College Computerized Billing System Essay Example for Free

College Computerized Billing System Essay With the power of technology nowadays, people get interested with computers. They tried to indulge themselves on it to have a productive result in a more efficient and time saving process. It is highly valued in institutions like business enterprises, schools, hospitals, government and non government services. However, some of them are still using manual system. In this regard, we acknowledge the value of computerized system. As of today’s generation, there are already many college schools existing. One of which is IJMS College Department that serves tutorial type. It is located at Malvar, Santiago City and is owned by Dr. Imelda B. Brilliantes. IJMS started the operation of their college department on June 2004. Since the said industry is new, they still don’t have computerized system for reservation and billing which is very useful for business purposes. For thesis project, the researchers would like to propose a reservation and billing system to D’ Budgetel to help the management and have a synchronize flow in their transactions system. 1. 2 Statement of the Problem Hotel customers choose important considerations in choosing a place to stay like location, price/value and service. These are very important because these are the primary basis of a customer to be attracted in that business. Since the researchers found out that manual procedure are still used in processing their billing and reservation transactions, it greatly affects their customer’s need. This study aims to look for the following problems: 1. The School billing statement doesn’t provide specific or detailed information regarding on student’s payment or charges.

Suitable For Discharge Back Into The Environment Environmental Sciences Essay

Suitable For Discharge Back Into The Environment Environmental Sciences Essay The environment that we live in is our most valuable asset and we must not damage it by polluting the air, water ways and the earth. The concern about our environment has been taken into a serious matter in which all people and industries must play their part in keeping our environment clean and safe to live for a long time to come. The implementation of waste water treatment in private sector was a good effort from keeping the environment from being damage. In general, wastewater treatment is the process of taking wastewater and making it suitable for discharge back into the environment. Blower is one of mechanical devices that play very important role in waste water treatment. Its main function is to supply pressurized air with sufficient oxygen to meet process needs. Air is forced by blower to diffuser provide an aeration to encourage the growth of bacteria/microorganism in the water to break down the pollutants. Blowers come with variety of types; one of them is roots blower which most suitable uses for industrial waste water treatment. However, the disability of roots blower to function will bring major problem to waste water treatment section. The sewage cannot be treating because there is no air supply for aeration process. This disability may due to over-running, age factor and inner parts problem. More than that, whole manufacturing plant also will be affecting where the production line have to stop their operation because the treated discharge waste water unable to comply Standard B, Environmental Quality Act and Regulation. They also have to face loss such as the cost of downtime or shut down. This problem frequently happens in Synthomer Pasir Gudang Plant. More worse, every time the roots blower having problem, Engineering Department especially Mechanical Maintenance branch face difficulties to lift and move out the heavy blower from Blower Room. What burden them over the years is there are no proper ways to lift and move out dysfunction blower from Blower Room to send for servicing and maintenance activities. Since this project is based on my experience from previous Industrial Training, I was given an opportunity and encouragement from Engineering Department, Synthomer Pasir Gudang Plant to study the problem and design suitable blower lifter inside their Blower Room in order to helps them for maintenance works. Problem Statement The current technique used to lift and move out dysfunction blower is by hanging the chain block on the 6(six) inch stainless steel pipeline by using webbing sling. This technique is too dangerous and the possibility of the pipeline to crack and damage is very high because cannot withstand anymore the weight of the dysfunction blower after frequent usage. Besides that, improper technique of lifting heavy loads can cause hazard on workers also damage on equipments due to very low safety awareness. Other than that, the current technique just limited to lift blower itself only. Other equipments such as motor is beyond its capabilities. Fig. 1 below shows the 6(six) inch stainless steel pipeline used as a support to withstand the weight of dysfunction blower in order to lift and move out for maintenance works. H:DCIM102_PANAP1020888.JPGH:DCIM102_PANAP1020894.JPG Fig 1 The 6(six) inch stainless steel pipeline used as support to lift and move out blower These problems have motivate this project to design fully safe of new technique to lift and move out blowers as well as other equipments in order to help maintenance work involve in Blower Room, Waste Water Treatment Section, Synthomer Pasir Gudang Plant. Objective The aims of this project are: To design suitable blower lifter for maintenance activities at Blower Room, Waste Water