The Great Keystone Pipeline Debate Exercise Essay

The Great Keystone Pipeline Debate Exercise - Essay Example Even though, the project may not have started, it is estimated that it will create many jobs. It is estimated it will create close to 20,000 jobs, 7,000 in manufacturing and an extra 13,000 in construction. The state Department reports that as more than 40,000 jobs will be established directly and indirect. It is stated that by building the pipeline an estimated amount of about $3.4 billion would be contributed to the American economy (Swart, Neil and Andrew 2012) Moreover, the pipeline will create geopolitically secure position in contrast to other sources of oil used. It would create sustainable fuel use from Canada, a constant trading partner. Therefore, it increases energy security that comes from the Gulf Coast. It is because most of the oil comes from Middle East and Venezuela who are not reliable partners as compared to Canada (Swart, Neil and Andrew 2012) Additionally, it is considered that the establishment of this pipeline system would provide a safer option in transportation since the enormous quantity of oil transported from Canada would cause a lot of damage to U.S. This is happening through rail and these paths could be used to replace pipeline. Transportation of oil by rail is environmentally hazardous to the environment. More deaths as a result of tanker train would be reduced tremendously by constructing expanding pipeline. However, construction of the pipeline would have some adverse effects on the U.S. First it would cause and result in global warming that has the effect of damaging the U.S. GDP by almost 2%. The ripple effect will create a massive environmental impact causing global warming. It is also believed that the expansion of the pipeline has the risk factors associated with spilling to contamination of water and other materials. There is also the likelihood of pipe failure that carries oil making clean up of water

Rules of Survival Essay Example for Free

Rules of Survival Essay There are many ways that make humans adapt to changes in their lives. An example of this is in Nancy Werlins novel, Rules of Survival, when Matt, Emmy, Callie all have to learn to adapt to how their mom, Nikki, is a physically and mentally abusive mother to all of her children. Matt is the one who gets most of the abuse since he is the oldest of the children. He learns to live by what Charles Darwin had once said, â€Å"Its not the strongest of the species who survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. Its the one that is most adaptable to change.† On one occasion when Nikki was having a drunken rage throughout their house Matt was able to sneak out his younger sisters to go to the corner store to get some ice pops since it was a hot summer night. As they go to pay for their ice pops they encounter a father with his young son and the father is mad at his son and is about to hit him when all of a sudden a young man, a little older than Matt, steps in front of the man and says to him instead of his son. The young man’s exact words to the son were that, â€Å"no one had the right to hurt him, no one, not even his father† (Werlin). After the man stopped and thought he calmed down and didnt hit either Murdoch, who was the young man as Matt later found out, or his son. After the encounter Matt spent many days and nights trying to find the man that was called Murdoch. It wasnt until Matt’s sister Emmy gave him a note with Murdochs address and phone number on it that Matt was able to even think about finding Murdoch and being able to talk to him. But as fate would have it just as Emmy gave Matt the paper with the information their mother Nikki walks in and takes the paper from Matt. After Nikki learns that Murdoch is a good looking man she proceeds to date Murdoch. This ends up working in the kids favor since he helps them whenever Nikki becomes out of control. After a while of dating Nikki, Murdoch finally starts to see how she really treats her children and how badly they need help in order to survive. As Murdoch starts to gain more and more access into the Walsh family he learns just how bad the situation is for the children. Matt was the one who saw how Murdoch was helping him and his little sisters and he was forever grateful  to what he did so that he and his sisters were protected from Nikkis wrath. Matt put this best in a part from his letter to Emmy, â€Å"I wonder if you really need to know exactly what happened to us—me, you, Callie—at the hands of our unpredictable, vicious mother. How we lived back then, when I was fifteen and you only seven, all of full of fear. All then full of hope when we met Murdoch, the man who seemed to be showing us an easier future. What Murdoch did and what he couldnt do. What you and I did. Part of me hopes that youll go along happily your whole life and never want to know the details.† (Werlin). Matt had always tried to shade his sisters from what their mom was capable of doing, and when Murdoch came along his job was made a little easier which is why his sisters may not have seen some of the things that Nikki did. In the end Matt was able to do what he had hoped to do and that was to protect his sisters from Nikkis wrath. But alongside this she is now gone and they no longer have to fear for their lives. Matt is living with his aunt and the girls are with his father and Murdoch. They learned to live with Nikki no matter the situation she put them in. This just goes to prove Charles Darwin’s saying â€Å"It’s not the strongest of the species who survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. Its the one that is most adaptable to change.†

