Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Crime and Punishment misc essays

Crime and Punishment misc essays Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" is the story of a poor man in Russia who mentally destroys himself of his guilt through pain and suffering. It analyzes the mental and physical conflicts brought upon himself by his crime. His complications are put together by the conflicting personalities which he shows. The reader is encouraged to characterize him by his cold, ravenous side. Yet, without the warm peaceful side of his nature and the people evolving around him, Raskolnikov never realizes the problems in his beliefs and actions. Raskolnikov is repeatedly emphasized for the alternating style of his personality, which both are very important. Raskolnikov's cold side leads him to develop his theory that extra ordinary men have the right to commit crimes, and also to commit murder. This side of him bases all decisions on reasonability, rather than on feeling. A person can be absolutely nothing without emotions. The other side of his character is kind and generous. Without this side of Raskolnikov being told in the novel, the reader can only see him as an evil murderer, and not an mislead victim, as Dostoevsky tries to show. In the novel "Crime and Punishment," Raskolnikov shows random acts of kindness whenever he finds a person in need. He gives money to the Marmeladov family, he attempts to aid Marmeladov when he dies, and he tries to get a drunken girl home and away from the stranger. All of these things were done spontaneously. He simply feels that at the time it is the right thing to do. However, after a short period of time his views can reverse dramatically. He starts to sensibly analyze what he has done, and then feels that his actions were dumb and stupid. This spontaneous change shows the return of his cold side, and it occurs after every kind thing that Raskolnikov does. These changes and alterations between two different personalities give Raskolnikov separate visi...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Why Burning Money Is Illegal in the United States

Why Burning Money Is Illegal in the United States If you have money to burn, congratulations- but youd better not actually set fire to a pile of cash. Burning money is illegal in the United States and is  punishable by up to 10 years in prison, not to mention fines. (More fun facts: Its also illegal to tear a dollar bill and even flatten a penny  under the weight of a locomotive on the railroad tracks.) The laws making defacing and debasing currency a crime have their roots in the federal governments use of precious metals to mint coins. Criminals were known to file down or cut off portions of those coins and keep the slivers for themselves while spending the altered currency. The odds of being prosecuted under the federal laws that making burning money or defacing coins, however, are fairly slim. First, coins now contain very little precious metals. Second, defacing printed currency in an act of protest is often compared to burning the American flag. That is to say, burning money may be considered protected speech under the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment. What the Law Says About Burning Money The section of federal law that makes tearing up or burning money a crime is  Title 18, Section 333, which was passed in 1948 and reads: Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. What the Law Says About Mutilating Coins The section of federal law that makes mutilating coins a crime is Title 18, Section 331, which reads: Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. A separate section of Title 18 makes it illegal to debase coins minted by the U.S. government, meaning to shave some of the metal off and make the money less valuable. That crime is punishable by fines and up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutions Are Rare for Mutilating Currency Its pretty rare for someone to be arrested and charged with defiling or debased U.S. currency. Even those penny press machines found at arcades and some seashore attractions are in compliance with the law because theyre used to create souvenirs and not to debase or shave metal off the coin for profit or fraud. Perhaps the highest profile case of currency mutilation dates to 1963. An 18-year-old U.S. Marine named Ronald Lee Foster was convicted of whittling away the edges of pennies and spending the 1 cent coins as dimes in vending machines. Foster had been sentenced to a year of probation and $20, but more seriously the conviction prevented him from being able to get a gun license. Foster made national news in 2010 when President Barack Obama pardoned him.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Lens Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Lens Discussion - Research Paper Example The word lens was derived from a Latin word lentil since the shape of lentil has similar attributes to double-convex lens. According to Whitehouse (1999), it is believed that the oldest lens belonged to Ancient Assyria dating back 2700 years ago. Whitehouse also illustrated that the work of David Brewster of making a proposal of starting fires through a magnifying glass that concentrates sunlight, regenerated to evolution of the lens. Other historical records about the lens were retrieved in ancient Greece in a play called The Clouds by Aristophanes by mentioning about the burning glass. This statement referred to the biconvex lenses that were used to produce fire through creating a common focus of the sunrays. The work of Pliny the Elder also expressed the usage of burning glasses in the Roman Empire, especially after providing the descriptions of magnifying effects of the glass that was filled with water. Glick (2005) shows that lenses were widely used in Europe, especially after the invention of spectacle in Italy. This invention created a progressive nature of optical industry to use lenses, where other Western nations expanded the idea including Venice, Florence, Germany, and Netherlands. However, the optical industry created a room for invention of other technological advancements that changed the experimentation algorithms. For example, between 17th and 18th Centuries became a major progress for lens usage after microscope and telescope were invented. This caused the opticians to the draw board and came up with constructive lenses that formed the spherical figures in their surface and varying features of curvature. This led to the production of achromatic lens that is more compounded by Chester Moore Hall in 1733 at England. This led to improvement of experimental operations in biological, physical, and chemical analogies. Currently, lenses are spherical in nature, where both longitudinal

