Review of Amelie

ReThe fabulous destiny of Amelie Poulain is a French film written and directed by Jean Pierre Jeunette and set in Montmartre. It is a whimsical description of contemporary Parisian life. This romantic comedy met with critical acclaim and was a box-office success. Amelie, aged 23, finds behind a loosen tile of her bathroom an old metal box of childhood memorabilia hidden by a boy who lived in her apartment decades earlier.Fascinated by this find, she resolves to track down the now adult man who placed it there and return it to him, making a promise to herself in the process: if she finds him and it makes him happy, she will devote her life to bringing happiness to others. What she could not imagine is that while doing this she would meet a really special person, Nino, played Mathew Kassovitz. What makes this film totally different from the rest of romantic comedies, apart from Amelie’s eccentric attitude to life, is that it is set in an ideal Montmartre where certain colors pre dominate depending on how Amelie feels and.That creates a really special environment, making the spectator get deeply involved in the story. This fast-moving film has so many details that I would dare to say that it is almost impossible to get them all but this way, watched carefully, there’s always something new to find out about it. Not only is this an absolutely gripping film but also so moving that all lovers of romantic stories won’t help being touched by the charming Amelie Poulain.

Explain Why Trotsky Did Not Become the Leader of the Ussr

Explain why Trotsky did not become the leader of the USSR After Lenin’s death in 1924 the Bolsheviks (although not out rightly stated) were in need of a new leader. The power struggle occurred from 1923-1929 and eventually Stalin effectively became the leader of the USSR due to many reasons, including the weaknesses of Trotsky. Trotsky had not been a Bolshevik initially – he converted from the Menshevik party in 1917. Therefore some of the party members doubted him as 100% trustworthy.Within the Civil War, he had created and led the ‘Red Army’ which was still very strong, and they feared that if he had the power to do so, Trotsky would use the Red Army to begin a violent coup and take over the whole country himself. On top of this, Trotsky himself hadn’t tried to build up support within the party and consequently after Lenin’s death when the party were in debate as to how the country should be run Trotsky had a difficult time trying to put for ward his ideas as many supported Stalin.In fact Trotsky had widely underestimated Stalin as a contender for the party’s leadership. He had regarded him as inferior, which may have been true if looking at intelligence, however Trotsky’s arrogance blinded him as his disregard for anyone less intelligent than himself again lost him support, whilst Stalin was gaining it throughout the judgements he put forward and the allies he was creating. In hindsight it is clear that this self-importance was Trotsky’s major downfall at this time because not only was he disliked but it caused him to make some crucial errors of judgement.Most significantly the decision with Stalin to not publish Lenin’s final testament, in which it was proven that Lenin disliked Stalin and believed he had too much power and couldn’t be trusted. It is clear that had this been publicised at the time Stalin would have struggled enormously to become the leader with the criticism of a pop ular leader before hand. However it condemned Trotsky as well and although his would’ve most likely had minor effect, he chose to keep his pride.This may have been partly because Trotsky wasn’t as driven as the other leaders in wanting to take over the party as he believed that as a Jew there would be prejudice against him as a leader due to anti-Semitism in Russia. Therefore he didn’t push himself forward. Overall Trotsky did not become the leader of the USSR because he didn’t have much support within the party and his lack of tactics and drive didn’t make him a strong contender. Both of these weaknesses were highly influenced by his self absorbed personality.