The Rich get Richer and the Poor get Poorer :: Wealth Poverty

"The Rich get Richer and the Poor get Poorer" Living in the United States of America allows for many freedoms and opportunities to its citizens. Growing up, children learn that in the United States means that everyone is treated equally, and fairly. In addition, one is made to believe that a prejudiced outlook on minorities is a problem of the past. Jeffrey Reiman's article, "The Rich get Richer and the Poor get poorer," displays the truth of how the real world is. The article shows a clearer picture as to how destitute and African American people are treated extremely different then Caucasians do. The idea of underprivileged citizens having a greater chance of being arrested, more likely to be sentenced, and punished for a longer amount of time is not how one would think the criminal justice system works. Nobody wants to acknowledge the fact that hate does still exist in the United States. Most still wants to believe that all people will be treated equally, no matter who they are. Not always what people think is happening in this society is correct. Also, there is a huge difference in poor people being arrested compared to upper and middle-class. Does this mean that poor people cannot slip out of punishment, but rich people can? Some believe this clearly shows that impoverished people are looked down upon in society. Although it is a hard concept to believe, statistics show that it is true. In 1978, fifty three percent African Americans jail inmates had pre-arrest incomes below three thousand dollars compared with forty four percent of Caucasian inmates. In 1983 the median pre-arrest income of African Americans was four thousand sixty-seven dollars and that of Caucasian inmates was six thousand three hundred and twelve dollars. These statistics provide evidence that both African-American and poor people are more likely to be in jail. (Reiman, 97) There is a better financial outlook though; the poverty rate for African Americans in 2000, is the lowest measured since 1959-the earliest year for which poverty data are available. The 2000 rate was down from twenty-three percent in 1999. About half-million fewer African Americans were poor in 2000 than in 1999, seven million compared to eight million. In 1998 African American men were making more money then Caucasian women. Now African American women are catching up in the higher pay roll. In 1998 African American women were only one thousand dollars behind Caucasian women.

