Oil

Oil In our society today, consumption of oil has become as common as food or beverage consumption. We use oil everyday. Oil is used for many things such as: raw material for many plastics, heating in winter, medicines, clothing, paint, transportation, and pesticides. "Crude Oil can be refined into gas, gasoline, kerosene, gas oil, fuel oil, and long residue" (Cohan, Emily 1). By using oil for basically everything, this natural resource is likely to last for only a short period of time. It seems as if we are always running out of oil and each barrel we use brings us one step closer to completely running out. However, we are finding new oil everyday. "Despite being a very mature producing region, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Minerals Management Service, have estimated that the U.S. still has substantial undiscovered oil and gas resources." Untapped resources are still coming up and are of use (American Petroleum Institute 1).United StatesIn 1859, Pennsylvania put up the world's first oil well (Clifford, Dick 3). According to the American Petroleum Institute, "Oil and natural gas together equal 65 percent of our nation's energy." That is an incredible amount of energy. Without that energy, our world would be in a lot of danger. We would run out of everyday materials such as: rubber, electricity, and other things that we need for existence. In 1904, Captain William Matson proved oil was more efficient than coal. Oil was thereafter used for gasoline in the new cars, in steamers, and in sugar refineries. A ton of coal equals the same amount of energy as 4 barrels of oil (Cohan, Emily, 1). Wow! If people could actually realize how much that actually is then the world would be saved! Think of how much money people could save on...

SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES SCANDAL Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES SCANDAL - Term Paper Example This scandal had a negative implication in overall global information technology industry during the trying times of credit crunch as the company used to provide its services to more than 75% of the Fortune 500 companies (Timmons & Wassener, 2009). It was on January 2009, the Chairman of the company, Mr. B. Ramalinga Raju mailed a letter to the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as well as his Board Members confessing the fact that he had been forging the financial statements of the company. This resulted to the overstatement of the company revenues by $ 1 billion. He further mentioned that the balance sheet of the company incurred a liability of $253 million which was arranged by him personally. The revenues were overstated by 76% as well as profits by 97%. Therefore, the major offenders in the event were the Former Chairman Mr. B.Ramalinga Raju along with other several members of the board (Kripalani, 2009). Loss to Satyam During the period of such issues, the company lost its significant clients. It was noticed that immediately after the Satyam Computers was caught in fraud, the company was sold to Tech Mahindra which is based in Pune and deals with telecom-solution providers. He was successful at winning the auctions at $352 millions and bought 31% of Satyam. In order to acquire more of 20% of the Satyam shares Tech Mahindra made a public offer (Singh, 2009). The case was referred to be India’s Enron. Most of the financial houses across the world were disappointed by the fact that the biggest fraud in India was unnoticed by the authorities for quite long. This event resulted to be quite harmful in affecting the economy which if noticed in time could have been prevented. The event raised questions in relation to the level of corporate governance in India and has ruined the reputation of the Indian telecom industry among the overseas companies. The investors demonstrated their concern regarding the event and stated that the event took place at worst possible time. It was the time when market had begun recovering and the event made the market even worse (Vaswani, 2009). Mr. Raju had been trying to conceal the losses from the investors and as a result was caught up in the ferocious cycle of falsehood and debts. He stated that $1 billion of the cash in hand with company did not exist actually. However, according to various analysts Mr. Ramalinga Raju had been maneuvering the cash flows because of which the falsehood was not getting detected. It was also analyzed that the reason for such fudging of accounts at Satyam by Mr. Ramalinga Raju might have been for the chase for higher profits and the wish to keep pace with the growth rate of the outsourcing industry (Vaswani, 2009). Investigation on the Matter Soon after the event took place, the financial regulators started their invigilation on the matter. Bombay Stock Exchange, where it was listed had decided to remove Satyam Computers from its indices (Vaswani, 2009). Mr. Rama linga Raju was soon detained and put behind the bars for such scandal (McDougall, 2010). Reasons for Such Activities to Matter These kind of fraudulent activities not only hamper the existence of the organization but also affect the economic