National Reformation

The following paper will develop the theory that Dali and O’Keefe manipulated illusion of the real world in such a way to evoke visionary incoherence of the dream life.   Under this theory the paper will present several works by each artist and analyze these pieces to further illustrate surrealism and its use of expressing real events in a fantastical manner, as Janson states of surrealists, â€Å"They defined their aim as pure psychic automatism†¦intended to express†¦the true process of thought†¦free from the exercise of reason and from any aesthetic or moral purpose† (Janson â€Å"The History of Art† 807).Salvador Dali.In Dali’s oil on canvas The Persistence of Memory (1913) the theme of paranoia is persistent in this dreamscape.   The distortion of the piece exudes a frightening use of spatial mobility and form.   Surrealism is a way in which the expression of fantasy can be forthcoming in the world of Art.   Dali exemplifies this notion in his use of foreground and background shapes and the pure psychic automatism which is symbolized in the clocks.  Ã‚   Dali’s focus in this work is mainly about freedom;   although the context of this work is based on paranoia and the weightiness of time the work is also free from previous constraints of other artistic movements in that it is not a painting dedicated to reason or moral purpose.Dali’s painting is that of a dream and reason becomes a series of disjointed objects in space; there is no rhyme in his work unless it is free verse; that is to say that there is no structure as prior to surrealism the viewer is used to seeing structure.   Dali’s work often reflect what Virginia Woolf was so diligently experimenting with, which is unconscious writing or free narrative.   Dali painted as though the conscious mind was sleeping, and that is why his paintings are so often reminiscent of dreams as Janson states, â€Å"The notion that adream ca n be transposed by ‘automatiatic handwriting; directly from the unconscious mind to the canvas, bypassing the conscious awareness of the artist, did not work in practice.   Some degree of control was unavoidable.   Nevertheless, Surrealism stimulated several novel techniques for soliciting and exploiting chance effects† (Janson â€Å"The History of Art 807) .   Even the central figure in The Persistence of Memory is portrayed as though it were sleeping.The unfinished background is almost anachronistic with the foreground as it exhibits a cliff sliding off into a body of water.   It seems as though Dali made the background on purpose to confuse the viewer since dreams are intended to be symbolic of personal meaning.   The sky in the background also seems incomplete with no visible clouds but merely a color palette that drifts off into a sfumato haze.   The background however is not what Dali wanted the viewer to be stricken with as a first impression.The cent ral figure of the painting is unfinished as well.   Dali painted an eyeball, and a nose and made no more attention to the rest of the figure.   This feeling of incompleteness is unnerving and truly embodies the emotional state and perception of dreaming.   The painting is purely inspired by that part of Dali’s unconscious mind.   Although the painting exhibits that Dali used controlled in certain aspects of the work such as the use of diagonals, and linear shapes, but the overall impression of the painting lies within the angles, the objects and the general ambience of the piece.   The clocks themselves prove to be unnerving both their positions and their lack of solid form, as though they are oozing across the plane in the foreground and the limb near the horizon of the painting, as well as across the half finished face.Another artistic ploy that Dali uses in The Persistence of Memory is his use of shadow; not merely darkness but the chiaroscuro so prevalent in the piece.   This furthers the theory of this paper that Dali uses surrealism to tap into the unconscious and the dream world.   Dali does the opposite in this painting of previous artists; he places the darkness in the foreground of the painting and the brightness in the background.This is symbolic because Dali wants to evoke to the audience that in the dream world the objects that are in front of the dreamer’s face are not always tangible but looming and undefined.   In the background the objects are illuminated but this illumination does not add in defining the object because Dali here uses space to further illustrate his unconscious perspective; the objects in the background are too far away and cannot be seen.   Thus, each part of the painting is uncomfortably defined.   It is almost nonsensical; these objects of Dali’s in space without a coherent theme except for these persistence clocks.The clocks are the main meaning and focus of the painting and it is t hrough these objects that the theory of this paper rests.   The clocks present the theme of paranoia (as mentioned prior). Not only are they draped over the main objects in the foreground but their rendering is disconcerting.   Each clock offers a different time, and one clock is closed so that the viewer cannot decipher its time.It is interesting that Dali did not distort the closed clock; it signifies a secret and further exemplifies the state of the dream world present in this painting; that is, the one clock that could offer a valid time is closed and unable to be seen by the painter, or the audience.   The contention in the painting is that the central figure of the face is sleeping and is thus oblivious to the clocks, to time, to the unfinished landscape.   That is the quintessential meaning of a dream; the sleeping figure is unaware to symbolism, to action, to time, and that is how Dali exudes incoherence in the dream world.O’Keefe O’Keefe’s organ ic abstraction is what lends itself to the New Objectivity era of art as well as the thesis of this paper in the unconscious mind and dream images.   Her fantastical style was also tinted with expressionism and realism; which made her work that much more enticing.   This dichotomy of O’Keefe (realism and abstraction) ties in with the subconscious and dreamscape.   O’Keefe’s genius came with her incorporation of the abstract to the simpler approach of the object.   O’Keefe’s abstract works were very progressive, as Janson states, â€Å"†¦she practiced a form of organic abstraction indebted to Expressionism, but she also adopted the Precisionism of Charles Demuth, so that she is sometimes considered an abstract artist.   Her work often combined aspects of both approaches: as she assimilated a subject into her imagination, she would alter and simplify it to convey a personal meaning† (Janson â€Å"The History of Art† 817). Although her work exhibited quite a range of composition, and her objects were used in their real life definition their application in her paintings were representational of the dreamscape.   From objects such as rocks, flowers to skulls O’Keefe gave the art world a dichotomy of abstract and realism art.   Within the succinct contour of these objects O’Keefe embraced a range of colours; it is with these colors that the formation of the dreamscape begins to take shape.   In her Red Tree Yellow Sky piece the viewer is assailed by two brilliant and vibrant colours each in representation of the surrealist’s color palate.   The disharmony of colours is what transforms these otherwise banal portraits into the dreamscape and surrealist category.   The realism involved in these works is that the landscape in the southwest is directly correlated with O’Keefe’s representation of it but it is in her further emphasis of these colors, in their brillia ncy the viewer finds an unfamiliar painting that perhaps would best be defined in the nature of the unconscious.O’Keefe was very deliberate in her painting style; she seldom left her structure to chance (as Dali had and as Pollock had).   Although O’Keefe is famous for her renditions of flowers or vaginas it is her earlier charcoal drawings and especially her skulls that portray a slightly more lucid ambiance to her work.   Even in her plethora of flower portraits the grand scale of these blossoms leaves the imagination reeling.   Their color and their scale in dimension lead the viewer into a different interpretation of the natural world.   It is as though the viewer is given a chance to be Alice in Wonderland and to get a close up look at the intricate layers of a flower which does happen in real life (at least to the scale that O’Keefe represented).   In her presentation of the geometric form, her use of line, and her flat planes all lead to definin g O’Keefe as an abstract artist.As an abstract artist the use of the illusion of the real world (in O’Keefe’s case, her flower and skull pieces)   evokes in the audience a definite dreamscape.   This is proven by her presentation of proportion of an object.   Her Ram's Head, White Hollyhocks-Hills is a great example of this use of dimension.   The ram’s head is suspended in air with no body structure (real or skeletal) on which the skull could be supported; next to this picture is a hollyhock.   Although these two images when placed side by side as O’Keefe has done are not by any means disproportionate or grand in scale that fact that their surrounding environment is a background of a desert landscape suggests that these two objects are at once an integral part of this landscape but they are suspended beyond it’s realm as well.   This is how O’Keefe manages to portray the illusion of dream in her paintings.Another example of O’Keefe’s abstract art is Ranchos Church.   This painting is pure line, shading and geometric renditions.   There is no focus on a primary object (although the lines and shapes do appear to form a church) but instead the artist is working in the abstract form which is enhanced by the artist’s definition of shape.   O’Keefe does not reveal a definite structure in the painting and the only way to decipher what the painting is, is by reading the title.   This echoes what Dali was doing in his works; both artists give very vague definitions of their subjects and merely allow the viewer to surmise for themselves what the object is truly.The element that occurs continuously in O’Keefe’s work is that of the stark landscape.   Whenever O’Keefe renders the desert she paints a very stark portrait; albeit the desert is a very blanched atmospheric world, O’Keefe’s use of making it extremely stark is what further defines abstraction and the dream in her work.   These stark landscapes are devoid of life; the skulls, the sun baked clay and houses with no people are eerie in their rendering but this contrasted with the full and lush flowers is what marks dichotomy in Georgia O’Keefe.   Dreams are often times dichotomized, both in perspective and the realm between the unconscious and conscious mind.O’Keefe also represents the abstract dream world in her use of angles. Often times her subject matter is represented in full perspective, such as the skulls facing forward, the flowers are viewed in a direction that emphasizes their center and the landscape is typically level.   Each of these variables however lead to a false sense of reality since O’Keefe in typical New Objectivity style uses these angles to benefit her own sense of reality outside of the realm of linear thought, and time.   The skulls are blanched and suspended the flowers next to this picture of death are full of life (i.e. the   Ram's Head, White Hollyhocks-Hills).   It is within these several juxtapositions that O’Keefe embellishes in the dichotomy of life and death, dream and reality, color and the absence of color.ConclusionBoth of these artists work in the realm of the in between; their work is abstract in nature and each though representational of separate subject matter are linked in that their use of the illusion lends to the viewer a new perspective.   For both Dali and O’Keefe this illusion is necessary in the artwork because it enables the typical concepts of time and space to become secondary to symbolism.   The symbolism for Dali was in the clocks; how time makes a person paranoid but how this paranoia cannot be reflected as angst in an unconscious person.   O’Keefe gave her audience another perspective, a much grander in scale perspective of flowers.   These flowers viewed at this angle and up close allow the viewer to feel very close to the artwork and this personal feeling lends itself to the viewer in a voyeuristic fashion.   It is as though the viewer was invading the flower and this is what brings O’Keefe the quality of the abstract, of the illusion in dream.In the forms of every day objects in unfamiliar surroundings or placed in those surroundings in a less than familiar way (i.e. suspended) these artists give illusion in the real world and present this vision as a dream which is what I felt when I saw them.   The artworks become manipulated not only through the artists’ use of space by through the viewer’s interpretation of these objects and their strategic placement in the work which is the worth of the painting.   The reason they belong in a museum is because of their new inventions of perception:   for Dali the invention of dreamscape and the disintegration of it and for O’Keefe for her close up of nature.When asked if these art works influence Western Society the answer w ould be yes, in a Jungian way at least since both deal with the abstract or surreal elements of the psyche.   Since the pieces adhere to this element it is appropriate to say that their influence, although not a strong influence, has contributed to the progression of art in the Western world as is found with the avant-guarde work which is being created in modernity.When I asked another patron whether or not these works had influence on Western Society they answered no, because how could one painting so greatly influence an era of thought, and they doubted that new perception in art could create an entire new process of creation.   They did however believe the pieces should be in a museum because of the reputation of the artists but not necessarily for the artwork.   When I asked them how it made them feel they said they weren’t sure but perhaps they felt somewhat sad when they viewed the work because the colors and angles were so unfamiliar it was like being exposed too quickly to something too new and that left them out of touch with their base of knowledge which made them uncomfortable.Work CitedJanson, H.W. & Anthony F. Janson.   History of Art.   Fifth Edition Revised.   PrenticeHall, Inc., and Harry Abrams, Inc., Publishers.   New York.   1997. National Reformation A popular theme among developing nations is the modernization of the economic, social, and political forums. Countries are now looking to democracy to put themselves in a competitive position in the world market. Central Asia, which consists of Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikista, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, is continuing to show their strength and growth as they strive to demonstrate their independence and self-reliability separate from Russia. Kazakhstan has adopted democracy and has demonstrated how it has been a symbolism for growth, competitiveness, and success.In the last decade, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Central Asian countries have established an active presence in the international economy. Kazakhstan has represented a leading figure in Central Asia through modernization, reform, and democracy. As the fight against terrorism, development of democratic nations, and economic stability continues to parallel success and prosperous nations, the United States wants to be an â€Å"engine for change† in Central Asia.Since Kazakhstan gained its independence from Russia in 1991, it has made significant progress to prove its national purpose as a leader and innovator for the Central Asian region. Although President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan is a former Soviet leader who inherited Kazakhstan, he has been successful leading the country by socially, economically, and politically reforming the country.   â€Å"Kazakhstan’s economy is continuing its robust expansion, over the past six years, the gross domestic product has shown growth of just fewer than 10 percent in the first half of 2006.†( Kazakh 2)   Kazakhstan attributes this growth to its energy and large oil sector, gas, and mineral services.The country has introduced new concepts that other countries are now adopting due to its proven success like privatization reforms in the banking and mortgage industries and education reforms. Kazakhstan has been able sustain itsel f as a growing nation but it still relies heavily on Russia’s pipeline network for exporting much of its oil and natural gas. If the country is able to produce 3 million barrels per day, Kazakhstan will put itself as one of the worlds top 10 oil producing nations in the world.Kazakhstan has outlined a strategy for long-term domestic political stability and consolidation of their society. One of the top goals, which is, â€Å"to guarantee developing our own uniform civic motivation based on equality of opportunities for all the citizens of our country,† represents Kazakhstan strong belief in change for their country.The United States has shown its support to Central Asia; to countries like Georgia and Kazakhstan’s in their mutual goals to transform the state into a democratic nation. This transformation will be beneficial to the United States because it will bridge the lines of communication, by allowing for greater flexibility in areas dealing with oil, gas, and energy.With the help from the United States, President Nazarbayev has shared a vision of expansion and opportunities that extend beyond the boarders of Kazakhstan. Central Asian countries share the same vision of stability, prosperity, and democratic reform. As the people realize the growth potential of their country it has been a relatively easy battle for the government to conform the people to change. The reforms of the pension program, expansion of educational opportunities, reforms in the banking industry, all of these changes have and will continuously improve the livelihood of the citizens of the country.In a joint statement by the United States and Kazakhstan, â€Å"We will expand our joint activities to ensure the development of energy resources, while supporting economic diversification and reform, market principles, and the development of small and medium size enterprises. We recognize that peaceful democratization invests citizens in the future of their nation. Develop ing democratic institutions is therefore the crucial condition of long-term stability.† (Joint 1).Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s President has performed exceedingly well as the leader by implementing social, political, and economic reforms. It is completely evident that his goal is to provide economic stability in his country while being an example for Russia and other neighboring countries. GDP has risen, poverty is down, privatization reforms, and democracy on the horizon. Kazakhstan has broaden its export of oil and energy potential to countries like China and the United States, â€Å"it also joined the U.S.-sponsored Bu-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline that breaks Russia’s long-standing monopoly on delivering Caspian Sea oil to world markets. (Hill 3) Money is power; Kazakhstan has put itself in a powerful financial position through its energy and oil sector. â€Å"The Growth Competitiveness Index Rankings report ranks Kazakhstan as the most competitive of the post- Soviet states.†The country’s oil wealth has sprung vast investment opportunities across Central Asia. With plans on becoming part of the group of 10 leading exporters within a decade, Kazakhstan will need to expand the development of the country’s energy infrastructure to meet growing oil shipments to world markets. Kazakhstan’s surging economy continues to maintain economic growth and stability. However, while oil continues to be the biggest economic engine for Kazakhstan as it exports 80% of its oil, any drop in oil production will pose the biggest threat to the Kazakhstan economy. Exports could represent slow demand for the international community when there is fluctuating prices, lack of investments, and disagreements among neighboring nations regarding regional affairs.Although Russia is no longer a leading nation in this region it still has a lot of influence on Kazakhstan due to the pipeline control.   Kazakhstan relies on Russia’s pipeline to export its oil. Kazakhstan has a substantial investment in Georgia in its oil and gas sector. Currently Georgia and Russia are experiencing confrontation due to the Russian military occupancy in Georgia, this is putting Kazakhstan in the middle.This confrontation could hurt Kazakhstan’s oil exports as well as its ties with Georgia and the United States. Kazakhstan’s accession to the Baku-Tbilis-Ceyhan pipline is a bilateral move away from a heavy reliance Russia’s pipeline.A Colored Revolution in Kazakhstan has been a concern that analyst have identified since its independence in 1991. Kazakhstan has a large Slavic Population in the northern and eastern steppe regions. The Slavic population wants to obtain dual citizenship with Russia and Kazakhstan, as well as an establishment of the Russian language as recognized second state language. It would be to the best interest of the Kazakhstan government to develop a cohesive national identity for both Russians an d Kazakh’s alike. Still Nazarbayev â€Å"designated Russian the language of inter-ethnic communication, and has ensured non-ethnic Kazakhs still occupy significant posts in the government.† (Hill 5) This is an important step for the country as it represents a social and cultural step toward democracy. â€Å"Every day public servants must have the awareness of the strategic goals and priorities, and settle them without wasting their time in meddling with minor, daily chores.† (Prosperity)Kazakhstan has implemented an excellent idea to improve the education and skill of its young people to secure strength and profitability in the future. They have adopted an education reform that will send the brightest and best students from all over the country to study abroad. The students are then brought back home and placed in the Kazakhstan government, thereby diversifying the production of ideas that will be able to combat world issues. â€Å"In addition, Kazakhstan under Nazarbayev has not just sent its young people to study abroad, but has also launched a global quest for ideas on reform and modernization, as well as trying to learn from its own past mistakes.† (Hill 4)As the relationship between the United States and Kazakhstan grows the ideas and progress that they produce together becomes an example for other Central Asian countries.Kazakhstan is an active player in the fight against international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It even â€Å"rid itself of the weapons in cooperation with the Unites States under the Nunn-Lugar program.† (Central 1). They’ve sealed nuclear testing tunnels, transported enriched uranium to the United States, and have become a proud member in the fight against terrorism. It has even vowed to help Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism and narcotics.The United States and Kazakhstan share a similar vision to an end to terrorism and corruption. The United States h as enumerated its desire to assist financially, and to cooperate in matters regarding enhancement of regional security and economic improvements. The United States and Kazakhstan together plan to strengthen their relationship into a partnership through educate one another concerning national, regional, worldwide matters.Kazakhstan has shown great interest in the matters evolving around Iraq and Afghanistan. They are committed and determined to partner with the United States in the strengthening these countries. Kazakhstan has already committed over 800 of its military personnel to the cause and is prepared to enter strategic relationships with Middle Eastern countries to obtain peace for the region.There are many challenges that Kazakhstan faces regarding national security ranging â€Å"from terrorism to a significant narcotics problem, which is always accompanied with a lot of criminal activity and other threats to security.†( Abizaid 1) For this reason, Kazakhstan is workin g extensively with the United States to strengthen is defense capabilities on the Caspian Sea. They have vowed to strengthen and broaden their military capabilities in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal proliferation of weapons, etc. The United States defense officials have been speaking with Kazakhstan officials on ways to strengthen military ties between the U.S. and Kazakhstan. This is an important and strategic move for Kazakhstan leaders, they are a relatively new country and it is important to strengthen their defense capabilities to secure their future endeavors.They are placing security forces along the Caspian Sea Region as this region poses the biggest threat to the country. Their goal is to provide an organized, professional military force. Kazakhstan is also working very closely with the United States to expand their military presence in neighboring Afghanistan in an effort to strengthen its country.â€Å"That's why it is utterly indispensable to set up a system in which each and every ministry and department would organize its work in such a way that each day, month and year could bring us ever nearer to the objectives we've set.† (Prosperity). Kazakhstan has admitted that they could use advice and analyze the tendencies from other countries in their effort to rebuild and reform Kazakhstan.Kazakhstan has publicly made commitments to provide assistance to Afghanistan in their fight to counter narcotics. The Central Asian country has been building strong strategic relationships with its neighboring countries and other countries in the international community that share the same views. For example they have extended a promise to assist in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq.â€Å"We shall advance to strengthening of our relationships with Russia, China, Central Asian neighbors, Islamic states and Western countries.† (Prosperity) This relationship building efforts made by Kazakhstan represents their commitment to enhance regional security and economic integration by forming strategic partnerships within Central Asia. Kazakhstan has created strategic partnerships with countries like China, Kazakhstan understands that it is important to keep relations with these countries because they all still share common goals of sustainability, economic growth, and international terrorism.Kazakhstan has identified a system where strategic planning, strategic control, accountability and responsibility are its major objectives. Kazakhstan need for a government who views the world according to 21st century realities and who doesn’t apply 20th century problem-solving methods to 21st century problems will become evident as the country incorporates its long term goals. These goals of National Security, health, education, and welfare of it people, economic growth and political stability, and consolidation of society will all play an integral role Kazakhstan desire to maintain an image in the world as a regional power with economic stability. Kazakhstan has a bright future ahead, with all of the factors of production in place, and the right leadership and cooperation with the international community and particularly its regional neighbors, this country will be representative of a leader in the world economy.Works Citedâ€Å"Abizaid Visits Kazakhstan, Strengthens Military Ties.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin 4 August 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Central Asia Declares Itself a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin11 September 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlHill, Fiona. â€Å"Whither Kazakhstan?† The National Interest Jun. 2005http://www.ciaonet.org/olj/ni/ni_win0506/ni_win0506k.htmlâ€Å"Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Kazakhstan.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin 29 September 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Kazakh Economy Shows No Slowdown, Grows 9.3 Percent.† Kazakhstan News Bu lletin 18 August 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Kazakhstan Support Russia-US Initiative Against Nuclear Terrorism.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin 17 July 2006http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Nazarbayev Sworn in as Kazakhstan’s President for New Term, Stresses Democracy, Growth and Security.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin 13 January 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Prosperity, Security and Ever Growing Welfare of all the Kazakhstanis.† Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Indiahttp://www.kazind.com/strategy2030.html

