Corporatism in Australia essays

Corporatism in Australia essays Corporatism is a political theory that has been embraced at different times through Australias political history, particularly between 1983 and 1995, during the Labor government of Hawke and Keating. Power is the ability to control or influence outcomes, actions or events... [and] may be exerted through force, coercion, control of resources, personal relationships or legal authority (Ryan, Parker and Brown, 2003: 44). Therefore it is important to understand how power is distributed in a country as it is an indicator of the sort of freedoms and opportunities a society can enjoy (ibid). There are three main models of power: elitism, pluralism and corporatism (Heywood, 2002: 77-78). Corporatism in a democratic setting, refers to decision-making by negotiation between the government arid a few powerful interest groups (Hague and Harrop, 2001: 159); these groups are known as peak associations and generally control the resources of an economy, e.g. the labour market. Following the Second W orld War, corporatism was adopted, in a very strict manner, by many European countries (e.g. Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Austria), in an attempt to provide stability (Heywood, 2002: 78). However, while the corporatist ideals were slowly being replaced with pluralism across Europe; in Australia, the relationship between the government, business and society had become more intertwined by adopting distinctive corporatist characteristics. During the Hawke (and to some extent the Keating) government, the State (or federal government) undertook a different approach to the development of economic policy. Prior to the Hawke government, the role of the State was fairly straight-forward to make economic or social policy without considering the specific desires of any one group in Australia. The country faced an economic disaster, with coinciding high inflation and recession (Head, 1997: 343): the new Labor government acknowled...

How to End Racial Segregation in the American Church

How to End Racial Segregation in the American Church One of Martin Luther Kings most famous quotes concerns racial segregation and the American church. It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is 11 oclock on Sunday morning†¦, King remarked in 1963. Sadly, more than 50 years later, the church remains overwhelmingly racially divided. Only between 5% to 7.5% of churches in the U.S. are considered to be racially diverse, a designation meaning that at least 20% of a churchs members dont belong to the predominant racial group there: Ninety percent of African-American Christians worship in all-black churches. Ninety percent of white American Christians worship in all-white churches, noted Chris Rice, coauthor of More Than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel. †¦Years since the incredible victories of the civil rights movement, we continue to live in the trajectory of racial fragmentation. The biggest problem is that we dont see that as a problem. The racial reconciliation movement of the 1990s, which sought to heal racial divides in the church, inspired religious institutions in America to make diversity a priority. The popularity of so-called megachurches, houses of worship with membership in the thousands, have also contributed to diversifying U.S. churches. According to Michael Emerson, a specialist on race and faith at Rice University, the proportion of American churches with 20% or more minority participation has languished at about 7.5% for nearly a decade, Time magazine reports. Megachurches, on the other hand, have quadrupled its minority membershipfrom 6% in 1998 to 25% in 2007. So, how were these churches able to become more diverse, in spite of the churchs long history of racial divides? Church leaders and members, alike, can help to ensure that members of all backgrounds attend their house of worship. Everything from where a church serves to what kind of music it features during worship can influence its racial makeup. Music Can Draw in a Diverse Group of Followers What kind of worship music is featured regularly at your church? Traditional hymns? Gospel? Christian rock? If diversity is your goal, consider talking to your church leaders about mixing up the type of music played during worship. People of different racial groups will likely feel more comfortable attending an interracial church if the worship music theyre accustomed to is featured on occasion. To sate the needs of his culturally diverse membership of blacks, whites, and Latinos, the Rev. Rodney Woo of Wilcrest Baptist Church in Houston offers both gospel and traditional music during worship, he explained to CNN. Serving in Diverse Locations Can Attract Diverse Worshippers All churches engage in service activities of some sort. Where does your church volunteer and which groups does it serve? Often, the people served by a church share different ethnic or socioeconomic backgrounds from the church members themselves. Consider diversifying your church by inviting the recipients of church outreach to a worship service. Try to launch service projects in a variety of communities, including those where different languages are spoken. Some churches have launched worship services in the neighborhoods where they do outreach, making it easier for those they serve to participate in church. Moreover, staffers at some churches have even chosen to live in disadvantaged communities, so they can reach out to the needy and include them in church activities consistently. Launch a Foreign Language Ministry One way to combat racial segregation in church is to launch foreign language ministries. If church staffers or active members speak one or more foreign languages fluently, consider using their skills to launch a foreign language or bilingual worship service. A major reason Christians from immigrant backgrounds attend racially homogenous churches is that they arent fluent enough in English to understand the sermons delivered at a church not specifically designed for people from their ethnic group. Accordingly, many churches seeking to become interracial are launching ministries in different languages to reach out to immigrants. Diversify Your Staff If someone whod never visited your church were to check out its Web site or read a church brochure, who would they see? Are the senior pastor and associate pastors all from the same racial background? What about the Sunday school teacher or the head of the womens ministry? If the church leadership isnt diverse, why would you expect worshippers from diverse backgrounds to attend services there? No one wants to feel like an outsider, least of all in a place as intimate as church can be. Moreover, when racial minorities attend church and see a fellow minority among its leaders, it suggests that the church has made a serious investment in cultural diversity. Understand the History of Segregation in the Church Churches today arent segregated simply because racial groups prefer to worship with their own kind, but because of  Jim Crows  legacy. When racial segregation was government sanctioned in the early 20th century, white Christians and Christians of color followed suit by worshipping separately as well. In fact, the reason the African Methodist Episcopal denomination came about was that black Christians were excluded from worshipping in white religious institutions. When the U.S. Supreme Court decided in  Brown v. Board of Education  that schools must desegregate, however, churches began to reevaluate segregated worship. According to a June 20, 1955, article in  Time, the Presbyterian Church was divided over the segregation issue, while Methodists and Catholics sometimes or frequently welcomed integration in church. Southern Baptists, on the other hand, assumed a pro-segregation stance. As for Episcopalians,  Time  reported in 1955, The Protestant Episcopal Church has a relatively liberal attitude toward integration. The North Georgia Convention recently declared that segregation on the basis of race alone is inconsistent with the principles of the Christian religion. In Atlanta, while services are segregated, white and Negro children are confirmed together, and whites and Negroes are granted equal votes in diocesan conferences. When trying to create a multiracial church, its important to acknowledge the past, as some Christians of color may not be enthusiastic about joining churches that once excluded them from membership. Wrapping Up Diversifying a church isnt easy. As religious institutions engage in racial reconciliation, racial tensions inevitably surface. Some racial groups may feel that theyre not being represented enough by a church, while other racial groups may feel that they are being attacked for having too much power. Chris Rice and Spencer Perkins address these issues in  More Than Equals, as does Christian film  The Second Chance. Take advantage of literature, film and other available media as you set out to tackle the challenges of the interracial church.

