Essay examples --

Shale Gas refers to natural gas trapped within sedimentary shale rock formations and is found abundantly in many regions of the world. Recent advances in technology such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) have meant that access to this valuable resource is now viable. Onshore oil and gas exploration is the best, most transformative energy story since the transition from coal to oil a century ago. This is because what we are getting is a far cleaner and more economic source of energy than its predecessors or competitors. Even though gas is a fossil fuel in replacing coal for electricity - which is the global goal - it means that we can reduce CO2 emissions by more than 50 per cent. It is also a secure source of energy because it is globally ubiquitous. On the subject of resources, this is not a short-term solution. It is probably correct that we should try to avoid fossil use going out into a 30 or 40-year timeframe. But on the other hand the glo bal prevalence and ubiquity of natural gas shows us that there is at least 200 years’ worth of supply and is therefore a mammoth resource. Hydraulic fracturing has provided major technological boost to the industry in efforts to obtain larger amounts of natural gas from unconventional (tougher to reach) sources. According to Peter Saundry (2009), fracking is the process of placing high-pressurized water underground along with other fluids and chemicals into gas bearing rock to form fractures that are propped open with sand. When the formation is fractured, natural gas can then flow out of the crevices where it is then pumped out of the ground. Earlier forms of fracking by the United States can be traced back to the late 1940’s. the recent upsurge is caused by the ... ...he state of Colorado houses a fast growing and bankable energy market in the United States. With the nation carrying 100 natural fields of gas, containing three of the largest oil fields, Colorado has manifested itself to be a suited producer and competitor. Colorado doesn’t need any alternatives to its fracking policy. COGA’s (2012) study suggested that Colorado’s towns such as Garfield, Weld, La Plata, Rio Blanco, and Las Animas brought the state $8.1 billion and it directly brought 43,800 jobs with wages being 51 percent higher than states average. It clearly cannot be contradicted that the natural gas industry has a noteworthy influence on the states economy. Considering the tens of thousands of Coloradans employed to the colossal contributions of gas. As Colorado continues this path on energy, this foundation will promote further economic growth and diversity. Essay examples -- Shale Gas refers to natural gas trapped within sedimentary shale rock formations and is found abundantly in many regions of the world. Recent advances in technology such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) have meant that access to this valuable resource is now viable. Onshore oil and gas exploration is the best, most transformative energy story since the transition from coal to oil a century ago. This is because what we are getting is a far cleaner and more economic source of energy than its predecessors or competitors. Even though gas is a fossil fuel in replacing coal for electricity - which is the global goal - it means that we can reduce CO2 emissions by more than 50 per cent. It is also a secure source of energy because it is globally ubiquitous. On the subject of resources, this is not a short-term solution. It is probably correct that we should try to avoid fossil use going out into a 30 or 40-year timeframe. But on the other hand the glo bal prevalence and ubiquity of natural gas shows us that there is at least 200 years’ worth of supply and is therefore a mammoth resource. Hydraulic fracturing has provided major technological boost to the industry in efforts to obtain larger amounts of natural gas from unconventional (tougher to reach) sources. According to Peter Saundry (2009), fracking is the process of placing high-pressurized water underground along with other fluids and chemicals into gas bearing rock to form fractures that are propped open with sand. When the formation is fractured, natural gas can then flow out of the crevices where it is then pumped out of the ground. Earlier forms of fracking by the United States can be traced back to the late 1940’s. the recent upsurge is caused by the ... ...he state of Colorado houses a fast growing and bankable energy market in the United States. With the nation carrying 100 natural fields of gas, containing three of the largest oil fields, Colorado has manifested itself to be a suited producer and competitor. Colorado doesn’t need any alternatives to its fracking policy. COGA’s (2012) study suggested that Colorado’s towns such as Garfield, Weld, La Plata, Rio Blanco, and Las Animas brought the state $8.1 billion and it directly brought 43,800 jobs with wages being 51 percent higher than states average. It clearly cannot be contradicted that the natural gas industry has a noteworthy influence on the states economy. Considering the tens of thousands of Coloradans employed to the colossal contributions of gas. As Colorado continues this path on energy, this foundation will promote further economic growth and diversity.

Probability Exercice

MTH3301 Fall 2012 Practice problems Counting 1. A closet contains 6 di? erent pairs of shoes. Five shoes are drawn at random. What is the probability that at least one pair of shoes is obtained? 2. At a camera factory, an inspector checks 20 cameras and ? nds that three of them need adjustment before they can be shipped. Another employee carelessly mixes the cameras up so that no one knows which is which. Thus, the inspector must recheck the cameras one at a time until he locates all the bad ones. (a) What is the probability that no more than 17 cameras need to be rechecked? b) What is the probability that exactly 17 must be rechecked? 3. We consider permutations of the string †ABACADAFAG†. How many permutations are there? How many of them don’t have any A next to other A? How many of them have at least two A’s next to each other? 4. A monkey is typing random numerical strings of length 7 using the digits 1 through 9 (not 0). Call the digits 1, 2, and 3 â₠¬ lows†, call the digits 4, 5, and 6 †mids† and digits 7, 8 and 9 †highs†. (a) How many di? erent strings can he type? (b) How many of these strings have no mids? c) How many of these strings have only one high in them? For example, the string 1111199 has two highs in it. (d) What’s the probability that a string starts with a low and ends with a high? (e) What’s the probability that a string starts with a low or ends with a high? (f) What’s the probability that a string doesn’t have at least one of the digits 1 through 9? 5. School of Probability and Statistics (SPS) at IUA University has 13 male Moroccan professors, 8 female Moroccan professors, and 12 nonMoroccan professors. A committee of 9 professors needs to be appointed for a task. a) How many committees can be made? (b) What’s the probability 1 that the committee contains 2 Moroccan women, 3 Moroccan men, and 4 non-Moroccans? (c) What’s the probability t hat the committee contains exactly 4 nonMoroccans? (d) What’s the probability that the committee contains at least 4 nonMoroccans? (e) What’s the probability that the committee does not contain any Moroccan men? Conditional Probability, Bayes’ Theorem 1. Before the distribution of certain statistical software every fourth compact disk (CD) is tested for accuracy.The testing process consists of running four independent programs and checking the results. The failure rate for the 4 testing programs are, respectively, 0. 01, 0. 03, 0. 02 and 0. 01. (a) What is the probability that a CD was tested and failed any test? (b) Given that a CD was tested, what is the probability that it failed program 2 or 3? (c) In a sample of 100, how many CDs would you expect to be rejected? (d) Given a CD was defective, what is the probability that it was tested? 2. A regional telephone company operates three relay stations at di? rent locations. During a one-year period, the number of malfunctions reported by each station and the causes are shown below: Station Problems with electricity supplied Computer malfunction Malfunctioning electrical equipment Caused by other human errors A 2 4 5 7 B 1 3 4 7 C 1 2 2 5 Suppose that a malfunction was reported and it was found to be caused by other human errors. What is the probability that it came from station C? 3. Police plan to enforce speed limits by using radar traps at 4 di? erent locations within the city limits.The radar traps at each of the locations L1 , L2 , L3 , and L4 are operated 40%, 30%, 20%, and 30% of the time, and if a person who is speeding on his way to work has probabilities 2 0. 2, 0. 1, 0. 5 and 0. 2, respectively, of passing through these locations, what is the probability that he will receive a speeding ticket? You can assume that the radar traps operate independently of each other. 4. Jar A contains 6 red balls and 6 blue balls. Jar B contains 4 red balls and 16 green balls. A six-sided die is th rown. If the die falls †6†, a ball is chosen at random from jar A.Otherwise, a ball is chosen from Jar B. If the chosen ball is red, what is the probability that the die fell †6†? 