Air Pollution in London Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Air Pollution in London - Essay Example Concentrations ofsix pollutants reduced between 2007 and 2008. Between 1998 and 2008 concentrations of eight pollutants have reduced. The substances that cause air pollution are called pollutants. If they are pumped into our atmosphere and directly pollute the air are called primary pollutants. Carbon monoxide from car exhausts, sulphur dioxide from the combustion of coal is example for primary pollutants. If primary pollutants in the atmosphere undergo chemical reaction, and further cause pollution, they are secondary pollutants. Photochemical smog is an example for secondary pollutant. Air pollutants mainly occur as a result of gaseous discharges from industry and motor vehicles. There are also natural sources such as wind-blown dust and smoke from fires. With increasing urbanisation and industrialisation, more pollution has been added to the air by industrial, commercial and domestic sources. When these concentrated gases like Co, Co2, So2, No2, Ozone, and Pm10 exceed safe limits, we have a pollution problem. Air pollution, particularly in cities, is not a new problem. Back in the middle ages the use of coal in cities such as London was beginning to escalate. In UK the industrial revolution during the 18th and 19th centuries was based on the use of coal. Urban air pollution levels often reached very high levels due to the burning of coal in industries, as well as in homes for domestic heat. During foggy conditions, pollution levels escalated and urban smogs (smoke and fog) were formed. These often brought cities to a halt while disrupting traffic, and may also cause deaths. Effects of air pollution on buildings and vegetation also became obvious. Effects Inhaling So2 in excess amount would lead to cough, tightening of chest, and irritation of lungs. NO2 results in irritation and inflammation of lungs. PM10 may cause inflammation of lungs, linkage of long term exposure to coronary heart disease and lung cancer. Intake of carbon monoxide in excess amount would leads to prevention of normal transport of oxygen by blood, resulting in the reduction of oxygen supply to the heart. Ozone causes pain on deep breathing, cough, irritation and inflammation of lungs. Benzene and 1, 3-butadiene leads to cancer. Lead is responsible for linkage of exposure to impaired mental function and neurological damage in children. In the great 'smog disaster' in London in 1952, nearly 4,000 people died in a few days due to the high concentrations of pollution. Air pollution in London is decreasing Year Moderate High Year Moderate High Year Moderate High 2000 218 7 2003 480 32 2006 396 26 2001 275 24 2004 225 3 2007 200 12 2002 175 7 2005 230 5 2008 130 6 1. Days of moderate-high, and very high air pollution at selected urban sites across London during 2000-2008 (Source: Defra). 2. Relative annual mean concentrations of SO2, PM10, Nox and NO2 monitored at several sites across London. (Source: London Air Quality Network, King's college London). According to the data, there has been a downward trend in the annual mean concentration of SO2. Since 2000 it had fallen significantly. By the spring of 2009 it had fallen by 80% since November 1996. Annual mean concentration of PM10 has decreased by nearly 26 % between November 1996 and late 2008. The concentration of NO2 has fallen since 2000, and now appears to

Linguistic anthropology Essay Example for Free

Linguistic anthropology Essay Linguistic anthropology is defined as ‘an interdisciplinary field dedicated to the study of language as a cultural resource and speaking as a cultural practice’ (Duranti, 2001) or ‘investigate the relationship between communication and culture’ (Sociology and Anthropology Website, 2010). It is also ‘the study the role language plays in culturally patterned behavior’ (Stanton, 2000). This branch of anthropology utilizes ‘detailed documentation’ of people’s communicative interaction with each other in any social activity. It also focuses on subjective research through oral interviews, recorded transcription and active participation of the subjects. It has garnered interest from the academic field as more studies had been made with credible sources and maintaining the emphasis on systematic and empirical research. Language and culture are the key factors in the linguistic anthropology; it was often pointed out with linguists that children learn the language along with their society’s culture at the same time. Grammar, syntax, accent, dialects often arrived with surprising results. This branch of study often concludes the identity of the speakers; how they speak, why certain accents are received with prejudice or acceptance, etc. Having a linguist working with me, specializing in Political Science would be a very interesting and intellectual camaraderie. Culture is one of the significant factors in the Political Science field; its study is usually of game play of power and how to apply such influence on people. Linguistic anthropology’s methodology is also similar to that of Political Science. Interaction is necessary to achieve favor from the public masses whether for political campaigns or public relations within the government. Understanding different kinds of languages, even dialects, actually helped tremendously in comprehending the other parties’ identity in Society. Political Science is a study of power play and therefore must utilize soft power as much as possible to avoid damages in one’s society. Positive reinforcement to the different kinds of people, whether they are natives or foreigners, elite or poor, and men or women, would be impossible without understanding the language structure of the said subjects (Duranti, 2001). References: Duranti, A. (2001) Linguistic Anthropology. Retrieved on 5 May 2010 from, http://www. sscnet. ucla. edu/anthro/faculty/duranti/reprints/02ling_anth. pdf Stanton, W. (2000). Linguistic Anthropology of Education. Retrieved on 5 May 2010 from, http://www. gse. upenn. edu/~stantonw/pdf/lae. pdf Sociology and Anthropology Website. (2010). What is Linguistic Anthropology? Retrieved on 5 May 2010 from, http://www. mystfx. ca/academic/sociology/anthropology/LinguisticAnthropology. html

