The Monster Inside Me

I had everything. Loving family, supportive friends, good grades, degree in ballet†¦ etc. Not much, but there’s no shortage for anything. But life isn’t always perfect, especially when the monster inside you starts to show. I was at the dance studio half an hour earlier before the rehearsal starts. Determined to be the best as I got the first role for the upcoming ballet production â€Å"Swan Lake†. I got all the applause and compliments from all the musical directors and choreographers. Everything was meant to be, I was the brightest star. But life isn’t always fair.The door cracked open as I was doing my last stretching before heading to the stage. The director walked in, along with another girl from the ensemble group. â€Å"Charlotte,† She said. â€Å"She will take the lead role from now on, you’ll be her backup,† the director continued. â€Å"Five minutes on stage. † They went out the door. I was stunned. Everything ha ppened in just a blink of an eye. I worked so hard for this role and everything was meant to be. I couldn’t accept the fact that someone is better than me. Someone that can make the choreographers and directors think for a second thought.I wasn’t satisfied. I went up the stage and argued with the director. Thinking of something that could make him change his decision. â€Å"Your figure is not what we want for the role. † I was beaten by that. Never in my life did someone actually point out my imperfection before. I thought I was perfect. I rushed to the toilet to hide my tears. I am strong, or in the other word, I was afraid to lose. High self-esteem is what I got since the day I was born. I highly believe that I was worth everything because I spent much of my time striving to achieve perfection in every aspect of my life.What I did not realize was that in my desperate need to be perfect, I sacrificed the very body and mind that allowed me to live. I looked at m yself in the mirror. The reflection of mine started to twist. I saw an ugly, worthless and hopeless girl. Her empty eyes weren’t showing anything but angers. Her body began to grow bigger and bigger. She seemed to be the brightest among all, but when the darkness comes, she’s nothing but an empty shell. From that day onwards, my life changed. I was never happy before. Jealousy was what controlling me. I felt very inadequate and unsuccessful.I started to believe that my life was a failure. And what had caused it like this is no doubt but my weight. I had always been an average size. But I was convinced by my inner voice that I was overweight. I found myself involved in a competition again. But this time, I was competing against myself. I started of with a normal diet. Thought I’ll just lose a few pounds and everything will be okay. I was wrong. When the first pound was lost, I was addicted to the numbers on the scales. My mind became obsessed with beating my body at this game. Though I know I’m slowly killing myself, but jealousy was my biggest motivation.I was dying to win my pride back and prove them wrong. I slowly cut back on what I eat each day. With every portion I didn’t finish or meal I skipped, I told myself that I was succeeding, and in turn, I felt good about myself. That was my darkest secret. I still join my family dinner. Just to avoid my family to notice my odd behaviour. But I felt disgusted and useless after every meal. I was then introduced to purging. Purging had sort of changed my life because I could eat what I want and what I had to do is just purge them out afterwards.My parents had no idea that their loving and caring daughter is a total different soul now. Every time I finished meal I will make a beautiful excuse to my room. They had no idea what is happening behind that door. Toilet bowl and icy tiles was what I face every night. My reflection from the mirror is nothing but an empty soul. My eyes were like two empty holes burning in flames. I just want my role back. My inner voice told me that it will be worth it every time. There, I slide two fingers down my throat and began to purge out everything.Not just the food I ate, but every bit of my soul. The monster inside me had taken over everything I had, purging out my original self. My mind was possessed by jealousy, anger and desperation, and I couldn’t help it. I was lost and desperately searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. Even so, I had never gave up my hope on ballet. I lost a lot of weight, losing more that I could have imagined. I just couldn’t control myself, my soul was lost, life was empty and I couldn’t figure out why. But my spirits were high and I was still so motivated and determined to get my role back.I knew I still had to convince the directors that I was the main star. I saw my reflection on the mirror, I saw the beautiful me. One day before the show, I was on the backstage. An xiously waiting for the right time like lion waiting for its prey. There she came, going down the stairs. My eyes were flaming. Jealousy had driven me to my limits, the limits where I could do everything just to get my role back. I have to vanish her. I was possessed by the monster inside me, I ran towards her in light speed and pushed her off the stairs with the last energy I reserved.My heart was racing. She was admitted to the hospital. I have no regrets on what I’ve done. Never in my life that I was so happy by the feeling of winning. But I wasn’t me anymore, the bright and loving girl had completely turned into a devil. The feeling of snatching back of what belongs to me was what pleased me. I was insane. Standing on the stage, the lights were on me. I gave a revengeful smile to the directors and as soon as I finished my last step, I collapsed. Heart attack hits me. The sounds of sirens were apparent and soon after, I noticed a medic trying to resuscitate me.I kne w my time was done, my heart was failing. It was beating weaker. â€Å"Perfection, I finally found it. It was perfect. † I saw my body, it was lying down on the ground like a doll. There were people mourning and weeping. At first, I couldn’t understand why. I saw more and more people, the people whom I recognized came over, filled with unbearable thoughts of sadness and grief. I knew then I was gone, I was no longer a part of this world. I thought I did what I had to do. In the end, I defeated the purpose and paid it with my life. The Monster Inside Me I had everything. Loving family, supportive friends, good grades, degree in ballet†¦ etc. Not much, but there’s no shortage for anything. But life isn’t always perfect, especially when the monster inside you starts to show. I was at the dance studio half an hour earlier before the rehearsal starts. Determined to be the best as I got the first role for the upcoming ballet production â€Å"Swan Lake†. I got all the applause and compliments from all the musical directors and choreographers. Everything was meant to be, I was the brightest star. But life isn’t always fair.The door cracked open as I was doing my last stretching before heading to the stage. The director walked in, along with another girl from the ensemble group. â€Å"Charlotte,† She said. â€Å"She will take the lead role from now on, you’ll be her backup,† the director continued. â€Å"Five minutes on stage. † They went out the door. I was stunned. Everything ha ppened in just a blink of an eye. I worked so hard for this role and everything was meant to be. I couldn’t accept the fact that someone is better than me. Someone that can make the choreographers and directors think for a second thought.I wasn’t satisfied. I went up the stage and argued with the director. Thinking of something that could make him change his decision. â€Å"Your figure is not what we want for the role. † I was beaten by that. Never in my life did someone actually point out my imperfection before. I thought I was perfect. I rushed to the toilet to hide my tears. I am strong, or in the other word, I was afraid to lose. High self-esteem is what I got since the day I was born. I highly believe that I was worth everything because I spent much of my time striving to achieve perfection in every aspect of my life.What I did not realize was that in my desperate need to be perfect, I sacrificed the very body and mind that allowed me to live. I looked at m yself in the mirror. The reflection of mine started to twist. I saw an ugly, worthless and hopeless girl. Her empty eyes weren’t showing anything but angers. Her body began to grow bigger and bigger. She seemed to be the brightest among all, but when the darkness comes, she’s nothing but an empty shell. From that day onwards, my life changed. I was never happy before. Jealousy was what controlling me. I felt very inadequate and unsuccessful.I started to believe that my life was a failure. And what had caused it like this is no doubt but my weight. I had always been an average size. But I was convinced by my inner voice that I was overweight. I found myself involved in a competition again. But this time, I was competing against myself. I started of with a normal diet. Thought I’ll just lose a few pounds and everything will be okay. I was wrong. When the first pound was lost, I was addicted to the numbers on the scales. My mind became obsessed with beating my body at this game. Though I know I’m slowly killing myself, but jealousy was my biggest motivation.I was dying to win my pride back and prove them wrong. I slowly cut back on what I eat each day. With every portion I didn’t finish or meal I skipped, I told myself that I was succeeding, and in turn, I felt good about myself. That was my darkest secret. I still join my family dinner. Just to avoid my family to notice my odd behaviour. But I felt disgusted and useless after every meal. I was then introduced to purging. Purging had sort of changed my life because I could eat what I want and what I had to do is just purge them out afterwards.My parents had no idea that their loving and caring daughter is a total different soul now. Every time I finished meal I will make a beautiful excuse to my room. They had no idea what is happening behind that door. Toilet bowl and icy tiles was what I face every night. My reflection from the mirror is nothing but an empty soul. My eyes were like two empty holes burning in flames. I just want my role back. My inner voice told me that it will be worth it every time. There, I slide two fingers down my throat and began to purge out everything.Not just the food I ate, but every bit of my soul. The monster inside me had taken over everything I had, purging out my original self. My mind was possessed by jealousy, anger and desperation, and I couldn’t help it. I was lost and desperately searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. Even so, I had never gave up my hope on ballet. I lost a lot of weight, losing more that I could have imagined. I just couldn’t control myself, my soul was lost, life was empty and I couldn’t figure out why. But my spirits were high and I was still so motivated and determined to get my role back.I knew I still had to convince the directors that I was the main star. I saw my reflection on the mirror, I saw the beautiful me. One day before the show, I was on the backstage. An xiously waiting for the right time like lion waiting for its prey. There she came, going down the stairs. My eyes were flaming. Jealousy had driven me to my limits, the limits where I could do everything just to get my role back. I have to vanish her. I was possessed by the monster inside me, I ran towards her in light speed and pushed her off the stairs with the last energy I reserved.My heart was racing. She was admitted to the hospital. I have no regrets on what I’ve done. Never in my life that I was so happy by the feeling of winning. But I wasn’t me anymore, the bright and loving girl had completely turned into a devil. The feeling of snatching back of what belongs to me was what pleased me. I was insane. Standing on the stage, the lights were on me. I gave a revengeful smile to the directors and as soon as I finished my last step, I collapsed. Heart attack hits me. The sounds of sirens were apparent and soon after, I noticed a medic trying to resuscitate me.I kne w my time was done, my heart was failing. It was beating weaker. â€Å"Perfection, I finally found it. It was perfect. † I saw my body, it was lying down on the ground like a doll. There were people mourning and weeping. At first, I couldn’t understand why. I saw more and more people, the people whom I recognized came over, filled with unbearable thoughts of sadness and grief. I knew then I was gone, I was no longer a part of this world. I thought I did what I had to do. In the end, I defeated the purpose and paid it with my life.