Hewllet-packard co Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hewllet-packard co - Research Paper Example Hewlett-Packard was created in 1939 by two Stanford University students, Bill Hewlett and David Packard (Beer 2). The company came to be recognized for both its management practices and its innovative and reliable electronic goods (Beer 2). Its corporate culture and management techniques came to be known as the â€Å"HP way† (Beer 2). The HP way was progressive and focused on profits more than on growth in revenues, team-work, open-door management practices, high levels of employment, egalitarian pay structures, and flexible working schedules (Beer 2). These practices were a reflection of the values of the founders who placed importance on both profits and people (Beer 2). During its first four decades, Hewlett-Packard mainly sold test and measurement equipment, and it was during this time that the HP way developed (Beer 2). These test and measurement equipment products were based on cutting-edge technology which HP had developed, and could be sold at high profit margins (Beer 2). Hewlett-Packards clients were mainly engineers or other people from the technology industry who purchased these products for business applications (Beer 2). The first major transformation in Hewlett-Packards business came during the 1970s when the company launched computer and printer products, initially for business applications, and later for home use (Beer 2). The company struggled initially in the computer business, as the building of microcomputers and the development of UNIX machines demanded different skills to those required in the instruments business (Beer 2). The computer business needed large initial research and development investments, and required different co mpany divisions such as chips, software and peripherals, to work in tandem, which was a change from the decentralized model which had succeeded in the instruments business (Beer 2). For this

Ec3002 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ec3002 - Essay Example in several distinct ways: they increase the flow of Foreign Direct Investments, speed up the internationalization of knowledge transfer, improve and increase international trade and globalize R&D activities. Generally, a multinational enterprise â€Å"that engages in foreign direct investment (FDI) and owns or, in some way, controls value-added activities in more than one country† (Dunning & Lundan 3). This definition, however, is subject to considerable criticism, for scholars in economic studies seek to distinguish between multinational enterprises that participate in â€Å"foreign-owned production and those that have increased overseas commitments† (Dunning & Lundan 3). Nevertheless, these deviations in the definition of multinational enterprises does not have anything to do with the role which MNEs play in the processes of globalization. It would be fair to say that MNEs have already turned into the essential components of the daily economic routine. MNEs play one of the dominant roles in competitive markets and are not the last drivers of globalization in the world. MNEs increase and speed up globalization via increased foreign direct investments (FDI), increased know ledge transfer, growth of the international trade, and internationalization of R&D activities. Foreign direct investments (FDI) have already become an essential feature of the deepening economic globalization. The integration of global markets and the growing number of MNEs reflect in ever rising FDI flows (Markusen & Venables 185). The second half of the 1980s was marked with the rapid advancement of the international FDI opportunities which, obviously, became the starting point of what we currently know as globalization (Markusen & Venables 186). During the six consecutive years, the worldwide stocks of FDI almost doubled and continued to grow during the 1990s (Markusen & Venables 187). Such increase in FDI is easy to explain by the growing number of MNEs, which seek to invest their resources