Interlaminar Stress Behaviour of the Flywheel Rotor

Interlaminar Stress Behaviour of the Flywheel Rotor 1.1 History of the Flywheel For over thousands of years, flywheels have been used in potter wheels and spindle wheel whorls Gowayed et al., 2002 The concept of storing energy in a rotating disk dates as far back as 2400 BC when rotating wheels were used by Egyptians to handcraft pottery. In fact, flywheel systems were widely used in everyday life (Genta, 1985): in warring chariots, water pumps and even power generations. However, these conventional flywheels are not as efficient as energy storage devices due to the large amount of mass required for the relatively meagre amount of energy stored not to mention the capability of delivering power for only a relatively short period. The advent of the industrial revolution brought about the significant advances of the flywheels. In the 18th century, Man witnessed the widespread use of metal in the construction of machines and soon, flywheel had found its way into steam engines. This development of the flywheel had been attributed to the works of James Watt. With flywheels made of cast iron, a higher mass moment of inertia could be achieve and thus a significant weight saving as well. During the industrial revolution, James Pickard developed a solution for transforming reciprocating to rotary motion with the combination of a crank and flywheel. And it was not till the last thirty years that we witness high performance flywheels being significantly developed with marked improvement and demonstrate the potential as energy storage systems in a wide range of applications. The energy crisis of then 1970s marked the beginning of another significant era for the development of flywheels as the need to search for an alternative energy storage implement. Large amount of money were invested by the governments of many nations into the development of flywheel energy storage technology with subsequent establishment of research programs in the development of flywheel devices as alternative energy storage systems (Genta, 1985). However, development pace since to slow down as fuel prices begin to stabilized in the early 1980s. That particular time period was nevertheless a crucial development era for the flywheel; during which the use of flywheels are explored and developed for electrical vehicles. In addition it was also explored as a device to help utilities manage peak power demand. With the incorporation of high specific strength advanced composite materials into flywheel designs, weight reductions and strength increment can be achieved; and this cannot be achieved with the use of metallic alloy. However, the use of flywheels can yet be commercialized even with the significant improvements in the design concept of flywheel as it remains a challenge still to design flywheel systems that are cost competitive to other energy storage devices. In addition, composites, though stronger than metal, would require the use of advanced bearings due to the inability to withstand certain forces exposed in high performance application (Kim, T.H. 2003). The 1990s witnessed developments in stronger, lightweight composite materials, magnetic bearings and other electronic devices, and all of which contribute to the exciting development of the flywheel. Excessively high rotational speed could now be reached, with a subsequent increment in energy stored, making them a possible candidate again for energy storage system of superior performance. As a summary, the improvement in the flywheel quick energy recovery, high efficiency, low maintenance and long service life, high amount of stored energy per unit volume and mass, high output power levels, as well as lower product and operational cost (Horner, 1996) as well as environmental friendly components are all that have made the flywheel energy storage system a feasible option. 1.1.2 Flywheel as an Energy Storage Device Flywheel energy storage (FES) has, in various past researches, proven its superiority over conventional battery technology based energy storage system in terms of its higher energy density, durability, rapid charge and discharge capability, as well as its tolerance over a wide range of temperature with very minute environmental concerns; and with the progress in power electronics, loss reductions techniques and advanced materials, the then seemingly inconceivable idea of economical flywheel energy storage (FES) devices are no longer chimerical (Hebner et al, 2002). In fact, all of the prepossessing characteristics mentioned briefly above (in comparison with those that of conventional battery system) are what that result in the advanced flywheel systemsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ appeal as one of the fast- gaining attention alternative for energy storage devices. (Arvin Bakis, 2006) A flywheel is an inertial energy storage system where the rotating mass functions as the energy storage retainer. While connected to the motor (possibly electrical motor), a flywheel can be accelerated to a specific angular velocity. In this process, electrical energy was converted into kinetic energy and the rotating inertia of the composite rotor acts to store this form of mechanical energy. When the need arises, the mechanical energy can be transformed back to electrical power by the motor. Thus, the motor in the flywheel system acts not merely as a motor to accelerate the energy storing process but also as a generator in recovering the transformed electrical energy. A typical flywheel energy storage system consists of five primary components (Lazarewicz et al., 2006), namely the rotor, the bearings, the motor/generator unit, the vacuum enclosure and the power electronics. A rotor consists of a hub and rim. As the rim is the main rotating mass of the rotor, it is quite easy to comprehend the fact that the rim acts to store most of the energy whereas the hub functions to connect to the rim to a shaft. The rotating flywheel shaft on the other hand is supported by bearings which could either be of the mechanical or magnetic variety. These bearings allow for low resistance to rotor rotation. However, magnetic bearings are preferred over mechanical ones due to the energy loss associated with energy loss. The motor, as the third major component introduced, acts to accelerate the rotor when electrical energy us supplied to it; whereas the generator acts to extract electrical energy from the rotating rotor by decelerating the rotor. This is in accordance with the principle of conservation of energy. As a result of the rotor deceleration, torque is inevitably produced and is typically transferred between the rotor rim and the motor unit via the hub and the shaft. In addition, as the occurrence of input and output events are not concurrent, the combination of the motor and generator into a single functional unit is typically done to the advantages of weight and cost reduction (Hebner et al. 2002). In addition, a low pressure, vacuum environment is maintained via the use of a pressure vessel enclosure, which serves also to support the structural assemblage of the flywheel and bearing system. This vacuum compartment also serves to house all of the rotating components of the flywheel to reduce aerodynamic drag. Other than that, such a compartment is also crucial in protecting the system from catastrophic failure as a consequence of high energy debris. The power electronics on the other hand act as the interface between the motor/ generator unit and that of the electrical power system by converting the input power into a suitable electrical signal for the operations of the motor/ generator unit. Flywheel energy storage devices have the potential to store a higher amount of energy per unit mass than typical chemical batteries. Where design weight is of major concern, and where maximum energy storage is a fundamental necessity, flywheel energy storage systems seem to offer the most appealing capabilities. This is particularly so in space applications where the crucial design weight necessitates the need for a high energy storage capacity in the smallest available size and mass (and thus weight). Other than its high specific energy density, flywheel also possesses superior specific power and when used with magnetic bearings and advanced motor/ generator system, more than 90% of the storage energy can be retrieved, an efficiency far more superior than that if conventional chemical batteries are used where the reclaimed energy constitutes less than 80% of the energy input. In addition, the increment of the amount of energy stored in flywheels can be achieved via the increase of s peed of the rotating rotor while chemical batteries would possibly need some reassembling of the connections from parallel to serial. Flywheels are very effective devices in avoiding unbalanced or oversized design of power systems due to the way they store energy and this is especially crucial in the deliverance of peak power on demand. For instant access to the desired efficiency of energy storage as well as energy required, flywheels repeat the charging and discharging cycle. This process of charging and discharging occurs at a rapid speed as both processes occur in the very same motor/generator. In addition, the flywheel life will not be affected with the large amount of charging and recharging cycles whereas chemical batteries undergoing a similar process will need a replacement after every few years. In addition, flywheel, as a mechanical type of battery, is also tolerant of the extremity of temperatures and as flywheels do not contain acidic and other hazardous material, flywheels are easily handled during manufacturing process, and disposed of at the end of the flywheelsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ lif e cycles. Flywheel energy storage systems had since found its way into various applications such as transportation and space satellites, to name a few. In transportation, flywheel systemsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ deep recharge and rapid charging capability, the ability to provide high pulses of power as well as the tolerance to a wide operating temperature range as well as the longer operating life on top of weight reduction make flywheel systems an obvious choice in replacing chemical batteries in mobile applications such as electric vehicles. (Hebner et al 2002). A reliable, steady state power quality is of vital importance for critical manufacturing, hospitals, and internet servers. In this context, the flywheel energy storage systems have also found its way into electrical load levelling application such as in ensuring an uninterruptible power supply by providing a smooth and effective transition between a main power source when necessary (Hebner et al 2002) This is one of the current capability of the flywheel and it seems promising that as the technology improves in the near future, flywheel could possibly be applied to peak power managing, where excess energy produced us stored and later released at the peak time in energy consumption. The concept of flywheel is also not novel in the hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) industry, where small combustion engine is operated while the vehicle is moving at a constant speed. The acceleration process is executed with the extra power provided by the additional battery power supplier. This additional power, on the other hand is generated and stored in the battery when the vehicle brakes such that no additional power is wasted in the form of heat dissipation generated by the friction during brakes. At the present moment, flywheel seems promising in being use for hybrid buses as chemical battery is expensive. In space applications, light weight, compact with high energy density storage capability devices are highly sought after. With increase performance demands on space systems, space programs had had to make consistently huge effort in reducing rim mass to increase payload capacity as well as reduce launch/ fabrication costs. Although chemical batteries had long been a trusted source of energy but flywheel offers much better weight and life benefits as well as the potential to store a larger amount of energy at a lower weight, not to mention the capability to be used as attitude control actuators in replacing reaction flywheel assemblies and control moment gyros. In 2000, Truong et al introduced the Flywheel Energy Storage Demonstration Project, initiated at the NASA Glenn Reasearch Center as a possible replacement for the Battery Energy Storage System on the International Space Station; whereas Fausz et al. had, in the very same year reported that the Flywheel Attitude Control, Energy Transmission and Storage (FACETS) system could combine all or parts of the energy storage, attitude control, and power management and distribution (PMAD) subsystems into a single system, this significantly decreasing flywheel mass (and volume). Thus, in space applications, crucial weight reductions for satellites could, and have hitherto, been achieved with the use of the multi-function high speed flywheel system which not only functions as energy storage but also in providing a gyroscopic effect for attitude control. (Bitterly, 1998, Hebner et al., 2002) But even until recently, the historical development of flywheels and their uses has largely been dependent on advances in both materials and machine technology, coupled with opportunity and necessity (Horner, et al,.1996) However with technological advancements in such a rapid pace, it is not hard to envisage the status of flywheels in the near and distant future. 1.1.3 The Use of Composite and Fiber- Reinforced Materials in Flywheel Design The kinetic energy stored in a flywheel rotor increases linearly with mass but quadratically with rotational speed. . With the increasing demand for high energy storage, flywheels in present applications are often designed for high angular velocities; and these correspond to large centrifugal loads and consequently a higher circumferential and radial stresses, i.e. the dominant stress distribution are hoop stresses (concentric). In this context, the use composite materials with fibers of high unidirectional strength would be desirable. (Shah, 2008) For a fixed axis rotation, the energy stored in a thin rotating ring rotor is [1.3.1] Where I = the rotor moment of inertia ÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ºÃƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡ = is the rotor angular velocity. It seems feasible that to increase the stored energy, the mass of the flywheel must be increased and thus its moment of inertia. However, it must be noted that the energy is only linearly proportional to the mass of the flywheel whereas the energy is proportional to the square of the rotational speed. These relations indicate that the rotational speed for a given radius will have a higher influence to the energy density than that of the mass of the flywheel; and to achieve a high rotation speed, a high strength per weight material must be used. Further derivations of the equations below will explain this condition. Resultant force along the hoop and circumferential directions [1.3.2] [1.3.3] Where = force summations in the radial direction = force summations in the circumferential direction dm = mass of the mass element located at radius r rdÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Æ’ = arc length of the mass element located at radius r ar = radial acceleration of the mass element located at radius r From equation [1.3.3], [1.3.4] With [1.3.5] Where ÃÆ' Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ = mass element density V=mass element velocity B=mass element width Substitute equation [1.3.5] into [1.3.4] and knowing that V=rÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ºÃƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡ and for ÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Æ’ [1.3.6] The tensile stress in the circumferential direction [1.3.7] The stress in a thin- ring rotor is: [1.3.8] It is observed that the maximum speed achievable by a flywheel rotor