Introduction to Economics Exercise 1

INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS Exercise 1 1. What determines that a resource be scarce? Why is scarcity important in defining Economics as a science Resources are seen as being scarce, when the wants exceed the resources. The fundamental problem of economics relates to the choices made in the face of limited resources and unlimited wants. 2. Read your local newspaper and economic magazines. Explain the difference between Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. From your research, give three examples of microeconomic and macroeconomic issues.Microeconomics relates to the study of households and firms and the interaction between these different economic actors. Macroeconomics, however, relates to the study of the economy as a whole, and in particular problems pertaining to growth, unemployment and inflation. Examples of microeconomic issues: 1. price ceilings/floors 2. positive/negative externalities 3. elasticity Examples of macroeconomic issues: 1. inflation 2. unemployment 3. economic growth (GDP) 3. Regarding the concept of Opportunity Cost, comment how your opportunity cost of going to the movies may be affected when: a.You have a final exam the following day b. The University will be shut down for a month starting today c. The same movie will be shown on TV tomorrow a) increase b) decrease c) increase 4. Explain if the following statements are true or false, Explain your reply d. The opportunity cost of choosing a certain activity is equal to the sum of all the benefits of all the alternatives not chosen. e. Opportunity cost is a subjective measure a) False – the opportunity cost of choosing a certain activity is equal to the cost of the next best alternative forgone. ) True – opportunity cost relates to the individual, in that they must choose how to maximize their own utility/happiness, and opportunity cost can vary from individual to individual. 5. Under what conditions is it possible to expand the Production Possibility Frontier (If it is not possib le, explain your reply) The PPF can expand during periods of technological innovation or the discovery of new resources. Or through the process of trade. 6. a) England 2/6 = 1/3, USA 1/5 b) Wheat = England, Clothes = England c) England = Wheat, USA = Clothes ) England should produce wheat and USA clothes. Using the following table Hours of work needed to produce one unit | England| USA| Wheat| 2| 1| Clothes| 6| 5| | | | a. What is the opportunity cost of producing wheat in England and in the USA b. Which country has an absolute advantage in the production of wheat, and of clothes c. Which country has a comparative advantage in producing wheat and producing clothes d. Which country should specialize in the production of wheat? And of clothes? a. GRAPH b. GRAPH c. GRAPHThe Price is above market equilibrium: If the price exceeds the equilibrium price, a surplus occurs and there will be competition among the sellers and price will come down to the equilibrium point. This way the equilib rium is tried to maintain in each of the cases. d. GRAPH Price is below the market equilibrium: If the price is below the equilibrium a shortage occurs and there will be a competition among the buyers and the price will rise to the equilibrium level. This is also another way to restore the equilibrium though there are changes that are occurring in the market in the prices. . The inferior good demand will decrease when consumer income rises. These goods are affordable and adequately fulfill their purpose, but as more costly substitutes that offer more pleasure become available, the use of the inferior goods diminishes. f. A  complementary good  is a  good  with a negative  cross elasticity of demand. This means the demand for a good will decrease when the price of the complementary good is increased. g. If there is a rumor that price for this good will increase, demand will probably increase too. Consumers want to purchase the product before any increase.All the market will be affect; we will see an increase of demand for main and complementary goods. Shortage will probably appear and price will increase to search equilibrium. Rumor will be reality. 7. Using the following demand and supply table Price| Demand| Supply| 1. 25| 8| 28| 1. 00| 14| 24| 0. 75| 20| 20| 0. 50| 26| 16| 0. 25| 32| 12| a. Graph the demand curve and the supply curve b. Identify the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity c. Assume a price of 1. 00, Identify if there is shortage or surplus in the market and how the market forces behave to reinstate the equilibrium d.Now assume the price is 0. 50 and repeat the question above e. Now assume this is the market behavior for an inferior good, what would happen if the consumers income would increase from $ 25 to $ 32 a week f. Assume this markets complementary good? s price increases, what would happen in this market g. Assume there is a rumor that the price for this good will increases in the following days. How do expectations affec t this market? What will be the final outcome? For all the questions above you must support your answer with a graph. 8.Price elasticity of demand : (0,1)/(-0,2) = -1,5 The demand is elastic and sensitive to price changes. 9. Price elasticity of demand : ((0,38-0,5)/0,5) = -0,24 -24% ((26000-10000)/10000) = 1,6 160% (-0,24)/(1,6) = -0,15 The demand is elastic and sensitive to price changes. 10. a. Vodka: luxury good or superior good, making a vodka more expensive can increase its perceived value as a luxury good to such an extent that sales can go up, rather than down. b. Table Salt: necessity good, necessity goods are usually produced by a  public utility.We can't live without and won't likely cut back on even when times are tough c. Furniture: normal good, this does not necessarily refer to the quality of the good, but an abnormal good would clearly not be in demand, except for possibly lower socioeconomic groups. d. Perfume: luxury good or superior good, making a perfume more e xpensive can increase its perceived value as a luxury good to such an extent that sales can go up, rather than down. e. Beet: inferior good, we can replace beet by others foodstuffs more expensive, better quality or that give more pleasure like a meat. f.Sugar: necessity good, necessity goods are usually produced by a  public utility. We can't live without and won't likely cut back on even when times are tough. 11. Decision making is based on costs and benefits. That means you make purchases if the marginal benefits are greater than the price. Thus, when you decide to make a purchase, you are likely receiving something worth more to you than what you had to spend to buy it, or else you wouldn’t have bought it. That net benefit, minus the equilibrium price, is consumer surplus. 12. GRAPH b. With a price of 4$, Bert buys 2 bottles.His CS for 2 bottles: (7-4) + (5-4) = 3 + 1 = 4$ c. With a price of 2$, Bert buys 3 bottles. His CS for 3 bottles: (7-2) + (5-2) + (3-2) = 9$ 13. G RAPH A price ceiling occurs when the government puts a legal limit on how high the price of a product can be. In order for a price ceiling to be effective, it must be set below the natural market equilibrium. When a price ceiling is set, a shortage occurs. A price floor is the lowest legal price a commodity can be sold at. Price floors are used by the government to prevent prices from being too low.For a price floor to be effective, it must be set above the equilibrium price. 14. a. 4P – 80 = 100 – 2P 6P = 180 P = 30$ Q = 40 The equilibrium price is 30$ and the equilibrium quantity is 40 bushels b. GRAPH c. (0. 5) x (20) x (40) = 400 $ Consumer surplus (0. 5) x (10) x (40) = 200 $ Producer surplus 400 + 200 = 600 $ Surplus Equilibrium 15. f. The difference between marginal utility and total utility The marginal utility of a good or service is the gain or loss from an increase or decrease in the consumption of that good or service.All goods and services have their own m arginal utility. The total utility is the sum of all marginal utilities for a good or service. Total utility is the aggregate sum of satisfaction or benefit that an individual gains from consuming a given amount of goods or services. The more the person consumes, the larger his or her total utility will be. g. The principle of diminishing marginal utility Diminishing marginal utility is to use or consume a good or service with the most important or efficient utility for us.

Tree Planting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tree Planting - Essay Example If you are planting a tree just for the purpose of planting, your choice may differ. However, if you are planting the tree so that you can grow it and eat its fruit your overall effort may be different. It is therefore extremely important to define the purpose for which the tree is being planted. 2. Selecting the right time of the year is another important step because not all trees can be planted in every season. Planting trees in summer or late spring may not be suitable as the heat may not allow the plan to grow properly and may ultimately die down. It is critical that right time of the year must be chosen to plan the tree. 3. Digging the hole in right size and width is another important step to be performed in order to successfully plant the tree. Many a times, people dig holes which are either large or wider and thus may not be suitable for the planting of the tree. One can learn from the intuition as to what should be the right width and depth of the hole considering the size of the tree being planted. A typical standard to dig the hole of right size is to dig it at least twice as large as the root ball of the tree. You may also need to check the local requirements for digging the hole of right size especially if you are digging it near a telephone booth or other public places. There may be certain restrictions on digging the hole over the particular size in local areas so better check with the local requirements. 4. Once hole is dug, next step is to place the tree in the hole in a manner that it can easily fit the tree inside the hole. The overall process to place the tree in the hole is however, different for large and small trees. If you are planting a small tree, it is easier to upside down the pot and remove the tree to plant it. However, if the tree is large, you may require a large scissor or knife to actually cut through the packing and then place the tree in the hole of right size. Sometimes, large trees have

Advocacy Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Advocacy Project - Assignment Example Due to the fact that an increasingly technological society does not perform nearly as much physical labor as was required in the recent past, coupled with the fact that diets have not kept pace with the changes to human behavior and activity, has instigated a situation by which both children and adults are becoming increasingly overweight; oftentimes obese (a means of measurement to define 20% or more over ideal body mass). Whereas current average obesity rate is approximately 32% within the United States, New Jersey experiences a childhood obesity rate in excess of 39% (Gollust et al., 2013). This creates a systemic issue not only due to the fact that it is a precipitously higher level of obesity than the national average but due to the fact that such a high rate of childhood/adolescent obesity impacts negatively on the current and future health that these individuals can necessarily expect. As such, the purpose of this analysis will be to engage the listener with an understanding o f the fact that action is required with regards to the epidemic of obesity; action that can ultimately help the current generation to enjoy a more healthy and active life than they might otherwise (Fletcher, 2014). Recent scholarship has indicated that the situation regarding childhood obesity, in the United States, is reaching and alarming level. Scholars have indicated that roughly one in three children currently living within the United States can be considered obese. The obvious problem that exists with regards to this is not necessarily due to the fact that these children are merely obese; rather, the problem that exists is due to the fact that children who suffer from obesity facing exponentially higher risk of developing any number of other diseases (Rabbit & Coye, 2013). These can include but are not limited to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many others (Anderson et al., 2012). Moreover, the issue with childhood obesity, as is