5. The word spelled HUMOR by a person from the United States is spelled HUMOUR by a person from UK. At a party, two-thirds of the guests are from the United States and one-third from UK. A randomly chosen guest writes the word, and a letter is chosen at random from the word as written. (a) If this letter is a U, what is the probability that the guest is from UK? (b) If the letter is an H, what is the probability that the guest is from UK? 6.Jar A contains two black balls, jar B contains two white balls, and jar C contains one ball of each color. A jar is chosen at random. A ball is drawn from the chosen jar and replaced; then again a ball is drawn from that jar and replaced. If both drawings result in black balls, what is the probability that a third drawing from the same jar will a lso yield a black ball? 7. A jar contains 5 red balls and 10 blue balls. A ball is chosen at random and replaced. Then 10 balls of the same color as the chosen ball are added to the jar. A second ball is now chosen at random and seen to be red. What is the probability that the ? st ball was also red? Discrete Random Variables and their Cumulative Distribution Functions and Probability Mass Functions 1. A dice has 6 sides labelled 1 through 6, and the associated probabilities are a, b, c, d, e, and f respectively. Furthermore, you are told that P ({1, 2, 3}) = P ({4, 5, 6}). This die is tossed once and random variable X is twice the face value that showed up. Answer the following questions about X: 3 (a) What is the range space of X? (b) Draw the cumulative distribution function of X. (c) Write down the probability mass function of X. 2. A jar contains 10 balls, labelled 1 through 10.We will take 3 balls out of the jar. Let B be the random variable that is the highest label among the 3 balls withdrawn. Answer the following questions about B: (a) What is the range space of B? (b) Calculate p(b) for b = 3, 6, 10. (c) Calculate F (b) for b = 3, 6, 10. (d) Calculate P (B ? 8). 3. Consider a group of 5 blood donors, A, B, C, D, E, of whom only A and B have type O+. Blood samples will be taken from each donor in random order, until an O+ donor is reached. Let the random variable Y be the number of blood samples taken until an O+ individual is reached. (a) What is the range space of Y? b) Write down the probability mass function of Y. 4. A jar contains 15 balls, 10 of them red and 5 of them blue. Three balls are picked and let R be the random variable that is the number of red balls in these 3 drawn. (a) What is the range space of R? (b) Write down the prob. mass func. of R. (c) Write down the cumulative distr. func. of R. 5. A random variable Z has following range space and probability mass function: 4 value -3 -2. 5 0 4 12 20 probability of this value 0. 1 0. 15 0. 05 0. 3 0. 3 0. 1 (a) Draw the line graph of this PMF. (b) Write down the CDF of Z and draw its graph. (c) Calculate P (Z). . After all students have left the classroom, a probability professor notices that 4 copies of text book were forgotten behind. At the beginning of the next lecture, the professor distributes the 4 books in a completely random fashion to each of the four students who lef the books behind. Let X be the number of students who receive their own book. Determine the pmf of X. Hint: Think of permutations of 4 symbols. 7. Let X be the number of tires on a randomly selected automobile that are underin? ated. Which of the following three p(x) functions is a legitimate pmf for X, and why are the other two not allowed? p(x) p(x) p(x) 0 0. 3 0. 4 0. 4 1 0. 2 0. 1 0. 1 2 0. 1 0. 1 0. 2 3 0. 05 0. 1 0. 1 4 0. 05 0. 3 0. 3 8. In our experiment, we pick a random permutation of 1234. Let X be the number of symbols that remained in their original places. For example, if the rand om permutation is 3214, X = 2. Find the pmf of X. 9. In our experiment, we type a random string of length 6 using only the letters A, B, C, D, E, X, Y, Z. Let R be the number of letters that are occuring more than once. So, for example, if the string is †BAYEDA†, R = 1. If string is †DEBAZY†, R = 0. If string is †AABAXY†, R = 1.If string is †AABBXY†, R = 2. (a) How many elements are there in the sample space of the experiment? (b) How many elements in the range space of R? 5 (c) Calculate pR (0). (d) Calculate pR (r) for r ? 4. 8 6 (8)(6)? 7? 6? 5? 4+(8)(6)? 7? 6? 5+(1)(4)? 7? 6+(8)(6)? 7+(8)(6) 1 3 1 5 1 6 . (e) Show that pR (1) = 1 2 6 8 Continuous Random Variables and their Cumulative Distribution Functions and Probability Distribution Functions 1. A college professor never ? nishes his lecture before the bell rings to end the period and always ? nishes his lectures within 2 minutes after the bell rings.Let X equal the time that ela pses between the bell and end of the lecture and suppose the pdf of X is f (x) = kx2 0 0? x? 2 otherwise (a) Find the value of k. (b) What is the probability that the lecture ends within one minute of the bell ringing? (c) What is the probability that the lecture continues beyond the bell for between 60 and 90 seconds? (d) What is the probability that the lecture continues for at least 90 seconds beyond the bell? 2. The time X (in minutes) for a lab assistant to prepare the equipment for a certain experiment is believed to have a uniform distribution for values of X between 25 and 35. a) Write the pdf of X and sketch its graph. (b) What is the probability that the preparation time exceeds 33 min.? (c) Without computing it mathematically, what do you think is the mean value of X? (d) For any a such that 25 < a < a + 2 < 35, what is the probability that preparation time is between a and a + 2 minutes? 3. Consider the following pdf, where k and C are constants: f (x) = kC k xk+1 0 6 x? C x 50 1 625 r If the propolis content is less than 10 parts per thousand, the honey sells for 300 Dirhams per kilogram.If the propolis content is more than 40 parts per thousand, the honey sells for 200 Dirhams per kilogram (because of the too strong taste). If the propolis content is between 10 and 40 parts per thousand, the honey sells for 450 Dirhams a kilogram. Let the price of honey per kilogram be the random variable X. (a) Draw the pdf of R. (b) Determine the pmf of X. Continuous Functions of Continuous Random Variables 1. Let continuous random variable X have pdf fX (x). Let Y = |X|. Write FY (y) in terms of integral(s) of fX . 2. For more practice here, make sure you can do problems number 9 and 13 in Chapter 3 exercises in our text book. 8

Succubus Shadows Chapter 20

I woke up in my own bed and found Mei sitting beside it. Not even Nurse Ratched could have startled me that much. Mei was flipping through a magazine and glanced up, appearing bored. â€Å"Oh. You're awake. Finally.† She stood up. â€Å"What†¦what happened?† I asked, blinking at the light pouring in through my window. I was kind of surprised she hadn't shut the curtains. She didn't really strike me as a fun-in-the-sun person. â€Å"You don't remember?† Her disinterested expression sharpened. â€Å"Jerome said it would all come back to you. If it hasn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I sat up, drawing my knees to my body. â€Å"No, no. I remember†¦I remember what happened at Erik's. I remember†¦the Oneroi.† Saying the word made me shudder. â€Å"But what happened after that? How long have I been asleep?† â€Å"Three days,† she said flatly. â€Å"What?† I stared at her, my mouth agape. If Mei was the joking type, I would have expected the punch line now. â€Å"I don't†¦I mean, it went so fast. And I didn't dream.† She crooked me a smile. â€Å"Seems like you'd want that. And heavy sleep heals you faster.† The smile changed to a grimace. â€Å"Not that waiting by your bedside for three days has really felt that fast. Jerome made me keep all your friends away. That was fun.† â€Å"Did you just use sarcasm?† â€Å"I'm leaving,† she said, back to her all business self. â€Å"I've done what Jerome asked.† â€Å"Wait! What happened to Seth and Erik? Are they okay?† â€Å"Fine,† she said. I waited for her to vanish, but it didn't come. She peered at me curiously. â€Å"It shouldn't have worked, you know.† â€Å"What shouldn't have?† â€Å"That ritual. There is no way that human could have found you. Not among all those other souls.† The Oneroi had said the same thing, and thinking back to the storm of color and disorder, I could understand their reasoning. â€Å"We†¦we love each other.† I wasn't sure I had the right to those words, but they came out anyway. Mei rolled her eyes. â€Å"That means nothing. Human love – no matter what all your songs and chick flicks tell you – isn't enough. It shouldn't have worked.† I didn't know what to say. â€Å"Well†¦I guess it did.† â€Å"Jerome knew it would too,† she mused, a small frown wrinkling her brow. Her gaze hardened on me. â€Å"Did you? Do you know how it happened?† â€Å"What?† I squeaked. â€Å"No! I don't understand any of this.† I expected her to deny this and question me further. Instead her frown only deepened, and I realized I was no longer of use in solving this dilemma to her. She vanished. The instant she disappeared, Roman came bursting into my room. â€Å"She's gone?† he asked. If he was nearby, he would have felt her signature go away. â€Å"Have you been hanging out the whole time?