Professionalism vs Commercialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professionalism vs Commercialism - Essay Example Accordingly, the following analysis will seek to define some of the key ways in which commercialism affects professionalism, and the way in which growing levels of commercialism are affecting professions in general. It is the hope of this author that such a level of analysis will help to bring and more complete understanding with regards to the dynamics that currently shape the world in which we live. With regards to the way in which growing levels of commercialism currently affect professionalism, one does not need to look very hard to see the way in which they growing emphasis upon profits and profitability is defining the business world. As compared to but a few decades past, the level to which business indices are focusing upon overall profitability and the bottom line has greatly reduced the level of professionalism that can be exhibited on the personal level. This is of course due to the fact that greater and greater degrees of freedom with regards to how a given profession is performed are being removed in the face of increasing regulatory oversight and the means by which standardization is pushed above all else. Ultimately, the perennial back-and-forth that is realized between all individuals and seek to display a level of professionalism within their work is called into question with regards to the incessant drive to maximize profitability. Furthermore, due to the fact that more and more firms/entities are operating at the very margins, the overall level that professionalism within a given work spirit is stressed is necessarily reduced. In such a way, the ultimate mantra becomes a maximization of profit. Within such a dynamic, the means by which professionalism can be fostered from within the firm is necessarily reduced. This of course has a compound affect not only on the means by which work is accomplished but also with regards to how the individual worker views the importance of professionalism. Whereas before professionalism was encouraged both fro m the personal standpoint as well is a systemic standpoint, the current dynamic sees a situation in which more and more often the individual alone is the only one seeking to promote professionalism in the place of commercialism. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that many firms and entities do not realize that fostering greater professionalism within their respective employees would necessarily have a compound affect not only of producing a better quality of product/services but would also have the ancillary affect of increasing profitability and serving mankind to a greater degree. However, like so many choices within the business world, the short-term gains are championed over long-term eventualities. In this way, professionalism is cheated out of its do merit as a means of maximizing the short-term benefits that commercialization and profit generation can necessarily entail. As a means of looking forward, it must be understood by the reader that a far better approach would be to realize that although commercialization holds the potential to generate profits, so too does fostering a greater and higher appreciation for professionalism within whatever business entity/firm is in question (Day 166). As with so many of the solid business choices that exists within theory and application, recent history as evidenced the fact that as a means of hoping to generate impressive numbers and

The history of Canadian hockey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The history of Canadian hockey - Essay Example Historians have argued for the past 2 centuries about the origins of hockey. It is generally agreed that hockey was an evolution of the game hurley that had been adapted to playing on ice. The name hockey is believed to have come from the French word "hoquet" meaning shepard's stick ("Origins and Roots"). While British historians have tried to lay claim to the game, Canadian experts flatly disagree. British historian Ian Gordon wrote in 1937 that the game of hockey was first played at Windsor Castle in 1853 by members of the Royal Family (qtd. in McFarlane 1). Still others place the origin in Europe as early as the 16th century. A painting titled "Hunters in the Snow" by Pietr Bruegel from 1565 depicts skaters carrying sticks that resemble modern hockey sticks. One of the figures is about to strike a small round object ("The Origins of Hockey"). Canadian researchers however are quick to point out that the painting does not show the skates required to be called hockey. Researchers can also date Canadian hockey earlier than the 1853 date cited by Gordon. . Hockey historian Howard Dill places the birthplace of hockey at Long Pond in Windsor, Nova Scotia in 1810 (McFarlane 1). This is supported by Dr. Sandy Young's book, Beyond Heroes: A Sport History of Nova Scotia. Dr. Young refers to a quote by Thomas Chandler Halliburton who graduated from Kings-Edgehill School in Windsor in 1810. He recounts playing "[...] hurley on the long pond on the ice" (qtd. in McFarlane 2). Another anonymous student wrote of his experience at the same school and says they "used to skate in winter on moonlit nights [...] his front teeth knocked out with a hurley" (qtd. in McFarlane 2). The first documented and verified incidents of hockey seem to have been played at the beginning of the 1800s in Nova Scotia. Wherever it was originally played, it probably evolved in several places over a period of years and was spread by immigrants and migrant workers. However, there is little debate about modern hockey. The first rules to hockey were laid down in 1879 by a group of Students at McGill in Montreal (McFarlane 2). This laid the foundation for organized college games and set the stage for the future of professional hockey. The National Hockey League (NHL) was formed in Canada in 1917 (McFarlane 15). Leagues such as the Western Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Hockey League came into existence and passed as suddenly as they came. By the end of the 1920s, six man hockey had been standardized, the forward pass was allowed in all zones, and the Stanley Cup became the exclusive right of the NHL (McFarlane 15). Hockey continued to expand during the 1930s through the 1960s attracting fans all across North America. Dominated by the Canadian teams of Montreal and the Toronto Maple Leaves, it was also successful in northern American cities such as Detroit, Boston, and Chicago. World War II impacted hockey as it did other major league sports. Transportation became a problem and many players were drafted or enlisted in the armed services. However, by 1970 professional hockey was seeing major expansion by the addition of teams all over North America. The league had operated as a six-team unit for 50 years, but had added 10 teams to their ranks in the years 1967-1972 (McFarlane 117). Teams in southern cities such as Atlanta and Los Angeles were taking advantage of hockey's