Culture Studies for Fashion Essay Example for Free

Culture Studies for Fashion Essay This essay discusses how fashion helps convey the social identity of the rich and wealthy. Status includes class, gender, and ages. Status is important in today’s society. As Coco Chanel said, †women should dress as plainly as their maids† (Davis 1992:57). A person who is wealthy is a symbol of a person who is successful and of high income in the society. Being wealthy can upgrade one’s status to a higher class, and to be associated with the upper class society. Being wealthy will bring about better lifestyle and standard of living, which allows one to move to a better place and area of residence. Naturally, it creates a bigger opportunity to mingle with societies of a different class. This essay will discuss about status and wealth followed by the history of fashion and how important the type of fabric is in differentiating status and classes. We will then discuss about how technology in the 21st century has helped in the development of fashion. In the late 13th and 14th century, the fabric and gem trade brought back from the east started and spread throughout Europe. These fabric and cloths could only be afforded by the rich, thus wearing these clothes showed the status in the society. This was as Davis (1992; 58) said, ‘Wearing one’s wealth on one’s back’. Different classes of people had very different lifestyles and attended different activities. For example the upper class people went shopping, had afternoon tea, attended evening balls, and were presented the chance to have an education in school. The standard of living was very vastly different as lower class people had to suffer, go through hunger, and possess no extra money for anything other than their basic necessities. Their source of income were either by working day and night in the factory, working as maids for the rich or operating small business stalls. Aristocrats and upper class people communicated their wealth by wearing luxurious brands, expensive accessories, jewelry, and unique apparels from famous designers, and the men talk about business, cars, property, and women. In the eighteenth century, male and female of the aristocracy, and of the upper Bourgeoisie who emulated it, were equally partial to ample display of lace, rich velvets, fine silks, and embroideries, on appease. To highly ornamented footwear, to coiffures, wigs, and hats of rococo embellishment, and to lavish use of scented powders, rouges, and other cosmetics (Los Angeles Country Museum of Art 1983 in Davis 1992). In the twentieth to twenty first century, technology started to become more and more advance. People started to be more reliant on computers. Internet has become a very useful gateway to immediate information. The mass public has fast and direct access to information through the Internet, as an example they can also now browse luxury brands website, watch fashion shows, and do online shopping. Therefore with the ease of access to information, marketing and publicity of a product can reach the consumer level faster than ever before. When a jewelry or luxury brand’s product is worn, people can easily recognize the product and have an idea of a person’s wealth through the worth of their attire. According to Arvanitidou and Gasouka ‘Dressing is an important and controllable way to communicate one’s values, particularly rich in emotional and psychosocial consequences’. People are willing to pay for luxury brand as the brand name is associated with fashion, elegance, class and value. Some example of the designer brands under the luxury category are such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hermes, Versace and others. These luxury brands have been well known in the fashion retail market for a long time. Buying branded goods is like insurance for women as it can easily be sold in the second hand market apart from it being fashionable and trendy. The other reason luxury brands sell well is due to is timeless, evergreen design. Some classic designs will stand the test of time. Shopping to women has a therapeutic effect, be it in shopping malls, luxury shops, or department stores. They indulge in the moment and make themselves happy, especially when buying from luxury brands. Upper class people have the financial capability to purchase most of the things that they like. They also like to compare amongst themselves, so they are ometimes under peer pressure to have the latest and the most fashionable product in order to show off and convince people of their status in the society. With this, they would be able to show that they are wealthy enough to enjoy the luxury brand’s quality products and prove their status. Drama and television advertisement has become a major influence in marketing and publicity of products, especially to the young people. Young people in the twenty first century like to idolize film stars, celebrities, and Korean pop stars, following closely their news, styles, actions, and lifestyles. As the Internet now is very advanced, young people can see live news on the Internet and share the news out to their circle of contact. The standard of living today has changed globally and young people today have higher disposable income. This allows them to chase after branded goods as we are living in a much commercialized world today. We are hit with commercials and advertisements in every direction, from the television, to the radio, magazines, billboards, sponsors of sports, etc. Therefore young people today are also chasing after luxury brands to be associated with status and class. Young children in the twenty first century are more matured thinking; they use make up, wear sexy dresses, and make themselves looks like an adult. They make up a big portion of market share for new technology products which is in trend such as Ipad mini, Iphone5, and Samsung note two. Possessing either one of these product, people will easily recognize their wealth through the product’s worth. In conclusion, wealth is an important factor complementing status. Historically, there was a big difference between aristocracies, upper class people and lower class people in terms of lifestyle and attire. Wearing the right clothes, the appropriate dress for the occasion, fitting in rather than standing out, is the dominant concerns of most people’ (Twigg 2009: 4). Wearing a classic, elegant gown in an evening party is very important in forming the impression of yourself on status and class. Internet and the latest technological products are very useful in helping people receive firsthand information. The products of latest technology are most of the time expensive, and holding the latest items will show that one is wealthy.

Perhaps Too Much Make Up :: Personal Narrative Writing

Perhaps Too Much Make Up The other day I went out with a couple of friends, both students and staff members of the Middlebury community, to eat dinner at the Panda House, a small Chinese restaurant in the town of Middlebury. As we were all sitting at the Chinese restaurant, waiting for the waitress to come and take our orders, we suddenly noticed that I was the only guy at the table. Lately, this has been the topic of many of my conversations. Furthermore, this has been the story of my life, for everywhere I go, every step I take, there have always been girls along the way. A couple of Pepsi’s later, the waitress approached us, ready to take our orders, and the seven year old sitting next to me jumped up from her seat and said to the waitress, â€Å"you know, he looks like a girl, but he is a boy.† At the sound of this, I must say that I grew a bit nervous since her voice carried out into the room making everyone turn towards her and turn back to their business. We simply laughed and after a fe w seconds continued ordering our food. This incident reminded me of another one where coincidentally, the same people who were at the restaurant were also present. That time, the same seven year old took one good look at me and asked, â€Å"why do you look like a girl?† Astounded at her question, I simply laughed and went about my business. I wish I would have had an answer for the little seven year old, who was asking questions I have never been asked before. Just recently I read an article on androgyny entitled â€Å"Here be Dragons,† by James Baldwin, and it helped me sort out some of my personal issues pertaining to the questions and comments that were generated by the seven year old. As a â€Å"gay man† of color who â€Å"embodies femininity,† whatever that may be, I have been faced with questions and comments like that of the seven year old. Living in Middlebury in the state of Vermont, I have realized that embodying femininity has become the biggest issue in my life. As I walk around swinging my hips to the beat of my mp3 player, I see how different people perceive me to be. My scandalous voice and walk tantalizes the walkways on my way to class.