† I asked. He sat down in the chair she'd been in. â€Å"Jerome ordered her not to let anyone come near you.† â€Å"You could have taken her,† I said, attempting a joke. â€Å"Not without causing a whole lot of trouble.† He frowned, eyes troubled with thought. â€Å"Although, I would have revealed myself if I'd needed to if that†¦thing that came out of the gate had tried to take on Carter and Jerome.† I shuddered at the memory. â€Å"I didn't even know there were monsters like that in the – wait. How could you have helped them? Were you†¦were you in the circle?† I'd assumed he'd been watching from the sides. â€Å"Of course.† He said no more, and the way he spoke implied that it had been a ridiculous question for me to ask in the first place. â€Å"Are you crazy?† I exclaimed. â€Å"You weren't just letting yourself get trapped. If you were discovered by Mei – even any of the dream creatures – you'd be fucked. They would have turned you in too.† â€Å"There was no choice,† Roman said. â€Å"I had to be there, in case you needed me.† â€Å"It was too big a risk,† I countered, my voice faltering this time. â€Å"If there'd been a fight, Jerome and Carter would have had no reason to defend you. And while that Morphean might have been afraid to hurt them, you would have been fair game.† â€Å"I told you, it doesn't matter. I had to be there for you.† His eyes, those eyes that were so like the sea I'd grown up with, held such earnestness and affection that I had to look away. I couldn't believe he'd risked what he had for me. Why? He had no reason to care about me after what I'd done to him, yet it was clear he still wanted me. The night I'd been captured seemed like a lifetime ago, but its events came back to me in perfect detail: his lips, his hands†¦ â€Å"I wish you wanted to kill me again,† I muttered. â€Å"It was easier.† He rested his hand on mine, its warmth spreading through me. â€Å"Nothing about your life is ever easy.† I looked back up at him. â€Å"That's for damn sure. But I don't know†¦I don't know if I can do this†¦by which I mean, well, you know.† â€Å"You don't have to do anything,† he said. â€Å"We'll just keep going on like we have. Roommates. We'll see where things go. If they change, they change. If not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged. â€Å"So it goes.† â€Å"Did I mention that it was easier when you wanted to kill me? I'm not sure how I feel about you being so reasonable.† â€Å"Yeah, well, maybe I just feel sorry for you right now after everything that happened. Maybe I'll change my mind in a little while.† He squeezed my hand. â€Å"Was it†¦was it awful?† I looked away again. â€Å"Yes. Beyond awful. It's hard to explain. They showed me every nightmare I could have, every fear made flesh. Some of the things they showed me had already happened – and were almost as bad as the nightmares. I couldn't tell what was reality anymore. They showed me you guys†¦but it wasn't always real. I doubted everything: who I was, what I felt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I swallowed back tears, glad I had averted my eyes. â€Å"Hey,† he said softly, reaching out to tip my chin and make me look back at him. â€Å"It's over. You're safe. We'll help you get better – I'll help. I won't let anything happen to you.† Again, his feelings for me made me uncomfortable and confused. Was it a lingering effect of the Oneroi? No, I decided a moment later. This was the kind of situation that would confuse anyone. My heart was still tangled up in Seth, someone I knew I should let go, but who had found me against impossible odds. And here was Roman, someone I could be with a bit more easily – well, kind of – and who had risked his life for me. Could I move on with him? I didn't know. But I could try. I found his hand again and squeezed it. â€Å"Thank you.† He leaned toward me, and I think we might have kissed, but the ringing of my cell phone jolted us out of any romantic spell. I pulled my hand from his and grabbed the phone from my side table. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Miss Kincaid,† came the kind, familiar voice. â€Å"It is a pleasure to speak with you again.† â€Å"Erik! Oh, I'm so happy it's you. I wanted to thank you – â€Å" â€Å"There's nothing to thank me for. I would gladly do it again.† â€Å"Well, then, I'm still thanking you anyway.† Roman, realizing this had nothing to do with him, got up and wandered off – but not before giving me one more fond look. â€Å"As you wish,† said Erik. â€Å"Are you feeling better?† â€Å"More or less. Certainly better in body. And I think the rest will come.† I wished that with my body's healing, I could also forget all the horrible things I'd seen. That wouldn't happen, though, and I felt no need to trouble him with my problems. â€Å"I'm glad,† he said. â€Å"Very glad.† Silence fell, and a suspicious feeling nudged its way into my brain. I'd assumed he was simply calling to check up on me, but something now told me there was more. â€Å"Miss Kincaid,† he said at last. â€Å"I'm sure you don't want to talk about what happened†¦.† â€Å"I – well.† I hesitated. I knew Erik. He wouldn't bring this up without a good reason. â€Å"Is there something we should talk about?† Now it was his turn to hesitate. â€Å"You thank me†¦but to be truthful, what we did shouldn't have worked. I didn't expect it to.† Mei's comments came back to me, as did the other conversations I'd witnessed via the dreams. â€Å"Nobody seemed to.† â€Å"Mr. Jerome did.† â€Å"Where is this going?† â€Å"I don't know how it worked. Mr. Mortensen should not have found your soul.† I loved Erik and hated the irritation in my voice. â€Å"I keep hearing that over and over, but obviously he did. Maybe it should have been impossible, but after what I went through? I don't care how it happened.† â€Å"I would imagine not, but still†¦still, I can't help but wonder at this. Would you mind telling me what it was like when he found you?† That was one part of the ordeal I didn't mind recounting, largely because it had had a happy ending. Of course, the logistics of explaining it weren't so easy. I did my best to describe what it was like being adrift in the dream world and how Seth had seemed to call to me. Erik listened patiently and then asked if I'd tell him about my contract with Hell and how I'd sold my soul. That was a little harder to tell, not to mention a bizarre question. The Oneroi had shown me so many versions of what had happened with Kyriakos and me, and while some had been true and some false, they'd all been horrible. Still, sensing something big might be going on here, I haltingly recounted the whole experience: how I'd cheated on Kyriakos with his best friend, infidelity that was later discovered. It was the sorrow from that that had driven Kyriakos into suicidal grief, which in turn drove me to sign a contract with Hell. I'd sold my soul and become a succubus, in exchange for everyone I knew – including Kyriakos – to forget me and the awful things I'd done. â€Å"Tell me the terms one more time,† said Erik. â€Å"It was that everyone I knew back then would forget me and forget what happened – family, friends, and especially my husband.† My voice choked a little. â€Å"It worked. I came back later, and no one knew me. Not even a glimmer of familiarity.† â€Å"There was nothing else in the contract?† â€Å"No. An imp I know looked it over recently and verified it.† â€Å"Oh?† This caught Erik's interest. â€Å"Why would he do that?† â€Å"She. As a favor. The imp who'd brokered my sale was the one who worked with Nyx and kept messing with Seth. Hugh said when an imp shows that much interest, there's something wrong with a contract. So Kristin – this other imp – looked at my contract.† She hadn't been very happy about doing that. If she'd been caught snooping in Hell's records, there would have been some very, very bad consequences. Her gratitude over me hooking her up with her boss had overpowered her fear. â€Å"She told me it was airtight. Everything was like it was supposed to be. No errors.† More silence. This conversation was starting to make me uneasy. â€Å"Did this imp – Niphon? – end up doing anything to Mr. Mortensen?† â€Å"Not so much†¦I mean, it was part of what led us to breaking up†¦.† I paused to collect myself. â€Å"But there were a lot of other factors that caused that too.† â€Å"Has Niphon been back?† â€Å"No, but there has been this succubus.† With everything else, I'd forgotten about Simone. â€Å"She was impersonating me. Kept trying to seduce Seth†¦but it didn't work. I think Jerome sent her packing, but I'm not sure.† Again, Erik took a long time in responding. Finally, he sighed. â€Å"Thank you, Miss Kincaid. You've given me much to think about. I apologize if I've brought up painful memories. And I'm very happy you're feeling better.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. â€Å"And thanks again for your help.† We disconnected, and I wandered out to the living room. Roman was in the kitchen, plating up some grilled cheese sandwiches. â€Å"Hungry?† he asked. â€Å"Starving,† I said. He handed me a plate, along with a cup of coffee, and I smiled. â€Å"Thanks. Not sure what I did to deserve this.† â€Å"You don't have to do anything. Besides, I had extra. Wanted a big meal before going to work.† â€Å"Before – what?