is limited by the strength of the material from which it is made. The critical speed of the thin ring rotor can be approximated as [1.3.9] Where is the material ultimate strength. From the substitution of equation [1.3.9] into [1.3.1], the specific energy stored in the rim is obtained [1.3.10] K= Flywheel shape factor (Typically 1 for uniform stress disc and 0.5 for thin ring) The dependency of the maximum specific energy stored in the flywheel on the specific strength of the material is thus observed. With the demand for high specific energy in flywheel rotor design, the use of suitable material is thus of paramount importance. Due to their high stiffness to strength, composite materials have successfully been established in flywheel rotor design. Fiber reinforced composites are particularly attractive for use as flywheel materials due to their high strength and low density (Takahashi et al., 2002) The use of composite materials in flywheel designs offer numerous advantages over metallic alloys, including weight and increased strength. This is due to the high tensile strength of the fiber reinforcement phase. In 1986, a composite flywheel rotor was developed by Potter and Medicott for used in vehicle applications. In 1995, the study by Curtiss, et al. shown that the composite Carbon fiber epoxy disc rotor is capable of a 38% higher rim speed or 91% greater rotor energy density than a rotor built of an isotropic high strength to weight ratio Titanium or steel alloys. The carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) flywheel proposed by Kojima, et al. (1997) shown that high-modulus graphite/epoxy filament wound composite flywheel is able to rotate at a higher speed. The polar woven flywheel by Huang (1999) was shown to possess weight savings features as well as the improvement in life and reliability of the total spacecraft system, and in 2002, the Multi-Direction Composite (MDC) flywheel systems was reported by Gowayed and Flowers. The MDC flywheel system studied employed a new approach to strengthen flywheels with additional reinforcement in the radial direction along with the typical hoop direction reinforcement. In fact, analytical and numerical approaches had over the years been presented to determine the stress, and displacement distribution of the rotor. With the increasing demand for high energy storage, flywheels in present applications are often designed for high angular velocities; and these correspond to large centrifugal loads and consequently a higher circumferential and radial stresses. And the determination of these stresses as well as the ply orientation became especially crucial. As early as 1977, Danfelt et al. published an analytical method for a hybrid multi-rim flywheel with ply-by-ply variation of material properties and based on the assumption of axisymmetry. The method by Danfelt was later extended by Tzeng (1997,2003) which accounts for viscoelasticity effects. In addition, the original method by Danfelt had also been supplemented by a series of researches by Ha with additional consideration of the interference between adjacent rims and varying fiber angles (Ha et al., 1998), the rim radii of numerous material lay- ups for a constant angular velocity (Ha et al. 1999b), residual stresses due to the curing process (Ha et al., 2001) and the subsequent research on a split- type hub (Ha et al., 2006). The effect of rim thicknesses and angular velocity was studied by Arvin and Bakis (2006) while Fabien (2007) studied the optimal continuous variation of fiber angle in a single-material rotor. Other than that, finite element approaches have also been used for stresses and displacement computations which, though computationally more demanding, have gained importance for the analysis and design optimization of flywheel rotors because of the greater modeling depth offer by such methods. It is also possible to assemble the flywheels as a hybrid with rims of different materials in a sequence of increasing ratio of stiffness per density value E/ÃÆ' Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  for increasing radius, r (Arvin Bakis, 2006) using a method called ballasting. From their studies, with circumferential fiber reinforcement, the radial stress distribution is purely tensile with a maximum located approximately in the midplane between the inner and outer radii. But with two-material rotor, the radial stresses turn compressive in the region near the material interface due to the lower stiffness of the inner material which would result in greater expansion. A compressive stress minimum thus exists at the material interface, with two tensile stress maxima found close to the innermost and outermost radius. Despite the increase in circumferential stress level for the outer composite carbon/epoxy rim, such a condition still arises due to the lower radial stresses as a consequent of rotor strength inc rement. After all, composite materials are generally weaker in the transverse direction than in the longitudinal direction. As fiber reinforcement is typically aligned in the circumferential direction, radial tensile stress is often more crucial in comparison with the other mode of stresses due to the weaker strength in this direction. Thus, the dominating stresses are typically those of the circumferential and radial stresses. In this context, much effort had been invested to enhance the efficiency of the composite flywheel rotors by applying stress reduction methods. In view of this method, Danfelt et al. (1997) suggested a sandwich-like rim lay-up with a compliant material between the composite rims of one material to decrease interlaminar stress transmission. 1.2 Literature Review 1.2.1 Interlaminar stresses of Composite Laminates Interlaminar stresses arise when there are discontinuities in the load path, such as free edges and notches. (Wilkins, 1983). In particular, models with a significant amount of curvature. This is because the presence of high interlaminar stresses due to the effect of shell curvature could result in delamination and possibly failure of the laminate at a lower load than that predicted by in-plane failure criteria had they not been properly accounted for. (Edward, K.T., Wilson, R.S. and McLean, S.K. ,1989; Lagace, P.A., 1983) The accurate determination of interlaminar stresses are thus crucial in the design of laminated composite models as the interfacial surfaces of a laminate represent planes of minimum strength (Pagano, N.J. Pipes, R. B., 1973). Classical laminated plate theory (CLPT) was formed in conjunction with the kinetical assumptions of Kirchhoff classical plate theory by assuming a layerwise plane state of stress. However, 2-D CLPT theory alone is not sufficient to explain stress concentration phenomena in various lightweight constructions in aviation vehicle, such as the free-edge effect where full-scale 3-D and singular stress fields occur in the interfaces between two dissimilar layers along the free edges of thermally and/ or mechanically loaded laminates (Mittelstedt Becker, 2003) which decay rapidly with increasing distance from the laminate edge. Such stress localization problems is caused by the discontinuous change of the elastic material properties of the laminate plies at the interfaces and might result in premature failure of the laminate. This is thus an area of concern by designers and much researched has been done since the early 1970s, with the studies initiated by of Pipes and Pagano on the free edg e effects in laminated structures. Early analytic studies were conducted by Hayashi (1967) on edge stress effects consisting of anisotropic plies and adhesive layers transferring interlaminar shear stresses. In early 1970s, Pagano and Pipes also introduced approximation equations for interlaminar normal stresses in the interfaces and was expanded by Conti/ De Paulis in 1985 for the stress- approximation in angle-ply laminates and the calculation of interlaminar stress distribution through the laminate thickness. Whitney simple stress approximations in 1973 did not fulfill the continuity conditions in the interfaces, although Whitney assumption of products of exponential and trigonometric functions did fulfilled the equilibrium conditions and the given traction-free boundary conditions. Researches in the area of free edge effects were also done using various approaches by Tang and Levy (1975) with layerwise series expansion, Hsu and Herakovich (1977) with edge displacement fields in the form of trigonometric and exponential terms, Wang Dickson (1978) with the expansion of the displacement fields into series of Legendre polynomials. However, much discrepancy has been reported. In 1981, series expansions for the stresses in the inner laminate regions and in the vicinity of the free laminate edges by Bar-Yoseph/Pian.CLPT was recovered in the inner laminates with this zero-order approach and unknown parameters obtained by minimizing the laminate complementary potential. The subsequent work by Bar-Joseph used the principle of minimum complementary potential, leading to an eigenvalue problem. The approach used by Bar-Yoseph allowed the continuity of interlaminar stresses in the interfaces as well as the fulfilment of the conditions of traction free surfaces of the laminate. The force balance method by Kassapoglou/Lagace in 1986 and 1987 was developed. Stresses were assumed to consist of layerwise products of in-plane exponential terms and polynomials through the thickness with adjustments done on the thickness terms to satisfy the continuity of all interlaminar stresses in the laminate interfaces and such that they blend into CLPT in the inner laminate regions. Despite its simplicity, the force balance method exhibited good performance even for thick laminates and was thus further explored and refined by other authors. The effects of transverse shear and continuity requirements for both displacements and interlaminar stresses on the composite interface was accounted for by Lu and Liu in developing an Interlaminar Shear Stress Continuity Theory (ISSCT) capable of being used for finite element formulation (Lu, X., Liu, D., 1990). Through that particular theory, interlaminar shear stress could be obtained directly from the constitutive equations. But as the deformation in the thickness direction was neglected during the formulation of the theory, the interlaminar normal stress could not be calculated directly from the constitutive equations. Other than that, a small discrepancy between the results of theirs and that of Pagano elasticity solution in the interlaminar shear stresses small aspect ratios composite laminates was observed (Pagano, N.J. 1969). Although, rigidly bonded laminated composite materials models are always assumed in conventional analysis; but it must be noted that poor bonding and low shear modulus could result in a non-rigid composite interface. As a continuation of the ISSCT, Lu and Liu (1992) later developed the Interlayer Shear Slip Theory (ISST) based on a multilayer approach in investigating the effect of interfacial bonding on the behavior of composite laminates. The Hermite cubic shape functions was used as the interpolation function for composite layer assembly in the thickness direction, and the closed-form solution is obtained for the cases of cylindrical bending of cross-ply laminates with non-rigid interfaces. However, results shown that at some special locations, namely singular points, the transverse shear stress or in-plane normal stress remains insensitive to the condition of interfacial bonding. A closed- form solution was later derived by Lee and Liu (1992) for the complete analysis of interlaminar stresses for both thin and thick composite laminates subjected to sinusoidal distributed loading. The theory was proven to satisfy the continuity of both interlaminar shear stress and interlaminar normal stress at the composite interface and also the interlaminar stresses could be determined directly from the constitutive equations An accurate theory for interlaminar stress analysis should consider the transverse shear effect and continuity requirements for both displacements and interlaminar stresses on the composite interface. It is also advantageous if the formulation is variationally consistent so that it can also be used for finite element formulation. (Kant, T., Swaminathan, 2000) Using the first order shear deformation theory, the interlaminar stresses in laminated composite cylindrical stripes under dynamic loading are studied. Dynamic equations of equilibrium are solved by a combination of Navier approach and a Laplace transform technique. Dynamic magnification factor is calculated for the stresses and deflections for various types of loading and for different values of the geometric parameters. (Bhaskar, K. Varadan, T.K., 1993). Higher order layerwise theorectical framework has been used by Plagianakos and Saravanos (2008) in predicting the static response of thick composite and sandwich composite plates. The displacement field in each discrete layer through the thickness of the laminate include quadratic and cubic polynomial distributions of the in- plane displacements, as well as the linear approximations assumed by linear layerwise theories in addition to the Ritz- type exact solution used to yield the structural response of the thick structure. The formulation has been found to be especially robust in comparison to linear layerwise theory due to the number of discrete layers used to model the thick laminate through thickness and in the prediction of interlmainar shear stresses at the interface. In addition, the theory used also offers a better range of applicability due to the better accuracy offered. Over the years, many papers investigating the effects of interlaminar stresses had been published. The finite difference method with classical elasticity theory was used by Pipes and Pagani for determining the behaviour of finite width laminate in uniform axial strain and where interlaminar stress at the free edge is found to be of a significantly huge amount. Other studies soon ensued such as the perturbation solution techniques by Hsu and Herakovich, the finite difference method using large elements with complex stress field by Rybicki; and Wang and Crossman finite difference method, as well as the approximate analytical solution by Pagano and Wang and Choi. However, all of these studies involve the interlaminar stresses at the free edges of finite composite laminates. It is however, well acknowledged that interlaminar stresses arise such as to satisfy equilibrium at locations with in-plane stress gradients (Saeger, Lagace Dong ,2002), and material discontinuity within a structure is another source of arising in plane stress gradients, and therefore, interlaminar stress appear near the material discontinuities. (Tahani, 2005) Rose/ Herakovich, in 1993, further explore the force balance method of Kassapoglou/Lagace with the introduction of additional terms for the consideration of the discontinuous change of the elastic material properties in the interfaces and which accounted for the local mismatches in Poisson ratio and coefficient of mutual influence between adjacent layers. There are reported improvements in the resultant stress field. However, such improvements are also accompanied with a more demanding computational effort for the minimization of the complementary potential. In a similar study done by Kim/Atluri in 1995, thermal and mechanical loads were analyzed by assumed stress shapes which also accounted for both the local mismatches in Poisson ratio (similar to that of Rose/ Herakvich) and coefficient of mutual influence by applying respective mismatch terms in the stress representations. An approach that agreed to equilibrium demands and the given boundary conditions, the unknown stress functio ns were determined by application of the principle of minimum complementary energy of the laminate. The principle of minimum complementary theory was used by Bhat and Lagace (1994) to evaluate the interlaminar stresses at material discontinuities. In their analytical model, the laminate is formed by the merging of two area