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MGMT444 U1 IP - Research Paper Example Organization is one of the key attributes that every business manager is expected to have. This characteristic ensures that desired business performance is achieved on periodic basis and new opportunities that arise during the course are not only identified but also utilized. Therefore, manager is expected to remain well aware at all times or at least have a mechanism or system in place to do so on systematic basis. 3) A major part of your job would involve managing people. It is important for us that our business managers are perceived as just and approachable. Have you come across such situations where maintaining objectivity would have been difficult in interpersonal situations? A business manager is required to be well respected by their subordinates. For this purpose, being just and fair is important. It is also important in order to motivate employees and have effective communication with them through different media (Hunter, 2009). 4) What do you think is the key of motivating one’s team? What attributes should managers have in this regard? Have you introduced any measures in your previous organizations to enhance employees’ morale and motivation level? A business manager is required to be aware of existing market practices used to motivate employees intrinsically as well as extrinsically (Hunter, 2009; Collins, 2001). Also, they should be creative enough to analyze needs of their subordinates and introduce new regime of policies to motivate them. 5) We believe that our managers represent our culture and values, as they are responsible for coaching and mentoring our workforce. Please tell us how you see yourself compatible with our values and principles. Coaching and mentoring is an important aspect of leading workforce. This function not only involves training employees regarding their function but also guide them about career progression and personal circumstances faced by them. It is

A speech to persuade a philanthropical trust to fund a project for Essay

A speech to persuade a philanthropical trust to fund a project for saving dolphins in china - Essay Example statistics reveal that the species has a decreasing rate of 6.4%, and thus in 10-15, China will have lost a big share of its wealth (Davison, 2012, p.1). Certainly, China is famous for the rarest Yangtze River dolphin or Baiji. Year 1996 dolphins search by scientists on Yangtze River revealed the extent of depletion (â€Å"Petermaas,† 2011, p.1). Although the government has passed various regulations to reduce destruction of marine habitat, lack of proper follow up reduces its efficiency. For instance, electric fishing is strictly banned in Yangtze River but many still practice (Reeves et al, 2005, p.1). In addition, you agree with me that the wave of industrialization has resulted to bigger ships in the marine habitat. Bearing in mind that Baiji are almost blind animals they collide with ships leading to their death or are killed by ship propellers. The Yangtze River, the current habitation of Yangtze dolphin is unsecure and unreliable especially after the building of Three Gorge Dam. Therefore, the remaining dolphin requires a secure habitat. Let us remark that various initiatives have come up to protect our dolphin population. However, lack of proper funding has been the greatest drawback. We need to sensitize the public to stop electro fishing and using the wrong nets. We require funding to run sufficient advertising as we seek to sensitize all the stakeholders to put concerted efforts towards protection of dolphins. We, however, have a painstakingly uphill task considering that 30% of Yangtze River’s tributaries are seriously polluted. In fact, SEPA report calls the damage on this river as largely irreversible (Hance, 2012, p.1). Therefore, there is a need to get a conservation center where we can rescue the remaining porpoise dolphins. Previously, five porpoise dolphins introduced in the year 1990 in conservation prove this possible because they are forty in number as we speak (Davison, 2012, p.1). Therefore, I am kindly appealing to you for your kind

Logics - Analysis of an Article by Peter Kreeft Essay

Logics - Analysis of an Article by Peter Kreeft - Essay Example Apart from many articles, he has written many books such as The Snakebite Letters, The Philosophy of Jesus, The Journey: A Spiritual Roadmap for Modern Pilgrims, Prayer: The Great Conversation: Straight Answers to Tough Questions About Prayer etc. The major idea behind this article â€Å"The Apple Argument Against Abortion† is to educate people about the consequences of performing abortion. Peter Kreeft argues against abortion in a philosophical manner throughout this article. He is making in depth analysis of the abortion issue with the help of answering certain questions like Who human are, what are the rights of human, why abortion is wrong etc and topics such as basis of morality, differences between the rights of all people and the rights of some people, arguments from skepticism etc. He also tries to analyze different cases with respect to abortion by taking different combinations such as; The fetus is a person, and we know that The fetus is a person, but we don't know t hat The fetus isn't a person, but we don't know that The fetus isn't a person, and we know that (Kreeft, 2000) Approach This article is mainly analytical in nature. The author tries to avoid the use of any instinctive methods in this article. He has analyzed abortion from various angles. Different dimensions of abortion were beautifully explained in this article. For example, the author took the example of an apple and the understanding of ordinary people about it, to attract the attention of the readers towards the topic. Since the author is a philosopher, a philosophical approach can be visible throughout this article. He explains various dimensions of abortion with the help of comparisons, analogies etc. It is difficult for ordinary people to understand the problems associated with abortion, especially the moral issues. The author tries to explain all those issues in a simple, but comprehensive manner so that anybody who decide to perform abortion may think twice or thrice before doing so, after reading this article. In short, the author succeeded in persuading the readers of this article to argue against abortion. Different kinds of reasoning in the article Inductive, deductive, causal and analogical reasoning techniques were used throughout this article. The following paragraph is an example of an inductive argument present in this article. I have heard it argued that we do not treat any other species in the traditional way — that is, we do not assign equal rights to all mice. Some we kill (those that get into our houses and prove to be pests); others we take good care of and preserve (those that we find useful in laboratory experiments or those we adopt as pets); still others we simply ignore (mice in the wild). The argument concludes that therefore, it is only sentiment or tradition (the two are often confused, as if nothing rational could be passed down by tradition) that assigns rights to all members of our own species (Kreeft, 2000). The above argument is an example of inductive reasoning. It is not necessary that the argument needs to be 100% right to make it as an example of inductive reasoning. It should be noted that cultures like Buddhism or Jainism treats any type of killing - killing of animal or killing of human - as a sin. But cultures like Islam or Christianity do not treat killing of animals as a sin. In short, the above argument may not be conclusive or correct everywhere, but it helps the author to strengthen his arguments

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 31

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Retiring Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retiring Abroad - Essay Example this new trend of retiring abroad, especially in the aftermath of the global financial meltdown that decimated home values and ravaged many accounts. Many people continue living where they live because of their work. When they retire, they make the ultimate decision of moving to a place where they will feel more comfortable and where their money will last (Knowledge). According to Social Security Administration’s annual statistical supplement, the exact number of Americans retirees receiving social security benefits outside the United States is 350,000. The majority of these individuals are finding their way to countries like Ecuador, Mexico, Canada and the UK (Edwards & Daniels 101). This number is expected to increase with 4 million baby boomers already making plans to retire abroad (Edwards & Daniels 100). The main driving force behind this new trend shown by retirees is financial security. According to the confidence survey of 2014, only 14 percent of the workers indicated that they were confident of having enough funds to live comfortably in the United States. This low level of confidence comes as a result of the global economic crisis that crushed the gains that had been made on the middle income household net worth. During this period, home price index went down by 23 percent (Knowledge). Retirement accounts that act as supplements to social security and other forms of retirement income were also not spared (Knowledge) The cost of living in such countries is much lower compared to the United States. For example, the rent in San Jose, a city in Costa Rica is 57 percent lower than in the city if Philadelphia (Knowledge para.8). Additionally, the prices for consumer goods are lower by 59 percent when the same city is compared to American cities. These benefits notwithstanding, the retirees need to know that that there are hidden charges that they need to consider before deciding to reside abroad. For instance, the imported goods in emerging markets are

Investment between China and Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Investment between China and Africa - Essay Example The researcher states that many studies have shown that China is currently the major destination of foreign direct investment from many parts of the world. However, Chinese have also been aggressive in making investments in other foreign countries with African region being their major target. Just like many other developed countries, China has been engaged in a vicious competition with other countries like the USA and other developed European countries like the United Kingdom in the scramble for resources in Africa. This has been attributed by the fact that Africa is currently the leading continent with so much untapped potential that includes unexploited natural resources and availability of abundant business opportunities resulting from the undeveloped nature of most of its countries. This has made governments of various states apply different strategies in order to have at least a significant pie in these developing economies, one being creating good relationships. China is one of the giant economies in the world today has been applying all means possible in luring African countries to enter into treaties and good business relations, a factor that has made some of the major Chinese companies establish their operations in Africa. Some studies have shown that China is the leading bilateral trade partner with Africa, a two-way trade that has dramatically been growing in the past two decades through the major growth has experienced in the last one decade. In the year 2011, the bilateral trade between China and Africa is estimated to be over US$166 billion from US$10.6 billion in the year 2000. This growth can only be termed as incredible and is likely to grow at an even higher rate in the coming years.

