Essay Sample on Gambling Its Origin, Development and Problems

Essay Sample on Gambling Its Origin, Development and Problems Gambling is a complex and intriguing human activity. When it appeared long ago, it seen as popular, but it has cycled to the opposite extreme to be rebuked, condemned and repressed as a social evil. More precisely, Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) are one important aspect of gambling that affects gamblers and makes them addicts. These machines are often  referred to as the crack cocaine of gambling, one armed bandits or even the devil`s television. First, to uncover the VLTs world, we need to go back and explore the history of these machines. Then, we need to emphasize on the relation between the population and the machines: what attracts people and how? Following this, view by a psychological manner, we have to focus on the fact that VLTs are not random and how people are enslaved by them. Also, the explanation of how these slot machines are taking money from people and their effects. Statistics revealed by a professor who studied gambling in Las Vegas said that 78 per cent of patho logical gamblers had thought about suicide and 49 per cent had attempted it; 35.5 per cent said they stole from work to pay for their gambling and 27.5 per cent said they filed for bankruptcy. Finally, the role of the government and the economy will be introduced, and some solutions for addicted gamblers must be included. First, a little historical introduction is important to analyse where the gambling and VLTs came from. The earliest reference to gambling is found in ancient Egypte displaying various board games. Knuckle-bones, from which dice were derived, were popular in Greece and India (Roman board games). Many other little inventions were created; such as the roulette which was introduced into England in 1739 (Roulette history) and playing cards, which originated in 12th century China, reached Europe through Spain and were brought to America with Columbus in 1492. Lotteries were known to exist in early Roman times and were used in judicial proceedings to determine guilt and for the selection of politicians. In England and Western Europe around the 16th century, lotteries became a popular mean of raising government revenue for public projects (lottery history). By 1790 lotteries were flourishing to the point of a lottery mania and were more active (Lottery history). Horse racing is several thousand years older than Christianity with Homer and Xenaphon. Knowledge of the first horse race is lost in prehistory (Horse racing). It was then made common in the 11th century in London under the interests of Henry VIII. The formation of the Newmarket Jockey club in 1750 paved the way for the formal regulation of racing (Horse racing). Poker-machines, referred to as slot machines or Video Lottery Machines, were invented by the American Charles Frey in 1895. They gained popularity rapidly to become one of the most profitable gaming devices invented (Slot machine history ,2001-2002). Profits derived were so fabulous from such little investment and little effort that governments willingly took  advantage and control of these machines. Today, the number of video lottery machines has increased by thousands year after year and the money continues to grow rapidly in the  governments pocket. From a journal written by Novak (1998) it is said that the amount of money players fed into the machines went from $1.4 billion in 1996 to $2.1 billion in 1997 (p. 2). It is important to examine the relationship between the population and the Video Lottery Terminals. The question that psychologists and sociologists often ask themselves is what attracts people to VLTs? First, the machines are often very attractive because of their splendid colour and their simpleness. The games are usually visually appealing. Some would like to say that they are  « architecturally primitive  » (Golfman, N., December 1998), but because they are not complicated to play and there are not many buttons and readings, the players like these machines that require no skill. â€Å"And even though it is a chance outcome, it seems that there is some skill involved. So, you get the sense that you are good at what you are doing† (King, M., March 1999). Long ago, these boxes were rudimentary with brown and black colours. But today, to attracted even more people, they are striking with fluorescent coulours and are  becoming more modern to fit into today’s world. It is seen that after playing a couple of times, it is very difficult to resist the temptation to drop a coin when you are given the opportunity. The next point is in fact about control. People think they have control over their game, but they are just pushing a button or pulling a bar. The rest of the job is done by the machine and it decide when to stop. Also, because it is so simple, it is quicker to play. It is also a way to pass time and some people like it better then sports or reading. In fact, VLTs are easier to play with, you can do many things at the same time while playing and it does not require much of your brain to understand the games. A player can easily have a cigarette, take a sip from his or her beer or even chat on a cell phone while â€Å"keeping the game’s images in play with some gentle one-fingered pressure applied to a large well-worn button† (Golfman, N., December 1998). These machines only provide an illusion of activity. Also, some games are more popular because they stimulate more than others. The Real Games such as poker, blackjack and Keno are far more popular than other gaming terminal options (Golfman, N., December 1998). If we compare the card game solitaire to Keno, we can see the difference of stimulation. The software for a game of solitaire on a computer is programmed to deal whatever cards it wants. Keno requires merely picking some lucky numbers, hardly a stimulating way to pass the time (Golfman, N., December 1998). A nd with VLTs games like poker or blackjack, you get to chose the cards you want, instead of having it done by the computer. This way, you have a chance where the computer could choose weather you win or lose. When somebody plays these games, he does not have a partner which is often more stimulating. But that is why the Real Games are visually appealing. Many people think that they have an equal chance to win or lose money when playing with VLTs. The population is not aware that most of these slot machines are not random. In fact, they look random, but thousands of winning combinations have been removed from these games. If VLTs were random, the machine would lose a large amount of money occasionally. But it seems like this does not happen. For example, the Five Reel slot machines are the biggest money makers in Alberta VLTs (Vegas Professor Say, October 13, 2000) and the odds of winning are terrible. The Five Reel game has five pay lines including the three lines across and the diagonal corners. The cost to play is 25 cents per line, per spin, which can be increased to a maximum of $2.50 per spin. This game can easily cost $300 per hour, but the jackpot is only $250. How can we really know if VLTs are random or not? When a player pushes the button which activates the spin, is it really him who decides when to stop? No, it is the mac hine, so we have no control over them. Again with the Five Reel game, only 13% of all combinations (7,962,624) are actually winning spins where the pay out is higher than the original bet; 45% of the combinations pay absolutely nothing (means the player lose); 28% pay less than the original bet (the player still lose) and 12% of the combinations return the original bet (Vegas Professor Say .,October 13, 2000). That means you can only win 13% of the time and this is how government make millions of dollars per month. â€Å"Your losses and winnings are electronically tallied as you play, ()† (Cook, J., 1992) and this means we have no control over our bet. Psychologist and sociologist often analyze how VLTs enslave people and take their money. First, the prime objective of slot machines is to make you believe that the winning combinations are imminent so you keep playing and putting your money into the machine. It means that these machines are very quick. It is not like lottery tickets with which you have to wait often half a week or a week to receive the results and see if you win or not. â€Å"They are widely available, but you have to wait until Saturday night to get the results of the draw† (King, M., March 1999). For VLTs, the rate of play, rate of return, and the rate of feedback are very quick as a matter of seconds. This is one factor of problem gambling. What happens is that instead of spending the money just won to buy a beer or two, â€Å"the now pleasantly hooked client will more than likely roll the credits towards the next set of games† (Golfman, N., December 1998). Then, before the player can realize it, he has just passed hours in front of the machine, the credits have led to incredible betting and a big amount of money will be gone. The machines seen to have the capacity to