Being a leader

Since my childhood I am self motivated and committed to my work, due to my family background. My grandfather taught me a lot about discipline. I learned work ethics from my father in the first place through his attitude with colleagues at work and at home with the members of the family. My education in engineering provided important technical knowledge, which ought to be entwined with the aforesaid principles. My software experience enhanced my skills in system analysis and bug fixing. I am a quick learner and a practical problem solver.I am good at leveraging my past experience into new technologies. I proved my commitment and project management skills by meeting the project deadlines at Countrywide Home loans. Management at Countrywide awarded me with Star Search Award, which portrays my adaptability and result oriented nature. Traditionally theorists stated that good leaders or not made but born (Lussier N. R. , 2006, p460). However, nowadays it is believed that leadership skills can be learned (Orlitzky M. et al 2003, p128-138). The following experiences also prove my leadership skills.After successful completion of my tertiary education in Computer Science and Engineering, I was offered a job in â€Å"FJ Benjamin & Holdings,† Singapore in December 1995 after rigorous initial screening. At that time I was a team member of a group that was involved in developing an application for in house use. During its development phase many people left the company seeking better opportunities elsewhere. This led the director in charge of the project to think that the wrong decision was taken since the upper management initially was inclined to purchase the project rather than developing it in house.It was on the insistence of this Director that the company agreed to develop the application in house. Thus it was up to the Director to complete the work on time. I then took the matter at hand and commenced contacting my friends and others to join our group, in order to attain the objectives set. I induced some of my friends to join in the organization and thus helped in the continuance of the project at hand. Ultimately, we were successful in developing and implementing the project.Even though the project took more time than expected due to the adversaries faced, management was content that the project was completed with in the budget set. I was recognized and rewarded for my initiative and coordination of the staff accordingly. References: Lussier N. R. (2006). Management Fundamentals. Third Edition. United States of America: Thomson South-Western. Orlitzky M. ; Benjamin J. (2003). The effects of sea composition on small-group performance in a business school case competition, Academy of Management Learning, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp 128-138.

