Thursday, December 26, 2019

Philosophy C100 Quiz 12 - 1572 Words

PREVIEW: PHIL C100 Quiz 1 — P A G E 1 — 1. The word philosophy comes from the Greek philein (to love) and sophia (knowledge or wisdom). X | True | | False | 2. Which of the following is a philosophical question: | Is there a God? | | Does the end justify the means? | | What form of government is best? | | What is Time? | X | All of the above. | 3. An argument is a reason for accepting a position. X | True | | False | 4. The area of philosophy concerned with values includes | Ethics | | Aesthetics | | Social/political philosophy | X | All of the above | | None of the above | 5. Trying to argue that God exists because it says so in the Bible and the Bible is the†¦show more content†¦| | act and potency. | | essence and form. | | All of the above. | 21. In pointing out some similarities between the early Greek metaphysicians, Aristotle pointed out that they were all concerned with X | causation. | | the certitude of sense perception. | | the impossibility of true knowledge. | | the Theory of the Forms. | 22. A ________________ is a fundamental form of reasoning where one proposition is inferred from two others. | sophigism | X | syllogism | | parallelism | | cynicism | 23. Aristotles concept of the unmoved mover or the ultimate efficient cause is similar to but not identical with, the later theistic concept of God seen in certain major religions. X | True | | False | 24. What we call Metaphysics, Aristotle called first philosophy because it considers the most basic questions of existence. X | True | | False | 25. For Aristotle, the ultimate purpose for which something happens is the ______________ cause. | material | | efficient | | formal | X | final | PREVIEW: PHIL C100 Quiz 2 — P A G E 1 — 1. Augustine thought that skepticism could be refuted by | the principle of non-contradiction | | the fact that the act of doubting posits one’s own existence | | our senses give us at some rudimentary knowledge. | X | All of the above. | 2. __________________ blended Christianity with the philosophy of Aristotle, delineating the

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Online Role Playing Game Games - 1431 Words

In many of the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) game there is always a guid to it but sometime the player are not follow those guid and ending up complaining that the game are not good. Accroding to Menashe Kestenbaum in every game before the player start playing its, the players should search up the mmohut.com and what kind of game they like and do they want to play solo or with everyone. (P.3: A Beginner s Guide to MMORPG) The players would also check to see if they like the game graphic or not. It might just be a simple game but for a professional player s gaming is life and they will help create the guide for new players. For this, I will discuss about about the rule in MMORPG and the guide to becoming the best player in the game. The best way for the new player to be successful in gaming and be good at follow the guideline provided by the developer. The guideline that provided by the developer would have quests information, monsters, classes, weapons, armors, capes, and helms. Sometimes the rule would include about if the players use cheat code to get something that is again the rule the players would be banned for 24 hours and and the player do it again it would be a week and so on. Also, if the players use swear words the players would be banned from using chat for one minute and if the player continues to use the swear words the player would get banned for five minutes, thirty minutes, sixty minutes, twenty-four hours, seventy-two hours,Show MoreRelatedOnline Role Playing Game ( Mmorpg )1259 Words   |  6 Pagesplay games online, do you play the games casually or hardcore? A massively multiplaye r online role-playing game (MMORPG) called Mabinogi. In this game, you will meet thousands of players online to get involve into many activities to have fun. The original game first came out in 2004 in South Korea, but it was localized into North America in 2008. The game is free-to-play where it can be downloaded from the game website, but it must fulfill certain system requirements to properly play the game. (MabinogiRead MoreEssay on Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games Impacting Chess1269 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) Emmanuel Mitchell Prof. Donald G. Moore, Jr., PhD. CIS375: Human Computer Interaction December 16, 2014 Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games are played all over the world. These role playing games allow hundreds of thousands of players to compete against each other via the internet in a virtual world. In these virtual worlds the players are also allowed to interactRead MoreThe MMORPG : The Evolution Of Online Role-Playing Games1099 Words   |  5 Pagesvideo game was born. These games were called massively multiplayer online role-playing games, or MMORPG for short. Players could go on the internet and play the same game with millions of other active players at the same time. The genre evolved over time, as games shifted in and out of popularity, but especially during the 2000-2012 era, MMORPGs absolutely dominated the market (The MMORPG). The MMORPG consists of a large player base, interacting on a virtual computer platform through the role of theirRead MoreMultiplayer Online Role Playing Games: Eve Essays975 Words   |  4 PagesEve online is a massive multiplayer onlin e role-playing game developed by CCP games and released in May 2003. Since then, CCP have released new content and major expansions every six months, creating one of the largest and most detailed games ever. Eve is known as a hard game to get a start in. Advancing your character happens in real-time, even if youre not logged in, and getting good at a specific job can take a couple of days or a few months. To get anywhere in Eve you need to work togetherRead MoreOnline Gaming and Fraud in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) 1359 Words   |  5 Pages1. Online Gaming Security and Fraud Throughout the evolution of gaming, there has been a movement of large communities to online gaming. With that high amount of traffic, these online games have become prime targets for crime to emerge from. Due to the online nature and virtual elements of this kind of community, the most common type of crime committed was theft, followed closely by fraud (Chen 2005). With the increase in online communities from online gaming, businesses have started advertisingRead MoreIs Games Good Or Not For Human Development?1270 Words   |  6 PagesGames are an essential part of all cultures throughout the world and are one of the oldest form of human interaction. It has been around human being since 3000 BC by the discovery of the oldest board games in Turkey and since then, games has been developing rapidly (Attia 2014). Nowadays, most people love to do it as a nice way to spend their leisure time because it makes them feel relaxed, enjoyed, or even make money by doing it. There are many type s of games such as board games, card games, roleplayingRead MoreThe Issues Of Cyber Bullying946 Words   |  4 Pagesplatforms available on the Internet; including massively multiplayer online role playing games such as World of Warcraft. These video games are havens for teenagers to take on a (often times) fantasy character and play as if they were actually them. For participants in massively multiplayer online role playing games, these â€Å"second lives† can be as real to them as their physical real life. It is not uncommon for participants within these games to take their virtual existence more seriously and with more passionRead MoreIncorporate Technology And Teach Creativity To Gifted Students : Article Analysis1448 Words   |  6 Pagescan be an excellent tool for sparking interest in new topics in unmotivated gifted students. One of the ways the article suggested differentiating when working with gifted students during the geocaching experience was to assign studen ts different roles during the process (Brown B., K., et al., 2015). I thought this was an excellent idea for gifted students in middle school. My favorite idea from the article that I thought I might be able to apply to my classroom was performing an educaching experienceRead MoreOnline Games: Impact on the Behavior of Must Students2652 Words   |  11 PagesChapter I THE PROBLEM Introduction Millions of people play online games around the world, in April 2013 it was estimated that 671 million people worldwide played online games. Almost a quarter of these individuals did so on a daily basis and that number as a percentage of total online gamers continue to grow (comScore, 2013). An online game is a video game played over some forms of computer network, using a personal computer or video game console typically on the Internet. This network is usuallyRead MoreDota2974 Words   |  12 PagesA. Definition of terms DOTA - is a  multiplayer online battle arena  game in a three-dimensional environment, presented from an  oblique  high-angle perspective. The player commands one of 110  controllable character  Heroes. Each Hero begins the match at level one and becomes more powerful by accumulating experience points through combat, thereby leveling up to the maximum level of twenty-five. With every level gained the player either selects a new ability for their Hero to learn or enhance their general

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Master of Public Health Future Sustainability

Question: Discuss about the Master of Public Health for Future Sustainability. Answer: Introduction: For the growth of human population, and to improve the quality of living and to lead the healthy life, electrical energy, and its production are most of the important facets. This electricity is very much needed in todays life like televisions, lightless, computers, and other many countless items. With the rapid globalization, the living standard is increasing so the need for electricity is also getting in demand. It has been estimated that the increase in the energy now is 84% for the non-OCED countries and 14% for the OCED countries(Schmidt 2016). The urgent need for the electricity has been a concern globally and with this there has emerged the urgent need for the new technologies for the production of energy. The technology includes solar, geothermal, coal plant and nuclear power plant. Each technology comes with its advantages and disadvantages so a proper analysis has to b done as to which technology to choose which can less threat to the environment(Hore-Lacy 2015) A detailed analysis was done between the coal mine and the nuclear plant by the costs, generation of energy, fuel, safety and concerns to environment. Cost: For a power plant, the economics and cost are the most important factors to see its potential. Subsidies play a major role in the selection of power plant.The aspects which need to be considered for the cost management is the maintenance and operation which is regarding kWh. From the figure, it could be seen that costs of the nuclear plant were less per kWh as compared to coal, and this is due to the low cost use of fuel material uranium (Elliston et al. 2014.) Fig: Graph showing the cost management between the coal mine and nuclear plant Then the fuel of the power plant also determines the potential of the power plant. The fuel used in the nuclear is uranium whose production cost is much cheaper than the fuel used in the coal mine. This difference could be well understood from the graph. Fig: Graph showing the fuel costs data Generation Of Energy: The coal mine and nuclear plant both has an advantage of very high relative energy density but the energy density for the latter one is higher. The nuclear plants produce 11000 kWh of electricity as compared to coal which produces 6150kWh (Durn and Rincn-Meja 2014) Fig: Graph showing energy generation of coal mine and nuclear plant Energy production is the important factor because it is for the future sustainability of energy. If the fuel material gets depleted then it would lead to the loss of the energy production Impact On Environment: The threat to the environment from the power plants is the major issue. It can serve as the pathway for pollution, greenhouse gasses and thus global warming (Brook and Bradshaw 2015) It has been estimated that the coal mine operation has released 750-900g of CO2/kWh-where as there were no emissions from the nuclear plant. According to EPA, it has been seen from the table that the key pollutants have critically evolved more from the coal plant and not from nuclear one Fig: Table was showing the key pollutant emission from the power plants. Fig: Image showing the overall emission from the coal mine and nuclear plant Safety: It tops the priority list of the other issues. It refers to both workers safety and the safety of the population. It was a common belief that radiation from the nuclear plant causes the major threat to the environment but deep analysis revealed that it was the coal mine emission that posses the hazardous threat (Sovacool et al. 2013.) The radioactive material from the nuclear plant goes undetected in the natural environment as it gets entrapped by the particulate precipitator. In the coal mine, the wastes get leached into the ground thus affecting the cropland and the people living nearby (Mu 2015.)It has also been seen that people working in the nuclear plant get less harm because of the radiation shielding measures whereas there is no such protection in the coal mine Fig: Graph showing the effect of radiation from the coal mine and nuclear plant WHS Risk Management Tools: In today globalized energy environment, the nuclear power plant managers need to consider many risk factors which may be associated with the nuclear plant. The goal of such management is to incorporate a systematic framework which could identify and manage the risk of the plant (Zhang et al. 2014) The nuclear safety risk is the most sophisticated one for maintaining the areas of nuclear, industrial, radiological and environmental. The managers check the frequency of the emitted radioactive substances (Moore 2014.) The financial analyst sees the risk of installing and operation of the system and also the investment cost if once gets destroyed could not be recovered even in the whole life. The risk associated with the plant operation is the operational facilities which could be associated with the machine and also the operational benefits. The manger also has to see that the projects that are on going or the one who is going to be done should come within the budget and be cost effective which if not seen could lead to the risks. Conclusion: Thus from the above facts and figures, it could be concluded that in every aspect nuclear power plant is the most accepted technology for the present as well as the future society when compared to a coal mine. If all the factors are taken into account, then it is seen that nuclear plant tops the list. If the carbon emission is controlled by the government in the future, then the nuclear plant would become the most appropriate option(Hong et al. 2013) Due to the global energy crisis, coal power may be necessary but the nuclear plant would perform a much important role in the future References: Brook, B.W. and Bradshaw, C.J., 2015. Key role for nuclear energy in global biodiversity conservation.Conservation Biology,29(3), pp.702-712. Durn, D. and Rincn-Meja, E.A., 2014. Energy: Defining the Future.Sustainability Science and Technology: An Introduction, p.127. Elliston, B., MacGill, I. and Diesendorf, M., 2014. Comparing least cost scenarios for 100% renewable electricity with low emission fossil fuel scenarios in the Australian National Electricity Market.Renewable Energy,66, pp.196-204. Hong, S., Bradshaw, C.J. and Brook, B.W., 2013. Evaluating options for the future energy mix of Japan after the Fukushima nuclear crisis.Energy Policy,56, pp.418-424. Hore-Lacy, I., 2015. World nuclear power in 2015.AusIMM Bulletin, (Aug 2015), p.32. Moore, M., 2014. Public Health Association of Australia Submission on the Energy White Paper Issues paper. Mu, R., Zuo, J. and Yuan, X., 2015. China's approach to nuclear safetyFrom the perspective of policy and institutional system.Energy Policy,76, pp.161-172. Schmidt, A.T., 2016. The Nuclear debate continues...Waste+ Water Management Australia,42(5), p.2. Sovacool, B.K., Parenteau, P., Ramana, M.V., Valentine, S.V., Jacobson, M.Z., Delucchi, and Diesendorf, M., 2013. Comment on Prevented Mortality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Historical and Projected Nuclear Power.Environmental science technology,47(12), pp.6715-6717. Zhang, P., Lingard, H., Blismas, N., Wakefield, R. and Kleiner, B., 2014. Work-health and safety-risk perceptions of construction-industry stakeholders using photograph-based Q methodology.Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,141(5), p.04014093.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Newspaper articles Essay Example