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

A thoughtful comment about a video Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A thoughtful comment about a video - Essay Example He first places the fork over one edge of the plate then sprinkles sugar carefully over the fork. This leaves space on plate to serve food (Cronin, 2012). The use of a sieve in sprinkling sugar is important in achieving uniform distribution over a third area of the plate for placing the fork. After sprinkling only amount require to covers the, he stops and lift the fork carefully. Leaving behind is a decoration that is fork-shaped. In the procedure, he makes sure to use right quantity of sugar so as not to affect food taste. In the second part of decoration, he uses a white square plate. This time he places a fork on plate followed by a spoon across over the fork. The spoon and fork combination make sure of decoration in a quarter of the square-shaped plate. He then sprinkles cocoa powder using sieve over the spoon and fork. The cocoa powder is dark in color and gives a nice contrast to the white plate for decoration to be visible. He finally lifts the spoon then fork carefully to leave decoration of their shapes on the plate (Cronin, 2012). The cocoa power is bitter hence avoid using large amounts due to its flavor in

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Self actualization & of Maslow’s Hierarchy Essay Example for Free

Self actualization of Maslow’s Hierarchy Essay Self actualization is at the pinnacle of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which examines the order by which human actions are geared towards. According to Maslow, in order to have the other needs, the basic needs have to be satisfied first . Only upon satisfying the physiological needs are the other needs considered. As such, the graduation in level suggests that self-actualization is the most difficult level to attain because of the preconditions that need to be satisfied in order to advance. According to Maslow, this is the most difficult to achieve due to its nature. It is not an absolute fact but is relative and therefore difficult to attain. The teachings of Maslow have shown that due to the relative nature of self actualization it is possible that a person may have achieved this but has not realized such and is therefore incapable of self actualization. In order to be self actualized, Maslow stated that there is a need for inner exploration and action. Man needs to realize his internal self and come to terms with such. It is this motivation which leads a person to self-actualization. This is problematic on several levels which explains why Freud had a different perspective on the matter. While Maslow derived his theory from Freud, Freud’s teaching was different in that these innate impulses are caused by the developments in the human psyche and the subconscious. There is no innate mechanism but rather the logical effect of the interactions of the different personalities and parts of the human mind. The motivation comes not from the desire for self-actualization but from human behavior. From a cognitive point of view, this hierarchy of needs and self actualization is a function of the perturbations that an autonomous system needs. It is not so much self actualization, from this perspective, as it is the perceived competence to satisfy the basic needs in due time. There are, therefore, three main components, material, cognitive and subjective. As such, self actualization is hampered by subjective incompetence which is caused during childhood that act as an inhibitor preventing the further development of cognitive competence.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Dead Sea :: essays research papers