Biogas Production From Various Fruit Peels Environmental Sciences Essay

Biogas Production From Various Fruit Peels Environmental Sciences Essay Analysis of the various process conditions for the production of biogas (bio-methanation)from mango peel, papaya peel and banana peel were done. Based on the analysis the process conditions were varied accordingly and the comparative study of biogas production from mangopeel, papaya peel and banana peel in terms of pH, inoculum to substrate ratio and temperature was carried out. The major problem in the bio-methanation process was blockage and scum formation. Temperature and pH fluctuations also affect the production of biogas. High temperature(55à Ã‚ ¦ C) causes accumulation of fatty acids which affects the process stability and influences the pH ( Nagamany and K Ramasamy, Biogas production technology: An Indian perspective). If cow dung is used as the inoculum the stability of the digester is monitored. The pH at 5 the population of microbes is lowered and the activity is reduced ( Sahota and Ajit Singh).The ratios of cow dung to peels (1:2, 1:5, 1:10) were used in different setups and the production of biogas was observed. Peels of various fruits were used in the same ratio and their production rate was measured.The C/N ratio varies for different peels and was adjusted by addition of nitrogen sources for optimization of production . The measurement of volume of biogas produced was done using the downward displacement technique of water. Different parameters that were considered to affect the rate of production were observed for different setups. The comparison of production from different peels aims at identifying the ideal raw material source and the optimization of the process parameters for the maximum production of the gas. Keywords: Bio-methanation, process parameters, process stability, downward displacement of water Introduction The realization that the existing fuel resources are getting exhausted faster than expected and with the current developmental activities being at its high ,the situation demands more conservative action. The demand for the conventional fuel is on an all-time high and the demand can be controlled using alternative fuel sources. The extensive use of conventional sources over all these years has led to degradation in the environment. Since the global climatic stability is at stake the usage of renewable and cleaner fuel sources is being recommended. The usage of renewable fuel sources helps to conserve the existing conventional fuel and protect the environment. Renewable sources can be direct (such as solar energy) and indirect (such as biomass): energy of the wood and the other biomass obtained from plants has solar energy fixed by the process of photosynthesis (Chang, 2003). Anaerobic digestion is a process of biodegradation which uses bacteria to convert biomass into energy. Energy is in the form of biogas which is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide which is used for generation of power. Fruit peels are biodegradable in nature and are a potential source for the production of biogas. The fruit peels mainly consist of cellulose, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar, moisture etc these acts as a source of carbon and energy for the microorganisms taking part in the bioconversion and by enzymatic hydrolysis converts the polymeric components of the peels into monomers. The monomers are converted to soluble organic acids mainly acetic acid, (methanogenic bacteria) converts it to methane and carbon-dioxide and various by products. Maishanu and Seekimpi (1988) and Anonymous(1992) observed that microbes require neutral or mild alkaline condition for optimal biogas production. Various parameters such as pH, ratio of substrate: inoculum , temperature affects the production. Materials and Methods The peels of mango, papaya and banana were collected from VIT, were cut into smaller fragments and dried. The moisture content of the various peels was determined by standard method. The peels were grinded, the pulp was prepared and the slurry was prepared in the ratio in accordance to the respective moisture content of the peels. Sieve was done to obtain desired particle size and stored at room temperature. 