Nuclear Power Essays (1220 words) - Nuclear Technology,

Nuclear Power Nuclear Power Alexandra Fynke ISP 207 Entering the twenty-first century, six billion people inhabit the earth. A number that is expected to double in a hundred and twenty years, yet only 4% of that world population lives in the Untied States. Even though the Untied States is only 4% of the population of the world, it still uses 25% of the world's resources. This statistic is most important with the argument of food consumption, with so many countries starving, but it also means that the United States uses 25% of the world's energy resources. Coal and oil are a major energy provider around the world, particularly in the US. (See figure 1) Many countries without these abundances have turned to nuclear energy, due to its supreme effectiveness. Nuclear energy produces more energy per unit weight than coal and oil, releases no pollutants into the atmosphere and is less cancer causing than the burning of coal and oil. Yet nuclear power has been attacked in the US since the day that it was instituted as being a non-safe and env ironmentally non-friendly form of energy. Right now the United States does not have to worry about running out of fossil fuels for a long time, even though they generate 51.7% of the US's power, and power almost all forms of modern transportation. But what happens down the road, when all of the natural resources are gone? In many countries, such as France, nuclear power is accepted and welcome. Why is this not the same way in the US? The media and all forms of entertainment have misconstrued the facts of nuclear energy. Most people are sacred of nuclear power, the word unsafe is synonymous with nuclear power in this country, but time has shown that there is so reason for this feeling. Americans do not hold the facts on this issue. They have the unwarranted fears of a mass and free speaking culture. Nuclear energy is safe, clean, and effective. The voice that is heard among the people is that nuclear energy is unsafe to the environment. There should be no debate about the environmental concerns of nuclear power. If there is a nything that makes nuclear power unpractical it is government spending. Never the less nuclear power is the cleanest form of power for a rapidly increasing world population. Nuclear reactors produce electricity by the fission of uranium, not the burning of fossil fuels, not emitting sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate soot, or greenhouse gases. In countries around the world nuclear energy is the largest source of emission-free electrical generation. Making one million kilowatt-hours of electricity in a natural gas power plant produces 550 tons of carbon dioxide. Producing the same amount in an oil-fired plant makes 850 tons of carbon dioxide and 1,110 in a coal plant. But making one million kilowatt hours of electricity in a nuclear plant creates no carbon dioxide. Not only does nuclear energy not emit any pollutants, it is causing the average of pollutants that are let into air to decline. Since 1973, the generation of electricity by US power plants has resulted in two billion fewer tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. (See figure 2) Nuclear energy has accounted for 90% of all carbon emission reductions achieved by the electric utility industry. And the fact still remains that I gram plutonium has the same energy potential as 1 ton of oil. Another major concern for the environment is what to do with the waste of a nuclear plant. It is in this area that causes people feel that nuclear power is unsafe for the environment. The fact is that the waste is radioactive for thousands of years, and if not disposed of properly could destroy the environment. In some countries, such as France, the waste from the nuclear plants is recycled making a lower amount of unusable waste. This is not done in the US, but should always be an option. The waste is stored in huge drums impermeable to any type of disaster. As a result, the nuclear energy industry is the only industry established since the industrial revolution that has managed and accounted for all of its waste, preventing adverse impacts on the environment. Yet what

Administrative Law Coursework The WritePass Journal

Administrative Law Coursework Introduction-Source of Power Administrative Law Coursework Introduction-Source of Power[Question 1:]ConclusionOther Possible Claim[Question 2:]Conclusion Second ClaimConclusion Third ClaimAvailable Remedy [Question 3:]Claim OneClaim Two[Question 4:]BibliographyRelated Introduction-Source of Power In order to seek for the legality of an action taken by a public body, first, we may need to identify the source of its power. The source of the power provides the standard for the reviewing exercise. Generally the source of the delegated discretion for Public Law will be an enable Act, yet there are cases where it may be an Order in Council issued under the Prerogative. The fact sheet shows that the (fictitious) Traffic Control Act 2010 was imposed by the Councils, thus we may conclude that the source of the power in this case is by Public Law. [Question 1:] Amelia, who has been ‘prosecuted for breach of a 15 mph speed limit’, is likely to seek for judicial review on the ground that the decision taken by the Council is unreasonable. She may argue that she was driving through the ‘thinly populated docks area’ where the 2010 Act need not to be imposed. Hence she may also try to seek for quashing order against the prosecution during the application of judicial review. It has been some time that the basic test for reasonableness in English Administrative Law was driven from the Court of Appeal’s decision in Associated Provincial Picture House Ltd v Wednesbury Corporation (the Wednesbury case). Lord Green MR stated the authority’s decision might be open to attack because the imposed principle in the case was: â€Å"Not directing itself properly in law; not taking into account relevant considerations, or conversely taking into account irrelevant considerations; acting unreasonably; acting in bad faith; or acting in disregard of public policy†. Nonetheless his Lordship went on saying that it was important to bear in mind that Parliament had entrusted the local authority with the discretion to impose the law because of the belief of the area’s needs.Thus his Lordship suggested that the courts should not rashly intervened and quashed a condition imposed by such a body, unless such condition really did involve the element of unreasonableness. However, compelling evidence will be required to prove a case in such matter. Beside the Wednesbury Test, terms such as ‘Illegality’, ‘Irrationality’ and ‘Procedural Impropriety’ are identified by Lord Diplock from Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service(the GCHQ case). As mentioned above, proving unreasonableness or irrationality will require heavy evidence provided by the applicant