Newspaper articles Essay By considering presentational, structural and linguistic devices, compare and contrast the ways in which Paradorn Srichaphan is portrayed in these two newspaper articles. No time for girls and Paradorn a tale of the unexpected are two different articles that were printed in the papers on the same day, by the same publishers. They are both sports features about rising Asian tennis star Paradorn Srichaphan and so there are many similarities.Since one is from the tabloid Streats and the other is from the publishers broadsheet newspaper The Straits Times, there are many differences in the linguistic, presentational and structural devices used to portray Paradorn. Because of the difference in newspaper type and viewpoints, the two articles follow contrasting writing styles. As expected of most tabloid features, the article, No time for girls, follows a very informal register. There are many questions which are then answered through direct speech and the language is very colloquial.The register in Paradorn A tale of the unexpected, although very formal compared to the tabloid article, is informal for an article appearing in a broadsheet. This is due to the type of article it is, a sports feature. The article consists of numerous quotes from Paradorn and other people, which makes it seem informal. However, the actual article, written by the journalist, has a range of complex and varied vocabulary and syntax, such as impromptu and confidante. In both cases, the readers will be very selected and so, the journalists can afford to be informal.The tone in newspaper articles is often determined by the register. The broadsheet article follows a formal , reported tone while No time for girls follows a fairly informal tone. A reason for this difference in tone is the source of the articles. The article appearing in the broadsheet newspaper is written by media giant AFP, which means that it has a worldwide audience. It is therefore very formal in both register and tone. The tabloid article is written by a local journalist. Since the audience is only the local community, he has chosen to make it informal.Considering that he has written the article for a small audience, the article is a lot more personal. This would help the readers empathise with Paradorn and his sudden climb to success. Journalists often use a pyramidal writing style to organise the information, giving the important facts at the beginning of the article and going into further depth later on. Neither of these articles uses this stereotypical writing style. Since they are both sports features, there is an abundance of relevant and trivial information throughout the pi eces.Although they dont follow it strictly, the important information is given to the reader at the beginning of Paradorn a tale of the unexpected. In the opening paragraph, the journalist has expanded on the heading and outlined the purpose of the article, to inform the readers of the unexpected success of Paradorn. Although the article in Streats begins by directly addressing the title, the rest of the article does not follow the pyramidal structure. The opening is very colloquial and it therefore does not present the facts directly to the reader.In the case of both articles, the readers could get confused while reading as there is no flow between the topics and paragraphs. The paragraphing in the article, No time for girls is not very consistent. Paragraphs sometimes change too abruptly and there is no uniformity in the changing of paragraphs. On two occasions, the journalist has put forward indirect questions which Paradorn goes on to answer. On one occasion, he changes the par agraph after the question and in the other instance, the question and the answer are in the same paragraph.In Paradorn a tale of the unexpected, paragraphs consistently change with progress in time, topic and speech and all paragraphs are well linked. The lexemes in the articles are carefully picked and there are many words that belong to the semantic field of tennis in both articles. They use similar phrases, such as claimed the scalps, which is often used in tennis. It is used to describe the way in which he beat the worlds top tennis players. This gives a gruesome image in the readers minds, as the phrase originates from the Indians of the USA, who used to kill their enemies and then take their scalp, as a sign of victory.This is a contrast to Paradorns character off the court as he is otherwise portrayed as a gentle and kind man. Apart from many words from the semantic field of tennis, the tabloid article contains many words which are synonyms to the words class and glamour. Th ere are many repetitions of the words fame and success which gives an impression that he is basking in his easy climb to fame. Tabloids often approach issues from this view point and tend to sensationalise the topic. They do this to interest the audience and keep their attention.This viewpoint is a contrast to reality and the other broadsheet article, which portrays Paradorn as a very down-to-earth and subdued person. The words, such as modest and frugal in the broadsheet article, complement the picture and help to emphasize the modest nature of Paradorn. Being features, both articles are filled with speech. By following the journalistic devices of using reported speech to lead into direct speech, the journalists add effect to the quote and further emphasize the points being made. Most of the quotations are from Paradorn himself, to find out how he feels about his climb to success.The speech in the tabloid article is printed to look like an interview, with Paradorn answering the ind irect questions of the journalist. This makes it very clear to the readers as to what he is addressing. The other article adds quotes where needed and makes good use of reported speech to lead into the quotes. For example, Paradorn was a model child she said, adding: He was very polite and respectful to everyone. The use of reported speech to lead into quotes is useful to the journalists as they can interpret the speech in different ways to emphasize their viewpoint.Since they are both published on the same day, one would expect some of the quotations to overlap, but, even when addressing the same subject, the quotes in both articles are different. When asked when he would get married, the tabloid quotes him as saying, maybe Ill find one when Im 30, but the broadsheet quotes him as saying Id say when I reach 30 Ill think about it. The article in the broadsheet newspaper says, His private life has not been fodder for Thailands tabloid press though. This is a very ironic statement as the article in the tabloid newspaper, Streats, is all about his private life, girls and marriage.Since the broadsheet article is written by AFP, the local publishers could have taken the idea from that comment and written about his private life. The broadsheet article has a typical layout, with a picture at the top, followed by the text. The tabloid article, however, uses some unusual presentational devices. The sub-heading is placed above the headline for the convenience of the reader and tells them what the article is about. They also add a fact file on the right-hand side so that the reader can have a quick glance at Paradorns major achievements.Apart from this, there is a lot of information within a small area which would help the newspaper save space and therefore, money. It states in the tabloid article that the King is his biggest fan. The picture on the top of the broadsheet article is a picture of Paradorn at the feet of the King of Thailand. This shows that he is still a down-to-earth person despite the privileges he gets. His respect for the king is very high and this is emphasized by the fact that he presented the King with the first international trophy he won and his falling at his feet.This picture could be viewed from a different angle. It could imply that he is taking advantage of success and socialising with royalty. The caption says THE KING AND I: which refers to the picture as well as the famous musical. The picture in Streats portrays glamour and class. This articles focus is on glamour so, it has a picture of him in his new Mercedes Benz. The caption contains an example of typical journalese, Merc-merising, which is the fusion of the car brand and mesmerising. Journalists often blend words with the use of a hyphen to emphasize a point.An interesting point is that although the publishers are the same, the two pictures come from different sources, one from Reuters and the other from AFP. This could show that the two media giants want to portray different views of Paradorn. The broadsheet article, which portrays the tennis player as homely, concludes by saying that he has a weakness for cars and so, bought a Mercedes. This is a comparison of viewpoints as the focus of the tabloid article is the last paragraph of the broadsheet article.Considering that only 50% of the readers that read the headline get to the end of the third paragraph of an article, not many readers would get to the last paragraph and therefore, it is clearly not very important to the broadsheet article. Both articles portray very contrasting views of Paradorn Srichaphan. The tabloid portrays a Paradorn of glamour and class, which is contradictory to the broadsheet article as well as to reality. To a majority of tennis fans, Paradorn is really a tale of the unexpected. Despite the sudden success, he has remained the homely and down-to-earth Thai boy he was brought up to be! 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Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Future of the Iraqi government

The Future of the Iraqi government The future of Iraq is in the hands of the U.S. and with that the U.S. has promised to assemble a democracy for the Iraqi people. But this will be a difficult task, it will not come as easily as it may seem. The U.S. cannot just democratize Iraq at gun point because a democracy cannot be forced on unwilling people. There is a huge mistrust of the U.S. and what they plan to do in the Middle East. Many polls from Western Europe indicate that even the U.S.'s traditional allies think that this war in Iraq is about the access of oil. The Arab people think even less of the Bush Administration and the war is not helping his popularity at all. In fact from the few polls available, the Arabs think that the U.S. dissevered the attacks of 9/11.Before going to war the Bush Administration should have had a clear plan on the way they were going to democratize Iraq, but they didn't.Collage of images taken by U.S. military in Iraq. ...Instead they had many different proposals that were cut down to th ree. The short term option, this is where the U.S makes a true effort to get a full functioning democracy in Iraq and just leaves everything into the hands of the newly elected Iraqi government. The long term option, which will take about ten years or more in were the U.S. starts from scratch to establish democratic roots in Iraq. Another short term option around two years, were the U.S. installs a puppet regime in Iraq and move the U.S. troops out.Option one is called Democracy Lite it is where the U.S. spends a considerable amount of time making an up and running democracy and when this is all set up the U.S. troops go home and leave everything to Iraq's...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Arrange Prepositional Phrases

How to Arrange Prepositional Phrases Prepositional phrases act like adjectives and adverbs to add meaning to nouns and verbs. They can also be arranged to be more effective, or condensed or eliminated to cut the clutter. Heres how: Arranging Prepositional Phrases A prepositional phrase often appears after the word it modifies: A spaceship from Venus landed in my back yard. However, like adverbs, prepositional phrases that modify verbs can also be found at the very beginning or very end of a sentence: In the morning, the Venusians mowed my lawn.The Venusians mowed my lawn in the morning. In both versions, the prepositional phrase in the morning modifies the verb mowed. Rearranging Prepositional Phrases Not all phrases are this flexible, and so we need to be careful not to confuse our readers by misplacing a prepositional phrase: The Venusians swam for two hours after lunch in my pool. This arrangement gives the idea that the visitors from Venus enjoyed lunch in the pool. If this is not the case, try moving one of the phrases: After lunch, the Venusians swam for two hours in my pool. The best arrangement is one thats both clear and uncluttered. Unpacking Prepositional Phrases Although several prepositional phrases may appear in the same sentence, avoid packing in so many phrases that you confuse the reader. The sentence below, for example, is cluttered and awkward: On a rickety stool in one corner of the crowded honky tonk, the folk singer sits playing lonesome songs on his battered old guitar about warm beer, cold women, and long nights on the road. In this case, the best way to break up the string of phrases is to make two sentences: On a rickety stool in one corner of the crowded honky tonk, the folk singer sits hunched over his battered old guitar. He plays lonesome songs about warm beer, cold women, and long nights on the road. Keep in mind that a  long sentence isnt necessarily an effective sentence. PRACTICE: Rearranging Prepositional PhrasesBreak up the long string of phrases in the sentence below by creating two sentences. Be sure to include all of the details contained in the original sentence. Up and down the coast the line of the forest is drawn sharp and clean in the brilliant colors of a wet blue morning in spring on the edge of a seascape of surf and sky and rocks. Eliminating Needless Modifiers We can improve our writing by using adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases that add to the meaning of sentences. We can also improve our writing by eliminating modifiers that add nothing to the meaning. A good writer doesnt waste words, so lets cut the clutter. The following sentence is wordy because some of the modifiers are repetitious or insignificant: Wordy: The steward was really a very friendly and agreeable man, quite round, rotund, and sleek, with a very costly set of dimples around his terribly pleasant smile. We can make this sentence more concise (and thus more effective) by cutting out the repetitious and overworked modifiers: Revised: The steward was an agreeable man, rotund, and sleek, with a costly set of dimples around his smile.(Lawrence Durrell, Bitter Lemons) PRACTICE: Cutting the ClutterMake this sentence more concise by eliminating needless modifiers: It was a rainy morning, dull, wet, and gray, in the early part of the month of December. Common Prepositions about behind except outside above below for over across beneath from past after beside in through against between inside to along beyond into under among by near until around despite of up at down off with before during on without