enslave the gambler. When a player loses, he usually has the tendency to play again because he wants to win and since VLTs are fast, it is easy to just replay as much as he wants. VLTs can be played as quickly as 20 times a minute. â€Å"In that time an enthusiast can set and lose up to $5† (Golfman, N., December 1998). So, during an hour, the player can give up almost $300 to the machine. Another factor that causes problem gambling is the accessibility of VLTs. They are widely available in bars and casinos. Anybody can have access to them and even teenagers can easily play with the machines. For example, a man living in Montreal, who just finished working and receives a small salary with a wife and kids, can easily go play at the casino and spend all his money. People become addicted to VLTs and cannot stop playing. Also, many VLTs outlets are open 24 hours and it is not unusual to hear someone’s playing 36 hours straight (Novak, V., 1998). After having identified the quickness of the play and the ease of access to VLTs as factors in problem gambling, we can identify a third one. VLTs are not expensive (King, M., March 1999). It only cost 25 cents to play with certain machines. Because you only need pocket change to play and because it seems like a really small amount of money, people tend to play longer with a larger amount over time. â€Å"It does not seem like a big investment† (King, M., March 1999). There are various effects and consequences of being addicted to gambling. Lots of players are at risk to develop problems. They become absorbed in their game and also they â€Å"mobilise their bodies to function with astonishing mechanical dispatch-like rats in a control experiment† (Golfman, N., December 1998). Many scientists did experiments with rats and discovered that when they stimulated the rodents brain, the animals kept returning to the place where they were receiving the stimulation. VLTs uses reinforcement as well to make the gamblers play more and more. This refers to any event which increases the probability that a response will occur again (Coon, D., 2000). While playing, the reinforcement is money and the response occurs when the players keep playing. This creates addiction and it is considered as a disease. Professionals â€Å"who specialise in gambling addiction agree that video poker provides an exceptionally fast track of addiction† (Novak, V., 1998). Other scientific research show that video games cause addiction and are enjoyed by many players diagnosed with addiction-disease (Golfman, N., December 1998). This is why the gamblers always return to play even if they do not have the money for it. It is a great pleasure that they cannot live without it. There are many effects of the addiction on gamblers. The player can lose all his money and with it, his house and job. He can lose his wife and even kids. Men are often the gamblers and women or children are the ones who are often physically or sexually assaulted (Macionis, Benoit, Janson, 1999). Often, because of this, the player thinks about suicide and can even attempt it. He can also make criminal acts or just steals money. Both of these acts are terrible and can get the person into prison. Some gamblers just go through alcohol and drug abuse to get away from their problems. As an example, a young pizza-franchise manager has a criminal record after feeding the machines for weeks with his store’s cash (Novak, V., 1998). Next, the governments are the one who gets the profits. So, do they really want to shut down the VLTs or to ban these machines from bars and casinos? They are â€Å"virtually vacuuming up gambling profits directly from the machines into their treasury† (Golfman, N., December 1998). Some provinces share as much as 80 per cent of the net revenues produced by VLTs, â€Å"making it virtually impossible for government to resist their invading presence† (Golfman, N., December 1998). The money from these machines are a form of hidden tax. The Government uses this money to repair roads, pay bills and manage government itself as taxes do. They also spend money on gambling problems (about $150 000 a year in the province of Newfoundland), but it cannot be compared to the $80 million that they collect from bars and casinos with VLTs (Golfman, N., December 1998). So, can we say that governments are supporting problem- gamblers as much as they could? Not really. Another example is in South Dakota where VLTs make 70 per cent profit (Vegas Professor Say .,October 13, 2000). Most successful businesses are only making around 10 per cent profit, so video lottery machines are making 60 per cent more profit then other good businesses. We can really say that lottery terminals are a source of revenue for state budget. They turned gambling into a supposed source of money for causes like education, environment and economic development but, in fact, it is more like a tax to gain money to go in government treasury. â€Å"Last year, the VLTs yielded Montana $21 million on tax revenue, South Dakota $25 million, five to ten times what their conventional lotteries do† (Cook, J., 1992). Since the 1970s, there has been significant expansion of gambling. Various form of gambling were legalize to â€Å"increase revenue without having to rely upon more traditional forms of taxation† (Carr, Buchoski, Kofoed Morgan, 1996). Today, VLTs are part of our lives and governments do not want to ban them. It seems that they do not realize the problems that these machines are causing on the population. â€Å"The phrase problem gambler is itself still a suspiciously new term, and one that governments refused to recognize unti l VLTs conquered the landscape† (Golfman, N., December 1998). There are many possible solutions for addictive gamblers. First, we could shut down the machines. In South Carolina, the Supreme Court shut down 36,000 video lottery machines on July 1st, 2000. By this, the number of active Gambler’s Anonymous groups was cut in three months, from 32 to 16 groups (Vegas Professor Say .,October 13, 2000). In South Carolina, the Governor said that VLTs are a cancer and he wants them out. If all forms of government could do the same thing, there would have a lower race of addicted gamblers. This Governor made an effort to ban these machines. â€Å"It passed overwhelmingly in the house, then was filibustered to death in the senate, but is sure to resurface next year† (Novak, V., 1998). There are other states where there are signs of reassessment taking place. In Louisiana, many people voted to ban the machines starting next year (Novak, V., 1998). As a second solution, reduction in the speed of the units themselves is a possibility. Many casinos say that slowing down the games mean losing clients (Golfman, N., December 1998). People get bored with slow games and will stop playing them. For now, it is only a recommendation and it has not yet been applied. Maybe by losing clients, it will reduce the number of addicted gamblers. The most current solution, or should we say help, is treatment. Scientists are still at the beginning phases of research on the effectiveness of various treatment approaches (King, 1999). Some Addiction Centre and Gambler’s Anonymous centres offer help to addicted gamblers. These include self-help groups, support groups, therapy, individual and family counselling, family support and number of treatment programs for people who feel they need a break from their surroundings in order to quit gambling (King, 1999). The emphases of these centres are on developing strategies to stay â€Å"quit† once you have quit. â€Å"For example, these strategies can be external (controlling access to money), or cognitive (helping people to understand their thought patterns and how what they think may lead to into gambling or not gambling)† (King, 1999). The shut down of VLTs and the number of people entering some centres are related. When video machines were turned off in South Dakota, the number of individuals receiving treatments for problem gambling diminished abruptly (Carr, Buchoski, Kofoed Morgan, 1996). This suggests that VLTs present a unique risk for development of problems severe enough for the need of treatments. But the thing is we know that only a very small proportion of those identified as having a problem actually seek treatment. Most of the population do not realize their addiction and continue to play. In conclusion, in addition of being the biggest revenue producer for governments, video lottery terminals are also the biggest cause of problem gambling. No other style of gambling creates such an hypnotic fascination. It is seen many times that it is very difficult to resist the temptation to drop a coin when given the opportunity. It cannot be denied that problem gambling is a reality and we have to do something to stop it. Solutions such as banning the machines are efficient and we should do it everywhere. As Quinn says, a director of Carolina Psychological Services in Columbia â€Å"video lottery machines are not worth the cost to society in lost productivity on the job, crime, divorce and bankruptcy† (Vegas Professor Say .,October 13, 2000).

