Biography of Sarah Bernhardt, French Actress

Biography of Sarah Bernhardt, French Actress Sarah Bernhardt [born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; October 22,  1844- March 21, 1923] was a French stage and early film actress whose career spanned over 60 years. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, she dominated the world of acting with lead parts in acclaimed plays and motion pictures. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses of all time and one of the first actresses to garner worldwide fame.   Early Life Sarah Bernhardt was born Henriette-Rosine Bernard on October 22, 1844 in Paris. She was the daughter of Julie Bernard, a Dutch courtesan who catered to a wealthy clientele.   Her father has never been identified. At age seven, she was sent to a boarding school where she performed on stage for the first time, playing the role of the Queen of the Fairies in Clothilde. Around the same time, Bernhardts  mother started dating the Duke de Morny, the half-brother of Napoleon III. Affluent and highly influential in Paris society, he would play a key role in the development of Bernhardts acting career. Although Bernhardt was more interested in becoming a nun than an actress, her family decided she should give acting a try. Together with their friend, playwright Alexandre Dumas, they brought Bernhardt to the Comà ©die-Franà §aise, France’s national theater company, for her first theater performance. Moved to tears by the play, Bernhardt was comforted by Dumas, who called her â€Å"my little star. The Duke told her she was destined to act. First Stage Performances In 1860, with the help of Morny’s influence, Bernhardt  was given the chance to audition at the prestigious Paris Conservatory. Coached by Dumas, she recited the fable of The Two Pigeons by La Fontaine and managed to persuade the school’s jury. On August 31,  1862, after two years of acting studies at the conservatory, Bernhardt made her debut in Racine’s Iphigà ©nie at the Comà ©die-Francaise. Playing the title role, she suffered from stage fright and rushed through her lines. Despite the nervous debut, she continued to perform and played Henrietta in Molià ©re’s Les Femmes Savantes and the title role in Scribe’s Valà ©rie. She didn’t manage to impress the critics and after a slapping incident with another actress, Bernhardt was asked to leave the theater. In 1864, after a brief affair with a Belgian prince, Bernhardt  gave birth to her only child, Maurice. In order to support herself and her son, she accepted minor roles at the melodrama theater Port-Saint-Martin and was eventually hired by the director of the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre de lÓdà ©on. There, she would spend the next 6 years establishing herself and developing a reputation as a leading actress.  Ã‚   Career Highlights and the Rise of Motion Pictures In 1868, Bernhardt had her breakthrough performance as Anna Damby in Dumas’  Kean. She received a standing ovation and was instantly given a salary raise. Her next successful performance was in Franà §ois Coppà ©e’s Le Passant, in which  she played the part of the troubadour boy- the first of her many male roles. During the subsequent  decades, Bernhardt’s career flourished. Upon returning to the Comà ©die-Franà §aise in 1872, she starred in some of the most demanding roles of the time, including lead parts in Voltaire ´s Zaire and Racine’s Phà ©dre, as well as Junie in Britannicus, also by Racine. In 1880, Bernhardt accepted an offer to tour the United States, which would be the first of many international stage tours of her career. After two years of touring, Bernhardt returned to Paris and purchased the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre de la Renaissance, where she operated as artistic director and lead actress until 1899.   At the turn of the century, Bernhardt became one of the first actresses to star in motion pictures. After starring  in the two-minute film Le Duel d’Hamlet, she went on to act in La Tosca in 1908 and La Dame aux Camelias. However,  it was her portrayal of Elizabeth I in the 1912 silent film The Loves of Queen Elizabeth that truly made her rise to international acclaim. Later Life and Death In 1899, Bernhardt signed a lease with the city of Paris to renovate and manage the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre des Nations. She renamed it Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre Sarah Bernhardt and opened the theater with a revival of La Tosca, followed by her other major successes:  Phà ©dre, Theodora, La Dame aux Camà ©lias, and Gismonda. Throughout the early 1900s, Bernhardt made a number of farewell tours around the globe, including Canada, Brazil, Russia, and Ireland. In 1915, years after a knee  accident, Bernhardt suffered from an infection related to the injury and her leg was ultimately amputated. Refusing an artificial leg, Bernhardt continued to act on stage, with scenes being specifically arranged to suit her needs. In 1921, Bernhardt made her final tour around France. The following year, on the night of the dress rehearsal for the play Un Sujet de Roman, Bernhardt collapsed and went into a coma. She spent months recovering and her health slowly improved, but on March 21, 1923, while suffering from kidney failure, Bernhardt collapsed again and passed away in her son’s arms. She was 78. Legacy Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre Sarah Bernhardt was managed by her son Maurice until his death in 1928. It was later renamed Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre de la Ville. In 1960, Bernhardt was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bernhardts vibrant and dramatic performances in so many iconic roles captivated audiences and critics all over the world. Her successful transition from stage to screen further established Bernhardt as one of the most celebrated actresses in theater and film history. Sarah Bernhardt Fast Facts Full Name:  Henriette-Rosine BernardKnown As: Sarah BernhardtOccupation: ActressBorn:  October 22,  1844 in Paris, FranceParents Names: Julie Bernard; father unknownDied: March 21, 1923 in Paris, FranceEducation: Studied acting at the Paris Conservatory  Spouses Name: Jacques Damala (1882-1889)Childs Name: Maurice BernhardtKey Accomplishments: Bernhardt was one of the most successful actresses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She toured the world, successfully transitioned from stage to screen and back again, and managed her own theater (Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre Sarah Bernhardt). Sources and Further Reading Verneuil,  Louis. The Fabulous Life of Sarah Bernhardt. London, Harper brothers; Fourth Edition, 1942.Gold, Arthur  and Fizdale, Robert. Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt. Knopf; First edition, 1991.Skinner, Cornelia Otis. Madame Sarah. Houghton-Mifflin, 1967.Tierchant, Hà ©là ¨ne. Madame Quand mà ªme. Editions Tà ©là ©maque, 2009.