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Comment Paper - Essay Example guns can be acquired by the people may even require a constitutional amendment that perhaps takes away the right or modifies it in a manner which makes it essentially impossible for the layperson to own a gun. However, constitutional amendments have been used quite infrequently by the government since changing the constitution is not something any government would undertake as a light task. As discussed by Gavrilovic (2008), even the greatest supporters of gun control i.e. the Democratic Party have often balked at the idea of changing the constitutional right to bear arms. This constitutional right granted by the second amendment was upheld by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller in 2008. What can be changed are the laws concerning guns which can help put limits on the number of guns a person can have and the requirements they must meet before they can buy a gun. While we already have in place requirements created by The Gun Control Act of 1968 and others such as background checks, felony and conviction checks we might even add psychological profiling to the process by which guns would not be sold to anyone who is likely to be a homicidal maniac. Of course, gun control itself is an issue which can be debated since individuals who want guns may acquire them illegally if they have to, particularly when it comes to the criminal element in a given society. To bring about changes to the law itself, pressure groups, think tanks and social organizations such as the Brady Campaign, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the Joyce Foundation which focus on the issues of violence, crime, gun control and related issues need to be recruited (Marks, 2007). These can provide the assistance needed by a local community or a group that seeks to have gun control in society. The assistance can come in the form of raising awareness, setting an agenda for debate or even supporting candidates who plan to establish gun control once they are in power. The best way to support

