Saturday, November 30, 2019

Research Proposal Global Warming and Western United States Wildfires Essay Example

Research Proposal: Global Warming and Western United States Wildfires Essay Over the recent years wildfires have been rampant phenomena in the Western United States of America. One thing as been noted about the trends of the wildfires, that they are more intensive during the hotter seasons, when the spring temperatures come earlier and the summer temperatures get hotter. The purpose of this research paper is to conduct a study that will provide data showing the link between increase in temperature due to global warming and the occurrence of climate driven fires. The paper will provide scientifically-backed evidence from books, renowned journals, and other reliable sources to show that the increase in wildfires in the Western United States is as a result of global warming. Statement of the Problem or Research Questions(s) In order to provide a factually backed argument that will support the purpose statement the study will seek to answer a number of questions that includes; Are wildfires considered a natural disaster or are they a product of man made disasters? How do the yearly snowmelts affect seasonal wildfires? Data observation of seasonal temperature changes, what is the scientific link between changing and the frequency and intensity of wildfires? What are the significant changes that make conditions favorable for wildfires? What models of predictions exist that causes conditions for wildfires? What are the economical losses due to the wildfires? How has the wildfires affected the environment and are there a negative or a positive effect on the ecosystems? In order to provide an argument that can be defended, sufficient data will be collected that will be comprised of vital information about the research studies used such as the duration of time covered by the data collected, methods used in ana lyzing the data, and findings. We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal: Global Warming and Western United States Wildfires specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal: Global Warming and Western United States Wildfires specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Proposal: Global Warming and Western United States Wildfires specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Theoretical Framework Theoretically, this paper will oscillate within the boundaries of the theory of Complex Self-organizing Systems. According to the theory, things do not happen on their own, they happen because someone or something has made them to happen. This is an indicator of a reflection of a fantasy of power over life and the world. The theory holds that most systems consist of interacting parts and behavior of the system as a whole, and that no part controls the whole or even another part.   Such systems are referred to as â€Å"Self-organizing† and the behavior of the components referred to as â€Å"emergent.† [Lemke (n.d.)] Similarly, this research study’s hypothesis holds that wildfires do not just occur as a result of dropping of flammable materials in the forests but they occur as a result of global warming. Hypothesis (Statements of the Hypothesis) Wildfires may be caused by both manmade and natural factors. For instance, man can accidentally start a fire by unknowingly throwing flammable objects on dead and dry trees and shrubs, the work of arsonists is also another manmade activity. On the other hand natural factors such as lightening and global warming have been noted to contribute immensely in the increase of the frequency of wildfires. For purposes of this paper’s research study scope, a narrowed down approach will be adopted, that: global warming will be discussed as the main factor behind the frequent wildfires in the Western United States of America. Sufficient evidence shows that, global warming that brings about extreme climatic changes is the cause for wildfires that have been on the increase in the Western region of the United States. According to Running, (2006), the escalation of wildfire activity in the western United States is directly linked to the increase in temperatures (global warming). He contends t hat â€Å"Higher temperatures and earlier snowmelts are extending the wildfire season and increasing the intensity of wildfires in the Western United States.† (pp. 927-928) Significance of the Study Natural hazards cause hundreds of deaths and cost billions in disaster aid, disruption of commerce and trade, destruction of homes and critical infrastructure.   Wildfires are an example of such growing natural hazards that poses a threat to life and property. Despite themselves causing numerous deaths and loss of property directly, they are indirectly equally disastrous, in that, they increase the potential for flooding and landslides. The smoke and other gaseous emissions that emanate from wildfires contain pollutants that can cause significant health problems. The more the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere the more the increase of the risk of wildfires occurrences. It is hoped that the study’s findings and recommendations will help impart the much needed knowledge about the causes of the wildfires that have been a menace to in the western United States. This knowledge will help to clear some notions that people may have been holding in regards to the causes of wildfires. More importantly, if people acquire the knowledge on the causes of the wildfires then they will definitely put measures in place for fighting them. For instance, it is known that the United States of America is one of the greatest emitters of green house gases into the atmosphere which end up contributing to global warming; therefore this will be used as a good reason for need to enact policies that will restrict the emission of the greenhouse gases. Research Design and Methods The nature of this research study demands for an approach that will employ theoretical knowledge proposing a generalization between the two key variables.   This approach will enable the researcher to take an objective position to treat the phenomena hard and real. In light of this, then the most appropriate approach for the study is quantitative approach. This approach will allow for the use of empirical evidence gathered from other related studies and attempt to test hypotheses or statements in regards to this evidence with view to making a generalization between the key variables. Further, this approach involves the measuring, counting, collecting and analyzing of numerical data and application of statistical tests to the collected data. Research Design and Instrumentation Definition of key Variables Wildfires: According to Blaikie et al, hazards such as hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic explosions, flooding, wildfires must interact with social systems and human vulnerability to qualify the status of â€Å"disasters†. The definition of a natural disaster is pegged on the hazard-vulnerability interaction. This is to say that a natural hazard will never result into a natural disaster if it occurs in areas without vulnerability e.g. strong earthquakes happening in uninhabited lands. However, the most sensitive issue is establishing the cause of disasters. For instance, whereas some disasters are directly caused by mans activities others are caused by natural factors such as global warming, lightening, earthquake, etc. Wildfires for instance, are an example of natural disasters that are mainly caused by changes in climatic conditions. A wildfire, also known as, forest fire, vegetation fire, or bush fire, is an uncontrolled fire in wild land that are caused by both man activities and natural factors such as global warming and lightening. A fire requires three basic things to burn: fuel, oxygen, and heat. In the case of wildfires the fuel is trees, shrubs, and grasses, especially those that are dead and dry. The air in our atmosphere which is made up of 21% of oxygen, supplies the oxygen that the wildfires needs to burn. On the other hand, the high temperatures supply heat. [Blaikie et al (2003)] Global Warming: Global warming is the increase in the average temperatures of the earth near-surface air and the oceans since the mid-twentieth century and its projected continuation. It is believed that the major cause of global warming is the excess emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This causes the depletion of the ozone layer which protects the excess penetration of strong radiations from the sun. A slight increase in global temperatures can cause ice sheets to melt, rivers to dry, deserts to encroach, trees to dry and shed leaves, and other forms of desert like situations. There exists sufficient researched evidence that indicates that these desert-like situations are responsible for the increase in the frequency of wildfires. [Climate Change (2007)] Research Study Sources This research study involves two variables (global warming: independent and wildfires: dependent) which are directly linked to one another. In order to investigate the interrelation between these two variables, findings of various articles that describe research studies carried out by other researchers on the issue will be studied. This paper will utilize findings from reliable research studies only. In ‘reliable research studies’ it is referred to those studies whose findings were published in reputable journals, have been peer reviewed, or were presented in global meetings on climate as compiled reports. Only those articles that are published in journals such as Science Express, Climate Change, National Wildlife, and PNAS will be utilized. Each article’s findings and other relevant data will be treated independently in order to have an independent comparison at the end of the study that will lead to. There are many articles that discusses the issue of wildfires as a natural hazard caused by natural factors such as lightening, however, in order to offer tangible support to the study’s purpose statement and hypothesis, major emphasis will be put on those articles that discusses global warming as the core factor to the increase in wildfires on the Western United States (as the purpose statement boldly states). Sampling Procedures The research study will not involve the visiting of sites where wildfires have been experienced as there is enough empirical information in journal articles, books and other publications that discusses more about wildfires. However, only empirical evidence that supports this research study purpose statement will be sampled. Justification of Case Studies Selected In this study a total of six research studies carried during different times by different researchers will be used as the primary sources of information. The selection of the case studies was based on the fact that they dedicate a larger part of their finding in acknowledging that global warming is the main causal agent of wildfires. Again, they are all peer reviewed journal articles which published in renowned journals or were presented to national or international climatic change forums. The case studies are: Running’s (2006) Climate Change: Is Global Warming causing More, Larger Wildfires, published in Science Express journal; Tolme’s, (2004) Will Global Warming Cause More Wildfires? Published in National Wildlife journal; Marlon’s (2009), Wildfires responses to abrupt climate change in North America. Published by PNAS; Westerling et al (2006) Warming and earlier spring increase western U.S. Forest fire activity, published in Science Express Journal; Fried et al (2004) The Impact of Climatic Change on Wildfire Severity: A Regional Forecast for Northern California, published in Climate Change journal, and; Kitzberger et al (2007) Contingent Pacific-Atlantic Ocean influence on Multi-Century Wildfire Synchrony Over Western North America, published in PNAS. Data Analysis Data collected from the findings of the case study will be subjected to content analysis. This method of data analysis suits the nature of this study and the nature of the resource materials used in the study. The approach allows for the scrutinizing at documents, text and speech and takes only the major themes of such texts. It is theory driven (i.e., what the researcher is interested in).The method will involve the reading of the whole research studies and then more emphasis will be put on those areas of the study that talks about the theme of this study. After that the collected empirical data will be subjected to further analysis in order to point out unique aspects of every research study that are related to this study’s hypothesis. These unique aspects will then be compiled together to form a strong claim that can support the purpose statement of this study. Big chunks of information will be tackled first then the small chunks will follow afterwards to avoid duplication of efforts.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