Dickinson College Admissions and Acceptance Rate

Dickinson College Admissions and Acceptance Rate Dickinson College is a somewhat selective schooljust over half of those who apply will not be admitted. Students generally will need solid grades and an impressive resume in order to be accepted to the school. Dickinson uses the Common Application, which students can fill out online. The school is test-optional, meaning that prospective students are not required to submit scores from the SAT or ACT. Require application materials include high school transcripts and letters of recommendation. For updated information, and to start an application, be sure to check out Dickinsons website! Will You Get In? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex Admissions Data (2016) Dickinson College Acceptance Rate: 43%GPA, SAT and ACT graph for DickinsonTop PA colleges SAT score comparison4-year college SAT score comparison4-year college ACT score comparisonTop PA colleges ACT score comparison Dickinson College Description Dickinson College is a highly ranked liberal arts college located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The college has an impressive 9 to 1  student / faculty ratio  and an average class size of 15, so students can expect a lot of interaction with the faculty. For its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, Dickinson College was awarded a chapter of the prestigious  Phi Beta Kappa  Honor Society. Chartered in 1783 and named after a signer of the Constitution, the college has a long and rich history. For student athletes, the Dickinson College Red Devils compete in the NCAA Division III  Centennial Conference. The college fields ten mens and eleven womens intercollegiate sports. They have had over 200 student-athletes named All-American. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 2,420  (all undergraduate)Gender Breakdown: 41% Male / 59% Female98% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17) Tuition and Fees: $51,205Books: $1,130 (why so much?)Room and Board: $12,794Other Expenses: $1,650Total Cost: $66,779 Dickinson College Financial Aid (2015- 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 78%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 73%Loans: 47%Average Amount of AidGrants: $29,967Loans: $6,110 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Biology, Economics, English, History, International Business, Political Science, Psychology, Public PolicyWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 90%4-Year Graduation Rate: 81%6-Year Graduation Rate: 84% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Football, Swimming, Tennis, Squash, Cross Country, Basketball, Golf, Track and Field, Baseball, Lacrosse, SoccerWomens Sports:  Basketball, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Track and Field, Lacrosse, Softball, Squash, Tennis, Cross Country Data Source National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Dickinson College, You May Also Like These Schools Hamilton College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSwarthmore College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphTrinity College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphWesleyan University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphTufts University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBowdoin College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphColgate University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphConnecticut College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphLafayette College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphVassar College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAmerican University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph

Conference Moderator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conference Moderator - Essay Example People do everything in both cases-people stock the shelves, prepare the food, serve the food, help customers, man the cash registers and sweep the floor in 2003 just like they did in 1950. It's the same on any construction site. In 1950, guys with circular saws and hammers built houses. Today it is guys with circular saws and nail guns. No big difference. An airport in 1950 and an airport today are nearly identical. People take your tickets, handle the baggage, maintain the planes, and pilot them in both cases. Coney Island in 1950 looks like any amusement park today, with people operating the rides, selling the concessions and keeping the park clean. The point of the above passage is that certain industries will likely never be replaced by robots or technology alone. Despite all of the technological innovations that have taken place in the latter half of the past century, there are still a lot of jobs that are largely unaffected by automation. These are often called people-powered industries. Perhaps the most astonishing part is that these types of jobs make up over one-half of the jobs in America (Brain, Robots in 2015, 2008).

Prison Term Policy Recommendation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Prison Term Policy Recommendation - Essay Example Within the next five years, it is estimated that convicted inmates will increase the prison population by two-hundred thousand. Such an unprecedented increase in a population that depends fully on government support will cost twenty-seven billion dollars on the national scale (Ohlemacher). Indeed, the nation has already a massive flux of prisoners. In the last thirty years, according to Professor Craig Haney, incarceration rates have been increased significantly in the United States (Haney 2). Such figures will only put a drain on the state's fiscal budget. Therefore, it is necessary to be highly certain of the effectiveness of a long prison term. Since nothing is absolute, and the government should not be considered a treasury for experimental endeavors, this writer remains skeptical of the situation. A perfect example of criminal activity and the penal code is that of Richard Allen Davis. According to People Weekly, Davis started his criminal career burglarizing people which further led to more violent acts such as attempted rape and murder. He has been in prison many times. He had spent at least fourteen years in prison, but he can now never harm anyone due to California's three strike's law which gives life sentences to convicts with three accounts of criminal activity (Fields-Meyer). There are two conclusions I can reach from the Davis case. The first is the fact that any amount of prison terms is in no way a guarantee that a convict will exit with rehabilitated behavior. In fact, in a review of Davis, one can almost speculate that prison makes an individual even more aggressive and effective as a criminal. My second conclusion is that no matter how ineffective prison term is, society, in general, is safe from such an individual for the time they are in prison. Thus, no one in the free society will suffer from Davis for as long as he lives. In conjunction with simple armed robbery, it is necessary to take in all aspects it contains. It is a crime not restricted to stealing the material wealth of some sort, but an offense that includes violence. The mere fact that it is armed is a signal that the offender intended to threaten death if he/she is unable to apprehend what they desire. The Republican reports an incident of a burglarized woman, "She said prior to the robbery she was not hesitant to go into a city, especially for a cultural event. Now she feels fear not only in Springfield but other cities." (Spencer) This illustrates the graphics effects a simple robbery can have on people. It is not simply a loss of wealth, but a violent and psychological offense. At the same time, however, an act of retribution against violence may not cure the problem. According to studies performed by Professor Stuart Henry, nearly seventy-five percent of inmates have committed separate crimes before their incarceration. That means three out of four prisoners were arrested at least once before. This data would suggest that prison sentences have a seventy-five percent chance of failing in rehabilitating inmates. Furthermore, it is estimated that the illiteracy rate in prison is more than double over the general population. This indicates that convicts released from prison are uneducated and may be forced into criminal activity in order to survive.

