Effects Of Global Warming On Human Activity - 2070 Words

Statement of the problem: Nowadays the climate of the Earth is changing rapidly due to the increase of greenhouse gases. 90% of this gases released in environment is due to the human activity by burning of fossil fuels. Due to the climate change the health sector is affected mainly children, adults and whole population. The climate change is danger to the health system, the increase in temperature is causing in heat waves that leads to less rainfall, rise in sea level and flood. Due to this the health of population is affecting by various diseases like respiratory problems, heart diseases, cancer and many more. The world health Organization states that the increase in global warming is due to human activities that changes in climate†¦show more content†¦During the last two decades the respiratory problem has increased in United States due to the climate factors. The irritants comes from the deserts that travel through by ocean waves which are increased by the warmer temperatures. Plant pollen has inc reased which are involved in air that comes in the form of irritants. Due to this it has resulted in respiratory problems. It has shown in 2003 the Europe the rise in temperature has killed 40,000 people in six countries. In India it was around 4000 people who die due to heat waves. In Chicago it was 700 people who suffered with respiratory problems. It is estimated that if the warming is increased by two degree in Atlanta results in heat related deaths. Some researchers stated that blaming activities of human being for destruction is not at all true. They explained that life has evolved 400 million ago and the amount of co2 was more than 10 times than now and it had decreased time to time. By this they stated that the human activity is not merely the main cause. Some researchers argued that human activities and natural process has increased the greenhouse gases. Increase in carbon in air and climate change both have an effect in health sector. The consumption of food which is contaminated with carbons and inhaling the air has increased the body mass. The changes in climate has shown the stress to the mankind like the disasters which is facing today by the environment. Increase in weather

The World s Oil And Its Impact On The Economy - 1926 Words

powerful group because it controls 80% of the world’s oil and therefore is extremely influential in country’s economic system. The policies developed by OPEC directly affect the production of oil globally. It was formed at the Baghdad Conference in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. Venezuela alone harbors 20% of the world’s oil. As OPEC memberships of countries were suspended other countries joined. Today, 13 member countries: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. These countries bare the unalienable right to manage their natural resources in the interest of their progress as a nation under the â€Å"Declaratory Statement of†¦show more content†¦The United States may be one of the leading oil producers, but it refuses to join OPEC because we recognize the â€Å"cartel† it is and how it reaches ideal pricing through manipulation. The International Energy Agency announced that the United States is to surpass Saudi Arabia in oil production by 2020 because of the continuous advancement in technology. It will not retain the high status for long because the IEA estimated that the U.S.’s five years of glory will slump back second to Saudi Arabia in 2025. It’s unlikely the U.S. will join OPEC, because â€Å"In the U.S., the investment return is for oil companies and their shareholders, while for OPEC countries, the return is for state-owned oil companies and, ultimately, the governments of the member countries† (Loren, S.) . For once being an outsider is beneficial because as OPEC maintains oil prices stable and relatively high we are able to economically invest in new technology to extract oil and still gain millions in profit. Oil Drilling, Transportation, Use Oil is of no use underground and will only regain its energy when it’s reintroduced into the oxygen rich atmosphere. Before any drilling is carried out the site must be given boundaries and environmental impact test are run. After oil companies sort out the legal issues, allowing them to extract the oil the land is prepared Traditionally Oil Drilling has been used since 1859, where a hole is dug into the Earth

Evaluation Of Market Opportunities Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Evaluation Of Market Opportunities. Answer: Introduction With the rise in the Global expansion and newer opportunities, every business organization tries to capture and gather the most advantages out of it. In order to gather bettermarketing and business inventories always plays a crucial role in determining the success of the organization (Borman 2014). In this report, the fundamentals ofmarketing opportunities have been discussed. To help in better understanding an organization has been cited as well as the products and the new introduced products have been discussed along with its opportunities in the Global market. With the help of this report the principles of marketing and business opportunities along with the target market, the impact of the products on both the organization and its publics have been detailed and analyzed. Organizational background Designs Mart is an architectural organization that is based in Australia, Melbourne. The organization is one of the known architectural firms that are known for its well-furnished designs in both interior and exterior infrastructures as well as real estate planning. Australia is one of the out growing markets for newer technologies and innovations and Design Mart plays just the crucial role in tendering these outgrowing needs and demands of the advanced generation. Designs Mart is mostly involved into architectural designs, interior designing, urban planning, master planning and strategically planned designs. Designs Mart is currently working on the incorporation of smart technologies into some of the pre existing designs and innovations that has been produced. Few noteworthy innovations includes a sustainable aqua garden, self sustaining high rise generator, incorporation of smart technologies into homes such as external as autonomous waste management systems, smart water channeling and processing systems. Apart from this Designs Mart has designed innumerous infrastructures such as hotels, houses, theatres, opera houses, shopping complex and adjoining residencies, community houses and clubs. Designs Mart is an architectural company that is known worldwide and famous for its innovations. Since the organization is based in Australia the primary customer base and market is also supposedly the current operating country. Yet, Designs Mart helps its clients worldwide in achieving a better infrastructure for both residential and commercial purpose. Product strategy for newer and current market opportunities Designs Mart previously introduced to most popular designs in terms of architectural and strategically planned designs. The design is of House-Residence or House Boats. The houseboats are mostly popular in Holland that incorporates the idea of a mobile residence on water. Houseboats are an innovative idea for a specific category of customers who wish to own a luxurious residence on the verge of nature as well as the special privilege of portability. The houseboat is functional in terms of moving the residence from one place of convenience to the other. This product is likely to be introduced in a market which is facilitated by the availability of the resources to own such a mobile home. In this case, a place, which is surrounded by water, bodies with abundance of population in such areas, is a potential market that can facilitate the sales of such product. The second product in line of Design Mart is photovoltaic cells functionalities that has been installed and incorporated in tiles rather than the using of traditional tiles. The motive behind such an innovation is the use of sustainable resources in terms of using conventional for of resources. The photovoltaic cells are instrumental in channeling the solar energy that has been captured thought the daytime and it can be utilized to power the entire house without the external supply of electricity. The potential market for such a product can be considered as the areas, which experience frequent power cuts or other electricity concerns. Such an area could be the main influencer of generating higher sales through the introduction of the photovoltaic tiles. One of the two innovations for the current market from Designs Mart is automated controlling of in-house temperatures through cell phones. This feature includes the installation of special in house heat and cold sensors that would be fitted inside the walls of the house during its construction that can be operated through cell phones. This would be beneficial for homes that do not have the additional facility of air condition installation as well as homes lacking proper ventilation (Madsen and Walker 2015). The second innovation involves the utilization of sensor operating home shutters that can be additionally operated through mobile phone application. This would be a breakthrough in terms of technology since homes are mostly secured manually under lock and key but this special feature would enable better security with just a push of a button. Additional hassle of home security would be simplified with this innovation, hitting the market. The shutter to be sensor fitted for obstruction detection and is completely tampers resist. This would create a huge stir in the market due to the better technical advancement in terms of housekeeping. Contribution of the products on the organization business Both the products that were in the current possession of the company are likely to be beneficial if the target audience has been appropriately sorted. The houseboat is more likely to be beneficial for customers looking for a well organized and a portable residence apart from a residence on a consolidated ground that in immovable. Newer market opportunities as well as customers from places that are most abundant in water bodies are more likely to respond better than places with less utility of such resources. The product contributes to the organization with a better scope of economic and social recognition in terms of business opportunities. Better innovations are likely to be more influential to the consumers than ordinary products. The photovoltaic cells are likely to be more effective and useful for all segments of consumers since the product uses the principle of using a sustainable source of energy as well as the generation of electricity without the support of external supply. The user-friendly nature of the innovation is a go on the consolidation of the business revenue. Moreover, the people living in the areas who are experiencing electrical faults are likely to be more influenced by the innovation and respond highly to the products than the people living in the area with better stability. The innovation has been complete based on technological advancement that would be a huge impact on the organization in terms of business. The contribution of these new additions would be beneficial in terms of revenue generation since these technologies would be completely user-friendly and lesser prone to humane errors in terms of functionality. Customers more inclined towards a smarter life style would be affected more, in the current market. Better inventions would henceforth proportionally reflect on better business prospects of the company. Impact on the company goals and business The innovations are likely to have a better impact on the companys business as well as the goals. The objective of introducing strategic and innovative designs as well as the incorporation of smart and conventional technology is likely to have a better influence on new market segment and have better response in terms of goal achievement and business of the company (Goetsch and Davis 2014). The respective innovations both current and new are formulated as per the chosen goals of the company to provide its valued consumers technological and sustainable products. The dependency on the technical advancement is one of the achievements to reach the company allotted parameters. The innovations on the other hand would move the business forward with the intensity of its influence on the consumers as well as its impact on the consumer behavior and purchasing pattern. Influence on the consumers both the current and newer market would result in a booming business for the company. Impact of external influence of the financial viability and returns External influences such as Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental are likely to have a better impact on the product. All the factors are included in the strategic management planning of a business where the newer market would support and add leverage on the current innovations since all the parameters of the achieving an affirmation to launch the product in a new market are up to mark (Hill, Jones and Schilling 2014). Both the innovations are technologically as well as eco-friendly that would also capture the political, social and economic support. In order to ensure the investment and returns related to the innovation proper pricing strategy needs to be formulated that should ensure the affordability of the products to all range of customers (Eden and Ackermann 2013). A higher range or pricing could repulse the customers from the idea of possessing such property. Also, introduction of the product in the wrong market segment can affect the product. The market risks of the product involve the right selection of the consumer categories since the right buyers would facilitate a better response towards the product or the innovations. An individual in the right area with the available requirements would tend to respond better than a customer living in an area, which is deficient of the requirements, even if the person has the will and the interest to purchase such a product. The high cost of affordability is also a risk revolving around the product. The quality of operations related to the marketing strategy and the customer support would ensure a better return in the business (Set-Pamies 2012). Organizational management related to the sales, marketing and customer service would ensure better customer generation and retention that would be beneficial for the business to flourish in newer market (Kinicki and Kreitner 2012). External factors such as Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors would not be much impacted upon by the influence on current market since the company holds a reputation of providing products and services that meets all the valid parameters without negatively affecting anything. The products are likely to be benefitted from all the factors as mentioned due to the companys pre-existing reputation and inventories (Axster 2015). As per the theories of marketing, the pricing strategy should be manipulated in such an influential manner so that the company meets the allotted profit margins and the invested revenue is attained back without any obstruction in the cash flow that was initially devoted while formulating the invention (Slack 2015). As previously cited every organization is likely to succeed in its goals with proper organizational management with well-devised strategies and marketing techniques. Well management of the company as well as eminence of operations related to the would ensure a improved return in the business (Fleisher and Bensoussan 2015). Management associated to the principles and perspectives of marketing and customer service would ensure better customer generation and retention that would be instrumental for the business to consolidate its presence in the current market. Changes to retain the current operations, the quality of customer service and resources to incorporate the changes In order to attain a better output the company needs to improvise on the older strategies related to the current operations as well as enhance the quality of the customer service would ensure a better customer satisfaction and customer retention with better support both before and after sales (Jahanshani et al. 2014). Selection of capable employees needs to done to be able to work under pressure and use the various means of the strategic tools to achieve the desired objectives as well as increase the efficiency of the productivity of the organization. Older management strategies need to be re-enforced with more strategic and agile ideologies in order to maximize the output and achieve better competitive advantage in the Global market (Wagner III and Hollenbeck 2014). Conclusion With the help of this report, it can be concluded that the marketing principles and the perspective are the important tools that are influential in terms of any product that is introduced in the market. Depending on the nature of the market the respective strategies and the plans can be devised out in order for an organization to achieve its allotted objectives. The proper selection of the target consumers as well as the well analysis of the market situation should be executed to prevent the wastage of the inventories of the organization and ensure the complete sales of the products that is introduced in both the current and new markets. References Axster, S., 2015.Inventory control(Vol. 225). Springer. Borman, W.C., 2014.Organizational citizenship behavior and contextual performance: A special issue of human performance. Psychology Press. Eden, C. and Ackermann, F., 2013.Making strategy: The journey of strategic management. Sage. Fleisher, C.S. and Bensoussan, B.E., 2015.Business and competitive analysis: effective application of new and classic methods. FT Press. Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014.Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. and Schilling, M.A., 2014.Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Jahanshani, A.A., Hajizadeh, G.M.A., Mirdhamadi, S.A., Nawaser, K. and Khaksar, S.M.S., 2014. Study the effects of customer service and product quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Kinicki, A. and Kreitner, R., 2012.Organizational behavior: Key concepts, skills best practices. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Madsen, T.L. and Walker, G., 2015.Modern competitive strategy. McGraw Hill. Set-Pamies, D., 2012. Customer loyalty to service providers: examining the role of service quality, customer satisfaction and trust.Total Quality Management Business Excellence,23(11-12), pp.1257-1271. Slack, N., 2015.Operations strategy. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Wagner III, J.A. and Hollenbeck, J.R., 2014.Organizational behavior: Securing competitive advantage. Routledge.

