenic cooling, usually by a miniature Stirling cycle refrigerator or liquid nitrogen. | Thermal Energy This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008) | Thermal images, or thermograms, are actually visual displays of the amount of infrared energy emitted, transmitted, and reflected by an object. Because there are multiple sources of the infrared energy, it is difficult to get an accurate temperature of an object using this method. A thermal imaging camera is capable of performing algorithms to interpret that data and build an image. Although the image shows the viewer an approximation of the temperature at which the object is operating, the camera is actually using multiple sources of data based on the areas surrounding the object to determine that value rather than detecting the actual temperature. This phenomenon may become clearer upon consideration of the formula Incident Energy = Emitted Energy + Transmitted Energy + Reflected Energy where Incident Energy is the energy profile when viewed through a thermal imaging camera. Emitted Energy is generally what is intended to be measured. Transmitted Energy is the energy that passes through the subject from a remote thermal source. Reflected Energy is the amount of energy that reflects off the surface of the object from a remote thermal source. If the object is radiating at a higher temperature than its surroundings, then power transfer will be taking place and power will be radiating from warm to cold following the principle stated in the Second Law of Thermodynamics. So if there is a cool area in the thermogram, that object will be absorbing the radiation emitted by the warm object. The ability of both objects to emit or absorb this radiation is called emissivity. Under outdoor environments, convective cooling from wind may also need to be considered when trying to get an accurate temperature reading. This thermogram shows a fault with an industrial electrical fuse block. The thermal imaging camera would next employ a series of mathematical algorithms. Since the camera is only able to see the electromagnetic radiation that is impossible to detect with the human eye, it will build a picture in the viewer and record a visible picture, usually in a JPG format. In order to perform the role of noncontact temperature recorder, the camera will change the temperature of the object being viewed with its emissivity setting. Other algorithms can be used to affect the measurement, including the transmission ability of the transmitting medium (usually air) and the temperature of that transmitting medium. All these settings will affect the ultimate output for the temperature of the object being viewed. This functionality makes the thermal imaging camera an excellent tool for the maintenance of electrical and mechanical systems in industry and commerce. By using the proper camera settings and by being careful when capturing the image, electrical systems can be scanned and problems can be found. Faults with steam traps in steam heating systems are easy to locate. In the energy savings area, the thermal imaging camera can do more. Because it can see the radiating temperature of an object as well as what that object is radiating at, the product of the radiation can be calculated using the Stefan–Boltzmann constant. Emissivity Emissivity is a term representing a material’s ability to emit thermal radiation. Each material has a different emissivity, and it can be difficult to determine the appropriate emissivity for a subject. A material’s emissivity can range from a theoretical 0.00 (completely not-emitting) to an equally-theoretical 1.00 (completely emitting); the emissivity often varies with temperature. An example of a substance with low emissivity would be silver, with an emissivity coefficient of .02. An example of a substance with high emissivity would be asphalt, with an emissivity coefficient of .98. A black body is a theoretical object which will radiate infrared radiation at its contact temperature. If a thermocouple on a black body radiator reads 50  °C, the radiation the black body will give up will also be 50  °C. Therefore a true black body will have an emissivity of Thermogram of a snake held by a human. Since there is no such thing as a perfect black body, the infrared radiation of normal objects will appear to be less than the contact temperature. The rate (percentage) of emission of infrared radiation will thus be a fraction of the true contact temperature. This fraction is called emissivity. Some objects have different emissivities in long wave as compared to mid wave emissions. Emissivities may also change as a function of temperature in some materials.[3] To make a temperature measurement of an object, the thermographer will refer to the emissivity table to choose the emissivity value of the object, which is then entered into the camera. The camera’s algorithm will correct the temperature by using the emissivity to calculate a temperature that more closely matches the actual contact temperature of the object. If possible, the thermographer would try to test the emissivity of the object in question. This would be more accurate than attempting to determine the emissivity of the object via a table. The usual method of testing the emissivity is to place a material of known high emissivity in contact with the surface of the object. The material of known emissivity can be as complex as industrial emissivity spray which is produced specifically for this purpose, or it can be as simple as standard black insulation tape, emissivity 0.97. A temperature reading can then be taken of the object with the emissivity level on the