An Analysis on Religion, Healing and Death Essays

An Analysis on Religion, Healing and Death Essays An Analysis on Religion, Healing and Death Paper An Analysis on Religion, Healing and Death Paper The attitudes of religion are more towards health and methods to gain health after the individual are sick. When death takes place, the question of ever gaining health is over, and in that respect, death has put an end to all religion. On the other side, when a man regains his or her health, the religious practices are recalled and it is said that they have succeeded in gaining health back for the man, and then death just has to walk away from the scene. Analysis: Let us look at the way different religions look at the essential requirements for regaining health. Starting with Judaism, we know that there are three groups among them Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. The differences among the sects depend on their strictness of adherence to ancient laws and practices. The first point is that among all Jews, there will be attention paid to a sick person and family members will ensure that someone stays with the patient. In general, Jews are very interested in diagnosis, treatment and personal care for the patient and thus health is though to be very important by them. At the same time, they observe certain restrictions and these are like not accepting surgery or medical procedures on Sabbath or holy days which begins at sunset on Fridays and ends at sunset of Saturdays; some Jews of the orthodox group will not touch money, will not sit down to write, make use of electrical appliances like hospital bed controls, elevators, call buttons, automatic door openers, cars, light switches, etc; most also fast on Yom Kippur, bit it can be explained that fasting is not required on Yom Kippur for sick people; and shaving of facial hair is also not done by the orthodox group. (Multicultural Health Generalizations) Thus it is clear that along with regaining their health, a Jew would still like to observe certain religious matters. However all this observance will naturally end when death would arrive. If on the other hand, with health, all this will be felt to have contributed to the recovery from sickness, and thus healing will convince that death is not essential. Looking at Buddhists, they think of good health as a balanced interaction between the mind and body as also life and environment. When the balance is lost, according to Buddhists, sickness comes, and the efforts of their theory and practice are to restore the balance. When there is a treatment of any illness, Buddhism does not avoid the available modern medicines along with its array of diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Their explanation is that these can be best used for treatment of all illness, while at the same time; there is a requirement for a deeper understanding of the inner and subjective procedures in life. Thus one can say that the central attitude is a stress on spiritual strength along with a feeling of the requirement of a sense of purpose in life and this is best achieved through compassion for others. The science of medicine does not accept that these have anything to do with recovery from sickness, but according to the religion, these help individuals to recover from difficulties that one faces due to sickness and also provides a chance for developing personal qualities during the period of sickness. (Multicultural Health Generalizations) We know that this is also an old religion; the effects here stress more on the mind than on physical actions. It is also known that about half of our diseases occur from the mind, so in certain cases, these attitudes can help. On the next item is the attitudes of believers in Islam, and one of the oldest practitioners of that religion are the Arabs. Their attitude is a lack of patience and even on the first visit a patient may expect to receive medication and immediate relief of pain. If they are not given medication or asked for laboratory tests, they may need an explanation. When the patients are suffering from mental distress they would not describe the matter fully but give only vague explanations. Often they would like somatic treatment as leaving a patient in a hospital is viewed as abandonment. The sense of their privacy is high and they do not like to provide any detailed information about themselves, and this is worse with women who do not like to talk about their private lives, but are easier when they talk with female doctors. (Multicultural Health Generalizations) It is clear here that the attitude to sickness comes from the area of origin rather than any specific religious taboo. This is clearer when we see the attitude of Hindus and they are ready to accept sickness without any feeling of guilt, and the entire family is ready to assist and they relieve the individual of responsibilities for that period. At the same time, they have strong family relationships and this stops them from using long term facilities. Since the religion involves a lot of stoicism, the exhibition of pain is low and it is also felt that pain is due to the wrath of God. This gives them the concept that pain has to be endured with endurance, and thus to really understand the real amount of pain, the treatment has to be carried out based on direct examination. There is also a high practice of self medication and these cover up the symptoms of the disease till health conditions deteriorate and make treatment more difficult. The providers of healthcare are viewed as elders in the family and though the general attitude is fatalistic, the details are generally stated. (Multicultural Health Generalizations) Here again there is a certain amount of acceptance of death being an inevitable conclusion, yet when the person regains health, there is a feeling of happiness. In a way, regaining of health puts death a couple of notches down. Getting back to Western beliefs, death is not faced up to. There is a general tendency to hide the fact of death from ourselves and children. No one likes to tell children how items like fried chicken, hamburgers and bacon are made. When the family has an old dog, it is put to sleep, and not put to death. This makes death a very difficult experience, though it will come to everybody. We try to have the funeral homes turn the occasion into one of reunion of family and its friends. The event is not given any religious colors, and this concept is also passed on to children. There are many religious stories where even virtuous people are called home with the meaning that they die. (Aging and Death in Folklore) To a certain extent this is different from the attitudes of the Chinese who feel that healthcare providers are authority. It is their duty to decide on the methods and types of treatment, it is the duty of the family to ensure that it is carried out. Even when they do not agree with the doctors decision, they generally do not argue, but just do not follow the instructions. The main reason for this is that they feel when the medical provider is contradicted, the person will lose face. In general when Western practices are carried out, they do not like the pain of treatment and direct invasive nature. (Multicultural Health Generalizations) Yet, they also come for treatment with the expectation of regaining health, and when death loses out, it loses face. Some sections among Christians like Jehovahs Witnesses do not accept blood transfusions and always ask for alternative forms of treatment. They carry with them a durable power of attorney for heath care document that clearly states their choice and wishes. Regarding even