Referring to Ages in Spanish

Referring to Ages in Spanish In Spanish, stating a persons age is done by indicating how many years a person has rather than stating how old that person is. The most common way of stating someones age in Spanish is using a form of the phrase tener _____ aà ±os. For example, to say Laura is 26 years old, say Laura tiene 26 aà ±os.In general, you shouldnt omit aà ±os, the word for year.Other units of time, such as meses for months or dà ­as, can be used instead of aà ±os when appropriate. Using Tener for Ages The Spanish idiom for expressing a persons age is tener ___ aà ±os. Tener is the verb for to have, and un aà ±o is a year. Tengo catorce aà ±os.  (I am 14 years old.)Mi madre tiene cincuenta aà ±os.  (My mother is 50 years old.)Yo tenà ­a 31 aà ±os, casado y padre de un hijo.  (I was 31 years old, married and the father of a son.)Para el aà ±o 2025, uno de cada tres habitantes de la isla tendr 65 aà ±os o ms.  (In the year 2025, one out of three inhabitants of the island will be 65 or older.) ¿Cuntos aà ±os tienes?  (How old are you?) To ask a persons age, you also could ask:  ¿Quà © edad tienes? (Edad is the word for age.) In contrast with English, in Spanish you normally cannot leave out  aà ±os, unless the word has been used previously and the context makes clear what is meant. An example of where the word could be omitted would be a sentence such as this: Tengo veinte aà ±os, y mi hermano tiene quince. (I am 20 years old, and my brother is 15.) The equivalent of the phrase at ____ years of age is a la edad de ___ aà ±os or a los ___ aà ±os de edad. The words de edad are frequently omitted, perhaps more often than not. Thus a statement such as at the age of 30 she was rich and famous could be translated any of these ways: A los treinta aà ±os era rica y famosa. (This would be the most likely to be said.)A la edad de treinta aà ±os era rica y famosa.A los treinta aà ±os de edad era rica y famosa. Variations on Using Ages Although aà ±os is the most common unit of time with ages, others can also be used. Also, the same rules are applied to the ages of animals and things as with people. Mi bebà © tiene tres meses. (My baby is three months old.)Se dice que Matusalà ©n tenà ­a m 900 aà ±os. (It is said that Methusela was more than 900 years old.)Esta casa tiene tres siglos. (This house is three centuries old.)Mi perrito tiene 15 dà ­as. (My puppy is 15 days old.) Past Tenses and Ages When speaking about ages in the past, the imperfect tense normally is used. Use of the preterite suggests the time when someone turned a certain age. See how the verb choice affects the meaning of these sentences: El atleta tomà ³ esteroides cuando tenà ­a 18 aà ±os. (The athlete took steroids when he was 18 years old. Tenà ­a is in the imperfect tense.)Cuando el estudiante tuvo 18 aà ±os, una psiquiatra le diagnosticà ³ con esquizofrenia. (When the student turned 18, a psychiatrist diagnosed him with schizophrenia. Tuvo is in the preterite tense.) Phrases Referring to Age Phrases shown in boldface are frequently used in referring to those of various ages: Investigan la muerte de una anciana por negligencia en un hospital. (They are investigating the death of an old woman because of negligence in a hospital.)Los alimentos contaminados son una amenaza para los nià ±os de corta edad. (Contaminated foods are a danger for young children.)A muchas personas de edad avanzada les disminuye el apetito. (Many older people have a reduced appetite.)En Gran Bretaà ±a la presià ³n para descender la edad de consentimiento tiene mucha fuerza. (In Great Britain the pressure to reduce the age of consent is very strong.)La edad del pavo se convierte en la etapa en que los padres son considerados por sus hijos como los ms insoportables e incomprensibles. (The awkward age becomes the stage at which parents are considered by their children to be the most unbearable and difficult to understand. Edad del pavo, literally the age of a turkey, is generally considered to be the preadolescent years, approximately from 11 to 13.)Estudios habà ­an mostrado que u na persona se sentà ­a de mediana edad cuando tenà ­a alrededor de 36 aà ±os. (Studies have shown that a person feels middle-aged at around 36 years old.) Uno de los asaltantes es menor de edad. (One of the assailants is a minor.)Los ejercicios de natacià ³n son excelentes para la tercera edad. (Swimming excercises are excellent for senior citizens.)