Team building Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Team building - Research Paper Example The communication premise is very significant because it removes the barriers that exist within a team and allows the team to progress further rather than sticking at a particular agenda for long periods of time. This is so needed because it resolves the ambiguities that arise within teams and takes care of the negatives which can creep up at any time. When one contemplates the issue of hiring individuals within an organization, it is of paramount importance that these people know exactly what is expected out of them and whether or not are they ready to become a part of a team within the organization that they are getting recruited within. If the answer to such a query is in the negative, it would be better for the organization to let go of such an individual and rely more heavily on how well they work in the form of their own space. However, there are many examples of individuals who would absolutely cherish the idea of working in a team, as long as it makes them think, feel and exp erience the dynamics of growth and development within the organization that they are getting hired in, across the board. In terms of recruitment, it is of paramount significance that the aspiring employee knows well in advance that he would be required to commit to a task which is in the middle of a team, and hence team building domains would be required of his professional self (Maddux & Wingfield, 2003). If the organizational values are such that the employees need to work in unison with one another, then it is only natural that the aspiring candidates for achieving employment know beforehand what is expected out of their realms and how they will go about completing these tasks and objectives that shall be assigned to them with flying colors. What remains... When one contemplates the issue of hiring individuals within an organization, it is of paramount importance that these people know exactly what is expected out of them and whether or not are they ready to become a part of a team within the organization that they are getting recruited within. If the answer to such a query is in the negative, it would be better for the organization to let go of such an individual and rely more heavily on how well they work in the form of their own space. However, there are many examples of individuals who would absolutely cherish the idea of working in a team, as long as it makes them think, feel and experience the dynamics of growth and development within the organization that they are getting hired in, across the board. In terms of recruitment, it is of paramount significance that the aspiring employee knows well in advance that he would be required to commit to a task which is in the middle of a team, and hence team building domains would be require d of his professional self. If the organizational values are such that the employees need to work in unison with one another, then it is only natural that the aspiring candidates for achieving employment know beforehand what is expected out of their realms and how they will go about completing these tasks and objectives that shall be assigned to them with flying colors. What remains to be seen is the management’s stance, and more so with the changing global dynamics, the perspectives have been aligned all the same.

College Binge Drinking (Penn State and in relation to other studies Essay

College Binge Drinking (Penn State and in relation to other studies done) - Essay Example e this binge drinking phenomena as an issue, researchers have taken productive measures by studying students excessive alcohol consumption, preventative measures surrounding students and excessive drinking, and reasons behind students’ binge drinking. Students at the university have habits that incorporate profound drinking in their lives especially when college students find themselves in social situations where an assortment of alcohol is served. According to the text by Leonard (1999), studies carried out show that groups of students aged 18 to 22 have habits of drinking in college bars and at parties. He further goes ahead to state that normally this is done in three categories of alcohol: beer, liquor or both. This is confirmed by Prevention Progress at Penn State [e-book], whereby we are told that binge drinking dates back to1995 when Graham Spanier became president in the university. The students had the same habits of drinking uncontrollably then and it is with this observation that he began a movement consisting of an alcohol advertising campaign to try and curb it in 1999. On the other hand, in his article, Reifman (2003), claims that statistics carried out shows that about 44% of the Penn State students binge drink and in fact end up in hospitals due to alcohol related problems. Moreover, the article says that Penn State-University Park campus has approximately 45,000 students in the campus alone which enables drinking to become equal to an epidemic in the university. Nevertheless, in the text by Nicoletti, Spencer-Thomas & Bollinger (2010), we are told that freshmen students are an easy target for binge drinking research amongst college students due to their transitioning from high school to college and eagerness to fit in such a new environment. In a research study on prevention and intervention to curtail college binge drinking, alcohol related consequences that happen in the first days of the semester with new students is heavy and goes beyond

Margaret Atwood's Death by Landscape Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Margaret Atwood's Death by Landscape - Essay Example The dexterity with which she handled her public and private life is also included in the book. It further gives a wonderful commentary of all the published works of the author. The author compares her personality with the fictional heroines in her works. The book is both for general and specialized readership. This biography examines the author’s growth in the evolution of the Canadian culture and literature. Margaret Atwoods Power: Mirrors, Reflections, and Images in Select Fiction and Poetry is a unique analysis of Atwood’s works. The book presents the author as the most accomplished poet and novelist. This is a wonderful feminist analysis in which the author provides a psychoanalytic overview of Margaret Atwood’s portrayal of women and power. The book gives new insights to the famous author’s work and her popularity as a writer. The book presents Margaret Atwood as the most productive and versatile authors of her period. She is considered as the most fascinating writer who produces great works in any genre she chooses. This book appeared during the sixtieth birthday of the great author. The book examines the works of the author and reviews it. The book gives a great introduction to the works of Atwood, including her work ‘Death by Landscape’. Atwood’s novels, short stories, poetries and other works are surveyed in the book. The crucial approaches to Atwood’s works from the angle of mythology, literary criticism and cultural criticism and other topics are presented in the book. In this book the author gives a beautiful overview of the celebrated works of Atwood including ‘Death by Landscape’. The analysis focuses on her major themes. The book is thoroughly researched, giving a great analysis of the works of the famous author. The book examines nine novels of the author in groups of threes. The book highlights the interconnecting themes in the works. The themes include presentation of women as

Business Operations at Dell Corporation Research Paper

Business Operations at Dell Corporation - Research Paper Example However, lately, managers have understood the importance and significance of operations management. One of the biggest advantages of operations management identified by the managers is increased productivity. Hence, operation management also leads to increased efficiency of the workers. Another major advantage identified is the better quality of the outcome. A number of scholars have emphasized that management of the operations of a company greatly helps in improving the quality of the outcome (Petersen, Ragatz & Monczka, 2005). Management of the business operation provides companies with the opportunity to undertake small-scale continual improvement process and at the same time, it facilitates a large-scale radical shift in the process and product design of the company. The operations manager of a company carefully focuses on the management of processes so as to manufacture and distribute the products and services to the end customers in the most efficient way. According to Varila, Seppanen & Suomala (2007), management of the business operations allows a firm to streamline its process and at the same time eliminates the wastes. Expansion of the business is another viable opportunity for the business.   Dell Corporation: A Brief Overview of the Company Dell Computer Corporation, commonly known as Dell Inc. is a US-based multinational company involved in developing and offering computer technology services. The company was founded in the year 1984 and is currently headquartered in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, US. The company was founded by Michael Dell, who plays the role of the Chairman and CEO of the company. The company is basically involved in developing, selling and repairing computers and associated products and services. The company currently employs around 103,300 people and is also considered as one of the biggest technology companies in the world. The company is listed at the 51st position in the global fortune 500 lists. Currently, Dell operates i n almost every part of the world and has allowed them to grab a significant market share (Dell, 2013). In terms of market share, the company is ranked at the third position just after Lenovo and HP. The major competitors of the company are HP, Lenovo, Compaq, IBM and Acer among others. The company sells data storage devices, servers, desktops, laptops, software products, printers, MP3 Players and other computer peripherals. Dell is known for applying innovative techniques for its sales process, manufacturing process as well as the entire supply chain process.  Ã‚  