auto-transfusion techniques like hemo-dilution and cell salvage are decided by individuals. (Multicultural Health Generalizations) Their attitude towards accepting blood is difficult and often causes a lot of difficulties in their treatment. On the other hand they believe a lot on prayer, and some say that it helps in healing. In spite of all the claims, there have been no cases where this has reached a level of confidence to show that a real effect is being seen. Many of such studies have been affected due to defects in their organization and the results have been stated to be due to the bias of the researcher or the subject. Independent studies have only shown that prayer neither helps nor hurts healing. (Effectiveness of personal prayers: Used in addition to medical treatment) This shows to an extent that religion probably does not have a role to play in the process, yet when healing takes place, it is an occasion of joy. At the same time, in many instances, it has been seen that the religions of the world have caused a lot of violence, and are causing it even today. At the same time, individuals feel very secure within the realms of their religion, and when any threats are seen to it, they take up the matter as an affront to the group. (A Look at the Future) These cause more deaths and resultant unhappiness. Death is the ultimate form of lack of health and such wars stop us from putting death in its place using the weapon of health. Conclusion: While death is inevitable for all of us, and one of the promises of religion is that the particular religion will lead us to a place of everlasting happiness if we follow the religion, it should not be the cause of death, as that will harm our existence in this world which requires health. Bibliography : Ashliman, D. L.  Aging and Death in Folklore. Retrieved from pitt. edu/~dash/aging. html Accessed 9 December, 2005 Effectiveness of personal prayers: Used in addition to medical treatment. Retrieved from religioustolerance. org/medical4. htm Accessed 9 December, 2005 Keating, Thomas. A Look at the Future. Retrieved from centeringprayer. com/better/better07. htm Accessed 9 December, 2005 Multicultural Health Generalizations. Retrieved from med. umich. edu/multicultural/ccp/bmhg. htm Accessed 9 December, 2005a

Friday, November 22, 2019

Quotes From The Stranger by Albert Camus

Quotes From The Stranger by Albert Camus The Stranger is a famous novel by Albert Camus, who wrote about existential themes. The story is a first-person narrative, through the eyes of Meursault, an Algerian. Here are a few quotes from The Stranger, separated by chapter. Part 1, Chapter 1 Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I dont know. I got a telegram from the home: Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours. That doesnt mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday. It had been a long time since Id been out in the country, and I could feel how much Id enjoy going for a walk if it hadnt been for Maman. Part 1, Chapter 2 It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed. Part 1, Chapter 3 He asked if I thought she was cheating on him, and it seemed to me she was; if I thought she should be punished and what I would do in his place, and I said you cant ever be sure, but I understood his wanting to punish her. I got up. Raymond gave me a very firm handshake and said that men always understand each other. I left his room, closing the door behind me, and paused for a minute in the dark, on the landing. The house was quiet, and a breath of dark, dank air wafted p from deep in the stairwell. All I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. I stood there, motionless. Part 1, Chapter 4 She was wearing a pair of my pajamas with the sleeves rolled up. When she laughed I wanted her again. A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didnt mean anything but that I didnt think so. She looked sad. But as we were fixing lunch, and for no apparent reason, she laughed in such a way that I kissed her. Part 1, Chapter 5 I would rather not have upset him, but I couldnt see any reason to change my life. Looking back on it, I wasnt unhappy. When I was a student, I had lots of ambitions like that. But when I had to give up my studies I learned very quickly that none of it really mattered. Part 1, Chapter 6 For the first time maybe, I really thought I was going to get married. Part 2, Chapter 2 At that time, I often thought that if I had had to live in the trunk of a dead tree, with nothing to do but look up at the sky flowing overhead, little by little I would have gotten used to it. Part 2, Chapter 3 For the first time in years, I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me. I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me. The spectators laughed. And my lawyer, rolling up one of his sleeves, said with finality, Here we have a perfect reflection of this entire trial: everything is true and nothing is true! They had before them the basest of crimes, a crime made worse than sordid by the fact that they were dealing with a monster, a man without morals. Part 2, Chapter 4 But all the long speeches, all the interminable days and hours that people had spent talking about my soul, had left me with the impression of a colorless swirling river that was making me dizzy. I was assailed by memories of a life that wasnt mine anymore, but one in which Id found the simplest and most lasting joys. He wanted to talk to me about God again, but I went up to him and made one last attempt to explain to him that I only had a little time left and I didnt want to waste it on God.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Course Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Course Project - Essay Example When demand and supply situation in a country is unfavorable to the employers, they would prefer to compromise and give training to the available personnel rather than spend time and resources in search of ‘ideal match’, to avoid production loss. Gronau stated: â€Å"Since the length of service is directly related to the level of unemployment, one would expect wage demands (and hence the change in general wage rate) and unemployment to be inversely related† (290). If the pace of economic growth is robust, the increase in demand mitigates the effects of frictional unemployment in general. Development of transferable skills by a person could ensure transfers within the same company to other departments or make change of job easier and counseling facilities need to be strengthened. Uniformity in dissemination of information with regard to the jobs available, the attributes necessary and the experience required in relation to them is very important for proper understa nding in identifying the appropriate opportunities without any difficulty. Though the standardization could not be achieved completely in this respect in view of multiplicity of disciplines, grades and specialization, common parameters relating to jobs in a particular category acceptable to most of the employers or industry associations and understandable by majority of the workers would improve the situation considerably. In most of the cases relocation choices are not fully explored both by the employers or employees to the disadvantage of both. Moving cost to the employee and recruitment and training cost to the employer play an important role in making strategic management decisions. If the views of the employer and employee converge in this respect, solution could be reached easily. Diamond stated that â€Å"[t]he rate at which workers are offered jobs with different moving costs depends on the decisions of other workers as to which

