World Trade Organization (CHINA MEASURES RELATED TO THE EXPORTATION OF Essay

World Trade Organization (CHINA MEASURES RELATED TO THE EXPORTATION OF VARIOUS RAW MATERIALS) - Essay Example This paper provides an in-depth discussion on the compatibility of China’s export strategy at hand, with articles of GATT 1994, examining the exceptions set out in Article XX of GATT 1994 and WTO jurisprudence with regard to Article XX of GATT 1994 (WTO 9). Increased transparency and uniformity with regard to the administration of trade regulations, particularly in terms of export restrictions will effectively counter such disputes in the future. The WTO appellate panel issued its report after examining complaints by the European Union, US and Mexico with regard to China’s exportation of certain raw materials. In essence, the panel’s verdict found China’s export restriction regarding its rare earth metals to be in complete violation of China’s WTO commitments. The WTO dispute centered on four forms of export restrictions that China imposed on the exportation of certain raw materials. The raw materials in question encompassed certain forms of bauxite, magnesium, silicon carbide, yellow phosphorus, zinc, manganese, coke and fluorspar. China is notably the chief producer of all the aforementioned raw materials used in the production of common items, as well as products used in the manufacture of technological appliances. The complaints contended that the imposition of export restrictions create scarcity and cause the prices of raw materials to increase within global markets. This means that Chinaâ₠¬â„¢s export restriction of raw materials primarily produced in the country gave the nation’s domestic industry substantial advantage by means of a sufficient supply, as well as low and highly stable prices for the raw materials in question. This form of restriction is, as a matter of fact, in utter contravention of WTO provisions. After China’s concurrence to the WTO, the country agreed to do away with all export taxes or duties with the exception of several products

See Attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

See Attachment - Essay Example The author has derived solutions from various students in different media such as Facebook and emails. The students talk about their experiences and therefore they can give definite answers about the topic. The most significant convection in the particular text is the mechanic, usage, and the sentence formation. First the author uses quotation marks to highlight the responses are given concerning a particular topic. The author does this to show that the ideas are not his. This helps the reader to understand the topic from first person’s point of view (Mohan 2015). The use of the quotation marks also shows that the writer has followed the formal way of writing whereby it requires one to quote other people’s ideas. The writer could also have used commas to ensure that the reader does not strain while reading. The author has also used commas in complex sentences. The author has also used the first person tone in some of the answers. For instance, in the case whereby in one of the responses the student talks about how he/she used all their savings during the first weeks in school. To establish her credibility, the author uses other people’s arguments. In this case, the writer ensures that the readers get the facts from first person’s experiences. To achieve this, the author derives the answers from various social media such as Facebook and emails. While reading the text one also realizes that the answers are based on first person’s experiences thus giving the text the credibility it deserves. To emphasize on the reliability of the text the author has also ensured that she includes where the fact is from. The author does this by acknowledging the contributor and the place where the answer was posted. In formal writing, it is advisable to ensure that one cites any idea that it is not there’s. The author also uses logos appeal whereby she uses one person’s experience and then generalize it. In

Lukes Three Dimensions of Power

Lukes Three Dimensions of Power Lukes: On Power Power is a term that has seen much discourse and debate. The meaning of the word has been discussed and developed by many people from varying walks of life; academics, philosophers, politicians, and many others. It is a term whose understanding is crucial to how we, as humans, view and live in our social world, as it is a concept that governs our everyday living in several ways; some of which we are not even aware of. Political and social theorist, Steven Lukes, defines power in terms of, what he calls ‘dimensions. These dimensions or faces of power are approaches that can be used to study power relations. Lukes looks at the theory of power in three dimensions of what he calls a â€Å"conceptual analysis† (Lukes, 1974: 9). Lukes puts across an implicit proposition that the level and effectiveness of power in a given institution, can be analysed using these criteria (Lukes, 1974: 10). Lukes three dimensions of power can thus be used to study corporate power; an issue of g rowing concern and discourse space in the contemporary world. The one dimensional view of power proposed by Lukes is commonly known as the ‘pluralist view of power (Lukes, 1974: 11). Dahl, Polsby and Wolfinger are some of the more prominent writers on this approach of looking at power (Lukes, 1974: 11). It is known as the ‘pluralist approach to power because, through it, its proponents sought to show interest groups, in any democratic power structure, compete for power (Lukes, 1974: 11). Dahl differentiates the pluralist view from the elitist by asserting that his ‘intuitive view of power involves not only the possession of, but the exercise of power; comes not only by reputation but also by execution (Lukes, 1974: 12). The argument of the one dimensional view of power asserts that the group/s wielding power can be determined by simply looking at who prevails when there are decisions to be made and there is â€Å"observable direct conflict† (Lukes, 1974: 12). The pluralist approach emphasises the importance of actual ob servable behaviour and hence studies the outcomes of decision making (Lukes, 1974: 25). Such empirical study can be done through first-hand observation by analysis of official second-hand records (Lukes, 1974: 13). Dahl acknowledges that the power wielded by a group may be overt or covert, but the actual culmination of power is seen at the point when decisions are made, especially the decisions on controversial issues that are surrounded by the most conflict (Lukes, 1974: 13). Robert Dahl exemplifies the pluralistic view of power with his analysis of the power structure in New Haven, Connecticut; in the 1950s (Domhoff, 2005). In Dahls view, there were a number of influential groups whose opinions held weight when it came to making and influencing decisions about the city (Domhoff, 2005). His conclusion about the power structure in, New Haven was that no single group held the monopoly on power (Domhoff, 2005). Although there were inequalities within the society, the fact that power was dispersed among different elites with different interests at heart meant that the situation was one of ‘dispersed inequalities; where no one group controlled all of the important resources (Domhoff, 2005). The one dimensional view of power is very simple to grasp and can be observed with relative ease. The theory gives a straightforward way of thinking about â€Å"the behavioural study of decision-making power by political actors† (Lukes, 1974: 57). It would be useful in many cases, especially where pluralist power structures have been established. However, the view fails to observe, in any system, the means by which the political agenda is controlled (Lukes, 1974: 57). In many cases, the exercise of power is more subtle and results from the use of mechanics beyond the scope of the one dimensional view. Lukes two dimensional theory of power is an elitist view theorized by Bachrach and Baratz, as a critique to the one dimensional pluralist view (Lukes, 1974: 16). This two dimensional view acknowledges the observable power of Dahls theory but asserts that power is exercised when issues are arranged specifically so that some are not discussed (Lukes, 1974: 16). By keeping issues of potential conflict off the agenda, observable conflict is completely avoided, but clearly ‘power over is still exercised (Lukes, 1974: 17). The first dimension would only look at the apparently open discussion and the results of conflict over matters actually allowed onto the agenda, but miss the more subtle exercise of power (Lukes, 1974: 19). Bachrach and Baratz also mention the latent power relations that occur in the event of â€Å"non-decisions† (Lukes, 1974: 18). This is when actor ‘B refrains from voicing and issue of interest to him/her, anticipating an unpleasant reaction from act or ‘A (Lukes, 1974: 18). ‘Non-decisions such as this consolidate the dominance of a particular group and help in maintaining the status quo of power relations (Lukes, 1974: 19). The two dimensional view of power thus consists of observable decision making and more subtle non-decision making. Decision making is the selection of one option from a set of alternatives, whereas non-decision making entails suppressing an interest that conflicts with those of decision-maker (Lukes, 1974: 19). In effect Bachrach and Baratz distinguish between potential and actual political issues, thereby drawing a distinct difference from the pluralist view that only looks at the ‘key issues that are actually in the discourse (Lukes, 1974: 20). From this distinction the authors draw the conclusion that behaviourism is false (Lukes, 1974: 20). In other words conclusions about power cannot always be drawn from observable behaviour. The two dimensional view of power recognises this; that the mechanisms of power and the way it operates can go beyond what meets the eye. Power is not only reflected in struggles within a system, but is also present in deciding what can get into the system and what cannot; defining the boundaries of the system (Lukes, 1974: 20). Crensons book The Un-Politics of Air Pollution: A Study of Non-Decision making in the Cities, a good example, of the two dimensional theory, is provided. Lukes asserts that the example also borders on the third dimension of power (Lukes, 1974: 42). The example focuses on two cities in Indiana; Gary and East Chicago. Both cities had similar populations and were facing a similar level and problem of pollution (Lukes, 1974: 42). East Chicago took measures to clean its air in 1949, while Gary only took action in 1962 (Lukes, 1974: 42). Crenson explains that the reason behind Garys inaction was that the citys prosperity was based on the only major industrial company in it; U.S. Steel (Lukes, 1974: 42). The issue was kept out of discourse for so long because of the reputation of U.S. Steel (Lukes, 1974: 43). The company exercised ‘silent power and did not need to act, but it was simply its potential to act that kept policy-makers silent on the issue (Lukes, 1974: 43). The two dimensional view of power is a good critique on the one dimensional view as it aptly points out the flaws of the one dimensional view as it aptly points out the flaws of the one dimensional view, then goes on to set out a theory that holds water better than the first one. It fails, however, to satisfactorily examine the bias and control of power; â€Å"it lacks sociological perspective† that is used to observe the methods by which â€Å"latent conflicts within society† are suppressed (Lukes, 1974: 57). Lukes is not satisfied with the two dimensional view of power as set out by Bachrach and Baratz (Lukes, 1974: 21). He offers three criticisms, which in his opinion, are the shortcomings of this view (Lukes, 1974: 21). From these, Lukes suggests that power can go deeper, into a ‘third dimension. The first criticism, of the two dimensional view, put forward by Lukes is that it, like the one dimensional view, is still too behaviourist (Lukes, 1974: 21). The argument of Bachrach and Baratz implies that the power exercised in the exclusion of information is deliberate; a conscious decision made by the decision-maker (Lukes, 1974: 21). This, however, is not the case. Such selection of issues may merely be the unconscious following of bias within a system and not an intentional attempt at exercising power by any particular group (Lukes, 1974: 22). The exclusion of certain issues from an agenda may also result from the norms of a particular society due to the prevailing modes of thought in the time and place in question (Lukes, 1974: 22). For example, before the twentieth century, women were generally viewed as naturally subordinate to men, thus issues of empowering women would not be seen as issues meriting consideration or attention. Lukes second criticism of the two dimensional of power argues that the theory still refers to the potential of conflict (Lukes, 1974: 23). The theory asserts that if people were made aware of the exclusion of certain matters, of interest to them, and the agenda they would react in order to protect their rights (Lukes, 1974: 23). Contrary to Bachrach and Baratzs theory, the ‘air-pollution example showed that the decision makers, who had the interests of the people in mind, knew all of the relevant facts pertaining to the situation; however, they still took no action against U.S. Steel (Lukes, 1974: 43). This shows that power can act in a further ‘dimension and take an even more insidious form. The third criticism Lukes has, of the two dimensional view of power, is that when it analyses if power has been exercised or not, it looks only at the subjective interests, policy preferences and grievances that are overridden (Lukes, 1974: 24). The view holds that if the observer can find no grievances there is the assumption that there is ‘genuine consensus on the issue at hand (Lukes, 1974: 24). The view, however, does not consider the possibility of a group having preferences that do not necessarily include all of its real interest (Lukes, 1974: 24). For example, in 2009 the number of American workers in trade unions was 12.3% and only 7.2% in the private sector (White, 2010). The ‘peak in the private sector was 30% in 1958 (White, 2010). Trade unions can organise and empower workers if they have significant membership and worker support. It is a real interest for workers to be involved in them, but partly due to the historical linking of trade unions with communism a nd partly due to other factors, few American workers choose to exercise their rights to join trade unions (White, 2010). Lukes sets out his own idea of how the most effective forms of power operate. He calls it three dimensional power (Lukes, 1974: 23). Lukes asserts that this form of power, to operate effectively, requires an acceptance of the status quo because of an accepted underlying ideology (Lukes, 1974: 23). Those who hold power within the system will be accepted by the people, due to the peoples belief in the system (Lukes, 1974: 23). In such a situation the preferences of the people can be manipulated to fall into line with the agenda of the rulers (Lukes, 1974: 23). Lukes calls his three dimensional view the â€Å"supreme and most insidious exercise of power† as it allows rulers to shape the preferences and perception of the masses as well as prevent them from having grievances (Lukes, 1974: 23). This is because, as Lukes argues, the people will â€Å"see or imagine no alternative† to the existing order â€Å"or because they see it as natural and unchangeable, or because they value it as divinely ordained and beneficial† (Lukes, 1974: 23). Three dimensional power works by means of a mechanism called adaptive policy formation (Barber, 2007). This refers to a human reaction of reconciling oneself to ones misery, or altering ones attitude to console oneself in difficult circumstances (Barber, 2007). In embracing a particular system, people accept its consequences and thus resort to cognitive dissonance reduction as a functional means of dealing with oppression (Barber, 2007). It is, however, ironic to note that the worse off a people are, the less they demand (Barber, 2007). Rather than acting in favour of their interests, they accept repression and adapt to oppressive conditions. An example of three dimensional power at play is Sen and Nussbaums analysis of Bengal, where of the millions affected by the post 1944 famine, it was primarily men who reported to relief centres for aid, despite both sexes being similarly affected (Sen, 2008). In accepting their ‘place, of having limited rights in society, the women were n ot prepared to step forward and claim their rights to healthcare (Sen, 2008). Three dimensional power is the most supreme form of power as it gives rulers almost totalitarian power over the masses (Lukes, 1974: 23). Steven Lukes provides three theories of power and evaluates them, and at the same time building on their scope and complexity. His third dimension of power does a good job of exploring and explaining the mechanisms behind complex and entrenched power. The other two dimensions account for weaker forms of power that can be exercised. Lukes third dimension of power can be applied in explaining corporate power in the modern world. Corporate power is built on an unquestioned and accepted ideology, founded on the premise that it is the natural way of being of as Margaret Thatcher voiced out, â€Å"There is no alternative†. Acceptance of the free market ideology inevitably means acceptance of its consequences; the status quo of our world today. Lukes theory also helps us to explain why despite the destruction that is done to the planet, and the disregard for humanity, that characterises the system, it has survived and still thrives. Lukes, then, very aptly describes this form of powe r as both â€Å"insidious† and â€Å"supreme† (Lukes, 1974: 23). Bibliography S. Lukes, 1974, Power: A Radical View ed.1, Macmillan: London. H. E. Barber, â€Å"Social Theory and Practice†, 2007, at http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-160421643.html. G. W. Domhoff, â€Å"Who Really Ruled in Dahls New Haven?† 2005, at http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/local/new_haven.html. A. Sen, â€Å"Gender and Hunger Issues and Misconceptions†, 2010, at http://athome.harvard.edu/food/4.html. J. White, â€Å"US trade union membership at lowest level in more than a century†, 2010, at http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/feb2010/unio-f03.shtml.