Extended Kalman Filter Model for Gps and Indoor Positioning System

Extended Kalman Filter Model for GPS and Indoor Positioning System Long Kam-Kim Department of Telecommunications Engineering, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering HCM City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tuan Do-Hong Department of Telecommunications Engineering, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering HCM City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Abstract – Object positioning is an old subject. It’s being used more and more in many areas, especially in military, traffic, social security and civil services.The most popular positioning system in the world is Global Positioning System (GPS). However, GPS has limited degree of accuracy for low priority users. This paper proposes a solution for solving these limitations by using Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). Moreover, GPS is almost invalid in indoor environments. The paper also introduces an indoor positioning system model based on GPS ideology and EKF algorithm. Beca use of the similarity in ideology, it’s easier for handoff procedure between outdoor and indoor environments and brings back the spatial continuous in positioning.The simulation results show that with the EKF, the accuracy of positioning is improved significantly in both outdoor and indoor environments. Keywords- GPS, Kalman filter, RFID, RSSI, EKF, indoor positioning. I. INTRODUCTION II. EKF MODEL FOR GPS Generally, Kalman algorithm is a group of mathematical equations described an efficient recurrence method for state estimation of process that it is optimal in the sense that it minimizes the estimated error covariance, when some presumed conditions are met [2]. EKF is an extension of Kalman filter for non-linear systems.A. Global Positioning System (GPS) In order to positioning, it requested that user’s receivers get signals from at least 4 GPS satellites. Distances between user and satellites are determined by using pseudorange code. At the same time, satellites an d receiver transmit a same pseudorange code. Because of propagation delay, signal received from satellites have phases delay than signal of receiver. By compared their phase, the distances can calculate. This method is called Time of Arrival (TOA). [1] B. Problem ExpressionPositioning based on GPS is affected by many noise sources, such as propagated errors, satellite and receiver caused errors, other errors from Selective Availability, dilution of precision, interference etc [1]. Several techniques are used to improve the accuracy of positioning in GPS, for example, DGPS (Differential GPS), Smart Antenna, Kalman Filter etc. This paper focuses on Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) solution, in order to introduce one way to model GPS system and sources of error. Nowadays, positioning applications in indoor environment are being extended.Especially, it becomes necessary in tunnels, supper huge plants, very high buildings, etc. The paper introduces a kind of Indoor Positioning System based o n GPS’s ideology and using EKF algorithm to help this system improve the accuracy of positioning. Assume that GPS system is tracking a mobile object. It is a uniform speed motion in 3D space with attendance of random acceleration events. GPS receiver puts on object updates its position continuously. However, the location is affected by measurement noises and propagation noises.Therefore, the calculating position and the real position are different. In order to improve the accuracy of position, we use EKF to model system and noises so that it diminishes the effect of noises. C. Modeling of system Defining the sate vector of system as follow: ? RX ( n ) ? ? RY ( n ) ? ? ? ? RZ ( n ) ? X (n) = ? ? ? VX ( n ) ? ?VY ( n ) ? ? ? ?VZ ( n ) ? where RX(n),RY(n),RZ(n) are coordinates of user at nth sample, VX(n), VY(n), VZ(n)) are x, y, z – components of user’s velocity at nth sample.Following [3], the characteristic equations for system can be extended as RX(n+1) = RX(n) + VX(n)T + ax(n)T 2 RY(n+1) = RY(n) + VY(n)T + ay(n)T 2 RZ(n+1) = RZ(n) + VZ(n)T + az(n)T 2 VX(n+1) = VX(n) + ax(n)T VY(n+1) = VY(n) + ay(n)T VZ(n+1) = VZ(n) + az(n)T (1) (2) (3) (4) where VX(n), VY(n), VZ(n)) are x, y, z – components of user’s velocity at nth sample, bf = ? bu/? t, dPRi is called delta-pseudorange correlated with user and ith satellite. [4] In order to reducing effect of errors, the EKF is used to model state noise vectors and measurement noise vectors.After characteristic matrixes are calculated, EKF iteration loops are started. The EKF algorithm will calculate estimation of the state vector by minimizing the estimated error covariance (between estimated values and real values). D. Simulation results for outdoor-EKF GPS Data for simulation on Matlab7. 8. 0(R2009a) †¢ †¢ †¢ User’s initial velocity: (3,6,2) meters/second Sampling rate: 1000 samples/second Iteration steps: 500 Process noise vector: W = 5* NORMRND (0, 500, 3, 1) Pr ocess noise variance: Q = 50* eye (3) Measurement noise vector: V = 5 * NORMRND (0, 500, 2, 1) Measurement noise variance: R = 50 * eye (2) (5) (6) here ax(n), ay(n), az(n) represent acceleration events at nth sample ( it is referred to state noises or process noises). According to [4], User’s positions are determined base on distances between user and four satellites. PRi= +bu, i=1,2,3,4 (7) †¢ Fig. 1 shows the simulation results for Lagrange iteration and EKF iteration compared with the true position values. In geographic coordinates, PRi is the distance between the user and the ith satellite, (SXi,SYi,SZi) are coordinates of ith satellite, (RX,RY,RZ) are coordinates of the user; bu=c. t with t is receiver clock offset compared to GPS time and c is the speed of light.PRis are determined by GPS’s receiver. Coordinates of satellites are obtained by decoding satellite report, while (RX, RY, RZ) and bu are unknowns. With system of equations (7) above, the root [RX,R Y,RZ,bu,] can be calculated by using Lagrange iteration [4]. However, measurement values PRi are affected by noises (measurement noises). Therefore the root of system of equations is not accuracy. After differentiating equations (7), we obtain dPRi = (RX ? SXi)? RX + (RY ? SYi)? RY + (RZ ? SZi)? RZ (RX ? SXi)2 + (RY ? SYi)2 + (RZ ? SZi)2 + ? bu = (RX ? SXi). VRX +(RY ? SYi). VRY +(RZ ?SZi). VRZ +bf PRi ? bu Figure 1. Simulate tracking User’s trajectory in outdoor environment (8) In Fig. 1, red curve simulates user’s motion,Green curve simulates calculated trajectory of user receiver without EKF, blue curve simulates calculated trajectory of user receiver in EKF model. Based on GPS’s ideology, this paper introduces an indoor positioning model using EKF, called Indoor-EKF GPS. Indoor-EKF GPS is hoped that it makes over easier with GPS, in such a way, we just use a handle equipment to keep the continuous positioning while moving between indooroutdoor environments.I n Fig. 3, an arranged system of equipments in space can be recognized as pseudo-satellites. Indoor spaces are complicated environments for wave propagation. Distances between user and pseudo-satellites cannot be determined using TOA technique like in outdoor GPS. Here, TOA technique is replaced by RSS (Received Signal Strength) technique. This technique measures the path loss and calculates the distance between source and receiver. Figure 2. Errors in outdoor positioning. Red points: positioning errors without EKF. Green points: positioning errors in EKF model.Comments on simulation results: †¢ The maximum error is about 5 meters in case using EKF model, whereas 25 meters in case without EKF. Trajectory of user receiver in EKF model is closer to trajectory of user’s motion than trajectory of user receiver without EKF. The average estimation error of EKF is very small than without EKF case. However, several points in curve are under suddenly changing errors. Figure 3. Ind oor positioning system. †¢ According to IEEE 802. 11 recommended channel model, the relation between free space path loss and distance d in breakpoint radius is given by [5] LFS(d) = L0 + 10? 1lg(d), 0 < d ? BP (9) †¢ According to the result, it shows that the positioning errors are reduced significantly. III. A. INDOOR POSITIONING SYSTEM where ? 1 is called distance-power-gradient up to breakpoint distance dBP, Lo represents the path loss in decibels at one meter distance. The overall path los for any distance is modeled as [5] Indoor-EKF GPS Recent years, indoor environment has been extended so that indoor positioning demands are extended, too. Furthermore, it becomes necessary in tunnels, supper huge plants, very high buildings etc, and giving convenient for absent minder when household equipments are positioning.However, GPS is almost invalid in indoor environment. The reason is that GPS signal has low power. Even GPS signal can be received, the error positioning of GP S is not appropriate with Indoor applications. ?LFS (d ) +W, d ? dBP ? L(d ) = ? ? d ? ?LFS (dBP ) +10? 2 lg ? d ? +W, d > dBP ? BP ? ? (10) where ? 2 is distance-power-gradient over break-point distance dBP. It’s required at least four distances form user to pseudosatellites are determined for calculating the user’s coordinates. Fig. 4 shows calculation process for user position. Figure 6. The second model. Figure 4. User’s coordinates calculation.B. In the next section, the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology will be used to implement this system. There are two implementation models: The first model: (Fig. 5) The RFID active chips are pseudo-satellites, and readers will be used as GPS’s receivers. Modeling of system Definition of the sate vector and the characteristic equations for system are similar with outdoor case above. However, because of difference on distances calculating method, equation (7) and equation (8) are not used here. This equation below is replaced equation (7) LPi=L0 + 10? lg (di) , i=1? 4 (11) here di is distance between user and ith pseudo-satellite, LPi is value of path loss on distance di. W appears as representative of noises and interferences. Here, we assume that it is Gaussian distribution, ? is distance-power-gradient (we have not examined its change yet. Here, we assume that it is constant). After differentiating equations (11), we obtain dLPi = Figure 5. The first model. 10? ( RX ? SRXi ). VX + ( RY ? SRYi). VY + ( RZ ? SRZi). VZ . ln10 di 2 + ? Wi , i=1,2,3,4 (12) The RFID active chips will transmit these data to readers: †¢ †¢ †¢ The chip’s coordinates (in local coordinates) and its identification.The nominal value of transmitting power. The parameters in IEEE 802. 11 that supporting to correct distance measurements in each specific environment. where (SXi,SYi,SZi) are coordinates of ith pseudo-satellite, (RX,RY,RZ)are coordinates of the user, VX, VY, VZ are x, y, z – components of user’s velocity, dLPi means the variation of path loss on distance di . We imply that the values are taken at nth sample. C. Simulation results for indoor-EKF GPS Data for simulation on Matlab7. 8. 0(R2009a) The second model: (Fig. 8) The RFID active chips will be attached to users. Users will move in space that arranged with RFID readers.These readers will be connected to data fusion center. This center will determine user’s coordinates and send the result to user’s receiver by other channel link. †¢ †¢ †¢ User’s initial velocity: (1,2,1) meters/second Sampling rate: 1000 samples/second Iteration steps: 500 Process noise vector: W = 5* NORMRND (0, 120, 3, 1) Process noise variance: Q = 50* eye (3) †¢ Measurement noise vector: V = 5 * NORMRND (0, 0. 4, 2, 1) Measurement noise variance: R = eye (8) This simulation was repeated 100 times. †¢ The maximum error is about 0. 5 meters in case using EKF model, wh ereas 4. 5 meters in case without EKF.Trajectory of user receiver in EKF model is not closed to trajectory of user’s motion correlative with appreciably positioning error. However the error reduces very quickly by exponential curve. The average estimation error of EKF is very small than without EKF case. However, several points in curve are under suddenly changing errors. IV. CONCLUSION Fig. 7 shows the simulation results for Newton iteration and EKF iteration compared with the true position values. †¢ †¢ In positioning systems, the accuracy of positioning is very important. It must be appropriated with the positioning applications.The paper recommends one way to improve the accuracy of positioning using the EKF. The results of simulations show that the EKF reduce effect of noises on the accuracy of positioning significantly in both outdoor and indoor positioning systems. The Indoor-EKF GPS system is a suggestion model for the future indoor positioning. It is easy f or implementation and expansion, since RFID is very popular and cheap today. Moreover, the Indoor-EKF GPS system has the same structure with GPS system, wherefore the handle equipment can be designed to keep the continuous positioning while moving between indoor-outdoor environments.REFERENCES [1]. Ahmed EI-Rabbany, â€Å"Introduction to GPS†, Artech House, Inc, ISBN 1-58053-183-0, 2002, pp. 13-25,2741. [2]. Grey Welch and Gary Bishop, â€Å"An introduction to the Kalman filter†, Technical Report TR 95-041, 2001. [3]. Jorge Quijano, â€Å"Estimation of the position of a moving target using Extended Kalman Filter†,term paper for the class ECE 510 Statistical Signal Processing, winter 2006. [4]. James Bao-Yen TSui, â€Å"Fundamentals of Global Positioning System Receivers: A Software Approach†, John Wiley & Sons , Inc, ISBN 0-471-20054-9, 2000, pp. 9-15, 230-231. [5].Ahmad Hatami, â€Å"Application of Channel Modeling for Indoor Location Using TOA and RSSà ¢â‚¬ , PhD Thesis, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2006, pp. 14-19. Figure 8. Errors in indoor positioning. Figure 7. Simulate tracking User’s trajectory in indoor environment. In Fig. 7, red curve simulates user’s motion, green curve simulates calculated trajectory of user receiver without EKF, blue curve simulates calculated trajectory of user receiver in EKF model. Red points: positioning errors without EKF. Green points: positioning errors in EKF model. Comments on simulation results:

Miss M Maserati Essay

Miss M Maserati Essay Miss M Maserati Essay Core Beliefs are things you know and things you believe that are true about yourself regardless of what anyone else thinks or feels about you. For example If i said to myself â€Å"i am clever, i am handsome, i’m a great person with lots of value † whilst you cannot pinpoint this and says its 100% true what others think or say should not matter anyway in reality . The point is that what you are is limited by what you think about yourself or to better put it: what you know you are. If we have positive core beliefs and attribute them to ourselves even through we are slightly pretending they eventually become part of us and we create our own reality of we believe. We address ourselves with positive thoughts and feelings regardless of where we are or what we are doing. Some people can pretend as a way of jumping onto the first step whilst some who have mastered their belief system to its fullest are able to simply feel good about themselves and have no problem keeping their head straight knowing that they are someone special, what anyone else says does not effect their opinion of themselves. Someone who knows their own value is in a reality of â€Å"im good, im feeling great and i can do anything if i put my mind to it†. This goes double if it actually is true to other people. Then again what is true? True is when someone considers them self that it is true, it is something proven or shown. Do you consider it true that you are a person of high value? Becau se that is all that matters. Of course people have different views on different people but you yourself are actually creating your own reality of what is right about yourself. This is not to say you should lie to yourself all the time but be true to yourself. If someone has ditched you like a friend for example does not mean you should think with the mindset â€Å"i am a bad friend and useless, i will go cry now†. What instead should happen is that if you did do something wrong you would apologize and instead of beating yourself forgive yourself as soon as possible, life is too short to beat ourselves up 100 times with a negative thought process then make identity for ourselves by reminding our self 100 times what we did to the other person. This is just one example. In another example you can actually trick yourself into enjoying something like maths classes. I would tell myself in my head it is exciting and enjoy it even if it was not my favorite subject. The point here is that your almost tricking your brain into thinking a certain way but at the same your not, your just being true to the way you think. Remember when i touched on positivity well it is core beliefs that is behind it all, if you practice you can master it. â€Å"You tend to think that your beliefs are rigid or unchanging. When what your belief is, is only a thought that you keep thinking. It’s more like a habit of thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Core beliefs are not outside facts rather it is just something you believe to be true and know yourself, no one else can comes into the equation of what you think. IT is simply that your thought about yourself is actually more important than others, of course its silly to ignore others thoughts and just consider them as nothing but what they say should make you the person you are. A core belief can originate from a place of positivity or negativity. So when you are thinking in your head â€Å"i don’t deserve to be in this persons presence† this is a negative core belief that you yourself has made up for no reason. When you say â€Å"i am a person of high value and a lot to offer† this is a positive core belief, you are thinking highly of yourself. Let me give you some examples of positive and negative Core Beliefs: Positive core beliefs: 1. I am a good worker (I am incompetent) 2. I am am loved by many (I am Lovable ) 3. I am effective,