Rizal Reaction Paper free essay sample

Noel me Teenager and II Fulfils Terrorism, we learn about social cancer that really happens in our society and we are encouraged to apply Racals ideals in current social and personal problems and issues. Through his books, Racial asked the youth to study, to acquire knowledge, because as he said, nationality does not define your intelligence. As well as we develop an appreciation and deeper understanding of all that Racial fought and died for. It fosters the development f the F-loping youth in all aspects of citizenship and love of country.As a nation, we share the same collective experience, history, culture, and identity as one. By studying about Racals life and works, together with other historical figures that we encountered, ex: Juan Ulna, Andrea Boniface; we will learn to understand our identity as a Filipino. The Philippines experienced the suffering under the colonization of foreign power. And we saw their desire to attain reform, freedom and independence. We will write a custom essay sample on Rizal Reaction Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Racals novels reflect, through the harassers in it, the hardship and conflicts in order to attain the desired independence.But at the same time, it ignites the awareness of people and their spirit to defend their country. From the novel, I really admire Alias. We saw how he tried to prevent the revolution from happening by try to ask Barbara to help them grant the reform. Alias loves the country so much that he sacrifices his own personal need for the good of his country and others. We saw how his family suffered so much, but Alias was willing to leave his assessment behind and do whats best for his country.Aside from learning about Racial and his books, we also did our final project. We had to do a community service. From planning, executing and report about the activity that we chose. By doing this project, we were not only doing it for academic requirements, but we as well, want to apply the stewardship of the community. We belong in the same society and we respect, care, and share the same love for our country, ideology, and history. We believe that it is our accessibility to act for the common good of people, especially the less fortunate than us.Our project was a helping mission part of the Joyful Church regular activity and our group chose to collaborate with the church because one of our underlying principles to do this is to exercise our duty as a good Christian. We are always being reminded of the importance of giving. Not just material based, but as well services, time and effort. To be sincere, generous, and sacrifice to those in need. By doing this project, our group is trying to remote the people to care more about public welfare.We prefer this helping mission because we admire the simplicity, the straightforwardness, and the regularity or the continuance of the program. Due to those elements, the ability of the citizens to participate is imminent. It has been a good semester learning more about the Life and Works of Racial. We learned new things, had good discussions, watch movies, etc. We really appreciate the effort that was given by the teacher to make this subject interesting thank you.