† The grin he gave me indicated he'd been dying to deliver this news. â€Å"I got a job.† â€Å"You did not.† â€Å"I did. Went back to the school I used to teach at. They had a couple openings, so I'm doing a few classes.† I was dumbfounded. After all my badgering, Roman had sought gainful employment – in his specialty, no less: linguistics. â€Å"Does this mean you're going to pay rent now?† â€Å"Let's not get carried away, love.† He grabbed a plate of his own, and we ate in the living room while the cats watched hopefully for leftovers. Seeing Godiva, I felt a frown coming on. The dream. The man in the dream. The Oneroi had said it was Seth†¦but that was impossible. I lifted my eyes up to Roman, wondering if I could rekindle the love I'd once had. If there was any man in any dream, he would be a better candidate. â€Å"You talked to Erik for a while,† Roman said, noting my scrutiny. â€Å"He's weirded out by my rescue. He says it shouldn't have worked.† â€Å"Yeah, I heard that too.† Between bites, I recounted the conversation, including Erik's interest in Seth and my contract. â€Å"I don't see what the big deal is,† I concluded. â€Å"Seth and I still have feelings for each other – feelings we're trying to get past.† In that moment when our souls had met, though, separating from him had been the last thing I wanted. â€Å"Maybe that was enough. Maybe people don't have faith in the power of love.† â€Å"Maybe,† said Roman. But he looked thoughtful now too. A knock at the door interrupted further conversation. I felt no immortal signature and hoped it wasn't my neighbor trolling for more sex. He'd mercifully left me alone so far. But no, it wasn't Gavin. It was Maddie. And she was crying. I asked no questions. When friends are in trouble, you take care of them first. I pulled her right inside and led her to the couch, immediately putting my arms around her. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked finally. â€Å"What happened?† She couldn't speak right away. Her sobs were too great, and she was choking on her own tears. Something nudged my arm. It was Roman handing me a box of tissues. I shot him a grateful look and gave some to Maddie. At long last, she gasped out, â€Å"It's Seth.† My heart stopped. For a moment, a hundred awful scenarios flew through my mind. Seth hit by a car. Seth struck by some deadly disease. I clutched her arm, so tightly that I realized my nails were digging into her. I relaxed my grip as best I could. â€Å"What happened?† I demanded. â€Å"Is he okay?† â€Å"He ended it.† Her crying renewed. â€Å"He broke the engagement and told me it was over.† She buried her face against my shoulder, and I stroked her absentmindedly as my brain tried hard to really comprehend her words. I must have misheard. â€Å"He couldn't have,† I said, my voice as cracked as hers. â€Å"He†¦he loves you.† She lifted her head and looked at me with mournful, glittering eyes. â€Å"He said he didn't love me the way he should – that he didn't love me the way I deserved. He said it'd be wrong to make me marry him, that we weren't meant to spend our lives together.† She took a tissue and wiped her nose, then her eyes grew wide with desperation. â€Å"What does that mean, Georgina? Why would he say he's making me marry him? I want to. I don't understand.† I looked over her and met Roman's eyes. We couldn't speak the way greater immortals could, but enough messages passed between us. Seth hadn't forced her to get engaged, no, but he'd done it out of guilt, guilt for cheating on her and continually being drawn to me when he believed it was better for us to stay apart. â€Å"He said he loved me,† Maddie continued. â€Å"But that I needed someone who loved me more – someone I was the world to. He said he'd only hurt me worse if we went on. How could it hurt worse?† The tears grew worse. She pulled away and buried her face in her hands. â€Å"It can't hurt worse than this. I want to die.† â€Å"No!† I said, drawing her back to me. â€Å"Don't say that. Don't ever say that!† â€Å"Georgina,† warned Roman softly. I realized I was shaking Maddie and immediately stopped. â€Å"Listen to me,† I said, turning her face toward mine. â€Å"You are an amazing person. You are one of the best people I know. You'll get over this†¦I swear it. I won't let you go through it alone, okay? And you deserve the best. If it's not him, then you'll get someone better.† The next words were hard for me. I should have rejoiced at this news. I wouldn't have to watch them together. I also had a feeling that I was somehow involved in this. What had she said? That Seth said she deserved to be someone's world? He'd told me I was his. In one of the dreams, he'd said that to her, but I now knew that was a lie. Still, I couldn't help it when I said, â€Å"And maybe†¦maybe if you guys talk more, you'll understand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The sobs abated – just a little – as she gave me a puzzled look. â€Å"That's the thing. I can't.† â€Å"It may seem that way, but he's not totally unreasonable.† Why the hell was I playing devil's advocate here? Because Maddie was my friend, and I couldn't stand to see her hurting – and because I had also had my heart broken too many times. â€Å"Wait a couple days, then find him and see if you can have a, I don't know, productive dialogue. Maybe you can fix things.† Ugh. â€Å"Maybe you'll at least understand†¦understand his decision.† She shook her head. â€Å"But I can't find him. No one can. Georgina, he's disappeared.†

The “math wars”

Aside from the requisites of drug manufacturing, a drug company must also have the knowledge on the legal aspect of the pharmaceutical business. A company must be able to know what agencies of the government he has to seek advice from before it undergoes the manufacturing process in order to have a good start.Relative to this, the company needs to know which regulates the safety and efficacy of the drugs to be manufactured and which agency protects the rights of the manufacturer and the consumers against illicit drugs.This paper will discuss the basic responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency including the approval process of manufacturing a generic drug copy. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is generally responsible for ensuring the safety and efficacy of all drugs for human and veterinary use.FDA’s 1mission statement specifically states that the administration â€Å"is res ponsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. † This will then give us the idea why FDA need to regulate drugs, and that is to ensure that they are safe and effective. The administration is also held responsible for ensuring that the drugs have information that is honest and accurate for the general public to use.The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) (Drug Enforcement Administration for the United States) is primarily responsible for the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Laws and Regulations. In the United States, DEA is under the wing of the Department of Justice, where it serves as an arm of the justice against the 2those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illi cit traffic in the United States. The DEA’s drugs of concern include: Cocaine, marijuana, heroin, inhalants, LSD, Ecstasy, Steroids, Oxycontin and Methamphetamine.The following list of specific responsibilities is adopted by this writer from the DEA’s official website: >Investigation and preparation for the prosecution of major violators of controlled substance laws operating at interstate and international levels. >Investigation and preparation for prosecution of criminals and drug gangs who perpetrate violence in our communities and terrorize citizens through fear and intimidation. >Management of a national drug intelligence program in cooperation with federal, state, local, and foreign officials to collect, analyze, and disseminate strategic and operational drug intelligence information.>Seizure and forfeiture of assets derived from, traceable to, or intended to be used for illicit drug trafficking. >Enforcement of the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act as they pertain to the manufacture, distribution, and dispensing of legally produced controlled substances. >Coordination and cooperation with federal, state and local law enforcement officials on mutual drug enforcement efforts and enhancement of such efforts through exploitation of potential interstate and international investigations beyond local or limited federal jurisdictions and resources.>Coordination and cooperation with federal, state, and local agencies, and with foreign governments, in programs designed to reduce the availability of illicit abuse-type drugs on the United States market through nonenforcement methods such as crop eradication, crop substitution, and training of foreign officials. >Responsibility, under the policy guidance of the Secretary of State and U. S. Ambassadors, for all programs associated with drug law enforcement counterparts in foreign countries.