General Purpose: To inform Specific purpose: The audience will know that the Dead Sea is devoid of all plant and aquatic life, why the sea is so salty and the health benefits. Thesis or central idea: The Dead Sea has a unique environment Main Points: a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water anywhere b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dead Sea is devoid of all plant and aquatic life c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment Introduction: You know why they call it the dead sea? Because absolutely nothing live in it. It is some of the salties water anywhere in the world. My love for geology grew out of an experience with a friend whos child was doing a earth science project on plate tectonics and needed help. I’ll never forget the name of the book â€Å"Earth in Motion† it left a lasting impression on me and led me to study more on this subject. I’ve been reading about this for approximately 10 years and am always amazed at the new material I find . My latest discovery was that the Dead Sea is one of the salties bodies of water anywhere, that it is devoid of all plant and aquatic life and that it has become a major center for health research and treatment. I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dead Sea is one of the salties bodies of water anywhere A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dead Sea is completely landlocked B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dead Sea is continually fed water from the rivers and streams coming down off the mountains that surround it. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No river drains out of the Dead Sea 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The only way water gets out of the sea is through evaporation II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dead Sea is devoid of all plant and aquatic life A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The water in the Dead Sea is deadly to most living things B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though the Sea is deadly to most living things humans are remarkably adaptable to the seas salty conditions. Humans can swim is the Dead Sea, just like they swim in the ocean 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Humans don’t really swim in the sea, instead they just â€Å"hang out 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of th extremely high concentration of disolved mineral salts in the water its density is way more that that of fresh water, which means are bodies are more buoyant in the Dead Sea. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dead Sea area has become a major center for health research and treatment A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dead Seas deep black clayey sediment, previously covered with water at times of higher sea level, are being mined for therapeutic purposes and for the preparation of cosmetic products under the name ‘Black Mud’.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Age of Faith Dbq

The Age of Faith The Middle Ages are commonly remembered for King Arthur tales, violent crusades, widespread illiteracy and the bubonic plague. Yet so much more is worthy of remembrance. The philosophers of â€Å"The Age of Reason† called the Middle Ages the â€Å"Age of Faith†. The Middle Ages were steeped in reason, logic, and natural philosophy. The Middle Ages is usually defined as the period between the fall of the last Roman emperor in the West (476 A. D. ) and the fall of Constantinople to the Turks (1453) or the discovery of America (1492). During the Middle Ages, the Church was almost as powerful as the government itself. The Age of Faith is the time in which the Church called for the first Crusade, philosophy flourished in the midst of chaos, and the Church expanded and gained more power. In Pope Urban II’s Call for the First Crusade Pope Urban is calling for Christians to fight in the name of God. The reason being that in the Middle East the Turks and Arabs were persecuting the Christians. The invaders killed and captured the Christians, and destroyed the churches. The Call for the Crusade was a result of a request sent by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos to Pope Urban in 1095. The Emperor asked of the Pope for aid against further invasions. In return for fighting in the Crusade, the Pope promised all who died, by land or by sea, or against the pagans, would have immediate remission of his sins. The remission of sin was a driving factor and provided any God-fearing man who had committed sins with an irresistible way out of eternal damnation in hell. Medieval philosophy is the philosophy of Western Europe from about ad 400–1400, roughly the period between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance. In Medieval Europe by H. C Davis, the accomplishments of the Middle Ages are called to mind. Its culture, specifically the philosophy, flourished even though there were a number of negative factors influencing them. Christianity was an important stimulus to philosophical activity. Its ideas and doctrines constituted a rich source of philosophical provocation. Medieval philosophy, therefore, took root in an intellectual world sustained by the Church and infused with Christianity’s texts and ideas. At the time, he Church was the most powerful influence, almost more so than the government. The government and the Church were almost as one in the same. And that was evident in the philosophies that stemmed from that perspective. The Church was at its peak of power in all of its history. It was that that inspired all the philosophers of that time to reflect and define the world with that mindset; the Church was center of everything in life. In Europe during the Middle Ages the only r ecognized religion was Christianity, in the form of the Catholic religion. The lives of the Medieval people of the Middle Ages was dominated by the church. From birth to death, whether you were a peasant, a serf, a noble a lord or a King – life was dominated by the church. The lives of many Medieval people were dedicated to the Catholic church and religion. In The Monastic Vows of Brother Gerald, Gerald is promising when he becomes a monk to, in a sense give up his life. When you undertake the vow to become a monk, you give up your family and worldly possessions in return for a live of purity, chastity, and poverty. The Truce of God outlines the church’s attempt to decrease the amount of sins that are being committed and restore the peace slowly through a form of a peace decree. This is just one example of the church demonstrating its new power. With its own laws, lands and taxes the Catholic church was a very powerful institution which had its own laws and lands. The Catholic Church also imposed taxes. In addition to collecting taxes, the Church also accepted gifts of all kinds from individuals who wanted special favors or wanted to be certain of a place in heaven. The power of the Catholic Church grew with its wealth. The Catholic Church was then able to influence the kings and rulers of Europe. Opposition to the Catholic Church would result in excommunication. This meant that the person who was excommunicated could not attend any church services, or receives the sacraments and would go straight to hell when they died. The Church was at its height of secular power during the Middle Ages, or the Age of Faith. The church was integrated into every part of Medieval life. In every way that it could, the church would make sure to make its power and influence known of. The Medieval church was corrupt, we can conclude nowadays but it was unknown to its followers then. The church used its power to keep its believers in fear and easier to bend to the church’s will. They accepted bribes and favors to reserve and promise you your seat and place in heaven. But, overall the church in the Middle Ages helped protect its holy land, expanded philosophy and contributed new knowledge on a variety of subjects, all the while ensuring its power as a secular leader. This, the extent of the church’s power, is why the Middle Ages are the Age of Faith.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Arab Americans