Smoking Cessation Among Nursing Students at a Local University Research Paper

Smoking Cessation Among Nursing Students at a Local University - Research Paper Example Therefore, the study secondarily aims to determine a suitable goal rate for this population considering nurses are already meeting the national objective. Problem Statement There is considerable research available regarding the ill health effects of smoking. In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that five million people were killed – more than HIV/AIDS, or malaria together. Further, they reported that it is â€Å"the single most preventable cause of death in the world today† (WHO, 2008). Healthy People 2020, a report by the Surgeon General, suggest that a paramount objective regarding smoking is to implement policies to reduce tobacco use and initiation among youth and adults (HealthyPeople.gov, 2011). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services state that smoking cessation programs have been proven to work (2011). Currently, Nameless University does not have a smoking cessation program in place. In order to remove the access barrier that currently exists, a pilot study will test whether a smoking cessation program is feasible and effective to employ long-term. Purpose of the Study The overall purpose of this study is to encourage nursing students who smoke to cease smoking before they enter the medical workforce. Initially, this will be a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of the health promotion smoking cessation program. Additional pilot study goals include the following: (1) To study the outcomes by participants during and after health promotion training. (2) To study whether the implementation of the health promotion smoking cessation program achieved its objectives. (3) To study the factors and conditions affecting the success of the smoking cessation program. If the... This paper approves that the issue of smoking among nursing students has attracted attention throughout the world. It is important for nurse faculty to recognize the scope of the problem and to lend support to programs designed to promote smoking cessation. Nurse faculty possess knowledge and skills regarding health promotion, and they should consider working collaboratively with student health service personnel to promote smoking cessation on their respective campuses. Research suggests that many college students want to quit smoking. Faculty should seize opportunities to support students in this effort and to raise awareness of services available to help student smokers quit. The relatively less-encouraging smoking data among nursing students suggest the need to promote tobacco education and intervention efforts in this population. This report makes a conclusion that health professional schools, public health organisations and education officials should discourage tobacco use among health professionals and work together to design and implement programmes that train all health professionals in effective cessation counselling techniques. Given the concerns as to tobacco smoking of students who are supposed to be advocates for healthy lifestyle, further investigations could be of help to determine why student nurses do not want to cease their smoking habits. The formulation of an internationally standardized explanation for tobacco smoking among this demographic may be of use to help standardize succeeding researches on cigarette smoking.

ETHICS (Effective Technical and Human Implementation of Essay

ETHICS (Effective Technical and Human Implementation of Computer-supported Systems) Coursework Assignment Case - Essay Example There are only slightly differentiations made on the initial booking system – as being established in the firm in 1998. Now, 10 years after the weaknesses of the specific system have become obvious. The system does not include features that allow its users to proceed fast with each booking. As a result delays are noticed in the completion of bookings in the firm’s various departments. A new booking system is required the soonest possible. Current booking system is also unable to help the firm’s employees with the cross references in data held in the central database. As a result, important details on the clients’ health are often ignored. The main reason for the system’s failure is believed to be the fact that there is only one central point of booking – established in the booking office. However, the computers in the firm’s various departments should also offer access to the clients’ booking details – there is no way for the firm’s employees to be informed on existing bookings. Delays in the process of the clients’ booking details are also a common phenomenon with the firm’s current booking system. The improvement of the firm’s booking process could be achieved only by the replacement of existed system – by an appropriately customized IS. The main features of the suggested system will be: a) all the firm’s computers will have access to the booking details of the firm’s customers – in case that there is a need for changing these details then this task will be performed through the computer of the firm’s booking office, b) reports will be delivered for the firm’s employees, c) there will be no issue of delivering a false report on client (cross – reference of data). The performance of the new system will be based on specific criteria. The production of accurate reports on the

Thats Life in the Big City Essay Example for Free

Thats Life in the Big City Essay An implied warranty of habitability is a warranty set forth by law in respect to all residential leases in a way to ensure that the premises are fit and conducive for human habitation. In addition the warranty is aimed at ensuring that the condition of the premise remains fit and habitable throughout the duration of the lease. The landlord- tenant law in regard to warranty of habitability is very useful because it imposes certain duties that are supposed to be adhered to by the two parties. Such obligations on the part of the landlord include maintenance of the premises in habitable conditions such as providing adequate weather proofing, available heat, water, electricity, and clean sanitary condition (Bright Gilbert, 1995). If these conditions are not met the tenant can seek for legal intervention justification as defined by the tenant defensive act. Even though there are no definite rules regarding to how the landlord was supposed to carry out the maintenance, the landlord should have been responsible for repair of any defects in the rental unit and comply with state and local building health regulations. Being a residential lease between a landlord and a tenant the landlord should have ensured that the he leased property is fit to live in. This means that the leased property should be safe and sanitary for other human being and also to the people who are leaving in that premise. The conditions that violate the implied warranty of habitability vary depending on the nature of the violation and the cause of the violation. In this case, the landlord had violated the implied warranty of habitability by failing to provide timely repair on faulty air conditioning and heating system. As required by the law, when a tenant identifies existence of uninhabitable conditions he is supposed to notify the landlord in time an act which Bill and Ted did. However, the problem comes in the part failure of the landlord to carry out these repairs in time. Therefore it was unreasonable for the landlord to take more than one month to repair the defect. In this case, the landlord did not put into consideration the uninhabitable conditions a factor which could have necessitated for specific actions to be taken by the tenants. For example the tenants can decide to move out and terminate the lease or repair and deduct the cost incurred in the process of repairing the inhabitable conditions from their rent (Koster, 2006). The tenant can also decide to sue for the damages or either sues to force the landlord make the repairs. Therefore landlords should consider the importance of the warranty of habitability and its application to its property. Since Bill and Ted have rented an apartment and they have paid the landlord a security deposit, the landlord should take up any issues responding to the property management and ensure that Bill and Ted are living well under his property. Any issue that arises as a result of the property management should be regarded considered with urgency and possible measures be carried out. In this case, the landlord does not play his role in property management and he fails to take any meaningful measures or either look upon complains of these tenants in time. Since Bill and Ted had notified the landlord and the superintendent had assured them of a timely repair, they had every reason to believe his word. However, the repair took more than necessary time. The landlord should have compensated them for the disturbances the incurred when they moved out yet they had paid for the apartment. The landlord portrays neglect on his part since he knew that the weather was worsening yet he failed to provide fans for them. In essence the landlord never responded to their request. This is seen when the temperatures fell and the water boiler broke down as well as the pipes froze and the two were left without water. Therefore, according to the warranty of habitability, the rental property is supposed to be safe on the dwelling for human beings. In such a case Bill and Ted should file for a breach of implied warranty of habitability. In case of the uninhabitable conditions such as the one that Bill and Ted faced, after the landlord has been notified immediately about the uninhabitable condition, it is the responsibility of the landlord to respond by making changes within the next thirty days or within a reasonable time given to him depending on the nature of defect. As for Ted and Bill, if the landlord does not respond to the changes of the uninhabitable conditions then they are allowed to move out and terminate the lease. This is because the landlord is unable to make the repairs within a reasonable time. They have a liberty of deciding to move out and terminate the lease. They are also allowed to repair and deduct there repair cost from the next months rent but they should consider on the amount it would cost (Nandorf Nassif, 2008). This is possible especially when the damaged property would not cost much to repair compared to the house rent. Therefore, before the tenant repairs the damages considering the value and the cost of repairing s very important, the tents might also decide to move out the house and terminate the lease. In either case the tenants may also decide to sue the landlord for the damages from the date of the landlord’s acknowledged of the poor condition. They can also decide to sue and force the landlord to make repairs through a court order which would force the landlord to make the repairs. Even though the court is capable of utilizing this option, it is an expensive task because it requires court supervision to ensure the repairs are carried out. The implied warranty of habitability cannot be waived and since the landlord was notified about the extent of the uninhabitable condition on the rented house and no action were taken immediately. Therefore, Bill and Ted should take immediate actions on the landlord’s inactivity. A legal action against the landlord is one of the remedial actions that the tenants should which would see him compelled by the court to repair the damages that have occurred. In summary, Bill and Ted may decide to sue for the damages incurred since the day that the landlord was notified about the breach of warranty of habitability. This is on the basis that the inhabitable condition reduces the value and comfort of the rented premises on fair market rental values. Since the landlord has not responded to the issues regarding the damages from the tenants, the tenants may also consider repairing and deducting the cost from the next month’s rent.This is one of the easiest methods because the landlord had overlooked the duty of repairing the damaged property. References Bright, S and Gilbert, G. (1995). Landlord and Tenant Law: The nature of Tenancies. Oxford: Clarendron press Koster, K. (2006). The Landlord- Tenant Law: General obligations of Landlords and Tenants. Retrieved on 9 July 2010 from http://ago. mo. gov/publications/landlordtenant. htm Nondorf, K and Nassif, T (2008). Tenant Remedies. Retrieved on 9 July 2010 from http://images. jw. com/com/publications/963. pdf