>Liaison with the United Nations, Interpol, and other organizations on matters relating to international drug control programs. DEA’S PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS Drug Enforcement Agency also updates its programs and operations according to the demand of technology and the development of new methods of illicit drug operations. Recent report published in the KT4 Online alerted the public on the emergence of illegal websites that are bringing prescription drugs out into the market (KT4 Online, August 24, 2007).The DEA reported that such websites are able to market their products using just credit cards as payment modes. The agency now referred the so-called â€Å"rogue pharmacies† to the congress for the legislation of a more formidable law for such illegal and dangerous activities, which are regulated because such companies do not meet the standards set by the United States. Even medicinal or herbal plants that are not yet studied or regulated under the law is also under the responsibility of the DEA to study and made research relative to its danger in the human health.In Utah, a native plant called salvia divinorium, has been put into attention by the Hill Air Force Base which according to initial findings can cause hallucinations. In the report published in the Salt Lake Tribune, â€Å"magic mint† as its street name, is ingested or inhaled usually by the members of the military and the people inside the base (Salt Lake Tribune, August 20, 2007). The herbal plant is still legal as it is still under research by the DEA. Experts also say that the plant that grows in the wilds of Utah can cause lung irritation when its dried leaves are inhaled.LAWS AND POLICIES GOVERNING GENERIC DRUGS The regulations pertaining to generics drugs are under the responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration. Under the law, pharmaceutical companies or drug manufacturers have all the right to apply for a generic copy of their branded drugs. It can also be that a manufacturer seeks for a license from the brand name company to make a generic copy of the branded product . A generic copy of the drug is called â€Å"authorized generics† because the branded product manufacturer had given the authority to the manufacturer of the generic drug copy.However, these generic copied have to undergo the legal process that is regulated by the FDA. It is the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly referred to as the Waxman-Hatch Act, which is being used as a legal basis for FDA for regulating generic drug copies. â€Å"Since the law was enacted over 23 years ago, the number of generic manufacturers and number of generic drug products on the market have expanded exponentially† (Coster, John M. 2007). The law allows a generic drug that is a generic copy of the pioneer drug to be approved by FDA to be marketed by the same company.This is even without the submission of the usual New Drug Application (NDA) that is submitted in full when a branded product is being applied for marketing. The NDA is usually a time-consuming and expensive clinical trials required to be done by the drug manufacturer in order to comply with the safety and efficacy standards required of them. With the Waxman-Hatch Act, NDA is being replaced with the submission of Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) provided that the generic copy has demonstrated the fact that it is bioequivalent to the pioneer drug (J.Coster, The Pharmacist, Vol. 32, No. 6, 2007). This process allows the generic copy to be approved for marketing the easier and faster way because it does not to prove its safety and effectiveness through trials since the pioneer drug had already proven such. For the ANDA of the generic drug to be approved, its pioneer drug must have the four required certifications: (1) that no patent is listed for the pioneer drug; (2) that the patent has expired; (3) the date on which the patent will expire; or (4) that the patent is invalid or not infringed.Such information is listed in the FDA’s Orange Book, a reference for t he pharmacists in determining the interchangeability of the drugs. Just recently, the Waxman-Hatch Act has been replaced with 3McCain-Schumer Act, after its authors Senators John McCain and Charles E. Schumer. The main feature of the new act is the changing of the 180-day exclusivity term of the first generic drug copy to only the 30-day term. Exclusivity, in the old law is granted for the manufacturer of the generic drug to market the product exclusively within 180 days that is for the manufacturer who first secured the FDA’s approval of the generic copy.With the new law, exclusivity term is shortened for the purpose of further price reduction of the generic drugs as competition is encouraged after the 30-day term. It is estimated, according to Schumer’s study that the new law will enable consumers to save 60% of their usual expense when buying branded drugs and that will give consumers a total of $71 billion savings in 10 years (Bash, Dana, CNN Online, May 01, 2001). Schumer cited Claritin, a prescription allergy drug as example which costs an average of $63. 65 while its generic equivalent will only cost $25. 46.Generally, the new law is of great help for the Americans in terms of their medical expenditures. CONCLUSION By looking into the basic responsibilities and functions of the FDA and DEA, we were able to have an idea of the basic legal aspect of drug manufacturing and marketing. Also by having an overview of the laws governing generic copy manufacturing, we were able to have the basic knowledge of how the approval process rolls. In general we can conclude that the legal process of drug manufacturing and marketing is really a long and expensive process for the companies especially for the branded or patented drugs.However with the Schumer-McCain Act, the process is shortened and had benefited especially the consumers for enabling the cheaper version of their branded medicine to be marketed. REFERENCES 1FDAs Mission Statement. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. fda. gov/opacom/morechoices/mission. html 2DEA Mission Statement. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. usdoj. gov/dea/agency/mission. htm 3Senate Passes Ground-Breaking Schumer-McCain Generic Drug Bill (Press Release). July 31, 2002. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://schumer. senate. gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/PR01124.html Bash, Dana. McCain, Schumer introduce generic drug bill. CNN Online. May 01, 2001. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://archives. cnn. com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/05/01/senate. genericdrugs/index. html Coster, John M. The Waxman-Hatch Generic Drug Law: 23 Years Later. The Pharmacist. June 19, 2007. Vol. 32 No. 6 Griffith, Christopher, et. al. (2002). View from Washington: Senate approves changes in generic-drug approval. Leydig, Voit Mayer, Ltd. Report. October 2002. Volume 3 Issue 4 Colonel bans use of ‘magic mint' herb. Salt Lake Tribune. August 20, 2007. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http ://www.sltrib. com/News/ci_6668009 Federal Authorities Warn Against Online Rogue Pharmacies. KT4 Online. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. ktiv. com/News/index. php? ID=16295 What FDA Regulates. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. fda. gov/comments/regs. html There has always been a debate on whether the mathematics be taught should be the old basics or the standards reformed mathematics. Basic mathematics primarily comprises arithmetic and computation. This is just simple mathematics which involves solving simple equation and memorizing formulas.Basic mathematic also comprises the following list t o f items. There is the accurate counting to 100 or more, mastery of basic facts for all four operations, pencil and paper computation skills with hole numbers, decimals and fractions and solving percent problems. Other aspect includes the knowing and using formulas for area and perimeter of basic shapes. Though the above list is a bit simplified its basic position i s that kids only get to know some basic stuff. Basic mathematics can also be referred to as trivial pursuit mathematics meaning that children are to know the content not the practicability (John, 1999).On the other hand reform mathematics has higher level of difficulty and has set five goals. These are that students should value mathematics, be confident in the ability to do mathematics and become mathematics problem solvers. They should as well be able to communicate well mathematically and learn to reason mathematically. It involves the four basic process standards which are problem solving, communication, reasoning, and connections. It entails gearing the children to develop the ability to think than just memorizing the mathematics concepts.Those who believe in the reform mathematics talk about mathematical power, the ability to reason and solve unique problems (John, 1999). It is important to note that even if the two approaches appear to differ there are some things they share in. Benefits and demerits of basics Basic mathematics requires teacher centered approach which involves teaching the mathematics through drill and practice. However in this way the children can end up not being intrinsically motivated. This prevents them from learning mathematics facts and how to connect to the real world.Furthermore the approach is essentially teacher directed, and structured only for basic skills instructions. This approach