The Atomic Bomb Was It Nessesary Essay Example For Students

The Atomic Bomb: Was It Nessesary Essay August 6th, 1945, 70,0000 lives were ended in a matter of seconds. The United States had dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Today many argue whether or not the U.S. should have taken such a drastic measure. Was it entirely necessary that we drop such a devastating weapon? To answer that first we must look at was going on in the world at the time of the conflict. The U.S. had been fighting a massive war since 1941. Moral was most likely low, and resources were at the same level as moral. Still both sides continued to fight and both were determined to win. Obviously the best thing that could have possibly happened would have been to bring the war to a quick end with a minimum of allied casualties. Harry Trumans decision to drop the atomic bomb was entirely warranted and was in the best interest of Americans and the world. Three factors should be considered to fully realize this. First, what would have happened should we have not dropped the bomb? Would WWII have ended shortly afterwards without nuclear arms-not likely. Secondly we must consider the Japanese peoples extreme dedication to their country and emperor, willing to give up their own lives without thinking to stop the enemy. Lastly the morality of nuclear bombing must be explored. We will write a custom essay on The Atomic Bomb: Was It Nessesary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now While many may argue against the use of such a seemingly cruel form of attack was unnecessary, it is obvious that the atomic bomb was the only means to an end of WWII. What would have happened had the A-bomb not been used? The most obvious answer is that he war would have continued. U.S. forces therefore would have had to invade the home island of Japan. It is hard to imagine the number of additional casualties we would have incurred had a Japanese land war been necessary. Also, our forces would not only have to fend off the Japanese military, but they would also be defending themselves against the civilian peoples of Japan as well. Like the Vietnamese that would come years later, the Japanese government was equipping citizens with any kind of weapon available from guns and knives to spears. Also public support was strongly behind Truman and the allied forces. In the following quote taken from a radio address of the time Harry S. Truman explains what has happened and his motives behind the decision The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. We have won the race of discovery against the Germans. We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans. We shall continue to use it until we completely destroy Japans power to make war. This quote embodies the spirit of the American people of the time. The public was eager for a quick end to the war and American casualties. Also Truman threatens to utilize the A-bombs power again until we are victorious. In hindsight it is clear the correct decision was made. How can anyone be certain that Japan would have continued to fight? It is possible that they were preparing for surrender, no one can say for certain exactly what would have happened but by examining evidence of Japanese culture and warfare it is obvious that would not have been the case. At the time of WWII systematic and organized education made efficient brainwashing possible. In public schools, students were taught to die for the emperor. By late 1944, a slogan of Jusshi Reisho meaning, Sacrifice life, was taught. In addition to civilians dedication to their country, there was a group of military pilots called the Kamikaze. Kamikaze were suicide pilots. .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 , .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 .postImageUrl , .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 , .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023:hover , .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023:visited , .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023:active { border:0!important; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023:active , .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023 .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5e592ee9e87cb3db3535230d44382023:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Reconstruction Essay They would load up an airplane and try to nose dive it into an enemy target. Think about what must be on that pilots mind. Imagine the undying love for his country. He would fight to the bitter end for his emperor. The most frightening part of this is that the entire Japanese military thought this way. The fact that the enemy is willing to die so long as you die with him is not something . The Atomic Bomb Was It Nessesary Essay Example For Students The Atomic Bomb: Was It Nessesary Essay August 6th, 1945, 70,0000 lives were ended in a matter of seconds. The United States had dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Today many argue whether or not the U.S. should have taken such a drastic measure. Was it entirely necessary that we drop such a devastating weapon? To answer that first we must look at was going on in the world at the time of the conflict. The U.S. had been fighting a massive war since 1941. Moral was most likely low, and resources were at the same level as moral. Still both sides continued to fight and both were determined to win. Obviously the best thing that could have possibly happened would have been to bring the war to a quick end with a minimum of allied casualties. Harry Trumans decision to drop the atomic bomb was entirely warranted and was in the best interest of Americans and the world. Three factors should be considered to fully realize this. First, what would have happened should we have not dropped the bomb? Would WWII have ended shortly afterwards without nuclear arms-not likely. Secondly we must consider the Japanese peoples extreme dedication to their country and emperor, willing to give up their own lives without thinking to stop the enemy. Lastly the morality of nuclear bombing must be explored. We will write a custom essay on The Atomic Bomb: Was It Nessesary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now While many may argue against the use of such a seemingly cruel form of attack was unnecessary, it is obvious that the atomic bomb was the only means to an end of WWII. What would have happened had the A-bomb not been used? The most obvious answer is that he war would have continued. U.S. forces therefore would have had to invade the home island of Japan. It is hard to imagine the number of additional casualties we would have incurred had a Japanese land war been necessary. Also, our forces would not only have to fend off the Japanese military, but they would also be defending themselves against the civilian peoples of Japan as well. Like the Vietnamese that would come years later, the Japanese government was equipping citizens with any kind of weapon available from guns and knives to spears. Also public support was strongly behind Truman and the allied forces. In the following quote taken from a radio address of the time Harry S. Truman explains what has happened and his motives behind the decision The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. We have won the race of discovery against the Germans. We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans. We shall continue to use it until we completely destroy Japans power to make war. This quote embodies the spirit of the American people of the time. The public was eager for a quick end to the war and American casualties. Also Truman threatens to utilize the A-bombs power again until we are victorious. In hindsight it is clear the correct decision was made. How can anyone be certain that Japan would have continued to fight? It is possible that they were preparing for surrender, no one can say for certain exactly what would have happened but by examining evidence of Japanese culture and warfare it is obvious that would not have been the case. At the time of WWII systematic and organized education made efficient brainwashing possible. In public schools, students were taught to die for the emperor. By late 1944, a slogan of Jusshi Reisho meaning, Sacrifice life, was taught. In addition to civilians dedication to their country, there was a group of military pilots called the Kamikaze. Kamikaze were suicide pilots. .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 , .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 .postImageUrl , .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 , .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410:hover , .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410:visited , .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410:active { border:0!important; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410:active , .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410 .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1f2e342666cd31a3c70bc114d6d9b410:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: My Experience With Writing Class Essay They would load up an airplane and try to nose dive it into an enemy target. Think about what must be on that pilots mind. Imagine the undying love for his country. He would fight to the bitter end for his emperor. The most frightening part of this is that the entire Japanese military thought this way. The fact that the enemy is willing to die so long as you die with him is not something .

The Difference Between a Phase and State of Matter

The Difference Between a Phase and State of Matter The matter is anything that has mass and occupies space. States of matter are the physical form taken by the phases of matter. Although the state and phase dont mean quite the same thing, youll often  hear the two terms used interchangeably. The States of Matter States of matter are solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. Under extreme conditions, other states exist, such as  s  Bose–Einstein condensates  and  neutron-degenerate matter.  The state is the form taken by matter at a given temperature and pressure. Phases of Matter A phase of matter is uniform with respect to its physical and chemical  properties. Matter undergoes phase transitions to change from one phase to another.  The primary phases of matter are solids, liquids, gases, and plasma.   Examples At room temperature and pressure, the state of a piece of dry ice (carbon dioxide) would be solid and gas phases. At 0  °C, the state of water can be the solid, liquid, and/or  gas phase. The state of water in a glass is the liquid phase. Learn More Diagram of Phase ChangesPhases of Matter and Phase Diagrams4 The Main States of Matter

Implementation of the Saudi Mortgage Law Developing an Effective Research Paper - 3

Implementation of the Saudi Mortgage Law Developing an Effective Mortgage - Research Paper Example The provisions of Saudi Arabia ‘real estate mortgage law’, which was signed into law on July 2, 2012, offer different ways through which the law will be implemented. First, under the ‘Enforcement’ Law, the law has provided that judges should hear and enforce mortgage disputes and insolvency actions (Delloite, 2). In this respect, the law has allowed the courts to decide on the order of the repayment of the mortgages, in a way that would guarantee swift repayments. Under the ‘Real Estate Finance’ Law of the Saudi Mortgage Laws, an elaborate architecture and framework for the authorization and licensing of banks and other non-banking companies to offer mortgage facilities has been established. Thus, according to this section of the law, banks will be allowed to own real estate’s for the purpose of facilitating mortgage lending (Khan, 2). Additionally, the government will facilitate the banks and companies offering the mortgage services, through publicizing real estate market activities, while at the same time granting the companies and the banks an access to the notary registers and the courts (Delloite, 2). This s ection of the law has also provided that a credit risk must be undertaken on the borrowers, through the aid of the authorized and available credit bureaus, to ensure the creditworthiness of all borrowers. Further, the Saudi Mortgage Law includes a section under the ‘Registered Real Estate Mortgage’ Law, which provides for the procedures of the registration of mortgages (Khan, 7).

Fatherhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fatherhood - Essay Example .. The methodology for this study is to examine 'what makes a man a father' with reference to psychological, critical psychological and sociological perspectives. The literature search for psychological information regarding fathers, parenting and other topics that related to 'the nature of the claiming process for fathers' revealed a number of journal articles, books and articles in popular magazines like Psychology Today. Beaton, Doherty and Rueter (2003) conducted a detailed study designed to examine "family of origin processes and attitudes of expectant fathers" Methodology for the study included structural equation modeling and multiple regression analysis with a sample of 152 couples. The 'eco systemic model of fathering was tested and used to examine the 'relative strength of the modeling hypothesis and the compensation hypothesis for linking these constructs." The authors discovered that expectant fathers "who were either very close to their parents of very distant from their parents during childhood had more positive attitudes about father involvement." The authors of this study also note that "expectant fathers who believed their own fathers were competent in their paternal roles, had stronger attitudes about fatherhood. ... .." The eco-systemic model of how family of origin history and processes are associated with attitudes about father involvement previous to the birth of a man's first child were thoroughly examined in the new study along with reference to previous research of a similar nature. The authors point out that despite the fact scholars have been hypothesizing for decades that "family of origin processes are associated with future father involvement (work by Doherty, Kouneski and Erickson, 12998; Pleck, Charonoy and Levine, l985 and Pleck 1995 was cited in the article) little research has actually been done to test the hypothesis until they began to look at this particular issue. Beaton points out that "According to Doherty et al.'s (1998) eco-systemic model of father involvement, five interrelated factors determine responsible fathering: co-parenting relationship, mother factors, father factors, contextual factors and child factors. These factors interact with one another to determine how fathers will be involved with their children. These factors interact with one another to determine how fathers will be involved with their childrenIntergenerational processes from the past interact with current relational factors to determine father involvement" The new study by Beaton and colleagues (2003) was an investigation of "how these processes work" In keeping with traditional psychological models this study included an extensive literature review that clearly illustrates the serious and extensive efforts that have been undertaken in efforts to create a better understanding of the eco-system model in relation to our topic. "There have been two prominent conceptual models for understanding intergenerational influences on current family relationships: intergenerational

Its a few poems in the instrution box you may choose one and choose a Essay - 1

Its a few poems in the instrution box you may choose one and choose a title - Essay Example The title itself goes to show comparison. The life of the lover of the poet is never ending because the poet firmly believes that his beloved will live on forever through the words used by the poets. â€Å"Amores† and â€Å"Ovid’s Tristia† have been found parallel to this poem. Another similarity is that this poem is based on love theme so are the other two poems mentioned above. The use of Shakespearian sonnet is palpable in the poem. There are several double meanings in this poem and the language is a little difficult to understand. â€Å"Sonnet 18 is the best known and most well-loved of all 154 sonnets. It is also one of the most straightforward in language and intent. The stability of love and its power to immortalize the poetry and the subject of that poetry is the theme.† (Analysis of Shakespeare) Shall I compare Thee to a summer’s Day? Is also a poem based on love, the poet compares his lover to summer season and concludes that his lover is far better than the summer season. The rhyme scheme is quite different from the poems of Emily Dickenson, this poem is a Shakespearian Sonnet constructed with iambic pentameters. The motif used in all three of the poems is love. This poem is difficult to understand because of its abstruse nature, Shakespeare has made several important comparisons in the poem which must be paid attention to. A young man is being directly compared with a hot summer day. The poet says that a young man is much more stable than a hot afternoon, a hot afternoon tends to change mood as it gathers pace but a young man is much different and much stable than a summer afternoon. â€Å"This sonnet is certainly the most famous in the sequence of Shakespeare’s sonnets; it may be the most famous lyric poem in English. Among Shakespeare’s works, only lines such as â€Å"To be or not to be† and â€Å"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?† are better-known. This is not to say that it is at all the

Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay

Looking At The Issues Surrounding Adoption Social Work Essay This short study concerns my experiences in dealing with an adopted service user who wishes to establish contact with her birth mother. The essay takes up the case of J, a 46 year old divorced lady who finds out about her history of adoption after the death of her adopted parents. J tries to directly establish contact with her biological mother, who refuses to meet her, leaving J traumatised and emotionally devastated. The case scenario is provided in the appendix to this essay and is considered as read. This reflective and analytical account concerns (a) my experiences in dealing with Js problems and needs, (b) my thoughts and theoretical knowledge of social work theory and practice with regard to children who are put up for adoption at birth, (c) their various emotional and physical challenges, and (d) the desire that is sometimes manifested by them during various stages of their lives to establish contact with their biological parents. It makes use of established social work theories like the attachment theory and the separation anxiety theory. I also take up the growing prevalence of the use of social networking sites by adopted children to establish contact with their long separated birth parents, and the social work mechanisms available in the UK to facilitate meetings between adopted children and their birth parents. The Challenges of Adoption J was put up for adoption at birth and was adopted by foster parents. She grew up in her foster home in the company of her siblings, who were the birth children of her adoptive parents. The fact of her adoption was however concealed from her by her adopters. J grew up with some feelings of unease between her and her siblings and adoptive parents and suffered from low self esteem when she was young. She also displayed some behavioural problems and found it difficult to establish friendships with other children. Adoption is undoubtedly an important and beneficial social process. It serves the critical needs of different individuals (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34). It relieves natural parents of the onerous responsibilities of bringing up children when their circumstances make it impossible for them to do so, on account of social and economic reasons. It ensures safety, security, physical and emotional nourishment, education and improved life chances for unwanted, orphaned or abandoned children (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34). It also fulfils the needs of childless couples, single people, and families for a child. Whilst adoption is undoubtedly an important social process, it brings along with it different types of social, economic and emotional challenges for all involved people, the child placed for adoption, the birth parents and the adopters (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 34). Adopted children, numerous studies have revealed, are prone to the adverse consequences of attachment disorders and separation anxiety (Cassidy Shaver, 1999, p 11). John Bowlby, well known for his advancement of the attachment theory, explains the critical importance for infants to develop secure attachments to their primary care givers. Bowlby states that attachment processes between infants and caregivers are biologically based, chosen by evolution to maximise survival chances, and aim to provide infants with feelings of security (Cassidy Shaver, 1999, p 11). Such security provides infants with the foundations required to explore their environments, with the full knowledge that their caregivers will be able and available to provide them with protection in the face of adversity or stress (Cassidy Shaver, 1999, p 11). The separation of children from their primary caregivers often results in feelings of separation anxiety and the development of attachment disorders if their attachment needs are not met or resolved effectively (Blum, 2004, p 538). Studies on adopted children show that positively formed attachments between children and caregivers improve chances of well adjusted lives, irrespective of the biological relationships of attachment figures with children (Blum, 2004, p 538). Whilst it is known that J was put up for adoption at birth, the exact age at which she was adopted is not clear. Research shows that that children adopted after 6 months of age are at greater risk for development of attachment disorders (Blum, 2004, p 538). Such attachment disorders can lead to emotional disturbance, eating disorders, bedwetting, lack of performance at school, difficulty in development of positive relationships, withdrawal from society and poor life outcomes (Blum, 2004, p 538). The adoptive parents need to take special care to ensure good adjustment of their adopted children. It is important for them parents to meet the needs of infants for love and nurturing on a consistent basis (Brisch, 1999, p 79). Adoption requires an active role from adoptive parents who assume the role of caregivers. As adopted infants explore their new and alien environment, adoptive parents must provide the required guidance, supervision and structure to ensure their safety (Brisch, 1999, p 79). Caregivers must also have the capacity and ability to provide levels of stimulation that do not overwhelm or stifle the infants developmental level. They must be attentive to the internal world of infants by being emotionally available to help them during periods of frustration, rejoice in their achievements and share their joy of exploration (Brisch, 1999, p 79). Secure attachments create positive feelings in children that relationships can be helpful, fulfilling, and valuable and provide adequate protection in an occasionally overwhelming world (Blum, 2004, p 545). Whilst secure attachments do not secure immunity from subsequent psychopathology, childhood security is certainly related to (a) increased capacities for stress management and ability to rebound after periods of psychological disturbance, (b) capacity to manage family stressors, (c) increased self-esteem, (d) good peer relationships, and (e) good psychological adjustment (Blum, 2004, p 545). Contemporary psychiatric theory states that adopted children often need therapeutic parenting, rather than normal domestic environments. Such parenting should be based on principles like sensitivity, responsiveness, following the lead of the child, the sharing of congruent and inter-subjective experiences and the creation of an environment of safety and security (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 2). Parents, in order to engage in such therapeutic parenting, require to be committed to adopted children, have reflective abilities, good insightfulness and secured mental states with respect to attachment (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 2). With J showing evidence of emotional disturbance and behavioural problems during her childhood, it is possible that her parents, whilst providing her with a normal and secure domestic environment, did not place great emphasis in responding to her specific emotional needs. Their concealment of her adopted status is possibly an indicator of their concern for the child and their desire to protect her emotions and feelings. Contemporary psychological and social theories however recommend that children be informed of their adopted status (Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303). Such information, when provided with sensitivity and in appropriate circumstances and environmental surroundings, prevents adopted children from experiencing emotional traumatisation when they otherwise inevitably come to know of their history of adoption and helps them in adjusting to their new homes (Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303). Knowledge of birth parents is also important, both for the adoptive parents and the adopted chil dren, in order to effectively cope with possible medical problems (Hollingsworth, 1998, p 303). J came to know about her adopted status by accident when she was 42, after the death of her adoptive parents. The knowledge left her emotionally traumatised and brought back memories of her childhood and of feelings of strain in her relationships with her adoptive parents and their birth children. It is however but fair to realise that Js parents very possibly had her best interests at heart and were also unaware of the future impact of not informing her of her adopted status. Reunion of Adopted Children with Birth Parents J, on knowing of her adopted status and the name of her birth mother, became emotionally disturbed because was not informed of the facts of her adoption, or about her birth parents. Adopted children, as they grow older, often become curious about their birth parents, especially so in situations of little or no contact (Adoption UK, 2010, p 1). Studies by Adoption UK, a national charity operated by adopters, reveals that all adopted children do not wish to know or contact their birth parents. Such desires are essentially personal, with some adoptees wishing to know more and others having little interest (Adoption UK, 2010, p 1). It is however also true that people who are not interested in contacting their birth parents when they are young, change when they become older, especially after they become parents and experience desires of knowing, contacting and establishing relationships with their own birth parents (Adoption UK, 2010, p 1). The emergence of social networking sites like Facebook and My Space have made it far easier for adopted children, who wish to know more about their parents, to establish contact with their birth families (Fursland, 2010, p 1). Such accessibility has introduced significant complexities in the social relationships of adopted children with their adopted and birth parents and is creating difficult challenges for social workers when they are asked for assistance by individuals in need (Fursland, 2010, p 1). Establishment of contact between adopted children and birth parents is an extremely sensitive issue and needs to be handled with care and sensitivity (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Adoption reunion can be a truly enriching and joyful experience, full of anticipation, twists and turns, joy, confusion, excitement, and fear. However reunion, like adoption, is not simple and can turn out to be a difficult, complex and sometimes saddening event (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Reconnecting with birth parents and children is rarely seamless and easy. It requires dedication, motivation, and a leap of faith (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Adoption reunions often give rise to complicated issues that have been dormant for decades and have to now be dealt with and resolved. Many birth parents may have never have shared their childs adoption with anybody else (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 57). Some birth mothers protect their secret because they are afraid of how others might or will react. For some mothers it is a matter of shame and they are instructed not to reveal their secrets to others (Howe and Feast, 2000, p 57). The National Adoption Standards for England, (Department of Health, 2001), along with the Adoption and Children Act 2002, provided birth parents in England and Wales entitlement to a support worker, apart from the childs social worker, from the point of identification of the adoption plan for the child (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 4). The Standards state that birth parents (a) should be able to access different types of support services, including counselling, advice and information before and after adoption, which recognise the long term implications of adoption, and (b) should be treated with transparency, fairness and regard during the adoption process (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 4). Most adopted children now have plans for direct or indirect post-adoption contact with birth relatives. Agencies are required to identify contact arrangements in adoption plans and consider post-adoption support requirements of all concerned (Goldsmith, et al, 2004, p 4). Existing regulations like The Adoption Support Services Regulations entitle adopted children, adoptive parents, and birth relatives for need assessment regarding contact arrangements and mandate agencies to maintain services to help such contact arrangements (Adoption UK, 2010, p 2). Helping J J contacted us for support on making contact with her birth parents. The Adoption and Children Act of 2002 has established a framework that provides adopted people, who are more than 18 years old and their birth relatives, rights to request for intermediary services if they wish to make such contacts. Such intermediaries are provided by registered adoption agencies, (either voluntary or local authority), or registered adoption support agencies and act as mediators between adopted people and their birth relatives. It is recommended that people wishing to make contact with birth relatives do so through intermediaries. J was informed about the intermediary process and services that could be provided by me in mediating with her birth mother but decided to contact her directly. When J contacted our agency and the case was assigned to me to help her with her emotional challenges and her desire to establish her birth mother, I engaged her in a long discussion in order to assess her emotional status, her views about her adopted childhood and her desire to meet her birth mother. I met her at her home on two occasions after taking prior appointments in order to ensure that she was prepared for the meeting and would be able to convey her thoughts better in familiar surroundings. I took care to adopt the person centred approach and deliberately avoided all judgemental feelings about her background as a relinquished and adopted child. The adoption of a person centred approach is necessary for the true implementation of anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory approaches and I was able to understand Js emotional and mental condition with greater clarity and empathy (Mearns and Thorne, 2007, p 9). Whilst my choice of open and close ended questions did help her in opening up and in shedding her inhibitions and reservations, I found her to be disturbed about her adopted status. She appeared to be disturbed with her adoptive parents for their concealment of information about her birth, her birth parents and her adoption, and kept talking of small incidents of her childhood about her parents and siblings. She also spoke about her behavioural problems, her disturbed sleep and her difficulties in making friends at school. J was however determined to establish contact with her mother and decided to contact her as soon as she found out her contact details. I offered to act as intermediary and contact her mother in order to assess (a) her views on the relinquishment of her birth child, (b) her current emotional status and (c) her attitude towards establishing contact with J. The lady (J) was however unwilling to wait even for a few days and was convinced that her mother would like to meet her as much as she did. I did mildly explain to her that her mother could have different opinions on the issue and even offered to expedite the process. Whilst J did provide some indication of being ready for my help at the closure of our second meeting, she subsequently changed her mind and established direct contact with her birth mother. Her birth mother, from what J told me later, was absolutely surprised at receiving the call and was taken aback by the development. She responded to Js introductory communication wit h brusqueness and asperity, informing her that she did not wish to respond to her overture or to establish contact. I do feel that J acted with great haste and the result of the initiative could well have been very different with the use of an intermediary. I would have telephoned Js mother and asked for a personal meeting. I would have again adopted a person centred approach, refrained from being judgemental, and would have engaged her in discussions about her reasons for relinquishing her birth child. I would have then gently brought up the matter of J, her adopted childhood, the concealment of information about her adopted status, and her current emotionally disturbed condition. I do feel that such an approach would have yielded a better response from her mother than Js arbitrary method of establishing contact. Conclusions This reflective account details my experiences of dealing with an adopted service user, who tried to unsuccessfully establish contact with her birth mother. Modern day theory on social work and psychology stresses upon the complexity of adoption and the various challenges that the process brings up for the adopted children, the adopters and the birth relatives. Adopters have particularly significant responsibilities in ensuring, possibly through the use of therapeutic parenting methods, that their adopted children do not suffer from separation anxieties and do not develop attachment disorders. It is important for social workers to understand the emotional implications of these complexities and consider the emotional needs of all involved people with empathy and understanding. It is also important, as my experience with J reveals, for adoption reunion processes between adopted individuals and their birth relatives to be handled with great care and thought. I do feel that I should have been more persuasive and possibly more forthright, without being judgemental, with J on (a) the possibly very different perceptions of her birth mother towards the meeting, (b) the compulsions that forced her to relinquish her birth child for adoption and (c) her current emotional condition and social environment. Such an action would have possibly produced better results at the end. My knowledge of social work theory and practice has been significantly enhanced by my experience with J and will help me to deal with such situations much better in future. Word Count: 2625, without citations and bibliography Bibliography Adoption UK, 2010, Wanting to know more or not, Available at: www.adoptionuk.org/information/217131/wanting_to_know_more/ (accessed January 30, 2011). Blum, H. P., 2004, Separation-Individuation Theory and Attachment Theory, Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association,  (52): 535-553. Bowlby, J., Parkes, C. M., 1970, Separation and loss within the family, In E. J. Anthony C. Koupernik (Eds.), The child in his family: International Yearbook of Child Psychiatry and Allied Professions, pp. 197-216, New York: Wiley. Bowlby, J., 1973, Attachment and loss, Vol. 2: Separation, New York: Basic Books. Brisch, K. H., 1999, Treating attachment disorders, New York: Guilford Press. Cassidy, J., Shaver, P. R., 1999, Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. New York: Guilford. Feast, J., Howe, D., 1997, Adopted adults who search for background information and contact with birth relatives, Adoption Fostering 21:2, pp 8-15. Fursland, E., 2010, Facebook has changed adoption forever, www.guardian.co.uk, Available at: www.guardian.co.uk//19/facebook-adoption-tracing-birth-mother (accessed January 30, 2011). Goldsmith, F. D., Oppenheim, D., Wanlass, J., 2004, Separation and Reunification: Using Attachment Theory and Research to Inform Decisions Affecting the Placements of Children in Foster Care, Juvenile and Family Court Journal, pp. 1-12. Hollingsworth, L., 1998, Adoptee dissimilarity from the adoptive family: clinical practice and research implications, Child Adolescent Social Work Journal 15, (4): pp 303-19. Howe, D., Feast, J., 2000, Adoption, Search and Reunion: The long-term experience of adopted adults, London: The Childrens Society. Mearns, D., Thorne, B., 2007, Person-Centred Counselling in Action, 3rd edition, London: Sage Publications. Levant, F. R., Shlien, M. J., 1987, Client-Centered Therapy and the Person-Centered Approach: New Directions in Theory, Research, and Practice, USA: Praeger Paperback. Appendices