for juridical review. It should be that unless the unreasonableness in the case is so manifested which leave the court no choice but to step in without hesitation. Additionally the courts will consider not only the merits of the decision but also the ‘necessity and appropriateness’ of their judicial intervention. As Woolf LJ had explained: it was not for the courts to trespass the function of the local authorities simply because they disagreed with the decision. It is important for the courts to consider about the purpose behind the relevant legislation. Hence, the Seachester Council may defense itself on the ground that although the docks area may truly be ‘thinly populated’ but to certain extent, potential harms may still occur because of high speed driving. In other words, instead of considering only about the population, the main purpose of the 2010 Act is to have safety concern about the traffic issues in such area. On the other hand, the Council may have drawn a statistic map; and found the necessity to impose a traffic control measures in order to prevent further tragic or dangers. Under such accounts, it may be inappropriate to say that the Council has abused its delegated power and caused illegality. Conclusion With the Seachester Council defense, we may come to the conclusion that the court is unlikely to accept the applicant of judicial review made by Amelia. Other Possible Claim If Amelia’s claim involved issue such as the breach of her fundamental rights, there may be a possibility that other test beside the Wednesbury Test may be engaged. Nonetheless this is not the case here, thus there is no other alternative claim which Amelia can make. [Question 2:] Bertram may seek judicial review against Ruffborough Council’s decision for not imposing the traffic control measure on where he lives; an area which has ‘very high accident rate’ and required the Council to strictly imposed the law; otherwise irrationality/ unreasonableness will establish. As we had discussed above for the test of unreasonable/ irrationaland its principles, we had also come across the facts that the courts are reluctant to rely to interfere the decision made by the council. This is because otherwise they will substitute the function and power which the Parliament has entrusted to the public bodies. An example of this test can be seen in the case of Nottinghamshire CC v Sec of State for the Environment. Furthermore Bertram will also be asked to provide strong evidence to support his ground under the Wednesbury Test. In order to have a more effective claim, Bertram may try to have his argument based on the fact that his Article 8 of Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 had been breached by the Council’s decision. Ever since the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Human Rights Act 1998, the domestic courts began to have a strict application of the test of unreasonableness in cases which involved the issues of the citizen’s fundamental rights. In R v Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Bugdaycay, Lord Bridge said: â€Å"†¦the court must†¦be entitled to subject an administrative decision to†¦more rigorous examination†¦according to the gravity of the issue which the decision determines. The most fundamental of all human rights is the individual’s right to life and when an administrative decision under challenge is said to be one which may put the applicant’s life at risk, the basis of the decision must surely call for anxious scrutiny.† Similar statement was expressed by Sir Thomas Bingham MR in R v Ministry of Defense, ex parte Smith. Bertram may now allege that without the appropriate traffic control, his family or just he will be under no protection against the high traffic accidents; the safety concern of where he lives is doubtful. By law, the public authority should exercise its rights to ensure that interests of ‘national security, public safety are well-maintained and made efficient prevention against crime, disorder for the protection of health, morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others’. Now, since Bertram has relied his case on the HRA1998, this means that the doctrine of proportionality will be considered by the domestic courts while determining his application of judicial review. The doctrine of proportionality stated that the action will be unlawful if it is inappropriate in its effect, or relative to what is required. R v Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, ex parte Hook suggested that English Law had recognized this doctrine for sometime as the offshoot of the unreasonableness test. Smith and Grady v United Kingdom and Lustig-Prean and Beckett v United Kingdom had became the basis for review when Convention rights were involved. The court found that prohibiting homosexuals to serve in the army forces had constituted a violation of HRA 1998 in the judicial review and had provided no effective domestic remedy in respect of the Convention rights. This was because the threshold set by the domestic courts for proof of irrationality was too high that it did not allow the applicants to gain their remedy. Furthermore Lord Bingham in A v Secretary of State for the Home Department 2004 said that under Proportionality Test, the courts should consider not just the behavior complained but also, they should also look for another way of proceeding which will not limit the Convention rights. If the answer is a ‘Yes’ then the behavior may not be proportionate. Nonetheless such wide assessment will involve judges to consider the merits and not just the process which may subsequently form more controversial issues. Until this stage, we may say that the proportionality doctrine has a lower threshold and it allow a court to balance conflict of interests. Thus if Ruffborough Council wishes to restrict Bertram’s human right then the restriction must be proportionate or no greater than it is necessary to be. However, House of Lords in R v Home Secretary, ex parte Brind refused to accept the proportionality doctrine as a separate and stand-alone head of judicial review. Lord Slynn in R (Alconbury Developments Ltd and Others) v Secretary of Stet for the Environmentt expressed his opinion: â€Å"Trying to keep the Wednesbury principle and proportionality in separate compartments seems to me to be unnecessary and confusing. In Alconbury case and R (Daly) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, it has indicated that the senior judges are like to simplify the law by using just the proportionality doctrine in all judicial review cases. Nonetheless for other cases in House of Lords, this approach is refused. The Court of Appeal in R (Association of British Civilian Internees Far Eastern Region) v The Secretary of State for Defense pointed out that proportionality is not yet ready to be adopted by the domestic law in cases which does not concern about European Union or the European Convention of