10 Best Writing Communities You Need to Join Today - Freewrite Store

10 Best Writing Communities You Need to Join Today - Freewrite Store Back in the very early 2000s, when the internet was still young, YouTube didn’t exist, and Facebook was just a twinkle in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye, I joined a Yahoo Group for writers.  Ã‚   Why? I was writing fiction that I wanted to publish online – but first, I wanted to get it peer-reviewed. And not long after I signed up, one of the other writers reached out to me and offered to help me with my 30,000-word novella. She said she saw promise - and some things that needed fixing. I accepted her offer and began an amazing friendship that stands strong to this day.  Ã‚   It still amazes me that this stranger from across the world was willing to give up her time, for free, to help me hone my craft. It took several months of rewrites. She didn’t pull any punches with her feedback, but she was always constructive and kind, and her advice was invaluable, as was the input from the other writers after I finally reached the stage where I was happy to release my story to the wider group.   I’ve been a big fan of online writing communities ever since. If you’ve never joined one before, you might not be aware of the full range of benefits you can get by signing up.    Support   Writing is a pastime (or profession) with a unique set of challenges that only another writer can truly understand. Being part of an online community gives you the chance to interact with others who understand your struggles, frustrations and challenges, and who can offer helpful encouragement and wisdom. It provides you with a group of people with whom you can discuss and explore your ideas and your roadblocks, and who can encourage you to keep going when you’ve hit a creative brick wall.   Critique   When you’re emotionally involved in a piece of writing, it can be hard to assess it objectively. Not sure if your plot makes sense? Do your characters ring true? Are their motivations plausible? Family and friends often lack the technical ability or the courage to provide truly constructive feedback, whereas an online community provides you with a diverse group of writers with a wide range of experience who can help you gain valuable insight on your strengths and weaknesses.   Knowledge   Every writer brings something new to a community in terms of experience, genre, format, perspective, tips, processes and ideas. A writing community gives you a forum to exchange knowledge and take away the most useful tidbits to apply to your own writing. Offering to critique someone’s work can also be a valuable learning experience which gives you exposure to a plethora of writing styles. Many communities also offer their members access to learning resources.   Resilience   One of the things any writer needs to learn to deal with is criticism - no writer is going to be accepted by every publisher or enjoyed by every reader. Writing is a very personal and emotional activity, and it can be  difficult to hear negative things about your work, and scary to share it with strangers. Good writing communities will help you build your resilience to feedback by being constructive, thoughtful and helpful.   Marketing   If you’re going down the self-publishing route, you’ll need some marketing skills, and being part of an online community puts you in contact with other writers who have been there, done that, and can share what has worked for them. Most communities also have avenues through which you can promote your own books to other members.   If you’re keen to experience the support, companionship and knowledge that comes from joining an online writing community, here’s a list of the ten best groups you can join right now:   1.  Scribophile   One of the world’s largest and most active communities, Scribophile operates on a karma system, whereby you have to critique others’ work before you can submit your own. However, if you pay for premium access ($9 per month or $65 per year), you get unlimited submissions and an ad-free experience. Scribophile also offers the opportunity to compete in writing contests (for cash!). All levels of writing ability are welcomed and almost every genre covered.   2.  Insecure Writers’ Support Group   This community was created by sci-fi author Alex Cavanaugh, who realized that there were a lot of lost souls out there scouring the internet for help with their writing. Today, it has a Facebook group with over 4000 members and a mission â€Å"to share and encourage†. The community’s website boasts a wealth of information including links to writing tips, publisher lists, marketing guides and contests. There’s a weekly newsletter and even a free guide to publishing and beyond.   3.  Absolute Write Water Cooler   If you’re looking for a purely forum-style group, then Absolute Write Water Cooler is a great place to start. With almost 68,000 members at the time of writing, it’s extremely active, well moderated, and there are threads on everything from writer’s block and grammar to publishing and freelancing. Plenty of writing formats are covered including podcasts, graphic novels and scriptwriting, to name a few. There are dozens of discussions about writing-related topics to get involved in, and a section where you can find yourself a beta reader, writing buddy or mentor.    4. Chronicles   This community is the largest forum that caters specifically to science fiction and fantasy writers. Aside from the writing forums that offer workshops, critiques, challenges and resources, it’s a great place to discuss the genre as a whole. Topics cover TV and film, featured authors, the publishing industry and more.   5.  The Next Big Writer   If you’re focused on getting your work critiqued, The Next Big Writer offers an international audience of authors – many of them published – to provide you with feedback on your writing and support with every aspect of your craft. This forum isn’t free but comes with a rich list of features for the membership ($8.95 per month, $21.95 per quarter or $69.95 per year) including guaranteed feedback, unlimited posting, access to premium groups, discounts on classes and entry into site competitions.   6.  She Writes   Looking for a supportive community of female writers? She Writes might be the right one for you. It’s the largest online writing community exclusively for women. Once you’ve joined, you can follow specific groups and content topics, post your own blog and read the articles posted by other members (more than 30,000 available). She Writes also operates its own self-publishing platform, where you can invest in professional coaching, editing, e-book creation and printing.   7.  Nanowrimo   Sometimes you need a deadline to give you that extra bit of motivation. Nanowrimo stands for National November Writing Month. Started in 1999 by freelance writer Chris Baty, it’s an online novel-writing challenge held from 1–30 November every year, with the objective of writing a 50,000-word novel. The community aspect comes in the form of camaraderie across social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and you can also join theNanowrimo forums to discuss all aspects of the novel writing process and share your journey with other participants. If the timing and word count don’t suit, tryCamp Nanowrimo instead, which holds virtual writers’ retreats in April and July for projects of any format and length.   8.  Talentville   Screenwriters – this community’s especially for you. Talentville is designed to help aspiring screenwriters not only hone their craft through collaboration and education but also to build connections within the industry. With over 10,000 screenwriters and more than 200 industry professionals registered, one of Talentville’s goals is to actively promote worthy work to agents, managers and producers. Membership ranges from free (with posting limitations) to $99 per year.   9.  Agent Query Connect   If you’ve already finished your manuscript, this online social network could be your best choice. It specializes in helping you get your book published, with discussion topics and helpful resources covering everything from writing query letters and finding agents to self-publishing and promotion. You can even get your query letter peer-reviewed.   10.  Reddit   Reddit is a vast social network made up of subreddits that focus on every topic imaginable, and there are plenty of writing-related discussion boards in which you can participate. It’s free, and sometimes unmoderated, but great if you have a very niche area of interest or are looking for a large and diverse group. With almost 700,000 subscribers, r/writing is a great place to start.    BONUS: 11. Freewrite Insiders Our Freewrite Insider group has over 30,000 writers all over the world who are serious about improving their writing process.   From free resources, quality content, and exclusive discounts on the latest writing tools, this is one  email newsletter that every writer who is serious about their craft needs to be part of.  Ã‚         About the author: Claire Wilkins is a freelance copywriter and editor from New Zealand. She loves to write about travel, health, home, and proper punctuation. After a career in financial services spanning almost three decades, Claire left the corporate world behind to start Unmistakable - her writing and editing business. She creates website copy, blogs, and newsletters for creative agencies and small businesses, and  specialises  in polishing existing content until it shines. In her spare time, Claire enjoys cloud-spotting, singing in the car and editing video.