Treatment, Synthomer Pasir Gudang Plant To propose fabrication of blower lifter Scope of Project The scope of this project will focus on design blower lifter based on problems involve in Blower Room, Waste Water Treatment Section, Synthomer Pasir Gudang Plant. The data and problems are taken directly from Synthomer Pasir Gudang Plant and any related data from others company that have Waste Water Treatment Plant will be neglected. However, if any Wastewater Treatment Plant that have exactly same configuration (Fig.2) as Blower Room in Synthomer Pasir Gudang Plant, the data involve in this project is acceptable to use. In addition, to achieve the project objectives, all information about the structure, configuration of equipments, and maintenance activities in Blower Room area is crucial in this project. C:UsersfasrayDesktoppart 7practikalpictureIMG_5216.JPGC:UsersfasrayDesktoppart 7practikalpictureIMG_5217.JPG Fig. 2 Configuration of equipments in Blower Room Blower Room, Synthomer Pasir Gudang Plant contains 5 units of blower (include motor, silencer, check valve, safety valve and pressure gauge), 10 units of butterfly valve, 2 units of room silencer, pipeline and fittings. Significant of Project The significant of this project can be dividing into two main groups; significant to Safety Maintenance work. 1) Safety The significant this project on safety is to: Reduce accident during maintenance work. Prevent equipments from damage. Provide proper way to lift heavy equipments. 2) Maintenance works Blower lifter help to improve and ease maintenance works involve in Blower Room area. This will ease the operators and technician works as this lifter will reduce the time of assembles and dissembles activities as well as reduce manpower/workers used while doing maintenance works. Besides that, the lifter could increase the worker productivity by the elimination of non-value adding material handling tasks from their work scope. Methodology Observation from industrial training Company needs Identify needs and problem define PDS Lit. Rev. Establish Target Specification Brainstorming Generate Product Concept Generate multiple concepts Concept Evaluation Pugh Chart Test against Specification CAD Detail Design FEM Simulation Testing Refinement Propose Fabrication Process Method Identify needs and problem define Ability to generate good engineering specification shows the person really understand the problems [1][2]. The initial stage of design process requires person to select specific client and identify need [3]. In this stage, there are two methods to identify the need: through observation from previous industrial training and need from employees, Synthomer Pasir Gudang Plant especially workers at Mechanical Maintenance branch, Engineering Department. Establish Target Specification Based on the workers needs and problem define from the observation, a list of target specification will establish [2]. The method to generate specification is using Product Design Specification (PDS) diagram and some literature review from existing product in market. Generate Product Concept [1] Ullman [2] epingger [3] paul m educate engineer [v] Filipp0 pds Task Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Project title selection Understanding the project title Determined the project objective Brainstorming Collecting data Literature review Report Writing Presentation Lagend: Planning Actual SFSFSF Task Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Conceptual Design Identify Need Problem Definition Establish Target Specification Generate Product Concept System-Level Design Select Product Concept(s) Test product Concept(s) Final Product Specification Plan Downstream Development Detail Design Details Drawing Bill of Materials Costing Testing Refinement Presentation Report Submission Lagend: Planning Actual F Methodology CHAPTER 2 Basic Wastewater treatment Process The goal of waste water treatment plant is to protect the environment in a manner commensurate with socio-economic and public health concerns. Wastewater is a combination of water and waste carried water come from homes, industrial and commercial facilities and institutions. Wastewater generally contains high levels of organic material, toxic, numerous pathogenic microorganisms and nutrients that extremely hazards to public health as well as lead to environmental pollution. So, wastewater must be treated appropriately before dispose to surroundings. Treatment of waste water usually carried out in four stages (Fig. 3), commonly referred as preliminary, primary, secondary and tertiary treatment [5]. Preliminary Primary Secondary Tertiaryhttp://www.membrane-solutions.com/img/product/water-treatment-process.jpg Fig. 3 Various treatment levels in a waste-water treatment plant flow diagram 1. Preliminary treatment Preliminary treatment prepares waste-water influent for further treatment by reducing or eliminating non-favourable waste-water characteristics that might otherwise impede operation or excessively increase maintenance of downstream processes and equipment. These characteristics include large solids and rags, abrasive grit, odours, and, in certain cases, unacceptable for organic loadings. Preliminary treatment processes consist of physical unit operations, namely screening and commination for the removal of debris and rags, grit removal for the elimination of coarse suspended matter, and flotation for the removal of oil and grease. Other preliminary treatment operations include flow equalization, septage handling, and odour control. 