Psychology and Conducive Learning Environment Essay Example for Free

Psychology and Conducive Learning Environment Essay Discipline is one of the basic requirements of a civilized life. Every society has to set certain norms for people to follow. Everything in this world is governed by a definite set of laws. If everything goes on in a definite routine and the discipline is maintained then there would not be any chaos anywhere. Discipline is the backbone of the national unity. Citizens of disciplined nations can work more smoothly and are filled with the spirit of unity, brotherhood and co-operation. However, discipline does not mean strictly, the withdrawal of personal liberty and authority: on the other hand it provides one with the guideline to use its freedom in a right manner. But that too is possible only if they do not take law in their own hands. Anywhere we go discipline is necessary in any institution whether it is an educational institution, or even in the political field, in social or religious matters, even on street and even while you are sitting in your own house. But unfortunately we note that discipline in our schools and colleges has perished. Students do not show respect to their teachers, misbehave in the classroom, organize strikes and try to take law in their hands. So an atmosphere of indiscipline is created which is a great setback not only to the individual, but to the nation also. Moreover, the teachers themselves do not show any discipline. They are also busy in strikes as to show their discontent against their pay scales, their posts and that affects their quality of teaching. Similarly discipline is an important component of political and social life. Until and unless everybody follows the rules and regulations proper satisfaction cannot be achieved. Anywhere you will find people out of their offices. Govt. employees busy in chatting, ladies busy in knitting at the hours of their duty. All workers show indifference to their duties and hence the work and unattended files keep on accumulating. So if each person imposes on himself or herself discipline and performs his or her duty with devotion, there will be no problem. Even in public places, people create chaos due to indiscipline behavior. People often show lack of law and order, while boarding buses etc. Black-marketing and hoarding and adulteration are also some of the examples of indiscipline. Eve-testing is another example of irresponsible behavior on the part of our youth. In the political sphere also, personal ambitions do come on the way and therefore they pose danger to the society. Discipline is important even in domestic life. If children are grown up in an atmosphere of love and brotherhood, they tend to be good citizens. It is the duty of parents to raise their children in an atmosphere conducive for everybody. The children from divorced parents and from broken homes are generally indiscipline. Therefore, parents should bring up their children in a disciplined manner. Discipline In School School discipline is the system of rules, punishments and behavioral strategies appropriate to the regulation of children and the maintenance of order in schools. Its aim is to create a safe and conducive learning environment in the classroom. A disciplined student is in compliance with the school rules and codes of conduct. These rules may, for example, define the expected standards of clothing, timekeeping, social behavior and work ethic. The term discipline is also applied to the punishment that is the consequence of breaking the rules. The aim of discipline is to set reasonable limits which protect students from harm and teach them what is safe and what is not. Discipline At Home Children are learning how to behave and need parents and caregivers to help them during that process. Because they are always learning, they will misbehave. Psychological studies show that behaviors are more effectively shaped by rewarding positive behaviors than by punishing negative ones. Spanking may have the short-term effect of stopping an undesired behavior, but it may have long-term consequences. Spanking by parents or others may cause harm by teaching children to use violence and by showing them that those who should love and protect them have the right to physically hurt them. The best way for parents to prevent challenging behaviors is to support positive behaviors. How can they do this? Use any opportunity as a teachable moment to talk about simple rules about behavior Put those rules into action. Follow through with praise for following instructions or consequences for disobeying. Discipline is the training of the mind and character; the exercise, development and control of the character, intended to produce obedience and orderly behavior. The definition above is apt enough for the type of discipline intended for the young people at school. The need for disciplining young people cannot be over-emphasized. A wise saying goes â€Å"Spare the rod and spoilt the child†. An undisciplined child becomes a spoil child. The disciplining does not necessarily involve the use of cane. It should normally take the form of corrections by the educators through the setting of good examples and verbal corrections. It is the repeated and deliberate tendencies to incorrigibility that should involve punishments from the educator. These punishments should also be corrective and directly related to the offence. The question then arises; who is to discipline the child, the school or the home? The unequivocal answer is both the school and the home. The efforts of these two agencies to direct the life of the child should be complementary. The all-round development of a person cannot be achieved if one of the parties withdraws its own contribution. Before a child is of school age the discipline is solely the business of the home. At that stage, a child is already in the preparatory stage of being potentially bad or good child. The mind of the new born child being so flexible has had certain impressions made on it. The child learns to act and behave mainly through imitation. These picked-up acts and behaviour which a child goes to the school will form the foundation upon which the school is to be built. Hence the school either inherits a light or a heavy job in this regard. Some schools are lucky to have under their care children who are already good natured and the school only needs to build and improve upon this good foundation. On the other hand the school may inherit other types of children who are real problems. For them â€Å"Please use a soft voice†, instead of â€Å"Stop yelling! † Discipline is a must at home and in school. So in todays society, it is very essential to live with co-operation, and brotherhood amongst each-other. Absence of discipline may lead to failure and backwardness of nation. But one can overcome these problems if everyone follows a personal code of conduct and maintain self-discipline for prosperity of the nation.

Post Modern Dance Essay Example for Free

Post Modern Dance Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By the late 1950s, post-modern dance had refined its styles and its theories, and had emerged as a recognizable dance genre. It used stylized movements and energy levels in legible structures (theme and variations, ABA, and so on) to implicate emotions, tones and social conveyance. The choreography was buttressed by expressive characters of theater such as music, props, special lighting and costumes. The aspirations of post-modern dance, anti-academic from the first, were simultaneously primitivist and modernist[1]. Meanwhile, the new wave dance, which had seemingly replaced the post-modernistic era had issued characteristics similar to the post-modern dance through message implications, but also performs altered character through presentations themselves. The topic for the discussion involves the Twyla Tharp as the new wave dance and the post-modernistic dance. Twyla Tharp Choreography: Post-modern Era 1960-1973   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Twyla Tharp began her career in 1965, at the age of nearly 23, with Tank Dive, a work in three movements, choreographed for her and four non-dancers. It was performed partly to the accompaniment of Petula Clark’s recording of â€Å"downtown†[2]. In the dance world, perhaps only Twyla Tharp could have fitted such a definition at the time, but her work was not commonly considered post-modern dance[3]. Twyla Tharp’s early choreography explored many of the same experimental issues that interested the Judson choreographers, the Grand Union, and Meredith Monk[4]. Several of Tharp’s dances, beginning with Tank Dive (1963), contrasted dance and pedestrian movement vocabularies and mixed trained and untrained performers. Tharp could transpose movement from one context to another because of her various syntactic procedures. Whether the movement was pedestrian or theatrical in origin, Tharp manipulates it using simple mathematical equations or principles based on theme and variation[5]. Twyla Tharp had greatly contributed in the field of post-modern dance. By the end of 1973, she hit her greatest success in the field of post-modern dance. The water-shed in her career was Deuce Coupe (1973), which Robert Joffrey commissioned for his ballet company[6].   During this year, another generation of dance trend was born and Tharp’s contribution to the post-modern dance had greatly provided certain contributions to the New Wave modern dance of 1973. New Wave Modern Dance: 1973   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meanwhile, the next generations of younger choreographers of 1973 such as Peter Gordon of Life Orchestra of 1977, Karole Armitage, Rhys Chatham, and many others had initiated the formulation of new wave dances. If Twyla Tharp performed in silence at the Judson Church in 1966, had diverged from the analytic postmodern line of inquiry because her choreography was so musically inclined, by the early 1980s, when the analytic choreographers â€Å"rediscovered† music and its various uses, such interest realigned the fields of dance steps and choreography. The next bearers of dance trends had differentiated themselves from their minimalist, analytic, anti-music forebears in a way that fit with the general cultural trend; in part to engage with their own artistic contemporaries in other fields. For the late seventies and early eighties, the younger generations of new music composers were often hybrid creations that endeavors pop experience and characteristics[7]. Modern dance today is a virtual accumulation of all the influences mentioned in the past evolution of dance steps. The plurality of perspectives has not dampened debate nor the tension that has continued to generate innovation in modern forms. The basic idea of dance in Tharp’s concept of post-modernistic dance has placed remains in the evolution of choreography evidently through instinctive pairings[8]. One example of modernistic evolution occurred in 1973 wherein the Alvin Ailey company revived Ted Shawn’s Kinetic Molpai and merged the tradition of white gay men with that if African American men. The achievement and influence of choreographers such as Trisha Brown and Twyla Tharp greatly revolutionize the characteristics of the new wave dance or the modern dance of 1970s[9]. Characteristics of New Wave Dance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the trend of the late dance choreographers including Twyla Tharp, dance steps mainly connote ballet form. The term modern dance or new wave dance connotes absence to little presence of uniformity and synonymous steps. The most striking features of its development were that of a diversity of forms. New wave dance refers to performance art dance that is not founded on the ballet nor in the various forms of popular dance entertainment, although, relationships might still be traced since the basis of these modern steps were these classical or post-modernistic choreographies[10]. Modern dance chiefly aims the expression of an inner compulsion; but it has also seen the necessity for vital forms for this expression, and indeed has realized the aesthetic value of form in and of itself as an adjunct to this expression[11]. New wave dance possessed relatively increased dynamics and patterns of steps, which encourages freedom of movement through expression, emotions, or creative instinct of the dancer[12].   From this desire to externalize personal, authentic experience, it is evident that the scheme of modern dancing is all in the direction of individualism and away from standardization[13]. Twyla Tharp’s Involvement in Modern Dance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next wave dances were greatly influenced Tharp whose work has embraced both sides of all these pairings and indicated a shift toward a concern with the dance’s perceptual effects. Representation and abstraction, emotion and motion, content and form, and psyche and environment are the prime similarities of ballet dance step formulation of Tharp and the composition of next wave dances. However, the differentiations of these dances are the standardization and strict classicism of post-modern dance of Tharp, while next wave dances basically thrived free expressions[14]. Bibliography Julia L. Foulkes , â€Å"Modern Bodies: Dance and American Modernism from Martha Ailey†, UNC Press (2002)183 Martha Bremser, â€Å"Fifty Contemporary Choreographers†, Routledge (1999) 217 Michael Huxley and Noel Witts, â€Å"The Twentieth Century Performance Reader†, Routledge (2002) 38 Press (1994) 321 Randy Martin, â€Å"Performance As Political Act: The Embodied Self†, Praeger/Greenwood (2000) 91 Sally Banes , â€Å"Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism â€Å",Wesleyan University Susan Leigh Foster, â€Å"Reading Dancing: Bodies and Subjects in Contemporary American†, University of California Press (1998) 209 [1] Michael Huxley and Noel Witts, â€Å"The Twentieth Century Performance Reader†, Routledge (2002) 38 [2] Martha Bremser, â€Å"Fifty Contemporary Choreographers†, Routledge (1999) 217 [3] Huxley and Witts, 38 [4] Susan Leigh Foster, â€Å"Reading Dancing: Bodies and Subjects in Contemporary American†, University of California Press (1998) 209 [5] Foster, 209. [6] Bremser, 217 [7] Sally Banes , â€Å"Writing Dancing in the Age of Postmodernism â€Å",Wesleyan University Press (1994) 321 [8] Foster, 209; Bremser, 217 [9] Julia L. Foulkes , â€Å"Modern Bodies: Dance and American Modernism from Martha Ailey†, UNC Press (2002)183 [10] Helen Thomas, â€Å"Dance, Modernity and Culture: Explorations in the Sociology of Dance†, Routledge (1995) 24 [11] Huxley and Witts, 38; Foulkes, 22 [12] Bremser, 217; Banes, 321 [13] Huxley and Witts, 38; Foulkes, 297, 300 [14] Randy Martin, â€Å"Performance As Political Act: The Embodied Self†, Praeger/Greenwood (2000) 91