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Environmental Scan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental Scan - Assignment Example The program is solely responsible for health services and training opportunities, along with valuable educational programs. Regina Food Bank has been sustaining its operations from past many years. However external forces tend to affect operations of this charitable organization. There are four major forces in external environment as per PEST model such as political, economic, social and technological forces. This project has been incorporated in Regina located in Canada. Political power is in favor of Regina Food Bank. Its main aim is to eradicate any form of hunger issues from the country. The government had recently announced a lump sum amount to be donated to Regina Food Bank. This kind of investment would be done in terms of capacity building in community and voluntary sector. Political conditions at times are not stable due to frequent elections and this in turn proves to be a threat for charitable organizations. Economic factors mainly comprise of effect of recession on charitable organization. This encompasses various phenomenons like lower income of donor, increased service demand and stiff competition in context of declining funds of government. Job security is a vital issue for donors and this affects operations of charitable organizations. When disposable income is low then it negatively affects donation habits of individuals. Reduction in interest rates is good for businesses and home-owners but it has adversely affected charities. Market volatility reduced overall income from investments and reserves for many firms. The charities usually are dependent on investment factor. This kind of dependency will be influential since larger portfolio portion is held in shares. Market volatility also plays a major role for charities in context of pension funds. Pension funds are usually bounded within equities and hence declination in stock value creates large deficits. Financial instability and low interest

Saturday, November 16, 2019

I Will Survive Essay Example for Free

I Will Survive Essay Since I was young I was told not to ever judge a book by its cover, up until a few weeks ago I believed this was complete bull but a series of uncanny events insisted on changing my mind. This chain of unforeseeable circumstanced began a few weeks ago where . . . The sounds of keyboards was almost deafening, the constant click blurred into a humming drone which one could debatably compare to the fog horn of a light house warning helpless ships away from there watery grave. I stare a little dazed but unfazed by the bright light of the computer screen, flashing uncountable numbers and words which I’m supposes to make some kind of sense of if I am to continue with this curse most people call being an accountant. I feel some what contained in this shit tip excuse of a cubical, but to be honest the only thing caging me is the confines of my on reality. Closing my eyes I open them to this dark fantasy of a world plagued with zombies which are swiftly breaking down and tearing apart the countries of the world. But then a unexpected hero named Lorry strives to find a cure and against all odds saves the human race from absolute extinction. â€Å"Lawrence order these files and crunch these number by the end of the day or your fired! † Just so where clear my names Lawrence but my friends call my Lorry, okay no one calls me Lorry, I don’t have any friends, or family for that matter. I live alone in this crumby apartment building in room 147. To be fair I get it on good rent but I think that because someone got murdered here. I try to be optimistic about it an say its just a rumour but between you and me the smell of death still lingers. You could say I’m just your usual nerdy 19 year old boy who loves his movies and video games and especially zombies. I mean zombies and I go together like peanut butter and jelly like a hero and his side kick, I love zombies. I often wish for a world in strife due to an out break of zombies where I save the world and get the girl, okay I may have prayed to god once or twice for that. It’s a little funny when you wish for something and at the time it sounds like such a good idea. Lawrence order these files and crunch these number by the end of the day or your fired! † said the floor manager with a high pitch squeal piercing the flow of my train of thought. â€Å"Righteo will do† I said back with a smile as fake as fairy tales. I began to digress as soon as the managers eyes were off my back, surfing websites until something very captivating caught my eye. A breaking news bulletin streaming live showed footage which looked like the street in front of the building, I mean facade looks identical but that wasn’t the most alarming part. Apparently they were reporting an incident about a man who tackled another individual to the ground and started to devour another man living body and I quote â€Å"tearing flesh from bone with nothing but his teeth. † That’s when my semi attractive but still way out of my league co-worker Jazz leaned over, â€Å"ahhh your always looking at zombies you freak. † All though Jazz was a complete mess and frankly a female dog I had an odd some what mercurial attraction to her. I mean I’m not one of those superficial shallow guys . . . Okay I’m tend to take what I can get. As these thoughts raced through my mind at million miles an hour suddenly it hit me â€Å"Zombies! The people on the news their zombies† I nervously said as my voice broke multiple times. â€Å"what? I was joking† Jazz naively replied. â€Å"Are you even watching what I am watching? We have to get out of here! † It was at that moment the sound of shattering glass filled the room followed quickly by melody of foot steps thunderously increasing in speed and sound, mirroring my heart almost beating out of my chest. I watched as this man who looked drunk, uncontrollably sprint towards Jazz, teeth gnashing finger nails gashing at thin air. I could see the blood lust in his eyes. Now it was like time stood still, screams seemed to become silent but my other sense seemed to heighten. I noticed a foul stench so thick in the air you could cut it with a butter knife. Through the chaos and the haze, something deep down with in began to stir. A hero was being born. With out hesitation or mare thought I pulled the pen from my shirt pocket bounded over the desk. I held my pen like a blade an with all my strength I trusted pen into the temple of the crazed man right before Jazz’s eyes.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Reaction to Mean Streets ::