2. Primary treatment Primary treatment involves the partial removal of suspended solids and organic matter from the wastewater by means of physical operations such as screening and sedimentation. Pre-aeration with chemical additions is used to enhance primary treatment. Primary treatment acts as an earlier step for secondary treatment where the aimed of this stage is to produce a liquid effluent that suitable for downstream biological treatment and separate out the solids as a sludge that can be economically and conveniently treated before ultimate disposal. 3. Secondary treatment Secondary treatment is a stage where removal of soluble, colloidal organics and suspended solids happen after escaped the primary treatment. The process typically done through biological processes, commonly treated by using activated sludge, fixed-film reactors, or lagoon systems and sedimentation. 4. Tertiary or advanced waste-water treatment Tertiary treatment goes beyond the level of secondary treatment with 99 percent of impurities such as significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, biodegradable organics, bacteria and viruses is removes from sewage where producing an effluent at almost drinking-water quality. In addition to biological nutrient removal processes, unit operations frequently used for this purpose include chemical coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation, followed by filtration and activated carbon. Less frequently used processes include ion exchange and reverse osmosis for specific ion removal or for dissolved solids reduction. [5] Metcalf and Eddy. Wastewater Engineering: Treatment, Disposal and Reuse. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 1991. Process Flow Diagram The high organic load wastewater stream from the production plant is transferred to Equalization tank #1 (EQ-1) where organic and hydraulic Loading is equalized. Air is supply to the equalization tank for mixing and to prevent the wastewater from septic condition. When the accumulate wastewater reach to the set point level, the EQ pump will transfer the wastewater to Equalization tank #2 (EQ-2) and to mix with the other composite wastewater from the production plant. The organic and hydraulic loading is equalized again for further biological treatment. The composite wastewater from EQ-2 shall be transferred and pumped for Secondary Treatment, an aerobic treatment system namely Alternative Intermittent Cyclic Reactor (AICAR) via neutralization tank. pH of the wastewater is adjusted to ensure the aerobic digester operates at its optimum efficiency. All chemical dosing pumps are synchronized with the level switch. The pH is monitored and adjusted according to the set points by an automatic dosing pump system. Three (3) AICAR reactors are designed to handle the wastewater at an average flow from EQ-2. Each AICAR consist of two sub-reactors. AICAR operates in continuous mode on alternatively feeding and discharging wastewater from the reactor. One AICAR is allowed to stop for maintenance at one time while the others shall be at maximum operating efficiency. AICAR operates at 3 cycles per day per reactor in normal operation . During maintenance, only two AICAR reactors are set for running mode . When AICAR-1 is in feeding mode, first half of the reactor is in aeration while second half of the reactor is in settling and decanting mode. The circulation/sludge pump will be turned on to equalize solids content in aeration tank and at the same time, the sludge pump will operate as sludge wastage pump. At this stage, AICAR-2 3 are fully in aeration basis where the blower BL-02 and BL-03 are operating against the dissolved oxygen level in the reactor. The blower-diffuser system is provided to maintain the oxygen requirement in the aerobic treatment system. The air supply system is controlled by the online dissolved oxygen (DO) meter and the frequency of the blower motor is varied against DO content in water during normal aeration cycle. However, there will be a fix blower operation frequency during the feeding cycle to ensure sufficient oxygen provided for high organic load during feeding. The secondary treated wastewater is collected in the weir compartment of all AICAR and distributed into BioNET (Biological New Environmental Technology) reactor as tertiary treatment system. BioNET will act as a biological polishing system for refractory COD and at the same time will function as an ammonia nitrogen removal system BioNET reactor consists of two parallel lines (Figure 5). The reactors are filled with porous PU foam or non-woven fibres as reactors carriers that offer a large surface area for micro-organism adherence and growth. Wastewater will flow from the bottom of the BioNET reactor and in contact with the organism which attached to the BioNET carriers. BioNET will be backwashed to release excessive bio-growth to maintain the efficiency of the bacterial digestion. The SOP for the BioNET operation is shown in Table 1. All AICAR and BioNET operation will be prefixed with PLC system. After tertiary treatment, the treated wastewater will then flow into a Clarifier for solids separation. Patented Settling Tube is used in the modified clarifier to separate solid/biomass and supernatant or clear water is discharge to main drain as final discharge treated water. Electromagnetic flowmeter, pH The final discharge water. Flow and pH monitoring is to fulfil the regulatory requirement by the DOE. Wastage sludge from AICAR and settled sludge from Clarifier shall discharge to the drum thickener for thickening purposes before transferred to sludge holding tank. Wastage sludge from sludge holding tank is conditioned with polymer prior for dewatering.