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Environmental Sciences Essay

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Environmental Sciences Essay On December 3, 1984. In the city of Bhopal, a cloud of toxic gases escaped from an American pesticide plant, killing and injuring thousands of people. When the noxious clouds cleared, the worst industrial disaster in history had taken place. Now, Dominique Lapierre in her book Five Past Midnight brings the hundreds of characters, conflicts, and adventures together in an unforgettable tale of love and hope. Introduction Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) was asked to build a plant for the manufacture of Sevin, a pesticide commonly used throughout Asia. As part of the deal, Indias government insisted that a significant percentage of the investment come from local shareholders. The government itself had a 22% stake in the companys subsidiary, Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL). The company built the plant in Bhopal because of its central location and access to transport infrastructure. The specific site within the city was zoned for light industrial and commercial use, not for hazardous industry. The plant was initially approved only for formulation of pesticides from component chemicals, such as MIC imported from the parent company, in relatively small quantities. However, pressure from competition in the chemical industry led UCIL to implement backward integration the manufacture of raw materials and intermediate products for formulation of the final product within one facility. This was inherently a more sophisticated and hazardous process. In 1984, the plant was manufacturing Sevin at one quarter of its production capacity due to decreased demand for pesticides. Widespread crop failures and famine on the subcontinent in the 1980s led to increased indebtedness and decreased capital for farmers to invest in pesticides. Local managers were directed to close the plant and prepare it for sale in July 1984 due to decreased profitability. When no ready buyer was found, UCIL made plans to dismantle key production units of the facility for shipment to another developing country. In the meantime, the facility continued to operate with safety equipment and procedures far below the standards found in its sister plant in Institute, West Virginia. The local government was aware of safety problems but was reticent to place heavy industrial safety and pollution control burdens on the struggling industry because it feared the economic effects of the loss of such a large employer. At 11.00 PM on December 2 1984, while most of the one million residents of Bhopal slept, an operator at the plant noticed a small leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and increasing pressure inside a storage tank. The vent-gas scrubber, a safety device designer to neutralize toxic discharge from the MIC system, had been turned off three weeks prior. Apparently a faulty valve had allowed one ton of water for cleaning internal pipes to mix with forty tons of MIC. A 30 ton refrigeration unit that normally served as a safety component to cool the MIC storage tank had been drained of its coolant for use in another part of the plant. Pressure and heat from the vigorous exothermic reaction in the tank continued to build. The gas flare safety system was out of action and had been for three months. At around 1.00 AM, December 3, loud rumbling reverberated around the plant as a safety valve gave way sending a plume of MIC gas into the early morning air. Within hours, the streets of Bhopal were littered with human corpses and the carcasses of buffaloes, cows, dogs and birds. An estimated 3,800 people died immediately, mostly in the poor slum colony adjacent to the UCC plant. Local hospitals were soon overwhelmed with the injured, a crisis further compounded by a lack of knowledge of exactly what gas was involved and what its effects were. It became one of the worst chemical disasters in history and the name Bhopal became synonymous with industrial catastrophe. Estimates of the number of people killed in the first few days by the plume from the UCC plant run as high as 10,000, with 15,000 to 20,000 premature deaths reportedly occurring in the subsequent two decades. The Indian government reported that more than half a million people were exposed to the gas. Several epidemiological studies conducted soon after the accident showed significant morbidity and increased mortality in the exposed population. These data are likely to under-represent the true extent of adverse health effects because many exposed individuals left Bhopal immediately following the disaster never to return and were therefore lost to follow-up. AFTERMATH Immediately after the disaster, UCC began attempts to dissociate itself from responsibility for the gas leak. Its principal tactic was to shift culpability to UCIL, stating the plant was wholly built and operated by the Indian subsidiary. It also fabricated scenarios involving sabotage by previously unknown Sikh extremist groups and disgruntled employees but this theory was impugned by numerous independent sources. The toxic plume had barely cleared when, on December 7, the first multi-billion dollar lawsuit was filed by an American attorney in a U.S. court. This was the beginning of years of legal machinations in which the ethical implications of the tragedy and its affect on Bhopals people were largely ignored. In March 1985, the Indian government enacted the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act as a way of ensuring that claims arising from the accident would be dealt with speedily and equitably. The Act made the government the sole representative of the victims in legal proceedings both within and outside India. Eventually all cases were taken out of the U.S. legal system under the ruling of the presiding American judge and placed entirely under Indian jurisdiction much to the detriment of the injured parties. In a settlement mediated by the Indian Supreme Court, UCC accepted moral responsibility and agreed to pay $470 million to the Indian government to be distributed to claimants as a full and final settlement. The figure was partly based on the disputed claim that only 3000 people died and 102,000 suffered permanent disabilities. Upon announcing this settlement, shares of UCC rose $2 per share or 7% in value. Had compensation in Bhopal been paid at the same rate that asbestosis victims where being awarded in US courts by defendant including UCC which mined asbestos from 1963 to 1985 the liability would have been greater than the $10 billion the company was worth and insured for in 1984. By the end of October 2003, according to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, compensation had been awarded to 554,895 people for injuries received and 15,310 survivors of those killed. The average amount to families of the dead was $2,200. At every turn, UCC has attempted to manipulate, obfuscate and withhold scientific data to the detriment of victims. Even to this date, the company has not stated exactly what was in the toxic cloud that enveloped the city on that December night. When MIC is exposed to 200 ° heat, it forms degraded MIC that contains the more deadly hydrogen cyanide (HCN). There was clear evidence that the storage tank temperature did reach this level in the disaster. The cherry-red color of blood and viscera of some victims were characteristic of acute cyanide poisoning. Moreover, many responded well to administration of sodium thiosulfate, an effective therapy for cyanide poisoning but not MIC exposure. UCC initially recommended use of sodium thiosulfate but withdrew the statement later prompting suggestions that it attempted to cover up evidence of HCN in the gas leak. The presence of HCN was vigorously denied by UCC and was a point of conjecture among researchers. As further insult, UCC discontinued operation at its Bhopal plant following the disaster but failed to clean up the industrial site completely. The plant continues to leak several toxic chemicals and heavy metals that have found their way into local aquifers. Dangerously contaminated water has now been added to the legacy left by the company for the people of Bhopal LESSONS LEARNED The events in Bhopal revealed that expanding industrialization in developing countries without concurrent evolution in safety regulations could have catastrophic consequences. The disaster demonstrated that seemingly local problems of industrial hazards and toxic contamination are often tied to global market dynamics. UCCs Sevin production plant was built in Madhya Pradesh not to avoid environmental regulations in the U.S. but to exploit the large and growing Indian pesticide market. However the manner in which the project was executed suggests the existence of a double standard for multinational corporations operating in developing countries. Enforceable uniform international operating regulations for hazardous industries would have provided a mechanism for significantly improved in safety in Bhopal. Even without enforcement, international standards could provide norms for measuring performance of individual companies engaged in hazardous activities such as the manufacture of pestic ides and other toxic chemicals in India. National governments and international agencies should focus on widely applicable techniques for corporate responsibility and accident prevention as much in the developing world context as in advanced industrial nations. Specifically, prevention should include risk reduction in plant location and design and safety legislation. Local governments clearly cannot allow industrial facilities to be situated within urban areas, regardless of the evolution of land use over time. Industry and government need to bring proper financial support to local communities so they can provide medical and other necessary services to reduce morbidity, mortality and material loss in the case of industrial accidents. Public health infrastructure was very weak in Bhopal in 1984. Tap water was available for only a few hours a day and was of very poor quality. With no functioning sewage system, untreated human waste was dumped into two nearby lakes, one a source of drinking water. The city had four major hospitals but there was a shortage of physicians and hospital beds. There was also no mass casualty emergency response system in place in the city. Existing public health infrastructure needs to be taken into account when hazardous industries choose sites for manufacturing plants. Future management of industrial development requires that appropriate resources be devoted to advance planning before any disaster occurs. Communities that do not possess infrastructure and technical expertise to respond adequately to such industrial accidents should not be chosen as sites for hazardous industry. Since 1984 Following the events of December 3 1984 environmental awareness and activism in India increased significantly. The Environment Protection Act was passed in 1986, creating the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and strengthening Indias commitment to the environment. Under the new act, the MoEF was given overall responsibility for administering and enforcing environmental laws and policies. It established the importance of integrating environmental strategies into all industrial development plans for the country. However, despite greater government commitment to protect public health, forests, and wildlife, policies geared to developing the countrys economy have taken precedence in the last 20 years. India has undergone tremendous economic growth in the two decades since the Bhopal disaster. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has increased from $1,000 in 1984 to $2,900 in 2004 and it continues to grow at a rate of over 8% per year. Rapid industrial development has contributed greatly to economic growth but there has been significant cost in environmental degradation and increased public health risks. Since abatement efforts consume a large portion of Indias GDP, MoEF faces an uphill battle as it tries to fulfill its mandate of reducing industrial pollution. Heavy reliance on coal-fired power plants and poor enforcement of vehicle emission laws have result from economic concerns taking precedence over environmental protection. With the industrial growth since 1984, there has been an increase in small scale industries (SSIs) that are clustered about major urban areas in India. There are generally less stringent rules for the treatment of waste produced by SSIs due to less waste generation within each individual industry. This has allowed SSIs to dispose of untreated wastewater into drainage systems that flow directly into rivers. New Delhis Yamuna River is illustrative. Dangerously high levels of heavy metals such as lead, cobalt, cadmium, chrome, nickel and zinc have been detected in this river which is a major supply of potable water to Indias capital thus posing a potential health risk to the people living there and areas downstream. Land pollution due to uncontrolled disposal of industrial solid and hazardous waste is also a problem throughout India. With rapid industrialization, the generation of industrial solid and hazardous waste has increased appreciably and the environmental impact is significant. India relaxed its controls on foreign investment in order to accede to WTO rules and thereby attract an increasing flow of capital. In the process, a number of environmental regulations are being rolled back as growing foreign investments continue to roll in. The Indian experience is comparable to that of a number of developing countries that are experiencing the environmental impacts of structural adjustment. Exploitation and export of natural resources has accelerated on the subcontinent. Prohibitions against locating industrial facilities in ecologically sensitive zones have been eliminated while conservation zones are being stripped of their status so that pesticide, cement and bauxite mines can be built. Heavy reliance on coal-fired power plants and poor enforcement of vehicle emission laws are other consequences of economic concerns taking precedence over environmental protection. In March 2001, residents of Kodaikanal in southern India caught the Anglo-Dutch company, Unilever, red-handed when they discovered a dumpsite with toxic mercury laced waste from a thermometer factory run by the companys Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Lever. The 7.4 ton stockpile of mercury-laden glass was found in torn stacks spilling onto the ground in a scrap metal yard located near a school. In the fall of 2001, steel from the ruins of the World Trade Center was exported to India apparently without first being tested for contamination from asbestos and heavy metals present in the twin tower debris. Other examples of poor environmental stewardship and economic considerations taking precedence over public health concerns abound. The Bhopal disaster could have changed the nature of the chemical industry and caused a reexamination of the necessity to produce such potentially harmful products in the first place. However the lessons of acute and chronic effects of exposure to pesticides and their precursors in Bhopal has not changed agricultural practice patterns. An estimated 3 million people per year suffer the consequences of pesticide poisoning with most exposure occurring in the agricultural developing world. It is reported to be the cause of at least 22,000 deaths in India each year. In the state of Kerala, significant mortality and morbidity have been reported following exposure to Endosulfan, a toxic pesticide whose use continued for 15 years