Critical Response of an image Essay Example for Free

Critical Response of an image Essay Advertisement is a notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service, or event or publicizing. It is also bringing into awareness a new product or idea. Advertising generally tries to sell the things that consumers want even if they should not wish for them. Advertising things that consumers do not need for is not effective use of the advertiser’s money. A majority of what advertisers sell consists of customer items like food, clothing, cars and services†¦ things that people desire to have. On the other hand it is believed by some advertising experts that the greatest influence in advertising happens in choosing a brand at the point of sale. Advertising appeals to consumers through common images; the logo used is well-designed and there is a clear separation of art from commerce. Advertisers use these iconic images to appeal to consumers since they symbolize or stand directly for something. The image for MacDonald’s symbolizes its quality. Therefore, advertisers use these images to communicate much more than words, since they seem to convey the message without too much effort. According to McDonald’s website, their mission statement is â€Å"to be our customers favorite place and way to eat. The worldwide operations have been aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to win centering on the five basics of an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. It’s committed to improving the operations and enhancing the customers experience. For decades, Macdonald’s has maintained a broad advertising campaign. In addition to the media, the company makes considerable use of signage and billboards, sporting events and coolers of drinks with their logo for all kinds of events In the case of McDonald’s advertising the texts used are effective. They have contributed in attracting targeted clients to the company. The wordings are extremely pleasing and successful at getting the consumers to buy the products. The phrase ‘I’m Lovin’ it’ which is used in one of the advertisements, indicates a piece of advertising that is particularly striking. According to Cross â€Å"propagandas is simply a means of persuasion†, which they have applied that to their place because it is evidently an artistic expression, yet is trying to sell something to the consumers. The company’s effectively is truthful since the business brings in new customers and creates new products. The company released a burger that is low fat, and which targeted adults in response to the consumers’ desire for healthier options. The company has learned from its previous mistakes, like going after the wrong target market of adults instead of young adults. This however, resulted to a turn around strategy, which later led to increase in sale and profits. McDonald’s has managed to implement strategies that satisfy the changing need of the customer. The company, being an international restaurant within the quick service restaurant, requires a very high level of promotional campaigns to remain competitive. This has been so, since some of the most memorable commercials in fast food industry have emerged from this particular company. Effective speaking has contributed to its world-wide expansion and in its listing on the public stock markets. With the expansion of McDonald’s to a worldwide market, the company has become a symbol of globalization. At the same time, it has acted as the spread of the American system of living. Its prominence has also resulted to regular topics of public debates on obesity, business ethics and consumer responsibility. The company also introduced a cafà © style in accompaniment to the restaurant. To accommodate the recent trend of high quality coffee and recognition of coffee shops in general. A number of locations are connected to convenience stores and gas stations, this level of achievement is an indication of effective advertising or else truthful rhetoric. The corporation also earns revenue as an investor in properties, as an operator and franchiser of restaurants. The company’s business model is slightly different from other fast- food chains. In addition, franchising fees and marketing fees are calculated as a proportion of sales. Many researchers, including some writers believe there is a connection between advertisement and harmful behaviors. Some suggest that advertisements affect children negatively especially young women. Lutz argues that the manner in which advertisers modify the meaning of words is able to have a harmful effect on languages and how it is used. The author believes that the relationship amid humans and any form of culture can be complicated. However there is no denial that there is a relationship between behavior and advertising. On the other hand, it is not convincing on the directness and similarity about the relationship between media and advertising. Lutz continues to argue that advertisers use language to imply a great thing about products and services without promising anything at all. With extensive skill, advertisers can create an advertisement that makes us to believe that a particular product is better than it is without having to lie about it. (Lutz, 448) According to Machesney, adverting must build a brand while speaking with one voice. They develop economies in the creative process, while maximizing its local effectiveness and it increases the company’s speed of implementation. It is the key to determining success of the organization. The ability to identify the key of an ad that contributes to its success leads to maximization of the economy of scale. (Machesney, 265) Critics argue that commercialization of all fields of society, increases in consumption and wastes resources; privatization of public space and the negative influence on the lifestyle is due to overrated advertising. Advertising to some extent has contributed tremendously to destroying non-material possessions. Public service adverting is an adverting technique used in promoting goods and services. It is crucial in forming, educating and motivating the public about non commercial issues like conserving energy, deforestation and political ideology. It is an influential and educational tool that is capable of motivating and reaching larger audiences. Adverting justifies its existence when used in the public interest. It is too much a powerful tool to be used for commercial purposes only. Infomercials are televisions commercials with a longer format; they are very useful in creating an impulse purchase, so that the moment the consumer observes the presentation, it is followed by immediate purchase of the product through the advertised toll free number. Infomercials describe, display and frequently demonstrate products and their features. They commonly have testimonials from industry professionals and consumers. According to Williamson, press advertising is an influential means of advertising. It describes advertising in printed medium such as newspapers, journals or magazines. This involves everything from media with a broad readership base. It allows private companies or individuals to purchase a small targeted advertisement at a low fee to advertise their products and services. (Williamson, 255) Celebrity branding is another powerful form of advertising that mainly focuses on using a celebrity popularity to gain recognition for the product. Celebrities are frequently involved in advertising campaigns like televisions or print adverts to advertise general or specific program. This can lead to great success if it is endorsed by various companies, and practiced prudently. Online advertising is the most recent and productive form of advertising. It reaches a massive audience at the same time being affordable, as compared to other mediums. This is achieved by the use of World Wide Web to express the purpose of delivering marketing messages to draw customers.

International New Ventures Essay -- International Business

Introduction The article ‘A Theory of International New Ventures: A Decade of Research’ by Zahra (2005) is based on findings based on research sparked by the work of Oviatt and McDougall (1994) ‘Toward a Theory of International New Ventures’. In this article, Zahra (2005) builds on the authors’ research framework, highlighting aspects which expand on the original article and pointing out those which require re-examination in the light of accumulating empirical findings. The term ‘international entrepreneurship’ as developed by Oviatt and McDougall (1994) brings international business theory into an integrated model of International New Ventures (INVs) with an approach based on unique resources and network relationships facilitated by information and communication technology. Defined as a business organization formed for the purpose of deriving significant competitive advantage from the use of resources and sale of outputs in multiple countries, INVs p lay an integral role in today’s global economy as recent global conditions have made the INV form of organization competitive (Oviatt and McDougall, 1994). Literature Review The emergence of INVs is one of the defining features of modern global capitalism (Oviatt and McDougall, 1994). These INVs benefit from the globalized economy in various ways extending their technological learning by tapping into various sources of innovation and competitive advantages as found in the results of a study by Zahra, Ireland and Hitt (2000). Oviatt and McDougall (1994) identified four types of INVs using two dimensions: coordination of value chain activities and the number of countries involved namely- export/import start-ups, multinational trader, geographical focused start ups and global start-up... ....D. and Hitt, M.A (2000) ‘International Expansion by New Venture Firms: International Diversity, Mode of Market Entry, Technological Learning and Performance’, Academy of Management Journal, 43 (5) pp. 925-950. Business Source Premier (Online). Available at http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/ehost/ (Accessed: 8 April 2012). Zahra, S. & George, G. (2002) ‘International Entrepreneurship: The Current Status of the Field and Future Research Agenda’. In M. Hitt, D. Ireland, D. Sexton & M. Camp (Eds.). Strategic Entrepreneurship: Creating an Integrated Mindset. Oxford: Blackwell, 255-288. Zahra, S.A. (2005) ‘A Theory of International New Ventures: A Decade of Research’, Journal of International Business Studies, 36 (1) pp. 20–28. Business Source Premier (Online) Available at www.jstor.org.libproxy1.liv.ac.uk/stable/pdfplus/3875288.pdf (Accessed: 10 April 2012).