Physics in Computer Games :: Physics video games computer

Physics is one of the key elements of any computer game or animation. This is especially true, when it comes to 3D environments. Physics applies to every aspect of the real world, from how objects act on each other through obvious collisions down to the more in depth conservation of energies and momentums. These same concepts apply to Computer Generated Environments (CGE). 3D CGEs always require a few key laws to be followed in order for them to look at least somewhat realistic. Without at least implementing these simple physics concepts, the interaction of polygons will look unrealistic. Polygons can easily be treated as simple masses, and thus, applying physic law to them is simple. One of the most important laws that must be followed is the Law of gravity. Without gravity, objects will either simply float about aimlessly. Making objects stick to the ground isn't a solution, or falling objects would hit the ground instantaneously, and it would look pretty terrible. The Laws of gravity must be followed. Second, the three laws of Newton must be followed. They describe the way that forces act on objects. The 3 laws simplified are as follows: 1. Velocity remains constant unless a force acts on the object. 2. Sum of the forces equals the product of the mass and its acceleration. 3. For every action, there is an equal reaction, just opposite in direction. Third, are the conservations. This includes Conservation of Momentum, Conservation of Energy, and Conservation of Torque. This page wont get into the latter, since it isn't really necessary for CGEs. To get more information about any of these Physics concepts and laws and how they apply to 3D CGEs, use the menu to browse the rest of the site. Have Fun! Don't hurt yourself, and keep an eye out for an easter egg. Gravity is one of those things that simply has to exist. A CGE that lacks gravity will more than likely have some other form of keeping objects together and on a plane, such as simply making all the objects stick to the ground. This isn't the best way to go about doing this. Gravity would create a much more realistic emulation of reality. Sure, objects simply tied to the ground can work, but if these objects were to fall, then the fall would have to be pre-rendered, or sequenced. A simple change in the height from which an object falls, and this wouldn't look realistic. The object would look as if fell too quickly, or the environment would be limited to set height increases. Physics in Computer Games :: Physics video games computer Physics is one of the key elements of any computer game or animation. This is especially true, when it comes to 3D environments. Physics applies to every aspect of the real world, from how objects act on each other through obvious collisions down to the more in depth conservation of energies and momentums. These same concepts apply to Computer Generated Environments (CGE). 3D CGEs always require a few key laws to be followed in order for them to look at least somewhat realistic. Without at least implementing these simple physics concepts, the interaction of polygons will look unrealistic. Polygons can easily be treated as simple masses, and thus, applying physic law to them is simple. One of the most important laws that must be followed is the Law of gravity. Without gravity, objects will either simply float about aimlessly. Making objects stick to the ground isn't a solution, or falling objects would hit the ground instantaneously, and it would look pretty terrible. The Laws of gravity must be followed. Second, the three laws of Newton must be followed. They describe the way that forces act on objects. The 3 laws simplified are as follows: 1. Velocity remains constant unless a force acts on the object. 2. Sum of the forces equals the product of the mass and its acceleration. 3. For every action, there is an equal reaction, just opposite in direction. Third, are the conservations. This includes Conservation of Momentum, Conservation of Energy, and Conservation of Torque. This page wont get into the latter, since it isn't really necessary for CGEs. To get more information about any of these Physics concepts and laws and how they apply to 3D CGEs, use the menu to browse the rest of the site. Have Fun! Don't hurt yourself, and keep an eye out for an easter egg. Gravity is one of those things that simply has to exist. A CGE that lacks gravity will more than likely have some other form of keeping objects together and on a plane, such as simply making all the objects stick to the ground. This isn't the best way to go about doing this. Gravity would create a much more realistic emulation of reality. Sure, objects simply tied to the ground can work, but if these objects were to fall, then the fall would have to be pre-rendered, or sequenced. A simple change in the height from which an object falls, and this wouldn't look realistic. The object would look as if fell too quickly, or the environment would be limited to set height increases.