War on Drugs Essays -- Illegal Drugs Narcotics essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout history drugs have been nothing but a social problem, a burden per say. From Edgar Allen Poe smoking opium in an attempt to make his poetry more creative, to Vietnam soldiers coming back from the war addicted to heroin. Narcotics was not a serious issue at the time, only a small hand full of people were actually doing the drugs, and they were just simply looked down upon. It was not until the late nineteen sixties when recreational drug use became fashionable among young, white, middle class American citizens, that the United States Government â€Å"put it’s foot down†. (pbs.com) They started slowly ,developing agencies like the (BNDD) Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, which was founded in 1968 by the Linden Johnson administration. Congress also started passing laws like the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in 1970.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was not until June 17, 1971 when the war on drugs truly began. At a press conference in the White House, President Richard J. Nixon officially declared war on drugs. He stated, â€Å"drug abuse is public enemy, number one in the United States.† He also announced the creation of (SAODAP) Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention. Three years later on August 9, 1974, President Nixon resigns, but not before founding one the greatest assets for the war on drugs, the (DEA) Drug Enforcement Agency. Established in July of 1973, this â€Å"super agency† (pbs.com) consisted of agents from the CIA, Customs and ODALE. This agency was designed to handle all aspects of the drug problem in America and would be headed Myles Ambrose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the first years of the program the DEA was established their main focus was to stop the flow of marijuana from Mexico to America. Around the mid seventies the â€Å"enemy† face began to change, the enemy was now cocaine and it was coming from the country of Colombia. On November 22, 1975 the Colombian police seized over 600 kilos of cocaine from a small plane at the Cali Airport. The plane was believed to be headed to Miami, Florida. The amount of cocaine that was seized that day was the largest cocaine bust to date.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The DEA, along with other agencies, are still fighting cocaine and many other drugs to this day. One of the reasons the war on drugs is lasting so long is because of the cost; the war on drugs is a very expense war. In the past, the government has spent arou... ...m heroin addiction. Psychiatrist Dr. Robert DuPont is a pioneer doctor in drug abuse treatment, he perfumed studies in Washington D.C. in 1969 of heroin addicts, and then convinced the mayor to allow him to provide methadone to the heroin addicts this resulted in the city’s crime rate dropping.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cost of addiction can be devastating to the person and the person’s family. People trade in their cars; clothing and shelter just to get a fix for their addiction. The cost of rehabilitation is outrageous, unless you are attending a free one it can cost up to 1000 dollars a weak.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many programs out in the public today for soul purpose of keeping people clean, off drugs. Programs such as Betty Ford, D.A.R.E, and many more are set up to keep people from drug abuse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the end the war on drugs is not a war to be won or lost, it’s with in the people, rather if they want to do drugs or not. The importation of illicit substances into the United States is an impossibility. There’s over 2,000 miles of border along the Mexican border and the coastal areas, thousands of miles; there is no possible way to stop the importation of drugs into this country.