Problems Publlic Schools Face Across the Nation Annotated Bibliography

Problems Publlic Schools Face Across the Nation - Annotated Bibliography Example In the administration block, teachers are sitting in their desks waiting for students to turn up for classes but at the end of the day, no one shows up. This behavior should be blamed on most parents who do not orient their children on the importance of education. It is obvious that students would not act any differently when their parents are not motivating them to study. The teachers, parents, and administrators have totally lost control over their children. Apart from this, politicians and state legislators thwart teachers over their judgment and allocation of grades come graduation day. Teachers face many problems in schools in that they lack good training and teaching materials for their large classes. This poses a great challenge to the teachers because they cannot give assignments to students since some of them lack textbooks. Students, they have already given up studying because education among peers does not matter and of less value. Self-esteem and motivation is low and fragile that even students achievement of reading, learning or doing a simple algebra assignment is viewed as personal attack. The government enacted ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ to address the issues that public schools were facing, but unfortunately, instead of correcting the system, it has infringed it more. Under this policy, a lot of emphasis is laid on punitive actions and test scores. What destroys education system is that this law provides that students are forced to learn for NCLB tests versus offering education they need. NCLB policy is too stringent and it has failed to offer necessary financial incentives to enact the law. The problem with this educational reform is that it does not include all educational stakeholders in its programs when allocating funds. Everyone is a victim of a failed government policy including the government, teachers, society, parents, colleges, administrators, and society. It seems hopeless and irrelevant as no

Four foods common throughout Mexico Essay Example for Free

Four foods common throughout Mexico Essay Corn, and corn tortillas in particular, are common throughout all of Mexico. Corn tortillas are considered the â€Å"bread† of Mexican culture. Beans are almost always served as a side dish with all meals. Chilies, squash and tomatoes are all indigenous foods that thrive in the arid regions and are used for flavoring and as side dishes throughout the country. Chilies are also often integrated into main dishes. B. Comparison and Contrast of foods from three regions of Mexico Food from the Mexican plains region is typically more heavy with fats and starches. The region’s cuisine relies on meat and dairy products (most notably beef and cheese) in addition to the traditional beans and corn found elsewhere throughout the country. Tropical Mexico relies heavily on the fish and seafood that are abundant along the coast for its main dishes. It also incorporates food locally grown on plantations such as coffee, bananas, avocado, limes, tomatoes and tropical fruits such as mango, tamarind and coconut. Ceviche, a blend of raw fish, lime juice and vegetables, is very popular. Southern Mexican cuisine uses chayotes and cactus and relies heavily on chicken dishes, often marinated. Mole sauce, using chilies and chocolate originated in Southern Mexico and is used as a ceremonial dish at baptisms, weddings, and the Day of the Dead festivals. Even grasshoppers, which are quite abundant, are often eaten fried. Beans and avocados are also used in many dishes. Meat from goats and pork along with chilies and tortillas are often found in dishes from all regions. Chocolate and vanilla are two items that put Mexico on the map and quite popular throughout the country as flavorings. Chocolate is used in sauces as well as for drinking and often infused with cinnamon. Mexican cuisine is very reliant on the food sources most abundant in the region and so range the gamut from seafood to cactus. 6. Comparison and Contrast of food and customs of India’s Northern and Southern regions In Northern India wheat, tea, masala, pickled fruits and vegetables, garlic and eggs are commonly used. Most dishes are prepared by boiling, stewing or frying. Unleavened bread and a vegetable dish are served at breakfast and lunch. Dinner is the same with the additional of a few extra dishes. All meals are served with tea and lemonade in the summer. Hydrogenated oils are used for cooking. In Southern India, banana leaves serve as plates and boiled rice comes with every course. Vegetables and lentils make up the first two courses while rice and yogurt are in the third course. All are accompanied by pickles, chutney and fried wafers. Dessert is only served on special occasions. Coconut, plantain and fish are often used and tend to be spicy. They use peanut and sesame oil in addition to hydrogenated vegetable oil and prepare dishes by steaming. Rice, coffee, chutney fruits and vegetables are integral to the cuisine. Grains cooked into cereals are popular. Chickpeas and lentils are used in nearly every meal. Spicy vegetable curries, deep-fried, salty foods and sweets are popular as snacks. The foods of both regions are highly vegetarian, per religious beliefs. Neither region eats beef nor traditionally drinks alcohol. The spices and condiments heavy in Southern Indian cuisine are the influence of Jews and Christians. In the North, wheat is the staple food while rice reigns in the South. Northern Indians drink tea with their meals while Southern Indians prefer coffee. Since Pakistan was once part of India, the cuisine of the Northern region is very similar to that of Pakistani food. The foods of both regions are influenced heavily by their respective religions as well as the influx of foreign traders in earlier centuries. 7. A. Five foods indigenous to Caribbean In Jamaica, dukunnu is made with cornmeal, sugar, raisins spices and coconut and wrapped in banana leaves and boiled or baked. Jamaica also uses turn cornmeal made of cornmeal blended with peas, spices, coconut milk, saltfish and sometimes other ingredients. Peppers are indigenous all over the Caribbean and are commonly used to spice up dishes such as marinated â€Å"jerk† meats. Manioc, sweet potatoes and yams are served as a side dish or deep fried. There is heavy reliance on fish, including conch and shellfish. B. Identify the Caribbean country or island: 1. Sofrito – Cuba and Puerto Rico 2. Picadillo – Cuba 3. Jerk Foods – Jamaica 4. Sancocho – Dominican Republic 5. Moros y Cristianos – Cuba 6. Habichuelas con Dulce – Dominican Republic.