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Technical managers and the law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Technical managers and the law - Essay Example Employees get a formal workplace with increased freedom and better-working conditions. The customer has an advantage related to workplace laws in that products are made following the set standards with no unnecessary advertisements and misrepresentation of facts to misguide the customers (BizFilings, 2012). Some of the negatives related to workplace laws are the costs associated with legal action in response to these rules. The management, the government, the employees, and the courts suffer significant costs when workplace cases touch on them. The exemption from liability by the workplace laws is another negative that affects most parties. Employees sign laws that limit the extent of their working conditions and impose strict measures regarding the functioning of the business. The management is required by law to establish various provisions relating to the employees and their families at the expense of the company’s working hours. Employees can also sue the business for the mistakes of an individual member of the management team and receive financial compensation at the expense of the company (Root III, 2015). Yes, I have witnessed an ethical workplace law. The management was imposing strict clothing requirements for women while not touching on the requirements for men. The management was using the women in a discriminatory manner to increase their customer base. Women were required to wear short dresses and tightly fitting clothing in a move aimed at increasing male clients. BizFilings. (2012, May 24). Workplace rules protect your business and maintain a positive employee environment. Retrieved from http://www.bizfilings.com/toolkit/sbg/office-hr/managing-the-workplace/workplace-rules.aspx Root III, G. N. (2015). Advantages & disadvantages of ethical compliance in an organization | Chron.com. Retrieved from

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

How Air Brakes on Trains Work Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How Air Brakes on Trains Work - Article Example Eventually, there is a slowdown of the wheels and the whole train stops. The braking material assumes the form of a pad or block. Most trains are installed with braking systems that feature compressed air like the power to force blocks on to pads or wheels on to discs. Such systems are referred to as "pneumatic brakes" or "air brakes". A â€Å"brake pipe† is used to transmit the compressed air into the system. Varying the level of air pressure results into a variance in the brake’s state of application in every locomotive. The train may apply the brake, hold (release) it after an incomplete application. The compressor serves as the pump necessary for drawing air from the atmosphere, while compressing it for further usage on the train. The principal function of the air is portrayed in the brake system, even if compressed air is also used in other means. The driver’s brake valve acts as the means via which the train driver regulates the brake system. This valve has a minimum of such positions as: "Running", "Lap", "Release", "Emergency", and "Application". Additionally, a position to "Shut Down" is included to help lock the valve when it is not on use. Every position plays an autonomous role in the braking system. The "Release" position links the brake pipe to the main reservoir. This effort helps in raising the available air pressure within the shortest time possible in order to acquire an instant release when the driver is signaled to restart the train. The selection of the feed value is acquired when the valve is in the position, "Running". This facilitates the maintenance of a slow feed within the brake pipe in order to counteract the losses or small leaks in the connections, brake pipe and connections. The role of the "Lap" is to help close the link between the brake pipe and main reservoir, as well as to hinder the atmospheric connection when a brake application is committed. The Lap has

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Using Structure,Outcome, and Process in Evaluating Quality Medical Care Essay Example for Free

Using Structure,Outcome, and Process in Evaluating Quality Medical Care Essay Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Structure, process, and outcome are the common indicators used in evaluating the quality of medical care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper will delve on the meaning of structure, process, and outcome indicators as they relate to the assessment of quality medical care. Using Structure,Outcome, and Process in Evaluating Quality Medical Care   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Healthcare personnel and medical facilities are constantly demanded to provide a report about the outcome of their admission of treatment. Governments get in touch with hospitals to provide an accounting of their results so that they could come up with new health care structure, as well as to serve as a back-up for the establishment of new regulations in medical systems. Insurance companies show greater interest in the outcome of medical treatments in order that they can deliver cost-effective care and benchmarking (Van der Ent, 6-7). Providing quality assessment of medical care is important because financial departments of health care providers usually it helps them come up with an affordable price in terms of medical care. Newspapers and magazines usually compare the performance of hospitals as far as the safety and satisfaction of their patients are concerned. For patients, they have the right to be informed about which facility or doctor provides quality medical care (Van der Ent, 6-7). At present, there are various systems in place used in assessing the quality of medical care. In the United Kingdom, for example, the salary of general practitioners are based on how they performed in the Quality and Outcomes Framework 1. In order to be successful, the hospital or medical facility should establish a set of indicators (Van der Ent, 6-7). Structure, Process, and Outcome As Indicators Of Quality Medical Care   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The structure of the medical care serves as the background in the delivery of medical care to the patient. In administering cystic fibrosis, does the delivery of quality medical care involve other practitioners such as a pulmonist, physiotherapist, dietician, and social worker? (Van der Ent, 6-7)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Process indicators, on the other hand, has something to do with how medical care is organized. This means that every procedure requires protocols and guidelines. For example, what is the usual protocol in measuring lung function? How are patients infected by staphylococcus aureus segregated from other patients? (Van der Ent, 6-7)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Outcome indicators, meanwhile, is concerned with the result of medical care. It has something to do with statistics such as mortality rate, percentage of complications, number of patients who recover, and so on. The outcome of medical care usually helps in the determining whether care is insufficient as well as in pointing out the reason for the failure of medical care. In most healthcare systems, the basic requirement are the structure and process indicator instead of the outcome(Van der Ent, 6-7). The Advantage of Using Outcome In Assessing Quality Medical Care   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The outcome of medical care is most often used as the indicator of quality health care. Its reliability as a determinant of quality care cannot be doubted. Aside from that, it more or less provides an accurate assessment of medical care (Donabien, 691-729).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, there are some factors that limits the use of outcomes as an indicator of quality medical care. One of these factors is whether or not the outcome is indeed the relevant indicator. There are instances when outcomes becomes irrelevant especially in cases when the survival of the patient will not be critical but will cause them to be paralyzed or bring about serious complications (Donabien, 691-729). References C.K. van der Ent(2008). Quality Assessment: Is The Truth in the Outcome? European Respiratory Journal, 31, 6-7 Donabien, A(2005). Evaluating The Quality of Medical Care. The Milbank Quarterly, 83, 691 729

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Killer Angels :: essays research papers fc

THe Killer Angels Opinion and Commentary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel The Killer Angels, Mr. Shaara's historical accuracy is unquestionable. He has written this fabulous (Pulitzer Prize winning) novel. Although the heroic suicidal charge of the 10th Minnesotans on the second day of the battle was left out, Shaara focuses on Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine which makes up for the lapse.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is safe to say that no other novel has so closely allowed the reader to understand the peculiar madness of this civil war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading this powerful, exciting novel one assumes that whenever cultures clash, there will be a final conflict. By showing the reader what the principals of this great battle were (and may have been) current thinking on multiculturalism are highlighted in a new and perplexing way. This was a great feet for a book written in 1974 to be so magnificent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Killer Angels has been made into a five hour long motion picture and is called 'Gettysburg.' The novel is so compelling that the story seldomly deviates from the movie. The movie illustrates Mr. Shaara's ability to tell a complex story with clarity. The novel shows a great depiction of the tragedy of war, like in the part when Armistead races into battle, even though he is fighting his best friend (Hancock), and they both get shot. It really shows the views of each side, and what each character felt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Killer Angels' will satisfy both the history buff and the Civil War buff. But, the sense of duty, honor, and the appalling loss of life as well as the unbelievable heroism displayed by both sides in the battle will move many readers. The Killer Angels Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This outstanding historical novel depicts four days at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania which occur during summer of 1863. These crucial days are the turning point of the American Civil War and the strong days of the Confederacy. In just three days of slaughter in Eastern Pennsylvania, there was one-third as many casualties as during the three years of the Korean War. At the beginning, General Robert E. Lee leads a confident, flawless Confederate Army north into Pennsylvania. There, they hope to demolish the Union Army by provoking it into an attack. Colonel Chamberlain leads a desperate charge of the 20th Maine. For Colonel Chamberlain's actions, he later received the Congressional Medal of Honor. This is told with such force and clarity that the reader smells the gun smoke, hears the rebel yells, feels the heat and desperation and experiences the exhaustion and relief of the Union troops when the day is finally won.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

P&G analysis Essay

Euromonitor International’s report on Procter & Gamble Co, The delivers a detailed strategic analysis of the company’s business, examining its performance in the Beauty and Personal Care market and the global economy. Company and market share data provide a detailed look at the financial position of Procter & Gamble Co, The, while in-depth qualitative analysis will help you understand the brand strategy and growth prospects of Procter & Gamble Co, The. This report examines: Company share by region and sector Brand portfolio New product developments Marketing and distribution strategies A detailed SWOT analysis of Procter & Gamble Co, The provides strategic intelligence on: Strengths and weaknesses Category and country opportunities for growth Challenges and threats from current competition and future prospects Global and regional market positions Research You Can Trust: Euromonitor International’s company profile reports are written by our Beauty and Personal Care research team, a dedicated group of analysts that knows the industry inside and out. Buy this report to inform your planning, strategy, marketing, sales and competitor intelligence functions. Growth opportunities in combining shaving and skin care products P&G oral care dynamic but Colgate drives product development High brand loyalty but losing oral care share in emerging markets Opportunities exist for P&G in premium fragrances P&G stresses Cover Girl’s American essence Brand Strategy Gillette brand enjoys broad geographic reach Procter & Gamble aims for more premium image for Pantene Procter & Gamble looks to cross-category branding for Olay Operations P&G emerging market manufacturing sites by country 2012 Recommendations Beauty portfolio in need of greater segmentation

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Evaluate the importance of regular exercise Essay