2litre anaerobic bio-reactor was used to perform the experiment. BMP Test Lab Digester: Experiment was performed in 2 litre anaerobic bioreactor capped with rubber stoppers. Nine reactors were set up and each one was seeded with 20ml of inoculum. For each reactor different cow-dung to peel ratio of (1:2, 1:5, 1:10) were added. The pH was maintained by using alkali. Based on the C/N weight ratio of the peel urea was added to optimize the microbial activity. Nutrients (FeCl3 1g) were added for optimum growth of microbes. Water was added to the reactors after addition of substrates. Reactors were kept at 33-37à Ã‚ ¦C under incubation and the production of gas in each reactor was measured by water displacement method. Analysis The moisture content of the peels, solid content, volatile content and pH were determined by Standard method. Total volume of gas production from various peels was measured at fixed time in each day by water displacement method. Result and Discussion Improper preparation of solids leads to blockage and scum formation: proper milling and dilution ratio of solid is necessary to prevent scum formation and stratification. The C/N ratio (i.e. carbon and nitrogen sources for micro-organisms) should be 25-30:1and the loading rate is varied based on it. The gas production depends on the pH, as a pH of 5 reduced the bacterial population and the activity. Optimum pH for methanogenic microbes was slightly acidic (7-7.2 range). pH can be maintained by removing the carbon-dioxide produced during methanation. Higher temperature increased production but the process becomesunstable due to accumulation of fatty acids. Concentration of the volatile fatty acid in terms of acetic acid should not exceed 2000-3000 mg/l. Stability of the digester depends on carbon-dioxide reduction (either by microbes or artificially) and the accumulation of hydrogen takes place due to the higher production rate of hydrogen than carbon-dioxide reduction rate, it inhibits methanogenesis. Retention time of slurry depends on the dilution ratio, loading rate and digestion temperature. Carbon-dioxide reduces the calorific value of biogas produced hence the gas is passed through lime water to remove carbon-dioxide. Table 1. Various parameters and biogas production rate Sno: Fruit peel used for production Ratio of inoculum to substrate Loading rate of the substrate Volume of flammable gas (stp) in litre. Flammable gas production rate (litre/day). 1. Mango 1:2 1:5 1:10 2. Papaya 1:2 1:5 1:10 3. Banana 1:2 1:5 1:10 Conclusion The analysis of the production rate of biogas from three different fruit peels (mango, papaya, and banana) was done. The process conditions that affect the production of biogas in bioreactor were analysed. The effect of parameters such as pH, temperature, inoculum to substrate ratio, slurry ratio was studied and the problems that occur due to the fluctuation of these parameters during the process of bio-methanation were identified. The solutions for these problems were identified and the implementation of optimized process conditionsand the production rate of biogas from various fruit peels are to be measured and compared.