The biggest consideration in any effort to infiltrate the community is the legal and ethical issues that would govern those actions. Immigrants have rights and they must be respected in the country. It’s important that these people would know that the government respects them as persons and as citizens of America. There are constitutional rights that must not be broken; otherwise, no immigrant in the country would ever feel safe. There are already many crimes against their race and I wouldn’t want to add to that list. I believe in getting their trust in order for them to cooperate and become loyal to the country.Loyalty can’t be bought nor can it be forced. It has to be their decision to express loyalty to a country that treats them well. Ethical issues need also be taken into account. For instance, would it be right for me to tap into people’s conversations even if those persons are exemplary citizens and have been positive contributors to the community? If there are times when it is absolutely necessary to spy on every person in the immigrant population, then, it will be done so long as needless deaths will be prevented. As for sending agents, I believe it is a must to have undercover people among them in order to filter out the rotten tomatoes.The undercover work’s goal is to identify, without a doubt, who are propagating extremist ideas in the community. Once identified, these people will be given the appropriate punishment under the law. The most important role I could play in the community is to make sure that even the immigrants and the Arab Americans will not become unwitting tools of terrorists. 2. Based on the reading assignments, what status, rights and protections would you afford someone who was an American citizen captured in the United States in the act of terroristic violence?How about someone who was a foreign national engage in terrorism in the United States? An American citizen fights American forces abroad? A foreign national, but not a member of a nation's military, fighting American forces abroad? Would torture of any of these subjects ever be justified if it could save lives? American Citizen An American citizen captured in the country committing terroristic violence will be captured and imprisoned under the rules of law. Since it can be considered treason to commit acts of terror in one’s country, then that person will not have the rights of a common prisoner.Foreign National A foreign national committing terroristic activity in the country will be detained depending on the Attorney General’s mandates, and will be tried either inside the country or outside it. The hearing would likely be before a military tribunal. American Citizen Fighting American Forces Abroad If the American citizen fighting American forces abroad will be captured, he will be treated as a prisoner of war provided that he meets the criteria provided for in the Geneva Convention. He will have the r ights of a POW and will be treated accordingly.Foreign National Fighting American Forces Abroad A foreign national who is not a member of a military unit will be accorded a prisoner of war status until such time that his status will be determined by the appropriate tribunal. If the foreign national turns out to be a terrorist, then, he will be punished the way terrorists should be punished in accordance to law. 3. What are the different perspectives concerning Just War? Can the war on terror be properly characterized as a just war? Under what circumstances would fighting terrorism cease to be just?Why? The different perspectives of Just War are: †¢ Just War is only permissible as a last resort when all other non-violent means have been exhausted. †¢ A war can only be just if it is conducted by who society deems to have the authority to do so. †¢ Just war happens to remedy the wrong committed against society. †¢ To fight a war that does not have a chance of succee ding is not just. †¢ The ultimate goal of just war is the re-establishment of peace. †¢ It is just war if the violence in the war is proportionate to the injury endured.†¢ A just war does not target civilians and all efforts must be made so as not to harm civilians. The war on terror can be considered just because the proper authorities are out to get the villains in order to make the society safe for the citizens. Terrorists do not discriminate between military and civilian targets, as such, they must be stopped to avoid the killings of civilians. Fighting terrorism ceases to be just when the country has endangered citizens in the process. For example, if the U. S.will engage the whole of Afghanistan in war just because the Al Qaeda had its beginnings in that country won’t be just. It’s not fair to generalize that every Afghanistan is a terrorist. Also, war will become unjust if the wrong people are targeted by the authorities. Say for example that ever y person coming from the Middle East and who looks like Osama bin Laden will be detained by authorities because of how they look, then, that action is not just anymore. It is already a discrimination against individual persons. 