My Life with Thoreau Essay example -- How Education Has Changed My Life

It was my high school teacher, Anna Shaughnessy, who introduced me to Henry David Thoreau. His Walden was not part of the course of study. She asked whether I knew of this Massachusetts writer. I didn't. Without scaring me off by proclaiming how great he was, she said he had lived and died in obscurity. But not like some romantic poet in a dusty garret. He had done all kinds of work for a living-been a schoolteacher, surveyor, pencil-maker, gardener, carpenter, mason, lecturer, naturalist, as well as keeper of a personal journal into which he wrote two million words. "Thoreau was born in 1817, about a hundred years before you," Miss Shaughnessey said. "But I think, when you read him, you'll find his ideas, his way of looking at life, will mean as much to you as if he were born yeste...

Comcast Business Report Essay

Abstract The purpose of this report is to dissect and learn about the strategies, management team, external environment and industry analysis that Comcast has put in place to become a booming and profitable corporation. Comcast, which is headquartered in Philadelphia and is a well-liked service provider for television, phone, and internet, has been around for many years with a positive reputation. Comcast is known for using the acquisition entry strategy by purchasing numerous TV networks, such as NBC Universal, and the cable company, Time Warner Cable. General Why did you choose this company? As a group, we decided to do Comcast for a variety of reasons. One being that the television, internet, and phone service provider is popular in the Hampton Roads area. It’s competitor for television and Internet service is Verizon. As a Fortune 50 leader, Comcast sets the pace in a variety of innovative and fascinating businesses and create career opportunities across a wide range of locations and disciplines. What Comcast does? Comcast is the largest cable and home Internet service provider in the United States and is ranked third for the largest telephone service provider. Comcast provides services for residents and commercial offices in 40 states and the District of Columbia. Additional, Comcast is a producer of film and television contents, operates cable channels including E! Entertainment Television, the Golf Channel, and national channels such as Telemundo. In February 2014, the company agreed to merge with Time Warner Cable in an equity swap deal worth $45.2 billion. Where/When it was established? In 1963, Comcast was found in 1963 (previously known as American Cable Systems) and is currently headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. Comcast has come a long way since its beginnings as a single-system cable operator in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1963. Today, Comcast is a leader in the worlds of media, entertainment and technology and our story has unfolded due to an entrepreneurial spirit that is the foundation of everything we do. Company goals Comcast has many goals, but since 1963, Comcast continues to fulfill Ralph Roberts’ goal of building an organization with a close-knit, family feel. Comcast’s strategic objective is to gain long-term market share and dominance. The company is striving to become the most desired high-volume and low-cost service provider in the market Company Mission Statement â€Å"Comcast brings together the best in media and technology. We drive innovation to create the world’s best entertainment and online experiences.† (Comcast) Company Vision & Values In Comcast’s Corporate Social Responsibility Report, the company has a range of different values that the company as a whole would like to uphold. These values would be: Connect media, technology, and people Create media that matters Reduce environmental impact Operate responsible Deepening trust through stewardship Develop and engage employees Promote diversity and inclusion Bring the best out of people Number of Retail Units Although there is not an exact number for retail units throughout the United States, there is information about the number of customers for television, internet and phone services provider for residential and commercial. As of December 31, 2013, there are a total of 53.8 million customers receiving service from Comcast. Television service is provided to 21.7 million customers, high-speed Internet is provided to 20.7 million customers and phone service is provided to 10.7 million customers. Majority of these customers can be found in Maryland, New York, Massachusetts and Miami. Number of Employees Comcast has nearly 130,000 employees that help make the company successful. Comcast employees pride themselves with ingenuity and passion with everything that they do. The employees provide excellent service and have ideas for innovative products to create insightful and entertaining content. Comcast tries to create an attractive work environment and rewards their employees because of their dedication. Employees are rewarded with competitive pay, benefits, professional training and opportunities to build exceptional leadership skills Revenue Comcast is the largest mass media and communications company in the world in revenue. As of March 31, 2014, according to Yahoo! Finance, Comcast has earned $17.4 million revenue, which is a $1.5 million increase since December 31, 2013. Net Income Comcast’s net income last record on March 31, 2014 by Yahoo! Finance is $1.8 billion, which is a decrease since December 31, 2013. In December it was recorded that the net income of the popular service provider was $1.9 billion. According to ycharts.com, the net income (quarterly) range from $866 million being the minimum income in March 2010 to $2.113 billion being the maximum in September 2012. (See Fig NI for a line chart of net income since 2010) Number of Shareholders There are a total of 539,000 shareholders that hold a share in the company in either a direct or indirect form of share. Direct shareholder is if you hold a physical stock certificate, while an indirect shareholder is if you hold your stock through a broker. Top Management Team In today’s workforce, diversity is extremely important to equal opportunity employment. Women make up about 40% of the American workforce. Comcast believes in cultivating an inclusive and diverse workforce in an effort to leverage perspectives and remain on the cutting edge of innovation. Comcast believes strongly in diversity and the total team concept. According to the Comcast website (2014) Women roughly occupy eight positions on the top management team at Comcast. These women are known as â€Å"the women of Comcast and NBCUniversal†. D’Arcy F. Rudnay is the Chief Communications Officer for the Comcast Corporation. According to the website for corporate Comcast (2014) Rudnay serves as the communications counsel to the Chairman and CEO as well as other members of the executive branch. She leads the management of the company’s brand, reputation and strategic communications activities across the Comcast organization. Rudnay has years of experience in both the public  and private sector. Before joining Comcast, Rudnay worked at the Lincoln Financial Group where she served as Vice President of Corporate Communications and Media Relations. She also served as Vice President of Lincoln Financial Group Foundation. Rudnay has a long list of awards to her credit to include induction into the Public Relations Hall of Fame as one of the Nation’s top 25 communications executives. Her experience and skills has been a valuable addition to Comcast team. Amy Banse serves as the Managing Director and Head of Funds for Comcast Ventures. Banse has critical role in strategic planning for funds throughout the Comcast spectrum. According to the website for corporate Comcast (2014) Banse has accumulated over 20 years of experience in investing at Comcast. She began her career at Comcast in 1991 as an attorney responsible for investing, starting and building companies throughout Comcast. Banse became a central figure in the development of the TV Everywhere strategy. She founded Comcast Interactive Media and led the charge in overseeing multiple acquisitions to include Xfinity.com, Xfinitytv.com, and Fancast. These acquisitions led to the development of the TV Everywhere strategy. The experiences of Rudnay and Banse have been vital to the success of Comcast. Any organization that resembles Comcast must have some form of legal counsel who is responsible for the companies’ legalities and business ventures. Business ventures are critically important to growing and expanding the businesses to the Comcast level. Banse is an experienced team lead who is responsible for founding the Comcast Interactive Media. This venture led to the development of the TV Everywhere strategy. Her experience and expertise keeps the company moving forward and leading the charge in the digital age. Rudnay brings a wealth of experience from the communications side of the business. Rudnay has been elected to the Public Relations Hall of Fame for her diligent efforts. Together Rudnay and Banse provide the necessary tools and experience to keep Comcast at the tip of the spear in the digital world. My impression of the top management team is two-fold. Women are well  represented at the executive levels holding eight offices spanning from chairman to vice president. The positions held by these women represent a breakthrough for women as minorities. On the other hand, minority women such as African Americans and Hispanics were not represented. However the door to diversity remains open for minority women. In my opinion, the cast of executive women may be too small given the size and scope of the Comcast Company. According to the website for Comcast Executive Biographies (2014) Brian L. Roberts serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Comcast corporation. Roberts took the helm as President of Comcast Corporation in 1990. Under his leadership at Comcast, the company’s annual revenue has grown to over $64 billion Comcast has grown into a global Fortune 50 corporation under the leadership of Roberts. Roberts has numerous awards for his leadership and recognized by Fortune magazine as a â€Å"Business Person of the Year.† Duality does exist for Roberts who has served as chairman for three consecutive terms. Board of Directors The Board of Directors is a diversified group of professions. The Board of Directors is represented by a diverse group of men and women. The Comcast Board of Directors is comprised of 61 professionals and out of the compliment of 61 personnel, 16 are professional women. This group of professional women is represented by minority women as well. The Comcast Corporation has many moving parts. Considering the size and scope of the Comcast Corporation, in my opinion, the 61 members who make-up the Board of Directors, is the right number of personnel to oversee each aspect of the Comcast corporation. Most small businesses and large corporations have an obligation to shareholders to disclose what they do with the profits and how they obtain their profits. It is also a means to manage the corporations’ impact on the economy, society, and the environment. Comcast has a corporate social responsibility aimed at giving back and supporting the communities they serve. According to the website for Comcast (2014) the Comcast Corporation  seeks to empower local partners with the required resources to improve neighborhoods and create opportunities to change lives. Comcast also provides resources and funding for local supporting nonprofit organizations. Comcast hosts annual events to support different groups and organizations within the community. Comcast Career Day is an annual event that focuses on community service. The goal of Comcast Career Day is to send a goodwill message from the Comcast’s employees, families, and friends and to leave an indelible mark on the communities they serve. According to the website for Comcast (2014) â€Å"In 2012, approximately 75,000 employees of Comcast and NBCUniversal and family members volunteered in local community service projects. This effort spanned across 665 different locations logging more than 454,000 labor hours and awarded more than $1.5 million in Comcast Foundation matching grants in 2012†. In a continued effort of corporation social responsibility, Comcast also supports and works with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The website for Comcast (2014) reports Comcast partnered with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to connect Comcast employees with students in need. Comcast launched a program called Beyond School Walls. This program paired local student’s up with Comcast employees to serve as mentors. The Beyond School Walls program reported greater work satisfaction and the students showed improved grades which encouraged an expansion of the program. In recognition of Comcast’s support of the Big Brother Big Sister of America program, Comcast was honored with its President’s Award. Comcast: Business Level Strategy Comcast has been making significant investments to enhance their products, while improving the service and support being delivered to consumers. Comcast’s strategy is to mainly focus on providing consumers with the best and most content across all available platforms. Comcast’s vision is to give customers more content choices – all of which are available to consumers at the click of the remote, without having to buy any additional equipment. One huge business level strategy that Comcast has implemented is a new  brand. In 2010, Comcast began promoting â€Å"Xfinity†, the company’s rebranding trademark for the services provided. With this brand, Comcast is looking to improve customer perception and reputation with this new brand. Comcast’s networks and products now offer 100+ HD channels, 50 to 70 foreign language channels, incredibly fast Internet speeds and thousands of TV shows and movies online for a variety of customers of all ages to enjoy whenever and wherever they would like. With the â€Å"Xfinity† brand in full effect, â€Å"Xfinity Signature Support† is a new service for personal computers, home networking equipment and many other devices that customers connect to Comcast services 24/7. With Signature Support, Comcast customers have access to knowledgeable and experienced IT professionals who can provide support, troubleshooting and online technical support, either over the phone or in the home. This type of assistances is available either as part of a monthly subscription plan or for a stand-alone basis for those one-time fixes, such as virus removal or connecting printers or game consoles wirelessly. Customers are given the opportunity to choose an equipment protection plan that provides extended warranties