Welfare Reform - Welfare Recipients MUST take Personal Responsibility E

Welfare Reform - Welfare Recipients MUST take Personal Responsibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Public Welfare is an important support system of the United States government. Welfare has its benefits, but the system has pitfalls. Instead of abolishing welfare as critics of the system suggest, reforms can be made to correct the problems while government, either on the state or federal level, can continue to assist the impoverished.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term welfare is used to describe a variety of programs that provide income support and create a safety net for poor individuals and families. Such benefits include Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, food stamps, housing allowances, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Aid To Families With Dependent Children (AFDC) enables states to provide cash payments to children that are deprived of the care or support of a parent. In terms of welfare reform, this is the program most often discussed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The media has created many myths regarding welfare and the reasons the system should be done away with. Stating that the majority of new welfare recipients are poor, single mothers, claims have been made that poor women have more children because of the incentives of welfare benefits. It has been proven that is no correlation between women's choice to have children and welfare benefit levels. Furthermore, for each additional child, a mother can expect an additional $90 of AFDC benefits, far too low to serve as any type of incentive. In addition, those states that provide higher benefits do not necessarily show higher birth rates among their welfare recipients. Families receiving AFDC benefits have 1.9 children, just about the same as the national average. (ACLU 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another myth created by the media concerns the amount of money spent and the results. It has been said that after spending billions of dollars since the mid-1960's on anti-poverty programs, there have been little or no results. To begin with, spending on AFDC between 1964 and 1994 was only $500 billion, less than 1.5% of federal spending for that period. Further, there have been results. Between 1964 and 1973, the poverty rate fell from 19% to 11%. It is true that since 1973, poverty has increased. This is due to economic forces such as declining real wages, rather than a failure of the system itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A third myth regarding welfare concer... ...People must be held responsible for their actions: economic and moral failures are not society's fault. As Speaker of the House Gingrich said, "We are re-establishing work as an American tradition." (US News & World Report 12)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The welfare system is an important aspect of American society. It assists the impoverished individuals and families of our nation. It helps support the unemployed during their time of need. The welfare system must remain to help people get back on their feet, as it was designed. However, it must be reformed so that dependence on government aid is avoided. Works Cited American Civil Liberties Union: The Civil Liberties Issues of Welfare Reform.  New York: The American Civil Liberties Union, 1995. â€Å"Five Media Myths About Welfare.† Extra 1-3. Hoehn, Richard. Blueprint for Social Justice: Let's Get Real About Welfare.  New Orleans: Twornery Center for Peace Through Justice, 1995. Kaus, Mickey. â€Å"The Revival of Liberalism.† New York Times. 9 August 1996: A27 â€Å"Say You Want A Revolution.† US News and World Report. 9 Oct 1995: 11-14 Schiller, Bradley, â€Å"Why Welfare is Still So Hard To Reform.† Challenge November-December 1995: 16-19