Schizophrenia, A splitting of the mind Essay -- essays research papers

Schizophrenia, A splitting of the mind Dementia Praecox, the early term for schizophrenia was presented by Emil Kraepelin in 1898. Dementia Praecox included – dementia paranoids, catatonia and hebephrenia. Whilst these different entities are symptomatically very diverse, Kraepelin believed they shared a common core. Kraepelin noted several major symptoms in his patients, these included hallucinations, delusions, negativism, attentional difficulties, stereotyped behaviour and emotional dysfunction. Kraepelin focused on describing schizophrenia and made no attempt to categorise and explain what he saw. Eugen Bleuler however tried to define the core of the disorder. Bleuler disagreed with Kraepelin on two points. Bleuler believed that the disorder didn’t necessary have an early onset and that the disorder didn’t necessarily lead to total dementia. Since he believed that the disorder didn’t lead to total dementia the term dementia praecox was no longer valid, so in 1908 Bleuler suggested a new term for the condition Schizophrenia. Bleuler had a great influence over the American concept of Schizophrenia. Whilst the European view of Schizophrenia remained relatively narrow. The American view of schizophrenia broadened significantly during the 20th century, with 80% of patients in the New York State Psychiatric Institute being diagnosed with Schizophrenia in 1952. Adolf Myer argued that diagnostic categories where often to stringent and believed that a more flexible approach to defining Schizophrenia was necessary. Kansnin then found that some patients showed signs schizophrenia combined with symptoms from other disorders. The concept of schizophrenia was also broadened by Hoch who believed that schizophrenia often disguises itself has other disorders. As a result a lot of people who would normally have been diagnosed with personality disorders or neurosis, where diagnosed has having schizophrenia. After the publication of DSM III the American definition moved away from the very broad definition of schizophrenia, to a more controlled approach that meant that less people are now wrongly diagnosed with schizophrenia. The symptoms of schizophrenia cause suffers problems in several major areas these include: thought, perception, attention, motor behaviour and emotion. Many patients, who are diagnosed with schizophrenia, only have some of the symptoms. Unlike mo... ...hanism may malfunction or not work. We can guess that stress can trigger schizophrenia because of the EE studies that look at patient relapse rate. Also if we believe that the symptoms are a reflection of the cause it is also not unreasonable to think stress can trigger schizophrenia. Stress is a persons perceived inability to cope with a situation. Therefore they are blaming themselves for their failure to perform. Many schizophrenics experience hallucinations commenting on their actions. This could be caused because they have a problem with their self-image or self esteem caused by stress. If you imagine yourself very stressed maybe at the scene of an accident, you need to do something about the accident, but your finding it difficult to remember what you should do. To avoid panic some people break down complex actions like first aid at the scene of an accident into simpler instructions. For instance at the scene of an accident you would take deep breath then look for danger, c heck the airways of the injured etc. When you are in a stressful situation you comment on yourself. Maybe schizophrenic hallucination is the same response caused involuntary by a brain malfunction.

Sports In The Law :: essays research papers

May 6, 2001 -- He was surrounded by his teammates, but yet Larry Johnson felt alone. Not part of the group. Not part of the struggle to advance deeper into the playoffs. And now, with the season over and done with, Johnson is extremely worried that he may never be a part of it ever again. "Man, I just don't know," Johnson said yesterday on his way out the door of Purchase College. Johnson's career might be finished. He missed the final six games of the regular season and the entire five-game playoff series loss to the Raptors. The only way Johnson was able to dull the pain in his back was with medication, which he stopped taking during the season because he feared possible side effects would be damaging to his health later in life. Next week, Johnson says he will meet with doctors to discuss his options. There is a real chance he will be forced to retire at the age of 32. "Having the ability to play? I'm concerned about it all," Johnson admitted. "This was the playoffs, and I didn't play one minute." In his 10th NBA season and completing his fifth with the Knicks, Johnson averaged a career-low 9.9 points a game, shot a career-worst .411 and played in only 65 games. He continued to operate out of position as an undersized power forward and despite his diminished production, his big-shot potential was missed by the Knicks in their playoff ouster at the hands of the Raptors. "I'm really worried about LJ," said Kurt Thomas, who filled in admirably for Johnson. "Obviously Larry's health is a huge issue," added Jeff Van Gundy. "Larry over time has really meant a lot to this team. I'm just hopeful he's able to resume his career and be healthy, but for me to guess about that would be irresponsible. We have to wait and see and let time take its natural course.

The Contributions of Blacks to the Arts :: essays papers

The Contributions of Blacks to the Arts The Contibutions of Black Americans to the Arts â€Å"†¦ Without a continuous bond uniting men, without a continuous current of shared thought, †¦ there could be no living worthy of being called human.† Richard Wright spoke these words in his autobiography Black Boy. He, as well as many other black Americans have displayed exmplemtory talent in the arts. As a matter of fact, blacks have contributed their talents to the arts, for many years, especially in the areas of painting, literature, and music. Many people are unaware of the contributions black people have made to the art of painting. Painters such as Benny Andrews and Jacob Lawerence have expressed the pain and joys share through their paintings. Jacob Lawerence, whose styles range from expressionism to cubism, is famous for the painting Grand Performance. The painting show blacks coming together in the performing arts. On the other hand, Benny Andrews is an artist that conveys his meaning through allegory. He is, however, known for his contribution to the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition. He was one of the firsts to start this organization which protested against the underepresentation of black art. Another art that blacks influenced is literature. For example, Richard Wright was one of the first writers to address and protest against the racism problem in America. In his book, Native Son, he shows how a black boy is driven to kill a white woman. He also wrote essays for a book written by former communists who were displeased with the party. Most of his works show the struggles of black Americans. Likewise, novelist Toni Morrison writes about the struggles of black females. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature and in the late 1980s, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her book Beloved. This book shows the effects of slavery on a former slave after the war. Morrison is not the only woman to receive awards for work. Maya Angelou given many awards, including Grammys in 1994 and 1996. She received the one for the recording of her poem â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning† recited at President Clinton’s inauguration and one for â€Å"Phenomenal Woman.† She along with many others has shown explemary talent in literature. Beginning as early as slavery, blacks have impacted music dearly. Jazz, a form of music stemming from gospel, is a form of expression. One famous jazz musician was the trumpet player Miles Davis.