Human Rights. Thus the traditional Wednesbury test remained as a correct test. Conclusion Despite the fact that the law is still developing and causing some controversies yet if we assume that the judge is willing to accept the proportionality doctrine in Bertram case, we may say that he has a chance of winning his case. This is because based on the arguments which he had mentioned and after considering the true nature or purpose of the 2010 Act, the decision made by Ruffborough Council may be deemed to be unreasonable or disproportion. On the other hand, such decision does violate his Article 8 of HRA 1998. Second Claim The 2010 Act clearly stated that the traffic control measure should be imposed on high accidental area. Hence when the Council failed to exercise its power Bertram may argue that it has failed to comply with the express statutory requirements. By logic, if such failure happened, it should be that the Council’s decision will be deemed as ultra vires. For Bertram’s case, the court will first consider both the general principles of statutory interpretation and the intention of the Parliament in enacting such law. In short, any public authority which has its statutory power exercised in the way which formed contradiction with the Parliament’s intention is going to have its action considered to be ultra vires (R v Pierson). There is a reasonable and logical ground for Bertram or the court to believe that the nature and purpose for the Parliament to introduce the 2010 Act is to prevent further harm, tragic and increase of the accident rate in traffic. Therefore when the Council failed to comply with such expressed statute term, it is obvious that its act contained illegality. On the other hand, by taking the account of European Convention on Human Rights when exercising power or making discretion, the public authorities are required to consider about the demands of the Convention Rights. The decision made by the public authorities will not be unlawful only if they are not able to avoid the incompatibility of one or more provisions of primary legislation. Otherwise their actions or decisions would be illegal for not upholding the Convention Rights. Conclusion As we have mentioned above, Bertram may argue that the Council’s decision has infringed his Article 8 HRA 1998. Thus if the court find the Council has no compelling defense or its decision has formed contradiction with the Parliament intention, it likely that such decision will be deemed to be defective. Third Claim Bertram was expected to be consulted with the Council yet he was not. Again we may say that the Council has failed to comply with the express statutory procedural requirements. As stated above, such failure may constitute ultra vires. Nonetheless we may need to identify if such requirement is mandatory or directory. Based on the fact sheet, we may say that there is a statutory requirement that the Council should have consulted with Bertram before making its decision and such requirement is considered to be invariably mandatory by the courts (Agricultural, Horticultural and Forestry Industry Training Board v Aylesbury Mushrooms Ltd). The court in the case held that the scheme was invalid, as against the mushroom growers since they were not consulted. However the court in the case did not invalidate the whole scheme. Thus, if we apply the test of the Agricultural, Horticultural and Forestry Industry Training Board case, we may say that Bertram has a chance in succeeding his claim. Nonetheless the Council may argue that there is no right to be heard since there will be no difference to the outcome.   Support of this augment can be found in Glynn v Keele University and Another. In the case, the court refused to invalidate disciplinary action taken in respect of the student concerned, despite the fact that he had been denied a hearing. The court made such decision on the ground that no matter what he would say would be able to change the outcome. Ruffborough Council may argue that:‘†¦such bodies as significantly represent local communities†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, as the 2010 Act has stated may have referred to the communities which concern more about the local residents’ live- hood issues/living qualities. In other words, Bertram’s association will less likely to be considered as ‘significantly represent local communities†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Nevertheless Bertram may claim that there was legitimate expectation in him towards the Council based on the previous promise or course of dealing. Like the applicant in t he case of AG of Hong Kong v Ng Yuen Shiu[47], Bertram may argue that he had a legitimate or reasonable expectation to the consultation since the decision made by the Council will eventually affect his interest. On the other hand, similarly with the applicant in Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service, if there had been regular practice of consultation between the Council and Bertram on matters relating to the impose of legislation in Ruffborough, Bertram will then have a legitimate expectation of being consulted. Hence, when the Council failed to consult with Bertram, we may say that there is a breach of natural justice/legitimate expectation. Such breach may lead to the consequence that the decision made by the Council will be void since it is based on ultra vires. However to determine if a decision is truly ‘void’, the decision will be left with the courts. Available Remedy For his overall claims, if Bertram’s application against the Council is judicially reviewable, he may seek for mandatory order as remedy. The court will order the Council to fulfill its duties since it addresses wrongful failure to act. In short, the Council will need to draw a designated control area at where Bertram live and where it is suppose to be at Ruffborough. Failure to comply with such order will form as contempt of court and it will be punishable.   