Reaction Paper to Mean Streets Mean Streets' greatest influence in American cinema was not on directors or scriptwriters (though its influence there was considerable) but rather on actors. The film has Harvey Keitel (as Charlie) at its center, whose solidity and slight dullness as an actor keeps the film from spinning off into total anarchy; but it is Robert De Niro's Johnny Boy (Charlie's wild, self-destructive friend whom he looks out for with all the obsessiveness of an older brother) that gives the film its charge. Johnny Boy dances and gyrates and leaps and spins about the edges of the film, continually threatening to take it into and out of chaos (which he finally does). De Niro's performance, which remains as hilarious and breath-taking as ever - was a revelation at the time. De Niro took naturalistic, "method" acting to new highs, and his Johnny Boy is possibly the very first performance of its kind. It's a genuine portrayal of a street punk whose charm and obnoxiousness are almost uncannily intertwined - you can't despise Johnny Boy, but you can't respect him much, either. You just have to love him. It's easy enough to imagine Charlie's frustration over this kid - De Niro's work here adds depth and veracity to Keitel's, and the two actors work so well together that some of their scenes ? like the one they have together in Taxi Driver - have an almost hallucinatory buzz to them. Aside from its acting, the other major influence which Mean Streets had upon American film-makers was through it's use of a rock n' roll soundtrack (almost perfectly integrated with the images), and in its depiction of a new kind of screen violence. Unexpected, volatile, explosive and wholly senseless, yet, for all that, undeniably cinematic violence. The way in which Scorsese blends these two - the rock and roll and the violence - shows that he understood instinctively, better than anyone else until then, that cinema (or at least this kind of cinema, the kinetic, visceral kind) and rock n' roll are both expressions of revolutionary instincts, and that they are as inherently destructive as they are creative. This simple device - brutal outbreaks of violence combined with an upbeat soundtrack - has been taken up by both the mainstream cinema at large and by many individual `auteurs', all of whom are in Scorsese's debt - Stone and Tarantino coming at once to mind. Reaction to Mean Streets :: Reaction Paper to Mean Streets Mean Streets' greatest influence in American cinema was not on directors or scriptwriters (though its influence there was considerable) but rather on actors. The film has Harvey Keitel (as Charlie) at its center, whose solidity and slight dullness as an actor keeps the film from spinning off into total anarchy; but it is Robert De Niro's Johnny Boy (Charlie's wild, self-destructive friend whom he looks out for with all the obsessiveness of an older brother) that gives the film its charge. Johnny Boy dances and gyrates and leaps and spins about the edges of the film, continually threatening to take it into and out of chaos (which he finally does). De Niro's performance, which remains as hilarious and breath-taking as ever - was a revelation at the time. De Niro took naturalistic, "method" acting to new highs, and his Johnny Boy is possibly the very first performance of its kind. It's a genuine portrayal of a street punk whose charm and obnoxiousness are almost uncannily intertwined - you can't despise Johnny Boy, but you can't respect him much, either. You just have to love him. It's easy enough to imagine Charlie's frustration over this kid - De Niro's work here adds depth and veracity to Keitel's, and the two actors work so well together that some of their scenes ? like the one they have together in Taxi Driver - have an almost hallucinatory buzz to them. Aside from its acting, the other major influence which Mean Streets had upon American film-makers was through it's use of a rock n' roll soundtrack (almost perfectly integrated with the images), and in its depiction of a new kind of screen violence. Unexpected, volatile, explosive and wholly senseless, yet, for all that, undeniably cinematic violence. The way in which Scorsese blends these two - the rock and roll and the violence - shows that he understood instinctively, better than anyone else until then, that cinema (or at least this kind of cinema, the kinetic, visceral kind) and rock n' roll are both expressions of revolutionary instincts, and that they are as inherently destructive as they are creative. This simple device - brutal outbreaks of violence combined with an upbeat soundtrack - has been taken up by both the mainstream cinema at large and by many individual `auteurs', all of whom are in Scorsese's debt - Stone and Tarantino coming at once to mind.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Digital World