Silencing the Left in Modern America Essay -- Essays Papers

Silencing the Left in Modern America â€Å"Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.† -- Natalie Maines on tour in England The crowd erupted in cheers. Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks band had just excited two thousand fans in a small London club with her anti-Bush statement, only one week before American forces entered Iraq. The Dixie Chicks finished their concert riding the high of their audience’s support. Little did they know the trouble these fifteen words would cause. When Maines and the other Dixie Chicks, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, returned to their hotel in London later that week, their manager received a call informing them that the Associated Press found out what they had said. Their manager consoled them, â€Å"†¦don’t worry. It’s going to blow over in three days.† But it didn’t. Unwittingly, the Dixie Chicks found themselves in a maelstrom of angry political and social debate. Their country music fan base, predominantly conservative Americans, felt alienated by their statement. Opposition came in many forms: on the Internet, on the radio waves, on television, from individuals, and from corporations. The size and nature of the hostility to the Dixie Chicks and other celebrities is unprecedented. The boycotts, censorship, and threats all point to an alarming new trend arising from the latest war in Iraq. During the 1950s, Americans held a deep-seated fear that all that they had fought for in World War II – namely, the freedom of the world from fascists – was being lost to the worldwide communist revolution. As a result, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was reestablished to monitor the behavior of radicals dangerous to the nation. Mostly us... ...john_lennon.html>. 15 November 2004. Kot, Greg. â€Å"Musicians’ protests of Iraq War create conflicts within industry.† Columbia Daily Tribune 30 March 2003 . Krugman, Paul. â€Å"Dixie Chicks and Clear Channel Communications†. New York Times. 26 March 2003. Lee, Zach. â€Å"Sticks and stones vs. opinions.† The Daily Cougar. Volume 68, Issue 124. 2 April 2003. Maguire, Martie, Natalie Maines, and Emily Robison. Interview with Diane Sawyer. Primetime Thursday. ABC. New York. 24 April 2003. â€Å"The Dixie Chicks Come Clean.† Entertainment. May 2003. â€Å"What Music Stars Are Saying About The War In Iraq.† Radio One Global . 26 November 2004. Wiener, John. Gimme Some Truth: The John Lennon F.B.I. Files. The University of California Press, Berkeley: 1999.

Poem: “Mr. Bleaney” by Philip Larkin Essay

The poem Mr Bleaney has three characters: Mr Bleaney; the house owner; and the new tenant, but centres around the life of one character, Mr Bleaney. The poem focuses on the house in which Mr Bleaney had a rented room for a number of years, until he moved out, or perhaps died. A new tenant is introduced to the vacated room, and he decides to stay. From the description of his old room and its contents, we are able to paint a picture of Mr Bleaney’s monotonous existence and lifestyle. There is great irony in that he fails to realise that by wanting to live in the marked room of Mr Bleaney, and by acquiring his habits, he is in fact a replica of the figure he contemplates and condemns; although in the last two stanzas there is a suggested subconscious dread that he is following in the same footsteps as Mr Bleaney. ‘Mr Bleaney’ has seven stanzas, each with four lines, formed with an alternate rhyming scheme. It is written in iambic pentameters. The very name Bleaney immediately gives a feel of dull blandness, of dreariness and a lack of energy, spirit, colour and light. A Mr Bleaney would perhaps then be a sad, hopeless man, whose boring life is almost a non-event. We never actually get to meet Mr Bleaney in the poem, but we get to learn a lot about him and are left at the end with the feeling that we have. It says in the poem, â€Å"How we live measures our nature,† and if this is true, then Mr Bleaney certainly deserves his name. The poem centres on a description of the room to let, where Mr Bleaney lived for a number of years. The room has Mr Bleaney stamped all over it: his few possessions (a souvenir plate and ashtray), still litter what little space there is. Alliteration adds to the blandness of the room he lived in, with the phrase â€Å"same saucer-souvenir,† which is effective as it emphasises the blandness and flatness in the room. It has no lampshade nor curtain hook; curtains too short; furnished minimally with merely a bed and upright chair, leaving no place to relax nor put belongings or ornaments; there is no colour, leaving the room void of character and personality. Even the view from the window depicts a barren, derelict and littered building site. This incredibly sad and simple abode would suggest a life of poverty. Line two in  stanza one mentions â€Å"the Bodies,† which is probably a workplace, but connects effectively with the ambiguous phrase one line later: â€Å"Till they moved him,† which could mean that he either got the sack, or died. (hence the connection with ‘Bodies’.) This kind of deliberately mysterious phrasing, which makes you stop and think, adds immensely to the atmosphere. The third stanza begins with another statement describing the basic standard of the room: â€Å"No room for books or bags,† which is immediately contrasted by the new tenant accepting the lease, on the next line. It is now that the new tenant takes over the commentary. In the first stanza it was the house owner who was speaking, and the second stanza was devoted to describing the room. We now learn that Mr Bleaney was a lonely man. He probably lay on his bed most of the day and smoked, just as the new tenant is doing. He gardened, given away by the landlady as she hints for the new tenant to do likewise: â€Å"Mr Bleaney took my bit of garden properly in hand;† he stayed at home a lot, enough to become sufficiently annoyed to get the landlady to buy a radio, so she would leave him alone; he gambled: â€Å"He kept on plugging at the four-aways;† he had a monotonous life, his holidays being annual visits to Frinton and Stoke, not the most exciting places on earth. Mr Bleaney had for sure a dull life, set rigid year in year out: â€Å"Likewise the yearly frame.† From now on, after he moved in, the new tenant devotes his time to finding out about Mr Bleaney, and describing the character who emerges with a critical eye. He looks down the end of his nose at him, mocks his lifestyle and finds a sense of achievement in having deduced so much about him. The irony is immense; we can see this new tenant identifying with Mr Bleaney by adopting the same lifestyle as he: Living in the same abode; stubbing his: â€Å"Fags on the same saucer-souvenir,† (alliterated for the emphasis of monotony,) and actually becoming another Mr Bleaney. And we can stand by and watch the new tenant judge and condemn the very man he is becoming. It is almost hypocritical. In the penultimate stanza, nature is used as a comparison to Mr Bleaney, and ultimately, the new tenant too. Words such as frigid and fusty give an air of restraint and stiffness, and maybe impotence and lack of self belief. Personifying such words builds up a character who is dull, flat, uninspired and pathetic. It fits Mr Bleaney perfectly. The last stanza bears the moral from Philip Larkin, stating that what we do with our lives reflects our character: â€Å"How we live measures our own nature.† Also, the mysteriousness surrounding the disappearance of Mr Bleaney is dredged up again, with the ambiguous â€Å"Hired box,† – meaning either the rented room, or a coffin. At the very end a non committal â€Å"I don’t know.† reminds us of the fact that the new tenant is merely presuming, and that contrary to what it seems, we don’t know Mr Bleaney after all.