European Politics Essay

Not long after taking office as President, Nicolas Sarkozy initiated a bold agenda of sweeping governmental and economic reform which enflamed controversy and engendered violent confrontation within the French government and among the French population regarding both the state of economic parity within French society, and France’s role in a swiftly changing global-political climate. Sarkozy, a former member of the National Assembly, a two-time appointee as Minister of the Interior, and a past President of the UMP, rose to prominence as a widely popular (and also widely unpopular) figure in the conservative wing of French politics. Although Sarkozy’s personal and romantic life as well as his financial dealings and his â€Å"public image† have all fallen under the intense scrutiny of the French and International media, the most controversial issues associated with President Sarkozy have generally been and continue to be issue and policy oriented. Prior to being elected President, Sarkozy made International news headlines when, as Minister of the Interior, â€Å"Sarkozy, insisted that Muslim women pose bare-headed for official identity photographs† (Scott, 2005), a move which provoked a storm of opposition within France and throughout the globe. However, Sarkozy’s intentions were even much wider than revealed by his policy regarding identity photos; Sarkozy’s â€Å"main recommendation, accepted by Chirac in January 2004, was for a law prohibiting the wearing of ostentatious signs of religious affiliation in public schools. This is now the law of the land† (Scott, 2005). Sarkozy’s record prior to becoming President indicated that he was a man unafraid to pursue a controversial course of action. As president, one of Sarkozy’s first publically criticized actions was his handling of a Libyan hostage crisis which involved the retrieval of Belgian health-care workers who had been held in Libya. In return for releasing the Belgians, the Libyan dictator Gaddafi was able to gain President Sarkozy’s signature on a treaty which transferred hundreds of millions of euros, along with important military equipment to Libya. This move was met not only with criticism but with a call for an investigation at the parlimentary level which was requested by the head of the French Socialist Party. Although this single example may seem slight in light of the forthcoming discussion regarding governmental reform and the EU policy on climate change which will form the heart of the present study of Sarkozy’s administration, the incident is illustrative of the odd duality which seems to stamp itself on many of Sarkozy’s policies, programs, and initiatives. The duality is one rooted on one side in what many might consider a superficial, yet effective, understanding of public image and political theater; on the other side, it is rooted in what many might call brutally pragmatic economics. Critics of Sarkozy go further than to call the President an economic pragmatist. Many members of Sarkozy’s own conservative party, the UMP, have criticized the President for being a strong advocate of free-trade while simultaneously backing sweeping reforms in the working-class sector including his â€Å"loi de modernisation de l’economie† (Lawday, 2007), or â€Å"Modernization of the Economy Law† which in addition to relaxing federal restrictions on retail prices and work-regulations, allowed workers who worked over thirty-five hours a week to collect their overtime pay tax-free. If, basically, Sarkozy’s economic policies reflect â€Å"a free-market, self-responsibility venture that he claims every advanced country in Europe, from Britain to those in Scandinavia, and lately Germany, has adopted to its advantage† (Lawday, 2007) they also reflect an essentially conservative philosophy which stands in odd contrast to Sarkozy’s iconoclastic image as an agent of change. As one observer phrased it, Sarkozy’s economic philosophy and national economic program â€Å"represents not so much novelty as catch-up politics with a conservative twist† (Lawday, 2007) and, as such, Sarkozy’s economic programs include the curbing of labor unions and their power. These aspects of Sarkozy’s approach to government and economic matters leaves little room for doubt that — at least in relation to financial matters — the President is a true conservative, although his vision may be, overall, a bit more modern than that which is commonly associated with conservatism, the end-result is the same. Sarkozy’s economic philosophies are important not only because they impact one of the most crucial sectors of public policy and governmental influence in France — the economy — but also because they indicate the aforementioned duality of purpose and bearing which seems to stand as part and parcel of Sarkozy’s political career. If on e the one hand, Sarkozy wanted to â€Å"amend the 35-hour working week so that it is no longer the reposeful regulation it implies† (Lawday, 2007), he also sought to simultaneously â€Å"force strikers to maintain a minimum service for trains, buses and other public services† (Lawday, 2007) and to â€Å"slice into the bloated state bureaucracy, where the unions are strongest, by permitting one replacement for every two retiring government office workers† (Lawday, 2007) while at the same time admitting — in the face of the recent global economic crisis — that laissez faire capitalism is dead. The economic platform and policies which Sarkozy has advocated indicate that — above all else — Sarkozy is a pragmatist. This fact is s very useful fact because, by keeping it firmly in mind, a more complete understanding of Sarkozy the politician can be gained. In point of fact, most of what passes for â€Å"populism’ in Sarkozy’s public image is precisely due to his pragmatic approach. His populist reputation as a French nationalist who is for robust immigration reform may collide somewhat uncomfortably with his status as the (rotating) President of the European Union, just as his stand on unions collides with his recent, public statements regarding socialism where Sarkozy responded to the