Lean

As trained industrial engineers, it seems pretty basic to us. Its simplicity is what makes it work. While the Japanese are rightfully given credit for re-vitiating the concept of lean, its roots really go back to Frederick Winslow Taylor of Bethlehem Steel in the asses and asses. Then it was called â€Å"Scientific Management. † The Taylor approach starts with a clean slate – it designs the process to, as much as possible, only include steps that create value in the product. It is well suited for new plants, new products or new processes. The Japanese approach addresses existing plants, products and processes.It is focused on eliminating â€Å"waste† (anything that is not adding value). As waste is reduced, quality improves, production times are reduced and cost is minimized. Various methodologies are used as tools to achieve this including Value Stream Mapping, AS, Kanata (pull systems) and error-proofing. Our view is that starting with Tailor's approach lets yo u establish the perfect world as a base line. Using the Japanese approach then helps you work toward the perfect world. Let's use a casting example. A typical process might be to cast, clean, finish, re-clean, machine and ship.Why do we clean, finish and machine? We now these processes often can't be eliminated but why not try? If the casting can be produced as-cast either by achieving best practice methods or changing casting methods (investment casting and lost foam often achieve as-cast parts), machining can be eliminated or minimized. If you don't put the stock on you don't have to take it off. Why is finishing (or at least why is so much) required? We know a state-of-the-art MEMO producing iron castings in green sand that require almost no finishing. Are you grinding/trimming parting lines?Then your patterns or molds may need attention. Are you grinding rough casting surfaces? Then your sand is not right or your die casting practices need improvement. Grinding gates? Can they b e relocated to areas where they can be left untouched and minimized using knife gating? Are you welding? If you are not Joining parts in welding all you are doing is fixing mistakes. Why do you clean before finishing? Good sand and shake-out practices should produce castings that are clean enough for finishing. Just clean one time after finishing. What's your scrap level?If you're not under 3% total scrap, no matter what casting method you use, you are not achieving best practice. That's without welding and other salvage operations by the way. There are metal casters achieving these levels every day. How do they do it? They share a lot of common traits. First, they understand what best practice is for the process they are using. That includes melting, molding, sand preparation, finishing or what-ever process they are using. They know the best practice way to do everything. You would be surprised at how many metal casters we visit who don't know what can be done.Next, they are fanati c about doing it the right way. That means equipment 2009 The Folk Group, Adolescent, PA, 18901. 1. 215. 340. 9072 www. Foolproof. Com Page 2 of 8 s well maintained, systems are defined, documented and implemented the same way every time and everyone is well trained and does their Job right. After that they focus on problem Jobs – ones that require re-design, special gating, handling or other steps to insure they are scrap free. Finally, they document all scrap and attack issues. There are other lean practices to implement. If production flows perfectly, there is no inventory waiting to be worked on.Metal casters have helped minimize work-in-process by installing conveyor lines to keep castings moving right through to finished goods storage. This eliminated putting the castings in totes and the added handling. One low to medium volume gray/ductile iron Jobbing foundry (casting weights under 50 pounds) we know now ships 30% of its production the same day and believes they can achieve 70% same day shipment. These standards aren't Just for the high volume or dedicated metal casting companies any more. â€Å"Automation† or â€Å"smart automation† is a part of lean manufacturing as well.Automation refers to automating the process so humans can focus on what humans do best. The objective here is to design the machine so it knows when it is working abnormally and alerts human. The human no longer has to monitor normal production but can focus on abnormal or fault conditions. Removing routine and repetitive activity reduces the chance for error. Lean manufacturing is focused on doing the right tasks, at the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity to achieve perfect work flow while eliminating waste (scrap) and with the ability and flexibility to change.Implementing lean manufacturing often requires a cultural change in all levels of the organization. Once management is committed, a program needs to be started that begins with small s uccesses and grows to include the entire organization. The Toyota Production System (TAPS) focuses on murk and mud. Murk focuses on the preparation and planning of the process, or what work can be eliminated in the design process. Mud are those waste steps and processes that add cost. Murk is used in new product design and mud is used to improve existing operations. TAPS identifies 7 key mud*.They are: 0 Transportation (moving products that is not actually required to perform the processing) 0 Inventory (all components, work-unprocessed and finished stock not being processed) 0 Motion (people or equipment moving or walking more than is required to perform he processing) 0 Waiting (waiting for the next production step) 0 Overproduction (production ahead of demand) 0 Over Processing (due to poor tool or product design creating activity) 0 Defects (the effort involved in inspecting for and fixing/scrapping defects) *From â€Å"Lean Thinking†, Woman, James P. ND Jones, Daniel T. , Free press, 2003, p. 352 What are the steps to developing a lean culture? 1 . Senior management needs to agree on a lean vision. Page 3 of 8 2. Identify the project leader and set objectives for the leader. 3. Communicate the plan and vision to the workforce 4. Solicit volunteers to form the Lean Implementation Team. Five to seven people with varied backgrounds seems to work best. 5. Appoint the Lean Manufacturing Implementation Team 6. Train the team in various lean tools. AS is often a good starting point. 7. Select pilot project implementation. . Implement the pilot. Evaluate the results, review and learn from mistakes made. 9. Roll out the next project(s). 10. Train supervisors how to teach and train their employees. 11. Continue adding and training in additional lean manufacturing tools. Page 4 of 8 FIVE S Companies frequently select AS as a method to start their lean manufacturing program. Five S is a manageable process that is relatively easy for people to understand and ge t their arms around. Five S is a reference to five Japanese words that have been transliterated and translated into English.The technique is characterized, incorrectly, â€Å"standardized cleanup. † It is more than that. Five S is a method to organize and manage the workspace and work flow with the intent of improving efficiency by eliminating waste, improving work flow and reducing process inefficiencies. The ass's are: Sort (Series), Straighten (Sexton), Sweep (Skies), Standardize (Quickest) and Sustain (Skittish). Sort – This means going through the work area and making sure only essential items are present. This is eliminating tools, materials, fixtures or any other items not used in the process.Everything else is stored or, preferably, discarded. Straighten – Straighten focuses on setting the workplace in order to focus on efficiency. This is more than Just arranging the tools and equipment where they will be used and in the sequence they will be used. It i s â€Å"straightening† the work path for materials, tools and the work process. Of all the steps this is the one that typically produces the greatest cost reductions. Straightening the work process can include changes in dies or tooling that reduces finishing labor, for example.It may include interaction with the customer to implement design changes that result in cost reduction or quality improvement. It is also the step that bears the most repeat visits to implement continual improvement. Sweep – This is Just what it says: keeping the workplace clean as well as neat. At the end of the shift, the work area is cleaned and everything is restored to its proper place. In straighten, the workplace is clearly marked where things go and gives confidence in the ability to find hat is needed when it is needed.The key point here is that cleanliness is a regular part of the daily work effort, not an effort initiated when the workplace gets too messy. Standardize – Standar dizing the work practices means operating in a consistent and standardized fashion. Everyone knows their role and exactly what his or her responsibilities are. Actions are taken the same way – the right way – every time. Sustain – This means more than Just maintaining what has been established. Five S becomes a way of life and a new way to operate. It is important that management does not allow a gradual cline back to the old ways of operating.Sustain also means that when an issue arises – a suggested improvement, a new tool becomes available, or a new output requirement – the process is reviewed improvement. Page 5 of 8 At times a sixth S – for Safety – is added. Five S purists argue that implementation of the AS protocols will result in safety. Implementation of the AS program usually starts with a manageable project. These tend to be in limited work areas or warehouse locations. Once implemented, the results are publicized and the concept is expanded to other areas. The strength of AS is the ease of understanding and implementing the concept. Lean