The twenty first century marked the start of a new era of technological advancements. Although technology has evolved through the ages, the new developments have certainly brought technology unto a higher pedestal, creating more and more opportunities for people all over the world. The world went back to its usual state- borderless. Communicating with people in other parts of the globe has been made easy with a simple click of the send button. The internet has also certainly provided students with other avenues to obtain information for their school work.Not only that, editing pictures, videos, music, etc. has also been possible through the different advancements developed. Years ago, we were so used to using hearing our favorite music from cassette tapes placed inside portable cassette players. But nowadays, digital music, Ipods, mp3 players, and the like have been introduced. True enough; a digital world has been created together with the coming of this millennium. Widespread Use o f Internet Appliances The introduction of internet appliances in the market is seen to be another avenue by which producers could increase their revenue (Mandelstam, D. , n. d.)According to the study made by Hambrecht’s and Quist’s Internet Group, the development and production of internet appliances shall increase in the 2000s (Pastore, M. , 1999). As a means for increasing their revenue, the producers of internet appliances have connected their products to the internet to be able to receive positive feedback, knowing how popular the internet is nowadays and of course, the fact that these appliances could be accessed even from a distance. More or less, we should be expecting more internet appliances in the near future as anything is possible in the modern times through technology (David Strom Inc., 1999).Digital Counterfeiting Digital imaging is another technological advancement brought about by the twenty-first century. The editing of pictures through a program such as Photoshop has somehow evolved to the forgery of Identification cards (csrc. nit. gov, n. d. ) as well as the faking of US dollar bills (books. nap. edu, n. d. ). Obviously, digital counterfeiting is continuously being used as another way to commit crime by those who have continuously abused the benefits being brought about by the advancements in technology (Miller, 2000).Benefits and Risks of New Wireless Technology Wireless Technology, as its name implies promises one thing: internet connection without the wires (hp. ca, n. d. ). Wi-fi enabled hotspots are seen in every part of the country, in coffee shops, malls, airports, schools, etc. allowing people to check their emails or access the internet wherever they are, thus cutting the possibility of failing to read a very important email message or failing to attend to something important.Just like mobile phones, sending messages over the World Wide Web and researching would be hassle-free and very easy. In the office setup, manag ers would have an easier time in setting up networks without moving wires (hp. ca, n. d. ). It would help in lessening the rigidity of the office environment that often leads to the raising of IT costs and reduction in productivity (hp. ca, n. d. ). In summary, wireless technology offers an efficient, effective and convenient way of accessing the internet, for companies and for individuals.Unfortunately, disadvantages come with these benefits. In a report published by BBC news (April 28, 2007), the head of the government’s committee on mobile phone safety research Professor Lawrie Challis released a statement with regard to the potential health risks that wi-fi internet could bring (bbc. co. uk). Research shows the dangers of pollutants such as lead and UV radiation when using wireless internet. In addition to this, wireless technology is constantly becoming a threat to security and privacy as well.The Ernst &Young survey showed that most companies do not have protection agai nst intrusion from third parties, seeing the wireless technology as another avenue to commit internet related crimes (Beckley, 2005). Computer Gaming One of the causes of internet addiction is internet gaming. As the gaming culture continues to arise, these games become more and more addictive because of the use of the stereotype of the game player (Cover, R. , 2006). Although internet addiction is one of the many disadvantages of computer gaming, violence is yet another negative value planted in the young minds of children (Myclopedia, 2004).The violence being taught maliciously by these computer games could affect our society as this may release the aggressive behavior within us (Harris, J. 2004). The addiction of the people in these computer games would help in further deteriorating the values which should be considered as more important such as socialization with real people. Spam and its prevention and ramifications The direct effects of spam could include the consumption of co mputer and network resources, which could again, lead to the congestion of mail servers.It is also costly for individuals who devote much of their time and attention in canceling and disregarding unwanted messages without deleting the important ones. Spam comes from different senders. One of the most common brought about by spamming then is the impossibility to disregard these kinds of messages without ignoring the valuable ones. Because of the many emails an individuals usually receive, and because most of them are spam, they tend to delete everything including those that of vital importance to them.The simplest way to avoid this problem is through filtering. Popular email hosts nowadays offer filtering as one of their services. If a certain individual receives too much mail from a certain sender, all she/he has to do is block that certain address. Thus, all email messages that would come from that particular sender would not be delivered to his/her inbox (Gnus Manual, 2003). One w ay of discouraging spammers is through charging each and every mail being sent all over the world (Boushka, 2006).Also, new filtering systems should be developed that could help in slowing down the servers of these spammers as well as helping in bouncing back spammed emails to their senders. Although the Bayesian way of filtering is considered to be the most effective way to combat SPAM (Graham, 2003), new efforts must be done in order to enhance this considering the flaws present in the system. The development of new email protocols should be given importance- protocols that would no longer be susceptible because of spam (Boushka, 2006).Electronic Surveillance and Personal Privacy Wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping has been two of the most popular methods being used in criminal investigation (Landesman, n. d. ). These new forms of technology are being placed secretly to monitor the activities of criminals, and hopefully catch them in their act (Maclin, 2007). Aside from these , new surveillance videos have been installed to monitor employees’ work in a certain company to ensure that they are doing what is expected of them, and are not committing any felonies (Sinrod, E.J. , 2001).Though these may be advantageous to some, the increase in the production of electronic surveillance poses a threat to the privacy of the people being placed under these surveillance systems. In the next five years or so, more and more electronic surveillance devices could be developed that would not be noticed by the general public but could actually monitor their personal lives (Kaplan, C. S. , 1990). Ethical Use of Computer Information from Data MiningData mining is the extraction of protected information from larger databases that definitely helps companies in their gathering of very important information (Anderson. ucla. edu, n. d. ). It is of course, very useful for the science professionals and even for the businessmen as they do get their profits from the vast amou nts of information that they obtain. Data mining tools do predict trends and behaviors that could be of great help to anyone in research. However, some businessmen take advantage of data mining and even go beyond as online marketing which is not very different from SPAM (Exa, 2002).Somehow, these profit oriented individuals have violated the ethics of data mining by advertising online, spamming the accounts of people holding email accounts, and even sending out copyrighted information (Thearling. com, n. d. ). Health Dangers of Using Computers and the Internet The computer can be seen as one of the causes of many accidents. Usually, small kids could cause fire and get badly wounded for spilling a drink on the computer. Thus, children should be taught on how to properly use the computer to avoid accidents such as this (allpctips. com, 2006).In relation with this, too much use of the computer could affect the health of its users. These health related problems, cited by the Royal Socie ty for the Prevention of Accidents are the following: Repetitive Strain Injury, Strained Eyes, Stress and the worst, Epilepsy (RoSPA, 2007). In order to prevent these, one must be able to organize his or her work properly to minimize his or her time in front of the computer. Also, users must know when to take their short breaks in order to relax themselves during long periods of being exposed to the computer (Herbert, 2006).Environmental Impact of Widespread Computing Widespread computing requires a lot of energy and somehow contributes to the pollution of the environment (Kohler and Erdmann, 2004). It is also very damaging when a certain place does not have proper waste disposal (Bolton, 2003). Widespread computing could lead to problems that could contribute to the pressing problems that our world is facing nowadays, on the account of the threats of global warming, brought about by the pollutants that harm our ozone layer.The chemicals emitted as waste from pervasive computing cou ld even add on to this problem. In the same way, the increasing consumption of energy, could be tripled just because of widespread counting (Williams and Kuehr, 2003). Internet Addiction Internet addiction ruins real-life relationship and could bring about personal, family, academic, occupational and financial problems as being too engrossed with the internet puts people in seclusion, making them more and more distant to real people (Illinos Institute for Addiction Recovery, n.d. ).The reason why most people tend to be so addicted to the internet is because they find it as an extension of their social life- through the different chat soft wares, social networks such as friendster. com and myspace. com, etc. (Grohol, J. M. , 1999). Obviously, internet addiction has been more common to the children and teenagers who are so enthusiastic towards the new world that was opened to them through the World Wide Web (bewebaware. ca, 2007).