However if the statutory duties are drafted in a wide and vague terms, the court will not grant the remedy unless the compliance with the order can be supervised. Or, the order will not be granted only if the Parliament has supplied a more suitable alternative remedy. [Question 3:] If Clark’s application of judicial review is determined under the traditional Wednesbury test as we had discussed earlier, it is likely that he will lose his case. On the other hand, even though Clark may claim that his Article 8 HRA 1998 has been violated and thus his case should be justified under the proportionality doctrine, yet the doctrine is still controversial and is unlikely to be certainly applied by the English courts. Thereby we will need to seek for an alternation in order to make his claim judicially reviewable. Claim One The enforcement of HRA 1998 has made it becomes unlawful for any public authority to act in anyway which is incompatible with the Convention Rights. Therefore as a public authority is exercising its discretion, it will need to determine if its discretion has form contradiction with the Convention Rights protected by the Act. Such impact incurred by the Convention rights on the public authorities and the scope of judicial review remains in question but we may still have our expectation based on R v Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Quaquah. Hence Clark may claim that his fundamental right has now been affected by the designated area created by the Council. Although it may be true that Clark’s interest has been affected by such legislation however if the court does not find the evidence provided by him has the sufficient ground which can compel with his argument, it is likely that Clarke will lose his case. The actions taken by the public authority can be declared as ultra vires when it has acted on the basis of irrelevant considerations In short, if the public authority has acted without necessary evidence to justify its decision or it is trying to achieve some hidden aim or goal by using a power not intended for the purpose, we may say that it has acted beyond relevant considerations. The basic theory regarded to this issue is laid down by Lord Esher MR in R v St Pancras Vestry. It is true that the public authorities will face difficult task of balancing one set of considerations against another and usually the courts are unlikely to substitute the public authorities’ view with its own opinion. To determine if the administrative action has been legally taken based on the statutory powers, the courts will first consider about the statutory interpretation and the intentions that the Parliament is trying to achieve when certain legislation is being carried out. Therefore if the statutory power has been carried out in the sense which has diverged with any general assumptions regarding to Parliament’s legislative intent, the action is likely to be deemed as ultra vires (R v Pierson). In Clark’s case, it is likely that the court will find the legislation imposed by the Council is to protect the public from as many traffic tragedies as possible. Between Individual’s self-interest and public policy, we may come to an assumption that the court is likely to guard the public policy rather than blindly favour the interest of an individual. Claim Two Clarke claims that the Council allowed the decisions to be taken by Antifume whom received commission to write a report. He may want to challenge the validity of that report. According to S 101 of the Local Government Act 1972, Parliament has stated that local authorities have very large scale of work ranges and duties. Therefore it is impossible for them not to continue their works with delegation of their functions to committees, officers or even other local authorities. However note that the final decision will still be made by the local authorities, and they reserved the rights to exercise their powers. Hence the courts may have an indulgent attitude to the delegation of functions by a local authority. In Provident Mutual Life Assurance Association v Derby City Council, the appellant challenged the validity of the notice issued by the respondent authority on the ground that the notice was made by the authority’s Assistant but not the Treasurer. The applicant’s argument was rejected. Therefore with the decision of Provident Mutual Life Assurance Association case as a guideline, we may come to the conclusion that Clark is likely to lose his claim here. Unless there is significant fault made in the procedural requirement as how it was indicated in R v St Edmundsbury Borough Council, ex parte Walton, otherwise the court will not find the Council’s delegation of power illegal. Conclusions Hence, with all the above arguments and discussions, it is unlikely that Clark will win his case. Therefore there will be no remedy available for him. [Question 4:] Dee may seek judicial review against the Council’s decision of to designate no ‘control areas’ just because the Council wants to save money and ‘as a matter of policy’. Nonetheless the Council may argue about its finance constraints. Generally, a public body must be acting in good faith and to exercise discretion properly. If these two conditions are satisfied, the courts will not intervene. Alternatively, the court will intervene only if the decision is illogical or suggest willful indifference (In R v North Derbyshire Health Authority, ex parte Fisher). However there are cases where statutory context should be concerned. When the statute is drawn in wider, more generalized, terms the court may be able to grant an authority some flexibility.As it was stated by Lord Woolf MR in ex parte Help the Aged cased that that once a need is mentioned, yet lack of resources cannot be relied upon as a reason for not providing the necessary accident. Nevertheless the House of Lords expressed that there were still other ways of providing a reasonable decision. However Lord Browne-Wilkinson said once the reasonableness became narrowed to how a local authority had decided to allocate scare financial resources; the local authority’s decision would be hard to review. â€Å"The court cannot second-guess the local authority in the way in which it spends its limited resources.† Hence, unless the 2010 Act does further stated that the law must be imposed regardless of the financial state of the local authorities, otherwise there is a possibility that the Council will have the flexibility not to impose the law. Or if the circumstances of the case are similar with R v Gloucestershire, the court will likely to alter the Council’s decision. If we presume that the court has decided to make an intervention, mandatory order may be granted as the remedy of Dee’s claim. On the other hand, when any controversial budget decision involves one’s fundamental human rights, the applicant could now claim that the decision is unlawful.   Hence Dee may claim that the decision will breach her Article 8 HRA 1998. With the similar theory stated in Question two, if the court found that the decision is inappropriate and does cause violation of Dee’s fundamental right, it is likely that her applicable will be judicially reviewable and mandatory order will be granted as the remedy. Bibliography [Textbooks] Michael T Molan. Administrative Law Third Edition. Old Bailey Press, 2005. A W Bradley., and K D Ewing. Constitutional and Administrative Law Fourteen Edition. Pearson Education Limited 2007. David Pollard., Neil Parpworth., and David Hughes. Constitutional and Administrative Law Text with Materials Fourth Edition. Oxford University Press 2007. Peter Leyland., and Gordon Anthony. Textbook on Administrative Law. Oxford University Press, 2005. William Wade., C.F. Forsyth. Administrative Law Tenth Edition. Oxford University Press, 2009. David Hoffman., and John Rowe Q.C. Human Rights Act in UK: An Introduction to the Human Rights Act 1998 Third Edition. Pearson Education Limited 2010. [Websites] Human Rights Act 1998: Table of Contents. legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/contents Judicial Review of Administrative Decisions. http://administrativelaw.uslegal.com/judicial-review-of-administrative-decisions/ Wednesbury Principles of Reasonableness: The Law Revisited. http://legalperspectives.blogspot.com/2010/05/wednesburys-principles-of.html Logic Reasoning Though Law forceofdestiny.co.uk/Literature/Questor/Logic5.html Doctrine of Legitimate Legislation. shvoong.com/law-and-politics/1673788-doctrine-legitimate-expectation/ Fiona L, McKenzie, Barrister. Ground of Review. lawhandbook.org.au/handbook/ch21s02s06.php# What are Fundamental Rights? wisegeek.com/what-are-fundamental-rights.htm