for computers and televisions. Comcast will not have to change its strategy to continue to operate after the merger with Time Warner Cable. Comcast uses a focused differentiation strategy, since the company looks for innovations that television, high-speed internet and phone service subscribers will be interested in using. General Environment Demographics: In regards to demographics, the cable industries top 10 competing TV subscriptions are Netflix, Comcast, Direct TV, Dish, The Warner Cable, Hulu, AT & T, Verizon Fios, Charter and Cox. Video subscriber Netflix is the leading company with 36.2 million subscribers. Within the cable industry the subscribers between the ages of forty and sixty purchase the most subscriptions. As a result, certain channels are included on these cable networks in order to appeal to subscribers that purchase most of their service. Along with the aging population, many different nationalities & ethnicities make up the demographic market. Therefore within the cable industry, different channels are included in order to provide entertainment services to viewers of all cultural backgrounds. For instance, Comcast offers American Spanish language television and Telemundo in order to make their company more marketable to different cultures in the cable industry environment. Telecommunications and the development of broadband internet services are the rising affluence within the cable industry. Telecommunications have become very popular within the industry serving 26 million customers (NCTA, 1). Broadband Internet services within the industry make up five of the top ten residential phone companies in the country servicing 50 million customers (NCTA, 1). Socio/Cultural: From a socio cultural standpoint, society places a lot of emphasis on a diverse non-discriminating work environment where women and men are treated equally. Within the cable industry there has been emphasis on women employment due to pre-recession levels. However, Comcast is working with these socio cultural expectations by creating a diversified non-discriminating workforce for women with interest pertaining to their cable industry by hiring more women to be a part of their team. Along, with hiring women within the cable industry the pressure to accommodate older worker plays a major role in the socio cultural environment. According to the government data, â€Å"40 percent of workers older than 55 were in the workforce as of February 2012 up from just 29 percent in 1993. The number is expected to increase to 43.5 percent by 2018. This trend reflects the need for many older workers either to stay in or rejoin the workforce to beef up their retirement income by temping† (Greenberg 1). Temping plays a major role in society because it opens up the option for older men and women to work. However, the cable industry accommodates these workers by offering part-time positions and retirement plans with good pay. Comcast helps to accommodate older workers by providing retirement plans, salaries, and bonuses. Technology/Global: The cable industry delivers through broadband providing service to over 50 million customers as of year ending 2012(NCTA 2). Some trends that consumers are looking for in cable companies are fast broadband speeds and standard cable broadband speeds ranging from 10 mps to 20 mps. Comcast is  keeping up with this trend by creating innovative services in their technologies including online streaming of their cable channels and faster Internet services (Comcast 1). In regards to global, poverty can increase the amount of viewers that purchase TV subscriptions since; this can be used as an alternative to going to the movie theaters or purchasing movies. Also, poverty can decrease the amount of viewers that purchase TV subscriptions due to their lack of income. Economic/Political: There are a lot of factors that contribute to the economics of cable networks. The pay TV ecosystem in the United States has set the platform of growth for cable networks. In today’s society approximately 100 million US homes and business pay an average of $68 per month to a cable or satellite operator for 19 channels of video programming (Grimes 1). â€Å"They pay TV providers, in turn; pay some $20 per subscriber per month to the cable networks in carriage fees that aggregate to roughly $24 billion per year. Add U.S. advertising sales of $25 billion in 2011, another billion or so for the sale of content to alternate distribution outlets and a $50 billion annual revenue industry with 40+% cash flow margins comes into focus. And that excludes the contribution from international networks that is especially significant for ESPN, CNN, MTV and the Discovery network†(Grimes, 2). Therefore, it is evident that cable networks make a lot of profit in today’s economy as a result of subscribers. In the economy, more people are willing to pay a subscription for a small monthly fee and as a result this has fueled new growth in their revenues as an industry. The good news for cable networks is that advertising sales trends remain strong on a demand and cost per thousand (CPM) basis such that the industry’s ad revenue growth rate of 11%(Grimes 3). This just continues to add to the revenue of cable networks as a whole to continue to make their industry worth more profit. Events such as the London Olympics and U.S elections contributed a lot to their exceeding revenues. Along with cable networks with international broadcast, has increased the growth rates of non-U.S business which is the first time in years that this has exceeded domestic business. The less good news is that while cable and satellite carriage fees are expected to rise at the healthy, but lower, rate of 7% this year on a per-subscriber basis, the days of U.S. pay TV subscriber growth are over, probably forever (Grimes 4).  The year 2012 will be the first years in 33-year history of pay TV in the U.S. As a result subscribers will decline from the previous year. Younger people are paying for TV at lower rates than people of older generations. The downward slope of TV subscriptions will begin, however investors will be forced to think about a world in which cable networks are finally maturing assets (Grimes 5). Industry Analysis When looking at the Industry Environment of Comcast, The Five Forces of Competition Model, created by Michael Porter, can break it down. Rivalry among competing firms When looking at the different products and services that Comcast offers, their competitors come from several different markets. For their most known service as cable television provider, Comcast is the top cable provider, having a reported 21,690,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2013, which is sustainably more than the rest of the top 10 cable providers in the United States. The most known competitors in this market include Times Warner Cable, AT&T U-verse, and Verizon FIOS, all of which having 10,493,000 less subscribers in the country or more, making the current competition level in this area a low threat. With same companies as competitors in cable Internet services, AT&T is their highest competitor. Both companies with recorded 17 million customers and AT&T offer slightly better services compared to their prices. Even though this is the case, customers still have resided with Comcast, as they are known as the largest Internet cable provider as well. After gaining ownership of NBCUniversal, Comcast also has competition in the area of major film studios. NBCUniversal is the third largest film studio behind Warner Bros Entertainment, which is owned by their new business partner, Times Warner Cable, and The Walt Disney Studios. Respectively the firm’s own 17.1%, 15.9%, and 13.9% of the U.S. and Canadian market share in 2013, and have been in similar position since 2005. As Comcast begins to develop new online streaming services of its cable channels and other networking systems, it will meet other competitors as well. Threat of new entrants Because of the amount of time that is spent behind entering and becoming a competitor in these industries, and the fact that Comcast is the leader of them as well, the threat of new entrants that would affect the firm’s market share is very low. The difficulty behind making a successful worldwide cable provider is a high level barrier to entry and the current cable providers have been in existence for decades. Comcast’s threat of new entrants would not occur unless a firm was created that provided more innovating technology at a greater and widespread form. Threat of Substitute Products Due to the fact that new technology is being created constantly, Comcast has met new threats of substitutes in the recent years. Firms like Netflix and Hulu, which offer customers on-demand Internet streaming media, usually shows and movies that are offered on their cable channels, for low monthly rates, are substitutes that have been encountered within the past decade. This has lead to some consumers to use this service rather than paying heftier cable bills every month. This substitute threat is the reason why they are currently producing their own online streaming of their cable channels to compete with these companies, which is predicted to launch later this year. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Because Comcast is always searching for innovating technology and software to provide their customers with new services; Information technology suppliers have high bargaining power against the firm. These suppliers understand that they are necessary for Comcast to continue success so they will always be at high demand, and able to charge a heavy amount as well. Bargaining Power of Buyers Because there is a limited amount of communication and cable companies in the United States, the bargaining power of buyers of Comcast’s services are limited. At the same time, in order to compete with their competition in the industry, they also have to make sure that the services and the prices of those services are at levels that their customers are willing to pay. If customers believe they are not reasonable, they will convert to another  firm’s cable services. So, by voicing their opinion on Comcast’s services, customers are able to bargain for what they want from the firm. Recommendations The long term sustainability for Comcast will be based on their ability to streamline movies and sitcoms. This will allow them to maintain their market share from competitors like Netflix, Hulu TV, Livestream and other startup companies. In order for Comcast to attain long-term sustainability, the company will have to improve the reputation that they have when it comes to their customer service. Comcast has the lowest customer-service rating of any Internet service provider. (Berr, 2014) Comcast customers are not happy with the type of service they receive and that affects the company if they would like to have a future in the television, internet, and phone service industry. Although Comcast has stated that a goal of the company is to improve the customer service, the company is just not there yet. Improving the customer service will help the company tremendously for the present and for the future. Works Cited â€Å"Amy Banse.† Amy Banse. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2014. . â€Å"Brian L. Roberts.† Brian L. Roberts. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2014. . Comcast. â€Å"Comcast Corporation Form 10-K.† Comcast. Comcast, n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2014. â€Å"CMCSA Income Statement | Comcast Corporation Stock – Yahoo! Finance.† CMCSA Income Statement | Comcast Corporation Stock – Yahoo! Finance. Yahoo! Finance, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 18 June 2014. . â€Å"Comcast Corp..† . Edgar Online, 31 Dec. 2013. Web. 18 June 2014.. â€Å"Comcast Net Income (Quarterly).† Comcast Net Income (Quarterly) (CMCSA). YCharts, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 18 June 2014. . â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility Report – 2012.† 2012 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. Comcast — NBC Universal, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 18 June 2014. . â€Å"D’Arcy F. Rudnay.† D’Arcy F. Rudnay. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 June 2014. . â€Å"Develop and Engage Employees.† Develop and Engage Employees. Comcast — NBC Universal, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 18 June 2014. . Cox, Kate. â€Å"Why Comcast Wants To Buy Time Warner Cable, And Why TWC Wants To Let Them.† Consumerist. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Developing Tomorrow’s Professionals and Leaders.† Developing Tomorrow’s Professionals and Leaders. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2014. . Fowlkes, Jasmine. â€Å" » Opinion: Why Social Media Is Destroying Our Social Skills USA TODAY College: College News and Information Powered by USA TODAY.†  » Opinion: Why Social Media Is Destroying Our Social Skills USA TODAY College: College News and Information Powered by USA TODAY. N.p., 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. Green, R. Kay. â€Å"The Social Media Effect: Are You Really Who You Portray Online?† The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Aug. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. Greenberg, Paul. â€Å"Temping: An Option for Older Workers. Web. 23 June 2014. Grimes Spencer. â€Å"Sunset of the Golden Age As Cable Networks Mature†. Web. 23 June 2014. http://seekingalpha.com/article/519831-sunset-of-the-golden-age-as-cable-networks-mature Horrocks, Bill. â€Å"Equipping Homes for Energy Efficiency.† Equipping Homes for Energy Efficiency. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Major Movie Studios.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Oct. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. â€Å"National Cable & Telecommunications Associations†. Web. 23 June 2014. https://www.ncta.com/industry-data Pomerantz, Dorothy. â€Å"Comcast Looks Set To Buy Time Warner Cable.† Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. Stelter, Brian. â€Å"Comcast Agrees to Buy Time Warner Cable for $45 Billion.† CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 1 Apr. 2014. â€Å"The Women of Comcast and NBCUniversal.† The Women of Comcast and NBCUniversal. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 June 2014. . UELAND, SIG. â€Å"20 Top Internet Service Providers.† Practical Ecommerce. N.p., 11 Dec. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. Warrell, Margie. â€Å"Seduced by Social Media: Is Facebook Making You Lonely?† The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 08 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. â€Å"XFINITY TV.† Comcast. Comcast, n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.