On North Korea’s refusal to give up its nukes

About whether or not North Korea's nuclear arms program and development capabilities are substantial to be regarded as a threat. Now that the cat's out of the bag, it seems that the communist state has no plans of letting go of its arsenal, despite numerous calls and threats of sanctions from other countries, like the United States, Japan and China. Since North Korea is a very poor country, posting resistance to the world powerhouses does not appear to be the most   prudent choice, especially since the government needs to maintain congenial relationships with its trade partners to stay afloat. However, it appears that Kim Jong Il has a more important and higher end in mind. Thus, we present this question: What factors explain North Korea's vehement and continued resistance to calls for the discontinuation of its nuclear weapons program? The North Korean nuclear weapons program was established in the 1960s under the assistance of the then-power USSR. Unfortunately, its nuke plans were doused in the wake of the Cold War, particularly following the decline of the Soviet powerr. This did not stop North Korea from pursuing its goal, developing and launching the 20-megawatt thermal reactor in 1986. Nobody really knew to what extent North Korea's nuke capabilities had reached, but intelligence analysts had estimated that the country had enough plutonium to make several warheads. How much, nobody could say — and the mystery had started to become a cause for alarm. So, when they finally declared that they, indeed, have weapons of mass destruction, the international community thought it best to intervene. Has the US lost its credibility as a key world force in this situation? For North Korea, perhaps. The fact that the US was found to have manipulated intelligence about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq had made observers dubious about its claims that North Korea's nuclear capabilities were on highly destructive and potentially abusive levels. In addition, US President George W. Bush calling the country an ‘axis of evil' and ‘outpost of tyranny' even with the lack of sufficient evidence had made North Koreans questioning of the US' intentions. In fact, it has been aid that North Korea's nuclear abilities are what deter other more powerful countries from taking advantage of it. Economy: North Korea is a poor nation. Thus, it is using its leverage against trade partners in order to get better exchange deals and extract maximum values. Its weapons of mass destruction is it bargaining chip. Also, given the US' predisposition to abuse its power, North Korea is using its arsenal as security insurance. Another possible factor is that Kim Jong Il intends to make a huge mark as a political leader and be identified as the leader that secured for the country economic security and world fame. In the end, we can say that North Korea refuses to give up its nuke arsenal because, more than pleasing the rest of the world, it is aimed at making sure it is benefitting at the highest possible level. North Korea has gone too far behind the rest of the world to give up the one thing that gives it leverage now. Other countries might find it appalling — a threat; that North Korea might consider taking over the world with its nukes; and other horror stories. It could be so. However, it could also be a grand attempt at keeping the country alive. North Korea has survived years operating independently and it is not likely to back down now. When we really look deep into the issue and see it from North Korea's vantage point, it is a noble act. BIBLIOGRAPHY Norris, Roberts and Hans M. Kristensen. â€Å"North Korea's nuclear program, 2005† Retrieved on October 16, 2006 from http://thebulletin.org/article_nn.php?art_ofn=mj05norris. â€Å"World regrets North Korea's quitting nuke talks†. Retrieved on October 16, 2006 from http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/nkorea.talks/index.html ; ;