Sustainable Coffee Market Essay Example for Free

Sustainable Coffee Market Essay 1.1 Company overview Our company CoffeeTime will be established in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This is due to the fact that the highest proportion of coffee consumption within Europe is in the Scandinavian countries, followed by the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg; it would therefore be efficient to establish the company in Rotterdam. This allows for a relatively central base with strong ties to other European countries to import/export and transport the coffee. As a company we would like to do business as sustainably and fairly as possible. Due to fair trade, we would like to help our suppliers by giving them the opportunity to produce at reasonable costs and also help ourselves by selling the coffee at reasonable prices. Fair trade also includes an educating sytem for our employees and people related to the company, such as coffeefarmers and even consumers. This system is used to prove that honest and good quality products do not need to be expensive. With this in mind there it can create a positive effect in our products which will be of benefit to everyone. The coffee will be produced and exported from Brazil to the Netherlands. Brazil was chosen due to the fact it is one of the best places in the world where coffeebeans are produced in relatively environmentally friendly circumstances. Indonesia, India, Kenia, Liberia and Mexico were further alternatives for CoffeeTime. However Brazil was chosen as it is single-handedly responsible for about a third of all the coffee in the world, as it is worlds largest coffee producer. Furthermore, there is already a Fairtrade policy applied in that area of South America by many companies, which is still ongoing and can be of benefit for the objectives of our own company. Another reason why it is attractive to do business in Brazil, is because of the logistics. Brazil has the largest port of all South America, named Port of Santos. From there on the coffee can be shipped easily to the biggest port in Europe, situated in Rotterdam where CoffeeTime have decided to establish the company. This can be seen as an advantage for both countries due to having innovation hubs. CoffeeTime wants to produce and sell the most popular coffee known on the target market; The Arabica and Robusta. However, each one of those beans can be used to provide different flavours of coffee, depending on the several techniques that are used for making coffee. 1.2 Mission and vision 1.2.1 Mission Throughout all of our business activities we want to ensure honest dealing with customers and suppliers while offering impartial advice to become the best sustainable Coffee chain. We want to use our market position of CoffeeTime to benefit our customers by offering a world class coffee experience at an affordable price. 1.2.2 Vision Treating eachother fairly can help maintaining a good relationship. CoffeeTime believes in creating an alternative way of helping the world right now and always in the future, by doing fair business from farmer to consumer. 1.3 Corporate Objectives The objectives which we stand for are related to our mission and vision as well as to benefit all stakeholders, by providing a sustainable coffee market, now and in the future; †¢ Become a leading coffee brand in order to change the market and influence Non- Fair trade coffee multinationals to go produce fairly. †¢ Focussing on improving the environmental, social and economic conditions, as well as protecting and improving the natural environment and insuring the labour rights and health of local communities. †¢ Branding CoffeeTime as a sustainable organic, Fair trade coffee brand on the market. 1.4 Keys to Success CoffeeTime has to realise that succes can only be achieved by being the best in what you do. After all, coffee is a resource intensive industry. It takes an incredible amount of energy to produce, transport, roast, deliver and brew coffee. Committed to preventing an ecological footprint, CoffeeTime will continuously strive to find new ways to restrict the impact on the environment, from production to consumption. Therefore it is of upmost importance for CoffeeTime to invest in the following: †¢ Provide an education for the farmers to help them at produce the coffee in a more optimised way. †¢ To have and keep a fair price for the coffee for everyone. †¢ To keep providing the best quality coffee. †¢ Make sure that every aspect of the product is produced in an eco-friendly way. For example, the packaging should be recycled so it can be reused wherever possible. †¢ To have good transportation by sea with providing the least harm to the enivronment due to fuel of the ship etc. †¢ Chapter 2 Product and services 2.1 Product and service description CoffeeTime will import from Brazil the finest selection of Arabica beans. In simple terms this means; Arabica is cultivated in the shade and Robusta is not. The culture of the Robusta beans are a dispensation in the culture of the traditional coffee in which coffee is cultivated under the cover of the native rain forest trees. In the 70s, a system of new farm was promoted but the result was that we’ve seen shaved forests and coffee trees planted in dense rows. These short-term farms of monoculture produced more coffee, but it had a number consequences for the environment, with soil depletion, accelerated erosion and pollution of streams. From here out CoffeeTime will produce a number of different flavours, such as extra strong, strong, regular, decaf etc. Producers are forced not to overuse pesticides or insecticides. In fact, 70% of Fair Trade products come from organic agriculture. This approach to sustainable development is supported by the explicit prohibition of the use of GMOs in products. Part of the price paid by the final customer represents a premium (between 5 and 10% of the price paid by the consumer). The latter is used collectively for social projects of various natures that benefit not only small farmers but also their families and the environment. The cooperative may decide to invest in a training program on organic farming, build a school or hospital, to restore a drive or set up a transport service. 2.2 Competitive Comparison The four major roasters Kraft, Nestlà ©, Procter Gamble and Sara Lee have little reflected this decline but profit margins remain high: Nestlà © makes a margin estimated at 26% of the instant coffee. The benefits of Sara Lee’s coffee are estimated at almost 17%, which represents a very high figure compared to other brands of food and drinks. 2.3 Sales Literature If people are sensitive to the approach and initiative, they will adhere to it quite naturally. The Sales aim is to target the niche market and to propose to our clients a wider offer which also corresponds to both modes of consumption in different social classes. Additionally, by selling our products we will not only provide a flavoursome product, but also inform customers about the product itself and how it is made. In Brazil, the production of coffee will not harm the environment ,(organic, wild harvest, farming) and it is important for our customers to know this . This method will therefore allow the customers of CoffeeTime to be involved in the process and feel valued as a consequence. The import of coffee from Brazil will be done in the most direct way possible to avoid costly middlemen, allowing to better pay artisans and producers. 2.4 Sourcing and fulfilment Part of the price paid by the final customer represents a premium (between 5 and 10% of the price paid by the consumer). The latter is used collectively for social projects of various natures that benefit not only small farmers but also their families and the environment. The cooperative may decide to invest in a training program on organic farming, build a school or hospital, to restore a drive or set up a transport service. 2.5 Technology The technology used by the company will include the use of partially automated selecting machines which will allow for increased production capacity with a lower machine-to-operator. Additional storage capabilities will decrease shipping charges and will reduce the need for permanent shipping employees. High-technology information system upgrades will improve all aspects of business, especially inventory control, tracking of shipments, and communication with clients in import and export countries. 2.6 Future Products and Services In the future CoffeeTime will develop and produce a number of different types and flavours of coffee. In addition to Arabica and Robusta, we will also import from Liberia the Liberica coffee. The Coffee Liberica tree grows up to 9 metres in height, producing larger cherries than those found on Coffea Arabica trees. This coffee was brought to Indonesia to replace the Arabica trees killed by the coffee rust disease at the end of the 19th century. It can still be found in parts of Central and East Java today.The Liberica coffee will also be produced in different strengths and varieties of coffee. Chapter 3 Market Analysis Summary 3.1 Market research According to the Daily Dutch News, the Netherlands is one of the countries with the highest coffee consumption in the world. The Dutch are also world leader in sustainable coffee drinking. About half of the consumed coffee is sustainable. On the average the Dutch drink almost 150 litres of coffee per year and about three cups a day. The branded coffee shop market in the Netherlands saw a growth of 27 per cent in outlet numbers in October 2011. The market forecasts a growth of 13 per cent per annum until 2014. We see a huge advantage in the Dutch coffee market. There is a huge demand for our sustainable coffee and CoffeeTime would like to satisfy this need. However, there are a number of competitors in the market such as the Dutch market leader Douwe Egberts.[1] 2 3.2 Market targets As a company who sells coffee, the main target audience of CoffeeTime are coffee consumers and consumers of warm drinks. Considering that coffee is not suitable for children, our target group consists from young adults (age 18) to the elderly (everyone above 18). There are many under aged Dutch citizens who also drink coffee, but as coffee is actually meant for adults it will be also treated and promoted by our company as such. Coffee is a product which is drunk by all genders and classes and in all work fields. In fact, the majority of our target group drinks coffee during work. Most consumers still buy their coffee in supermarkets, therefore is it important that our coffee is available in supermarkets such as; Albert Hein, Plus, C1000 and Bas van der Heiden. 3 3.3 Environmental/ industry analysis When sustainable coffee was introduced, the average consumer had a vague notion that the quality of sustainable products was acceptable. When companies started to offer it the Dutch consumers went along with the choice of the companies, rewarding them by remaining faithful to their brand. In recent years, the sustainable coffee market share in the Netherlands has risen rapidly. Nearly half of the consumed coffee in the Netherlands is produced in a sustainable way. According to the report Zuivere Koffie (Pure Coffee) from Oxfam Novib, 45% of all coffee which is consumed by the Dutch people is sustainably produced. 40% of all coffee in the Netherlands is UTZ CERTIFIED.[2] Sustainability is important in the Dutch coffee market. Many players of the sector, roasters, supermarkets, but also NGOs and the Dutch government have been long working together on raising consumer awareness and increasing the share of sustainably produced coffee. The Royal Netherlands Coffee and Tea Association (KNVKT) decided to give a collective boost to move towards sustainability. They are doing this by consolidating their commitment in a Declaration of Intent. The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, several semi-governmental platforms, certifiers, sustainability initiatives and NGOs including UTZ CERTIFIED do support this. It is expected that three quarters of the Dutch coffee supply will be sustainable by 2015. [3]