In recent years, the awareness of the importance of public health has increased significantly and maintaining a healthy body and mind is undoubtedly everyone’s daily wishes. Doing exercise is one of the ways to help people to fulfill their dreams as it can strengthen our body and improve our mind. The effectiveness of the aids from the state to help achieving the goal efficiently has also been put on the public’s discussion table. In this essay, will first examine the importance of exercise, following by analyzing how both Hong Kong and British government plays their role in ensuring its citizens exercise regularly and suggesting some follow-up actions. To begin with, doing exercise can help to improve our health condition and makes us stronger. Exercise can be divided into four categories: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility which will give us benefits if we can finish them all. (Go4Life n.d.) Researches. (Mayo clinic 2014) has shown that working out will on one hand lower stress and on the other hand in reduce body fat which will makes us look fitter and healthier. Once body fat is reduced, it can also lower the blood pressure and maintain a smooth circular blood flow. Threats posed to our body due to high blood pressure can be ceased for example strokes. Moreover, exercise shows a negative relationship with depressions. Endorphin is a hormone released when doing exercise which has a positive impact on our mood by making us happier and reducing rates of depression. This shows that the more we work out, the higher the level of happiness we can gain. Endorphins will diminish the perception of pain in brain will leads to positive feelings. (WebMD 2014) Social circle can also be widened when doing exercise as some of them require team work and players will have to co-operate with each other which increases their cohesions and boost their relationships. Take playing basketball as an example, team players will  have to communicate and trust each other and pass the ball to one another so as to gain goals. Strong social support which resulted can reduce the chance of depression as ones attention has been increased. By contrast, without any work out may lead to suicide in some extreme cases. Studies done by Dhaval and Inas shows that there i s a direct relationship between overweight status, depressive disorders, and suicidal behaviors. Overweight adolescents will have a low self-esteem as they are labeled as â€Å"fat boy† which makes them having a weak self-confidence and body dissatisfaction. (Dhaval & Inas 2009) As exercising can relate to life and death issues, it proves that it is of high importance that regular exercises are needed to maintain our body health. Next, the government should also play an important role in dealing with healthcare issue of citizens. According to recent reports, (Ko 2010; Chapman 2014) both Hong Kong and Britain are facing a problem of increased death rates due to obesity. This is mainly due to the increasing personal populous and changing in lifestyle characteristics with reduced in physical activity but increase in food intake which results in chronic diseases. With reference to the Hong Kong government’s official website, it has made a step forward to tackle this problem by introducing the National Fitness Day on 8th August annually (GovHK 2010). This offers its local citizens in free of charge sporting experience in appointed sports center in 18 districts of Hong Kong for example dancing play-in, fitness corner and some fitness and health talk and workshops. Parent-child activities are also available which can promote their relationships. Through this event, it can surely arouse the publics’ att ention in doing sports and even increases their own interest in developing certain type of sports. However, British government only did limited actions in developing citizens’ sportsmanship with the exception of London Olympics 2012 (Olympic.org 2013) which reveals more Britain are dead due to overweight and obese kept increasing and the figure is even 50 percent more when comparing to France as Chapman said. It is believed the British government should take Hong Kong as a reference to ensure its citizens involve in sports more often. By introducing reward system can increase their attention in doing sports and they will be more willing to do so. Also, public sports centers with low membership fees can  also be established so as to help low income families to enjoy this entertainment in low cost. Promotions and advertisements are needed so more people will know about it and raise their awareness of it. Due to the high authority of the government, it will hopefully help to promote exercise in Britain more effectively and testify to the success of Hong Kong in promoting spo rts to its residences. In addition, citizens maintaining good health will also benefit the state. With a poor health condition, worker will result in absentee from work and will decrease the productivity of the firm. (Krol at el., 2012) During the absent period, it may be difficult for the company to find a perfectly suitable substitute as the productivity loss will be unpredictable as workers are not assigned to the right jobs. Profits will be lost and reduces the economic growth of the nation (Wei at el., 2011). Also, as mentioned earlier, suicide incidents of workers can also affect the company. Foxconn, the production factory of Apple products is one of the place where often heard of workers there committed suicide due to poor working conditions and loneness ( BBC 2010). This will in no doubt damage the reputation of the firm and affect sales. However, if there can be enough work out for the labor, they will feel less stressed and more happy to work. Unwanted accidents can be avoided. One of the main responsibilities of citizens is to contribute to the society that we should produce to the profit maximizing output to help maintaining the labor force of our place to maintain efficiency. With good health, workers are able to work more efficiently as they can perform well and show their own talents. Productivity will then increase as a result of stimulating economic growth which will benefits the society. With better economic conditions, people are able to afford their own lives and have a higher standard of living. In order to avoid ceasing production process and reducing efficiency of firms, the government to a high extent should be responsible to regulate rules to help its citizens in public health issues. However, some may argue that it is our own responsibility to stay healthy which means we should not rely on the state. Health is a long-term investment which can be determinates by ourselves and we are personally  responsible daily. Some may also say that (Sherman 2012) good health will be attained if effort is given and we prioritize it well. Long-term effort is needed so as to balance our body, mind and effort. Exercise is a personal activity which depends on the individual willingness. If the government force them to work out, they may feel discontented and conflicts between the two parties will exist. Costs will be involved in dealing with the disputes which exploits interests of them. Furthermore, people may think that they will have their own practice to maintain health for example controlling their diet such as following the food pyramid (GovHK 2012). Parents also play vital role in dealing with the health conditions of their children. Healthy lifestyle practices should be n urtured since small so they will pay more intention to that even when they grow up. In addition, supports from schools should also be given to students for example setting up more physical education classes and also extra-circular activities related to sports so as to increase their amount of physical exercise. It is undouble that teaching from parents to their children is the most effective way to convey the idea of health to them as most children tend to listen to their parents more than anyone else. Therefore some believe that it is not the state’s responsibility and it should not intervene with people’s daily routines. To conclude, although some people may be dissatisfied if the government meddle with their exercise pattern, it is of paramount importance which the state should be responsible to deal with the health issues of its citizens as this is one of its responsibilities. If the state help to preserve the public’s exercising rhythm, it can reduce the disease-related problems and it is much easier for the state to intervene due to its high authority. At the same time, it will also bring positive impacts like increasing productivity which benefits the society. As a result, to a large extent the state should help in ensuring its citizens exercise regularly in order to maintain a good health. Reference List 1. Blanch, B, 2010. Foxconn suicides: ‘Workers feel quite lonely’. BBC online, [online] 28 May 2010. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10182824> [16 May 2014]. 2. Chapman, J, 2014. Britain’s obesity death rate. [online] Available at: [Accessed 04 May 2014] 3. Dhaval, D and Inas, R., 2009. Overweight status, self-perception, and suicidal behaviors among adolescents. Social Science & Medicine, [e-journal]. 68(9) Available through: Lancaster University Library website [Accessed 15 February 2014]. 4. Go4Life n.d., 4 Types of Exercise. [online] Available at: [Accessed 12 May 2014] 5. GovHK, 2010. Sport For All Day† on August 8 promotes benefits of regular exercise. [online] Available at: [Accessed 10 6. GovHK, 2012. The Food Pyramid -A Guide to a Balanced Diet. [online] Available at:< http://www.cheu.gov.hk/eng/info/exercise_07.htm> [Accessed 10 May 2014] 7. Krol, M ; Brouwer, W ; Severens, J ; Kaper, J ; Evers, S., 2002. Productivity cost calculations in health economic evaluations: Correcting for compensation mechanisms and multiplier effects. Social Science & Medicine, [e-journal] Abstract only. Available through: Lancaster University Library website < http://onesearch.lancs.ac.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?frbrVersion=5&tabs=detailsTab&ct=display&fn=search&doc=TN_sciversesciencedirect_elsevierS0277-9536(12)00553-9&indx=3&recIds=TN_sciversesciencedirect_elsevierS0277-9536(12)00553-9&recIdxs=2&elementId=2&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=5&dscnt=1&scp.scps=scope%3A%2844LAN_ALMA_DS%29%2Cscope%3A%2844LAN_ML_DS%29%2Cprimo_central_multiple_fe&frbg=&tab=quicksearch&dstmp=1400453092549&srt=rank&mode=Basic&dum=true&tb=t&vl(freeText0)=absenteeism%20productivity&vid=LUL_VU1> [Accessed12 May 2014]. 8. Ko, G, 2010. Obesity in Hong Kong – Risk and Burden. [online] Available at: [Accessed 15 May 2014] 9. MAYO Clinic, 2014. Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. [online] Available at: < http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389> [ Accessed 10 May 2014] 10. Olympic.org, 2013. London 2012. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 May 2014] 11. Sherman, S, 2012. Healing, Health and Self-responsibility. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 May 2014] 12. WebMD, 2014. Exercise and Depression. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 February 2014]. 13. Zhang, W ; Bansback, N and Aslam H.A.,2011. Measuring and valuing productivity loss due to poor health: A critical review. Social Science & Medicine, [e-journal] 72(2), 185-192. Available through Lancaster University Library website [15 May 2014]

Friday, November 8, 2019

How to Write the Revised GRE Analytical Writing Essays

How to Write the Revised GRE Analytical Writing Essays When people study for the GRE exam, they often forget about the two Writing tasks, the Analyze an Issue Task and the Analyze an Argument Task,  facing them on test day. Thats a big mistake! No matter how great of a writer you are, its important to practice these essay prompts before taking the exam. The GRE Writing Section is a doozy, but heres a brief how-to for writing the essays. How to Write the GRE Issue Essay: Remember that the Issue task will present an issue statement or statements followed by specific task instructions that tell you how to respond to the issue. Heres an example from ETS:   To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. First, choose an angle. The good news about the GRE Analytical Writing scoring is that you get to write about the issue from any angle. For example, you could do any of the following or choose an approach of your own:Agree with the issueDisagree with the issueAgree with parts of the issue and disagree with othersShow how the issue has inherent logical flawsDemonstrate the validity of the issue with comparisons to modern societyConcede a few points of the issue but refute the most important part of the claim Second, choose a plan. Since you only have 30 minutes, you need to make the best use of your writing time as is possible. It would be foolish to jump into the writing without scratching out a brief outline of the details and examples you want to include to make your strongest argument Third, write it. Keeping your audience in mind (faculty members and trained GRE graders), write your essay quickly and concisely. You can go back afterward to make changes, but for now, get the essa y written. You cant be scored on an empty sheet of paper. More Sample Issue Essays Write the GRE Argument Essay: The Argument task will present you with an argument for or against something and give you specific details about how you must respond. Heres a sample Argument task: The following appeared as part of an article in a business magazine. A recent study rating 300 male and female Mentian advertising executives according to the average number of hours they sleep per night showed an association between the amount of sleep the executives need and the success of their firms. Of the advertising firms studied, those whose executives reported needing no more than 6 hours of sleep per night had higher profit margins and faster growth. These results suggest that if a business wants to prosper, it should hire only people who need less than 6 hours of sleep per night. Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted. First, analyze the details. What facts are considered evidence? What is the offered proof? What are the underlying assumptions? What claims are made? Which details are misleading? Second, analyze the logic. Follow the line of reasoning from sentence to sentence. Does the author make illogical assumptions? Is the movement from point A to B logically rational? Is the writer drawing valid conclusions from the facts? What is the author missing? Third, outline. Map out the biggest problems with the prompts logic and your alternative rationale and counterexamples. Come up with as much evidence and support you can think of to support your own claims. Think outside the box here! Fourth, write it. Again, keep your audience in mind (which rationale would work best to convince a faculty member) write your response quickly. Think less about semantics, grammar, and spelling, and more about demonstrating your analytical skills to the best of your ability. Sample GRE Argument Essays The Analytical Writing Tasks in a Nutshell So, basically, the two writing tasks on the GRE are complementary in that you get to formulate your own argument in the issue task and critique anothers argument in the argument task. Please be mindful of your time in each task, however, and practice ahead of time to ensure your best score possible.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Famous Quotes About Love From Famous Humans

Famous Quotes About Love From Famous Humans Some quotes are forgotten; while others go on to make history. Some become so famous that they acquire the status of platitudes. These platitudes then go on to become adages. Here are a few famous quotes about love that have become legends in their own right. Rabindranath TagoreI seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times, in life after life, in age after age forever. Emily DickinsonThat love is all there is,Is all we know of love. Katherine HepburnSometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then. Charles DickensHave a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts. Martin Luther King, Jr.Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend. Mohandas K. GandhiLove never claims, it ever gives. Sir Winston ChurchillWhere does the family start? It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. No superior alternative has yet been found. My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.   Plato He who love touches walks not in darkness. Robert Browning What of soul was left, I wonder, when the kissing had to stop? Emily Bronte Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. Carl Jung Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other. Leo Tolstoy He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began. William Shakespeare I love thee, I love but theeWith a love that shall not dieTill the sun grows coldAnd the stars grow old. Albert Einstein Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. No, this trick wont work. How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Mark Twain ï » ¿Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. To get the full value of joyYou must have someone to divide it with.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Web Services Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Web Services Security - Essay Example Every business wants to use web services and extend it beyond the boundaries of their organization. This requires new security demands and solutions. Research of the literature available suggests that technology is being upgraded regularly. It is possible to keep the web services secure although for small organizations it may be costly. Most importantly, the web security vendors have to agree to a standard. Most web services have the security packages in-built while Microsoft also allows free downloads. Nevertheless, as technology develops so does the efforts and technology of the hackers and cyber criminals. Data breach resulting from weak security practices can result in facing lawsuits from the federal and state agencies. This can in turn erode business equity, consumer trust and ultimately the business reputation. Securing XML has a variety of problems and is vulnerable to a variety of attacks. There are too many web services security vendors but they have to advertise their mess ages in the right manner (Rowan). In the web services world all the vendors have to agree to a standard but different groups have emerged. Back lashing and copious reports about each other can be found although all are working towards ratifying the standards. Machine to machine communication poses a threat. Web services security can verify the origin of the messages but this necessitates that all members of the group have to be known to each other.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Define the Italian Renaissance. When did it begin and when did it end Essay