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Predominate Symbols and Their Meanings

Predominate Symbols and Their Meanings Defined Symbolism â€Å"is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents something other than itself, often of a more abstract nature. † (Wikipedia) Authors use symbolism to give their stories a deeper meaning. Symbols make you look beyond the obvious and see the deeper meaning. † Symbols have emotional and intellectual power beyond their literal importance, and writers often use them to compact large ideas into simple words or phrases. (SPC Blackboard) Authors Shirley Jackson (The Lottery), Susan Glaspell (A Jury of Her Peers), and Katherine Ann Porte (The Jilting of Granny Weatherall) all effectively use symbolism is their stories to convey a deeper meaning, the symbolism in their stories help connect you on a different level. In Jackson’s The Lottery, there are many instances where symbolism is used to repr esent something else. The first symbol which is probably the most obvious is the title of the story.When you think of the word lottery you think of a prize of some sort, â€Å"In this story the lottery serves as an ironic symbol–something which begins in a harmless and sociable way but ends in tragedy. † (Enotes) Another symbolic reference in this story is the black box that is used to draw from. The box is dilapidated and in need of some major repair, yet it is still used year after year. ‘They base their attachment on nothing more than a story that claims that this black box was made from pieces of another, older black box. (SparkNotes) The black box symbolizes tradition; the people of the town are attached to the box just because it has been around so long they don’t know anything else. There is no reason the villagers should be so attached to the box, just as there is no reason they should continue to hold the Lottery but they do because of tradition. (SparkNotes) The third and most disturbing symbol from The Lottery is the actual stoning. â€Å"Stoning is one of the oldest and most common forms of execution, but it is also one of the most symbolic. (Bright Hub Education) It is symbolic because in reference to the Bible stoning was the way to execute innocent people. It was also important the â€Å"winner† of the lottery be stoned so that there was not just one executioner. â€Å"This means that no single person has passed judgment or has to carry the guilt for taking a life alone†, the lottery was an institution of the society and not the individual. (Bright Hub Education) Jackson uses symbolism in this morbid story to reference the Bible and make you read between the lines, just like Glaspell does in A Jury of Her Peers.In A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell there is an abundance of symbolism. Basically every small detail in this story is symbolic of something else. The most significant symbols in this story ar e the bird and the birdcage. Mrs. Hale describes Minnie, before her marriage, as †real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and fluttery† (Learner) which can also describe a bird. The bird in its cage represents Minnie trapped in the relationship with John. She is also trapped because there is no lifeline or communication with the outside world, she is having the life drained from her.John figuratively strangles the life out of Minnie like he literally strangles the bird. When he kills the bird, he kills the last bit of Minnie’s spirit. Minnie â€Å"didn't know what she was about† (Learner) anymore. Another symbolic reference is way Minnie killed her husband, Minnie strangled the life out of John like he strangled the life out of her bird. (Literature Essays) The setting in this story is also symbolic because like Minnie it was very isolated and â€Å"It had always been a lonesome-looking place. (Learner) Minnie reached a breaking point and took matters int o her own hands. During this time period there was no divorce or separation, so the woman had either to suffer through it, die, or kill her husband. Her house is also very symbolic of her life, her kitchen was described as â€Å"being in disorder with unwashed pans under the sink, a dishtowel left on table, a loaf of bread outside the breadbox, and other disarray. † (Learner) Just like her kitchen, Minnie’s life was in complete disarray because of the abuse she endured.Like Glaspell, Katherine Ann Porte author of The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, uses symbolism to relate everyday events and objects to traumatic life events. The title itself is symbolic; to â€Å"Weather† means that someone has gone through a lot and experienced a lot of hardships during their life. Granny had â€Å"weathered† a lot during her life but had forced herself to rise above these situations. Even though she is a weak and dying she wants everyone to think she is fine and doesnâ⠂¬â„¢t need anyone’s help. Some f the symbolism that takes place in The Jilting of Granny Weatherall has to do with Granny’s denial. Granny Weatherall is in denial about most of the aspects of her life. She refuses to admit that she is dying, refuses to let anyone think she had her heart broken by the man who left her at the altar. Before she dies she wants to make sure everyone knows she lived a good life and did everything anyone else would do, married a good man, had kids, and lived a good life, even though her heart still pangs because she was jilted. The color blue is also symbolic throughout the story.There are many references to the color throughout the story and as Granny comes closer to dying the color slowly starts to fade. â€Å"At last, blue becomes the color of the light in Granny’s own mind, the light she snuffs out herself. ‘She stretched herself with a deep breath and blew out the light. ’ (EBookBrowse) It comes to symbolize the fin al stage of Granny’s life, when she is easing into death. † (SparkNotes) These symbols tug at your emotions and make you feel the pain Granny Weatherall has endured throughout her life. By using symbolism, these authors add layers to their stories.These layers make the stories more effective on an emotional level. They force you to read between the lines and force you to see the hidden importance in even the smallest of details. Works Cited Bright Hub Education. n. d. 27 October 2012. . EBookBrowse. n. d. 29 October 2012. . Enotes. n. d. 28 October 2012. . Learner. n. d. 28 October 2012. . Literature Essays. n. d. 28 October 2012. . SparkNotes. n. d. 28 October 2012. . SparkNotes. n. d. 29 October 2012. . SPC Blackboard. n. d. 27 October 2012. . Wikipedia. n. d. 26 October 2012. .

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Issues in US Foreign Policy Essay Example