The Relationships Between Human Health and Agriculture

Spedding (1988) defines agriculture as â€Å"an activity (of Man), carried out primarily to produce food and fibre (and fuel, as well as many other materials) by the deliberate and controlled use of (mainly terrestrial) plants and animals†1. Inherent in this definition is the importance of agriculture and its impact on the lives of virtually all human beings around the world. Through their ability to control and cultivate whole biological systems for their own purposes and survival, agriculture can be regarded as one of the most revolutionary and distinguishing aspects of mankind. Read also Six Dimensions of Health Worksheet In this way, it is also directly linked to human welfare, and one can explore the way advances in the two domains affect one another, building up to an almost symbiotic relationship between human health and agriculture. Even with a cursory thought, there is a significant link between agriculture and human health. Raeburn insists that the main contribution to human welfare is food, and that mankind depends on almost all supplies on agriculture2. Indeed, humans as heterotrophic organisms are dependent on the intake and digestion of organic substances as a source of energy, required for maintaining basic metabolic activities as well as providing chemical energy. These organic substances are what we normally refer to as food, but also essential are the various by-products of agriculture, the main ones being â€Å"food, fibre, and raw materials for industrial use†3 used in our everyday lives to increase our comfort (e. g. otton and wool used for the production of warm clothes). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity†4. This definition allows us to tackle the impact of agriculture on human health from a number of different perspectives. Undoubtedly, the most significant agricultural products contributing to the ‘absence of infirmity or illness' in human beings are alimentary produc ts. Read this Ch. 22 Respiratory System The fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, meat, milk, produced by cultivation, contain vitamins and minerals as well as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, which are indispensable to maintain a healthy, functioning organism. For example, Vitamin C and E (mainly found in fruits and vegetables) act as powerful antioxidants, protecting cells from foreign toxins and pollutants, as well as cancer-causing agents. Calcium, abundant in dairy products and some green leafy vegetables, is responsible for strong bones and teeth, as well as helping nerve conduction and muscle contraction. They provide a source of fibre as well, which lowers blood cholesterol levels and is believed to prevent certain forms of colon cancer. Of these micronutrients, a majority are not normally produced by our bodies, hence they must be acquired through diet. According to a recent report from the FAO/WHO Expert Report on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, most populations are still falling short of the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. An estimated 2. 7 million people die each year from the risks related to low fruit and vegetable intake5. Low fruit and vegetable intake also affects one's risks of being affected by Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), such as weakened immune systems, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and various cancers. The total world population has grown from just under 2 billion to about 6. 2 billion in a mere century6. Read also Intro to Public Relations Notes This is attributed in part to certain technological innovations in the agricultural domain during the 1950s, collectively referred to as â€Å"The Green Revolution†, Through utilization of high-yield crops, irrigation and controlled water supply, and fertilizers and pesticides, the world is producing more food than ever before, mainly by maximizing the output from every hectare of soil. Major arable crops such as rice, wheat, and corn have been experimented on, for they germinate earlier and grow quicker, allowing the harvest of two or three crops a year. New varieties are constantly being developed, which have led up to a 30% increase in maximum yield, as well as more resistant varieties of crops (e. g. wheat which has become resistant to rust and mildew). Chickens and pigs yield twice as much meat and dairy cows twice as much milk as they did 60 years ago, argues Lomborg. An increased interest in irrigation and water control has allowed drier areas to cultivate their fair share of crops, as well as increasing soil fertility in some areas of the world and increase the harvesting opportunities. Indeed, irrigated land makes up only 18% of the world's total agricultural landmass, but contributes to 40% of the Earth's food7. Fertilizers and pesticides have also proved indispensable for plant growth and warding off disease-causing insects. The Green Revolution is provides evidence of the positive contribution of agriculture to human health and welfare: food quantity and quality produced have increased, making it feasible for the agricultural domain to keep up with the nutritional needs of a rapidly increasing population. A more tragic example of human dependency on proper agricultural methods is the Irish Potato Blight of 1845 to1847. Whitlock (1965) describes how the popularity of potatoes as a farm crop, after having found their way to Ireland originally from South America through Spain, started to increase, for it was a cheap crop perfectly suited to the needs of a newly urbanized population. Consequently, the Irish population rose from 1 500 000 to 4 000 000 habitants in the course of the eighteenth century. However, the working class' over-dependency on a potato-based diet resulted in the severe famine that followed the widespread infection of the potato crops by the fungi Phytophthera infestans. The severe famine over the following years and caused a decline of about 1 622 739 Irish citizens between 1841 and 1851 due to the destruction of the staple food supply of the Irish. The physical and social well being of humans is affected by agriculture both at the consumer level, as well as that of the farmers themselves. Farmers and their families face numerous risks working at the farm, such as zoonoses, overexposure to chemical substances, hearing loss, as well as dangers on the farm. Consumers on the other hand, face more indirect risks of chemical residues and quality of food produced. Farmers may be exposed to zoonoses, diseases transferable from animals to humans. These diseases have captured society's attention often over the course of the past few years, mostly due to notorious examples such as the human variant of BSE (bovine spongioform encephalopathy), the Creutzfield-Jacob disease, even though in the period of 1981-85 they contributed to only 4% of all fatal accidents in agriculture8. Examples also include Farmer's Lung, a respiratory condition caused by inhalation of fungal spores from mouldy feed or litter, responsible for an allergic reaction in the alveoli and breathing difficulties. Other dangers of normal farm labour include risks of physical injury when working with complicated equipment, like tractors. In 1981-85, about 30% of fatal accidents in agriculture were caused by self-propelled machines, and a further 13% by other field machines9. In addition, hearing loss or permanent ‘ringing' may occur if working in a tractor for long periods of time without ear protection, for the normal noise level is about 95-105 dB. Possibly, labouring in the agricultural sector is much tougher than most careers in the service sector, contributing to a higher risk of physical exhaustion and stress, as well as technical risks from different machines. Farmers also risk suffering from depression and marginalization, as well as large differences in income. The number of farmers has decreased dramatically over the last century, and it in this way that social exclusion and depression may threaten farmers, especially in the developed countries where the proportion of working population employed in agriculture makes up only around 3%10, and decreasing constantly. Risks for the potential consumer include exposure to chemical residues, mostly from herbicides and pesticides used in the production. After the initial enthusiasm following the success of increased use of fertilizers and pesticides during the Green Revolution, internationally accepted quality standards have been set up in attempt to minimize health hazards of pesticide use, such as the WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES). Some famous examples of potentially toxic chemicals are DDT and paraquat. DDT, a neurotoxic, has been associated with serious damage to the CNS, as well as reproductive abnormalities, in both humans and other organisms. An investigation carried out on a group of men in close contact with DDT at work showed that they appeared to have a decreased fertility rate; in addition, a higher rate of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and congenital effects were prevalent amongst their offspring11. Indeed, the use of DDT was banned in 1972 in the USA, due to excessive use and its persistence in the environment and fatty tissues in humans and other animals. Paraquat, an organochlorine herbicide, is admitted to be generally safe provided certain precautions are taken, but at the same time it is considered to be highly toxic. Its effects can be quite hazardous, from lung scarring, kidney and heart failure, and carcinogenic risks in the long run, as well as skin irritation, nosebleeds, and eye injury resulting from non-lethal long term exposure. As is the case with many pesticide residues, when consumers are exposed to minute amounts of the substance over a long time period, the chronic effects may have quite a devastating impact on not only human health, but that of other organisms and the environment too. However, it seems reasonable to say that their use in the recent decades has greatly increased yields of the major crops like corn, wheat, and rice, contributing to an increase in the average daily calorie intake of populations, especially in developing countries12. It may be that usage of pesticides and herbicides proves to be more beneficial than harmful to the human population in the long run, for an increase in yield contributes to a decrease in price of fruit and vegetable produce, essential to our health as we have seen in the previous paragraphs. Lomborg (2001) points out that carsinogenic properties of various pesticides and chemicals have been greatly exaggerated by the press, given that in reality, deaths from pesticide-originating cancers have been found to be less than 1% of all cancer-derived deaths. The last century has seen mankind blessed with many inventions and technological advances which have allowed him to even further manipulate and control the world and mechanisms surrounding him. The agricultural domain has also had its fair share of innovations, which have allowed it to become more efficient, more intensive, and more productive. These advances, such as the development of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and machinery to improve crop yields, appear beneficial to agricultural production, promoting both quality and quantity of food produced. Worries over human health have also reached the point where agriculture is constantly being driven to more intense measures and inventions to increase yield and quality to the products. However, new as these techniques are, their thorough impacts on human health cannot yet be fully assessed. Most techniques affect us strictly through the food we choose to eat, but some may also involve by-products which are harmful to the environment, thus indirectly affecting our health, as well as that of other organisms and the environment. Thus, we can say that the impact of agriculture on human health is significant. The varied, and often direct relationships that exist between agriculture and our welfare demonstrate to what extent it is present in different areas our everyday lives. Each and every human being on the planet is somehow affected by agriculture, for its main contribution is food, indispensable for our health and survival (not to forget other important raw materials). Through the evolution of cultivating land into a wholly organized form of profit-making business, the 20th century has seen the development of agribusiness. We can even consider the relationship between human health and agriculture as being a symbiotic one, where human health works as a guiding force of agricultural innovations, while problems encountered with certain agricultural techniques, methods, and products result in a continuous quest for new solutions to improve the state of human health and agriculture overall. Albeit much progress into human welfare and how to further increase it through output of improved food materials, numerous controversies still exist as to whether too much importance is being attributed to purely human interests, in the place of more global and environmental ones. Humans must find a compromise between their own welfare interests and those of animal welfare and environmental problems if the expansion and popularity of agricultural innovations is to continue in the future.