question: have you become a socialist? — with the answer â€Å"Maybe† (Lawday, 2007). Sarkozy’s radicalism — which stands in sharp contrasts to his fiscal conservatism and his conservatism on issues such as immigration and unions — manifests itself not in ideology, necessarily, but within the framework of his aforementioned pragmatism. In other words, Sarkozy may be a populist to the extent that he adopts positions which will curry favor with French Nationalists, such as the â€Å"headscarf† legislation mentioned at the opening of this paper, he may be a fiscal conservative bent on busting the unions and generating a productive working class base for French society, but in each case his convictions, while arguably difficult to pin down under a single umbrella of ideology, are always enacted by way of robust action. Sarkozy may be many things, but one thing he certainly is not is a dawdler. One of the most illustrative examples of Sarkozy’s style and substance as a leader, and specifically as the President of France, is his massive reform of French government and the displacement of governmental power. Although — as will be demonstrated shorty — Sarkozy’s controversial reforms to French government have the design and purpose of bringing the government into the modern era of global-politics and allowing for a more efficiently run government within France itself, the same reforms have been assailed by Sarkozy;’s critics, primarily by the French Socialist party, as being tantamount to instating a dictatorship in France with Sarkozy himself enthroned as dictator. Although the specificities and complexities of Sarkozy’s reforming of French government pose much too vast a too vast to exhaust within the confines of this short discussion, the overall impact and intention of his reform policies offer profound insight into not Sarkozy’s ambitions as President but into the potentially radical reshaping of French government as well as France’s relationship to the EU. Before delving into the specifics of the reform legislation, it is useful to remember just how the French Constitution regarded the separation of governmental powers and — more importantly — what role the President of France was accorded by the Fifth Republic’s Constitution. Because Sarkozy’s program of governmental reform offers, as a centerpiece, the apparent expansion of Presidential power and authority, while simultaneously strengthening the role and power of parliament, sorting out the specific angles by which Sarkozy enabled the expansion of Presidential power can be quite difficult to achieve. However, the role of the French President, according to the Fifth Republic’s Constitution was limited: â€Å"Article 5 [†¦ ] states that the President â€Å"‘Provides by their arbitration for the regular functioning of the public authorities and the continuity of the State’† (Bell, 2000, p. 15), with nothing mentioned about the President’s own power to legislate. This aspect of the Constitution is the key area by which Sarkozy sought to expand, in the eyes of the anti-reformers, Presidential power. Specifically, the most controversial aspect of the reform-laws was Sarkozy’s † plan to allow the president to address parliament, opening up the possibility of a US State of the Union-style address. That has not been permitted since 1875, in an attempt to keep the executive and legislative branches separate† (BBC News), and it is by this seemingly simple move that Sarkozy expanded Presidential authority while simultaneously seeming to limit that same authority. Because the Fifth Republic’s Constitution calls for the President to function as an â€Å"arbitrator† the American-style Presidency of the President as the leader of the legislature, addressing parliament, becomes a specter of dread to those who view this as an incursion on the Constitutional separation of powers. While it is true that â€Å"Article 5, which implicitly restricts the Presidency, has been a subject of controversy† (Bell, 2000, p. 15), Sarkozy’s expansion of Presidential authority has proven to be even more divisive. Sarkozy’s plan to rewrite the Fifth Republic’s Constitution represents the two primary aspects of his governing style which have formed the roots of the current discussion; these aspects are his inherent conservatism and his obvious pragmatism. The reform legislation introduced radical, pragmatic steps toward affecting sweeping change in France and rewrote the French Constitution, but while Sarkozy verbalized his assurances that the reforms represented â€Å"‘Movement, change, modernity,'† (BBC News) as well as a victory for French democracy, the same reforms also contributed to the strengthening of Presidential authority and resulted in a divided parliament with Sarkozy’s reform bill passing â€Å"by 539 votes to 357 – one vote more than the three-fifths majority of the combined Assembly and Senate required to pass the reforms† BBC News), so if strengthening democracy was Sarkozy’s intention, his initial result was to divide the parliament and pass a sweeping reform to the French Constitution with next-to-no consensus. This fact in itself would seem to confirm the trepidation regarding his proposed reforms (now law) which engulfed his detractors in parliament. One of these detractor s, â€Å"Socialist senator Bernard Frimat told lawmakers before the vote at a special session at the Chateau of Versailles† (BBC News) that Sarkozy had offered a † â€Å"consolidation of ‘monocracy’,† (BBC News) but Sarkozy, always careful to play to populist ideas and ideals, counter-weighted the expansion of Presidential authority with corresponding limits and restrictions on the French Presidency. The reform laws while strengthening the President’s role in the legislature also limit the President to two five year terms, â€Å"gives parliament a veto over some presidential appointments, ends government control over parliament’s committee system, allows parliament to set its own agenda, and ends the president’s right of collective pardon† (BBC News). Seemingly, by these latter reforms, Sarkozy was interested in limiting not expanding the