As trained industrial engineers, it seems pretty basic to us. Its simplicity is what makes it work. While the Japanese are rightfully given credit for re-vitiating the concept of lean, its roots really go back to Frederick Winslow Taylor of Bethlehem Steel in the asses and asses. Then it was called â€Å"Scientific Management. † The Taylor approach starts with a clean slate – it designs the process to, as much as possible, only include steps that create value in the product. It is well suited for new plants, new products or new processes. The Japanese approach addresses existing plants, products and processes.It is focused on eliminating â€Å"waste† (anything that is not adding value). As waste is reduced, quality improves, production times are reduced and cost is minimized. Various methodologies are used as tools to achieve this including Value Stream Mapping, AS, Kanata (pull systems) and error-proofing. Our view is that starting with Tailor's approach lets yo u establish the perfect world as a base line. Using the Japanese approach then helps you work toward the perfect world. Let's use a casting example. A typical process might be to cast, clean, finish, re-clean, machine and ship.Why do we clean, finish and machine? We now these processes often can't be eliminated but why not try? If the casting can be produced as-cast either by achieving best practice methods or changing casting methods (investment casting and lost foam often achieve as-cast parts), machining can be eliminated or minimized. If you don't put the stock on you don't have to take it off. Why is finishing (or at least why is so much) required? We know a state-of-the-art MEMO producing iron castings in green sand that require almost no finishing. Are you grinding/trimming parting lines?Then your patterns or molds may need attention. Are you grinding rough casting surfaces? Then your sand is not right or your die casting practices need improvement. Grinding gates? Can they b e relocated to areas where they can be left untouched and minimized using knife gating? Are you welding? If you are not Joining parts in welding all you are doing is fixing mistakes. Why do you clean before finishing? Good sand and shake-out practices should produce castings that are clean enough for finishing. Just clean one time after finishing. What's your scrap level?If you're not under 3% total scrap, no matter what casting method you use, you are not achieving best practice. That's without welding and other salvage operations by the way. There are metal casters achieving these levels every day. How do they do it? They share a lot of common traits. First, they understand what best practice is for the process they are using. That includes melting, molding, sand preparation, finishing or what-ever process they are using. They know the best practice way to do everything. You would be surprised at how many metal casters we visit who don't know what can be done.Next, they are fanati c about doing it the right way. That means equipment 2009 The Folk Group, Adolescent, PA, 18901. 1. 215. 340. 9072 www. Foolproof. Com Page 2 of 8 s well maintained, systems are defined, documented and implemented the same way every time and everyone is well trained and does their Job right. After that they focus on problem Jobs – ones that require re-design, special gating, handling or other steps to insure they are scrap free. Finally, they document all scrap and attack issues. There are other lean practices to implement. If production flows perfectly, there is no inventory waiting to be worked on.Metal casters have helped minimize work-in-process by installing conveyor lines to keep castings moving right through to finished goods storage. This eliminated putting the castings in totes and the added handling. One low to medium volume gray/ductile iron Jobbing foundry (casting weights under 50 pounds) we know now ships 30% of its production the same day and believes they can achieve 70% same day shipment. These standards aren't Just for the high volume or dedicated metal casting companies any more. â€Å"Automation† or â€Å"smart automation† is a part of lean manufacturing as well.Automation refers to automating the process so humans can focus on what humans do best. The objective here is to design the machine so it knows when it is working abnormally and alerts human. The human no longer has to monitor normal production but can focus on abnormal or fault conditions. Removing routine and repetitive activity reduces the chance for error. Lean manufacturing is focused on doing the right tasks, at the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity to achieve perfect work flow while eliminating waste (scrap) and with the ability and flexibility to change.Implementing lean manufacturing often requires a cultural change in all levels of the organization. Once management is committed, a program needs to be started that begins with small s uccesses and grows to include the entire organization. The Toyota Production System (TAPS) focuses on murk and mud. Murk focuses on the preparation and planning of the process, or what work can be eliminated in the design process. Mud are those waste steps and processes that add cost. Murk is used in new product design and mud is used to improve existing operations. TAPS identifies 7 key mud*.They are: 0 Transportation (moving products that is not actually required to perform the processing) 0 Inventory (all components, work-unprocessed and finished stock not being processed) 0 Motion (people or equipment moving or walking more than is required to perform he processing) 0 Waiting (waiting for the next production step) 0 Overproduction (production ahead of demand) 0 Over Processing (due to poor tool or product design creating activity) 0 Defects (the effort involved in inspecting for and fixing/scrapping defects) *From â€Å"Lean Thinking†, Woman, James P. ND Jones, Daniel T. , Free press, 2003, p. 352 What are the steps to developing a lean culture? 1 . Senior management needs to agree on a lean vision. Page 3 of 8 2. Identify the project leader and set objectives for the leader. 3. Communicate the plan and vision to the workforce 4. Solicit volunteers to form the Lean Implementation Team. Five to seven people with varied backgrounds seems to work best. 5. Appoint the Lean Manufacturing Implementation Team 6. Train the team in various lean tools. AS is often a good starting point. 7. Select pilot project implementation. . Implement the pilot. Evaluate the results, review and learn from mistakes made. 9. Roll out the next project(s). 10. Train supervisors how to teach and train their employees. 11. Continue adding and training in additional lean manufacturing tools. Page 4 of 8 FIVE S Companies frequently select AS as a method to start their lean manufacturing program. Five S is a manageable process that is relatively easy for people to understand and ge t their arms around. Five S is a reference to five Japanese words that have been transliterated and translated into English.The technique is characterized, incorrectly, â€Å"standardized cleanup. † It is more than that. Five S is a method to organize and manage the workspace and work flow with the intent of improving efficiency by eliminating waste, improving work flow and reducing process inefficiencies. The ass's are: Sort (Series), Straighten (Sexton), Sweep (Skies), Standardize (Quickest) and Sustain (Skittish). Sort – This means going through the work area and making sure only essential items are present. This is eliminating tools, materials, fixtures or any other items not used in the process.Everything else is stored or, preferably, discarded. Straighten – Straighten focuses on setting the workplace in order to focus on efficiency. This is more than Just arranging the tools and equipment where they will be used and in the sequence they will be used. It i s â€Å"straightening† the work path for materials, tools and the work process. Of all the steps this is the one that typically produces the greatest cost reductions. Straightening the work process can include changes in dies or tooling that reduces finishing labor, for example.It may include interaction with the customer to implement design changes that result in cost reduction or quality improvement. It is also the step that bears the most repeat visits to implement continual improvement. Sweep – This is Just what it says: keeping the workplace clean as well as neat. At the end of the shift, the work area is cleaned and everything is restored to its proper place. In straighten, the workplace is clearly marked where things go and gives confidence in the ability to find hat is needed when it is needed.The key point here is that cleanliness is a regular part of the daily work effort, not an effort initiated when the workplace gets too messy. Standardize – Standar dizing the work practices means operating in a consistent and standardized fashion. Everyone knows their role and exactly what his or her responsibilities are. Actions are taken the same way – the right way – every time. Sustain – This means more than Just maintaining what has been established. Five S becomes a way of life and a new way to operate. It is important that management does not allow a gradual cline back to the old ways of operating.Sustain also means that when an issue arises – a suggested improvement, a new tool becomes available, or a new output requirement – the process is reviewed improvement. Page 5 of 8 At times a sixth S – for Safety – is added. Five S purists argue that implementation of the AS protocols will result in safety. Implementation of the AS program usually starts with a manageable project. These tend to be in limited work areas or warehouse locations. Once implemented, the results are publicized and the concept is expanded to other areas. The strength of AS is the ease of understanding and implementing the concept.