Storm Born Chapter Three

I'd been people-watching for almost an hour, so I saw him as soon as he walked in. It was hard not to. The eyes of a few other women in the bar showed that I wasn't the only one who'd noticed. He was tall and broad-shouldered, nicely muscled but not over the top in some crazy Arnold Schwarzenegger way. He wore khakis with a navy blue T-shirt tucked into them. His black hair was not quite to his chin, and he had it tucked behind his ears. His eyes were large and dark, set in a smoothly chiseled face with perfect, golden-tanned skin. There was some mix of ethnicities going on there, I suspected, but none I could discern. Whatever the combo, it worked. Extremely well. â€Å"Hey, is anyone sitting here?† He nodded at the chair beside me. It was the only empty one at the bar. I shook my head, and he sat down. He didn't say anything else, and the only other time I heard him speak was to order a margarita. After that, he seemed content just to people-watch, like me. And honestly, it was a great place to do it. Alejandro's was right next to a midlevel hotel and drew in patrons and tourists from all sides of the socioeconomic scale. TVs showed sporting events or news or whatever the bartender felt like putting on. A few trivia machines sat at the other end of the bar. Music – sometimes live, but not tonight – forced the TVs to have closed-captioning, and dancing people crowded the small space among the tables. It was humanity at its best. Teeming with life, alcohol, mindless entertainment, and bad pick-up lines. I liked to come here when I wanted to be alone without being alone. I liked it better when drunk, stupid guys left me alone. I wasn't sure about articulate, good-looking ones. One nice thing I soon discovered was that with Tall, Dark, and Handsome sitting next to me, no losers dared approach. But he wasn't talking to me either, and after a while, I realized I'd kind of like him to – not that I'd have any clue what to say back. With the glances he kept giving me, I think he felt the same way. I didn't know. A sort of tension built up between us as I nursed my Corona, each of us waiting for something. When it finally came, he started it. â€Å"You're edible.† Not the opening I'd been expecting. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Your perfume. It's like†¦like violets and sugar. And vanilla. I suppose it's weird to think violets are edible, huh?† â€Å"Not so weird as a guy actually knowing what violets smell like.† It was also weird that he could even smell it. I'd put it on about twelve hours ago. With all the smoke and sweat around here, it was a surprise anyone's olfactory senses could function. He shot me a crooked grin, favoring me with a look that could only be described as smoky. I felt my pulse quicken a little. â€Å"It's good to know what flowers are what. Makes it easier to send them. And impress women.† I eyed him and then swirled the beer in my bottle. â€Å"Are you trying to impress me?† He shrugged. â€Å"Mostly I'm just trying to make conversation.† I pondered that, deciding if I wanted to play this game or not. Wondering if I could. I smiled a little. â€Å"What?† he asked. â€Å"I don't know. Just thinking about flowers. And impressing people. I mean, how strange is that we bring plant sex organs to people we're attracted to? What's up with that? It's a weird sign of affection.† His dark eyes lit up, like he'd just discovered something surprising and delightful. â€Å"Is it any weirder than giving chocolate, which is supposed to be an aphrodisiac? Or what about wine? A ‘romantic' drink that really just succeeds in lowering the other person's inhibitions.† â€Å"Hmm. It's like people are trying to be both subtle and blatant at the same time. Like, they won't actually go up and say, ‘Hey, I like you, let's get together.' Instead, they're like, ‘Here, have some plant genitalia and aphrodisiacs.'† I took a drink of the beer and propped my chin in my hand, surprised to hear myself going on. â€Å"I mean, I don't have a problem with men or relationships or sex, but sometimes I just get so frustrated with games of human attraction.† â€Å"How so?† â€Å"It's all masked in posturing and ploys. There's no honesty. People can't just come up and express their attraction. It's got to be cleverly obscured with some stupid pick-up line or not-so-subtle gift, and I don't really know how to play those games so well. We're taught that it's wrong to be honest, like there's some kind of social stigma with it.† â€Å"Well,† he considered, â€Å"it can come out pretty crass sometimes. And let's not forget about rejection too. I think that adds to it. There's a fear there.† â€Å"Yeah, I guess. But being turned down isn't the worst thing in the world. And wouldn't that be easier than wasting an evening or – God forbid – months of dating? We should state our feelings and intentions openly. If the other person says ‘fuck off,' well, then, deal. Move on.† I suddenly eyed my beer bottle suspiciously. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Just wondering if I'm drunk. This is my first beer, but I think I'm sounding a little unhinged. I don't usually talk this much.† He laughed. â€Å"I don't think you're unhinged. I actually agree with you.† â€Å"Yeah?† He nodded and looked remarkably wise as he contemplated his answer. It made him even sexier. â€Å"I agree, but I don't think most people take honesty well. They prefer the games. They want to believe the pretty lies.† I finished off the last of the Corona. â€Å"Not me. Give me honesty anytime.† â€Å"You mean that?† â€Å"Yes.† I set the bottle down and looked at him. He was watching me intently now, and his look was smoky again, all darkness and sex and heat. I fell into that gaze, feeling the response of nerves in my lower body that I'd thought were dormant. He leaned slightly forward. â€Å"Well, then, here's honesty. I was really happy when I saw the empty seat by you. I think you're beautiful. I think seeing the bra underneath your shirt is dead sexy. I like the shape of your neck and the way those strands of hair lay against it. I think you're funny, and I think you're smart too. After just five minutes, I already know you don't let people screw around with you – which I also like. You're pretty fun to talk to, and I think you'd be just as much fun to have sex with.† He sat back in his chair again. â€Å"Wow,† I said, now noticing I'd put on a white shirt over a black bra in my haste. Oops. â€Å"That's a lot of honesty.† â€Å"Should I fuck off now?† I played with the rim of the bottle. I took a deep breath. â€Å"No. Not yet.† He smiled and ordered us another round. Introductions seemed like the next logical step, and when his turn came, he told me his name was Kiyo. â€Å"Kiyo,† I repeated. â€Å"Neat.† He watched me, and after a moment, a smile danced over his mouth. A really nice mouth too. â€Å"You're trying to figure me out.† â€Å"Figure you out how?† â€Å"What I am. Race. Ethnic group. Whatever.† â€Å"Of course not,† I protested, even though I'd been trying to do exactly that. â€Å"My mother is Japanese, and my father is Latino. Kiyo is short for Kiyotaka.† I scrutinized him, now understanding the large dark eyes and the tanned skin. Human genes were exquisite. I loved the way they blended. How cool, I thought, to have such a solid grip on your ancestry. I knew my mother had a lot of Greek and Welsh, but there was a mix of all sorts of other things there too. And as for my deadbeat father†¦well, I knew no more about his heritage than I knew anything else about him. For all intents and purposes, I was very much the mongrel the keres had called me earlier. I realized then I'd been staring at Kiyo too long. â€Å"I like the results,† I finally said, which made him laugh again. He asked about my job, and I told him I worked in Web design. It wasn't entirely a lie. I'd majored in it and in French. Both areas had turned out to be completely irrelevant to my job, though Lara swore having a Web site would drive up our business. We mostly relied on word of mouth now. When he told me he was a veterinarian, I said, â€Å"No, you aren't.† Those smoldering eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"Because†¦because you can't be. I just can't see it.