powers of the French President; however the telling point of the reform laws as they relate to the French Presidency lies within the mere expansion of the President’s role as a lawmaker rather than, as the Fifth Republic’s Constitution advocated, a â€Å"a neutral ‘umpire’ who has three principal tasks: i) to see that the Constitution is respected; ii) to ‘arbitrate’ to ensure the continuity of the state; iii) to be vigilant on the issues of national independence, territorial i ntegrity and the respect for treaties† (Bell, 2000, p. 16). Sarkozy’s vision of the President — and the reform legislation he was able to enact to realize this vision — stands in direct opposition to Article 5 of the French Constitution. Sarkozy’s radical pragmatism extends beyond the parameters and confines of French domestic issues into the realm of International affairs. As the acting President of the European Union, Sarkozy has applied a similarly â€Å"hands on† approach to issues of international importance such as climate change. As illustrated by Sarkozy’s reform legislation and the somewhat concealed agenda therein which provided for the expansion of Presidential authority, Sarkozy seems to have adopted a similar approach to his position as EU President. On the topic of global warming and climate change, Sarkozy has proven to be as pragmatic and as forceful as he was on the issues of crime, immigration, and government reform in France. At the thirty-third summit of the G8, Sarkozy offered a plan to reduce French CO2 emissions by half and what followed was the adoption of this concept by the G8 nations as a whole. Although the agreement which was reached at the summit was non-binding, Sarkozy’s lead enabled the G8 nations to put forth a collective plan to cut in half the global emissions of greenhouse gasses. Sarkozy continued to push for a binding agreement, but his efforts proved futile. Nevertheless, his approach to the issue of climate change represented, as his approach to governmental reform. a pragmatic and comprehensive approach to a hard problem. Of interest is the fact that the binding agreement regarding greenhouse gas emissions was apparently blocked by the United States with its President, George W, Bush, citing the refusal of third-world nations to also enter into the agreement. Responding tot his obstacle, Sarkozy turned his efforts not toward America or the Third World, but to China, utilizing his status as EU President to put forward a comprehensive and progressive energy policy which included a collaborative effort with the Chinese. Sarkozy’s successful brokering of a deal on energy adn climate change between the EU adn China marks one of the most important accomplishments of his pragmatic and often radical approach to governing. It is due to this combination of tenacity and creativity that Sarkozy has evolved from a controversial cabinet member in the French government known mostly for being a strong conservative to an actor on the world stage who seems to be equal parts populist and conservative. It is, perhaps, not necessary, to understand which of the aspects, conservative or populist is dominant in Sarkozy, it is possibly not even that important to understand, at a personal, human level, which aspect represents more honestly Sarkozy’s own world-view. While some observers may claim that Sarkozy’s populism is merely a smokescreen to conceal his ambitious moves toward a consolidation of personal power, others may claim, with good reason, that Sarkozy’s populism represents a genuine attempt to represent the global sea-change which has currently cast global economics and world-affairs into an ambiguous and dangerous place. No matter which of these perspectives lies closer to the objective truth of Sarkozy the man, the result of Sarkozy’s actions as a world-leader will involve much more than a consideration of President Sarkozy’s motives. One of the most compelling aspects of Sarkozy as a world leader is his simultaneous insistence of modernity while maintaining an acute, almost reverential, respect for the past. Like the other dualities apparent in Sarkozy’s governing style adn thinking style, this duality of â€Å"past vs. future† manifest, in Sarkozy, not as an abstract idealogy but in pragmatic application. In addition to his highly controversial reforms in regard to economics, government, unions, immigration, and climate change, Sarkozy has also generated a great deal of controversy regarding his position of cultural subjects and education in France. While seeming to be a strong nationalist with a true conservative’s reverence for tradition, Sarkozy has readily admitted that France has failed to â€Å"democratize† its culture and that in doing so, accomplished â€Å"one of the chief failures of the past 50 years of French government† (â€Å"Sarkozy out to ‘Democratize’,† 2007, p. B01). As always, his suggested course of action revealed a blend of populism and conservatism and fused the cultural concerns of France with the power of the French government: â€Å"Sarkozy defined â€Å"democratisation de la culture† as providing the means for the largest number of people to understand and appreciate Sophocles, Shakespeare and Racine. He added that the purpose of education is to â€Å"teach you how to tell the difference between ‘Madame Bovary’ and a police blotter, or between ‘Antigone’ and ‘Harry Potter. ‘ Later, you can read what you like. † (â€Å"Sarkozy out to ‘Democratize’,† 2007, p. B01) In conclusion, Sarkozy’s style of governing offers a curious and sometimes uncomfortable blend of populism and conservatism. In the area of domestic policy, he has proven to be both radical in his approach and keenly aware of the political impact of his pragmatic reforms, on international issues he has proven to be creative, opportunistic, and decisive. While Sarkozy’s bold embracing of â€Å"modernity† may be authenticated by his actions in some cases, many of his policies and programs reveal an essentially conservative politician who seeks, not merely reform, but the type of reform which ensures the continuation of his carefully crafted ideological beliefs.