A Dirty Job Chapter 25

25 THE RHYTHM OF LOST AND FOUND The Emperor was camped in some bushes near an open culvert that drained into Lobos Creek in the Presidio, the land point on the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate where forts had stood from the time of the Spanish, but had recently been turned into a park. The Emperor had wandered the city for days, calling into storm drains, following the sound of his lost soldier's barking. The faithful retriever Lazarus had led him here, one of the few drains in the city where the Boston terrier might be able to exit without being washed into the Bay. They camped under a camouflage poncho and waited. Mercifully, it hadn't rained since Bummer had chased the squirrel into the storm sewer, but dark clouds had been bubbling over the City for two days now, and whether or not they were bringing rain, they made the Emperor fear for his city. â€Å"Ah, Lazarus,† said the Emperor, scratching his charge behind the ears, â€Å"if we had even half the courage of our small comrade, we would go into that drain and find him. But what are we without him, our courage, our valor? Steady and righteous we may be, my friend, but without courage to risk ourselves for our brother, we are but politicians – blustering whores to rhetoric.† Lazarus growled low and hunkered back under the poncho. The sun had just set, but the Emperor could see movement back in the culvert. As he climbed to his feet, the six-foot pipe was filled with a creature that crawled out and virtually unfolded in the creekbed – a huge, bullheaded thing, with eyes that glowed green and wings that unfurled like leathery umbrellas. As they watched the creature took three steps and leapt into the twilight sky, his wings beating like the sails of a death ship. The Emperor shuddered, and considered for a moment moving their camp into the City proper, perhaps passing the night on Market Street, with people and policemen streaming by, but then he heard the faintest barking coming from deep in the culvert. Audrey was showing them around the Buddhist center, which, except for the office in the front, and a living room that had been turned into a meditation room, looked very much like any other sprawling Victorian home. Austere and Oriental in its decor, yes, and perhaps the smell of incense permeating it, but still, just a big old house. â€Å"It's just a big old house, really,† she said, leading them into the kitchen. Minty Fresh was making Audrey feel a little uncomfortable. He kept picking at bits of duct-tape adhesive that had stuck to the sleeve of his green jacket, and giving Audrey a look like he was saying, This better come out when it's dry-cleaned or it's your ass. His size alone was intimidating, but now a series of large knots were rising on his forehead where he'd smacked the doorway, and he looked vaguely like a Klingon warrior, except for the pastel-green suit, of course. Maybe the agent for a Klingon warrior. â€Å"So,† he said, â€Å"if the squirrel people thought I was a bad guy, why did they save me from the sewer harpy in the train last week? They attacked her and gave me time to get away.† Audrey shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. They were supposed to just watch you and report back. They must have seen that what was after you was much worse than you. They are human, at heart, you know.† She paused in front of the pantry door and turned to them. She hadn't seen the debacle in the street, but Esther had been watching through the window and had told her what had happened – about the womanlike creatures that had been coming after Charlie. Evidently these strange men were allies of a sort, practicing what she had taken on as her holy work: helping souls to move to their next existence. But the method? Could she trust them? â€Å"So, from what you guys are saying, there are thousands of humans walking around without souls?† â€Å"Millions, probably,† Charlie said. â€Å"Maybe that explains the last election,† she said, trying to buy time. â€Å"You said you could see if people had one,† said Minty Fresh. He was right, but she'd seen the soulless and never thought about their sheer numbers, and what happened when the dead didn't match with the born. She shook her head. â€Å"So the transfer of souls depends on material acquisition? That's just so – I don't know – sleazy.† â€Å"Audrey, believe me,† Charlie said, â€Å"we're both as baffled by the mechanics of it as you are, and we're instruments of it.† She looked at Charlie, really looked at him. He was telling the truth. He had come here to do the right thing. She threw open the pantry door and the red light spilled out on them. The pantry was nearly as big as a modern bedroom, and every shelf from floor to ceiling and most of the floor space was covered with glowing soul vessels. â€Å"Jeez,† Charlie said. â€Å"I got as many as I could – or, the squirrel people did.† Minty Fresh ducked into the pantry and stood in front of a shelf full of CDs and records. He grabbed a handful and started shuffling through them, then turned to her, holding up a half-dozen CD cases fanned out. â€Å"These are from my store.† â€Å"Yes. We got all of them,† Audrey said. â€Å"You broke into my store.† â€Å"She kept them from the bad guys, Minty,† Charlie said, stepping in the pantry. â€Å"She probably saved them, maybe saved us.† â€Å"No way, man, none of this would be happening if it wasn't for her.† â€Å"No, it was always going to happen. I saw it in the other Great Big Book, in Arizona.† â€Å"I was just trying to help them,† Audrey said. Charlie was staring at the CDs in Minty's hand. He seemed to have fallen into some sort of trance, and reached out and took the CDs as if he were moving through some thick liquid – then shuffled away all but one, which he just stared at, then flipped over to look at the back. He sat down hard in the pantry and Audrey caught his head to keep him from bumping it on the shelf behind him. â€Å"Charlie,† she said. â€Å"Are you okay?† Minty Fresh squatted down next to Charlie and looked at the CD – reached for it, but Charlie pulled it away. Minty looked at Audrey. â€Å"It's his wife,† he said. Audrey could see the name Rachel Asher scratched into the back of the CD case and she felt her heart breaking for poor Charlie. She put her arms around him. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Charlie. I'm so sorry.† Tears splattered on the CD case and Charlie wouldn't look up. Minty Fresh stood and cleared his throat, his face clear of any rage or accusation. He seemed almost ashamed. â€Å"Audrey, I've been driving around the City for days, I could sure use a place to lie down if you have it.† She nodded, her face against Charlie's back. â€Å"Ask Esther, she'll show you.† Minty Fresh ducked out of the pantry. Audrey held Charlie and rocked him for a long time, and even though he was lost in the world of that CD that held the love of his life, and she was outside, crouched in a pantry that glowed red with cosmic bric-a-brac, she cried with him. After an hour passed, or maybe it was three, because that's the way time is in grief and love, Charlie turned to her and said, â€Å"Do I have a soul?† â€Å"What?† she said. â€Å"You said you could see people's souls glowing in them – do I have a soul?† â€Å"Yes, Charlie. Yes, you have a soul.† He nodded, turning away from her again, but pushing back against her. â€Å"You want it?† he said. â€Å"Nah, I'm good,† she said. But she wasn't. She took the CD out of his hand, pried his hands off of it, really, and put it with the others. â€Å"Let's let Rachel rest and go in the other room.† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said. He let her help him up. Upstairs, in a little room with cushions all over the floor and pictures of the Buddha reclining amid lotuses, they sat and talked by candlelight. They'd shared their histories, of how they had come to be where they were, what they were, and with that out of the way, they talked about their losses. â€Å"I've seen it again and again,† Charlie said. â€Å"More with men than with women, but definitely with both – a wife or husband dies, and it's like the survivor is roped to him like a mountain climber who's fallen into a crevasse. If the survivor can't let go – cut them loose, I guess – the dead will drag them right into the grave. I think that would have happened to me, if it wasn't for Sophie, and maybe even becoming a Death Merchant. There was something bigger than me going on, something bigger than my pain. That's the only reason I made it this far.† â€Å"Faith,† Audrey said. â€Å"Whatever that is. It's funny, when Esther came to me, she was angry. Dying and angry – she said that she'd believed in Jesus all her life, now she was dying and He said she was going to live forever.† â€Å"So you told her, ‘Sucks to be you, Esther.'† Audrey threw a cushion at him. She liked the way that he could find the silliness in such dark territory. â€Å"No, I told her that He told her that she'd live forever, but He didn't say how. Her faith hadn't been betrayed at all, she just needed to open to a broader understanding.† â€Å"Which was total bullshit,† Charlie said. Another cushion bounced off his forehead. â€Å"No, it wasn't moo-poo. If anyone should understand the significance of the book not covering everything in detail, it should be you – us.† â€Å"You can't say ‘bullshit,' can you?† Audrey felt herself blush and was glad they were in the dim orange candlelight. â€Å"I'm talking faith, over here, you want to give me a break?† â€Å"Sorry. I know – or, I think I know what you mean. I mean, I know that there's some sort of order to all this, but I don't know how someone can reconcile, say, a Catholic upbringing with a Tibetan Book of the Dead, with a Great Big Book of Death, secondhand dealers selling objects with human souls, and vicious raven women in the sewers. The more I know, the less I understand. I'm just doing.† â€Å"Well, the Bardo Thodrol talks about hundreds of monsters you will encounter as your consciousness makes its journey into death and rebirth, but you're instructed to ignore them, as they are illusions, your own fears trying to keep your consciousness from moving on. They can't really harm you.† â€Å"I think this may be something they left out of the book, Audrey, because I've seen them, I've fought with them, wrenched souls out of their grasp, watched them take bullets and get hit by cars and keep going – they are definitely not illusions and they definitely can hurt you. The Great Big Book isn't clear about the specifics, but it definitely talks about the Forces of Darkness trying to take over our world, and how the Luminatus will rise and do battle with them.† â€Å"Luminatus?† Audrey said. â€Å"Something to do with light?† â€Å"The big Death,† Charlie said. â€Å"Death with a capital D. Sort of the Kahuna, the Big Cheese, the Boss Death. Like Minty and the other Death Merchants would be Santa's helpers, the Luminatus would be Santa.† â€Å"Santa Claus is the big Death?!† Audrey said, wide-eyed. â€Å"No, that's just an example – † Charlie saw she was trying not to laugh. â€Å"Hey, I've been bruised and electrocuted and tied up and traumatized tonight.† â€Å"So my seduction strategy is working?† Audrey grinned. Charlie was flustered. â€Å"I didn't – I wasn't – was I staring at your breasts? Because if I was, it was totally by accident, because, you know – there they were, and – â€Å" â€Å"Shh.† She reached over and put her finger on his lips to shush him. â€Å"Charlie, I feel very close to you right now, and very connected to you right now, and I want to keep that connection going, but I'm exhausted, and I don't think I can talk anymore. I think I'd like you to come to bed with me.† â€Å"Really? Are you sure?† â€Å"Am I sure? I haven't had sex in fourteen years – and if you'd asked me yesterday, I'd have told you that I'd rather face one of your raven monsters than go to bed with a man, but now I'm here, with you, and I'm as sure as I've ever been of anything.† She smiled, then looked away. â€Å"I mean, if you are.† Charlie took her hand. â€Å"Yeah,† he said. â€Å"But I was going to tell you something important.† â€Å"Can't it wait till morning?† â€Å"Sure.† They spent the night in each other's arms, and whatever fears or insecurities they had been feeling turned out to be illusions. Loneliness evaporated off of them like the steam off dry ice, and by morning it was just a cloud on the ceiling of the room, then gone with the light. During the night someone had picked up the dining-room table and cleaned up the mess Minty Fresh had made when he crashed through the kitchen door. He was sitting at the table when Charlie came down. â€Å"They towed my car,† said Minty Fresh. â€Å"There's coffee.† â€Å"Thanks.† Charlie skipped across the dining room to the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down with Minty. â€Å"How's your head?† The big man touched the purple bruise on his forehead. â€Å"Better. How're you doing?† â€Å"I accidentally shagged a monk last night.† â€Å"Sometimes, in times of crisis, that shit cannot be avoided. How are you doing besides that?† â€Å"I feel wonderful.† â€Å"Yeah, imagine the rest of us all bummed about the end of the world, not being cheerful.† â€Å"Not the end of the world, just darkness over everything,† Charlie cheerfully said. â€Å"It gets dark – turn on a light.† â€Å"Good for you, Charlie. Now ‘scuse me, I got to go get my car out of impound before you start with the whole ‘if life gives you lemons you make lemonade' speech and I have to beat you senseless.† (It's true, there is little more obnoxious than a Beta Male in love. So conditioned is he to the idea that he will never find love, that when he does, he feels as if the entire world has fallen into step with his desires – and thus deluded, he may act accordingly. It's a time of great joy and danger for him.) â€Å"Wait, we can share a cab. I have to go home and get my date book.