Victorian Era essays

Victorian Era essays The Victorian Era was a time of wide extremes. elegant city streets, gas lamps, and in contrast grinding poverty. It was also a time of exploration and invention. With their pioneer spirit wild frontier towns were born across the world. and with their flare and ingenuity the Victorians took with them their values and elegance. the term Victorian, which literally describes things and events in the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), conveyed connotations of "prudish," "repressed," and "old fashioned." Although such associations have some basis in fact, they do not adequately indicate the nature of this complex, paradoxical age that was a second English Renaissance. Like Elizabethan England, Victorian England saw great expansion of wealth, power, and culture. (What Victorian literary form do you think parallels Elizabethan drama in terms of both popularity and literary achievement?) In science and technology, the Victorians invented the modern idea of invention the notion that one can create solutions to problems, that man can create new means of bettering himself and his environment. In religion, the Victorians experienced a great age of doubt, the first that called into question institutional Christianity on such a large scale. In literature and the other arts, the Victorians attempted to combine Romantic emphases upon self, emotion, and imagination with Neoclassical ones upon the public role of art and a corollary responsibility of the artist. In ideology, politics, and society, the Victorians created astonishing innovation and change: democracy, feminism, unionization of workers, socialism, Marxism, and other modern movements took form. In fact, this age of Darwin, Marx, and Freud appears to be not only the first that experienced modern problems but also the first that attempted modern solutions. Victorian, in other words, can be taken to mean parent of the modern and like most powerful parents, it provoked a powerful ...

Top 7 Healthcare Careers That Dont Require A Graduate Degree

Top 7 Healthcare Careers That Dont Require A Graduate Degree According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of healthcare jobs will increase by 26 percent by 2022. Population growth, baby boomers turning 65, chronic conditions as well as changes in health insurance fuel the need for healthcare workers. Aside from physicians, the healthcare sector offers many opportunities. Growth sectors in the healthcare industryHospitals are the main employers of health care workers, and the number of jobs in this arena and all jobs in health care will see an increase in the upcoming years. The trend is shifting to physician offices and home health care since hospital stays are decreasing due to high costs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, doctors’ offices are expected to add 1.2 million jobs while home healthcare jobs are expected to rise by 60 percent. Assisted living and nursing care facilities will add jobs as the population ages. Looking at some of the different healthcare jobs available might give you a better understanding of the opportunity that awaits you without a medical degree.Dental AssistantDental assistant jobs are in high demand and the projected rate of growth is over 30 percent. Dental schools, community colleges and vocational schools offer training courses and a certificate. National certification, after passing the Dental Assisting National Board exam, is available. Dental assistants have varied responsibilities including preparing patients for dental procedures, assisting dentists and providing patients with instructions concerning dental hygiene. Licensing is offered in some states.Nutritionists and DietitiansGrowth in this healthcare sector is expected to be above average, and the BLS projects a 21 percent job growth rate. Many people are conscious of the role diet plays in their lives, and doctors and hospitals rely on dietitians and nutritionists to help patients eat healthy. Other work settings include nursing homes and cafeterias while some dietitians and nutritionists maintain a solo practice. A college degree and post-graduate or extracurricular training during formal education is common. Some states require licensure.Medical AssistantMedical assistant jobs have a projected growth rate of 29 percent, according to BLS statistics. The responsibilities of this job vary and include performing administrative tasks, compiling and updating medical records, setting up lab tests and hospital admissions. In some settings, medical assistants might also process laboratory specimens and assist the doctor during patient exams. There are multiple training programs available, and certification is provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants.Radiologic TechniciansJobs in this field are growing rapidly. Most technicians work in a hospital environment, but some are employed in private practices. Programs generally lead to an associate’s degree with certification by an accredited institution. Some radiologic technicians specialize in MRI and CT technology .Home HealthcareThe job outlook for home health workers is expected to grow by 48 percent, according to the BLS. This is due to the aging population is the United States and the decision by many older Americans to remain at home. In addition to caring for the elderly, home health workers care for those with cognitive difficulties, the disabled and those with chronic illnesses. While formal education in the field is not mandatory, certified agencies require training and completion of a testing program. some states provide training for home health aides, including modules aimed at infection control.Physical TherapistsPhysical therapists are in demand and work in hospitals, doctor’s offices as well as assisted living facilities. Rehabilitation is needed for accident injuries and post-surgical therapy. A growth rate of 36 percent is expected to result in over 73,500 jobs by 2022. Physical therapists require formal training and licensure.Medical SonographersMedical sonographers us e special equipment to do tests such as ultrasounds for a variety of purposes. Sonographers work in doctor’s offices and hospitals, and the job growth rate is expected to increase by 39 percent in the next few years, according to the BLS. Technicians need certification and training to work in this field.How to find jobsUsing a job search site such as thejobnetwork lets you look for healthcare jobs in your area. After loading your profile, including your qualifications and preferences, this platform is able to match you with available positions. In addition, jobs are rated according to the extent with which the job matches what you want.