The Northern Lights Essay -- Plays Literature Shakespeare Papers

The Northern Lights I hardly see how one can begin to consider Shakespeare without finding some way to account for his pervasive presence in the most unlikely contexts: here, there, and everywhere at once. He is a system of northern lights, an aurora borealis visible where most of us will never go. Libraries and playhouses (and cinemas) cannot contain him; he has become a spirit or "spell of light," almost too vast to apprehend. Harold Bloom, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human I don’t expect this short paper to reach the northern lights. I don’t think my mind can travel that far, and a plane ticket is probably too expensive. After three months of study, Shakespeare has exhausted me. I realize many scholars spend their whole lives in libraries trying to reach the elusive bard. I’m either out of shape or lazy. I have learned one thing this quarter. I don’t have to travel to the northern lights to find Shakespeare. I discovered him one day in a play, within a small scene, as a character, in an illusion. This quarter I had the opportunity to perform Edgar in a small production of King Lear. I truly believe Edgar is the embodiment of Shakespeare. I just had to perform him to figure it out. Now, I must confess; I haven’t read every Shakespeare play twice, so I don’t know if other characters fit the mold better than Edgar. Also, I assure you I’m not losing my mind as I write this. I feel quite healthy. I just had o ne of those most rare visions. Fortunately, I didn’t have to be an ass to have this dream. On the Dover cliffs, under the hot sun, with a director screaming action, and a camera pointing towards me, I found Shakespeare. This quarter I had the opportunity to experience Shakespeare everywhere at once. I read fo... ... more and more I read. He is the great magician to me, the playwright with his bag of tricks. I saw theater in his illusions. I learned this quarter you don’t have to travel to the ends of the earth to find Shakespeare. "How fearful and dizzy ‘tis to cast one’s eyes so low!" Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. Goldberg, Jonathan. "Perspectives: Dover Cliff and the Condition of Representation." King Lear, William Shakespeare. Ed. Kiernan Ryan. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Pocket Books, 1993. Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ed. Wolfgang Clemen. New York: Signet Classic, 1998. Shakespeare, William. Complete Sonnets. Ed. Stanley Appelbaum. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991.