comes with advantages and disadvantages as far as basic mathematics teaching is concerned. One of the advantages is that, it is clear that for learning to be effective there must be a knowledge source and this is what the teacher act as. The teachers have attained their unifications and expertise from colleges and universities to become experts in their fields. In this reasoning it’s convenient to involve to someone who is already an expertise in the field to impart that knowledge in the students.For example according to Kelly, if the st udents have a question on atopic raised by the text book, the teacher is present ton as the expert to answer the question (Kelly, 2004). Other benefits include good planning and execution of knowledge passing process and good discipline. The disadvantage of this style is that no one can predict which parts of the information the student has learned will eventually become obsolete or incorrect, what the student will forget, or what new information he will need to know in the future (Howard, 1980).Furthermore according to Howard in some cases the students can obtain a false security if they believe that, once information ins dispensed and a cognitive framework provide the student will incorporate the information, recognize where and when it could and should be applied when time comes. One great disadvantages of this method is that a strong investment in the style can lead to rigid, standardized, and less flexible ways of managing students and their concerns (Howard, 1908). This acts a s huge impediment to development and self discovery within the student.This huge impediment has been seen as the greatest drawback for this style of administering knowledge. The benefits and demerits of reform mathematics style According the student center online answers, the best approach of teaching mathematics should stress active, student centered learning in real life context (student center). This may help in making the concepts more understandable and interesting. This therefore calls for the student knowing the crafts before they can apply them and that is where the basic mathematics comes handy. The reform mathematics takes the student centered approach of learning.This involves instructions where by the students actively create knowledge for themselves. It consists of group learning, inquiry, and humanistic learning activities (student center). This method has additional advantages both to the student and the teacher some which are enlisted below. To begin with the student would develop learning and knowledge that will help them throughout their life. In this method students always discover that learning is fun and interesting. Furthermore, through this method teachers always have less traditional work. This is more prominent in the upper class levels where the students are mature enough.The student gets to be more attentive and willing to participate in the class activities. In this way there is a reduction in the number of complaints about fairness and unequal treatment. When student carry out research and group works they generate a lot of information that the teacher may add to his collection of information. However this method also comes with some disadvantages. It poses a problem when it comes to evaluation in that this has to be individualized. Providing one test for the whole class has to be abandoned. Every student has to be evaluated based on his or her goals.One other big disadvantage of this method is that there some student who do not re late well with it in spite the teachers best efforts. Such scenario is always more prevalent in the lower classes levels even though it can also be found in the upper classes. The other demerit is that the students’ always have to work in groups. There occur complaints about being put in teams. However the complaints get to seize as the student get to understand that it is what the real world is like. Under some circumstances student may find it hard to work in teams since most of them have never had the experience of team work. ConclusionIt is important to note for the reformed mathematics, the fact that it takes the student centered learning method gives it an upper hand as method of teaching mathematics. In fact students do appreciate the real world experience eve when they do not like them that much (daymalyn, 2009). This is therefore more appropriate and practical than the basics math which would d lead to rigidity and less development of the kids as well as new advancem ent in the mathematics fields. References Howard S & Robyn M. (1980), Problem Based Learning: An Approach to Medical Education, Springer Publishing Company, ISBN 0826128416, 9780826128416.Daymalyn (2009), Disadvantages and disadvantages of student center learning, Accessed on August 7, 2010, from http://wwwemmalynombayan-daymalyn. blogspot. com/2009/09/advantages-and- disadvantages-of-student. html John A. (1999), Reform Mathematics Vs. The Basics: Understanding the Conflict and Dealing with It Accessed on August 7, 2010 from http://mathematicallysane. com/analysis/reformvsbasics. asp Kelly K. (2004), the â€Å"Math Wars†, a Short Analysis, Accessed on August 7, 2010 from http://www. newfoundations. com/ConAnalysis/KellyMathWars. html Student center, Accessed on August 7, 2010 from http://www. abacon. com/woolfolk7/faq. html

Development and Social Change Essay

DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL CHANGE STRATEGIES IN KENYA IN THE 21ST CENTURY DEFINATIONS Strategy is a high level plan to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty. Strategy is important because the resources available to achieve these goals are usually limited. Strategy is also about attaining and maintaining a position of advantage over adversaries through the successive exploitation of known or emergent possibilities rather than committing to any specific fixed plan designed at the outset. Henry Mintzberg from McGill University defined strategy as â€Å"a pattern in a stream of decisions† to contrast with a view of strategy as planning while Max McKeown (2011) argues that â€Å"strategy is about shaping the future† and is the human attempt to get to â€Å"desirable ends with available means†. Development means a progression from a simpler or lower to a more advanced, mature, or complex form or stage. It is also defined as the gradual advancement or growth through a series of progressive changes. Development is a process, not a leve l. It is a path to achieve certain goals. see more:factors affecting social change INTRODUCTION In the 21st century Kenyans have come up with different strategies to advocate for development and social change. These strategies are mostly based on economic issue, political issue, and social issues those which are affecting the development and growth of our country. These strategies are aiming at transforming Kenya into a newly industrialized middle income country providing a high quality life to all its citizens. For these development to be achieved thre have to be an all inclusive and participartory stakeholders and a consultive process involving Kenyan from all parts of the country. Kenyans are also willing to from suggestions by some of the leading local and international experts on the newly industrialized countries around the world have made the leap from poverty to widely spread prosperity and equity. Every strategy has been developed to address issues lying across them e.g. economic strategy aims to improve the prosperity of all Kenyans through an economic development programme covering all the regions in Kenya. Social  strategy seeks to build a just and cohesive society with social equity in clean and secure environment. Political strategy aims to realize a democratic political system founded on issue based politics that respect the rule of law and protect the rights and freedom of every individual. Kenyans in the 21st century are advocating for a consultive approach in its development involving as many ordinary Kenyans and stakeholders as possible i.e. public service, private sector, civil society, media and non government organization. The importance of consultations is to provide in-depth understanding of countries development problems and necessary strategies to achieve development. Detailed analysis is carried under the consultative approach in order to come up with the s trategies capable of resolving the social and political problems that face Kenyans today. Findings  In every category of the strategy Kenyans have come up with ways to address the problem found in that particular category. The Social Strategy  Kenya’s journey towards prosperity also involves the building of a just and cohesive society, enjoying equitable social development in a clean and secure environment. This quest is the basis of transformation of the problems found in the category of social strategy, I .e. Education and Training; Health; Water and Sanitation; the Environment; Housing and Urbanization; as well as in Gender, Youth, Sports and Culture; and also in terms of promoting equity and poverty reduction across the entire Kenyan society. It also makes special provisions for Kenyans with various disabilities and previously marginalized communities. Education and Training Under education and training