† â€Å"Me, too. I left mine on the front seat of the car. You know those two clients I missed – they're here. Alive.† â€Å"Audrey told me,† Charlie said. â€Å"There's six of them altogether. She did that p'howa of undying thing on them. Obviously that's what's been causing the cosmic shit storm, but what can we do? We can't kill them.† â€Å"No, I think it's what you said. The battle is going to happen here in San Francisco and it's going to happen now. And since you're the Luminatus, I guess this whole thing is riding on your shoulders. So I'd say we're doomed.† â€Å"Maybe not. I mean, every time they've almost gotten me, something or someone has intervened to pull out a victory. I think destiny is on our side. I feel very optimistic about this.† â€Å"That's just because you just shagged the monk,† said Minty. â€Å"I'm not a monk,† said Audrey, bounding into the room with a sheaf of papers in hand. â€Å"Oh, shit,† said the Death Merchants in unison. â€Å"No, it's okay,† Audrey said. â€Å"He did shag me, or, I think more appropriately – we shagged – but I'm not a monk anymore. Not because of the shagging, you know, it was a preshag decision.† She threw her papers on the table and climbed into Charlie's lap. â€Å"Hey, good-looking, how's your morning going?† She gave him a backbreaking kiss and entwined him like a starfish trying to open an oyster until Minty Fresh cleared his throat and she turned to him. â€Å"And good morning to you, Mr. Fresh.† â€Å"Yes. Thank you.† Minty leaned to the side so he could see Charlie. â€Å"Whether they were here for you, or for our clients who didn't die, they'll be back, you know that?† â€Å"The Morrigan?† said Audrey. â€Å"Huh,† said the Death Merchants, again in chorus. â€Å"You guys are so cute,† Audrey gushed. â€Å"They're called the Morrigan. Raven women – personifications of death in the form of beautiful warrior women who can change into birds. There are three of them, all part of the same collective queen of the Underworld known as the Morrigan.† Charlie leaned back from her so he could look her in the eye. â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"I just looked it up on the Internet.† Audrey climbed out of Charlie's lap, picked up the papers on the table, and began to read. â€Å"‘The Morrigan consists of three distinct entities: Macha, who haunts the battlefield, and takes heads of warriors as tribute in battle – she is said to be able to heal a warrior from mortal wounds in the field, if his men have offered enough heads to her. The Celtic warriors called the severed heads Macha's acorns. She is considered the mother goddess of the three. Babd is rage, the passion of battle and killing – she was said to collect the seed of fallen warriors, and use its power to inspire a sexual frenzy for battle, a literal bloodlust. And Nemain, who is frenzy, was said to drive soldiers into battle with a howl so fierce that it could cause enemy soldiers to die of fright – her claws were venomous and the mere prick of one would kill a soldier, but she would fling the venom into the eyes of enemy soldie rs to blind them.'† â€Å"That's them,† said Minty Fresh. â€Å"I saw venom come from the claws of the one on the BART.† â€Å"Yeah,† Charlie said, â€Å"and I think I remember Babd – the bloodlust one. That's them. I have to talk to Lily. I sent her to Berkeley to find out about them, but she came back with nothing. She must have not even looked.† â€Å"Yeah, ask her if she's seeing anybody,† Minty Fresh said. To Audrey: â€Å"Did it say how you kill them? What their weaknesses are?† Audrey shook her head. â€Å"Just that warriors took dogs into battle to protect against the Morrigan.† â€Å"Dogs,† Charlie echoed. â€Å"That explains why my daughter got the hellhounds to protect her. I'm telling you, Fresh, we're going to be okay. Destiny is on our side.† â€Å"Yeah, you said that. Call us a cab.† â€Å"I wonder why of all the different gods and demons in the Underworld, the Celtic ones are here.† â€Å"Maybe they're all here,† Minty said. â€Å"I had a crazy Indian tell me once that I was the son of Anubis, the Egyptian jackal-headed god of the dead.† â€Å"That's great!† Charlie said. â€Å"A jackal – that's a type of dog. You have natural abilities to battle the Morrigan, see.† Minty looked at Audrey. â€Å"If you don't do something to disappoint him and mellow his ass out, I'm going to shoot him.† â€Å"Oh yeah,† Charlie said. â€Å"Can I still borrow one of your big guns?† Minty unfolded to his feet. â€Å"I'm going outside to call a cab and wait, Charlie. If you're coming, you better start saying good-bye now, because I'm leaving when it gets here.† â€Å"Swell,† Charlie said, looking adoringly at Audrey. â€Å"I think we're safe in the daylight anyway.† â€Å"Monk shagger,† Minty growled as he ducked under the doorway. Auntie Cassie let Charlie into their small home in the Marina district and Sophie called off the greeting hump of devil dogs almost as soon as it started. â€Å"Daddy!† Charlie swept Sophie up in his arms and squeezed her until she started to change color; then, when Jane came out of the kitchen, he grabbed her in his other arm and hugged her as well. â€Å"Uh, let go,† Jane said, pushing him away. â€Å"You smell like incense.† â€Å"Oh, Jane, I can't believe it, she's so wonderful.† â€Å"He got laid,† Cassandra said. â€Å"You got laid?† Jane said, kissing her brother on the cheek. â€Å"I'm so happy for you. Now let me go.† â€Å"Daddy got laid,† Sophie said to the hellhounds, who seemed very happy at hearing the news. â€Å"No, not laid,† Charlie said, and there was a collective sigh of disappointment. â€Å"Well, yes, laid,† and there was a collective sigh of relief, â€Å"but that's not the thing. The thing is she's wonderful. She's gorgeous, and kind, and sweet, and – â€Å" â€Å"Charlie,† Jane interrupted, â€Å"you called us and told us that there was some great danger and we had to go get Sophie and protect her, and you were going on a date?† â€Å"No, no, there was – is danger, at least in the dark, and I did need you to get Sophie, but I met someone.† â€Å"Daddy got laid!† Sophie cheered again. â€Å"Honey, we don't say that, okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"Auntie Jane and Auntie Cassie shouldn't say that either. It's not nice.† â€Å"Like ‘kitty' and ‘not in the butt'?† â€Å"Exactly, honey.† â€Å"Okay, Daddy. So it wasn't nice?† â€Å"Daddy has to go to our house and get his date book, pumpkin, we'll talk about this later. Give me a kiss.† Sophie gave him a huge hug and a kiss and Charlie thought that he might cry. For so long she had been his only future, his only joy, and now he had this other joy, and he wanted to share it with her. â€Å"I'll come right back, okay?† â€Å"Okay. Let me down.† Charlie let her slide to the floor and she ran off to another part of the house. â€Å"So it wasn't nice?† Jane asked. â€Å"I'm sorry, Jane. This is really crazy. I hate that I put you guys in the middle of it. I didn't mean to scare you.† Jane thumped him in the arm. â€Å"So it was nice?† â€Å"It was really nice,† Charlie said, breaking into a grin. â€Å"She's really nice. She's so nice I miss Mom.† â€Å"Lost me,† Cassandra said. â€Å"Because I'd like Mom to see that I'm doing okay. That I met someone who's good for me. Who's going to be good for Sophie.† â€Å"Whoa, don't jump the gun, there, tiger,† Jane said. â€Å"You just met this woman, you need to slow down – and remember, this comes from someone whose typical second date is moving a woman in.† â€Å"Slut,† Cassie murmured. â€Å"I mean it, Jane. She's amazing.† Cassie looked at Jane. â€Å"You were right, he really did need to get laid.† â€Å"That's not it!† Charlie's cell rang. â€Å"Excuse me, guys.† He flipped it open. â€Å"Asher, what the hell have you done?† It was Lily. She was crying. â€Å"What the hell have you let loose?† â€Å"What, Lily? What?† â€Å"It was just here. The front window of the shop is gone. Gone! It just came in, ripped through the shop, and took all of your soul thingies. Loaded them into a bag and flew away. Fuck, Asher. I mean FUCK! This thing was huge, and fucking hideous.† â€Å"Yeah, Lily, are you okay? Is Ray okay?† â€Å"Yeah, I'm okay. Ray didn't come in. I ran into the back when it came through the window. It wasn't interested in anything but that shelf. Asher, it was as big as a bull and it fucking flew!† She sounded like she was on the edge of hysteria. â€Å"Hold on, Lily. Stay there and I'll come to you. Go in the back room and don't open the door until you hear me, okay.† â€Å"Asher, what the fuck was that thing?† â€Å"I don't know, Lily.† The bullheaded Death flew into the culvert and immediately fell to all fours to move through the pipe, dragging the bag of souls behind him. Not for much longer – he would not crawl much longer. The time had come, Orcus could feel it. He could feel them converging on the City – the City where he had staked his territory so many years ago – his city. Still, they would come, and they would try to take what was rightfully his. All of the old gods of death: Yama and Anubis and Mors, Thanatos and Charon and Mahakala, Azrael and Emma-O and Ahkoh, Balor, Erebos, and Nyx – dozens of them, gods born of the energy of Man's greatest fear, the fear of death – all of them coming to rise as the leader of darkness and the dead, as the Luminatus. But he had come here first, and with Morrigan, he would become the one. But first he had to marshal his forces, heal the Morrigan, and take down the wretched human soul stealers of the City. The satchel of souls would go a long way toward healing his brides. He marched into the grotto where the great ship was moored and leapt into the air, the beat of his great leathery wings like a war drum, echoing off the grotto walls and sending bats to the wing, swirling around the ship's masts in great clouds. The Morrigan, torn and broken, were waiting for him on the deck. â€Å"What did I tell you?† Babd said. â€Å"It's really not that great Above, huh? I, for one, could do without cars altogether.† Jane drove while Charlie fired out phone calls on his cell, first to Rivera, then to Minty Fresh. Within a half an hour they were all standing in Charlie's store, or the wreckage that had been Charlie's store, and uniformed policemen had taped off the sidewalk until someone could get the glass swept up. â€Å"The tourists have to love this,† Nick Cavuto said, gnawing an unlit cigar. â€Å"Right on the cable-car line. Perfect.† Rivera was sitting in the back room interviewing Lily while Charlie, Jane, and Cassandra tried to sort through the mess and put things back on their shelves. Minty Fresh stood by the front door, wearing shades, looking entirely too cool for the destruction that lay strewn around him. Sophie was content to sit in the corner and feed shoes to Alvin and Mohammed. â€Å"So,† Cavuto said to Charlie, â€Å"some kind of flying monster came through your window and you thought this would be a good place to bring your kid?† Charlie turned to the big cop and leaned on the counter. â€Å"Tell me, Detective, in your professional opinion, what procedure should I use in dealing with robbery by a flying monster? What the fuck is the SFPD giant-fucking-flying-monster protocol, Detective?† Cavuto stood staring at Charlie as if he'd had water thrown in his face, not really angry, just very surprised. Finally, he grinned around his cigar, and said, â€Å"Mr. Asher, I am going to go outside and smoke, call in to the dispatcher, and have her look that particular protocol up. You have stumped me. Would you tell my partner where I've gone?† â€Å"I'll do that,† Charlie said. He went into the office with Lily and Rivera and said, â€Å"Rivera, can I get some police protection here at my apartment – officers with shotguns?† Rivera nodded, patting Lily on the hand as he looked away. â€Å"I can give you two, Charlie, but not for longer than twenty-four hours. You sure you don't want to get out of town?† â€Å"Upstairs we have the security bars and steel doors, we have the hellhounds and Minty Fresh's weapons, and besides, they've already been here. I have a feeling they got what they came for, but the cops would make me feel better.† Lily looked at Charlie. She was in total mascara meltdown and had smudged her lipstick halfway across her face. â€Å"I'm sorry, I thought I would handle it better than this. It was so scary. It wasn't mysterious and cool, it was horrible. The eyes and the teeth – I peed, Asher. I'm sorry.† â€Å"Don't be sorry, kid. You did fine. I'm glad you had the sense to get out of its way.† â€Å"Asher, if you're the Luminatus, that thing must be your competition.† â€Å"What? What is that?† Rivera said. â€Å"It's her weird Gothy stuff, Inspector. Don't worry about it,† Charlie said. He looked through to the door and saw Minty Fresh standing at the front of the shop, looking at him, shrugging, as if saying, Well? So Charlie asked: â€Å"Hey, Lily, are you seeing anyone?† Lily wiped her nose on the sleeve of her chef ‘s coat. â€Å"Look, Asher – I, uh – I'm going to have to withdraw that offer I made you. I mean, after Ray, I'm not sure I really ever want to do that again. Ever.† â€Å"I wasn't asking for me, Lily.† Charlie nodded toward the towering Fresh. â€Å"Oh,† Lily said, following his gaze, now wiping her eyes with her sleeves. â€Å"Oh. Fuck. Cover for me, I've got to regroup.† She dashed into the employee washroom and slammed the door. Rivera looked at Charlie. â€Å"What the hell is going on here?† Charlie was going to try to come up with some kind of answer when his cell phone rang and he held up his finger to pause time. â€Å"Charlie Asher,† he said. â€Å"Charlie, it's Audrey,† came the whispered voice. â€Å"They're here, right now. The Morrigan are here.†