† Nor could I imagine telling Lara tomorrow: So I was in a bar last night and met this sexy veterinarian†¦ No, those concepts somehow didn't go together. Veterinarians looked like Wil Delaney. â€Å"It's God's truth,† Kiyo swore, stirring his margarita. â€Å"I even take my work home with me. I have five cats and two dogs.† â€Å"Oh, dear Lord.† â€Å"Hey, I like animals. It goes back to the honesty thing. Animals don't lie about how they feel. They want to eat, fight, and reproduce. If they like you, they show it. If they don't, they don't. They don't play games. Well, except maybe the cats. They're tricky sometimes.† â€Å"Yeah? What'd you name all those cats?† â€Å"Death, Famine, Pestilence, War, and Mr. Whiskers.† â€Å"You named your cats after the riders of the apocal – wait. Mr. Whiskers?† â€Å"Well, there are only four horsemen.† We talked for a while after that about whatever else came to mind. Some was serious, some humorous. He told me he was in town from Phoenix, which kind of disappointed me. Not local. We also talked about the people around us, our jobs, life, the universe, etc., etc. All the while I kept wondering how this had happened. Hadn't I just been noting how I lived outside of society? Yet, here I was, talking to a guy I'd just met like I'd known him for years. I barely recognized the words coming out of my own mouth. I didn't even recognize my body language: leaning into him as we talked, legs touching. He wore no cologne but smelled like he looked: darkness and sex and heat. And promises. Promises that said, Oh, baby, I can give you everything you've ever wanted if you'll just give me the chance†¦. At one point, I leaned toward the bar to slide an empty bottle across it. As I did, I suddenly felt Kiyo's fingers brush my lower back where my shirt had ridden up. I flinched as electricity crackled through me at that slight, casual touch. â€Å"Here's more honesty,† he said in a low voice. â€Å"I like this tattoo. A lot. Violets again?† I nodded and sat back in my chair, but he didn't remove his hand. That tattoo was a chain of violets and leaves that spread across my lower back. A larger cluster of the flowers sat on my tailbone, and then smaller tendrils extended outward on both sides, almost to my hips. â€Å"Violets have sort have become my patron flower,† I explained, â€Å"because of my eyes.† He leaned forward, and I almost stopped breathing at how close his mouth was to mine. â€Å"Wow. You're right. I've never seen eyes that color.† â€Å"I've got three more.† â€Å"Eyes?† â€Å"Tattoos.† This got his interest. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"They're covered by the shirt.† I hesitated. â€Å"You know anything about Greek mythology?† He nodded. A cultured man. Cue swooning. I touched my upper right arm. My sleeve covered the skin. â€Å"This one's a snake wrapped all the way around my arm. It's for Hecate, the goddess of magic and the crescent moon.† What I didn't add was that Hecate guarded the crossroads between worlds. It was she who governed transitions to the Otherworld and beyond. This tattoo was my link to her, to facilitate my own journeys and call on her for help when needed. I moved to my upper left arm. â€Å"This one's a butterfly whose wings wrap around and touch behind my arm. It's half black and half white.† â€Å"Psyche?† he asked. â€Å"Good guess.† He really was cultured. The goddess Psyche was synonymous with the soul, which the butterfly represented in myth. â€Å"Persephone.† He nodded. â€Å"Half black, half white. She lives half her life in this world and half in the Underworld.† Not unlike my own life. Persephone guided transitions to the world of death. I didn't travel there myself, but I invoked her to send others across. â€Å"She governs the dark moon. And back here† – I tapped the spot behind me where my neck connected to my back – â€Å"is a moon with an abstract woman's face in it. Selene, the full moon.† Kiyo's dark eyes held intense interest. â€Å"Why not one of the more common moon goddesses, then? Like Diana?† I hesitated with my answer. In many ways, Diana would have served the same purpose. She, like Selene, was bound to the human world and could keep me grounded here when I needed it. â€Å"The others are†¦solitary goddesses. Even Persephone, who's technically married. Diana's a virgin – she's alone too. But Selene†¦well, she doesn't get a lot of press anymore, but she was a more social goddess. A sexual goddess. She opens herself up to other people. And experiences. So I went with her. I just didn't think it'd be healthy to be marked with three goddesses who were all alone.† â€Å"What about you? Are you alone, Eugenie?† His voice was velvet against me, and I could have drowned in those eyes. They were like chocolate. Chocolate is an aphrodisiac. â€Å"Aren't we all alone?† I asked with a rueful smile. â€Å"Yes. I think in the end, we all are, no matter what the songs and happy stories say. I guess it's just a matter of who we choose to be alone with.† â€Å"That's why I come here, you know. To be alone with other people. There's isolation in a crowd. You're hidden. Safe.† He looked around at the buzzing, moving sea of people in the bar. They were like a wall surrounding us. There but not there. â€Å"Yes. Yes, I suppose that's true.† â€Å"Isn't that why you're here too?† He glanced back down at me, his expression a little less sexual and a bit more pensive. â€Å"I don't know. I'm not sure. I guess maybe I'm here because of you.† I didn't have any quick retorts for that, so I started playing with the bottle again. The bartender asked if I wanted another, and I shook my head. Kiyo touched my shoulder. â€Å"You want to dance?† I was pretty sure I hadn't danced since high school, but some force compelled me to agree. We stepped out into a crowd of very bad dancers. Most were just sort of floundering around to a fast song with a heavy beat that I'd never heard before. Kiyo and I weren't much better. But when a slower song came on, he wrapped me to him, pressing us together as close as two people could be. Well, almost as close. I couldn't ever remember anything like this happening with a guy I'd just met, a desire for someone I actually wanted and not just someone who was available. His body felt hard and perfect against mine, and my flesh kept concocting ways to touch his. I was already picturing him naked, imagining what it would be like to have his body move against and inside of mine. What was going on with me here? The images were so vivid and real, it was a wonder my feelings weren't written across my face. So I didn't really mind when he slid his hand up the back of my neck and brought his mouth down to kiss me. It wasn't a tentative kiss either. No first-date kisses here. It was the kind of kiss that meant business, the kind of kiss that said, I want to consume every inch of you and hear you scream my name. I'd never really made out in a public place, but it seemed kind of a trivial concern as that kiss burned between us, our tongues and lips exploring the contours of each other's mouths. But when his other hand slid up and cupped my breast, even I was surprised. â€Å"Hey,† I said, breaking off slightly. â€Å"There are people around.† Amusing, I thought a moment later, that I was less concerned about him doing it than being seen doing it. He kissed the side of my neck, just below my ear, and when he spoke, his words heated my skin. â€Å"People only notice if you make a big deal about it.† I let him kiss me again and didn't say anything else about the hand that continued to stroke the curve of my breast and tease my nipple into hardness beneath the shirt. His other hand slid down to my ass and ground me closer to him, letting me feel exactly what was underneath his jeans. The fact that we were doing this in public suddenly made it a lot sexier. I let out a small, trembling sigh and then broke away from the kiss again. Only this time, it wasn't because of any prudish feelings. It was from need. My body's suddenly urgent and excruciating need. â€Å"Are you staying next door?† I asked, indicating the hotel adjacent to the bar. â€Å"No. Out at the Monteblanca.† I let surprise show on my face. That was in the region near where I lived, in the Santa Catalina foothills. â€Å"That's not a hotel. That's a resort. A really nice one. Veterinarians must make a lot.† He smiled and brushed his lips against my cheek. â€Å"You want to see it?† â€Å"Yes,† I told him. â€Å"I certainly do.†