after the events of Bhopal. Aggressive marketing of asbestos continues in developing countries as a result of restrictions being placed on its use in developed nations due to the well-established link between asbestos products and respiratory diseases. India has become a major consumer, using around 100,000 tons of asbestos per year, 80% of which is imported with Canada being the largest overseas supplier. Mining, production and use of asbestos in India is very loosely regulated despite the health hazards. Reports have shown morbidity and mortality from asbestos related disease will continue in India without enforcement of a ban or significantly tighter controls. UCC has shrunk to one sixth of its size since the Bhopal disaster in an effort to restructure and divest itself. By doing so, the company avoided a hostile takeover, placed a significant portion of UCCs assets out of legal reach of the victims and gave its shareholder and top executives bountiful profits. The company still operates under the ownership of Dow Chemicals and still states on its website that the Bhopal disaster was cause by deliberate sabotage. Some positive changes were seen following the Bhopal disaster. The British chemical company, ICI, whose Indian subsidiary manufactured pesticides, increased attention to health, safety and environmental issues following the events of December 1984. The subsidiary now spends 30-40% of their capital expenditures on environmental-related projects. However, they still do not adhere to standards as strict as their parent company in the UK. The US chemical giant DuPont learned its lesson of Bhopal in a different way. The company attempted for a decade to export a nylon plant from Richmond, VA to Goa, India. In its early negotiations with the Indian government, DuPont had sought and won a remarkable clause in its investment agreement that absolved it from all liabilities in case of an accident. But the people of Goa were not willing to acquiesce while an important ecological site was cleared for a heavy polluting industry. After nearly a decade of protesting by Goas residents, DuPont was forced to scuttle plans there. Chennai was the next proposed site for the plastics plant. The state government there made significantly greater demand on DuPont for concessions on public health and environmental protection. Eventually, these plans were also aborted due to what the company called financial concerns. QUESTIONAIRE Name : Alkesh R Takpere Age : 43 Company Name : RCF Designation: Chief Manager (Technical services) Which products do you deal in ? Fertilizers and other chemicals 1) Fertilizer Urea 2) Complex fertilizers (NPK) 3) Methanol 4) Sodium Nitrate 5) Ammonium bicarbonate 6) Methylamines 7) Dimethyl Form amide 8) Dimethylacetamide Which is the most hazardous chemical and what is the harm caused due to it ? Methanol is a hazardous chemical. It has severed effects on the body such as severe abdominal, leg, and back pain. Amounts of methanol can also cause Loss of vision and even blindness. Have your company faced any tragedy with regards to gas leakage? No, RCF has never faced any gas leakage problems. During the start up and the shut down all the gases are arrested using flares. If yes, how did you deal with the situation? We have upgraded ourselves with all the latest technology. There are 22 plants in all and they are installed with DCS systems in all the plants. Being established in 1968 we gradually modernized all the systems. We have computerized control systems which help us track all the activities around the manufacturing units. The temperature level of all the vessels can be moderated via computer. Internalized LAN system connections with the ammonia plants help in keeping a check on functioning of the plant, temperature and chemical levels, MCS 1010 degree Celsius. Workplace monitors help us to take corrective actions via Alarms and CCTVs which command the operators and the analysts. What are the ideal norms to be followed in a chemical manufacturing company? There are two types of Norms followed by the RCF: Safety norms and environment norms. Safety norms: Training to all contract employees Time to time health check up Separate training given to the engineers Fire fighting training Gloves, goggles and shoes to deal with hazardous chemicals Welding shield for welding jobs Environment norms: Norms related to Sox ,Nox,Ammonia , PM2.5,CO etc Other stipulated norms given by CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and MPCB(Maharashtra Pollution Control Board) and RCF works way below these norms. What precautions are taken as a measure of safety ? Studies done by allocated bodies ISO 14000 ,ISO 9000 OSAS -18000 ( Certified) Proper medical aid availability at the time of accidents Due care for worker life by availing the insurance Health check up from time to time Workers with Phobias detected by the doctor are not permitted to work Fire Fighting Training is given to the workers in the welding department Mock drill on Levels 1,2,3 is conducted once in a quarter for monitoring safety Level 1 : Deals with gaseous emissions Level 2: Deals with Fire Department Level 3: Mutual group discussions are done in case of major issues. Level 3 Mock drill is performed once in a year. BPCL HPCL are members with RCF who are taken into consideration at level 3 Example: Heavy leakage Did the company undergo any changes after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy? RCF has set up the environment cell in 1978. 500 cr. was spent for environment protection while setting up the cell. 4 ambient air quality monitoring sections are set up around each plant of RCF to monitor the gas emissions from the plant. They function 247; to transmit and capture data every 15 minutes. Meteorological Department is set up in one of the plants to control the air pollution around RCF. Are all the employees in your company insured? There is a group insurance policy The contract workers are insured under ESI What is the role of the company in social responsibility? Ans: The following initiatives have been taken by the company: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Farmer Education on farm inputs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Soil Testing of major and micro nutrients à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Water/Irrigation management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Plant Protection Measures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Training on post harvest technology marketing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Field and Crop Demonstrations are other effective means of imparting knowledge to farmers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tie-up with M/s ITC e-choupal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Company has 6 static and 4 mobile soil-testing vans. More than 60,000 soil samples are tested every year and recommendations on efficient use of fertilizers are given through Soil Health Cards. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 600 Krishi-melas conducted serving around 3,00,000 farmers per year à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ RCF has launched a dedicated website for farmers www.rcfkrushisamridhi.com What are the various monitoring surveillance system adopted by the company for security purposes? Ans: For security purposes the company follows various policies like: The Fraud Prevention Policy of RCF-2010 has been framed to provide a system for detection and prevention of fraud, reporting of any fraud that is detected or suspected and fair dealing of matters pertaining to fraud. The policy will ensure and provide for the following:- 1. To ensure that management is aware of its responsibilities for detection and prevention of fraud and for establishing procedures for preventing fraud and/or detecting fraud when it occurs. 2. To provide a clear guidance to employees and others dealing with RCF, forbidding them from involvement in any fraudulent activity and the action to be taken by them where they suspect any fraudulent activity. 3. To conduct investigations into fraudulent activities. 4. To provide assurances that any and all suspected fraudulent activity will be fully investigated. This policy applies to any fraud, or suspected fraud, involving employees of RCF (all full time, part time or employees appointed on adhoc / temporary / contract basis, probationers and trainees) as well as representatives of vendors, suppliers, contractors, consultants, service providers or any outside agency doing any type of business with RCF. The company also employs 12 to 15 security guards in around the office premises. What is the back-up plan of the company in case of untoward accident or any emergency? Ans: There is availability of ambulance at factory site Safety alarms are available as a warning signal to act quickly in case of emergency Workers are provided with proper and maintained machineries What role does ethics play at RCF? We make sure that air pollution Act, water pollution act and noise pollution act are followed strictly. In MOU with government of India we ensure that are 2 man days per employee for training. What measure has RCF taken apart from the government norms? Instead of N2O, RCF uses DN2O acid catalyst which has the potential of depleting pollution by 300 times. We also use selective catalytic reactor to emit colorless fumes instead of brown fumes as earlier. Interpretation Analysis of the Interview RCF produces fertilizers and other hazardous chemicals of the grades :15-15-15 20-20-0 RCF being one of the largest chemical fertilizing plants takes utmost precautions and applies stringent practice of safety measures. They are very particular about the safety and take heavy measures for the same. They give adequate training to all the workers as well as the contract employees. They are one step ahead in applying the safety norms. There have no incident taken place in RCF with respect to gas leakage or other such disaster. They are very innovative and have modernized all the plants since 1968.They use computerised monitoring system to check the functioning of every plant which is reviewed in every 15 minutes.There are 22 plants and a plant is shut down once a year for annual maintenance either in May or October for a maximum period of 20 days one plant at a time.They have spent around 500 crores for developing the environment cell thus contributing to the protection of environment. They are also very particular about the health of every worker. Also after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy , the government norms have become very stringent.Thus, the whole interview gave us a idea that RCF believes in Better Safe than Sorry Q. Describe the systematic errors that led to the disaster in December 1984 ? These were the above factors that contributes to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984.    PRODUCTION : The use of hazardous chemicals like (MIC) instead of less dangerous ones   . MAINTENANCE: Storing these chemicals in large tanks instead of over 200 steel drums.   Possible corroding material in pipelines  Ã‚   Poor maintenance after the plant ceased production in the early 1980s   SECURITY SAFETY : Failure of several safety systems (due to poor maintenance and regulations).   Safety systems being switched off to save money-including the MIC tank refrigeration system which alone would have prevented the disaster. GOVERNMENT : The problem was made worse by the plants location near a densely populated area, non-existent catastrophe plans and shortcomings in health care and socio-economic rehabilitation. Analysis shows that the parties responsible for the magnitude of the disaster are the two owners, Union Carbide Corporation and the Government of India, and to some extent, the Government of Madhya Pradesh. FINANCE : Providing less wages no promotions to highly skilled workers which made them to switch the organisation. TRAINING : Forcing the workers to use english manuals even after knowing they are not familiar with the language. Q. Find out trigger points that a continuous process manufacturing plant dealing with hazardous materials need to watch out for ? A continuous process manufacturing plant have to watch out on following points : Chemical levels of : Nox Sox Ammonia $ other hazardous Chemicals Temperature levels of the Vessels After Bhopal Gas Tragedy , all the chemical manufacturing companies have started having stag monitors in every branch as a precaution measure. Wherever these hazardous chemicals are produced, stored, used or handled, a proper and effective health management programme should be implemented so as to protect the interest and safeguard the safety and health of people who are exposed to such materials. Policies and strategy the responsibility of the management regarding the safety of employees and the use of the chemicals should be stated in the policy statement. To give effect to the policy, the management must frame a wide strategy on managing the hazardous chemicals. Register of chemicals these should contain the information regarding the location and the inventory of the chemicals. Also it should mention the number of people exposed to those hazardous chemicals. Risk assessment and control 1) identification of the safety and the health hazardous events, 2) Frequency of the exposure to the chemicals and likelihood of occurrence of the events and its evolution too. If the finding shows that the risk is too high and not acceptable than preventive measures should be taken as soon as possible. Safety work procedures at any point where and when this chemicals are used in handling there should be a written procedure for the start up, routine operation, shut down and maintenance work. It also include the use of personal protective equipments when necessary and also other precautions to be taken. Storage of chemicals a storage system is established based on the nature of the chemical, incompatibility, quantity and environmental conditions. So the layout of the storage design should take into the consideration like the statutory requirement, material safety data and also other national and international standards to be followed. Personal protection equipment include respirators, safety glasses, field shields overall, aprons and gloves. Workplace monitoring it reveals which workers, area of the workplace and nearby vicinity of the plant will be most affected if level of the airborne contamination increases. A regular checkup by a competent person should be carried out and also result of the monitoring should be correctly evaluated and properly recorded. Emergency planning responses and first aid procedures its needed to cope up with chemical acciidents such as fires, explosions, spills, or leaks of hazardous materials. Emergency procedures should be established so that the source of release should be properly rectified and the area of contamination could be properly contained. The first aid programme will ensure that provisions for emergency treatment of victims of chemical poisoning or excessive exposure to toxic chemicals are met. Information and training employees who handle chemicals or may be affected by them should be informed of the hazard potential of these chemicals and the procedures for safe handling, minimization of exposure. A training programme should be instituted to ensure that the safe handling procedure are both known and understood by all concerned. Information on hazardous chemicals and safe handling procedures should be disseminated regularly to employees involved via group and individual training, data sheets and other aids. Programme review and audit the management should conduct an annual review of its hazard