Define the Italian Renaissance. When did it begin and when did it end What were the intellectual, cultural, economic, and polit - Essay Example This was embraced by majority of the people from the middle ages. Factors that made the Italian renaissance possible There were political, intellectual, economic and cultural that facilitated the Italian renaissance leading to great achievements. These are discussed below: Political Factor There was political division between the Northern and the upper Central Italy. They were divided into warring states. There were also two opposing parties namely Guelfs and Ghibellines which operated within each state. Stronger states gathered enough forces and captured smaller states. During the renaissance period, Italy was governed through a series of oligarchies. These were ruled by specific families like the Borgia and the Medici families which were wealthy. These families supported the renaissance. For example, the Medici family was able to fund the thinkers of that time3. During the late 15th century, the ruling class and the aristocracy fully adopted the Renaissance ideal. This made it easy for its philosophy and art to spread faster. Under the rule of Cosimo de' Medici, the son of Giovanni de' Medici, the town of Florence became stable and prosperous. This motivated people to support the idea of development instead of fixing their minds to the influence of the Catholic Church. Political philosophers like Niccolo Machiavelli influenced renaissance through their works. Niccolo wrote articles like Florentine Histories and The Prince and Discourses on Livy. The Prince and Discourses on Livy had much more influence than any other piece of writing at the time. It led to a change in political perspective of many people. Niccolo wanted people to view politics from the point of reality and absolutism. The families which ruled used the renaissance as their power. The renaissance got to its peak in the 16th century. There were foreign invasions in Italy which led to the turmoil of Italian wars. It led to great devastation of northern Italy and loss of independence of many state s. In May, 1527, Spanish and German troops invaded Italy. It was as a result of this invasion that Rome encountered major setbacks for two decades. This brought to an end the role of the Papacy as a driver of Renaissance4. There were shifts in the control of the Papacy. Renaissance philosophy and art dominated the Vatican when wealthy families like the Borgias and Medici began controlling the Papacy. Intellectual The stage for renaissance was set by the Italian literature revolution in the 13th century. Before renaissance, Latin, French and Provencal were used as the literary languages in Italy instead of the Italian language. Come the 13th century, Italian authors began producing their works using their native language. Mid 13th century poets like Giuttone d'Arezzo and Giodo Guinizelli pioneered poetry works like Dolce Stil Novo which means Sweet New Style. This poetry work stressed on platonic rather than courtly love. Aldus Manutius initiated book printing. This led to an increas e in books published in the Italian language. Italian writers were able to produce many new books about sports, science, farming and politics. At the same time, there were many texts written in Greek and Latin. These had great contributions to the Italian renaissance. A lot of study and translation was conducted to the Greek and Latin texts. Science and philosophy was also developing. This influenced the poetry and literature of the renaissance. Italy had great philosophers, artists, sculptors

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly Essay - 1

Perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly - Essay Example Thirdly, an oligopoly comprises of few firms. When these firms merge, they reduce output to allow them raise their profits as in the case of a monopoly. In doing so, they produce output that creates incentives for cheating in the case of collusive agreements, ending up competing with each other. Fourthly, a monopolistic competition entails many firms competing against each other, each producing a slightly different product. This paper will depict the traits of different types of market, their differences, similarities, and economic efficiency of outcomes under perfect competition and monopoly. The major traits of perfect competition include prevalence of many small firms, all organizations selling identical products, free entry and exit to the market, and perfect knowledge regarding the prices and technology in the market. These traits mean that it is not possible for a firm to exercise any form of control in the market. Since the large number of firms sell identical products, a broad range of perfect substitutes prevail based on the output of a given organization. As such, the demand curve for the firms in a perfectly competitive market is perfectly elastic (Dransfield, 2013). Since firms are free to enter the market, this means that resources such as capital are perfectly mobile. As such, it is not possible to impose barriers of entry into the market. With regard to the issue of perfect knowledge, it is true that organizations operate in a similar environment. As such, consumers are aware of the perfect substitutes prevalent in the market for a certain good, especially since firms produce matching products (Stackelberg, 2010). In a perfect competition market, the industry and market forces determine the prices and output. The price is set by the market forcing firms to adjust their prices based on equilibrium position of firms as shown by the figures below. In the first figure, the demand and supply curves interest at point E.