4. How serious is the problem of anti-Americanism here at home?Should people be accountable for inciting violence when they glorify violent acts against America but themselves do not engage in it? What remedies are available to the government, if any, to deal with schools, mosques, and charities that indirectly support terrorism while not actually engaging in it? What should the remedies be? Anti-Americanism in the United States is often on issues that involve the presence of troops in Iraq, the operations in Afghanistan and global warming. Many Americans do not want the American troops to continue being in Iraq.There are constant protests and demonstrations asking the government for the troops’ withdrawal. At the same time, the government’s cam paign in Afghanistan is viewed by many citizens to be unreasonable and should be stopped. Many American Muslims believe that putting all of the blame on Osama bin Laden and his group is not right. There are also a lot of demonstrations and protests calling for the government to do something about global warming. Meanwhile, Pipes (2005) reports that some American Muslim schools have been teaching things that tantamount to being anti-American.As an example, an American-Muslim student told the Washington Post in 2001 that for him, being American is just about where he was born, and it does not define him. Some schools are also teaching things against the Jews, while promoting the supremacy of Islam. Pipes relates that a textbook in a Muslim school in Virginia has stated that only Islam is the true religion, and all others are false. First graders are easily influenced and reading this text would make them believe that people who are not Muslims are inferior to their race.The government , especially the education ministry, has to take a direct control over what materials are being taught in schools. The schools must not be allowed to focus too much on religion. There must be a law prohibiting minority schools to engage in activities or teach lessons that would indirectly support and promote terrorism. 5. Give your overall assessment of the USA PATRIOT ACT. Do you think it has contributed to the lack of terror attacks in the United States since 9/11? If you were in Congress, would you vote to renew the act as is?Would you change anything? Why or why not? Before the USA Patriotic Act was passed into law, electronic surveillance had to undergo a lot of red tape before it can be approved. Sharing of information between intelligence units and law enforcement agencies was very limited because the law does not say to what extent should information be shared. This could have resulted to missed opportunities to prevent acts of terror in the country. When the Patriotic Act w as enforced, every ground rule was established on how information will be obtained and shared.Surveillance of every information, financial or otherwise, became permissible. Even phone conversations can be tapped into. Because of this, the terrorist groups have to devise new ways of communicating, which possibly thwarted further acts of terror after 9/11. In this sense, the Patriotic Act is able to curtail further terroristic activities in the country. There are, however, some parts of the Act that speaks of human rights violations. For instance, indefinite detention of immigrants is not reasonable. It would strike fear in the hearts of those who are being loyal and good citizens of America.While the innocent would fear the Act, it would make terrorists wary of committing acts of terror. They would have to be very clever to go unnoticed. Overall, the Patriotic Act has served its purpose despite flaws in some of its contents. If I were a member of Congress, I would vote to renew the P atriotic Act. It may not be perfect but it has kept the country relatively free of terror attacks after 9/11. However, there would be some changes on the Act, which addresses controversial issues like indefinite detentions, secret trials, and giving vast powers to the executive branch.As a democratic country, it is important that the laws of democracy would not be forgotten in the quest to end terrorism. References Ferraro, V. Principles of the Just War. Mount Holyoke College. Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www. mtholyoke. edu/acad/intrel/pol116/justwar. htm Pipes, D. (2005, March 29). What Are Islamic Schools Teaching? New York Sun. Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www. danielpipes. org/article/2489 USA Patriot Act (H. R. 3162). Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www. personalinfomediary. com/USAPATRIOTACT_Text. htm