Sociological Imagination Essay

Sociological Imagination Essay INTRODUCTION Definition of sociological imagination Sociological theories describe causes and effects of human behavior; study the social life, and society. Above definition displays two concepts: human being at the micro level and society at the macro level. Sociological imagination is a sociological theory that encapsulates these two concepts: individual, and society (What is Sciology). An individual is an element of society. The society acts forces on this element. Sociological imagination enables the individual to identify these forces, their impacts. Sociological imagination is the ability of connecting micro level to the macro level, and distinguishing personal troubles and social issues. Importance of sociological imagination External act of an individual displays what one does, which is the result of cause and effect. The cause aspect defines why one acts in a specific way. Individual act also displays the structural arrangement of a society at a location and a historical point of civilization. Individual act, history, and location are intertwined. Sociological imagination demonstrates how an individual perceives the social forces, as well as the cause and effect relationship of an individual or group of individuals with social issues or social forces. This is why we should care for sociological imagination. Examples In India, many centuries ago, widow women used to commit ritualistic suicide by being burnt alive along with the dead husband. The act of widow women was the result of social forces that existed during that time in India (Deducing with sociological imagination). In John Grishams novel A Time to Kill, the African American Carl Lee Hailey kills two white men who raped and killed his little daughter Tonya. Acts of the white men and Carl Lee Hailey were the result of social forces that existed in social groups in the USA at that time. The social force in this case was racism. Two white men raped and killed Tonya because she was black. Carl Lee killed the white rapists because he knew justice would not prevail for white men (A time to kill 2008). Thesis statement When I analyze my own life through sociological imagination, I am able to explain my acts and social forces behind them. If I can distinguish, good and bad acts using wisdom then I can change my behavior and worldview. Conflict theory envisioned a society as fragmented into groups. More powerful social groups exert forces on less powerful groups. Social imagination discloses the characteristics of social forces when and only when individuals interact with these forces. SOCIAL CONTEXT Definition of social context In a net shell, sociological imagination is an interaction between an individual and social forces. This abstraction points towards the concept of existence of correlation between psychology and sociology. Social context theory reveals this relationship and show societal and social changes over the passage of time, explains the causes that brought changes and offers future change patterns. The model includes three factors: micro socialization process through the behavior of individual and collective of individuals, macro social forces through the social structure, and time (Social context theory). Social context theory is analyzed through social environment dimension and time dimension. Social environment dimension consists of social structures that shape the behavior of individual or group of individuals, social process demonstrates how individuals perceive, interpret and interact with the social structures, and social behavior represents the social realities through behavior of ind ividuals. Time dimension enacts the power of the existing societal forces in maintaining social behavior patters (Social context theory). Social imagination acknowledges the existence of interaction between individual or group of individuals and social forces. Social context theory explains how and why the relationship emerged and what changes the relationship could bring over the passage of time. Specific socio-historical force 1 I lived in Russian part of the Ex-Soviet Union. During mid 1980s, countrys economic conditions started deteriorating. By late 1980s absence of adequate commodities started hurting public. Bad economy as a social structure shaped individuals behaviors with the concept that Russian Federation was feeding the parasites, non-Russians, so Russians must abandon them, the non-Russians. When social structure (bad economy) and social process (individuals interaction) came into conflict, it resulted the break up of the country. Specific socio-historical force 2 I was born and raised in Palestine. Social structure was poor economy, poor living conditions, fundamental religious belief, and constant aggression from Israel. Social process was my perception about Israel and their politics towards Palestine. Poverty, religion, and bad living environment shaped my behavior. My perception was to change living environment, which I found in cooperation with Israel. I voted for peace roadmap with Israel. How your social context could be different Imagine I am living in the USA during the period of segregation. I am an African American. The social structure created by European whites suppressed my rights; I cannot get proper education, proper job, and even a decent place to live. Now, guess I live in the USA when the country has a president who is an African American. It took a long time to make this change, however, now I have equal rights as whites. SOCIAL LOCATION Definition of social location The concept social imagination assigns two attributes: an individual or group of individuals and social forces. Social imagination defines the interaction of an individual or group of individuals with social forces. At the same time, the individual is a character located at a certain place in the society. In American society, white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, male, heterosexual, upper middle-class, educated, older defines social location of a person (Social location). Social location defines a persons place in their particular social order. A persons bias, belief, and values are shaped based on social locations. Gender, color, economic level, coming from the village or town, healthy or sick, young or old; these are some of attributes of social location. Individuals from similar social location create their own social hierarchy. Social hierarchy classifies individuals in a group based on esteem, prestige, economic success, and accumulation of wealth into social classes. Description of social location I am from India, a country with 1.22 billion populations. I am male, less than 25, from town, literate, which respectively corresponds to 50 %, 51 %, 75 %, and 28 % of the total population. From the economic standpoint, 18 % constitutes rich and upper middle class, 23 % constitute middle class, and 59 % of the total population are poor. I belong to the 18 % social class (Indias middle class population 2011; Indias population 2012). Personal experience #1 My childhood social location should be classified than middle class. I faced absence of money in fulfilling a childs desire of purchasing toys. Personal experience #2 Teenage years were financially little better, but my parents still were unable to pay tuition for schools with better teachers, and technology. I studied in schools for children from underprivileged families. Personal experience #3 In college years, I became interested in Marxism and concept of conflict theory. Years of impoverished economic conditions contributed social imagination that rich and upper middle class are greedy and want to keep the middle class economically handcuffed forever. RELATIVE CULTURE Personal beliefs, values, or attitudes #1 Edward Taylor defined culture as a complex of behavior pattern and perception which includes knowledge, beliefs, morals, customs, ethics and any other skill and habits acquired by man as a member of society (What is culture?). At the same time, belief, customs, and ethics are relative to individual within his own social context. This is how anthropologist explains comparative culture concept (What is culture relativism?). Sociological imagination is interaction between individual or group of individuals acts and social forces. Individual act is a function of social process; hence, it characterizes consciousness of individuals. Perception, on the other hand, is a function of relative culture. Belief, morals, ethics form the foundation of human perception and its value varies from one social context to other. Social imagination relates to the culture. Personal beliefs, values, or attitudes #2 My social location is poor class in India. Belief, morals, customs relate to orthodox Hindu religion. This culture determines my social context. Hindu religion believes cows are sacred animals. On the other hand, Muslims of the society sacrifice cows in the name of their religion. Social imagination is to make protest to this practice and stop sacrificing cows in the name of religion. Personal beliefs, values, or attitudes #3 I am a Palestinian youth, spend the life in the ghetto in poverty; this is my social location. Belief, morals, customs and ethics relate to fundamental Muslim culture. Social context is formed by the fundamental culture. I perceive that Israel is the cause of my personal problems. Social imagination is to change Israeli attitude toward Palestinians. That is way; I am a member of Hamaz political party. Personal beliefs, values, or attitudes # 4 Social location rich, male, middle aged, an Arab, and an owner of an industry that feeds 300 families. I believe my financial position is vital for the well being of employees. However, due to the economic downturn, the plant has stopped several employee support activities and has reduced salary by 15 %. Employees are blaming me for their personal financial problems. Employees are also blaming that the owner has not reduced own expenses. Employees have taken vows to fight me back. My social imagination is to suppress these new social forces with the help of countrys law enforcement agency. CONCLUSION Sociological imagination to a certain extent accepts Marxs conflict theory and agrees that society is divided into fragmented classes with respective social, political and economic power. Conflict arises when a class or group feels social forces from other classes. Social imagination theory recognizes that social behavior is a result of social culture.