Monday, October 28, 2019

E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola

E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola ABSTRACT In this report as the title tells, I approach the economic development of Angola in terms of one of its major developer, the internet and ecommerce. I have done this because it is often impossible to glean important facts and insights about such countries which a society pronounces poor or third world. In the chapters that follow, I will relate to the ecommerce and its effect of economic development of Angola, compare Angola with a developing country as well as with an underdeveloped nation. Firstly economic development is discussed in relation to electronic commerce in order to show the complexities and ease related to drawing a clear line between the two forms. Secondly economic development is discussed in relation to ecommerce, economy, culture, elements which influence the issue in one way or another. For, as shall be repeatedly seen, problems like economic support from a developed state have a close and continuing relation to the values and social structures which a society regards as stable and normal. My emphasis will be, however, on the problem itself, called ecommerce and its effect on the economic development of Angola. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Electronic Commerce Electronic commerce, generally identified as (electronic marketing) e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems for example the Internet and other computer networks. The total of trade conducted electronically has grown unusually with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online deal processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the deals lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well. (Miller, 2002) Internet Ecommerce The previous ten years have seen the internet and e-commerce surface as fundamental features of our business, communal and educational life. Developments for example Web 2.0, the semantic web, e-government strategies, user generated content, virtual worlds and online social networks have redesign the way we commune, intermingle and transact. The Evolution of Electronic Commerce The numerous means in which business is carried out are based on established suppositions and accords between the parties concerned. Numerous procedures have been agreed upon to safeguard both the consumer and the merchant from deception or theft. Even in the simplest form of dealcash changing hands directly between buyer and sellera sales receipt is classically provided as a record of what turned out. As we move into the electronic business field, the means of protection become more and more concerned. The essence of ecommerce is buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. The advantages are fairly self-evident. Because the Internet is readily accessible by millions of prospective customers worldwide, suppliers and customers can interact in a dynamic environment where supply and demand truly regulate the economic cycle. Organisations of any size, from sole proprietorships to multinational corporations, can expand their business to reach new customers in new markets, some even achieving a notable level of efficiency. The sole proprietor is able to broaden the scope of his/her business to a mass market approach, while the multinational corporation can now focus on niche markets heretofore considered too costly to access using the traditional mechanisms for market penetration. (Austin, 1999) Further study discloses some specific downsides to the Internet business paradigm. What you basically have is computers (presumably being operated by humans) trading responsive financial data by means of a widely-available communications infrastructure. Unexpectedly the matters of accountability (being able to attribute a deal to the actual instigator) and accountability (attributing responsibility to each participant for their part of the deal) become more vital than ever. A lot of propaganda has been generated over the initial incursions into electronic commerce. It seems ubiquitously we turn someone is singing the praises of electronic catalogues, online shopping, electronic check writing, web-based advertising and customer prospecting, and on and on. The truly brave can even purchase a car over the Internet. But these consumer-oriented business activities taking place on the Internet today are just the tip of the iceberg. From the perspective of true international commerce, we have not yet begun to do business electronically. Infrastructure of Ecommerce The main issue that requires to be dealt with before electronic commerce can convey on its assurance is the development of an international infrastructure that all of the main players can be in agreement upon. In most circles this infrastructure is called the International Information Infrastructure (GII). This electronic infrastructure must make available all of the compensations needed for a healthy e-commerce strategy: Â § Security-enabled. This is essential to permit development of convenient solutions which provide accountabilityknowing the real who in a deal. Beyond that, the ability to impute liability to any and all parties concerned in completing a deal is a must for business. For suppliers, e-commerce will be about establishing the identity of the individuals who represent the parties concerned. It means that all participants have a confident reliance on users identity, while holding each party liable to perform their role in the deal. (Jacobsen, 2000) Â § Ultra-reliable. In electronic commerce, transactions take place without those worried ever meeting in person, and that implies the need for a technology presentation and dependability factor of 99.99%, especially for mission-vital applications. An infrastructure must be reliable and trusted on a continuous basis. Any weak connection in its safety measures will deliver the whole impracticable for serious electronic commerce. Â § International. Electronic business cannot be restricted to the country of origin. As we progress into the future, e-commerce must transcend national boundaries. We need an absolute e-commerce infrastructure. To be really effectual, e-commerce providers will need an infrastructure which is international in its nature, or recognise that electronic business is closed by national boundaries. Distinct from the international mass user and point solutions-based Internet market of today, large organisations are becoming critically attentive that they will need to manage accountability and liability in providing any significant level of customer security, especially with end-user customers, but especially in business between themselves in their interactions with employees, partners and suppliers. (Jacobsen, 2000) After two decades of declining economic performance, Angola is currently staging a promising revival. Over the past several years, average real economic expansion in the region has increased vitally while, in a growing number of countries, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has been positive. In 1998, despite financial turmoil in Asia and Latin America, Angola enjoyed its fourth consecutive year of positive GDP expansion. Nevertheless, Angolas current economic revival remains fragile. Up to date expansion has not yet reached the sustained levels that are essential to alleviate widespread poverty endemic to the region. A number of hurdles still need to be effectively addressed and overcome if the transform process and current revival are to lead to broad-based and sustainable development for Angola. Furthermore, conditions vary widely among the forty-eight states of Angola and this diversity must be taken into account in assessing the countrys prospects. Fortunately, as this article seeks to demonstrate, there are reasons to be optimistic that many Angolan states can overcome the remaining hurdles to sustained expansion. A new generation of Angolan leaders and entrepreneurs and current developments in the areas of private sector expansion, debt relief, regional economic integration, and telecommunications have the potential to economic expansion in means not heretofore anticipated. Regional Transformation And Economic Revival Angolas up to date economic performance has indeed been encouraging. Between 1990 and 1997, the number of Angolan states registering annual expansion rates of three to six percent nearly doubled, from fourteen in the beginning of the decade to twenty-six in 1997, while seven Angolan states had expansion rates of six to eight percent. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), after almost two decades of stagnation and decline, real GDP in Angola was growing at an average rate in 1997 of four to five percent a year. The World Bank reported that over eighty percent of countries (thirty-eight out of forty-eight) registered increased per capita incomes in 1997, as their rates of economic expansion exceeded their population expansion rate. (World Bank Group, 1998) According to the most up to date data, 1998 was the fourth consecutive year that GDP per capita did not fall, an event that has not happened in Angola since the late 1970s,(Department Of Econ. Soc. Affairs Unite d Nations Conference On Trade Dev., 1999) while the 3.3% expansion in 1998 GDP was the highest among all regions of the world. (Economic Soc. Poly Div., Economic Commn For Afr., 1999) Increased macroeconomic stabilitya result of sound financial and political policieshas been encouraging increased levels of investment in the region over the past several years. Average inflation fell from a peak of forty-five percent in 1994 to an estimated twelve percent in 1998, with only fifteen Angolan states still experiencing double-digit inflation rates by 1997, compared with thirty-five in 1994, according to the IMF. There has also been a vital reduction in internal and external financial imbalances. The average external current account deficit (before grants) fell from 5.5% of GDP to 4% over the same period, while the average overall fiscal deficit (again before grants) was halved between 1992 and 1997, to about 4.5% of GDP.(Calamitsis, 1998) As a result, investment in the region has been steadily growing, according to the IFCs 1998 report. In 1998, gross domestic investment rose to twenty-three percent of GDP, from lows of about fifteen percent in the early 1990s. Private investment has also increased, registering 10.6% of GDP in 1996, the highest level since 1981. Long-term private capital flows to Angola in 1997 reached $8 billion, twice as high as in the previous year. Along with investment levels, Angolan trade and export earnings have increased. While Angolas share of total world trade has not changed, the volume of Angolan exports is expanding almost as fast as international trade and Angola is emerging as a viable international trading partner. Angolas trade volume increased by eight percent in 1997, according to UN s, with exports having expanded roughly twice as fast as GDP in up to date years. The regions up to date expansion has been widely attributed to the efforts of a new generation of transform-minded Angolan leaders in key countries who, through the adoption of democratic and market-based transforms, have made substantial progress in moving their countries toward political and macroeconomic stability. Many Angolan states continue to implement trade liberalisation and privatisation programmes that are freeing up their markets and helping them to become more active participants in international commercial activity and economic progress. In such a positive political and economic environment, private sector led trade and investment can now play an increasingly important role in bringing broad-based expansion and sustainable development to the region. Some countries in Angola have already begun to reap the rewards that can result from sounder fiscal and monetary policies, increased regional economic integration, and accelerated privatisation programmes. Chief among the rewards is expanded trade, investment, and access to the international marketplace, as international companies increasingly look to Angolas emerging economies and Angolan entrepreneurs and private sector organisations seek to play a more visible role in the economies of their countries. These trends suggest that the growing private sector in Angola has real potential to become an important engine for expansion and economic development in the region, as it has already in other regions of the developing world. Investment And Expansion Despite the up to date positive economic trends and expansion of the private sector in Angola, as we enter the new millennium, sustained, broad-based economic development in the region remains one of the most formidable policy challenges facing the country. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Angola (ECA), in order for Angola to cut its poverty in half by the year 2015, a development objective often cited by Angolan governments and their development partners, the region as a whole would require a yearly GDP expansion rate of seven percent. For this to happen, an investment of thirty-three percent of GDP would be needed for Angola as a whole. Achieving domestic investment of thirty-three percent looks increasingly unlikely, as two of the three components of domestic investment are declining or stagnant. While the regions current domestic savings rate is only estimated at fifteen percent, annual inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) remain low, and the levels o f official development assistance of up to date years are declining. The renewed expansion in many countries has not yet reached, let alone been sustained at, levels that would alleviate the widespread poverty endemic to the region. The great majority of the regions population continues to live at levels well below the poverty line, with forty percent living on less than one dollar a day, according to the World Bank. (The World Bank Group, 1999) Furthermore, the globalisation phenomenon, which has been highlighted by growing economic integration and rapid technological change, has often meant increased prosperity for those countries able to compete in an increasingly integrated international economy, but steady decline and marginalisation for those not able to compete. Still, too many countries have remained largely on the sidelines, saddled by debt and relying primarily on foreign assistance for many of their development needsat a time when such assistance is on the decline. Among the current obstacles to reaching levels of expansion that will bring broad-based development to the region, the following three matters pose particularly vital challenges: (1) the uncertain future of the transform process, (2) Angolas debt burden, and (3) the regions limited participation in the international trading system. A Delaying Transformation Although more than thirty countries have launched political and economic transform programmes over the last decade, the transform process has not been uniform across the country. Angolan leaders in some countries have been unwilling or unable to implement transform programmes, sometimes as a result of political or civil instability. In other countries, the difficulties or costs of transform have threatened to undermine the process and raise the possibility that a country could abandon the process before it has had sufficient time to bear fruit. For example, Zimbabwe has only recently re-instituted some protectionist measures, including increased duties and exchange restrictions in response to mounting foreign exchange pressures. Moreover, trade regimes in many Angolan states remain complex and restrictive compared with those of most other developing countries. Such regimes isolate their domestic producers and prevent them from becoming more fully integrated into the international tra ding system. In addition, the privatisation process has been sluggishthe victim of public mistrust and a lack of consensus among policymakers. In an up to date World Bank study that shed light on the problems of privatisation in Angola, the lack of political commitment, poor design, insufficient resources, weak management, and corruption were cited as major factors inhibiting the process. The report highlighted the need for Angolan governments to improve public information as the most powerful tool for ensuring transparency, helping to build consensus, and assuring commitment and accountability in the process. (White Bhatia, 1998) Poor economic environments and policies in some countries have also inhibited increased trade and investment. These conditions have caused rampant inflation and high interest rates and have prevented Angolan policymakers from fully abandoning foreign exchange controls and other restrictions. Earlier that year, Botswana became the first and only country in Angola to abolish all forms of exchange controls, (Steyn, 1999) while in some countries, inflation continues to lead to debilitating currency crisis. In Malawi, for example, inflation is now hovering at around 53% (up from 18.5% recorded at the same period in 1998), an indicator that the currency may need to be devalued yet again, after a devaluation of 67% in 1998. (Pan Angolan News Agency, 1999) Continued volatility in the Angolan market environment underlines the need for continued success in the transform process. The Liability Burden In addition to delaying transform, Angolas external liability burden continues to be a major obstacle to investment and further expansion, particularly in the highly indebted poor countries. Many Angola economies are unusually indebted with an average of twenty percent of GDP going directly to liability servicing, according to UNCTAD. (Sachs Stevens, 1998) In 1998, liability service increased to $35 billion, or more than thirty-one percent of goods and nearly three percent of service exports, up from $33 billion in 1997. The external liability of Angolan states rose moderately from $349 billion in 1998, according to the ECA. As a proportion of exports and GDP, the external liability of Angola is the highest of any developing region. Not only does Angolas liability deter private investment, including foreign direct investment, but it also impedes public investment in physical and human infrastructureinvestment vital to a countrys economic development. The IMF estimated that, by the end of 1999, Angolas liability to GDP ratio would rise to almost sixty-eight percent, up from fifty-two percent two years earlier. (International Monetary Fund, 1998) The region will continue to be crippled by mounting liability, draining it of needed resources that could otherwise be invested back into the regions economy, unless there is more rapid and effective liability relief matched with sustained expansion. Angola in the International Trading System and International Economy Angola is currently facing growing marginalisation in the international economy with its share of international production and trade in decline. Despite rising levels of Angolan domestic production and trade volumes over the last several years, the countrys share of international trade has continued to declineit was less than two percent in 1997. If the region is to gain an economic foothold and develop into the next century, it must attract more investment and trade, and become a more competitive trading partner in the new international economic system. Increasing commitments to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other regional accords thereby becoming a more active participant in the international trading systemis one way for Angola to attract investment and trade. The Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations resulted in the creation of a stronger set of rules governing international trade and the creation of the WTO, the successor to the General Accords on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Unfortunately, many countries in Angola were generally unable and unprepared to effectively participate in the negotiations and, partly as a result, have not been able to take advantage of the new international trading system. Although eighty-five percent of Angolan states are currently members of the WTO, limited trained staff and other pressing needs prevent many of them from active participation in WTO developments, further trade negotiations, and implementation of existing Uruguay Round accords. In addition, they have as yet been unable to take full advantage of numerous unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral preferential trading schemes designed to help expand access for Angolas products and integrate Angolas economies into the world trading system. The region is more likely to reap a larger share of international production and trade if it more actively participates in and undertakes meaningful commitments in the international trade organisation that is fostering the expansion of world trade. Road To Further Expansion