Thursday, November 7, 2019

How to Plant the Leyland Cypress Tree in Your Landscape

How to Plant the Leyland Cypress Tree in Your Landscape A rapidly-growing evergreen when young, Leyland Cypress will easily grow three to four feet per year, even on poor soils, and can ultimately attain a height of some 50 feet. The tree forms a dense, oval or pyramidal outline when left unpruned, but the graceful, slightly pendulous branches will tolerate severe trimming to create a formal hedge, screen or windbreak. The tree quickly outgrows its space in small landscapes and is too big for most residential landscapes unless regularly trimmed. Unusually, shallow roots of the species can give in wet soil to topple large trees. Uses Scientific name: x Cupressocyparis leylandiiPronunciation: x koo-press-so-SIP-air-iss lay-LAN-dee-eyeCommon name: Leyland CypressFamily: CupressaceaeUSDA hardiness zones: 6 through 10AOrigin: not native to North AmericaUses: hedge; recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; screen; specimen; Christmas treeAvailability: generally available in many areas within its hardiness range Form Height: 35 to 50 feetSpread: 15 to 25 feetCrown uniformity: symmetrical canopy with a regular (or smooth) outline  and individuals have more or less identical crown formsCrown shape: columnar; oval; pyramidalCrown density: denseGrowth rate: fastTexture: fine Foliage Leaf arrangement: opposite/suboppositeLeaf type: simpleLeaf margin: entireLeaf shape: scale-likeLeaf venation: none, or difficult to seeLeaf type and persistence: evergreenLeaf-blade length: less than 2 inchesLeaf color: blue or blue-green; greenFall color: no fall color changeFall characteristic: not showy Structure Trunk/bark/branches: grow mostly upright and will not droop; not particularly showy; should be grown with a single leader; no thornsPruning requirement: needs little pruning to develop a strong structureBreakage: resistantCurrent year twig color: green Planting Leyland cypress trees enjoy both part shade/part sun and full sun- the tree has very forgiving light requirements. The cypress can be planted in many soils. The tree tolerates clay, loam, sand and will grow in both acidic and alkaline soils but still needs to be planted in a well-drained site. It tolerates drought conditions and is salt tolerant. When planting Leyland cypress, remember the trees mature size and fast growth rate. Planting a cypress too close is not recommended. You will be tempted to plant the seedlings too close but ten-foot spacings should be a minimum in most landscapes. Pruning Leyland Cypress is a fast grower and, if not pruned early, can get out of hand as a hedge. In the first year trim back long side shoots at the start of the growing season. Trim sides lightly in late July. The sides can be trimmed the following to year encourage denser growth. Continue to trim the sides each year leaving the leading shoot untouched until the desired height is reached. Topping and regular trimming of the sides should prevent trees from becoming increasingly large. Seiridium Canker Seiridium canker disease, also called coryneum canker is a slow-spreading fungal disease of Leyland cypress. It disfigures and damages trees, particularly in hedges and screens that are heavily pruned. Seiridium canker is usually localized on individual limbs. The limb is usually dry, dead, often discolored, with a sunken or cracked area surrounded by living tissue. You should always destroy diseased plant parts and try to avoid physical damage to plants. Sanitize pruning tools between each cut by dipping in rubbing alcohol or in a solution of chlorine bleach and water. Chemical control has proven to be difficult. Horticulturist Commentary Dr. Mike Dirr says about Leyland Cypress: ...it should be restrained at an early age before pruning becomes impossible. Additional Information Leyland Cypress grows in full sun on a wide range of soils, from acid to alkaline, but looks its best on moderately fertile soil with sufficient moisture. It is surprisingly tolerant of severe pruning, recovering nicely from even severe topping (although this is not recommended), even when half the top is removed. It grows well in clay soil and tolerates poor drainage for a short period of time. It also is very tolerant of salt spray. Some available cultivars include: ‘Castlewellan’, a more compact form with gold-tipped leaves, excellent for hedges in cool climates; ‘Leighton Green’, dense branching with dark green foliage, columnar form; ‘Haggerston Gray’, loose branches, columnarpyramidal, upturned at ends, sage-green color; ‘Naylor’s Blue’, blue-grey foliage, columnar form; ‘Silver Dust’, wide-spreading form with blue-green foliage marked with white variegations. Propagation is by cuttings from side growths.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Answering the US Census Is Required by Law