Errors And Failures During Oil Well Drilling Engineering Essay

Errors And Failures During Oil Well Drilling Engineering Essay This paper provides a general overview of errors and failures during drilling and tripping operations in the oil industry. The overview is presented in a tabular format for quick and easy reference. The work makes a clear distinction between errors and failures and how errors may possibly lead to drilling failures. A classification of drilling failures with their signs and symptoms as well as the possible causes of these failures is included in the overview. The overview may help during a thorough audit of failures that are encountered during a drilling operation. Developing a list of possible failures during drilling with a description of basic observatory signs and symptoms of their occurrence is the crucial first step in minimizing Non Productive Time (NPT) during drilling operations. Keywords: Drilling, Error, Failure, Tripping 1. Introduction The oil industry is unarguably one of the most complicated industries which face so many challenges yet functions as efficiently as possible. This assertion is true because the primary object of interest to the petroleum engineer cum the industry is located thousands of feet beneath the earths surface. This is accompanied by varying conditions of temperature and pressure as well as other geological factors. A combination of these factors makes the subject of understanding the process of getting at the object of interest complex to drilling engineers. The elusive nature of this understanding makes drilling operations encounter failures. These failures range from drill tool/equipment breakdown, wellbore or formation collapse, lost circulation, kicks and blowouts. Suffice it to say that these failures cost the industry valuable drilling time running into billions of dollars annually. It is against this background that this work on drilling failures is looked into. The primary focus of this work therefore is to improve the drilling process, by designing a good approach to identify all possible failures, how and when they occur, and most importantly their root causes. This would be done from a taxonomic perspective. This would involve classifying failures in the industry in their natural groups and isolating their possible causes, the key indicators to such failures as well as the errors leading to the failures. 2. Reported Cases of Failures in the Oil Industry To put the cases of failure in the right perspective, it is necessary to first define failure and error as it applies to oil well drilling operations. Schlumberger (2012) in their oil field glossary webpage defines failure in drilling as: Failure to meet the defined drilling objective. Deviation in the expected TD depth /run length Deviation in the expected performance (penetration rates, directional, power use) Error as defined by Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, is a mistake especially one that causes problems or affects the result of something. In todays error classification systems, error can mean several things: Error as the cause of failure. For example: This event was due to human error. Classifications rely on this definition when seeking the cause of operator error in, for instance, a supervisors failure to provide guidance (Shappell Wiegman, 2001.). Error as the failure itself. For example: The operators decision was an error (e.g. Helmreich, 2000). Classifications rely on this definition when categorizing the kinds of observable errors operators can make (e.g. decision errors, perceptual errors, skill-based errors) (Shappell Wiegmann, 2001). Error as a process, or, more specifically, as a departure from some kind of standard. This standard may consist of operating procedures. Violations, whether exceptional or routine (Shappell Wiegmann, 2001), or intentional or unintentional (Helmreich, 2000), is one example of error according to the process definition. Depending on what we use as standard, we of course come to different conclusions about what is an error. Based on the above definitions, the following are the reported cases of failures in the oil industry. The most recent case is the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster in 2010. Though the immediate and remote causes of the incident still remains a subject of controversy, the fact remains that the incident makes the subject of failures in the oil industry a relevant one. Shokir (2004) listed the following actual failure cases that occurred in Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company (GUPCO) in Gulf of Suez area and Western Desert area. These are cases 1 to 5. Case #1 This development well drilled in the Western Desert Concession in the onshore Abul-Gharadig area in 1991. Egyptian drilling company Rig No.8 (EDC-8) was used to drill this well to a total depth (TD) of 10,616 ft. While drilling 12.25-inch hole from 10,503 ft to 10,616 (TD) through the Limestone of Abu Roash formation with rotary bottom hole assembly and water base mud, lost 350 psi. When pulling out of hole, washout in Shock Sub was detected Case #2 This development well drilled in the Gulf Of Suez Concession in the offshore Ramadan area in 1993. Pyramid drilling Rig (Bennevis) was used to drill this well to a total depth (TD) of 12,504 ft. While drilling 12.25-inch hole from 10,805 ft to 10,823 through the Shale and Limestone of Mheiherrat formation with rotary bottom hole assembly and water base mud, lost 300 psi. Pull out of hole, found vertical crack in the top joint of heavy weight drill pipe. Case #3 This development well drilled in the Gulf Of Suez Concession in the offshore Hilal area in 1993. Sonat Offshore drilling Rig (Mercury) was used to drill this well to a total depth (TD) of 10,267 ft. While drilling 12.25-inch hole from 8,747 ft to 8,961 through the Limestone of Rudeis formation with rotary bottom hole assembly- and water base mud, lost 600 psi. Pull out of hole, found hole in the drill pipe near the surface. Case #4 This development well drilled in the Gulf Of Suez Concession in the offshore October area in 1995. Sonat Offshore drilling Rig (Comet) was used to drill this well to a total depth (TD) of 16,080 ft. While drilling 12.25-inch hole from 10,035 ft to 10,239 through the Anhydrite of South Gharib formation with rotary bottom hole assembly and oil base mud, lost 300 psi. Pull out of hole, found the short drill collar cleaned smooth cut 0.3 ft from the boxfish neck area. Case #5 This Exploratory well drilled in the Gulf Of Suez Concession in the offshore Badri area in 1995. Santa Fe International Rig No.124 was used to drill this well to a total depth (TD) of 12,480 ft. While drilling 12.25 inch hole from 12,417 ft to 12,480 through the Salt with Shale, Limestone and Sand Streaks of Ayun Musa formation with rotary bottom hole assembly and water base mud, had very hard back ream and very high torque, pump pressure dropped 1200 psi. Pull out of hole; found the drill string backed off at the short drill collar. CASE # 6 Horbeek et.al (1995), in their work cited Shell Expros effort in 1991 to tackle drillstring failures in their operations. This they did by carrying out autopsies. The autopsies confirmed what they had long been suspected: fatigue particularly BHA connection fatigue was the main cause of failure. Table1 briefly summarizes the autopsies carried out from 27/5/1992-1994. Failures in the BHA accounted for 79%, whilst drillpipe accounted for 21%of the total failures for this period. BHA connection fatigue alone accounted for 58% of the BHA failures and was attributed to poor inspection criteria, poor drilling practices and lack of stress relief features. Other learning points from the autopsies were: Majority of failures, 46%, occurred in the 12 1/4 hole section. Greater attention should be paid to rig torque gauge calibration; MWD shock logs can warn of impending drillstring failure. New drillstring components were not being specified to Shell specifications. Use of stabbing guide will reduce failures associated with connection damage. Avoid slip cutting drillpipe. Improved pipe identification system needed. Once a downhole pressure loss is established POOH immediately. From interviews they carried out during the autopsy process it quickly became clear that a general lack of understanding of cause, effect and cost of fatigue failures existed. The failures are summarized in the Table 1. Table 1: DRILLSTRING FAILURE AUTOPSIES 1992-1994 (Horbeek et al, 1995) DATE FAILURE ROOT CAUSE 27/05/92 Twist off at HDIS BHA connection fatigue 23/07/92 Twist off at crossover BHA connection fatigue 24/07/92 Twist off at MWD crossover BHA connection fatigue 02/11/92 Twist off at stabilizer Combination torsion/tension overload 05/11/92 Twist off at MWD Tensile overload 21/11/92 Washout at crossover BHA connection fatigue 22/11/92 Cracked mud saver sub Overtorque of new connection 26/11/92 Twist off at MWD BHA connection fatigue 08/12/92 Twist off at HWDP Accidental over-torque by top drive 02/01/93 Twist off at jars Tension/torsion overload 19/02/93 Twist off at bit sub BHA connection fatigue 24/02/93 Washout at HWDP Connection damage/bad handling 12/03/93 Twist off at shock sub Connection fatigue 19/03/93 Washout at HWDP Shoulder seal damage/bad handling 21/03/93 Washout at jars BHA connection fatigue 04/04/93 Washout at crossover BHA connection fatigue 10/08/93 Twist off at jar -intensifier BHA connection fatigue 20/08/93 Twist off at jars Insufficient hole cleaning 05/10/93 Twist off at mud motor BHA connection fatigue 23/10/93 Twist off at hole opener Poor hard banding application inspection 08/11/93 Washout at drillpipe connection Tool joint connection fatigue 24/11/93 4 washouts from split boxes DCs and HWDP Age condition of equipment 24/11/93 Washout at drillpipe connection Overtorqued connection DATE FAILURE ROOT CAUSE 02/12/93 Twist off at drill collar Torsion/tension overload when stuck 02/12/93 Twist off at jars BHA connection failure 03/01/94 Washout in HDIS Fatigue and vibration 05/01/94 Washout in drillpipe Fatigue and vibration 09/01/94 Washout in drill collar Fatigue and vibration 11/01/94 Washout in drill collar Fatigue and vibration 14/02/94 Washout in HWDP Age and condition 11/03/94 Washout in drillpipe Slip cuts 09/05/94 3washout in drillpipe Stabbing damage 28/06/94 Twist off NM drillpipe Stress corrosion cracking 23/08/94 Twist off SHWDP Brittle failure 23/08/94 Twist off in drillpipe Drillpipe tube fatigue 07/11/94 Twist off NB stabilizer Fatique/vibration 04/12/94 Drillpipe parted Tensile strength exceeded 04/12/94 Washout in jars Fatigue 3. Errors Contributing to Drilling Failure The error leading to a drilling or tripping failure may be caused by the abnormal state of either the formation being drilled, the wellbore itself or the equipment used in the drilling or tripping operation or caused by other external factors. It must be stated here that these errors may be attributed to either human, manufacturing or mechanical errors. Human Error Here are just a few generic definitions for human error: An inappropriate or undesirable human decision or behavior that reduces, or has the potential for reducing, effectiveness, safety, or system performance An action that led the task or system outside its acceptable limits An action whose result was not desired by a set of rules or an external observer To put things into context, there are three primary stages of cognition (planning, storage, and execution), which relate to the three error types (mistakes, slips, and lapses). The three human error types are: Mistakes: Mistakes occur when an intended outcome is not achieved even though there was adherence to the steps in the plan. This is usually a case in which the original plan was wrong, was followed, and resulted in an unintended outcome. Lapses. Lapses are associated with our memories (e.g., lapses of memory, senior moments, etc.). These are generally not observable events. Slips. Slips are generally externalized, observable actions that are not in accordance with a plan. These are often referred to as Freudian slips, in which a person may be thinking something but inadvertently says it so that someone else can hear it. Slips are most often associated with the execution phase of cognition. Manufacturing Error Variation caused by the manufacturing process that affects the size of the part. Manufacturing error is part of measurement value. From a design perspective the engineer or designer produces a piece of equipment or a system with intentions to function in a certain way. When it doesnt function that way (it breaks, catches on fire, messes up its output or is befallen of some other mishap) they try to find the root cause. Typically the cause can be identified as a: Design deficiency when the mechanical, electrical or other components of the design has a problem that caused the mishap Manufacturing defect when the material or assembly has an issue that causes it to fail Environmental hazard when an outside factor such as the weather causes the hazardous condition Mechanical Error Mechanical error is a deviation from correctness in computer-processed data, caused by equipment failure. This error can often be attributed to a range of different problems on both the manufacturer and the user side, as well as to the unpredictable forces of chance. When equipment malfunctions or falls short of its intended purpose, it may cause delays and lost funds. In rare cases, however, the results can be catastrophic. Serious injuries, loss of life and long-term negative repercussions can emerge from the failure of a seemingly innocuous industrial component. Such events may emphasize the importance of manufacturing standards and safety considerations, or highlight certain industrial concerns that influence the outcome of a project. These errors are related to drilling operations as shown in Table 2. Table 2: Errors during drilling tripping operations ERROR WHERE ERROR IS LOCATED SOURCE OF ERROR POSSIBLE CAUSE OF ERROR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS LEADING TO FAILURE Abnormal state of an Entity Formation Fractured faulted formations Natural fracture, geological fault, cavernous formation, permeable formation Human /Mechanical Errors Tectonically stressed formations Stressed formation Abnormal pore pressure Under compaction of shales Reactive formation Dissolving limestone, reactive shale Mobile formation Drilling salt fomations Unconsolidated formation Poor sediment cementation Naturally over pressured shale collapse Under compaction of shales Wellbore Material accumulation in the wellbore Cuttings accumulation,cavings accumulation Human/Mechanical Errors High hydrostatic wellbore pressure High pore pressure Low hydrostatic wellbore pressure Low pore pressure Crooked wellbore Doglegs, keyseat Equipment Hardware error Age of equipment, design errors Human Error, Mechanical Mechanical Errors Software error Limited knowledge of software by drilling crew members, typo errors Technical error Lack of technical know-how by drilling personnel 4. General Classification of Drilling Failures The classification of drilling failures in this paper is broadly categorized into three namely: equipment failure, wellbore failure and then formation failure. Table 3 lists these failures and their potential causes. Table 3: Summary of drilling and tripping failures, causes Errors Failure Type Observations Potential Causes Errors Leading to failure Error type EQUIPMENT FAILURE Failure class Failure sub class Drillstem failure Failure to acquire evaluation data, high torque drag Shocks vibrations Drillstem design Manufacturing error Drill pipe washouts Loss of hydrostatic pressure, Low SPP Deviated holes and doglegs, corrosive mud or gases,CO2 H2O in mud Running drill pipe in compression, in-correct make up torque of tool joints Human/operator error Drillpipe corrosion Contaminants in drilling fluids O2 in drilling fluids Human error Drillpipe fatigue Pipe leakage High cyclic loads Shallow doglegs in conjunction with high tension and slow penetration rates H2S CO2 in mud Drillstring buckling Compressive load in pipe exceeds a critical value Cracked pipes Sudden drop in pressure Over torqued threads Swelled or mushroomed box end shoulders,pin connection breaks When enough torque is not applied at the table When enough torque is not applied at the table Human error Pipe twist Torque exceeding pipes ultimate shear strength Pipe parting Ultimate tensile strength exceeded Galling Metal to metal contact b/w the pin box threads, stabbing Human error Failure Type Observations Potential Causes Errors Leading to failure Error type EQUIPMENT FAILURE CONTD. Failure class Failure sub class Casing failure Thermal failure High temperature during steam injection Sulphide stress corrosion cracking failure Stress corrosion by H2O H2,high strength steels Poor design of steels Manufacturing error External corrosion failure Exposure of casing to wet air and/or saline fluids Human error Helical buckling failure axial load and compressive forces exceeds the casings load carrying strength Casing collapse fail BHA hangs up when RIH, Calliper log shows collapsed casing high external formation pressure Centralizer failure Inefficient mud displacement Under-reamed wells, using an incorrect unit for the job Using an incorrect unit for the job Human error Mud motor failure Mud motor stalling A sudden severe increase in SPP , ROP ceases operating parameters exceeding the capability of the motor Motor Failure during reaming extended reaming operations Motor Failure during tripping key seats, ledges Motor failure due to downhole temperatures downhole temperatures increase beyond 225Â ° F FORMATION RELATED FAILURE Lost circulation Induced fracture LC Volume of mud in mud pit reduces High mud density, ,increase in annular pressure Failure Type Observations Potential Causes Errors Leading to failure Error type Failure class Failure sub class FORMATION RELATED FAILURE CONTD Lost circulation contd Natural fracture LC Volume of mud in mud pit reduces Natural fractures, high permeability formations, cracks,vugs, fissures Incorrect estimation of annular pressures Human error Kicks High pore pressure kick Geo-pressured formations Operational related kick Swab Surge during tripping Inefficient ROP Formation related Low ROP Cuttings accummulation Operational related Low ROP Low WOB,Bit balling WELLBORE FAILURE Wellbore wall related Cementing failure Stress cracking Appears as no cement on bond logs stress changes caused by casing expansion Gas migration un-cemented channel, low overbalance pressure before and during cementing Cement shrinkage Cement cracks Exposure to air of low humidity Micro annulus Inter zonal Communications, Well Leakage Hydrostatic Pressure Reduction inside the Casing, Cement Shrinkage Borehole caving Angular, Splintery cavings Highly tensional/compressive stress Failure Type Observations Potential Causes Errors Leading to failure Error type WELBORE FAILURE CONTD. Failure class Failure sub class Solids induced pack off Keyseating Sudden overpull Cyclic overpull at tool joint intervals on trips. High tensional side forces Underguage hole Pulled bit or stabilisers are undergauge. Sudden set down weight. Circulation is unrestricted. Bit stuck PDC bit run after a roller cone bit, When drilling abrasive formations Ledges and doglegs Sudden erratic overpull or set down Running an unsuitable BHA,changes in BHA Junk Missing hand tools / equipment. Circulation unrestricted. Sudden erratic torque. Inability to make hole. Poor housekeeping on the rig floor. The hole cover not installed Cement blocks Cement fragments. Erratic torque. Hard cement becomes unstable around the casing shoe Green cement Increase in pump pressure. Loss of string weight. Sudden decrease in torque. Green cement in mud returns, discoloration of mud. drill string is inadvertently run into cement Bit jamming Poor hole cleaning ,fluid is too thin Differential Sticking Bit balling Reduced ROP,Increased SPP, Overpull on tripping Swellable soft clays Failure Type Observations Potential Causes Errors Leading to failure Error type WELBORE FAILURE CONTD. Failure class Failure sub class Hole collapse Little or no filter cake Wellbore washouts Excessive hole fill,cuttings Swelling shale, hole erosion, insufficient mud weight Reactive formations Hydrated or mushy cavings. Shakers screens blind off, clay balls form. Increase in LGS, filter cake thickness, PV, YP, MBT When using WBM in shales and clays in young formations. When drilling with an incorrect mud specification When using WBM in shales and clays in young formations. When drilling with an incorrect mud specification Unconsolidated formations Increase in pump pressure. Fill on bottom. Overpull on connections. Shakers blinding Little natural cementation Mobile formations Overpull when moving up, takes weight when running in Drilling salt formations Fractured faulted formations Hole fill on connections. Possible losses or gains natural fracture system in the rock Tectonically stressed formations Pack-offs and bridges may occur. Cavings at the shakers (splintery). Increase torque and drag highly stressed formations are drilled Naturally over-pressured shale collapse Cavings (splintery) at shakers. Increased torque and drag. Hole fill. An increase in ROP. Cuttings and cavings are not hydrated or mushy. under-compaction, naturally removed overburden 5. Conclusions This work has been a modest attempt at classifying downhole failures and errors during drilling and tripping operations. Though not exhaustive, the work has been able to group failures and errors into their natural groups and then elucidated their symptoms and their potential causes. Finally, it is concluded that: Failures during tripping and drilling operations may be naturally classified into: wellbore related, equipment related and formation related failures That errors leading to these failures may be broadly classified into errors located in the formation, errors located in the equipment or errors located in the formation or wellbore being drilled That these errors may result from misinterpretation of test data, improper use of hardware or software, ineffective monitoring of events, under maintenance of equipment Nomenclature BHA = Bottom Hole Assembly BOP = Blowout Preventer CO2 = Carbon (IV) Oxide H2O = Water H2S = Hydrogen Sulphide HWDP = Heavy Weight Drill Pipe LC = Lost Circulation LGSC = Low Gravity Solids Content MBT = Methylene Blue Test MWD = Measurement While Drilling O2 = Oxygen PDC = Polycrystalline Diamond Compact Bit POOH = Pull out of Hole RIH = Run in Hole ROP = Rate of Penetration SPP = Stand Pipe Pressure TD = Total Depth WBM = Water Based Mud WOB = Weight on Bit YP = Yield Point Acknowledgement A work of this magnitude must have been culled from other writers work; hence I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all the authors whose works were consulted in the course of writing this paper. This acknowledgement would essentially be incomplete if I fail to extend my deepest appreciation to the Almighty God-Jehovah, for without Him, there would have been no me. To others whom I have not mentioned due to space or the lack of it, I remain your debtor in gratitude.