imager set to the value of the test material. This will give an accurate value of the temperature of the object. The temperature can then be read on a part of the object not covered with the test material. If the temperature reading is different, the emissivity level on the imager can be adjusted until the object reads the same temperature. This will give the thermographer a much more accurate emissivity reading. There are times, however, when an emissivity test is not possible due to dangerous or inaccessible conditions. In these situations the thermographer must rely on tables. Difference between infrared film and thermography IR film is sensitive to infrared (IR) radiation in the 250 °C to 500 °C range, while the range of thermography is approximately -50 °C to over 2,000 °C. So, for an IR film to work thermographically, it must be over 250 °C or be reflecting infrared radiation from something that is at least that hot. (Usually, infrared photographic film is used in conjunction with an IR illuminator, which is a filtered incandescent source or IR diode illuminator, or else with an IR flash (usually a xenon flash that is IR filtered). These correspond with â€Å"active† near-IR modes as discussed in the next section. Night vision infrared devices image in the near-infrared, just beyond the visual spectrum, and can see emitted or reflected near-infrared in complete visual darkness. However, again, these are not usually used for thermography due to the high temperature requirements, but are instead used with active near-IR sources. Starlight-type night vision devices generally only magnify ambient light. Passive vs. active thermography All objects above the absolute zero temperature (0 K) emit infrared radiation. Hence, an excellent way to measure thermal variations is to use an infrared vision device, usually a focal plane array (FPA) infrared camera capable of detecting radiation in the mid (3 to 5 ÃŽ ¼m) and long (7 to 14 ÃŽ ¼m) wave infrared bands, denoted as MWIR and LWIR, corresponding to two of the high transmittance infrared windows. Abnormal temperature profiles at the surface of an object are an indication of a potential problem.[4] Thermal imaging camera & screen. Thermal imaging can detect elevated body temperature, one of the signs of the virus H1N1 (Swine influenza). In passive thermography, the features of interest are naturally at a higher or lower temperature than the background. Passive thermography has many applications such as surveillance of people on a scene and medical diagnosis (specifically thermology). In active thermography, an energy source is required to produce a thermal contrast between the feature of interest and the background. The active approach is necessary in many cases given that the inspected parts are usually in equilibrium with the surroundings. Advantages of thermography * It shows a visual picture so temperatures over a large area can be compared * It is capable of catching moving targets in real time * It is able to find deteriorating, i.e., higher temperature components prior to their failure * It can be used to measure or observe in areas inaccessible or hazardous for other methods * It is a non-destructive test method * It can be used to find defects in shafts, pipes, and other metal or plastic parts[5] * It can be used to detect objects in dark areas * It has some medical application, essentially in kinesiotherapy Limitations and disadvantages of thermography * Quality cameras often have a high price range (often US$ 3,000 or more), cheaper are only 40Ãâ€"40 up to 120Ãâ€"120 pixels * Images can be difficult to interpret accurately when based upon certain objects, specifically objects with erratic temperatures, although this problem is reduced in active thermal imaging[6] * Accurate temperature measurements are hindered by differing emissivities and reflections from other surfaces[7] * Most cameras have  ±2% accuracy or worse in measurement of temperature and are not as accurate as contact methods [8] * Only able to directly detect surface temperatures * Condition of work, depending of the case, can be drastic: 10 °C of difference between internal/external, 10km/h of wind maximum, no direct sun, no recent rain, Applications Kite aerial thermogram of the site of Ogilface Castle, Scotland. * Condition monitoring * Digital infrared thermal imaging in health care * Medical imaging * Infrared mammography * Archaeological Kite Aerial Thermography: Kite_aerial_photography * Thermology * Veterinary Thermal Imaging * Night vision * UAV Surveillance[9] * Stereo vision[10] * Research * Process control * Nondestructive testing * Surveillance in security, law enforcement and defence * Chemical imaging * Volcanology[11][12] * Building [13] Thermal imaging cameras convert the energy in the infrared wavelength into a visible light display. All objects above absolute zero emit thermal infrared energy, so thermal cameras can passively see all objects, regardless of ambient light. However, most thermal cameras only see objects warmer than -50 °C. The spectrum and amount of thermal radiation depend strongly on an object’s surface temperature. This makes it possible for a thermal imaging camera to display an object’s temperature. However, other factors also influence the radiation, which limits the accuracy of this technique. For example, the radiation depends not only on the temperature of the object, but is also a function of the emissivity of the object. Also, radiation originates from the surroundings and is reflected in the object, and the radiation from the object and the reflected radiation will also be influenced by the absorption of the atmosphere.