Sediment Is a Major Water Pollutant

Sediment Is a Major Water Pollutant According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one of the three major sources of water pollution in streams and rivers is sediment. What Is Sediment? Sediment is fine-grained particles like silt and clay, generally occurring as a result of soil erosion. As rainfall washes away bare soil or a stream erodes a muddy bank, sediment makes it into waterways. These fine particles occur naturally in the environment, but problems arise when they enter aquatic systems in larger quantities than they would naturally. What Causes Soil Erosion? Soil erosion happens anytime barren soil is exposed to the elements, especially after a lot of vegetation is removed. Plant roots are very effective at holding back the soil. A common cause of erosion is road and building construction. During construction, soil remains exposed for extended periods of time. Silt fencing, made of a textile held up with wooden stakes, is often deployed at construction sites as a sediment containment measure.   Agricultural practices lead to long periods of time when vast expanses of soil are left barren. In late fall and winter, millions of acres of farmland are left exposed to the elements. Even during the growing season, some crops do not protect soils adequately. Corn, most notably, is planted in rows 20 to 30 inches apart with long strips of barren soil in between. Forestry practices can also lead to erosion, especially on steeper slopes. The removal of trees does not necessarily expose soil directly, and careful logging operations can keep erosion to a minimum. However, machinery can damage low-growing vegetation. High-use areas, like logging roads and landings, certainly leave the soil unprotected and subject to erosion. Sedimentation Pollution Fine suspended particles cause turbidity in waterways. In other words, they make the water less transparent, blocking sunlight. The decreased light will impede the growth of aquatic plants, which provide essential habitat for many aquatic animals, including young fish. Another way sediment can be harmful is by smothering the gravel beds where fish lay their eggs. Gravel beds provide a perfect surface for trout or salmon eggs to be protected, while still allowing for oxygen to reach the growing embryo. When silt covers eggs, it prevents this oxygen transfer. Aquatic invertebrates can suffer from damage to their fragile filtering systems, and if they are sessile (immobile) they can be buried by sediment. Fine particles can eventually be transported into coastal zones, where they affect marine invertebrates, fish, and coral. Some Helpful Practices Deploying silt fencing or straw bales around sites where the ground is disturbed.Using soil erosion best practices around construction sites.Protecting vegetation along stream banks. Replant shrubs and trees if needed.Using cover crops on farmland when not actively growing regular crops.Practicing no-till farming.Follow best practices during forestry operations. This includes building appropriate stream crossings, avoiding operations in excessively muddy conditions, and selecting work equipment that will minimize damage to soils. Sources: Unknown. Voluntary Best Management Practices for Water Quality. 2018 Edition, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 2018, NY. Castro, Janine and Frank Reckendorf. Effects of Sediment on the Aquatic Environment. Working Paper No. 6, Oregon State University Department of Geosciences, August 1995, OR.   Mid-America Regional Council. What Is Sediment Pollution? EPA, Kansas City, MO.