10 Reasons You Should Be Using Blog Comments

10 Reasons You Should Be Using Blog Comments Ask anyone how they promote their blog, and chances are pretty good that commenting on other blogs wont top the list. Most of us turn to social media to promote our blogs  because it works, and works quickly and measurably. With all of the social media outlets available, and a recent startling movement by a few large blogs to close blog comment sections, its easy to dismiss the idea of using your precious time going to blogs and leaving comments. Often, the comments you see are either great post, thanks!, blatant link spam, or (horrors) like something youd find in YouTube. Why Are Blog Comments Losing Favor? Bloggers have a love-hate relationship with their own blog comment section, too, for several reasons. Blog comments are not great for measurement. Judging your blog by the comments section can be disheartening. Though the number of comments helps towards your social proof, it is often less an indicator of actual readership and more an indicator of how controversial your post is. The truth is, blog comment numbers arent an accurate indicator of actual readership. Most readers dont participate on your blog, a phenomenon known as participation inequality. This means that 90% of the people lurk and dont participate, while 1% account for most of the participation. (Nielsen Norman Group) This means, as Nielsen pointed out, that blog comment sections arent a good place to get feedback because 1% of the people doing the talking might not be the most ideal percentage to base changes on. You might have nine readers that love what youre writing, but if you only hear from the one that doesnt (and more often than not, people are spurred on by a negative reaction to leave a comment), it is disheartening. Blog comments are tempting for spammers. Incessant spamming is one of the reasons Copyblogger decided to close the comment section on their blog. The amount of time it took to police spam comments, and the sheer volume, was a tipping point. In a little over eight years, Copyblogger has published more than 130,000 approved comments. Which is pretty amazing, right? But over that period, that’s only about 4% of the comments that were left on the site. The remaining 96% were pointless, time-wasting spam. Thats over 3 million spam comments that Copyblogger has had thrown their direction!  On my low-traffic personal WordPress blog, I am frequently blown away by the amount of spam I receive in the comments. In just a few months, the numbers climb high. Granted, I have a plugin in place to catch nearly all of it (as does Copyblogger), but there are still a handful each day that gets by and end up in my email asking for moderation. I can only imagine how much Copyblogger had to deal with. Numbers that big are terrifying to some degree when I realize how quickly, without a simple spam plugin, my blogs comment section would a disaster. Spammers are incredibly sneaky. Ever get one of those comments that you just cant be sure if its spam or not, its that real? Spammers know that many bloggers require moderation only on the first comment made on a site. Once theyve been approved, they have free rein. So they leave a comment that you decide is real, and open the door to them. The threat of spammers, and the wasted time dealing with them, is exhausting. Blog comments have to be moderated. When it comes to comments on my personal blog, I have my WordPress settings as tight as they can be and a strict policy in place as to what kinds of comments Ill allow (no insulting me or other readers, stay on topic, no excessively foul language, etc.).  Spammers and the bad behavior of netizens  have forced me to moderate my comments when in the early days of blogging I took pride in letting the discussion unfold in real time sans moderation. I regret that I have to moderate, but without moderation, conversation can turn ugly. Bloggers are responsible for what appears on their blog; it is their property. You do not want to allow questionable comments that insult, attack, threaten or suggest harm to another person. While logical fallacies, overused memes, and trolls are probably inevitable even in legitimate comments, most of the truly awful you can head off at the pass by simply keeping it from being published. Moderation of blog comments means comments dont appear right away. It means some commenters dont understand why their comments dont appear and they submit multiple similar comments. It means some folks get upset when they dont see their legitimate comment right away and get after you for censoring   them (yep, its happened to me). But without moderation of comments, your blog will be spam central. Long and short of it? Because of spammers and people who cant behave, your comment section is going to take some effort to maintain and protect. Moderation will be required. Bloggers are afraid of Google. The idea of your comments section somehow bringing a penalty to your site is terrifying to bloggers. Though Matt Cutts has reassured bloggers that taking part in blog comments in a legitimate way is perfectly fine, recent penalty action taken by Google has bloggers a bit on edge. With good moderation and spam controls, and making sure that links in the comments section are no follow (which WordPress now does) you can protect yourself somewhat. It is important to take a serious rein on your comments section and be purposeful about it. You dont have to be afraid of SEO penalties as long as you protect your own comments section and dont use other blogs comments sections as a way to spam for your own site. Conversation is on the social networks, not the blog. Another reason Copyblogger provided for ending their comments was that the discussion was happening elsewhere, on social media.  This is discouraging if you are trying to build social proof on your actual blog, and see social media comment streams as a form of sharecropping your content off of your blog property. A blog comments section might seem antiquated in the face of this new conversation. If youve been blogging a while, youve probably noticed that social media has meant two things for your blog comments: They have dwindled considerably as people go to social media. The comments are shorter as social media shortens attention spans or gives people a place to write their own thoughts. (In the early days of blogging, some blog commenters had no blogs; they used blog commenting as the way they built their online reputation and authority.) Comment systems, though, are evolving. Plugins that support social media integration, or a comment system like Disqus, help tie your blogs comments into that social pulse. In that sense, you can bring that outside conversation back onto your own property. People are doing it wrong. Yes, some people (as in, you and me an others) arent doing the whole blog commenting thing the right way. Its hard to have purely altruistic motives, sometimes. What is it were doing? Well We participate in blog comments for linking purposes.  If you head into it at all thinking that youll get a link back to your site, youre doing it wrong. Youll be moderated, spammed, and possibly penalized. All we have to say is nice post, good job.  A comment section is for conversation. While Im familiar with the feeling of enjoying a post, having nothing to say, but wanting to let the blogger know, it would be better to share the post on social media and say this was a good post rather than create acres of comments that say good job. Anyone else roll their eyes when trying to sift through good job! and I agree! comments to get to something meatier? Were trolls. Were just there to argue and be jerks. Lets admit it. Weve all lost it in a blog comments section somewhere, and hang our heads in shame at who we became. We dont understand our comment is in the wrong place. How many times have you read a blog post where the author helpfully suggested a tech fix of some sort, just to be kind, and the comment section quickly fills with people (of all temperaments) wanting help from the author troubleshooting why it didnt work?   Sometimes we mistake a blog post on a particular topic as the place to go for help on that topic, and it isnt. Blog comments are for the strong. New to blogging? You may or may not be ready for the emotional toll some blog comments can take on you, depending upon what kind of posts you write and how much of a flashpoint your topics are. Blog comments can be hurtful and discouraging if you let them get to you. Even if you moderate them, you are still going to read them whether you publish them or not. It can be an open door to letting people shred or mock what was a very important thing to write about. If you are prone to taking things personally or are unable to distance yourself from what random strangers say to you, blog comments can be a real drag on your motivation to keep blogging. On the other hand, if you stick with it, you learn a very valuable skill: how to ignore people who are insignificant in your life. Comments on your blog will either give you a thick skin or cause you to give up.Why Blog Comments Are Important After reading all of that–practically an entire blog post on why you should abandon blog comments ASAP!–you might be convinced to do just that. Surely they arent worth the hassle or the threat of your innocent blog commenting activity creating a penalty for your blog. Hold on just a minute. Most of us arent Copyblogger, and arent experiencing the level of spam they were. Most of us dont have the volume of conversation happening elsewhere that they do; our social media conversations are smaller and need a home base on the blog. And, most importantly, participating in the comment sections of blogs does have a positive impact. All of the negatives aside, I love blog comments on a carefully moderated blog. Why? 1. Discover new blogs. I have probably found more useful sites, links, information, and downloads not through online searches but by people in blog comment sections sharing a relevant source. Plus, a well-written comment with a thoughtful take on the topic will often cause me to visit the website of the commenter. That comment is a preview of how their blog posts will be. I have found a huge chunk of the blogs I load into my RSS reader through blog comments sections, and where do you suppose I turn when I want to find content to share? That RSS reader. Taking time and leaving a relevant, useful comment is a way to bring people over to your website. Plugging yourself shamelessly in every post is a turn-off. 2. Learn more about the topic. A well-researched blog post isnt all there is to say on a topic. Word count or time restrictions can keep your ultimate guide blog post from not quite being the ultimate guide. The experience, knowledge, and resources commenters can bring to your post in the comment section add to the understanding of the topic. Im fairly certain, for example, that when you get to the end of this post, youll be thinking she forgot to mention this important thing and youll take it upon yourself to mention it (hint hint). Thats the beauty of blog comments: readers get to help build on the original post, helping the author and other readers learn more about the topic. Whether opposing view or adding to the supporting view, theres more to be said about most topics, and readers can help each other by commenting. 3. The enjoyment of being a regular. A coffee shop near where I work knows what Im going to order before I order it. I love that. I love going in and having them pick up the conversation where we left off. Its the joy of being a regular. The comment section of your blog is where the regulars (or the usual suspects, if its that kind of blog :-) gather. They know each other, they know your blog and can link back to old posts or other specific comments from the past. Regulars help turn your blog from being a sequential posting of articles into something organic that references itself. Plus, theres the ownership issue. I have had a handful of people who have read and commented on my personal blog for more than ten years, some of whom Ive met and weve become real-life friends. When you comment (and get response) regularly on a blog, you almost feel like you have ownership there, that its important you stay involved. Thats exactly the kind of reader and commenter you want.  Heck, some regulars even police the comments section and help you, as if they were forum moderators. They feel like its partly their place, too, and they want to help keep it clean. Blog comment sections are like the coffee house of the internet, where you introduce the discussion and let the regulars get busy discussing it. 4. Networking that works. Taking part in your own blog comment section shows the world youre not a hermit.  It says that you   are not just a one-way street, blasting your content out to them but unwilling to hear them back. (This is especially important if you are trying to build your blog traffic and get a bigger audience.) Being a one-way content pusher is sort of the equivalent of handing out business cards en masse and not bothering to do much listening as you turn around and walk away. It doesnt work. The back and forth conversation in blog comments, and and honest willingness to listen, is good networking. Just like you find new blogs to read, you make connections with the other regulars and break free of the limited circles of your social media. Blog comment sections bring in people you might not have discovered, otherwise, and truly expand your networking circles. One-sided networking never works. In order to make connections that matter, we have to be willing to give and take, and meet people outside of our usual social groups. 5. People link to where theyre being talked about. Ive found that if I have written a post that is getting some serious comment action, involving other bloggers and asking questions often leads to them writing a post about the conversation, and linking to my original post.  When Ive had a long run in a comment section and been actively participating, and I think Ive left some pretty good comments, you know what I do? I link to the post and often blog about it. It functions on the same principle as why small town newspapers run so many photos of the local sports team. I learned early on as a small town newspaper reporter that mentioning the names of people in the community in stories, and featuring their kids in school activities, was how you sold papers. Its the same reason people buy that expensive Whos Who book: theyre listed in it. We like to promote whats promoting us. 6. Easier-to-follow conversations. A lot of conversation happens on social media, sure, but it isnt always easy to follow. Some might be on Twitter (where following a discussion is like chasing the tail of a kite on a windy day), others on Google+. Different people saying interesting things, but because those multiple conversations are on different platforms? Never the two shall meet. And, conversation on social media fades away as the news feeds change. Its always been a frustration of mine that this happens. Admittedly, some of the social features of some comment systems that adjust the order of the comments according to votes by readers can be confusing, as they arent a threaded in-order conversation. While that technique helps commenters police out bad comments (in theory) it does add to confusion, too. But, at least all of the discussion is in one place. Taking part in blog comment sections makes it easier for readers who find the post to follow along and make sense of how the discussion goes. Latecomers can see what has already been said. 7. Social proof for your blog. If you see a listing of four blog posts, three with 6 comments listed, and one with 145 comments listed, which post are you going to dive into? Probably the 145-comment post. Clearly there is something going on there and lots of people are actively talking. We like to see what others are talking about, and we are more likely to join in because there are enough others in the conversation that it wont be too terrifying (this is especially true for lurkers who dont participate much). This is social proof in action, the idea that where we see a crowd, there must be something good.  Asking questions in your own comments is a good way to keep the ball rolling. Comments help encourage other comments; its a very good reason to respond to comments in your blog posts. Blog comments are great social proof. The more you have, the more you get.8. Get new ideas for fresh content. Has this ever happened to you? You write a post about topic. The discussion is active, and you find yourself leaving long comments. Pretty soon you think its probably best to write a whole new blog post because the topic has expanded and given you a lot to talk about, all thanks to the blog comments section. At the very least, youve probably found yourself realizing that there were questions or directions your readers have suggested that would make a great new blog post (or two or three). Thats happened here on this blog, even. It was in our blog comments where a reader brought up the need for social proof. It was a comment that piqued my curiosity and got me doing some research. I eventually wrote a blog post. Ive also written blog posts based on comments found on other blogs, too. Inevitably, I link back to the other blog (win for them), and I get a great post idea (win for me). Plus, I have a legitimate reason to leave a comment and say I wrote a post about this here and perhaps get some new readers. The comment section is a great place for idea generation. Its a group of people, batting ideas around.