How to Make a Marijuana Tincture

How to Make a Marijuana Tincture Making a marijuana tincture is an easy way to extract THC and cannabinoids from Cannabis. A tincture is an alcohol-based solution, used to extract organics from herbs and other plants. Tinctures are useful because they isolate certain compounds better than soaking or boiling herbs in water, the alcohol acts as a natural preservative, and medicinal tinctures often take effect more quickly than other administration routes, like eating, drinking, or smoking. Marijuana Tincture Materials A typical ratio of plant matter to alcohol would be 1 gram to 1 fluid ounce (35 ml) of alcohol. Up to 6 grams of Cannabis can be used, depending on your resources and how concentrated you want the end product to be. Do not use any other type of alcohol besides ethyl alcohol or ethanol (e.g., isopropyl alcohol or methyl alcohol), as these chemicals are toxic. Cannabis sativa bud, fresh or driedHigh-proof ethanolFlavoring (optional)Small glass jar with lidBrown or blue glass dropper bottle Everclear is a popular source of ethanol because it is so high in alcohol. 151 rum also works. Be sure to use food-quality ethanol, not denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol contains contaminants that make it unsafe to drink. Lower concentrations of alcohol will not be as effective for the extraction or preservation. Basic Steps To Prepare a Cannabis Tincture Place the marijuana in the bottle.  Pour alcohol into the bottle, making certain to cover the plant matter.Seal the bottle. Place it in a warm location, out of direct sunlight.Give the alcohol mixture at least a day, but preferably longer than a week to soak. You can shake the bottle from time to time to ensure a good extraction of  the THC and other cannabinoids.Filter the liquid through a coffee filter to remove the solids and reserve the liquid in a dark-colored glass dropper bottle. Avoid using plastic, as the liquid may leach some undesirable compounds from the plastic into the tincture over time. Flavoring may be added to improve the taste of the tincture, if desired.A typical dose would be 3-5 drops, depending on how strong you made the tincture. Start with the minimum amount and see what works best for you. Fast Marijuana Tincture Recipe While the classic tincture instructions are fine, you can prepare a tincture much more quickly if youre willing to put in slightly more preparation time. Also, this method uses less source material (although the tincture is also less potent). This recipe produces an effective tincture in as little as an hour. The disadvantage of the method is that it uses heat, which can damage some of the many cannabinoids in Cannabis if you get carried away. Dont exceed the recommended temperature. Dry about 4-5 grams of a Cannabis sativa bud.Grind the material to increase surface area (speeds extraction).Bake the marijuana is a 240 F over (set for just under 250 F) for 30 minutes. This decarboxylates the matter, improving the extraction of desirable compounds while helping to eliminate unwanted chemicals. Both heat and alcohol can convert  the THCA molecules in the plant matter into active THC.Place the marijuana in 2 ounces of alcohol. Make sure it is covered and seal the container to prevent gas exchange with air.Place the container in a cool, dark location. The longer you allow for the alcohol to extract the cannabinoids, the more potent your tincture will be. You can watch the extraction progress as the color of the liquid changes from clear to green. Once the color is stable (up to 2 or 3 hours), filter the liquid using a coffee filter or cheesecloth. Of course, you can consider the tincture done sooner, but you may lose potency.Store the tincture in a dark glass droppe r bottle. While the alcohol preserves a tincture at room temperature, its fine to refrigerate it to further reduce the chance of mold or fungal growth. How to Use a Marijuana Tincture The ideal way to use this tincture is to apply drops sublingually (under your tongue). Use a few drops and then wait to determine the effect. Cannabinoids are quickly absorbed across the mucosa of the mouth into the bloodstream for distribution to the brain and other parts of the body. If the desired effect is not achieved after the initial dose, a few more drops may be applied.

Knowledge Management Plan for Dell Inc Case Study

Knowledge Management Plan for Dell Inc - Case Study Example Many businesses are rich in information or are able to create sufficient knowledge, but they fail to effectively share it with others or to utilize it for the overall benefits of the organization. Knowledge Management provides a management framework that helps create knowledge, share it with others and use it for the business to achieve its targeted goals (Christensen, 2003, p. 14). This paper is prepared as a report to be submitted to the CEO and management executives of Dell Inc outlining a Knowledge Management plan and useful KM strategies for the company to achieve greater competency in its business landscape. Dell Inc, a very successful fortune 500 company within few years, has recently implemented its ‘customization’ strategy for computer marketing with an objective of ‘collecting more accurate and reliable information from its customers’. This paper recommends a KM plan to Dell Inc to make use of information and knowledge that it gathers from customers to the overall benefits of the company. Knowledge is power. When it comes to a company, it is a powerful asset and critical factor to the business success. Many organizations have found effective knowledge management as an extremely useful management strategy that helps it adapt to the changes and modern requirements due to technological advances and helps gain competitive advantages. The KM is a recent development and new interdisciplinary approach to the Human Resource Management and it involves people, process and technology in an organization. This piece of research work presents a brief explanation of knowledge management and an overview of Dell Inc and it's business strategies to find an effective knowledge management plan for the company to help it gain better business outcomes.