Paper Analyzing The Book of Joshua by Marten Woudstra

Paper Analyzing The Book of Joshua by Marten Woudstra Introduction The Book of Joshua is a historical book which reflects the walk of the Israelites from the wilderness to the promised land of Canaan. This book reflects the vents that took place when the Israelites were in the wilderness as they approached the land of Canaan. Essentially, this book reflects the impact of sin which was caused by one person and had an impact on the entire Israel family.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Paper Analyzing: â€Å"The Book of Joshua† by Marten Woudstra specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In brief, the sin of one of the Israelites by the name of Achan led to a defeat of the Israelites by the men of Ai. This was a great concern to the Israelites owing to the fact that the Israelites expect to beat the men of Ai with great ease. As a result, Joshua sought God’s intervention through prayer and the Lord revealed the reason why he had faced such a humiliating defeat to him. Eventually, the Lord explained him everything and Joshua put into perspective the sin that had affected the Israelites. The literary devices This extract from scripture is marked by series of literary features which the writer uses to deliver or convey his concerns to the people of Israel. In this case, it is Joshua. This fragment of scripture begins with the reminder of the fact that the sons of Israel had violated, thats why they became cursed. Through this, the writer uses some literary features which give a lot of insights into what he wishes to convey. First, it is quite evident that the writer captures the mind of the reader through his ability to bring out the dialogue. Dialogue is a literary feature which captures the communication between persons with the intention of bringing out a given idea or meaning. Essentially, writers use this approach when their goal is to throw light upon a character of the persons in the literature to interest the readers. As a consequence of th is feature, Joshua is depicted as a man who seeks purity and firm in matters of principle. This is the most evident when he is told of the cause of the defeat which is a result of sin that has been committed by one of the Israelites. He quickly embarks of finding out who the culprit is and that person is killed eventually. This is a classic example which confirms of his authority and astute behavior when it comes to issues of principle.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Second, there is conflict in this scripture. Conflict is a struggle between two or more forces or parties which oppose each or one another as a result of sharp differences. These differences might be internal or external which hinder the achievement sometimes or the realization of challenges which are imposed. These struggles might be internal or external depending on the state of affairs which might b e prevailing outside the character at a given point in time. These different forces which are antagonistic may be out of customs, values, traditions or even principles. In this case, the conflict arises in this scripture, Joshua 7:1-6, when the Israelites are beaten because of their sinful character. What is portrayed in this scripture is the nature of God’s holiness whereby He does not want anything to be done with impurity. Thirdly, there is the aspect of foreshadowing. This is an aspect which is used by writers to give the reader a clue about the events which are about to happen. In this case, as the reader goes through this scripture, one is able to foretell the eventualities of the Israelites. For instance, Joshua 7:6 -13 describes the dialogue which is held between Joshua and God. Upon reading it, the writer can foretell the eventual future of the sons of Ai. Fourthly, there is the aspect of what is known as the point of view. In this case, the writer portrays the plot of the story from a point of view in which it is seen. This can be done or achieved through three main aspects which include being omniscient. Thus, the writer presents God as omniscient and all knowing in this text. The other aspect within this literary device is the limited or the objective third person. For instance, the writer limits some aspects of the story within the text so that the reader can come out and try to make sense of what is happening. And lastly, this aspect has the limited first person whereby the on goings in the text are purely based on one character who is responsible for revealing what takes place within the story or the text. Lastly, the writer presents a certain tone to the reader. The reader is able to note God’s tone towards sin as well as Joshua. The reader is also well aware of the impact and consequences of sin in the land of Israel.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Paper Analyzing: â€Å"The Book of Joshua† by Ma rten Woudstra specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Explain one interpretive issue or problem from your narrative as well as your resolution. Explain why you have arrived at your conclusion. One of the aspects which can be observed from this text is that Joshua is a man who portrays the qualities of an excellent leader. This is because Joshua portrays five crucial traits of character which make him ideal to lead. These qualities which are exhibited in this text include the fact that he was extremely courageous, valiant in endurance of toil, highly gifted in intellect, speech, and distinguished for piety in worshipping the God. One of the reasons why this arrives at in this manner is that Joshua is a leader who is willing to fight for the cause of his people. It is illustrated by the fact that he willingly goes to battle and loses (Woudstra 1994). This does not deter him from not going back, he opts to find out what was the reason of his defeat an d, then, goes back to battle where he eventually emerges to be victorious. He is also able to get people behind him when he identifies that Achan is the guilty person and the Israelites unanimously agree to kill Achan together with his entire household. This indicates that he is a man who has got a great deal of influence which he derives from his ability to communicate. Discuss the timeless theological and application principles in the narrative. What lasting teaching comes from it, and what are specific ways a Christian might apply the narrative to his life? Essentially, the world of Joshua is quite different from the life of the modern readers. The fact which is issued is that the difference between these two ages spans approximately three thousand years implying that things have completely changed in almost all aspects (Woudstra 1994).Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, it is true that these differences need to be put into perspective, thus, the reader of the our days can be able to make sense of the ongoing in that time and apply these principles in the contemporary world. This text is quite relevant to the ongoing in the modern world. This is because there are fundamental teachings and principles which can be derived from the text and become applicable to the contemporary reality. First of all, purity and holiness are fundamental towards the establishment of a clear and steady form of governance. The world which we are living in is faced by the need for sound leadership. This is characterized by the advent of leaders who do not have the needs of the people at heart. For instance, it is important to put into consideration the fact that it is important to ensure that the leaders who are placed in big offices are people who are selfless servants and willing to go an extra mile to convince that the needs and the desires of the populations t hey lead are upheld. It is important to note that purity is central in God’s business through this text. This emphasizes the fact that in any level of leadership, it is important to put into focus the importance of the value of honesty and integrity. These give the leader the courage to focus and be able to work in line with the requirements of the call of leadership. Sometimes, leadership is going to entail pain in doing things which may seem to be unpopular for the great majority. In this section, the way the death of Achan is addressed cannot be comprehended in the present world (Hubbard 2009). Furthermore, the application of that approach would be considered to be illegal. Thus, it follows that it is important to connect the fundamental principle which is in the basis of the act that led to the demise of Achan. The principle which is portrayed in this case is associated with honesty and purity whereby the two aspects cannot exist together. In conclusion, my opinion is sti ll held that The Book of Joshua may not justify stoning of Achan as Israel did. This is because such actions would contradict everything that Jesus teaches and would also give the gospel a negative perspective (Hubbard 2009). This implies one thing that Jesus’ teaching sets aside what Joshua’s one approaches, thus, the book does not authorize Christians to apply his methods. It rather gives an example and illustration of how unjust, outrageous, or insane the received treatment was. It simply shows us what the God did and not always what should be done in such cases. Bibliography Hubbard, Robert L. Joshua. New York: Zondervan, 2009. Woudstra, Marten. The Book of Joshua. Michigan: Wm. Eerdmans Publishing, 1994.

SPS 032 Growing My 8-Figure Business With a Book with Ryan Deiss

SPS 032 Growing My 8-Figure Business With a Book with Ryan Deiss SPS 032: Growing My 8-Figure Business With a Book with Ryan Deiss 2 SharesRyan Deiss has taken email marketing, sales funnels, and creating and selling products to another level. He is the founder and CEO of DigitalMarketer which is a premier online community for anyone marketing online. Ryan and his team have invested over $15,000,000 on marketing tests, have generated tens of millions of unique visitors, sent over a billion emails, and have run over 3000 split tests. Today, Ryan shares his marketing expertise as we talk about his book the Invisible Selling Machine which is all about email marketing and is also based on a product that supplies marketing email templates. Ryan shares how a book is a great tool to jumpstart a business and the importance of having a back end in place. He also used a unique webinar concept to test the title and write the book fast. Ryan shares how he and his editor collaborated and then how he edited everything to make sure it was in his voice. He also shares insights into marketing, writing, and being an effective ent repreneur. Â  You can find Ryan here: DigitalMarketer Ryan Deiss LinkedIn @RyanDeiss Twitter Ryan Deiss facebook Invisible Selling Machine Books by Ryan DeissShow Notes [01:49] Ryan feels that books are timeless because people get it. Ryan wrote The Invisible Selling Machine because he had something to say and there werent a lot of books about this topic. [03:27] The book is great as media and a lead generation tool. A book isnt a business, a book jump starts a business. [04:15] After the book Ryan had the next step which was The Invisible Selling Machine template product. The concept stands alone and that information is the foundation of the book. [04:59] Even though he had a course on the topic, writing the book took a lot of effort. Ryan had to think through how to teach the concepts. [06:21] Ryan created a webinar and split tested titles to get the title for the book. The webinar bullet points were on the back of the book. [07:16] He wanted the story in the webinar to create a foundation and then share the result. Then he wrote a step by step and addressed objections and it turned out to be a good format for a book. Ryan had an editor that helped turn the webinar into the book, then Ryan rewrote a lot of it. [10:49] How its important for a book to stand on its own and not just be a disguised sales letter. [15:15] The importance of turning a glance into a stare with a title and subtitle. [15:45] How Ryan accidently sent the wrong cover to the editors and how the printer messed up on the first print. He was so disappointed to see his first copies looking so bad. He had 10,000 copies and was able to use them for a free promotion with paid shipping only. [24:13] Ryan has total control over his book and he uses it for marketing purposes that he controls. [24:56] His book has produced millions of dollars of revenue for him and he owns all of it. He doesnt want to have to buy from a publisher to use his book as a tripwire. Although, someday he may go the trad itional route. [26:14] One of the biggest issues with using a publisher is the timeline. If you take your advance and put it back into the campaign it would be effective, but 12 to 18 months is a deal killer. [29:03] The importance of having a funnel in place before you public the book. There needs to be steps in between like additional training or mini-classes. [30:39] He also made a quick optional upsell video. It was passive, but it performed well. [32:24] Having a permission based micro commitment upsell. [33:54] The thank-you page had another video which also gave away free videos. Which are used as a perpetual launch. He is also driving facebook ads to the book which will always sell because of the backend. [37:02] For immediate revenue it came from the Secret Selling upsell. The 30 and 60 day revenue was trumped by The Machine. [38:43] Ryan uses that money to put back into the campaign to get subscribers for Digital Marketer Labs. You have to reinvest money if you want to grow. [40:11] People want new products. With a membership, you can deliver the new without selling the new. [43:00] People join membership groups to have a community. [44:57] How Ryan hired key people who are responsible for his membership even a dedicated community manager for the facebook group. [48:23] How the team tracks campaigns to make sure they are effective. How a $500 buy on facebook ads is a good risk. Its hard for Ryans team to justify a funnel that goes past 90 days. Â   [50:47] The importance of the cost of customer acquisition and customer lifetime value. Looking for ways to maximize the value of the customer. [52:39] The dangers of big companies getting too comfortable and dying a slow death. [53:13] How Ryans business isnt a launch centric business. [54:24] How having subscription revenue and ongoing sales and products is so much safer than the launch model as the sole method of selling.