And Sustainable Development In light of the existing challenges, what measures now need to be pursued to address these constraints and consolidate and build on the gains Angolas transformers have made over the past several years? According to Evangelos A. Calamitsis, former Director of the Angolan Department of the International Monetary Fund, the present economic upswing in Angola, unlike other recoveries in the past, has been largely homegrown and is therefore more likely to continue. However, Angolas present revival is most likely to endure if Angolan leaders can sustain and broaden the process toward transform and capitalise on several areas of strength that are breathing new life into the debate on private sector expansion and economic development. Staying the Road to Transformation Although outside the scope of this article, developments in Angolan states that are not counted as leading transformers can greatly influence the overall prospects for expansion on the country. For example, the fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in Angola can have a negative impact on the investment climate in neighbouring countries. On the other hand, the return of civilian rule in Nigeria and the prospects of better economic management can do a great deal to bolster investor confidence in the economic prospects for the country as a whole. Angolan leaders need to continue the political and economic transform process and encourage its spread to those countries that have not yet undertaken transforms. Many Angolan leaders have already demonstrated that they understand what needs to be done and have initiated the process. Still, the process must continue. If the region is to achieve high-quality and sustained expansionexpansion that will lead to poverty reduction and broad-based developmentin the years ahead, the transform process must be revitalised so that the changes become inexorably woven into the regions economic fabric. By continuing to implement sound fiscal and monetary policies and by accelerating the privatisation and trade liberalisation process, Angolan states will be proving to the international business community that Angola is serious about transform and ready and willing to do business. Despite up to date turbulence in the international economic environment, most Angolan states have resisted protectionist pressures. Their commitment to continue trade liberalisation highlights a general recognition among Angolas economic policymakers that increased trade has beenand will continue to bea key to expansion. In addition, Angolas growing participation in the WTO and regional trading arrangements by institutionalising policy transforms and binding lower tariffs and other trade liberalising measures can help to prevent countries from resorting to protectionist measures in the future. Role of Angolas Development Partners Angolas developed trade partners and the international financial institutions must continue to support regional transform if the process is to be sustainable. While Angolan states retain primary ownership and responsibility, for the process, the international community can support their efforts by (1) pursuing policies that promote world economic expansion and financial stability and expand the regions access to international markets, (2) providing meaningful liability relief, (3) continuing to supply technical and financial assistance to countries committed to transform, and (4) assisting Angolas regional economic groupings. Several up to date bilateral and multilateral initiatives demonstrate the commitment of some developed countries to support the regions up to date economic progress. While early speculation as to the potential impact of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations on the least-developed Angolan states was largely pessimistic following the Rounds conclusion, up to date bilateral and multilateral efforts are focusing on helping Angola take advantage of specific areas where it actually stands to gain as a result of the Round. According to an up to date report by the United States International Trade Commission on the Uruguay Round and U.S.-Angola trade flows, [t]hese gains can range from facing fewer restrictions and lower tariffs overall, affecting all WTO members, to specific market-access provisions that may benefit Angola in particular.(U.S. Intl Trade Commission, 1998) Efforts are also underway to expand existing preferential trading schemes like those under the Lome Convention and the U.S. Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme. For example, the Angolan Expansion and Opportunity Act (AGOA), now before the U.S. Congress, extends GSP to eligible Angolan beneficiary countries through June 30, 2008. In addition, the legislationas passed by the Housewould authorise the President to extend duty-free treatment under the GSP programme to all imports from transforming Angolan beneficiary countries, including those now considered to be import-sensitive. The changes to the GSP programme would support Angolas transformers by allowing their products increased access to international markets and would help to further integrate Angola into the international trading system, thereby increasing considerably the regions future economic prospects. In addition, a number of bilateral and multilateral technical assistance programmes in up to date years have sought to increase Angolas meaningful participation in WTO and diversify the regions trade. For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded a number of activities to increase Angolan governments capacity in the telecommunications area and in dealing with other WTO-related subjects. At the same time, some Angolan governments have recognised the importance of participating more actively in the work of the WTO in Geneva. As a result, developed and developing countries have joined together in proposals to have the WTO trade ministers at their meeting in Seattle in November 1999 and call for the WTO to improve and expand its technical assistance programmes for developing countries. Liability Reduction In the area of liability relief, international pressure has been mounting to expand the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in Angola. Launched by the World Bank and the IMF in 1996, the programme aims to provide exceptional liability relief assistance to forty-one eligible countries that are pursuing transforms, eighty-five percent of which are in Angola, according to the IMF.(Katsouris, 1998) Although to date, only two Angolan states, Uganda and Mozambique, have benefited from the HIPC Initiative (with a twenty percent and a two-thirds reduction of their respective debts), Burkina Faso, Cote d Ivoire, and Mali are scheduled to receive actual liability reduction in the next three years, according to the ECA. At the June 1999 Cologne Summit, the G-7 reached accord on the enhanced HIPC liability relief initiative. This scheme will provide faster, broader, and deeper relief for HIPC countries. The agreed enhancements to the HIPC Initiative accept, almost entirely, President Clintons proposals, as laid out during his address to the U.S.-Angola Ministerial in March 1999. The new HIPC will include a requirement to use savings from liability reduction to provide increased spending on social needs and human development. The $90 billion of liability reduction will require additional resources from the creditor governments and the international financial institutions. Under the proposal, up to 10 million ounces of the IMFs 104 million ounces of gold reserves would be sold in phases, with investment interest used to reduce the liability load of thirty-three poor countries in Angola. Paralleling the HIPC Initiative are unilateral and bilateral efforts that support faster and broader reduction of Angolas liability. For example, in March of 1999, the Clinton administration announced a new U.S. initiative that, if fully implemented, would amount to an additional $70 billion in liability cancellation for the heavily indebted poor countries. The Presidents initiative provides for (1) a focus on early cash flow relief by the international financial institutions, (2) complete forgiveness of bilateral concessional loans and ninety percent forgiveness of non-concessional liability, (3) a future international commitment to make at least ninety percent of new aid on a grant basis, and (4) the channelling of resources from the HIPC Initiative into education or environmental protection projects. In addition, on September 29, 1999, President Clinton announced at the IMF/World Bank annual meeting that he will seek legislative authorisation to forgive 100 percent of the liabilit y of HIPC countries owed to the United States when relief will help finance basic human needs. Regional Economic Integration and Globalisation A growing number of Angolan leaders appear to recognise the potential benefits of increased economic cooperation and have been supporting efforts at economic integration. Although many of the Angolan regional economic organisations, such as SADC, COMESA, WAEMU, and ECOWAS, have existed for a long time, only recently have these regional groupings taken vital steps toward the creation of free trade areas. The creation of larger integrated Angolan markets should result in enhanced opportunities for foreign and domestic investment, greater competition among firms, better utilisation and allocation of resources, internal and external economies of scale, and increased efficiency resulting from specialisation. Further, by enhancing trade among themselves as well as diversifying and expanding their production base, Angolan states stand to increase trade with other regions as well, thereby increasing the countrys share of international trade. The United States and international organisations have been supporting Angolas economic integration efforts. At the March 1999 Ministerial Meeting on Angola in Washington, D.C., the United States reaffirmed its continuing commitment to providing technical assistance to Angolas economic integration organisations such as EAC, SADC, IGAD, and COMESA and announced plans for extending that support to a greater number of regional groupings. Bilateral cooperation between the United States and SADC has been expanding over the last several years, a development highlighted by the first ever SADC-U.S. forum held in mid-April, 1999, in Botswana, where officials announced plans for the future establishment of a joint Business Council that would facilitate permanent dial E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola E-Commerce and Economic Development in Angola ABSTRACT In this report as the title tells, I approach the economic development of Angola in terms of one of its major developer, the internet and ecommerce. I have done this because it is often impossible to glean important facts and insights about such countries which a society pronounces poor or third world. In the chapters that follow, I will relate to the ecommerce and its effect of economic development of Angola, compare Angola with a developing country as well as with an underdeveloped nation. Firstly economic development is discussed in relation to electronic commerce in order to show the complexities and ease related to drawing a clear line between the two forms. Secondly economic development is discussed in relation to ecommerce, economy, culture, elements which influence the issue in one way or another. For, as shall be repeatedly seen, problems like economic support from a developed state have a close and continuing relation to the values and social structures which a society regards as stable and normal. My emphasis will be, however, on the problem itself, called ecommerce and its effect on the economic development of Angola. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Electronic Commerce Electronic commerce, generally identified as (electronic marketing) e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems for example the Internet and other computer networks. The total of trade conducted electronically has grown unusually with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online deal processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the deals lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well. (Miller, 2002) Internet Ecommerce The previous ten years have seen the internet and e-commerce surface as fundamental features of our business, communal and educational life. Developments for example Web 2.0, the semantic web, e-government strategies, user generated content, virtual worlds and online social networks have redesign the way we commune, intermingle and transact. The Evolution of Electronic Commerce The numerous means in which business is carried out are based on established suppositions and accords between the parties concerned. Numerous procedures have been agreed upon to safeguard both the consumer and the merchant from deception or theft. Even in the simplest form of dealcash changing hands directly between buyer and sellera sales receipt is classically provided as a record of what turned out. As we move into the electronic business field, the means of protection become more and more concerned. The essence of ecommerce is buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. The advantages are fairly self-evident. Because the Internet is readily accessible by millions of prospective customers worldwide, suppliers and customers can interact in a dynamic environment where supply and demand truly regulate the economic cycle. Organisations of any size, from sole proprietorships to multinational corporations, can expand their business to reach new customers in new markets, some even achieving a notable level of efficiency. The sole proprietor is able to broaden the scope of his/her business to a mass market approach, while the multinational corporation can now focus on niche markets heretofore considered too costly to access using the traditional mechanisms for market penetration. (Austin, 1999) Further study discloses some specific downsides to the Internet business paradigm. What you basically have is computers (presumably being operated by humans) trading responsive financial data by means of a widely-available communications infrastructure. Unexpectedly the matters of accountability (being able to attribute a deal to the actual instigator) and accountability (attributing responsibility to each participant for their part of the deal) become more vital than ever. A lot of propaganda has been generated over the initial incursions into electronic commerce. It seems ubiquitously we turn someone is singing the praises of electronic catalogues, online shopping, electronic check writing, web-based advertising and customer prospecting, and on and on. The truly brave can even purchase a car over the Internet. But these consumer-oriented business activities taking place on the Internet today are just the tip of the iceberg. From the perspective of true international commerce, we have not yet begun to do business electronically. Infrastructure of Ecommerce The main issue that requires to be dealt with before electronic commerce can convey on its assurance is the development of an international infrastructure that all of the main players can be in agreement upon. In most circles this infrastructure is called the International Information Infrastructure (GII). This electronic infrastructure must make available all of the compensations needed for a healthy e-commerce strategy: Â § Security-enabled. This is essential to permit development of convenient solutions which provide accountabilityknowing the real who in a deal. Beyond that, the ability to impute liability to any and all parties concerned in completing a deal is a must for business. For suppliers, e-commerce will be about establishing the identity of the individuals who represent the parties concerned. It means that all participants have a confident reliance on users identity, while holding each party liable to perform their role in the deal. (Jacobsen, 2000) Â § Ultra-reliable. In electronic commerce, transactions take place without those worried ever meeting in person, and that implies the need for a technology presentation and dependability factor of 99.99%, especially for mission-vital applications. An infrastructure must be reliable and trusted on a continuous basis. Any weak connection in its safety measures will deliver the whole impracticable for serious electronic commerce. Â § International. Electronic business cannot be restricted to the country of origin. As we progress into the future, e-commerce must transcend national boundaries. We need an absolute e-commerce infrastructure. To be really effectual, e-commerce providers will need an infrastructure which is international in its nature, or recognise that electronic business is closed by national boundaries. Distinct from the international mass user and point solutions-based Internet market of today, large organisations are becoming critically attentive that they will need to manage accountability and liability in providing any significant level of customer security, especially with end-user customers, but especially in business between themselves in their interactions with employees, partners and suppliers. (Jacobsen, 2000) After two decades of declining economic performance, Angola is currently staging a promising revival. Over the past several years, average real economic expansion in the region has increased vitally while, in a growing number of countries, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has been positive. In 1998, despite financial turmoil in Asia and Latin America, Angola enjoyed its fourth consecutive year of positive GDP expansion. Nevertheless, Angolas current economic revival remains fragile. Up to date expansion has not yet reached the sustained levels that are essential to alleviate widespread poverty endemic to the region. A number of hurdles still need to be effectively addressed and overcome if the transform process and current revival are to lead to broad-based and sustainable development for Angola. Furthermore, conditions vary widely among the forty-eight states of Angola and this diversity must be taken into account in assessing the countrys prospects. Fortunately, as this article seeks to demonstrate, there are reasons to be optimistic that many Angolan states can overcome the remaining hurdles to sustained expansion. A new generation of Angolan leaders and entrepreneurs and current developments in the areas of private sector expansion, debt relief, regional economic integration, and telecommunications have the potential to economic expansion in means not heretofore anticipated. Regional Transformation And Economic Revival Angolas up to date economic performance has indeed been encouraging. Between 1990 and 1997, the number of Angolan states registering annual expansion rates of three to six percent nearly doubled, from fourteen in the beginning of the decade to twenty-six in 1997, while seven Angolan states had expansion rates of six to eight percent. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), after almost two decades of stagnation and decline, real GDP in Angola was growing at an average rate in 1997 of four to five percent a year. The World Bank reported that over eighty percent of countries (thirty-eight out of forty-eight) registered increased per capita incomes in 1997, as their rates of economic expansion exceeded their population expansion rate. (World Bank Group, 1998) According to the most up to date data, 1998 was the fourth consecutive year that GDP per capita did not fall, an event that has not happened in Angola since the late 1970s,(Department Of Econ. Soc. Affairs Unite d Nations Conference On Trade Dev., 1999) while the 3.3% expansion in 1998 GDP was the highest among all regions of the world. (Economic Soc. Poly Div., Economic Commn For Afr., 1999) Increased macroeconomic stabilitya result of sound financial and political policieshas been encouraging increased levels of investment in the region over the past several years. Average inflation fell from a peak of forty-five percent in 1994 to an estimated twelve percent in 1998, with only fifteen Angolan states still experiencing double-digit inflation rates by 1997, compared with thirty-five in 1994, according to the IMF. There has also been a vital reduction in internal and external financial imbalances. The average external current account deficit (before grants) fell from 5.5% of GDP to 4% over the same period, while the average overall fiscal deficit (again before grants) was halved between 1992 and 1997, to about 4.5% of GDP.