Answering the US Census Is Required by Law Many people consider the questions from the  U.S. Census Bureau  either too time-consuming or too invasive and fail to respond. But responding to all census questionnaires is required by federal law. While it rarely happens, the Census Bureau can impose fines for failing to answer the census or the American Community Survey or for intentionally providing false information. According to Title 13, Section 221 (Census, Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers) of the United States Code, persons who fail or refuse to respond to the mail-back census form, or refuse to respond to a follow-up census taker, could be fined up to $100. Persons who knowingly provided false information to the census can be fined up to $500. But those fines have significantly increased as of 1984. The Census Bureau points out that under  Section 3571 of Title 18, the fine for refusing to answer a bureau survey can be as much as $5,000, and up to $10,000 for knowingly providing false information. Before imposing a fine, the Census Bureau typically attempts to personally contact and interview persons who fail to respond to census questionnaires. Follow-up Visits In the months following each census- which occurs every 10 years- more than 1.5 million census takers make door-to-door visits to all households that failed to respond to mail-back census questionnaires. The Census worker will assist a member of the household- who must be at least 15-years old- in completing the census survey form. Census workers can be identified by a badge and Census Bureau bag. Privacy Persons concerned about  the privacy of their answers should know that, under federal law, all employees and officials of the Census Bureau are prohibited from sharing a persons personal information with anyone else, including welfare agencies, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, courts, police, and the military. Violation of this law carries penalties of $5,000 in fines and up to five years in prison. American Communities Survey Unlike the census, which is conducted every 10 years (as required by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution), the American Communities Survey (ACS) is now sent annually to more than 3 million U.S. households. Those selected to participate in the ACS first receive a letter in the mail stating, â€Å"In a few days you will receive an American Community Survey questionnaire in the mail.† The letter will go on to state, â€Å"Because you are living in the United States, you are required by law to respond to this survey.† The envelope will boldly remind you that, â€Å"Your response is required by law.† The information requested by the ACS is more extensive and detailed than  the handful of questions on the regular decennial census. The information gathered in the annual ACS focuses mainly on population and housing and is used to update the information gathered by the decennial census. Federal, state and community planners and policymakers find the more recently updated data provided by the ACS more helpful than the often 10-year-old data from the decennial census. The ACS survey includes about 50 questions applying to each person in the household and takes about 40 minutes to complete, according to the Census Bureau, which states: â€Å"Estimates from the ACS contribute to providing an important picture of America, and an accurate response to the ACS questionnaire is important. When used in conjunction with the most recently available decennial census counts, information from the ACS documents how we live as a nation, including our education, housing, jobs, and many other issues.† Online Census While the Government Accountability Office has questioned the cost, the Census Bureau is expected to offer an online response option for the 2020 decennial census. Under this option, people could respond to their census questionnaires by visiting a secure  website. Census officials hope the convenience of the online response option will increase the census response rate, and thus the accuracy of the census. Purpose The census is used to apportion members of the U.S. House of Representatives and for allocating funds for programs to help the needy, elderly, veterans, and more. The statistics also might be used by local governments to decide where infrastructure projects are needed.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Factors that Medium-Sized Companies Need to Think Introducing ERP Research Paper