Issues in US Foreign Policy Essay Example Issues in US Foreign Policy Essay Issues in US Foreign Policy Essay Current Issues in US Foreign Policy Within the term of each and every presidency, both the President and his staff make several crucial decisions regarding the the United States and its relationship with other nations. On the surface, such decisions may seem simple to make. However, this is not so. Many variables must be taken into account before each accord. Currently, several conflicts exist, ultimately which will need to be dealt with by President Obama and his administration in the coming months. Some notable ssues include Afghan security talks, Iranian negotiations, and drone use. While many Americans believe that the war in Afghanistan will soon cease, the United States will continue to be maintaining military outposts in Afghanistan. With the intention to fght al-Qaeda, the twenty five page document Security and Defense Cooperation Agreement Between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will be debated in Kabul. The text itself is a working draft, having been revised several times since its conception in July 2013. Since its creation n July, the document has most notably adopted a restriction on US forces, stating that they [cannot] search any homes or other real estate properties and additionally may not make any detention or arrest (Engel). Most recently, President Hamid Karzai has stated that an exception can be made for extraordinary circumstances if President Obama agrees to issue an apology and acknowledgement of past mistakes in Afghanistan, with a promise not to repeat such actions (Nordland). The agreement must pass by the Loya Jurgi, a grand Jury, before being instated (Engel). Elsewhere in the Middle East, the US is currently undergoing negotiations with Iran. Currently the US and its allies are attempting to convince Iran to give up its significant nuclear activities in exchange for relief on sanctions. Under such a negotiation, Tehran would be subjected to more vigorous inspections. If the agreement is violated, the sanctions relief would be subject to reinstatement. Currently, the exact sum which would be given for relief is unknown (Madhani). Next week, the US, Britain, France, China, Russia, and Germany will meet with Iranian fficials in Geneva (A1 Jazeera). However, Iran has expressed wariness due to the recent attacks on their embassy in Beirut. The series of bombings led to the deaths of two Iranians, one of them a diplomat. Currently, Iran has accused Israel of launching the attacks (Yahoo! News). These events will certainly factor into the US relationship with both Israel and Iran. Another controversial issue with US foreign policy is its use of unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly known as drones. Currently the drones are being used in Pakistan and Yemen in order to confront al-Qaeda leadership. It is estimated that 349 drone strikes have been carried out in Pakistan, with 61 in Yemen. The effectiveness of drones and drone strikes has been challenged as only 2% of the strikes have killed high level targets, according to The New America Foundation (Levs). However, the US is not the only country employing the use of drones. France, Germany, and other European nations recently formed a drone users club to rival the use of drones by the US and Israel (Breitbart). Useful but debatable in effectiveness, the issue of ith the new drone club. The Obama administration will certainly have its challenges to face in the coming months with these issues at hand. A1 Jazeera. Iran Minister Optimistic over Nuclear Deal. A1 Jazeera. A1 Jazeera, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Breitbart. Europeans Form Drone Club, Want to Compete. Breitbart News Network. Breitbart News Network, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Engel, Richard. Endless Afghanistan? Us-Afghan Agreement Would Keep Troops in Pla ce and Funds Flowing, Perhaps Indefinitely. NBC News. NBC News, 2013. eb. 19 NOV. 2013. Levs, josh. CNN Explains: U. S. Drones. CNN. cable News Network, 08 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Madhani, Aamer. Obama Asks Senators to Give Iran Negotiations a Chance. USA Today. Gannett, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Nordland, Rod. Key Issue Said to Be Resolved in U. S. -Afghan Security Talks. The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Yahoo! News. Iran Accuses Israel of Being behind Beirut Bombings. Yahoo! News. Yahoo! , 19 NOV. 2013. web. 19 NOV. 2013.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Btec Level Extended Diploma in Music

Over the past three decades, in the recording studio a widespread of technical changes have occurred. This has changed music on a whole. Factors such as studio production, the role of the producer and the recording engineer have also been altered drastically in music by technology. The Internet, digital formats and industry progressions are known to have caused changes too. Particularly, the computer industry introduced many digital technologies over these decades. At the same time, the music Industry changed as did customer habits. As a result, current production raciest have been shaped by several outside influences that include both technical and business factors, Since the us, the computer, music. And audio Industries have begun to influence one another. Over the past few decades there have been many changes in the Music Industries; many changes which have impacted studio production. Throughout recording history the music industry part has been to make a profit of recorded music. The commercial advertising and distribution of recorded music is definitely the greatest motivating factor driving both the audio and cording industries.This is a result of changes in the sales of recordings lead to changes In the adoption of technology and also to the development of studio production. Major labels control most of the market which is why we have a lot of what we call mainstream music. There are Independent labels, but Major labels basically still control what music Is recorded and distributed. The music industry has come a long way since those dreadful days of the mono recordings. Back then, artists, producers, and engineers didnt have as much of a choice of what equipment that loud use to get their recordings done.With the advancement In technology and new innovations constantly being created in the music industry, the opportunities are endless. If you look up the definition of technology you will see the words industry and commerce, which to me just means growth and development. Technology has and will continue to influence growth and development in the music Industry. With the growth of technology, the technical end of producing and engineering has become somewhat a quicker task. For example, the introduction of yester real time messages synchronized drum machines, sequences and other rhythmic devices.System real time messages are dropped into the data stream as required, and have priority over other messages In order to mainstream synchronization at all times. In other advances in technology has allowed these devices to operate with timing clocks so everything does not have to be done completely be hand anymore. As music production and recording systems become more complex and sophisticated, the need for intuitive, easy to use controls over then came essential if they are to be used effectively.Technology has made music systems become more and more sophisticated, so the tasks involved in the successful control of these systems has become Increasingly complex. Technology has also brought about a new language to go with the systems we use in the industry today. Language, youre only half way there. Technology has not only brought about new systems on which we make music but a whole language to go with it. There is enough terminology that goes with the applications to fill a small dictionary.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Urban Neighbourhood Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Urban Neighbourhood Study - Essay Example environmental quality, social interaction, positive identity, cultural life) of existing residents, who are engaged in the enhancement and functioning of the place. It contributes to sustainable development of wider urban environment. Existing neighborhoods represent a huge potential in terms of livability and sustainable way of life. (Sustainable neighborhoods, Page 8) The neighborhood that we are going to discuss here is the East York community in Toronto. East York was home to 52,430 people and consisted of 21,390 households in 2006. It is 9 square kilometers in size .The population of East York fell by 6.8% between 2001 and 2006. 36% of occupied private dwellings were in single-detached houses, 33% were in high-rise apartments and 15% were in low-rise apartments in 2006. Tough 56% of the population is English speaking; there are ethnic minorities who speak languages like Greek, Chinese, Italian and Urdu. The population is a mixture of Canadian Chinese and East Indian groups, with a mix of other minority groups like, Filipino, Irish, Bangladeshis and Italian. The visible minority population includes Latin American, Koreans and Japanese migrants (Page 3) Most of the dwellings are owned, but 47%, which is quite large are rented dwellings. Of these the popular form of dwellings is single detached houses and apartments which are 5 plus storied. (Page 7)Education is an area where improvement can be done. The percentage of population with a bachelor’s degree of higher education is 22%. A total of 31% has been to the university. Most of the population is employed and the majority is into business, finance and administration. Sales and service come next. About 12% are into management jobs and the rest into education, art, trade and transport and government services. 65% of the employed are the labor forces, which are engaged in Manufacturing retail trade, technical services, and health care. While a minority are employed in mining, agriculture, fishing, arts and