Irregular Warfare

Army is beginning to shape itself for complex irregular warfare. The new Army vision calls for a â€Å"campaign-quality Army- that incorporates both Joint and expeditionary capabilities.This includes the capacity not only to conduct decibels combat operations, but also to sustain operations indefinitely, as well as to adapt Itself to the unexpected and unpredictable, As Army Chief of Staff General Shoemaker puts It, â€Å"The Army preeminent challenge Is to reconcile expeditionary agility and responsiveness with the staying power, durability, and adaptability to carry a conflict to a victorious conclusion no matter what form it eventually takes. This vision is oriented on the more asymmetric adversaries targeted in the war on terror.General Shoemaker focuses on the undetectable and â€Å"morally unconstrained† adversaries who are opposed to the United States and its allies. The Army professes to recognize that its enemies will seek asymmetric approaches that provide shelter in those environments and methods for which we are least prepared. Overcoming this adversary requires the adoption off mindset that Is both expeditionary and Joint. This approach accepts uncertainty about location, the high probability of an austere environment, and the need to fight Immediately upon arrival.It moves the Army from Its current disposition toward predictable enemies to an understanding that the new enemies are elusive and will have to be engaged in the far corners of the world. Appropriately, the individual soldier is the centerpiece for the Army transformation. The Army's pending transformation gives primacy to the warrior ethos, training, and education of â€Å"the ultimate combination of sensor and shooter,† the individual soldier. Its education programs will focus on teaching soldiers how, rather than what, to think, since defeating adaptive enemies requires the Army to outthinking the enemy.The vision statement aptly notes the need for greater agility and versatility, which it says will be gained by emphasizing modularity at the brigade level and combined arms at the lower levels. 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act and the related Initiative to establish U. S. Special Operations Command (COM). 38 Embedded wealth the congressional legislation was the express expectation that the services achieve a higher order of mint cooperation. Additionally, Congress mandated a particular service-like† status for Special Forces to preclude longstanding prejudices against the elite, unconventional, and secretive component of America's arsenal.Congress's insights in this regard have paid significant dividends in the past few years. Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) revealed a remarkable renaissance in operational capability. Small teams of agile warriors quickly established relationships with the leadership of Afghanistan's Northern Alliance and ably applied America's firepower against the Taliban. Subsequently, numerous examples of valor and Im provisation on the fly in Iraq and elsewhere are testimony to the need for and utility of Special Forces.In a world of anarchy, the masters of chaos† provide sophisticated and discriminate means. 39 The Department of Defense has recognized the Importance of this unique arm In the war on terror and assigned COM with a lead role In combating transnational terrorist networks. Coma's end strength has been increased since 1 ,405 members in IFFY, to nearly 53,000 personnel. 40 Army special forces, SEAL teams, and aviation support have albeit increased. During the troubles in Northern Ireland, the arrival of British troops in 1969 was at first welcomed by Roman Catholics.But the army's heavy-handed methods, such as large cordon-and-search operations and the shooting of 13 civilians on Bloody Sunday in 1972, pushed many Catholics into the arms of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Historically, counterinsurgency campaigns have almost always failed. This is especially so when the c ounterinsurgency are foreign troops fighting on the insurgents' territory.

Develop Good Study Habits Essay

During the past few years, students who maintain good study habits are becoming fewer and fewer. Social activities become more important than staying at home and study. Believe me; developing good habits these days are hard. With all the cool new stuff around, who wouldn’t want to skip studying and go explore this stuff? You may have had the habit of â€Å"play first before pay† Students these days consider studying as hassle, even though we’ve been lectured on how education is important to us. You may have realized that it’s time to develop good study habits. It’s never too late to develop good study habits, unless of course, you’re not studying anymore. Development takes time, especially when you’re trying to replace an old habit with a new one, as it turns out, developing good study habits from your former ineffective study habits will be considered as a rehab. When developing good study habits, you have to set time for everything. Plan a daily schedule. With all the activities you need to do such as assignments and projects, you can’t just remember them. Writing them down, and planning when to do it will be the most effective way to remember things. Even though you have a skill in remembering all those things, doing them in all one shot will only bring mediocre results. Also, taking notes in class is important, but we must always take notes with readable font because if you can’t read your notes, it’s pretty much useless. Notes are important; it helps you survive surprise tests, even not so surprising ones. If you’re going to develop good study habits, you should make it a habit of organizing your notes, and flipping over them every once in a while. Another effective thing to do with your notes, is to color code them. You can code them for each subject for example. Also, keep in mind to have a place for them. Making a schedule also helps in students’ main problem – procrastination. Procrastination has been the biggest problem of high school students nowadays. A project will be given a month before, but we do it the week before the deadline which only causes a very stressful week. Just as I have said, you should make it a habit of planning your activities that way you know when to do things. Yes, school is very stressful. But with good study habits, you can survive. Although some habits might affect your health, a very common one is staying up late. Balance is the key to everything. A sufficient amount of rest should equal to a sufficient amount of studying. If one side overtakes the other, it would only result to disaster. Too much studying is just as bad as too much playing. We also need to mind our bodies. Our bodies are the Holy Spirit’s temple. Thus, we must take care of it, and avoid abusing it. High school students consider their high school life as stressful. The fact is, it’s not really that stressful. We only lack the consciousness of balancing our time. Time is everything. It passes by, and it’s gone. Every second that passes is God’s gift so we should use it wisely. Developing good study habits not only gives you excellent grades, but it also helps with stress management. With the habit of carefully planning your activities, you’ll be able to organize your thoughts every time. I. What are good study habits A. Fewer people maintain them during the past years B. It takes time to develop II. How do we develop good study habits A. You should make a daily schedule a. You should write down your activities b. You should give time for everything B. You should organize your notes a. You should color code the notes b. You should have a place for them C. You need to conquer procrastination D. You need to take care of yourself III. Why do we need to develop good study habits A. It helps with stress management B. It organizes your thoughts C. It will yield to satisfying outcome – excellent grades.