Strategic Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example In this paper the business model of United States Postal Service will be analyzed. USPS is an independent agency of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. The USPS employed 626,764 workers as on January, 2014 and operated 211,654 vehicles in 2013. The USPS is the operator of the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the world. The USPS is legally obligated to serve all Americans, regardless of geography, at uniform price and quality. The USPS has exclusive access to letter boxes marked "U.S. Mail" and personal letterboxes in the United States, but still competes against private package delivery services, such as UPS and has part use with FedEx Express. The paper will explore different constituents of product and capital markets to understand interaction between both the markets. The United States Postal Service is facing the most urgent financial challenge in its history. Protecting the viability of the nation’s postal system is a complex and difficult task that has no simple solution. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (hereafter referred to as the Postal Act of 2006) revised the break-even regulatory model of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 (PRA) in favor of a profit and loss model. An underlying presumption of the Postal Act of 2006 was that mail volume would continue to grow. However, falling mail volumes due to the recession and electronic diversion, combined with the additional statutory burdens that are discussed in greater detail later in this paper, make it evident that the Postal Service’s existing business model does not provide the flexibility needed to meet the new market realities. The tools available to the Postal Service are insufficient to respond to the combined effects of the economic recession, the diversion of mail to electronic alternatives, and the statutory requirement

Business Policy & Strategy Portfolio Project Essay

Business Policy & Strategy Portfolio Project - Essay Example The business will provide these students with door to door collection and distribution of the torn cloths and cloths that require laundry services. The Laundry and cloth repair business will solve problems such as saving University Students time, saving the Environment from degradation, and boosting Food Security among other others. The business is also sustainable in that it boosts food security, conserve our environment, as well as solving some of the Problems University Students face among others. In to prove the feasibility of the business, market research, and SWOT and Value chain analyses were carried out. The SWOT analysis was carried out in order to identify the expected Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that the business may face. The Laundry and cloth repair business Idea In today’s economy, people are normally busy (they always work, they always learn, committed in entertainment, and in schools and among others) such that they do not get time to do ce rtain basic things of their lives such as laundry services and repair of their torn cloths. ... However, not all of them offer door to services to these busy students. Therefore, students had to waste their precious time taking their cloth for laundry services or to be repaired in case they are torn (U S Bureau of the Census, 2002). Some students may also love some of their cloths such that they may not wish to dispose them off in case they get torn. Therefore, my business will be engaged in providing laundry and cloth repair services for University students in the United States of America. The business will provide these students with door to door collection and distribution of the torn cloths and cloths that require laundry services. Rationale for the Business Idea Entrepreneurs by nature are individuals who solve problems, as wells as opportunity oriented; these are just a few of the many characteristics of entrepreneurs (Hunter, 2000). Therefore, as an entrepreneur I thought it wise to come up with the business idea so as to be part of those who solve problems that normally face our society today. My business, therefore, aims at solving several problems which face our society today. Problems Laundry and cloth repair business will solve Saving University Students time The target customers (target group) for the business are University Students across the United States of America. Just as earlier mentioned, these students are so committed to their studies, research and entertainment activities such that they have very little amount of time to concentrate on the basic aspects of their lives; they hardly get time to do their laundry services or even repair services for their torn cloths. The business also intends to further offer free collection and distribution services to these

Curriculum Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Curriculum Leadership - Essay Example The Newton County School requires that its teaching fraternity evaluate the effectiveness of the current curriculum and determine if there is need to make some adjustments. The curriculum is dynamic in nature since it changes with the alteration and modifications in the job market. For instance, there are changes in technology, administration skills, and business management among other developmental aspects of the current job market. It would be wise to equip students with such advancements to increase their suitability. This work would focus on some of interview conducted to ascertain the need of some changes in the Newton county school’s curriculum among other issues related to the school’s curriculum formulation. The school leaders must, however, adhere to the school policies and standards as stipulated by the government’s and school’s strategic plan. Furthermore, the school administration is charged with the responsibility of standardizing the curricul um as per the required standard set by the Georgia Department of Education. The formulation of such policies is done with the encouragement of the parent and community input in the operation of the school district. Public opinion or participation is also involved in the formulation of the curriculum or policies (Hlebowitsh, 2005). The most important consideration is that the county’s curriculum must match that of other counties, as required by the Education Act of the United States. The policies are centered on various issues such as school district organization, school board operations, general school administration, fiscal management, business management, facility expansion programs, personnel, instructional programs, students, and inter-organizational relations. Under instructional program policies there are sections addressing policies on curriculum design processes, gifted student programs, scheduling for instruction, policies on unstructured break times, media programs, promotion, and retention of students. The interview session The main purpose of the interview session with the county’s education officer was to ascertain whether the county’s education system was at par with other counties’, as required by the U.S. law. I got a chance to ask him what factors are considered before a certain curriculum is considered obsolete. The term obsolete has been never applicable in any education system; what applies is updated system which requires improvement and adjustment. The county requires school administrators, parents, work force representatives to meet at the end of each year and discuss the current advancements that call for change in the school curriculum. He further argued that counties are in competition; hence, no county would wish to lag behind, as far as school curriculum is concerned. The aim of any education system is to produce a whole round personality ready to be absorbed in the job market. The end product of an educa tion system should have good ethics, technology knowledge, physically fit, be morally upright and flexible in terms of relevant changes in the job market. Hence, it requires a comprehensive curriculum to train such students. The director also mentioned that he does not call for overworking them. The children’

Website usability report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Website usability report - Essay Example It is also compatible with smart phone browsers. However, it shows some problems about object alignment and colours. Particularly, the text is misaligned and some of the text lies outside the text box. Additionally, the colour of telephone number in ‘Booking your lessons’ section changes from white in computer version to mustard yellow in mobile version. This makes it difficult to view when accessing the site on a mobile cell phone. The â€Å"Alt† tags are used to describe the function of each picture (Chaffey, 2009). Alt tags are also helpful in search engine optimisation, to help people easily to link to the website. However, there is no evidence of Alt tags in any part of BSM website. The only one picture that has Alt tags is the testimonial picture at the front page but it does not help SEO because there is no keyword linked to BSM in Alt tags. The page is easy to load because the website is mostly a text-based. None of the part in the layout is in Flash or Java Script. There are less than 50 words on the front page. Fonts and colours are readable in every page. However, the website shows some errors in navigation. Few parts of the page have anchor text labelled but it is not helpful. Anchor text is supposed to help users know about the page that the text is linked by showing short information about the page (Gardyne, 2011). In BSM website, it repeats itself. In the ‘get quote’ page, there is no ‘Back’ button. This is a major technical drawback since users find it difficult to navigate back to previously viewed pages. This makes navigation a little difficult. Moreover, the â€Å"Save  £50 when you book 10 Lessons† banner links to â€Å"get quote† page instead of showing detail of the offers. In fact, most of offer links in the website are linked to â€Å"get quote† page, which the users find very annoying and unprofessional. When offer advertisements are placed on the website, the users

Interpretive Analyses essay on edward abbey book desert solitaire

Interpretive Analyses on edward abbey book desert solitaire - Essay Example and in your own, the flavor of an apple, the embrace of a friend or lover, the silk of a girls thigh, the sunlight on rocks and leaves, the feel of music, the bark of a tree, the abrasion of granite and sand, the plunge of clear water into a pool, the face of the wind" (p. xiii) Travelling in the sand of the desert and the rocky barren land are like conducting the excavations in the goldmine which bring forth new hopes and experiences from the author’s perspective. This book is like the oases in the desert. Abbey has no hesitation in stating categorically, "... I have personal convictions to uphold. Ideals, you might say. I prefer not to kill animals. Im a humanist; Id rather kill a man than a snake" (p. 20) and the reader will understand why Abbey makes such a hard observation as he turns the pages of the book! The content of the book is the summing up of Abbey’s benevolence. He intensely likes the silence and the grandeur of the wild desert and the quiet life of its inhabitants. The beliefs and practices of this naturalist are the need of the time when artificiality dominates in every area of the human activities. When human being, enamored of the scientific achievements, acts as if the nature is the permanent enemy, its exploitation is the birth right and one must be ever at war with it. Abbey sees paradise in canyons and the Colorado River and resents industrial tourism. In every small detail, in the oscillating blade of grass and the mighty roar of the river, Abbey relishes the mesmerizing beauty of Nature! He pleads that environmentalism should not be the view but the way of life. Condemnation of the defilers of Nature is not his literary pastime, but a strong conviction. The contents of the book are not the official annual report of the ranger who is posted in the part for one year. This one is not an ordinary ranger! For the exploiters, the bounties of Nature are the monetary rewards—it’s their commission. For Abbey it is the mission!