#FreelancerFriday #6 - Tom Sanderson, Cover Designer

#FreelancerFriday #6 - Tom Sanderson, Cover Designer #FreelancerFriday #6 - Tom Sanderson, Cover Designer â€Å"What I’m interested in about book design is how when you get a project and a brief, you’re very much a visual problem solver. You’re trying to turn a load of words, a manuscript, a blurb, an idea, into a visual package in the most interesting and pick-up-able way. Each cover is different - they may look similar in some respects, but the way you approach them mentally is quite different.†Tom Sanderson is a designer based in Brighton. He’s created book covers for just about every demographic imaginable, from children’s fiction through young adult to adult fiction, commercial and literary, and beyond. His full portfolio is at The Parish.REEDSYHow did you get started in design?TOM SANDERSON I went down the art college route. I’ve come from an illustration background. My father’s an illustrator and my mother was a Ceramics teacher. I went to art college because it seemed like the natural place for me to go. I initially did my degree in illustration, and then a postgrad after my degree which is when I got more into the graphic design side of things. I’ve always been interested in books, and I was lucky enough that the college I was at for my MA had a really good bookbinding department, so a lot of my projects were based around that.When I left college I looked for jobs in the publishing industry. Initially I worked as a junior in children’s books. Publishing is one of those industries where once you get into the system it’s a small world. If you work in a company for a couple of years, people you work with move around to other houses and you get to be known by your work. I got to move around on the back of my work from children’s fiction to teenager fiction to adult fiction design, and ended up at Penguin for about five years before going freelance.REEDSY Why go freelance?TOM SANDERSON There was a number of factors. When you work as a designer you get to a stage where you either go down the art director / creative director route, and push down that path where you’re managing people and managing projects and managing departments; or you go the freelance route. Initially I was interested in becoming an art director and did bits and pieces of that. I lived in Brighton and used to commit to London every day; after six years I wanted more of a work-life balance, so I settled in Brighton permanently and now I’ve got a studio here. If I’d stayed in London I probably would have stayed in-house too. But the other negative side of being an art director, for me, is being less hands on with stuff. It’s more about managing projects and managing people. For me my strengths are designing, and I’d miss that if I wasn’t doing it.REEDSY How do you see the creative challenge of designing a cover?TOM SANDERSON What I’m interested in about book design is how when you get a project and a brief, you’re very much a visual problem solver. You’re trying to turn a load of words, a manuscript, a blurb, an idea, into a visual package in the most interesting and pick-up-able way. Each cover is different - they may look similar in some respects, but the way you approach them mentally is quite different.REEDSY Is being pick-up-able more about standing out, or just not ‘blending in?’ Looking at your portfolio, your cover for A Deeper Darkness stood out to me.TOM SANDERSON As you can imagine, there was quite a lot of different approaches to that book because it was so massive. Initially they gave me various thought-starters about the book and how it could work as a visual reference for the cover. So we talked about having piles of burning books and Nazi banners and things like that. We talked about a German street scene, initially doing a lot of visuals of narrow streets with bombed-out buildings, and the type working above that. It wasn’t getting the emphasis that they wanted across, so we brought in the idea of having the girl reading on top, which was a nice way of reflecting what’s going on in the book. Once we had that in place we brought in elements of fire around the edges. The typography was quite simple - we just wanted to make 'The Book Thief’ stand out as clear as possible.REEDSY When an author brings you a project is there anything they can do that helps?TOM SANDERSON It’s helpful to know the kind of books your book is up against. Knowing competitor’s books, knowing the genre is useful. Any visual ideas that they might have are always good to know - it gives you a greater understanding on what you can play with visually. Sometimes by having a conversation with publishers you find ideas you’d never have arrived at on your own.

RCWW Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RCWW Response - Assignment Example Additionally, some students do not know how to make conversations because they are used to texting on their phones and when asked about it they state that they will learn how to do it eventually. It is true that people who chat online think that those conversations are actual while in the real sense people need to have face to face conversations to connect and strengthen their relationships. Conversation is vital in people’s lives because through conversations new relationships are created. It is believed that through conversation people learn how to relate with others because they understand their likes and dislikes. For that reason, conversing with people becomes imperative at all times. However, today when a person is not in a position to text or post something online they feel anxious or lonely, as they do not have anyone to make a conversation with on the digital gadgets. The assumption about technology being a way of keeping away from other people is not true because today the only time people can find to talk to their friends is through making conversations with their friends digitally. Therefore, if people wanted to keep themselves separate they would not text or email their

ULMS 536 Week 10 Workshop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ULMS 536 Week 10 Workshop - Essay Example Most importantly, the organizational direction can only be understood by an effective communication. Suffice to say that communication binds an organization. Communication also affects other aspect of the organization such as change management, risk management and conflict resolution because they involve people who dependent towards communication. Communication is the medium to relay the greater objectives of the organization and the enabler that makes team and organization function effectively and efficiently. Such, the intended change should be communicated as an enabler that would link the organization as a whole to work as a team towards the common organizational goal that responds to the new business reality that compelled change. Change is part of organizational life. Change happens not because management wanted it but because of business imperative. Organizations that cannot adapt to change will perish in the competition. Factors like the external and internal environment precipitates the need for change and the organization has to respond to remain viable and competitive as a business entity. According to Murthy in his book Change Management, change is â€Å"to make or become different, give or begin to have a different form, dissatisfaction with old and belief in the new† (2007: 7). Thus, human resource in an organization must accept change as part of organizational realities and able to adapt to it effectively. Risk management is the identification, analysis, avoidance, mitigation, control and acceptance of uncertainties that may have inimical effects to the organization. The strategic components of risk management involve the avoidance of risk, implementation of risk management tools to reduce the impact of the risk or reduce the probability of the risk and the acceptance that there is always a risk in an organization. Risk management makes the organization resilient to risks brought by change,

Investment Decision Making Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Investment Decision Making - Article Example In Canada, the market for SRI is over $50 billion in institutional and mutual fund assets,(1) representing approximately 4% of total assets professionally managed and 50 funds. The SRI asset base is growing at 40% per year, compared to the non-SRI growth rate of less than 15% per year. Though growing rapidly, the Canadian SRI asset base is substantially below SRI activity in the United States, which represents over US$2.2 trillion in SRI assets (13% of total assets)/and the 300 funds in Europe utilizing SRI strategies. Numerous studies and surveys have dearly shown that investor interest in environmental social and governance issues has increased dramatically in the past five years. In addition, it has become clear that investor sophistication has evolved beyond the relatively simple process of excluding companies that are engaged in certain "nonethical" businesses. Furthermore, the investment performance of typical negative-screened SRI funds has been inconsistent over the past ten years, causing many investors to seek more rigorous and quantitative investment strategies, such as sustainable development investing, that provide both top performance and social responsibility. Corporate Sustainable DevelopmentThe term sustainable development was originally proposed by the United Nations in the 1987 publication Our Common Future. 3 From a corporate perspective, sustainable development refers to companies that are committed to minimizing the environmental footprint of their operations, while simultaneously contributing to the economic and social advancement of communities in which they operate. To act upon this commitment, companies engage hundreds of sustainable development initiatives. From an environmental perspective, these may include energy conservation measures, waste reduction programs and pollution prevention initiatives. From a social perspective companies may schedule community outreach meetings, create the position of "ethics officer," reduce noise and odor pollution, and provide support for school lunch and recreation programs: Economic commitment often includes local procurement and hiring mandates, providing scholarships, for higher education and transferable skills training, and community infrastructure improvement. Worldwide, companies representing all, industry sectors practice sustainable development. Examples of notable Canadian sustainable development Companies include Abitibi-Consolidated Inc., Dofasco Inc., Falconbridge Ltd., Noranda Inc., Nortel Networks Corporation, Royal Bank of Canada, Suncor Energy Inc., Telus Corporation, TransAlta Corporation and Westcoast Energy Inc. These companies embrace sustainable development for essentially one reason--to have a positive impact on share price. Good BusinessBut how specifically does sustainable development benefit a company' A summary of categories of key causal factors as to why sustainable development is "good business" follows.

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

No topic - Essay Example Initially, the Colosseum was an entertainment, which later ceased to be earlier in the medieval era. It was reused as housing, workshops and Christian shrines. Due to the uniqueness and stability of the building, the Colosseum has influence the modern architecture in almost all aspects. Modern stadiums are using the Colosseum architectural design to ensure that the stadiums are strong enough to accommodate the maximum number of spectators. The structure of the Colosseum was unlike other Greek theatres built into the hillsides, as it was wholly a freestanding structure (Croci 1996). The outer wall is assumed to have used a thousand cubic meters of travertine set without mortar. For this reason, they were held together by three hundred tons of iron clamps. The influence the material and technology in the design of Colosseum Romes technological superiority was constituted in the Roman civil and military engineering in which the Colosseum monument remains a testament and icon in the mode rn architecture. Colosseum was unlike other Greek theatres built into the hillsides, as it was wholly a freestanding structure. It gets its structure from the two Roman theatres. The outer wall is assumed to have used a thousand cubic meters of travertine set without mortar. For this reason, they were held together by three hundred tons of iron clamps. The outer wall has got a height of forty-eight meters (Croci 1996). The central arena oval shaped is 87m long and 55m wide. The arcades in the second and third floors framed statutes may be to honor the divinities. There were a two hundred and forty corbels positioned at the top attic .they support the Velariuz that kept the spectator – from and rain. They had canvas-covered and net –like structures made of rope and had a whole at center. These structures covered a range of two-thirds and went down to the center to capture the wind and give a breeze to the spectators (Massazza and Pezzuoli 1982).