The Ecuadorian Story of Cantuña and the Devil

The Ecuadorian Story of Cantuà ±a and the Devil Everyone in Quito, Ecuador, knows the story of Cantuà ±a: it is one of the citys most beloved legends. Cantuà ±a was an architect and builder who made a deal with the Devil †¦ but got out of it through trickery. The Atrium of San Francisco Cathedral In downtown Quito, about two blocks away from the center of the old colonial city, is Plaza San Francisco, an airy plaza popular with pigeons, strollers, and those who want a nice outdoor cup of coffee. The western side of the plaza is dominated by the San Francisco Cathedral, a massive stone building and one of the first churches built in Quito. It’s still open and is a popular place for locals to hear mass. There are different areas of the church, including an old convent and an atrium, which is an open area just inside the cathedral. It is the atrium that is central to the story of Cantuà ±a. Cantuà ±a’s Task According to legend, Cantuà ±a was a native builder and architect of great talent. He was hired by the Franciscans sometime during the early colonial era (construction took more than 100 years but the church was completed by 1680) to design and build the atrium. Although he worked diligently, it was slow going and it soon became apparent that he would not finish the project on time. He wished to avoid this, as he would not be paid at all if it were not ready on a certain date (in some versions of the legend, Cantuà ±a would go to jail if the atrium was not completed on time). A Deal With the Devil Just as Cantuà ±a despaired of completing the atrium on time, the Devil appeared in a puff of smoke and offered to make a deal. The Devil would finish the work overnight and the atrium would be ready on time. Cantuà ±a, of course, would part with his soul. The desperate Cantuà ±a accepted the deal. The Devil called in a large band of worker demons and they spent the whole night building the atrium. A Missing Stone Cantuà ±a was pleased with the work but naturally began to regret the deal he had made. While the Devil was not paying attention, Cantuà ±a leaned over and pried loose a stone out of one of the walls and hid it. As dawn broke on the day the atrium was to be given to the Franciscans, the Devil eagerly demanded payment. Cantuà ±a pointed out the missing stone and claimed that since the Devil had not fulfilled his end of the deal, the contract was void. Foiled, the angry Devil disappeared in a puff of smoke. Variations on the Legend There are different versions of the legend that differ in small details. In some versions, Cantuà ±a is the son of the legendary Inca General Rumià ±ahui, who foiled the Spanish conquistadors by hiding the gold of Quito (also allegedly with the help of the Devil). According to another telling of the legend, it was not Cantuà ±a who removed the loose stone, but an angel sent to help him. In yet another version, Cantuà ±a did not hide the stone once he removed it but instead wrote upon it something to the effect of Whoever picks up this stone acknowledges that God is greater than he. Naturally, the Devil would not pick up the stone and was, therefore, prevented from fulfilling the contract. Visiting San Francisco Church The San Francisco Church and convent are open daily. The cathedral itself is free to visit, but there is a nominal fee to see the convent and museum. Fans of colonial art and architecture will not want to miss it. Guides will even point out a wall inside the atrium that is missing a stone: the very spot where Cantuà ±a saved his soul!