Apple Hamdi 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Apple Hamdi 3 - Essay Example Operation: Apple products are free from toxins such as BFR. The products are enclosed in highly recyclable aluminium. The firm also outsources production to the third party OEM partners so as to eliminate the burden of production management. By manufacturing components inside the Company, this eliminates the transaction cost of purchasing them in the market thus optimizing the plant’s utilization. As a result, it results to greater economies of scale. The firm also needs to locate its production units near a cluster of suppliers so as to reduce the costs of purchasing and distribution (Apple Inc., 2013). Outbound logistics: Apple needs to use a variety of direct and indirect distribution channels. The electronic Company is improving its capacities for distribution by increasing the number of its own retail stores globally. Lastly, Apple Inc. has developed economical packaging. This reduces material waste and emissions produced on transit (Apple, 2014). Sales and marketing: sales and are very crucial in ensuring that a firm sells its products. Apple makes use of both print and electronic media to advertise their products. Apple can make use of radio, television, and newspapers, as well as online marketing tools such as Facebook and Twitter to increase its scope of customer reach. This saves the cost of rent or salespeople at the stores. As part of its marketing strategy, the firm has entered into patent cross-licensing and also technology agreements with Microsoft. This was after years of unimpressive growth in market share. So as to maintain its market share, Apple has their own branded stores internationally that assist sell their products (Apple, 2014). Procurements: Recently, the firm realised that outsourcing the raw materials; core ingredients in the manufacture of a product that already exists in the market may be considered as a step towards gaining competitive advantage by Apple Inc (Apple, 2014). Human resource

Interpretive Analyses essay on edward abbey book desert solitaire

Interpretive Analyses on edward abbey book desert solitaire - Essay Example and in your own, the flavor of an apple, the embrace of a friend or lover, the silk of a girls thigh, the sunlight on rocks and leaves, the feel of music, the bark of a tree, the abrasion of granite and sand, the plunge of clear water into a pool, the face of the wind" (p. xiii) Travelling in the sand of the desert and the rocky barren land are like conducting the excavations in the goldmine which bring forth new hopes and experiences from the author’s perspective. This book is like the oases in the desert. Abbey has no hesitation in stating categorically, "... I have personal convictions to uphold. Ideals, you might say. I prefer not to kill animals. Im a humanist; Id rather kill a man than a snake" (p. 20) and the reader will understand why Abbey makes such a hard observation as he turns the pages of the book! The content of the book is the summing up of Abbey’s benevolence. He intensely likes the silence and the grandeur of the wild desert and the quiet life of its inhabitants. The beliefs and practices of this naturalist are the need of the time when artificiality dominates in every area of the human activities. When human being, enamored of the scientific achievements, acts as if the nature is the permanent enemy, its exploitation is the birth right and one must be ever at war with it. Abbey sees paradise in canyons and the Colorado River and resents industrial tourism. In every small detail, in the oscillating blade of grass and the mighty roar of the river, Abbey relishes the mesmerizing beauty of Nature! He pleads that environmentalism should not be the view but the way of life. Condemnation of the defilers of Nature is not his literary pastime, but a strong conviction. The contents of the book are not the official annual report of the ranger who is posted in the part for one year. This one is not an ordinary ranger! For the exploiters, the bounties of Nature are the monetary rewards—it’s their commission. For Abbey it is the mission!

Irony Literary Analysis Essay Example for Free

Irony Literary Analysis Essay Tragedy is a dramatic form that was first developed in ancient Greece. A  tragedy usually has these characteristics: The main character is involved in a struggle that ends in disaster. This character, often called the tragic hero, is a person of high rank who has the respect of the community.  The tragic heros downfall is usually the result of some combination of fate, an error in judgment, and a personality weakness often called a tragic flaw. Once the tragedy is in motion, the downfall is usually inevitable. The tragic hero gains wisdom or insight by the plays end. Tragedy arouses feelings of pity and fear in the audience. Spectators pity the plight of the main character and fear that a similar fate might befall them. A tragic drama may also suggest that the human spirit is capable of remarkable nobility even in the midst of great suffering. An allegory is a story with more than one layer of meaning: a literal meaning and one or more symbolic meanings. The characters, settings, and themes in an allegory are symbols of ideas and qualities that exist outside the story. The Crucible is an allegory, because Miller uses one his ­ torical period and setting (seventeenth-century New England) to comment on another (1950s America). The tragedy that occurs in Salem is an allego ­ ry for the anti-Communist hysteria that gripped the United States during the 1950s. As you read, notice how the events in Salem echo the events surrounding the McCarthy hearings to tragic effect.

The Dc Motor Speed Control Methods Engineering Essay

The Dc Motor Speed Control Methods Engineering Essay ABSTRACT This paper describes the Matlab and simulink converts into actuality of the DC motor speed control methods, namely field resistance, armature resistance control methods and armature voltage, and feedback control system for DC motor drives and this paper describes mathematical modelling, simulation of DC motor system using computer simulations Matlab and simulink, by this system response to change various parameters like system stability, disturbances, analysis and optimization of model parameters with respect to the quality of control. If simulation techniques are used for determining the control parameters a simulation model is necessary, which has to be constructed from the analytical model. INTRODUCTION DC Motor is an electrical motor and it most commonly used in an electrical device for easy to drive the instruments, steel rolling mills, electric cranes, and robotic manipulators due to precise, wide, simple, and continuous control characteristics. To control the speed of low power DC Motor rheostatic armature control method were used. The basic parts of the DC motor are- axle, rotor (armature), stator, commutator, field magnet, and brushes. In the geometry of brushes, commutator contacts, and rotor windings are arranged in such a manner so that when power is applied then polarities of the energized winding and the stator magnets are misaligned and the rotor will start to rotate until it is almost aligned with the stators field magnets. When the rotor reaches to alignment, the brushes move to next commutator contacts, and energize the next winding. There are variable types of DC Motor available in market with the good and bad qualities. Bad quality means lag in efficiency. To recover or stop this kind efficiency problem controller is introduce in the system. Brushed DC motors are most widely used in applications and its ranging from toys to push-button adjustable car seats. Brushed DC (BDC) motors are inexpensive but easy to drive. Brushed DC motors are easily available in all size and shape with the wide range from large-scale industrial models to small motors for light applications (such as 12 V DC motors). . BDC motors are most commonly used in easy to drive, with variable speed and high start-up torque applications. OBJECTIVE The Fig.1 shows the analogues electrical circuit. MODELLING The circuit which was given is drawn in the Matlab by using simulink. In the circuit diagram the flow of current BLOCK DIAGRAM Figure shows the block diagram of DC motor TRANSFER FUNCTION K/{(Ls+R)(Js+f)+K2}  Ã‚ ± 1/s Vapp Fig 4.1. Transfer Function STATE SPACE MODEL As we know that, V- .†¦. (1) †¦.. (2) Substituting equation (2) in (1) †¦. (3) .†¦ (4) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. (5) Substituting (5) in (4) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (6) Differentiating (6), we get †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. (7) Putting (3) in (7), we get †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (8) Now †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (9) Substituting (9) in (8), we get We know that x=Ax + Bu Y=Cx + Du X= The State Space Model represents by the linear equation and it is written as. x= Ax + Bu y = Cx + Du Below figure shows the state space model (Calculation is in appendix) Figure 5.1 State Space Model PHYSICAL SYSTEM Consider a DC Motor, in this electrical circuit of the armature and free body diagram of rotor are shown in figure below. http://zone.ni.com/cms/images/devzone/tut/mpm-2-motor1.gif Fixture: DC Motor is a common actuator in control systems. Brushed DC Motor fundamentals A Brushed DC Motor consists of stationary fixed permanent magnets i.e. stator, a rotating electromagnetic i.e. rotor and flux, which is concentrated by metal. Rotor rotate by the attraction of the opposite poles and repulsion of the like poles, it cause to generate torque and torque acts on rotor and then make it turn. As the rotor start to rotate or turn then fixed brushes make and breaks the contact in such a way that with the rotating segments (commutation). The rotor coil of the brushed motor energized and de-energized in such a way so that the rotor start to turns. By transferring the power to the motor, current generate in rotor coils and therefore the north and south poles are reversed and because of the motor change the direction. From the Strength of the magnetic field, speed and torque of the motor depend Figure (1) Brushed DC Motor PRINCIPLE OPERATION Construction and operation of the Brushed DC Motor is shown below in figure (2).for the construction of the BDC motor always the same components are required i.e. Stator, rotor, commutator and brush. Figure (2) Simple two-pole brushed DC Motor Stator The rotor surrounded by the stationary magnetic field which is generated by the stator and this filed is generated by the permanent magnet or electromagnetic winding. On the construction of the stator, different types of BDC distinguish. Rotor Rotor is also known as an armature and it is made up of one or more windings. Magnetic field is produce when they energized. When the opposite pole of the magnetic poles, attract to each other which is generated by the stator, and causing the rotor to turns. The opposite poles are always attracting to each other. As the motor turns, the windings are being constantly energized. This deviation of the field in the rotor is called as an armature. Brushes and commutator There is no requirement of controller in BDC to switch current in motor winding. The commutation winding of the BDC motor is done mechanically. Reside on the axel of rotor there is a segmented copper sleeves called commutator. Carbon brushes slides over the commutator coming in a contact with the different segments of the commutator as the motor starts to turn. When the voltage is applied across the brushes of the motor then dynamic magnetic field is generated inside the motor. Brushes and commutator are the most important parts of the BDC motor that are most prone to wear because they are the sliding part to each other. SPEED CONTROL The Speed of a DC Motor is directly proportional to the voltage. By using the digital controller voltage can be control and to generate the average voltage pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal is used. In motor there is a motor winding which acts as a low pass filter so PWM develop a suitable current in the motor winding. ADVANTAGES Cheap in price because low cost of construction. Extend a life by replacing a brush. Inexpensive motor and simple control. Speed/Torque is normal at high speed. On fixed speed no control is required, Controller is required only at variable speed in this condition same controller can be used. DISADVANTAGES Maintenance is required for brushed DC Motor because of brush. If the brush friction increases, reduce the useful torque. Heat dissipation is poor because of internal rotor construction. Speed range is limited because of the mechanical limitation on brushes. Life is also shorter. Noise is generated due to brush. Application examples: moving toys, fans, printers, robots, electric bikes, -doors, -windows, -sun roofs, -seats, mixers, food processors, can openers, blenders, vacuum cleaners, toothbrushes, razors, coffee grinders, etc. Physical Parameters Moment of inertia of the motor (J) = 9.89 E-7 kg Nm s/rad Damping ratio of the mechanical system (b) = 5.84E-7 Nm s/rad Electromotive force or motor constant (K=Ke=Kt) = 0.008 Nm/-w Electric resistance (R) = 0.80 ohms Electric inductance (L) = 0.00041H Friction coefficient, f Input (V): Source Voltage Output (theta): position of shaft the rotor and shaft are assumed to be rigid CONCLUSION Brushed DC motors are very simple to use and easy to control, which makes them a short design-in item. PIC microcontrollers, especially those with CCP or ECCP modules are ideally suited for driving BDC motors. Refference Circuit Diagram for DC Motor Control by A. Collins http://www.nxp.com/documents/application_note/AN10513.pdf http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/AppNotes/00905a.pdf http://www.orientalmotor.com/MotionControl101/AC-brushless-brushed-motors.html http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/AppNotes/00885a.pdf http://www.dynetic.com/brushless%20vs%20brushed.htm file:///D:/matlab/index.php.htm