Should the Drinking Age be Lowered? Essay -- Law, Sociology

Although exceptions to every generality exist, alcohol is usually present in most gathering where adults are also in attendance. If one really examines the idea, alcohol is usually at every social event even if adults are not. At this point it would probably be important to know who actually is considered to be an adult. From country to country the answer varies but in the United States of America anyone of the age of eighteen is liable and treated just like adults of any age. Consequently, one could say that the previous statement is technically, in the majority of circumstances, incorrect in that when alcohol is around so are adults. When mentioned in such a way, nothing seems to be out of place except that in the United States the legal alcohol consumption age is twenty-one. There are not many sides one may take when contemplating this alcohol consumption law, one is either for it or against it. Many believe that if the drinking age is lowered it should rightfully be lowered to eighteen. These individuals have a number of reasons to support their ideology. John McCardell Jr. is one of those individuals and actually developed a complete organization in 2006 known as Choose Responsibility that promotes his philosophy (Cloud). McCardell Jr. is the head of Middlebury College and believes eighteen to twenty year olds should be eligible to consume alcoholic beverages as long as they are licensed (Cloud). To receive this license one must first complete a course that is around forty-two hours long and consists of the explanations of the chemistry, history, psychology, and sociology of alcohol that may include AA, alcoholics anonymous, meetings (Cloud). McCardell Jr., along with others, also believes that if one is considered an a... ...at can be done to minimize all the problems alcohol provides; I think the first step in assimilating a similar attitude is by education and through example from older adults to young adults. Maybe McCardell’s forty-two hour course of everything one should know to fully understand the results of consuming alcohol would be beneficial for the general public. With that being said the age should still remain twenty-one and adults should not be one-hundred percent intolerable towards teens that might have slipped some alcohol by, after all who has not broken a rule here and there? I believe if a little ignorance is given to the provocation it will disappear. Works Cited Cloud, John. "Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered?" Time.com. Time US, 06 June 2008. Web. 05 Feb. 2012. Scrivo, Karen Lee. "Drinking on Campus." CQ Researcher 20 Mar. 1998: 241-64. Web. 5 Feb. 2012.

School, Education, Wisdom and My Life :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

School, Education, Wisdom and My Life One day in class, I was asked what I "know about", and how what I "know about", relates to me today, in my life, as I am living it. Well, this is an account of whether or not I know anything at all. If I do know something, I'll make clear of how it is connected with me. If I come to the conclusion that I don't know anything at all, then I'll write about something else, if I know what I'm writing about. I shall base this narrative around me, starting from birth, and concluding it with the now and present. This I know I'll do because I have told you I will. And I try not to lie. On an early evening of October the fifth, 1978, I, John Moren was born to an average, eight pound, five ounce body. How do I know this? First, I have hospital records to prove it, and second, I do not believe my parents would lie to me about something so monumental, such as my birth. At this time in my life, if someone were to ask me if I knew anything, I wouldn't know who they were, who I was, where I was, or what that gibberish was that was coming out of that hole in their face. I also wouldn’t know what a face or hole was. Starting off well, wouldn't you say? I was then transported off somewhere with some people, but I was happy because whatever it was that I was wearing stank of something ripe and everyone kept making funny faces. After countless hours of repetition, I finally came to realization that one of these huge beasts was mama, and the other was dada. The next couple of years, I am told, were spent learning how to walk, learning how to talk, learning how to peeâ₠¬ ¦. Well, I always knew how to pee, but it was always in my pants. Among these amazing astonishment’s, I learned how to get into trouble, and get out of it with my charming eyes and goo-goo ga-ga’s. So at this point in my life, I knew a couple of things, but I didn’t know why I knew them. It just helped out. I soon started hearing things about school and was told I'd be there for a Long time. YA HOO! In my mind, I was thinking of a place where they sent all kids to be branded and molded into something suitable for the real world.