Does human beings have a duty to protect the natural environment Essay

Does human beings have a duty to protect the natural environment - Essay Example Air pollution entails the release of gases and particles into the atmosphere, according to Harrison (2001) pollutant gases include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. The increase in these gases in the atmosphere has been due to industrial release of these gases and motor vehicle fumes, the use of fossil oils has a source of energy has contributed to the air pollution problem. When these gases are released into the atmosphere they affect the quality of air in towns and industrial towns, Harrison (2001) states that some of the health dangers that air pollution poses include nose, eye and throat irritation, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma and heart diseases. These medical conditions incur high health costs and lower productivity in the workplace. The only solution is to establish assessment of air pollution which will determine the amount and type of pollution, after assessment air pollutants should be determined and appropriate measures to reduce pollution undertaken. Currently many nations have established policies and mechanisms to prevent air pollution, if human beings do not control pollution then there will be no regulations governing air pollution and therefore the occurrence of the diseases mentioned will increase, this means that the mortality rate will increase as a result of deaths associated with the diseases. Therefore it is evident that human beings have a role to play in protecting the environment whereby by preventing air pollution diseases are reduced and lives saved. Radioactivity pollution problem: This form of pollution involves the release of radioactive material to the environment, Kolbert (2006) states that this form of pollution spreads rapidly to a large area and may last for many years whereby it affects animals and plants for a long period of time, this form of pollution poses a health danger whereby it causes chronic diseases and cancer. Radioactive pollution is as a result of human activity which includes testing of nuclear weapons, production of nuclear materials and accidents resulting from nuclear power production. Therefore it is evident that human activity is the main contributor to nuclear pollution, the effects of this form of pollution may last for many decades and therefore posses the greatest danger to human and plant life through diseases such as cancer and other chronic diseases. Human beings are responsible for this form of pollution and therefore have a role in protecting the environment from this form of pollution. Soil pollution problems: Soil pollution occurs as a result of the use of pesticides, oil dumping, industrial wastes, spillage by underground tanks and heavy metal contamination. Soil pollution poses health risks and degradation of agricultural soils. The major concern in heavy metal contaminated soils is that plants will take up these heavy metals and products consumed by humans are contaminated with these metals. When human activity results into the degradation of soils the soils loose their productivity and yields decline, a reduction in production means a reduction in the food produced and therefore