THE NATURE OF ORGANIZATIONS AND THE CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENT Assignment

THE NATURE OF ORGANIZATIONS AND THE CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENT - Assignment Example nt of the differing cultures within the organization in order to determine an appropriate way of managing the organization in order to enhance the profitability of such organizations. My score did not surprise, I had adequate understanding of the varied cultures interviewed. The United States is a cosmopolitan society. This implies that the society experiences some of the cultural conflicts quizzed in the interview. As such, I have interacted with people from varied cultural settings and therefore understood the differences in cultures in the different societies. Among the strengths I exhibit in intercultural awareness is the fact that I have interacted with people from varied cultural backgrounds. Through such interactions, I understood the intricate features of the culture besides understanding the dynamic nature of cultures. Through our interactions, we trade cultural values as people abandon specific cultural features they feel retrogressive and adopt new cultural values. The dynamic feature of culture has helped integrate the society, as the world became a global village. The weaknesses I portrayed in the quiz was lack of knowledge of African cultures among other cultures of far flung areas such the minority societies in east Asia and the enclosed areas such as Northern Korea. Understanding culture is often relative depending on the interactions that people have with each other. My lack of knowledge of such cultures is therefore a portrayal of the enclosed nature of the societies a feature that therefore limits their interactions with the rest of the world. However, I must improve my weaknesses and build my strengths in order to enhance my understanding of the cultural differences in the different societies. In order to do this, I plan to undertake studies on cultures. I plan to read different books that address the cultural diversity in the society. Existing literatures provide appropriate information about different cultures including cultural practices

Bartok And His Musical Language Film Studies Essay

Bartok And His Musical Language Film Studies Essay Bartoks music showed signs of a rejection of traditional tonality and growth in his individual harmonic language, giving a new rendition to tonal principles. This characteristic was very much due to the influence of Debussy, and also affected other composers such as Stravinsky. Additionally, after his several years of studying the German tradition at the conservatory in Budapest, he had picked up a manneristic sympathy towards this German late-Romantic style of composers like Wagner, Richard Strauss and Brahms. His earliest works show several stylistic influences present, for example his Piano Quintet (1904-5) which has a finale unquestionably modelled on that of Brahmss Second Piano Concerto. In time, Bartoks music was somewhat liberated from such influences due to his encounter with Magyar folk music in 1905. In spite of this, some influences remained, like the discovery of new harmonic possibilities in Debussys music which came about in 1907. Bartoks researches, which eventually encompassed the folk music not only of Hungary but the Slavic regions, Turkey, and North Africa, convinced him that the essential folk traditions were those having frequent contact with other cultures, allowing a mutually enriching exchange of ideas1. Bartoks compositional style reveals this outlook, which draws upon various, even seemingly contrasting, sources yet he manages to integrate them within a fully coherent frame while keeping in touch with his personal expression. 4.1.1 Tonal Language in his Piano Music 1 Morgan, Robert P. Twentieth-Century Music (W.W.Norton Company Inc., 1991). p.109Works like the Fourteen Bagatelles and Ten Easy Pieces were described by Bartok himself as experimental, reflecting this influence and revealing a certain affinity with Debussy like the use of parallel dissonant chords; except that the quality and colour of the dissonances in Bartoks music differs significantly from that of Debussy. Moreover, the Fourteen Bagatelles and the Ten Easy Pieces, small and early composed as they are, show stylistic homogeneity within each of the pieces and are more adventurous than, for example, the Debussy Preludes. The first composition which brings to light Bartoks research on folksong is shown in his series of piano pieces called For Children, based on Hungarian and Slovakian folksongs. Harmonies are usually simple but never predictable and conventional, making use of Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian and Mixolydian melodies, pentatonic and other modal tunes. Bartok comp osed three Burlesques, all of which were composed in different years, and these bring out the typical style of his development. They are slightly unpleasant in mood, with harsh clashes of dissonance and bizarre accents. In his Allegro Barbaro, he had established a complete assimilation of folk elements with authentic Magyar style, unrelated to the pianism of Hungarian characteristics found in Liszt and no signs of the impressionist keyboard music like Ravels. This work had brought out an immensely percussionistic sound through the martellato chords and the hammering rhythms. It marks Bartoks becoming of age, from whence his stylistic progress is outspoken, without trial and no going back to the earlier style in his music. He had recognized the piano as a percussion instrument, with works such as the Sonata, his Concertos, and the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion abiding by this idea. In his answer to a questionnaire about the Piano problem (1927), Bartok had stated the following : The neutral character of the piano tone has long been recognized. Yet it seems to me that its inherent nature becomes really expressive only by means of the present tendency to use the piano as a percussion instrument. Indeed, the piano always plays the part of universal instrument. It has not lost its importance for concert performances.2 4.2 Mikrokosmos Bartok was quite the innovator when it comes to writing what he wanted on the score, and in his Volumes of the Mikrokosmos, one might encounter special musical notation which indicate a specific sound that he had in mind such as newly devised key signatures (also including the use of two different key signatures at the same time), use of  ½ pedal, and the use of the  ¯ for the effect of harmonics, an effect generated by playing the selected keys without sounding them and producing harmonics as the other notes are played. Figure 4.1 First 10 Bars from