Fathers and Sons Essay

   Finally the Monster’s ability to transport himself globally from one setting to another, in spite of his obvious physical appearance and limitations is something which the author leaves essentially unexplored. As a consequence the reader is reminded that this is fiction. However, the themes of Frankenstein – prejudice, knowledge, ambition, injustice and parental responsibility – are familiar and serve to deflect the reader from the fictionality of the novel. Society’s inability to see the true reality beneath the appearance is a central theme. The Monster is not judged by his actions, such as saving the drowning girl but instead by his grotesque and frightening appearance. The perception of the humans to whom he comes into contact is distorted, and barring the blind, old man De Lacy who judges him by his sentiments, they attack rather than accept him. Society’s prejudice against that which is different (physical, religious, cultural diversity) is a theme to which readers can relate. Attainment of knowledge is another key theme to which the reader can associate. Walton, Victor and the Monster all begin their stories by communicating a desire to explain the world around them, although each has a different focus. Walton and Victor’s thirst for knowledge is arrogant and ambitious with disastrous consequences. The Monster’s by comparison is simple and pure and driven by necessity. Through the De Lacy’s he learns about love, happiness and kindness and how to ‘unravel the mystery’ of language (Frankenstein, page 89). Through this theme Shelley draws us in to accept that misguided knowledge is more tragic than no knowledge at all. If we consider modern scientific developments (IVF and human cloning), the ethical implications as identified in Frankenstein, are just as relevant today. The disregard for basic human rights and decency is a theme that emerges throughout the novel. Justice, parental responsibility, oppression, the right to education and companionship are all addressed by Shelley. The injustice of Justine’s execution; the rejection of children by their parents (Justine, Safie and the Monster); the Monster’s desire for love and affection, are all emotive issues to which the reader can connect. As a consequence of the author’s use of recognisable themes we are drawn in and find ourselves accepting the implausible context in which they are set. Shelley’s characters lend themselves to the romantic and gothic genres. Their characterisation is stereotyped, two-dimensional and largely undeveloped. These characters serve not deflect us from their fictionality but compliment instead the emotional, tragic and fatalistic tone of the novel. Justine, Elizabeth, Safie and Agatha are reflections of the virtuous woman, biologically immaculate as they have not been tainted by sexual experiences or motherhood. The Monster by contrast is not a fully formed individual but a debasement of the human form. Shelley incorporates other characters not for the purpose of realism but to perform a functional role within the novel. The most significant of these characters is William. He is an undeveloped character and yet his death serves many literary meanings. His characterisation moves the plot forward (his death creates the opportunity for Victor to return to Geneva); helps to develop themes (prejudice, political and revenge) and enables us to understand more about the major characters. Walton is arguably set apart from the other characters within the novel, as having the ability once faced with a wretched image of his future self, to emerge as the ‘single wiser individual’ (The Realist Novel, page 80). However, the duplication and doubling of the male characters within Frankenstein – Victor and Walton (through their ambition and thirst for knowledge) and Victor and the Monster (through shadowing of God & Man/Satan, Paradise Lost) – leads the reader to conclude that in spite of their marked differences, their fate will be the same, ‘ultimately, failure and death’ (The Realist Novel, page 80). By the end of the novel Victor and presumably the Monster are dead, whilst Walton although returning to England has in all likelihood not abandoned his hope of ‘utility and glory’ (Frankenstein, page 184). Frankenstein like the Monster is a hybrid (mixture of genres). In spite of Shelley’s use of realist conventions to depict real life issues, Frankenstein is undoubtedly an offshoot of Romanticism, the gothic novel. The expression of the imagination through incredible events, mysterious settings and satanic imagery are all features of this genre. I would argue therefore that although Frankenstein does not sufficiently draw us in to prevent us from thinking â€Å"this is fiction†, this was ultimately not the author’s aim. Shelley instead was intent on creating a sensationalist horror, a science-fiction that would enable the reader to explore the sub-conscious and the principles at the heart of human nature. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Shelley. M, Frankenstein 1818 text (1998) Oxford University Press (World Classics). Walder. D (ed. ), The Realist Novel (2005) The Open University. Approaching Prose Fiction, (2002) The Open University. ? X0499126 Steve Lenaghan 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Themes in Shakespeare