Womens Rights Essay -- essays research papers

If you ask a young girl what she wants to be when she grows up, she may tell you she wants to be a doctor, lawyer, or even a teacher. That is what any child would percieve their future to become, just like their parents. But what that little girl is unaware of, is that if she had lived a little over 150 years ago, her future dreams would be quite different. Women living a life of religious freedom, having a voice in government, and attending schools is normal in our everyday lives as we reach the new millenium. However, women did not always have an equal say or chance in life. In our American History, women have demonstrated and worked for reform of women's rights. Through seven generations, it took many meetings, petition drives, lobbying, public speaking, and nonviolent resistance to make our world the way it is now. The Women's Rights Movement begins its task on July 13th, 1848, where a lady named Elizabeth Cady Stanton decided enough was enough, and she started the fight for her rights as well asall women's rights. Within the next week of her decision she held a convention in Seneca Falls called, "A convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman". Stanton created a list to present called "Declaration of Sentiments" which stated areas in life where women were treated unjustly. (*1) After the second day of the convention, every resolution on her declaration was passed except the one t...

THE LEGACY OF A KING :: essays research papers

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., brother to morality and father to reform, was a man of remarkable courage whose belief in nonviolence never stammered. Standing before the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963, King stated,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"So I say to you my friends, that even though we must face the difficulties   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed-we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Siebold 212)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These inspiring words are the basis for which all of society needs contemplate in order to achieve racial fellowship, civil rights, and civil liberties. Maybe then, people of different ethnicity, not only inhabiting the same area, but all around the world, can coincide with one another without dispute. National equality cannot rest solely on the advocacy of one man, it must involve citizen participation and governmental action. Such engagements are effecting present-day issues such as voter manipulation tactics, the policies of a new attorney general, and Native American Housing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One issue Civil rights and voting rights advocates are currently addressing is the concern of voter suppression and intimidation. These manipulations, specifically aimed at minority and disabled voters, include requiring identification at polling stations; supplying wrong polling information to potential voters; and initiating background checks on newly-registered voters. Latino’s nationwide are being told to provide proof that they are U.S. citizens, solely because they are Latino’s. A person with a mental disability may not vote in Ohio, if a judge rules him/her incompetent. The voting rights advocates call upon the Republican National Committee to put an end to these tactics or to investigate them further so that a change may occur in the near future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another concern of Civil rights advocates was initiated when President Bush replaced attorney general John Ashcroft, who resigned Nov. 2004, with Roberto R. Gonzales. Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights stated, â€Å"In a country as diverse as ours, this appointment acknowledges the importance of both substance and symbolism in the selection of our nation's highest offices.† Civil rights groups want a close examination of Gonzales’ formulation of administration policies performed by Henderson and other necessary persons. Gonzales' role in such policies could undermine the system of checks and balances, therefore, creating a stagger in power among the branches of government; the unbalanced power among the branches may cause tyranny in any one branch.