Is It Possible to Create a Perfect Human Being Essay

As William Penn says in his book, Some Fruits of Solitude, in Reflections and Maxims Relating to the Conduct of Human Life, â€Å"Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children. † This statement is true, to a point. While eugenical artificial selection could in fact ‘breed’ an ideal human being, as is done with horses and dogs, there is a level of eugenics that has gone too far. During WWII, Adolf Hitler took the stance of eugenics as an innovative idea that was for the greater good. However, his proposal of eugenics was eliminating all other choices of humans other than his ideal image – the Aryan race. The murder of over 11 million people can hardly be compared with propagation, but they both derive from the same idea: eugenics. Eugenics is only one of the many methods that scientists are meddling with in order to design an ideal human being. Creating a flawless human being has been a scientific prerogative, and while there are some discrepancies, science is showing progress. Alongside eugenics, cybernetic organisms are another option for creating a perfect human being. Cybernetic organisms are comprised of synthetic and organic parts. Humans that have dysfunctional body parts are able to replace them with mechanical alternatives. Surrogate parts enable humans to be far more efficient. A commonly replaced organ is the heart, and scientists should soon be able to replace other vital internal organs. Scientific exploration of new areas is one of the many benefits made available by cybernetic technology. Space travel without a breathing apparatus could be made possible if the necessary organs were substitute. Replacement lungs could allow humans to function without oxygen. If oxygen was provided within the body, then humans would be able to easily explore space, as well as the depths of the ocean. With cybernetic organisms at the helm, a century’s progress, due to exponential growth of technology, can be accomplished in an hour. Although more efficient than humans, cybernetic organisms can also be considered a threat to humanity. Technology is not always dependable. Artificial hearts fail, cellular phones break, and planes crash. In 1993, 7 people died in a plane crash due to engine failures. Not only is technology not one hundred percent reliable, but if humans are eventually comprised completely of artificial parts, then emotion will no longer remain. As exemplified in Anthem, a society without emotion is detrimental. The citizens of Anthem believe that they know everything that there is to know, but they are mistaken. In order to ensure equality, the idea of love was removed, and along with it, family, spirituality and opinion. If machines become the main factor in this world, it is possible that Anthem could be the future. The World Council defines and enforces the law, so that all are the same and perfect by Anthem’s standards. Cybernetic organisms can be manipulated by humans to be perfect, or without flaw, but possible consequences are risky. With cybernetic organisms as the extreme in creating the perfect human being, genetic modification for health purposes is a less drastic measure. With technology today, cures to diseases, such as Anthrax and H1N1, are being discovered at a rapid pace. If one can inject the vaccine of all known diseases into embryos until all diseases are eradicated, everyone would be healthy, and in a sense, perfect. Brave New World is a society of perfect health. All citizens are immunized at decantation and are able to live a life free of disease and infection. Unfortunately, the vaccines to every disease have not yet been discovered, but with the exponential growth of technological advances, there is a probable chance. Using genetic modifications to prevent diseases is an idealized goal, but it has a major risk factor – mutations. DNA is a complicated system, and the slightest mistake could cause a major bodily malfunction. It would take extensive scientific research and application to consider attempting to alter a human’s genes. Science has made many advances, but oftentimes the major ones have come back with unintended consequences that were never before thought significant. The extensive use of oil, coal and natural gas demonstrate that perfectly. It was commonly known that the burning of these natural resources releases gasses into the air, but it was not thought of as important. Global warming was considered a hoax, and little was done to preserve the earth’s delicate ecosystem. If tampering with genetics is disregarded as insignificant, then drastic outcomes could occur, such as unheard of deformities, or permanent brain damage. Genetic modification in this sense would be detrimental to society. A ‘perfect’ human being is hard to define, but standards can easily be changed over time with both genetic modification and cybernetic organisms. There are positives and negatives to both options, but technology is changing rapidly, and circumstances adapt with it. Although scientists have not yet created a prototype for an ideal human, ideas are being formulated. The ideas, however, of what defines a perfect person are constantly changing. Until idealization has had its parameters defined, scientists will continue to struggle to achieve this goal.