Kenya will provide a globally competitive quality education, training and research for development. The overall goal for 21st century is to reduce illiteracy by increasing access to education, improving the transition rate from primary to secondary schools, and raising the quality and relevance of education. The Health Sector To improve the overall livelihoods of Kenyans, the country aims to provide an efficient and high quality health care system with the best standards. This will reduce health inequalities and improve key areas where Kenya is lagging, especially in lowering infant and maternal mortality. Specific  strategies will involve: provision of a robust health infrastructure network; improving the quality of health service delivery to the highest standards and promotion of partnerships with the private sector. Water and Sanitation Kenya is a water scarce country. The country therefore aims to conserve water sources and start new ways of harvesting and using rain and underground water. The 21st century has a vision for Water and Sanitation is to ensure that improved water and sanitation are available and accessible to all. The goal to increase both access to safe water and sanitation in both rural and urban areas beyond present levels The Environment Kenya aims to be a nation living in a clean, secure and sustainable environment. Specific strategies will involve: promoting environmental conservation for better support to the economic pillar, improving pollution and waste management through the design and application of economic incentives; and the commissioning of public-private partnerships for improved efficiency in water and sanitation delivery. Housing and Urbanization The 2030 vision for housing and urbanization is an adequately and decently housed nation in sustainable all inclusive environment. The goal for 2012 is to increase the annual production of housing units from the current 35,000 annually to over 200,000. Kenya’s cities and towns are poorly planned. There is an acute need therefore for an effective capacity for regional and urban development planning. In addition, there will be better development of and access to affordable and adequate housing; enhanced access to adequate finance for developers and buyers, and pursue targeted key reforms to unlock the potential of the housing sector. 6. Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Groups The 2030 vision for gender, youth and vulnerable groups is gender equity, improved livelihoods for vulnerable groups, and a responsible, globally competitive and prosperous youth. The goal for 2012 is to increase opportunities all-round among women, youth and all disadvantaged groups. 7. Equity and Poverty Elimination The 2030 goal for Equity and poverty elimination is to reduce the number of people living in poverty to a tiny proportion of the total population. Kenya will aim at a society that guarantees equality of opportunity in accessing public services and providing income generating activities as widely as possible. That will be achieved by placing the citizens at a level of income sufficient to cater for basic requirements of a healthy, productive life. 8. Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Vision 2030 will be based on the creation of international competitiveness through more efficient productivity at the firm and household level, with government support. However, all the strategies and flagship projects will exploit knowledge in science, technology and innovation (STI) in order to function more efficiently, improve social welfare, and also promote democratic governance. STI can and will be applied in all the lead sectors. The education and training curricula in the country will, therefore, be modified to ensure that the creation, adoption, adaptation and usage of knowledge become part of formal instruction. Economic strategy The Kenyan economy, East Africa’s largest, has experienced considerable growth in the past few years, driven by several key factors. The country enjoys some particular advantages: a reasonably well-educated labour force, a vital port that serves as an entry point for goods destined for countries in the East African and Central Africa interior, abundant wildlife and kilometers of attractive coastline and above all, a government that is committed to implementing business reforms. This strategy seeks to improve the prosperity of all regions of the country and all Kenyans by achieving a 10% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate by 2012(vision 2030). To achieve this target, Kenya is continuing with the tradition of macro-economic stability that has been established since 2002. It is also addressing other key constraints, notably, a low savings to GDP ratio, which can be alleviated by drawing in more remittances from Kenyans abroad, as well as increased foreign investment and overseas development assistance The country is continuing with the governance and institutional reforms  necessary to accelerate economic growth. Others critical problems being addressed include poor infrastructure and high energy costs. The five key sectors described below are being given priority as the key growth drivers for achievement of the economic vision: * Tourism * Increasing value in agriculture * A better and more inclusive wholesale and retail trade sector * Manufacturing for the regional market * Financial services Tourism This sector aims to be one of the top ten long- haul tourist destination in the world. To achieve this it has put ahead some strategies as their guideline that is offering a high end, diverse and distinctive visitor experience, achieving high tourist revenue by improving facilities in all underutilized parks, creating new high value niche product and investing in new conference facilities to boost business tourism Agriculture This aims to promote an innovative, commercially- oriented and modern agricultural sector. This will be accomplished through transforming key institution in agricultural and livestock to promote agricultural growth, increasing productivity of crop and livestock, introducing more irrigable areas in arid and semi- arid areas for both crops and livestock. It also aim sat adding value to our firm and live stock products before they reach local and international market (vision 2030) Whole sale and retail market Aims to raise earnings by giving our large informal sector opportunities to transform itself into a part of a formal sector that is efficient, multi tiered, diversified in product range and innovative. This will be raised through training and credit, improving efficiency by reducing the number of players between the producer and the consumer (vision 2030) Manufacturing It aims to have a robust, diversified and competitive manufacturing sector. This will be achieved through the implementation of the following restricting key local industries that use raw materials but are currently  uncompetitive, exploiting opportunities in value addition to agricultural product. The Political Pillar This aims to realize a democratic political system founded on issue-based politics that respects the rule of law, and protects the rights and freedoms of every individual in Kenyan society. It hopes to transform Kenya into a state in which equality is entrenched, irrespective of one’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender or socio-economic status; a nation that respects and harnesses the diversity of its peoples’ values, traditions and aspirations for the benefit of all its citizens. The political pillar vision for 2030 is â€Å"a democratic political system that is issue-based, people-centered, result-oriented and accountable to the public.† An issue-based system is one in which political differences are about means to meet the widest public interest. â€Å"People-centered† goals refer to the system’s responsiveness to the needs and rights of citizens, whose participation in all public policies and resource allocation processes is both fully appreciated and facilitated. A result-oriented system is stable, predictable and whose performance is based on measurable outcomes. An accountable system is one that is open and transparent and one that permits free flow of information. This vision is expected to guarantee Kenya’s attainment of the specific goals outlined under Vision 2030’s economic and social pillars To meet objectives outlined in the economic and social pillars, Kenya’s national governance system is being transformed and reformed to acquire high-level executive capability consistent with a rapidly industrializing country. The country is adopting a democratic decentralization process with substantial devolution in policy-making, public resource management and revenue sharing through devolve d funds. This has been achieved through a delivery of a new constitutional dispensation which came in effect in August 2010. Transformation within Kenya’s political governance system under Vision 2030 is expected to take place across six strategic initiatives, whose overarching visions, goals and specific strategies for 2012 are as follows: * Rule of law * Electoral and political processes * Democracy and public service delivery * Transparency and accountability * Security, peace building, and conflict