The Tudors - The Tudor Dynasty of England

The Tudors - The Tudor Dynasty of England The Tudors are the most famous English royal dynasty, their name remaining at the forefront of European history thanks to films and television. Of course, the Tudors wouldn’t feature in the media without something to grab people’s attention, and the Tudors - Henry VII, his son Henry VIII and his three children Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth, only broken by the nine-day rule of Lady Jane Grey - comprise two of England’s most famous monarchs, and three of the most highly regarded, each with plenty of fascinating, sometimes inscrutable, personality. The Tudors are also important for their actions as much as their reputations. They ruled England during the era when Western Europe moved from the medieval to the early modern, and they instituted changes in government administration, the relationship between crown and people, the image of the monarchy and the way people worshiped. They also oversaw a golden age of English writing and exploration. They represent both a golden age (a term still in use as a recent film about Elizabeth I showed) and an era of infamy, one of the most divisive families in Europe. Origins of the Tudors The history of the Tudors can be traced back to the thirteenth century, but their rise to prominence began in the fifteenth. Owen Tudor, a Welsh landowner, fought in the armies of King Henry V of England. When Henry died, Owen married the widow, Catherine of Valois, and then fought in the service of her son, Henry VI. At this time, England became divided by a struggle for the English throne between two dynasties, Lancastrian and York, called The Wars of the Roses. Owen was one of Henry VI’s Lancastrians; after the battle of Mortimer’s Cross, a Yorkist victory, Owen was executed. Taking the Throne Owen’s son, Edmund, was rewarded for his family’s service by being raised to the Earl of Richmond by Henry VI. Crucially for his later family, Edmund married Margaret Beaufort, great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III, a tenuous but vital claim to the throne. Edmund’s only child Henry Tudor  led a rebellion against King Richard III and defeated him at Bosworth Field, taking the throne himself as a descendant of Edward III. Henry, now Henry VII, married the heir to the House of York, effectively ending the Wars of the Roses. There would be other rebels, but Henry stayed secure. Henry VII Having defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, gained parliamentary approval and married a member of his rival family, Henry was crowned king. He took part in diplomatic negotiations to secure his position, making agreements at both home and abroad, before instituting a reform of government, increasing royal administrative control and improving the royal finances. On his death, he left a stable kingdom and a wealthy monarchy. He had fought hard politically to establish himself and his family against the doubters and bring England together behind him. He has to go down as a major success but one totally overshadowed by his son and grandchildren. Henry VIII The most famous English monarch of all, Henry VIII is best known for his six wives, the result of a desperate drive to produce healthy male heirs to carry the Tudor dynasty forward. Another consequence of this need was the English Reformation, as Henry split the English Church away from the Pope and Catholicism in order to divorce. Henry’s reign also saw the emergence of the Royal Navy as a powerful force, changes in government which bound the monarch tighter to parliament, and perhaps the apogee of personal rule in England. He was succeeded by his only surviving son, Edward VI. Its the wives that capture the headlines, particularly as two were executed and the religious developments divided England for centuries, leading to a question that just cannot be agreed upon: was Henry VIII a tyrant, a great leader, or somehow both? Edward VI The son which Henry VI much desired, Edward inherited the throne as a boy and died only six years later, his reign having been dominated by two ruling councilors, Edward Seymour, and then John Dudley. They carried on the Protestant Reformation, but Edward’s strong Protestant faith has led to speculation he’d have carried things further if he had lived. He is the great unknown in English history and could have changed the future of the nation in remarkable ways, such was the era. Lady Jane Grey Lady Jane Grey is the great tragic figure of the Tudor era. Thanks to the machinations of John Dudley, Edward VI was initially succeeded by Lady Jane Grey, fifteen-year-old great-granddaughter of Henry VII and devout Protestant. However, Mary, although Catholic, had far greater support, and Lady Jane’s supporters swiftly changed their allegiances. She was executed in 1554, having done little personally beyond being used by others as a figurehead. Mary I Mary was the first queen to rule England in her own right. A pawn of potential marriage alliances in her youth, although none came to fruition, she was also declared illegitimate when her father, Henry VIII, divorced her mother Catherine, and was only later brought back into the succession. On taking the throne, Mary took part in an unpopular marriage to Philip II of Spain and returned England to the Catholic faith. Her actions in bringing back the heresy laws and executing 300 Protestants earned her the nickname Bloody Mary. But Marys life isnt just a tale of religious killing. She was desperate for an heir, resulting in a false but very advanced pregnancy, and as a woman fighting to rule a nation, broke the barriers Elizabeth later walked through. Historians are now assessing Mary in a new light. Elizabeth I Henry VIII’s youngest daughter, Elizabeth survived the plotting which threatened Mary, and which, in turn, cast doubt on the young princess, to become Queen of England when she might have been executed. One of the nation’s most highly regarded monarchs, Elizabeth returned the country to the Protestant faith, fought wars against Spain and Spanish-backed forces to protect England and other Protestant nations, and cultivated a powerful image of herself as a virgin queen wedded to her nation. She remains masked to historians, her true feelings and thoughts hidden away. Her reputation as a great ruler is faulty, as she relied far more on dithering and her inbuilt difficulty in making decisions than canny judgment.​ End of the Tudor Dynasty None of Henry VIII’s children had any lasting offspring of their own, and when Elizabeth I died, she was the last of the Tudor monarchs; she was followed by James Stuart from Scotland, the first of the Stuart dynasty and a descendant of Henry VIII’s eldest sister, Margaret. The Tudors passed into history. And yet they have enjoyed a considerable afterlife, and remain among the most famous monarchs in the world.