No.102, Vol.4 2 Bartok, Bà ©la. Bà ©la Bartok Essays ed. Benjamin Suchoff. (University of Nebraska Press, 1976) p.288The first four books of the Mikrokosmos were specifically written for pedagogical reasons as they propose specific tasks which should prepare students as they take on new problems step by step in their first years of learning. Albeit this, Benjamin Suchoff had stated that: Evidence indicates that the Mikrokosmos was not conceived of as a piano method in 1926, the year of its origin, but as recital pieces to fill the need Bartok had of such material due to the increase in his concert bookings3. The exercises are supposedly put in progressive order according to technical and musical demands, although this order might be manipulated by the tutor with each individual student according to their abilities. Despite this, the value of these volumes lies not so much in the technical demands themselves, but it provides the opportunity for the player to encounter essential characteristics of twentieth-century music, for instance, harmonic practices like: bitonality, whole-tone scale, chords in fourths and major and minor seconds, or counterpoint methods such as: inversion, mirror and free canon, not to mention other devices like syncopation and irregular rhythms. 4.3 Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm Bartok ends his 153 pieces called Mikrokosmos with a set of six dances which he composed and dedicated to the British pianist Miss Harriet Cohen. As the title suggests, they are comprised of dances with folk flavour dominant throughout, containing a variety of rhythms commonly found in Bulgarian folk music. Bartok had already made use of the Bulgarian elements in No.113 and No.115 from the fourth Volume of Mikrokosmos, and he aptly named them Bulgarian rhythm I and Bulgarian rhythm II. This rhythm is frequently found in folk music from Bulgaria, and refers to a rhythm in which the beats within each bar are of dissimilar length, so that the subdivisions of each beat change in number. This set, all composed with quavers as the main beat, would therefore represent the Bulgarian rhythm grouped like this: qzzz qz qzz- corresponding to the time signature of 4+2+3/8, although the whole set of these last six dances exhibits a wide variety of possible groupings. The different rhythmic groupin gs give each of the dances a contrasting character, but still give a sense of a unified work, mostly due to a chromatic characteristic appearing in each piece and the fact that all six dances are full of energy. Figure 4.2 3 Suchoff, Benjamin. History of Bela Bartoks Mikrokosmos from the Journal of Research in Music Education, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Sage Publications Inc., 1959) p.196The first dance opens with a mildly temperate mood, but still full of life as it introduces the main theme. The dance is polymodal, based mainly on the E-Phrygian/Lydian scale, occurring in the two main elements present, which are the melody (Fig. 4.2) using notes of the E-pentatonic scale and the accompanying scalar ostinato passages based on the E major scale (Fig. 4.3). Figure 4.3 This first dance makes consistent use of the 4+2+3 Bulgarian rhythm throughout the piece, and is the only work from the set of six that has the most distinct tempo changes. A variation of the main folk motif (Fig. 4.2) occurs in the slower section marked Meno Vivo (Fig. 4.4), which builds up towards a transitional energetic area, leading to yet another calm variation of the main theme with a sense of direction leading towards the closing of the dance which is contrastingly loud and decisive in mood compared to the previous soothing variations, but it rounds off the dance bringing it well into balance and aims directly towards the complementing second dance. Figure 4.4 Variation of the main melodic motif is marked with the brackets The second dance is lively and bright in mood, introducing itself with the main rhythmic element appearing throughout the piece which is based on the 2+2+3 meter (Fig.4.5). Figure 4.5 Bb.1-3 The first three bars of ostinato-like chords are immediately followed by another motif (Fig. 4.6a) containing a syncopated melody on the C-pentatonic scale which repeats soon afterwards; this time it is transposed a 4th higher on F-pentatonic scale and it is half the length of the previous phrase, almost as if it is getting slightly impatient and increasing in tension (Fig. 4.6b). Figure 4.6a Figure 4.6b Figure 4.7Subsequently, running scales appear (Fig. 4.7), which give a reminiscing sense of some parts from the first dance. This is followed by developing material of both the initial melodic material and of the running scales once again. The scale passages keep occurring against a thick chordal bass until eventually coming to a halt and transitioning to the coda which concludes with the introductory dance rhythm, slowly drifting away to the last to chords. The third dance acts like an extension to the second dance, with a similar energetic drive but with more added force to it. Its meter is marked as 5/8 and the rhythm is subdivided into two groups: 2+3. The first rhythmic motif is divided as shown (Fig. 4.8), using notes from the E-Lydian pentachord with a minor and major seventh degree4. Figure 4.8 The second thematic material that follows is based on a symmetrical 3-bar phrase:  Ã‚ ±Ã‚ Ã‚ ±. |  Ã‚ ±Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ± |  Ã‚ ±Ã‚ Ã‚ ±. lasting until Bar 19, leading to four bars of ostinato rhythm using chords a 5th apart, based on the dominant (V) of the A-major pentachord5, employed in the second thematic material. Variations with development on both first and second motifs appear following each other with chromatic elements throughout, leading to the close which starts off with the same introduction as the beginning, followed by a short closure using the main dance rhythmic theme, rounded off by the concluding chord (Fig. 4.9). Figure 4.9 The next dance is more upbeat and cheery in mood compared to the previous dances. It has the form of a rondo-variation with the parts generally subdivided into four-bar sections. According to Bartok, this piece is Very much in the style of Gershwins tonality, rhythm, and colour. The American folk song feeling.5 The additive 3+2+3/8 meter grouped as such (Fig. 4.10), occurs in the first movement, second theme, of Gershwins Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra as 4/4  Ã‚ ¥ q  Ã‚ ±  Ã‚ ±  Ã‚ ¥.6 The first theme (Fig. 4.10), consists of harmonies from the C-Lydian/Phrygian polymode, and the motif is soon repeated an octave higher. The same ideas soon answer in different registers transposed into the left hand almost upside down. Figure 4.10 In discussion to the Gershwin-related tonality as described by Bartok himself, there is a section in this dance where the same melodic motif appears in a slower area (as indicated by the composer; Meno mosso) with a jazzy colour added to it, accompanied by triads ascending in stepwise motion (Fig. 4.11). This area is followed by a brief recapitulation of the melodic introductory motif played in octaves with a small ritardando at the end of the phrase which jumps to a short but very energetic Coda that concludes the dance. 