Mise-En-Scene in Taxi Driver

Taxi Driver is about Travis Bickle, a â€Å"sick† taxi driver who is both a prophet and/or a mad man. We are never allowed to know what the movie itself thinks of him, we are never told to love him or hate him and the movie never states whether he is ethically right or wrong. This movie is not about the answers to the problems of the society. It is just about the questions and unknowns. It is just an interesting journey in the modern society that could make people discuss about Travis hours and hours. Talking with other people, I was amazed how people can think of him in different ways. Some say he is â€Å"sick†, some say he is their â€Å"prophet†. The fast cuts in the editing (when he practices with the guns) make us enter in his state of mind. But also, some long takes force us to analyze and understand what happened (Very high-angle takes that Scorsese calls â€Å"Priest shots† after the massacre. ). The movie switches dynamically between these styles, which leaves the audience an infinite ways of thinking about the Travis. This is beyond doubt not a journey like Odysseus where the hero always moves forward. In Taxi Driver the hero's journey is always around the same circle. He does not meet any new people or experience new situations. Same people turn around him, or maybe he turns around the same people and he repeatedly recognizes similar concepts in them. In a realistic movie the fact that he meets with those people so many times and in so many different places would be a mistake. However, this is not a realistic movie. Palantine who was already around him (thanks to the posters and Betsy) gets into his car (which is highly unlikely to happen); he sees Iris in many different unrelated places (three times); Scorsese appears in the movie twice (the unknown one of these is in the scene where we first see Betsy. He is also watching her in the back. ). Also different people reminds him of similar concepts: Betsy and Iris are both woman who are to be saved from the lives they are stuck in, and he sees many different people who cannot communicate with him. This circle with Travis in its center is also represented in the camera movements: either the camera is traveling around him or it is panning to show the panorama of the New York life through his eyes. Moreover, in two different scenes the camera and Travis make the other 180 degrees of the circle and meet at the same place. These formal elements help us understand and feel how Travis is also encircled and alone in that sick world. The fact that this is not a realistic movie is also proved by some of the elements in the narrative. First of all, Travis is described as someone who never sleeps, and we really never see him sleeping. Secondly, the time gaps between the shots (sometimes a week, or maybe a month: after he first signs up for the job, the next shot is in his apartment, and he describes his daily routine. ) also prove that this is a stylized movie. Lastly, although he is almost illiterate (- Education? – Yes, some, you know, here and there! ), he has a diary and we hear him telling us what he is writing. He sometimes even becomes poetic. All of these are almost implausible for an ordinary taxi driver. As a final point about the realism, I think the appearance of Scorsese himself is to remind us that â€Å"this is just a movie† and that we should not get into the story too much. I think he appears at a very important point, when everything starts to boil and the audience risks to be caught in Travis' delirium too much. Travis' alienation and loneliness is one of the most underlined ideas in the movie. Even when he is with other people he is very seldom shown as having a real communication with them. One very interesting shot is when he first sits in the cafe with his friends. He sits on the other side of the table and they are on the other sides of the frame. They seem like they are very far apart from each other. Also, when Travis talks with other people (except Iris and Betsy) he never looks at them. There are even some shots where we see what he is looking at, which shows his disconnection with those people. Naturally, for a person so disconnected to the society â€Å"exchanges† are very important. It could be an exchange of a gun or a paper or feelings. Scorsese emphasizes these using some unusual high angles, looking at the action from above. It happens four times in the movie: in the taxi office, in the movie theater, in the gun exchange, and most importantly when he first declares his love to Betsy in the campaign headquarters. In the last one, there is only a shot of the desk from above and the camera is panning in a strange way with no obvious reason. However, we know from the two other scenes that this shot underlines the â€Å"real exchange† of feelings between Travis and Betsy. Furthermore, in one of the best shots of the movie, after his useless and empty talk with Wizard the camera just stands and watches his cab going away and fading in the streets while Wizard is looking at him. The scene announces his detachment from the people and the society. As Taxi Driver is not moving forward as a movie, there is no reason for an obvious change in style. The dizziness of the colors and the fact that the background is often out-of-focus in the whole movie reminds us that there is no way to see the society in a sharper way and finding solutions. We are almost lost in it. Very shiny colors, especially reds, blues and greens, form the main palette of the movie. However, there are some slight changes of colors. For example, in the scenes where he continues his relationship with Betsy, a peaceful green dominates the screen. In the scenes leading to the final massacre, red becomes the leading and threatening color. Again, after that, green again becomes the main color as the scenes have a feeling of calm in them. Moreover, the Sport's street is darker than many of the places in the movie suggesting a mystical feeling, which prepares us to the climax that happens there. Other important things I want to note about the mise-en-scene are the costumes and the hairs. Travis often changes the way he is dressed and his hairstyle according to the situation. He becomes a very nice-looking guy when he is going to meet with Iris or Betsy. He wears his nice shirts brushes his hair. When he is going to show his anger or his dark side he either wears his marine or leather coat and leaves his hair as it is or even, at the end, shaves it. These changes show the instability of his personality and the two opposite characters of Travis Bickle, a prophet and a sick guy. When he looks nice, we tend to like him; when he looks crazy, we are afraid. Furthermore, the costumes and the hairstyles help Scorsese call attention to one of the most important parallelisms of the Taxi Driver that I already mentioned. Betsy often wears red clothes as Iris does when they meet with Travis. In addition, they are both blondes. That forces us to understand the parallelism between them; according to Travis they are both to be saved from the lives they are stuck in. The climax of the film is obviously the massacre as it is probably the most intense and shocking scene of the film. It is shot and edited as if it was a dream and we are never sure whether it really happens or whether it is just Travis' imagination. The only thing we know for sure is that it is the explosion of his unexpressed feelings toward the society and the manifestation of his hate against the people. The use of red and some unusual high angles stress the dreamy quality of the scene. Sport's reappearance and Travis' survival despite the shot that just missed his throat are out of our worst nightmares. Again, Scorsese does not expect us to believe in it. He just wants us to meditate in what happened. The following scenes also have the same dreamy mood. The greens dominate the night scenes and an interesting peacefulness is expressed with the very slow panning of camera and the tender voice of Iris' father. Also the fact that Travis got away without going into prison and Betsy's way of looking that shows her admiration for him make the scene seem like a wonderful dream. At the very end, although Travis is again driving the car, his face is lightened very strongly in a way we are not used to in the movie (It was always dark! ). Is he enlightened? Is he a prophet? However, suddenly, something happens and his face seems red in the mirror, but he fixes it. Is he a lunatic? Is he dead or dreaming? You won't find the answer to these questions in this movie.

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