Scope - Definition for the Java Term

Scope - Definition for the Java Term Scope refers to the lifetime and accessibility of a variable. How large the scope is depends on where a variable is declared. For example, if a variable is declared at the top of a class then it will accessible to all of the class methods. If it’s declared in a method then it can only be used in that method. For more information, have a look at the Understanding Variable Scope and Using Modifiers With Variables. Examples: For example, the scope of the variableNUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY is the whole class. Whereas the scope of NUMBER_OF_DAYS_IN_A_WEEK is just the calculateHoursInWeeks method: public class AllAboutHours{ private final int NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY 24; public int calculateHoursInDays(int days) { return days * NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY; } public int calculateHoursInWeeks(int weeks) { final int NUMBER_OF_DAYS_IN_A_WEEK 7; return weeks * NUMBER_OF_DAYS_IN_A_WEEK * NUMBER_OF_HOURS_IN_A_DAY; }}

The Mt Piper Power Station Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Mt Piper Power Station - Essay Example The power station operates in a scenic mountain area. Wool, forestry and coal mining are the other major local industries. Coal is the principal source of Mt. Piper Power Station. Mt. Piper derives its coal supplies from mines located in relatively close proximity to its Central Coast and Western power stations. On the other hand, a small percentage has been sourced from other areas via the rail receival facility on the Central Coast. The single largest supplier of coal is privately owned with Centennial Coal which delivers all of the mines to Delta, specifically to Mt. Piper Power Station. Either longwall or continuous miner technology is used in producing coal from underground mines; approximately 95% of the coal delivered to the station is produced using this process. Mt Piper also used wood residues and is purchased for co-firing. Wood residues include chipper residues, residues after plantation logging and some construction and demolition material. All of these materials are accredited as materials suitable for the production of renewable energy. Coal is an abundant source of energy in Australia. Mt Piper Power Station converts coal into electricity in a very efficient way. The sophisticated power station is designed to achieve a thermal efficiency rate of 36%, depending on the weather conditions. Coal is cruCoal is crushed in large coal mills, grinding the 25mm pieces of coal down to powder roughly the same as talc, using 80 tonnes of steel balls in a large rotating steel cylinder. In this state, the coal dust (called pulverised fuel, or PF) burns like a gas, and gives off large amounts of heat in a very short time. When both generating units are operating at full load, approximately 14,000 tonnes of coal are consumed daily, leaving some 3,500 tonnes of ash to be disposed of each day. The ash is collected in large fabric filters which ensure that airborne emissions are cut to no more than 0.08 grams per cubic metre. Ash from the bottom of the boilers and dust trapped by the filters are transported by conveyor to a nearby disused open-cut mine for dry disposal. This is environmentally preferable to using ash dams as it lessens the chance of water seeping into the local ground water. The infilled mounds will be covered with earth and gradually revegetated as part of Mt Piper's extensive landscaping program (Delta Electricity 2006). The Resource Utilisation Flow Diagram represents the processes involved in converting energy in coal to electricity. ECONOMIC / SOCIAL BENEFITS Knowing that Mt. Piper Power Station uses state-of-the-art machineries and technology, we may expect better supply of energy that will generate every facility on household, office and big establishments. The electricity industry is a significant contributor to Australia's GDP with an collective annual income of more than $20 billion. Delta's direct employment totals more than 30,000 people with significant flow-on benefits. Reliable, cost-effective energy is also essential to the continued development of the overall economy. In its regions, and within the state of NSW, Delta plays an important