Factors that Medium-Sized Companies Need to Think Introducing ERP System - Research Paper Example Moreover, it has been found that many organizations that have implemented these systems have failed to materialize these systems set out benefits. In fact many organizations have shown results which are totally against the argument supporting the installation of ERP systems in an organization. Research findings have discovered many variables that are needed for the successful implementation of these systems in an organization. Amongst these variables are: top management support, organizational culture, sound implementation plan, user involvement, and etch. On the technical side, variables which are of prime importance are: sound system architecture, data integrity, system interface and etch. Researchers have also found that for the successful implementation of these systems, the top management of the organization needs to clarify the scope of these systems. This scope should be very clear and free from any kind of ambiguity. The importance of this finding stem from the fact that not every business process can be integrated with the ERP system, and in case an organization is unclear about this fact than there are likely chances that it will try to bring many undue processes into the relevant scope of the ERP project. This behavior or action will keep adding cost to the entire project’s cost, ultimately leading to the project getting over budget. This cost might be so high that it might not justify the value of the benefits derived from these systems. It is therefore of utmost importance that the project team is given a clear scope and vision for the entire project. It is also important that the project team place especial emphasis on the systems architecture, because too much customization of the system may render the system inefficient. It would be better that an organization implementing these systems, tailor its business processes according to the fields of the software. Since these software suits represent the best practices of the industry, therefore it would not be wrong to use these fields rather than tailoring them to correspond to the existing business processes of the organization. SMEs have to carefully consider all the intricacies involved with the implementation of these systems because they do not have the strong capital base to support any mishap encountered during the implementation of these systems. These companies need to be very clear about the objectives they seek to accomplish by installing ERP systems in their operations, because otherwise they would end upon incurring a capital outlay that would be difficult to replenish. INTRODUCTION: In order to respond to the needs of its marketplace, a business must have accurate and updated information about its suppliers, customers, employees, invoices and payment and most importantly about its own products and services. A business needs to organize its work activities which use this information to operate efficiently and enhance the overall performance of the firm. Info rmation systems are the means by which an organization can manage all its vital information and tailor this information in a manner that allows it to make better decisions and improve the execution of their business processes. Information systems are fundamentally aimed at improving the business process of a company. The manner, in which an organization’s work is organized, coordinated and focused to produce a

Friday, November 1, 2019

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 134

Essay Example standards, innovation style, experimentation with drugs, alternative sexualities, interest in eastern religion, and rejection of materialism and claims of national consciousness. Kerounac, one of the ‘beat’ writers allows that it was it was street hustler Harbert Huncke who originally used the phrase ‘beat’ in an earlier discussion with him. ‘beat’ could colloquially mean ‘beaten down’ with the African-American community of the period and had developed from the image ‘beat to his socks’. One of the beat writers however altered the image and the meaning to include the connotations upbeat, beatific and a musical association of being ‘on the beat. John Clellon Holmes writes the article ‘This is the Beat Generation’ in New york Times Magazine in November 16, 1952 which gives several sentiments about the generation culture. The first concern is an eighteen-year old California girl who had been picked up for smoking marijuana and wanted to talk about it. In view of her contention, one of every five people you meet from the beat generation is a user of marijuana and people should leave them alone to do their own things. The writer is also concerned with a girl sentiment in a court courthouse for stealing a car and says that she believed small business to be dead and it intended to become a comfortable cog in the in the largest corporation it could find. The same generation is caught in the uncovering of the first non-virgin club in Illinois. The writer brings out the image of a group that drinks themselves to relaxation and as a way to solve their problems. Their sexuality morals are in question when the author points out that secretary of the beat generation are confused if to sleep with their boyfriends anytime, anywhere or to wait. They drink around and drive off to Detroit on a whim. The author sees the origin of the word ‘beat’ as obscure. To him it implies the feeling of having been used while still raw. He interprets it like some