management Rule of law Under the rule of law the vision 2030 is adherence to the rule of law is as applicable to a modern market based economy in a human right respecting state. A lighting the national policy and legal framework with the need of a market based economy, national human right and gender equality commitment. Increasing access and quality of service available to the public and reducing barriers of justice. Democracy and public service delivery People centered and political engaged open society, pursuing, constitutional and legal reforms necessary to dissolve to more resources and responsibility to local governance institution. Encouraging formal and informal civil education and action programmes, promoting open engagement between government and civil society as well as the free flow of information. Transparency and accountability Transparent, accountability, ethical and result oriented government institution strengthening the legal framework for ant- corruption, ethics and integrity. Promoting result based management within the public service, introducing civilian oversight around key legal justice and security, strengthening government legislative oversight capacity. Security Security of all persons and property throughout the republic, Promoting public- private cooperation and community involvement for improved safety and security, Deeping policy legal and institutional reforms for improved enforcement of law and order, Promoting national and international dialogue in order to build harmony among ethnic, racial and other groups. Electoral and political process Seeks to cultivate genuinely competitive and issue based politics introducing rules and regulations covering political policies, enhancing the legal and regulatory framework covering electrical process, conducting civil education programmers to widen knowledge and participation among citizens leading to an informed active citizens. Conclusion For development and social change to occur Kenyans in the 21st century Kenyans should evaluate the pre and post development and analyze the strategies they want to put across and see whether they will be of any impact or they will be able to serve them effectively. There should be an integration of all strategies for sustainable development to occur. That is they should put value both in economic, social and political strategies. Commitment is expected for both the government and civil society, international, local and personal positive relationships are also major contributors to sustainable development in the 21st century. Mission, vision, goals and objectives should be successfully laid, well defined and achievable. References Vision 2030 document The national broad strategy Vision 2030 flagship project

Land Economics and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Land Economics and Planning - Essay Example Firms complete a great deal of market analysis before searching for a suitable location. In addition, firms compile detailed information regarding the cost of product. They know whether electricity cost is more important then freight cost or labor price. Prepared with a list of "must haves" based on this information, the firm's site consultant or representative begins the quest for the firm's ideal location. You can be assured that, like the shopper looking for a pair of shoes, individuals seeking a site for their firms are not about to change the selection criteria because they had a great dinner at your local restaurant. That is why developing a site is so competitive and requires a great deal of preparation by community leaders. It didn't work for our shoe clerk to offer to dye the shoes the right color, and it won't work for a community when it offers to change the terrain of its local industrial site. Instead, a community needs to spend time long before that first visit by a fir m's site-selection team seeking answers to the details regarding the site the community wishes to promote. The more a community considers site-selection criteria before it selects or develops a particular site for promotion, the lower the likelihood becomes that local leaders will need to explain why they spent so many public dollars on a site that is drawing no interest. Most communities in the UK can claim to have sites available for business development. Under closer inspection, these sites are usually either undeveloped open spaces (often agricultural lands) at the edge of the community or former industrial lands within the community. Both of these share a common problem: Businesses cannot occupy them without substantial infrastructure improvements.Sites that have been previously used for industry or other activities are called brownfield sites. Most are in central city areas and are often surrounded by mixed land uses such as residential, commercial, or public (schools and hospitals, for example). Usually brownfield sites were occupied by industrial complexes. Since older industries used multistory facilities, these sites are often on small parcels of land. Modern factories are laid out horizontally (using one story) to facilitate assembly lines and flow of products. Older sites carry the risk of environmental contamination, especially since the y were most likely operated during a period of less stringent environmental regulations. Environmental contamination can be costly to clean up. Finally, older sites may still contain the buildings or other structures from the previous land use. These will either need to be demolished or refurbished (this often includes such actions as bringing the structure up to current fire, building and disability codes as well as other standards). To minimize their costs and risks, businesses will usually locate on sites that require minimum investments in infrastructure and other improvements. This usually eliminates the unprepared sites. Hence, communities that want to have successful business sites must have developed a plan for creating a prepared site. Site development is utilized to create marketable, prepared business sites. 1.1 Requirements for a Prepared Site It is important to realize that for a site to be effective, it must satisfy the needs of a particular business. The site is constructed to improve the quality of life of a community, but it still must be a viable site to attract business. As we stressed above, a

Injectronics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Injectronics - Essay Example Automotive maintenance has undergone radical changes since the introduction of electronics as well as mechatronics in vehicles. Rapid introduction of computer controls to operate engines, steering, braking, suspension and other safety and transmission or comfort functions in today’s vehicles is a huge challenge to both service processes and manufacturing technologies along with failure diagnosis requirements. Many of the modifications in automotive repairs are a result of the initiation of microcontrollers and other electronics in functions within a vehicle. These changes require the remanufacturing companies for such electronic components to improve as significant changes are continually taking place in the industry (Weiland, n.d). Before the advent of electronic controllers, definition of automotive remanufacturing was clear: meaning the renovation of used vehicle parts in accordance with the accepted state so that they can perform similar to new ones. This conventional rema nufacturing may be relevant in future to mechatronics; nevertheless, the definition will be tailored for electronic controllers. ... Currently, vehicles average 35 microprocessors in a vehicle, which are located in various several electronic modules throughout a vehicle and range from simple applications to sophisticated engine controls. The high content level highlights the importance of long-term service plan for electronic control modules. In these vehicles, the service expectations include corresponding electronic modules at least every 4-10 years’ service life with most vehicles lasting 15 years; nevertheless, other vehicles have a high service life of up to 25 years or more. Electronic modules present a difficult service challenge due to many factors such as the fact that microprocessor manufacturers and network manufacturers never have the volume requirements in the service life of a vehicle in order to maintain a production line for producing these service components (APRA global connection, 2009). Market and Competitors Most Electronic Control Module (ECM) utilise four to eight custom-produced micr oprocessors to deter competitors and grey marketers capable of replicating the electronic control module. Therefore, electronic components are often produced in a limited manner and usually the first components to be given as end-of-life production. Remanufacturing of electronic modules is possible through the availability of sold units removed from vehicles or cores; thus, injectronic faces the challenges of maintaining a sufficient collection system that maintains constant return of failed units to sustain the remanufacturing program. Moreover, the core is a failed unit, which has been in use within vehicles for several years; therefore, it is likely that the part is not the latest part since many revisions could have