6 ibid. 5 ibid. p.158 4 ibid. 3 Suchoff, Benjamin. Bartoks Mikrokosmos: Genesis, Pedagogy, and Style (Rowman Littlefield, 2004) p.157 Figure 4.11 The fifth Bulgarian dance has a more varied rhythmic schemata, in the sense that it has at least three different sections which consist of diverse rhythmic groupings (Fig. 4.12a; 4.12b; 4.12c), but all under the same meter i.e. 2+2+2+3/8. Figure 4.12a i.e. qz  Ã‚ ±z  Ã‚ ±z  Ã‚ ±zz Figure 4.12b i.e.  Ã‚ ±  Ã‚ ±  Ã‚ ±  Ã‚ ±  Ã‚ ¥ Figure 4.12c i.e.  Ã‚ ±zzz  Ã‚ ±  Ã‚ ±zz Like the second dance, it has brisk, light steps, but is more playful, slightly more colourful in tonality but less ostentatious in character. The introductory material starts with a short passage of alternating chords between the two hands, eventually leading to a clearer melodic line in bar 7 which serves as the basic material for the entire piece. The middle section consists of brief dense phrases occurring in between short staccato areas, with the thick areas having a fundamental chromatic melodic line which corresponds to the whole element of the six dances. The sixth and final dance of the whole Mikrokosmos automatically shoots off with a jump start as a kind of reaction to the strong intervallic ending of the previous dance. The chordal motifs reflect a Debussy-like influence, with the striking rhythmic elements proving the underlying thoughts of having the piano regarded as a percussive instrument. The chords against a repeated 3+3+2 quaver movement grouped as such: qZZ qZZ qZ switch hands, increasing in thickness of sound the third time it appears, due to the lower register of the keyboard. The chords are the holders of the main melodic line in this dance. Repeated eighth notes occur throughout most of the dance with abrupt accentuated phrasings. Corresponding to the chromatic element of the whole set which links them together is an area full of melodic motifs displaying chromatic movement in both hands, with the phrases running on top of each other constantly, keeping a rhythmic flow (Fig. 4.13). Figure 4.13 The only section in this piece where there are not any running rhythms is in the extremely aggressive chordal area marked fortissimo (Fig. 4.14), halting abruptly on a dissonant chord which is followed by several bars of repeated notes, soon to have the other voice join in once again, both charging towards the flamboyant ending of the piece. Figure 4.14

Art & Literature Have No Place in the Modern World Essay

Creating and expressing ones’ self through various media, such as art and literature, has been a desire of mankind since the beginning of time. Art form and literature has been used to express mankind’s deepest observations, most profound thinking and firmest beliefs; it encompasses many genres such as paintings,drama, poetry and novels. While both the physical arts and literature are a form of self-expression, each also represents a profession. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become. This adage is perhaps the most appropriate description of the importance of literature in our lives. As Amy Lowell quotes, ’Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in. ’ When we look around us, we see a lot of things that relate to art.. , contain art.. , are art.. and shows art.. Art is everywhere because people need to use it for daily uses. Art can come in the form of many things, including posters, murals, portraits, covers, paintings and more. This is enough to show how art and literature are blended into our lives. Music, paintings, sculptures, epics, fictions, movies, stories†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. and so on and so forth are all a part of us. Is there a home in this modern world without a painting on the wall or a deck which doesn’t hum their favourite tune or a rack with Fredrick Forsyth or James Hadley Chase novels? Even a child of this generation has his ears plugged all the time either listening to a soulful raga or a foot tapping Michael Jackson and reading either a religious book or a comic or an encyclopedia†¦. this is the common usage of art and literature. Art can also be used to liven up things in this world. It may not have a specific idea or meaning but it can be used to make things look better and more complete. When you write a project, it looks dull just with words, but when you add a picture or two to it, it looks much better because now there is visual aid. Art is found everywhere, including parks, school, malls,homes†¦ and is used just to make the place more comfortable and appealing to the eye. It can sometimes act as filler because it looks better than to just leave something on its own. It is through reading great literary and poetic works, that one understands life. They help a person take a closer look at the different facets of life. In many ways, it can change one’s perspective towards life. Lives of brilliant achievers and individuals who have made a valuable contribution to society, are sketched in their biographies. These works give the readers an insight into the lives of these eminent people and sometimes help people change for the good. Friends, don’t you agree that Art and literature are great tools for learning. They can be found almost everywhere where there is a school. They are important because of what they can be used for. It is fun and acts as an interactive tool for learners who learn to appreciate art and literature for what it can do for them. In the process, people can learn a lot. Sometimes, art and writing go hand in hand. Art and literature serves as an enormous information base. Many people depend on art and literature. People who draw and write are not the only people who use and make money out of it. People who are book publishers, magazine editors, newspaper people, painters, actors all need to use art to supplement their work. Art and literature are used by some people directly andsome indirectly. People can choose to make a profession out of this because it is fun for them; it is something that they like to do, and more. Hence I strongly believe that we had art and literature in our blood since ages and is still used and appreciated by us in different forms in the modern world. There is not even a single person in this room who doesn’t love music or reading!