Study Plan for Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering and its importance Advertisements Chemical engineering has a number of applications in our day to day lives. This course is offered to students at the graduate and postgraduate levels. Upon the accomplishment of their studies, individuals can apply for jobs with firms of the private or public sector firms. Placement opportunities are available for aspirants within some of the prestigious Indian firms such as Reliance and Indian Oil etc. One can say that this sector is one of the many areas where one can get good jobs as well as other opportunities of the right type.In this article we are going to discuss about the importance of chemical engineering as well as its numerous applications. Importance of Chemical Engineering Areas where chemical engineering is applicable in our day to day lives include: Coal preparation and mineral processing Explosives manufacturing Fertilizer industry Food processing Glass and specialty chemicals Paints Steel and aluminum production In addition to the above mentioned areas, chemical engineering also has applications in production of electronics, clothing, paper and photographic equipment etc.The scope for individuals in the field of chemical engineering is bound to grow in time. This is mainly because of industrial growth as well as the related scarcity of the resources those are required. In future years, chemical engineers will be needed to develop synthetic replacement for those resources as well as materials that are low in supply. In overall, it can be said that chemical engineers will be able to make very crucial contributions to the improvement in addition to the maintenance of the quality of our lives.Areas where one can apply his knowledge: Although chemical engineering is relatively a new field, this field of engineering has shown a speedy expansion during the last few decades. This has in turn led to rise in importance of chemical engineering as well as the number of jobs. Career opportunities for t hese professionals are available with R&D departments, especially in the field of energy as well in developing fields such as nanotechnology and biotechnology. Chemical Plants Petrochemical Plants Pharmaceuticals Petroleum Refining PlantsMineral Based Industries Electronics Industry Photographic Equipment Units Clothing Units Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Aircraft Industry Some Job Types Supervisor Technical Specialist Project Manager Project Engineer Teacher Researcher Environmental, Safety & Regulatory Manager Quality Manager Senior Process Engineer Product Development Engineer Fuel Meter Calibration Technician In the government sector, chemical engineers can find jobs in areas where solutions for environmental problems like recycling, water treatment and others are needed.They can also get work with departments of energy conservation as well as with defense establishments. Sir William Wakeham on the Importance of Chemical Engineering Sep. 06, 2011 Sir William Wakeham, President, I ChemE Sir William Wakeham, President, IChemE more Sir William Wakeham, President, IChemE From Reliance Industries’ Mukesh Ambani to stand-up comedian and perpetual watermelon smasher †¦ A Wide Range – From Reliance Industries' Mukesh Ambani and SABIC's Mohammed al-Mady to stand-up comedian and perpetual watermelon smasher Gallagher, chemical engineers can be found in almost every walk of life. And if you have never heard of Gallagher, you can replace him with Dolph Lundgren, who forewent a career in chemical engineering when he found success as Ivan Drago in the movie Rocky IV). These days, chemical engineering is as diverse as the people who study it, covering areas from biotechnology to mineral processing, and its significance for the chemical industry is now more important than ever. Sir William Wakeham is currently president of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), a global professional membership organization for people who have an interest in and r elevant experience in chemical engineering.He spoke with Brandi Schuster on how the field has evolved, what IChemE does to encourage students to study chemical engineering and the importance of having chemical engineers in all levels within chemical and pharmaceutical companies. CHEManager Europe: Sir William, the term â€Å"chemical engineering† doesn't have quite the same meaning as maybe 50 years ago. How do you think the profession has evolved? Sir William Wakeham: These days there is much more of a focus on the word â€Å"process engineering† rather than â€Å"chemical engineering. Often the processes involved are still chemical, but they now encompass many more things than we thought about 50 years ago. These days you have trained chemical engineers working in many process applications that aren't necessarily within the traditional realm of the chemical industry. One example of that is within the pharmaceutical business, in formulation engineering. This consists of the construction of pills, which goes hand-in-hand with the drug formulations.That involves quite a lot of chemical engineering, but wouldn't have been thought of as such 50 years ago. It's a similar situation within the water industry. There is a lot of activity which could be considered process engineering, and probably most of the reactions, if there are any, are biological reactions. All in all, I think the term has been broaden quite a bit over the last several decades in order to include many more aspects and technologies. In fact, the term â€Å"chemical engineer† is probably being replaced by â€Å"process engineer. Is the future of chemical engineering one with a very broad base? Sir William Wakeham: Yes, and in my own experience, trained chemical or process engineers are the kinds of engineers who are most able to work with other disciplines, because they have already quite a breadth in their formation as engineers. That is not quite the same for, let's say, ci vil engineers whose chemistry training is quite limited. Process engineers have a unique opportunity to bring scientists and other engineers together.Most of the big problems that the world is facing are a bit like that; people have to be brought together from different areas. What about diversity within the profession, particularly when it comes to women? Sir William Wakeham: In the UK, total chemical engineering undergraduate numbers are the most positive for women's recruitment of any engineering discipline. In the UK, about 27% of chemical engineering students are women; this is certainly a step in the right direction. What kind of activities does IChemE have to encourage more people to study chemical engineering?Sir William Wakeham: We have an enormous focus on bringing people into chemical engineering courses; this has, at least in the UK, pushed the numbers through the roof. We are particularly interested in attracting women, and one of the key elements of doing that is havin g women on the staff of chemical engineering departments who do the recruitment. Here in the UK, most departments have a substantial number of women on their faculty. In other areas of the world, such as in the Middle East, there are some cultural issues that are additional difficulty.However, in Malaysia, where we are also active, there are a significant number of women studying chemical engineering now. Apart from its European offices, IChemE is also represented in Asia, Africa and Australasia. Do you work towards promoting chemical engineering for women in these parts of the world as well? Sir William Wakeham: Yes. We have been using our activities in the UK as a basis, but fine-tuning it for the different cultural backgrounds. Clearly what needs to be done in Malaysia is not the same thing as what needs to be one in the UK. Our offices in these areas are usually staffed by local people, which is important for creating an understanding of the country's needs. What is a chemical e ngineer's role in an oil and gas industry? 2 years ago Report Abuse Shape Shape Best Answer – Chosen by Voters This is a very broad question as chemical engineers (as in someone with a chemical engineering degree) can do many different engineering jobs in the oil and gas industry, but other engineers can do them as well.For example I know people with mechanical and chemical engineering degrees that are maintenance engineers with the same job responsibilities. The same goes for a drilling fluid engineer which could be held by people of varying background and technical degrees. A chemical engineer can be involved in all parts of the oil and gas industry from building the oil rigs, drilling the wells, pumping it out of the ground, transferring it through pipelines, separating in into usable chemicals in a refinery, and finally making petroleum based products in a chemical plant.Source(s): Chemical Engineer Where Do Chemical Engineers Fit into the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry? B y Katie Horner | Comments (8) Before working for an upstream oil company, I was under the impression that chemical engineers working in oil and gas belonged in pipeline and downstream operations. For those of you not in the industry, most large, integrated oil companies consist of an upstream organization and a downstream organization. The former focuses on exploration and production and the latter refines crude petroleum into usable products (gasoline, lubricants, etc. . Within upstream, processes and departments are often separated by subsurface work and surface facility work. Generally, most ChemE’s in upstream are found on the facility side, managing projects related to tanks, pumps, pipelines and separators. Pumping Unit in Bakersfield, Ca You may be asking, what about subsurface? And, can chemical engineers contribute to a traditionally petroleum engineering realm? The answer is, most definitely! A reservoir is essentially a large tank filled with porous media and reser voir fluids – oil, gas and water.In order to recover oil or gas from a reservoir, chemical engineering fundamentals such as fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and heat transfer must be understood and applied. Petroleum engineering is not an exact science. Precise reservoir boundaries are often unknown, PVT samples are few and far between, recovery mechanisms are sometimes unclear, and original and current oil in place is determined probabilistically. The fact is, it wouldn’t be economical to collect all of the data to make it an exact science.Without having all of the data, oil companies still have been successful in recovering resources thus far. However, we’ve picked the low hanging fruit when it comes to oil and gas resources and are moving toward environments with increased complexity – heavy oil, challenging shale plays, tight gas, deepwater exploration, etc. It’s often said that the best place to find oil is within currently or previously produc ing reservoirs. As we go back in and try to capture the residual oil, chemical engineering concepts will be critical in designing processes to recover these resources.Many oil or gas recovery mechanisms are well understood, such as waterfloods or gas cap expansion. Fortunately for our profession, there are areas, such as steam and polymer floods, that still need the keen eyes of engineers to model and optimize. As we attempt to tackle the current global energy challenges, oil and gas will continue to be a key factor in the equation. While the focus of many chemical engineering graduates is in alternative energy solutions, there are still plenty of opportunities for a chemical engineer to make an impact in the world of upstream oil and gas.