(Calamitsis, 1998) As a result, investment in the region has been steadily growing, according to the IFCs 1998 report. In 1998, gross domestic investment rose to twenty-three percent of GDP, from lows of about fifteen percent in the early 1990s. Private investment has also increased, registering 10.6% of GDP in 1996, the highest level since 1981. Long-term private capital flows to Angola in 1997 reached $8 billion, twice as high as in the previous year. Along with investment levels, Angolan trade and export earnings have increased. While Angolas share of total world trade has not changed, the volume of Angolan exports is expanding almost as fast as international trade and Angola is emerging as a viable international trading partner. Angolas trade volume increased by eight percent in 1997, according to UN s, with exports having expanded roughly twice as fast as GDP in up to date years. The regions up to date expansion has been widely attributed to the efforts of a new generation of transform-minded Angolan leaders in key countries who, through the adoption of democratic and market-based transforms, have made substantial progress in moving their countries toward political and macroeconomic stability. Many Angolan states continue to implement trade liberalisation and privatisation programmes that are freeing up their markets and helping them to become more active participants in international commercial activity and economic progress. In such a positive political and economic environment, private sector led trade and investment can now play an increasingly important role in bringing broad-based expansion and sustainable development to the region. Some countries in Angola have already begun to reap the rewards that can result from sounder fiscal and monetary policies, increased regional economic integration, and accelerated privatisation programmes. Chief among the rewards is expanded trade, investment, and access to the international marketplace, as international companies increasingly look to Angolas emerging economies and Angolan entrepreneurs and private sector organisations seek to play a more visible role in the economies of their countries. These trends suggest that the growing private sector in Angola has real potential to become an important engine for expansion and economic development in the region, as it has already in other regions of the developing world. Investment And Expansion Despite the up to date positive economic trends and expansion of the private sector in Angola, as we enter the new millennium, sustained, broad-based economic development in the region remains one of the most formidable policy challenges facing the country. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Angola (ECA), in order for Angola to cut its poverty in half by the year 2015, a development objective often cited by Angolan governments and their development partners, the region as a whole would require a yearly GDP expansion rate of seven percent. For this to happen, an investment of thirty-three percent of GDP would be needed for Angola as a whole. Achieving domestic investment of thirty-three percent looks increasingly unlikely, as two of the three components of domestic investment are declining or stagnant. While the regions current domestic savings rate is only estimated at fifteen percent, annual inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) remain low, and the levels o f official development assistance of up to date years are declining. The renewed expansion in many countries has not yet reached, let alone been sustained at, levels that would alleviate the widespread poverty endemic to the region. The great majority of the regions population continues to live at levels well below the poverty line, with forty percent living on less than one dollar a day, according to the World Bank. (The World Bank Group, 1999) Furthermore, the globalisation phenomenon, which has been highlighted by growing economic integration and rapid technological change, has often meant increased prosperity for those countries able to compete in an increasingly integrated international economy, but steady decline and marginalisation for those not able to compete. Still, too many countries have remained largely on the sidelines, saddled by debt and relying primarily on foreign assistance for many of their development needsat a time when such assistance is on the decline. Among the current obstacles to reaching levels of expansion that will bring broad-based development to the region, the following three matters pose particularly vital challenges: (1) the uncertain future of the transform process, (2) Angolas debt burden, and (3) the regions limited participation in the international trading system. A Delaying Transformation Although more than thirty countries have launched political and economic transform programmes over the last decade, the transform process has not been uniform across the country. Angolan leaders in some countries have been unwilling or unable to implement transform programmes, sometimes as a result of political or civil instability. In other countries, the difficulties or costs of transform have threatened to undermine the process and raise the possibility that a country could abandon the process before it has had sufficient time to bear fruit. For example, Zimbabwe has only recently re-instituted some protectionist measures, including increased duties and exchange restrictions in response to mounting foreign exchange pressures. Moreover, trade regimes in many Angolan states remain complex and restrictive compared with those of most other developing countries. Such regimes isolate their domestic producers and prevent them from becoming more fully integrated into the international tra ding system. In addition, the privatisation process has been sluggishthe victim of public mistrust and a lack of consensus among policymakers. In an up to date World Bank study that shed light on the problems of privatisation in Angola, the lack of political commitment, poor design, insufficient resources, weak management, and corruption were cited as major factors inhibiting the process. The report highlighted the need for Angolan governments to improve public information as the most powerful tool for ensuring transparency, helping to build consensus, and assuring commitment and accountability in the process. (White Bhatia, 1998) Poor economic environments and policies in some countries have also inhibited increased trade and investment. These conditions have caused rampant inflation and high interest rates and have prevented Angolan policymakers from fully abandoning foreign exchange controls and other restrictions. Earlier that year, Botswana became the first and only country in Angola to abolish all forms of exchange controls, (Steyn, 1999) while in some countries, inflation continues to lead to debilitating currency crisis. In Malawi, for example, inflation is now hovering at around 53% (up from 18.5% recorded at the same period in 1998), an indicator that the currency may need to be devalued yet again, after a devaluation of 67% in 1998. (Pan Angolan News Agency, 1999) Continued volatility in the Angolan market environment underlines the need for continued success in the transform process. The Liability Burden In addition to delaying transform, Angolas external liability burden continues to be a major obstacle to investment and further expansion, particularly in the highly indebted poor countries. Many Angola economies are unusually indebted with an average of twenty percent of GDP going directly to liability servicing, according to UNCTAD. (Sachs Stevens, 1998) In 1998, liability service increased to $35 billion, or more than thirty-one percent of goods and nearly three percent of service exports, up from $33 billion in 1997. The external liability of Angolan states rose moderately from $349 billion in 1998, according to the ECA. As a proportion of exports and GDP, the external liability of Angola is the highest of any developing region. Not only does Angolas liability deter private investment, including foreign direct investment, but it also impedes public investment in physical and human infrastructureinvestment vital to a countrys economic development. The IMF estimated that, by the end of 1999, Angolas liability to GDP ratio would rise to almost sixty-eight percent, up from fifty-two percent two years earlier. (International Monetary Fund, 1998) The region will continue to be crippled by mounting liability, draining it of needed resources that could otherwise be invested back into the regions economy, unless there is more rapid and effective liability relief matched with sustained expansion. Angola in the International Trading System and International Economy Angola is currently facing growing marginalisation in the international economy with its share of international production and trade in decline. Despite rising levels of Angolan domestic production and trade volumes over the last several years, the countrys share of international trade has continued to declineit was less than two percent in 1997. If the region is to gain an economic foothold and develop into the next century, it must attract more investment and trade, and become a more competitive trading partner in the new international economic system. Increasing commitments to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other regional accords thereby becoming a more active participant in the international trading systemis one way for Angola to attract investment and trade. The Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations resulted in the creation of a stronger set of rules governing international trade and the creation of the WTO, the successor to the General Accords on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Unfortunately, many countries in Angola were generally unable and unprepared to effectively participate in the negotiations and, partly as a result, have not been able to take advantage of the new international trading system. Although eighty-five percent of Angolan states are currently members of the WTO, limited trained staff and other pressing needs prevent many of them from active participation in WTO developments, further trade negotiations, and implementation of existing Uruguay Round accords. In addition, they have as yet been unable to take full advantage of numerous unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral preferential trading schemes designed to help expand access for Angolas products and integrate Angolas economies into the world trading system. The region is more likely to reap a larger share of international production and trade if it more actively participates in and undertakes meaningful commitments in the international trade organisation that is fostering the expansion of world trade. Road To Further Expansion And Sustainable Development In light of the existing challenges, what measures now need to be pursued to address these constraints and consolidate and build on the gains Angolas transformers have made over the past several years? According to Evangelos A. Calamitsis, former Director of the Angolan Department of the International Monetary Fund, the present economic upswing in Angola, unlike other recoveries in the past, has been largely homegrown and is therefore more likely to continue. However, Angolas present revival is most likely to endure if Angolan leaders can sustain and broaden the process toward transform and capitalise on several areas of strength that are breathing new life into the debate on private sector expansion and economic development. Staying the Road to Transformation Although outside the scope of this article, developments in Angolan states that are not counted as leading transformers can greatly influence the overall prospects for expansion on the country. For example, the fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in Angola can have a negative impact on the investment climate in neighbouring countries. On the other hand, the return of civilian rule in Nigeria and the prospects of better economic management can do a great deal to bolster investor confidence in the economic prospects for the country as a whole. Angolan leaders need to continue the political and economic transform process and encourage its spread to those countries that have not yet undertaken transforms. Many Angolan leaders have already demonstrated that they understand what needs to be done and have initiated the process. Still, the process must continue. If the region is to achieve high-quality and sustained expansionexpansion that will lead to poverty reduction and broad-based developmentin the years ahead, the transform process must be revitalised so that the changes become inexorably woven into the regions economic fabric. By continuing to implement sound fiscal and monetary policies and by accelerating the privatisation and trade liberalisation process, Angolan states will be proving to the international business community that Angola is serious about transform and ready and willing to do business. Despite up to date turbulence in the international economic environment, most Angolan states have resisted protectionist pressures. Their commitment to continue trade liberalisation highlights a general recognition among Angolas economic policymakers that increased trade has beenand will continue to bea key to expansion. In addition, Angolas growing participation in the WTO and regional trading arrangements by institutionalising policy transforms and binding lower tariffs and other trade liberalising measures can help to prevent countries from resorting to protectionist measures in the future. Role of Angolas Development Partners Angolas developed trade partners and the international financial institutions must continue to support regional transform if the process is to be sustainable. While Angolan states retain primary ownership and responsibility, for the process, the international community can support their efforts by (1) pursuing policies that promote world economic expansion and financial stability and expand the regions access to international markets, (2) providing meaningful liability relief, (3) continuing to supply technical and financial assistance to countries committed to transform, and (4) assisting Angolas regional economic groupings. Several up to date bilateral and multilateral initiatives demonstrate the commitment of some developed countries to support the regions up to date economic progress. While early speculation as to the potential impact of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations on the least-developed Angolan states was largely pessimistic following the Rounds conclusion, up to date bilateral and multilateral efforts are focusing on helping Angola take advantage of specific areas where it actually stands to gain as a result of the Round. According to an up to date report by the United States International Trade Commission on the Uruguay Round and U.S.-Angola trade flows, [t]hese gains can range from facing fewer restrictions and lower tariffs overall, affecting all WTO members, to specific market-access provisions that may benefit Angola in particular.(U.S. Intl Trade Commission, 1998) Efforts are also underway to expand existing preferential trading schemes like those under the Lome Convention and the U.S. Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme. For example, the Angolan Expansion and Opportunity Act (AGOA), now before the U.S. Congress, extends GSP to eligible Angolan beneficiary countries through June 30, 2008. In addition, the legislationas passed by the Housewould authorise the President to extend duty-free treatment under the GSP programme to all imports from transforming Angolan beneficiary countries, including those now considered to be import-sensitive. The changes to the GSP programme would support Angolas transformers by allowing their products increased access to international markets and would help to further integrate Angola into the international trading system, thereby increasing considerably the regions future economic prospects. In addition, a number of bilateral and multilateral technical assistance programmes in up to date years have sought to increase Angolas meaningful participation in WTO and diversify the regions trade. For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded a number of activities to increase Angolan governments capacity in the telecommunications area and in dealing with other WTO-related subjects. At the same time, some Angolan governments have recognised the importance of participating more actively in the work of the WTO in Geneva. As a result, developed and developing countries have joined together in proposals to have the WTO trade ministers at their meeting in Seattle in November 1999 and call for the WTO to improve and expand its technical assistance programmes for developing countries. Liability Reduction In the area of liability relief, international pressure has been mounting to expand the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in Angola. Launched by the World Bank and the IMF in 1996, the programme aims to provide exceptional liability relief assistance to forty-one eligible countries that are pursuing transforms, eighty-five percent of which are in Angola, according to the IMF.(Katsouris, 1998) Although to date, only two Angolan states, Uganda and Mozambique, have benefited from the HIPC Initiative (with a twenty percent and a two-thirds reduction of their respective debts), Burkina Faso, Cote d Ivoire, and Mali are scheduled to receive actual liability reduction in the next three years, according to the ECA. At the June 1999 Cologne Summit, the G-7 reached accord on the enhanced HIPC liability relief initiative. This scheme will provide faster, broader, and deeper relief for HIPC countries. The agreed enhancements to the HIPC Initiative accept, almost entirely, President Clintons proposals, as laid out during his address to the U.S.-Angola Ministerial in March 1999. The new HIPC will include a requirement to use savings from liability reduction to provide increased spending on social needs and human development. The $90 billion of liability reduction will require additional resources from the creditor governments and the international financial institutions. Under the proposal, up to 10 million ounces of the IMFs 104 million ounces of gold reserves would be sold in phases, with investment interest used to reduce the liability load of thirty-three poor countries in Angola. Paralleling the HIPC Initiative are unilateral and bilateral efforts that support faster and broader reduction of Angolas liability. For example, in March of 1999, the Clinton administration announced a new U.S. initiative that, if fully implemented, would amount to an additional $70 billion in liability cancellation for the heavily indebted poor countries. The Presidents initiative provides for (1) a focus on early cash flow relief by the international financial institutions, (2) complete forgiveness of bilateral concessional loans and ninety percent forgiveness of non-concessional liability, (3) a future international commitment to make at least ninety percent of new aid on a grant basis, and (4) the channelling of resources from the HIPC Initiative into education or environmental protection projects. In addition, on September 29, 1999, President Clinton announced at the IMF/World Bank annual meeting that he will seek legislative authorisation to forgive 100 percent of the liabilit y of HIPC countries owed to the United States when relief will help finance basic human needs. Regional Economic Integration and Globalisation A growing number of Angolan leaders appear to recognise the potential benefits of increased economic cooperation and have been supporting efforts at economic integration. Although many of the Angolan regional economic organisations, such as SADC, COMESA, WAEMU, and ECOWAS, have existed for a long time, only recently have these regional groupings taken vital steps toward the creation of free trade areas. The creation of larger integrated Angolan markets should result in enhanced opportunities for foreign and domestic investment, greater competition among firms, better utilisation and allocation of resources, internal and external economies of scale, and increased efficiency resulting from specialisation. Further, by enhancing trade among themselves as well as diversifying and expanding their production base, Angolan states stand to increase trade with other regions as well, thereby increasing the countrys share of international trade. The United States and international organisations have been supporting Angolas economic integration efforts. At the March 1999 Ministerial Meeting on Angola in Washington, D.C., the United States reaffirmed its continuing commitment to providing technical assistance to Angolas economic integration organisations such as EAC, SADC, IGAD, and COMESA and announced plans for extending that support to a greater number of regional groupings. Bilateral cooperation between the United States and SADC has been expanding over the last several years, a development highlighted by the first ever SADC-U.S. forum held in mid-April, 1999, in Botswana, where officials announced plans for the future establishment of a joint Business Council that would facilitate permanent dial