Internal Memorandum of Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internal Memorandum of Law - Essay Example Owen and Dolly Jones, owners of the campground does not have any security, lifeguards, or the proper posting of safety precautions available despite its years of operation because it is a mom and pop ownership and the funds were unavailable. The morning after their arrival, they all went to breakfast to a restaurant while waiting to go swimming at the pool which opened at 10:00 a.m. The girls left early to get ready to go to the pool while Tamera’s parent stayed at the restaurant drinking alcoholic beverages. Tamera’s parents told them to get ready for the pool and wait for their arrival. After twenty to thirty minutes had passed, the parents still have not showed. The girls decided to go ahead and go swimming without supervision. The girls entered the pool at 9:30 a.m. They ignored the sign posted at the pool which states that the pool will only open at 10:00 a.m. Due to Shayla’s dyslexia, she was unable to comprehend the sign. After Tamera had entered the pool first nearly injuring herself, she yelled something out but Shayla did not hear. Shayla dove in the pool. She hit the bottom and broke her arm. After Tamera had pulled Shayla to the side of the pool and save her from drowning, the Owens arrived and then called an ambulance company for their services. Shortly after the ambulance arrived, Tamera’s parents arrived back at the campground and then Shayla was taken to a hospital were she was treated. Mary has incurred medical bills from Shayla’s accident. The current estimates of medical bills that have been incurred are $8,000.00 and will be incurring more bills for future medical treatment and physical therapy sessions. The Attractive Nuisance Doctrine which was applied in numerous cases involving swimming pool liabilities states that the owner of the land or property may be held liable for the injuries sustained by a child-plaintiff while in the said property, if the property imposed a condition or situation which attracted the child and caused

My Virtual Child Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Virtual Child Reflection - Essay Example My Virtual Child Reflection Genes and the environment account for the development of a human being. The two aspects are interrelated, and they affect both behavioral and physical maturation. The parent’s genes determine the limit of the child’s physical characteristics such as hair color and skin color, as well as behavioral traits. Bryan was no different, and his development was by large attributed to genetic factors. At the age of two, Bryan had some characteristics that were typical of me. Before enrolling him in a pre-school program, an early childhood specialist evaluated some of his cognitive and developmental skills. Bryan was hesitant in joining the group of children, but later integrated into the group very well. He would handle challenging tasks with ease, and his problem-solving skills were exemplary. He also gave attention to the tasks assigned by the instructor. These skills were typical to me as a parent. As stated in the personality quiz, I was not comfortable with working in groups of unfamiliar people but would enjoy with them later. I also had a strong focus on things I did and thought of them before execution. The behaviors are alike and can only be attributed to genetic factors. His first-grade report card also shows that Bryan demonstrates strength in mathematical problem solving, spatial understanding, and speaking. Environmental factors also affected Bryan’s development. At the age of 16, Bryan developed a close teen relationship with his peers. Just like his peers, he gets a girlfriend, and they experience some regular breakups.

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

No topic - Essay Example Initially, the Colosseum was an entertainment, which later ceased to be earlier in the medieval era. It was reused as housing, workshops and Christian shrines. Due to the uniqueness and stability of the building, the Colosseum has influence the modern architecture in almost all aspects. Modern stadiums are using the Colosseum architectural design to ensure that the stadiums are strong enough to accommodate the maximum number of spectators. The structure of the Colosseum was unlike other Greek theatres built into the hillsides, as it was wholly a freestanding structure (Croci 1996). The outer wall is assumed to have used a thousand cubic meters of travertine set without mortar. For this reason, they were held together by three hundred tons of iron clamps. The influence the material and technology in the design of Colosseum Romes technological superiority was constituted in the Roman civil and military engineering in which the Colosseum monument remains a testament and icon in the mode rn architecture. Colosseum was unlike other Greek theatres built into the hillsides, as it was wholly a freestanding structure. It gets its structure from the two Roman theatres. The outer wall is assumed to have used a thousand cubic meters of travertine set without mortar. For this reason, they were held together by three hundred tons of iron clamps. The outer wall has got a height of forty-eight meters (Croci 1996). The central arena oval shaped is 87m long and 55m wide. The arcades in the second and third floors framed statutes may be to honor the divinities. There were a two hundred and forty corbels positioned at the top attic .they support the Velariuz that kept the spectator – from and rain. They had canvas-covered and net –like structures made of rope and had a whole at center. These structures covered a range of two-thirds and went down to the center to capture the wind and give a breeze to the spectators (Massazza and Pezzuoli 1982).

My Virtual Child Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Virtual Child Reflection - Essay Example My Virtual Child Reflection Genes and the environment account for the development of a human being. The two aspects are interrelated, and they affect both behavioral and physical maturation. The parent’s genes determine the limit of the child’s physical characteristics such as hair color and skin color, as well as behavioral traits. Bryan was no different, and his development was by large attributed to genetic factors. At the age of two, Bryan had some characteristics that were typical of me. Before enrolling him in a pre-school program, an early childhood specialist evaluated some of his cognitive and developmental skills. Bryan was hesitant in joining the group of children, but later integrated into the group very well. He would handle challenging tasks with ease, and his problem-solving skills were exemplary. He also gave attention to the tasks assigned by the instructor. These skills were typical to me as a parent. As stated in the personality quiz, I was not comfortable with working in groups of unfamiliar people but would enjoy with them later. I also had a strong focus on things I did and thought of them before execution. The behaviors are alike and can only be attributed to genetic factors. His first-grade report card also shows that Bryan demonstrates strength in mathematical problem solving, spatial understanding, and speaking. Environmental factors also affected Bryan’s development. At the age of 16, Bryan developed a close teen relationship with his peers. Just like his peers, he gets a girlfriend, and they experience some regular breakups.

“The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells Essay Example for Free

â€Å"The Time Machine† by H.G. Wells Essay In â€Å"The Time Machine† by H.G. Wells, the Time Traveler confronts a future that has apparently developed into a communist utopia, a belief system that Wells, a socialist, might well have supported.   The Traveler’s immediate reaction to the Eloi and his initial assumption that society has devolved into a classless cooperative reveals Wells’ bias towards a classless society. He also depicts the future as a beautiful, fruit-filled land instead of the dirty, smog-ridden reality that was Victorian era London. It is clear even in the opening chapters of the novel, that the Time Traveler shares many of Wells’ own biases and belief systems.   Though he believes that the Eloi have â€Å"devolved† due to the fact that they no longer need to work or improve their minds, the Time Traveler believes that this society is better than the one he came from where the poor were routinely mistreated and often malnourished. In many ways, the Time Traveler is the ultimate egalitarian: he believes that an Eloi society where the community works together to find its food and to live as equals is superior to his own society. It is not until the Traveler becomes aware of the presence of the Morlocks that he begins to question his initial impression. The fact that the Morlocks have become cannibalistic, Eloi-herders as a way of life is incredible depressing to the Traveler and he sets about to document these changes. Wells writes eventually that the Traveler is wrong in his theory about how the Morlocks and the Eloi come to be, but never discusses what the real cause of the evolution might be. From a philosophical standpoint, Wells development of the Eloi and Morlocks in his story is a remarkable commentary on his observations regarding the nature of man and how society might evolve. It is clear that in the Traveler’s initial opinion, the Eloi have developed from the upper class, from those who were too soft for manual labor and to enamored of recreational pursuits to challenge their minds. Likewise, the Morlocks are clearly supposed to have developed from the underclass and have resorted to violence and death as their way of life, never evolving to the point of problem solving or higher thought. In these most basic descriptions, Wells reveals his own bias towards the class warfare of Victorian England. Indeed, the Morlocks’ propensity for flesh-eating might well have developed out of the satirical writings of Jonathon Swift and his â€Å"A Modest Proposal.†Ã‚   Though in Swift’s essay it is the rich who eat the poor as a form of population control,   his commentary on the classes is very clearly echoed in â€Å"The Time Machine.†Ã‚   Both men argue effectively that class differences in the British Isles will likely lead to one class eating the other. By the subtle change from Swift’s â€Å"Proposal† to Wells’ Morlocks, we find that Wells’ believes it is likely the working class that will become cannabalistic and that the upper class has no redeeming qualities other than the ability to stuff their faces. Another philosophical issue facing the Time Traveler is the impact his travel will have on the world around him. This issue is central to the most recent film adaptation of the movie. In it, the Traveler attempts repeatedly to change the course of time to save his ill-fated fiancà © from certain death.   In both the film and the novel, the Time Traveler is forced to eventually face that he is unable to change the natural progression of time. The most interesting question here is whether he should have attempted to change time in the first place. Having seen the existence of the Eloi and the Morlocks and the eventual destruction of the planet, does the Traveler have any right to unwind, rewind or otherwise twist the fabric of time?   This question is largely unresolved in the novel, as the Traveler simply discovers that if he changes one event in the past, other events adapt to end with the same conclusion. The other question that this demands an answer to is the theory of time itself and of predetermination. If the Traveler is unable to change destiny by changing a specific event and if time adapts so that what is supposed to happen does, in one fashion or another, is there truly any conception of self-determination or is everything predestined. In his novel, Wells’ makes an effective argument for the concept that things happen as they are ordained to happen and man’s impact on them is infinitesimal. He argues through the repeated deaths of the Time Traveler’s fiancà © that fate is fate and cannot be changed. The joy of Wells’ novel is that on the surface it is simply a fantastical voyage into a future that might be, but that once one begins to scratch the surface, he finds a commentary on social justice, industrialization and even religion, as some religions argue that man is pre-destined to live his life in a certain manner. By never resolving the issues within the book, Wells allows the reader to determine for themselves whether they believe in predetermination or if they believe the future can be changed. He allows the reader to make his own judgments regarding the   battle between nature and industrialization and he allows the reader to decide how the battle between the classes will end. The novel allows the reader to take as much or as little from it as they desire and as such it is a classic of English literature.