An Analysis of To Have without Holding by Marge Piercy Essay -- To Hav

An Analysis of To Have without Holding by Marge Piercy The poem "To Have without Holding," by Marge Piercy, is about the speaker trying to reconcile the conflict between her preconceived notion of a personal relationship with present reality. Her partner, whom she must feel worth the pain and effort, apparently has a more liberal and open approach, which causes her to feel insecure. The poem expresses, using metaphor, simile, and symbolism, the speaker's discomfort at a point in time in this emotionally unbalanced relationship. She defines, explains, and personalizes her place in the relationship from a unique and unsettling perspective, while providing a reminder that preconceived notions must eventually be evaluated against one's growing library of empirical evidence obtained, often painfully, via real life experience. She defines her idea of what is right in a relationship by describing how hard and painful it is for her to stray from that ideal in this instance. As the poem evolves, one can begin to see the author having a conflict with values, while simultaneously expressing which values are hers and which are unnatural to her. She accomplishes this accounting of values by personalizing her position in a somewhat unsettling way throughout the poem. I was first drawn to the poem by the title. The interesting use of capitalization caught my attention. Why wasn't the letter 'w' in the word "without" capitalized? Upon reading the poem initially, I got an overall impression of being made to feel "uncomfortable," though quite unsure as to why. I had the same impression once I felt I understood the whole poem, but from a completely different perspective. That sort of clarity at differing resolutions is impressive in tha... ... other party seems unconcerned with all these emotional gymnastics. It seems she is making the compensations for now, though she openly questions the wisdom of this arrangement for the future. This poem has captured a moment in time of a dynamic, tentative, and uncomfortable relationship as it is evolving. The author, having shared her thoughts, concerns, and opinion of the other party's unchanging definition of the relationship, must surely have gone on to somehow reconcile the situation to her own satisfaction. She relishes the work entailed in changing either of them, perhaps. Hence, the small "w" in the title. Its absence serves as a prominence to indicate that the point of this poem is about being uncomfortable with the "Having" of a physical relationship without the mutual desire for commitment and security, the moral authority to "Hold" that she craves.

Native Americans Mascots Essay

Imagine yourself at a sporting event. You are enjoying the last bite of your foot-long hot dog, anticipating the moment the half time show will begin. Out comes the shoe-less, plaid-shirt wearing, ripped and dirty blue jean sporting mascot. His name is â€Å"Billy Bob– the wildest hillbilly in the boondocks. † He goes running around, chugging down his fake moonshine and spitting tobacco. Being a native of Appalachia, you find yourself upset, and state this to be extremely offending. However, your sister who is attending the game with you casually laughs it off, stating that it is just hilarious. The disagreement between siblings from the same background can be compared to the discontent many people face when concerning the use of Native American Mascots. We will be reviewing the varying opinions and beliefs on the matter of using Native American symbols at sporting events. There are many people who believe that it is very disrespectful towards Native Americans. Not only is it demeaning the values that they believe in, but it is also poking fun at their image in a very negative way. However, there are also the people who feel that using the names of Native Americans and their image is not only very honorable, but is a helpful reminder to people of the fight that they once went through. We are going to take a look at some of the different standpoints on the matter, some statistics, and even some cases that have resulted from this dispute. Honoring Native Americans is what many believe the mascots do. Those who support the use of these symbols and identities are convinced that they show their admirable characteristics and reflect them positively. In June of 2007, there was a law signed by Governor Phil Bredesen, for the state of Tennessee to be able to â€Å"continue to honor certain persons or cultures through the use of symbols, names and mascots† (Holliday. ) However, the bill stated that it would be void in the circumstance that these Native American symbols were being portrayed as demeaning or in an obscene way. If the school is actually recognizing the positive qualities of the Native Americans, then the use of their symbols as mascots should not be an issue. Of course, there are those who are easily offended and oppose this idea. On this side of the debate, there are other issues that come into view. For the schools that are not using Native American mascots appropriately, they would be required to not only have their traditional name change, but require new uniforms and gear. This could result in the fans holding prejudiced opinions towards the Native Americans, which in return could be more harmful than before. Many cannot see why using Native Americans and their images as mascots or logos could be considered negative or even disrespectful. What they do not understand is the potential stereotyping that is associated with these images. Coming from a place such as Appalachia, I can concur with these stereotyping insecurities. A study published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology states, â€Å"If American Indian mascots are regarded as negative stereotypes then their psychological effects will also be negative. For example, activating negative stereotypes is associated with disengagement, lower self-esteem, and decreased aspirations for careers and leadership† (Stone. ) It goes on to speak of the potential for positive stereotypes, but that does not always guarantee a positive outcome. There is also a mention of how positive stereotypes can lead to negative consequences. An example of this is a woman who is considered warm and affectionate, and how she is in return believed to be weak, basically less competent. The offensive repercussions from these mascots have some people hoping and working towards a change. Arguers against the use of Native American mascots believe that teams could just as well play under a different team name. The offensive cartoons or taglines that are associated with a team’s merchandise could lead to the negative stereotypes of Indians as savages, which is said to be the starting line on the path to racism. In 2005, the NCAA took a stand for what they believed was right and what they thought the public wanted; they banned the images and nicknames of Native Americans in post season tournaments. They removed any nicknames and images that could be seen as â€Å"hostile† or â€Å"abusive. † Starting in February of 2006, mascots would not be allowed to perform at halftime shows, and their cheerleaders and band members would not be able to wear American Indians on their uniforms. One school in particular believed that this was wrong and very quickly complained and even threatened legal action. The president of Florida State, home of the Seminoles, T. K. Wetherell said in a statement, â€Å"I intend to pursue all legal avenues to ensure that this unacceptable decision is overturned, and that this university will forever be associated with the ‘unconquered’ spirit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida† (The Florida State University. ) While the NCAA officials admit they can’t force the schools to change their nicknames or logos, they are making a statement they believe is long overdue. In some states, such as New York and Maryland, there have been similar courses of action taken in order to resolve this debate. The Commissioner of Education of New York, required schools to discuss the issue with the directive that â€Å"the use of Native American symbols or depictions as mascots can become a barrier to building a safe and nurturing school. † The Maryland Department of Education decided that the schools in Maryland must deliberate the issue. In result, approximately half of its schools decided to change their logos. Some were left undecided, leaving less than half with their original names. Just like the debate on whether this use is morally right or wrong, the decision seems to be split. Other state boards of education have considered similar actions. Minnesota and North Carolina are just a few. In Kansas and Michigan, there are recommendations to completely discontinue these names, and seek some more appropriate ones. In the past three decades, most colleges that held mascots or names that were Native American have rid them from their halls (Taylor.) In the Chronicle of Higher Education, it states â€Å"Today about 58 colleges nationwide have Native American mascots, and besides Illinois, only four compete at the high-profile Division I-A level: Arkansas State University, Florida State University, the University of North Dakota, and San Diego State University† (Selingo. ) The statistics have some questioning the time and effort that many have spent on the issue. Biology professor, Stephen J. Kaufman at Illinois stated, â€Å"The amount of time and effort all sides have spent on this issue is absurd. The Revolutionary War took 7 years, the Civil War 4 years, and here we are in our 15th year. † The fifteen year debate he is speaking of is that of the decision whether the University of Illinois Chief Illiniwek is an appropriate display of Native American characteristics (Sellingo. ) This debate has been going on for many years, and will probably continue to be argued. On this debate, I am on the fence. If honoring Native Americans is the intention, and it is done correctly, I see no wrong in using Native American mascots. However, any occurrences where the mascots are not acting or representing their namesakes properly should be removed. The main concern should not be the school or the consequences that could come from removing these mascots. The focus, as it should always be, must be on the ones being portrayed. The battle of whether the use of Native American mascots and symbols is right or wrong, is still ongoing. This debate will probably never cease, because there will never be one unanimously decided solution, for not everyone sees it one way or the other. Either our society is going to have to learn to respect others, or we are going to have to eliminate the possibility of unfair treatment and discrimination. Both seem to be out of our own hands, and not to be pessimistic, but quite unattainable. However, only the future holds the true answer to this ongoing debate. We can only hope for a fair solution. Works Cited â€Å"Florida State University responds to NCAA decision banning use of Native American symbols. † The Florida State University. Web. 20 Jul. 2012. . Holliday, Courtney. â€Å"Tennessee Votes to Protect American Indian Mascots . † First Amendment Center . Web. 20 Jul. 2012. . â€Å"Indian Mascots in Sports. †Ã‚  Scholastic Action  34. 5/6 (2010): 30. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Jul. 2012. Joseph M. Stone, et al. â€Å"Of Warrior Chiefs and Indian Princesses: The Psychological Consequences of American Indian Mascots. †Ã‚  Basic & Applied Social Psychology  30. 3 (2008): 208-218. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Jul. 2012. Selingo, Jeffrey. â€Å"An Honored Symbol to Some, a Racist Mascot to Others. †Ã‚  Chronicle of Higher Education50. 41 (2004): A20. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Jul. 2012. Taylor, Kelley R. â€Å"Mascots, Team Names, and Cultural Sensitivity. †Ã‚  Education Digest  68. 2 (2002): 43. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Jul. 2012.