embryonic development essays

embryonic development essays The theory of embryonic development we follow today was proposed 2000 years ago by Aristotle. This idea, called epigenesis, the form of an animal arises gradually from a generally formless egg. The organisms development is largely determined by the genome of the zygote and the organization of the cytoplasm of the egg cell. The first part of the development of a new animal is fertilization. The gametes, the sperm and the egg, are both highly specialized haploid cells that will combine chromosomes to produce the diploid zygote. The union of the sperm with the egg activates the egg, triggering the onset of embryonic development. The mammalian egg is cloaked by follicle cells that were released with the egg during ovulation. The sperm must migrate through this before it reaches the zona pellucida, the extracellular matrix of the egg. To get there the acrosome of the sperm (tip) releases hydrolytic enzymes to the zona pellucida enabling sperm to enter egg. The zona pellucida is made of 3 different glycoproteins. The protein ZP3 functions as a sperm receptor. In non mammals the acrosomal reaction releases hydrolytic enzymes that enable an elongating acrosomal process to penetrate the jelly coat of the egg and to bind to the vitelline layer. When the sperm meets with an egg, the sperm undergoes a acrosomal reaction; the reaction releases hydrolytic enzymes that enable the sperm or sperm nucleus to enter the egg. The tip of the acrosomal process is coated with a protein that binds to a specific receptor molecules just outside the plasma membrane of the egg. This "lock and key" enables only gametes of the same species to fertilize. The acrosomal reaction leads to the fusion of the sperm and the egg. The fusion of the egg and the sperm causes ion channels to open allowing sodium to enter the cell, changing the membrane potential. This blocks other sperm cells from entering the egg and is called the fast block to polyspermy. Along...

Reeking and Wreaking

Reeking and Wreaking Reeking and Wreaking Reeking and Wreaking By Maeve Maddox Here is a very small sampling taken from the web of the misuse of the verb reek: We had an extremely wet May and June this year in New York City which reeked havoc on many tomato gardens. SISTERS reeked havoc at Momma’s Christmas Dinner today Although this helped in some patients, it reeked havoc with others, resulting in law suits. that virus sure reeked havoc with your computer The deadly twister that reeked havoc in Tuscaloosa. Note that each error is an attempt to use the idiom to wreak havoc, meaning to cause destruction or devastation. It would be correct to say, A huge earthquake wreaked havoc on Japan, or A string of tornadoes wreaked havoc on Alabama. By itself, wreak means to give expression to; to vent. The word havoc, meaning devastation, derives from a French idiom, crier havoc, to cry (or shout) havoc!' The most familiar use of this word occurs in Antonys funeral speech in Julius Caesar: ANTONY: †¨Caesars spirit, ranging for revenge, †¨ With Ate by his side come hot from hell, †¨ Shall in these confines with a monarchs voice †¨Cry Havoc, and let slip the dogs of war; Shouting Havoc! was the signal to begin battle, the result of which would be destruction. The verb reek derives from two similarly pronounced words that were familiar in Old English times. One meant to emit smoke and the other meant to emit a strong smell. Today the verb reek may have either meaning: The reeking chimney annoyed the neighbors. After putting gas in the car my hands reeked of gasoline. The homes and clothing of smokers reek of burnt tobacco. His actions reek of self-love. Bottom line: Chimneys, cigars, and bad relationships reek. Hurricanes, earthquakes, ice storms, droughts, and war wreak destruction and devastation. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureEnglish Grammar 101: Verb MoodTypes of Plots

Difference and effect between chinese and american parenting Research Paper

Difference and effect between chinese and american parenting - Research Paper Example These two approaches are different but the same cannot be said of the effects that emanate from them. As puzzling as this may sound, the Americans who handle their children with gentleness and the Chinese who tend to be somewhat harsh eventually achieve a similar goal. According to Yates (p.3), the Chinese adapt to the culture of shaming and manipulating children and many times the children adapt to the environment. Similarly, the Americans apply their own tactic of encouraging a child even when there is evident disappointment. In both cases, the parents are aiming at the same goal, which is to improve the student, but applying differing tactics. Worth distinguishing at this point is that manipulative parenting is not similar to authoritarian since the latter tends to motivate a child with fear while the former with challenges. Whereas some have argued that children brought up through authoritarian tend to be well behaved, Porter (p.543) claims these children tend to be less-resourceful and poor self-image. The American parent hardly uses this approach but some Chinese parents have applied. Instead, it is recommended that parents apply either the authoritative or permissive. These two approaches allow parents to set standards for children but in the permissive case, the parent avoids enforcing the standards. An authoritative parent will set standards enforce them but portray a very high level of nurturing the child (Oreilly & Candida p.4). Upon failing to meet a certain task, a Chinese mother will most likely insult or deny the child perceived rights. In contrast, the American will give the child, appreciate first before commenting on the need to improve. A recent book by a renowned author, Amy Chua, seems to suggest that children tend to respond more to threats and denial of what they consider luxurious. The effect of this approach by the Chinese parent