Shakespeare explores what it means to be an honest and honorable men In Henry IV Part I William Shakespeare goes into depth of what characters are like and how they display what It Is to be honest and an honorable person. Shakespeare Is able to delve Into aspects of characters personality traits by presenting them with choices they have to make (Including) from prince Hal having to stand up to his enemy Hotshot to (and) Falstaff lying and deceiving actions that leads him to becoming knighted in the Elizabethan times.These choices signifies Shakespeare views that it goes not matter who you may be or what you may have done whether you have been stealing, drinking, and abusing others you can still be knighted and be classified by others as honorable. Let's start off with Sir John Falstaff, Shakespeare has developed a character that is very likeable by those in the Elizabethan times, the audience in particular were intrigued with Falstaff as a character, why? Because he lived his life li ke there was no tomorrow, he knows that you only deserve one chance at life and this appealed to him and the audience, Shakespeare also delved IntoFalstaff traits portraying them through his Interactions with others In how he would interact with others, these examples Included that he would abuse the bartender at the tavern and worse of all he would Ill to her displaying Falstaff as being dishonest towards others, another example Is when he Is on the receiving end of being robbed by Prince Hal and Points, he lies about the situation, denies everything and that he was not scared, but in the end he covers up these lies by being even more dishonest by saying â€Å"l knew it was you† but he didn't know it was prince Hal and points and that e was covering up his tracks.Shakespeare also displays Falstaff opinions of honor as a disgrace, he also goes on to say â€Å"what is honor air† signifying he does not care one bit about honor. Falstaff however does display being honest to himself but not to others this is evident when Hal and Points repeatedly insult Falstaff by saying â€Å"fat as butter you are Falstaff now to the common person they would deny these Insults but to Falstaff he accepts these insults, cops It on the chin, and accepts who he Is no denying from him, this portrays the honest towards himself.Now on to Hotshot, Hotshot Is a completely opposite character from Sir John Falstaff, hotshot Is a warrior, a medieval knight, a soldier in our modern society If he were alive, he is the honorable men of the play and Shakespeare evidently display this through him dying at the end of the play to hotshot waging war on King Henry.Shakespeare wanted to create a character that was gallant and skilful who was not afraid of anything, the traits of hotshot provided the platform of what an honorable person is. Also note how Shakespeare presents hotshot as talking very fast paced and if you equalized hotshot he would be standing tall upright, like a king an d signifies him as more of an honorable person.Also Shakespeare addition into the play of Hotshot waging war against King Henry for the fact that Hotshot cousin is not being Included in the throne and that he deserves to be, glandless that hotshot has values upon his family and that he could have let It all go and not had a war but he was determined, he was subjected In his right mind that he needed to protect his family and this signifies to the audience of what it is to have honor even to the battle field, the tart off with how he became the King, King Henry killed Richard the former King to become the new king, in a way Henry is portraying dishonest and dishonorable actions to become the king in our modern society you would have to be subjected to family origin or married to a king but in the Elizabethan times if you kill the king you become the king in which case this is how Henry becomes King happens to Henry. Shakespeare portrays Henry as one of our modern day politician once they are in the top Job aka (prime minister) they can't seem to keep their promises; in which Henry didn't keep his promise to hotshot which signifies that Shakespeare was portraying him as being a lire and a thief and that this presents to the audience you really can't trust the person in charge.Also note this is how Shakespeare has incorporated into his play the dramatic irony of Henry and hotshot relationship we see at the start of the play how Henry did not want to wage war on hotshot and that if hotshot release his prisoners he would drop his attack on hotshot, but as already discussed we know hotshot traits of being a warrior, soldiers, mediaeval knight displays he has too much nor and dignity to let this pass and that he needed to protect him and his family for Henry not keeping a promise to hotshot. Through the developments of characters to there traits Shakespeare is able to distinguish his opinions and views of what it is to be an honest and honorable men from hotshot gall ant stand against King Henry to Falstaff exploring tow ways of being honest to himself but not to others. Through Henry lies and stealing of the throne distinguish Shakespeare presenting what it is to be an honest men and what it is to be an honorable men.

The Military Draft

The Military Draft The Army is the only branch of the U.S. Armed forces which has relied on conscription, popularly known in the U.S. as The Draft. In 1973, at the end of the Vietnam War, Congress abolished the draft in favor of an all-volunteer Army (AVA). The Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard are not meeting recruiting goals, and junior officers are not re-enlisting. Soldiers have been forced to fight in Iraq for long tours of duty, with little relief in sight. These pressures have caused some leaders to insist that reinstating the draft is inevitable. The draft was abandoned in 1973 in large part due to protests and a general belief that the draft was unfair: that it targeted less affluent members of society because, for example, of college deferments. However, that was not the first time Americans had protested a draft; that distinction belongs to the Civil War, with the most famous riots occurring in New York City in 1863. Today the all-volunteer Army is criticized because its ranks of minorities are disproportionate to the general population and because recruiters target less affluent teenagers who have poor job prospects after graduation. It is also criticized for its access to the nations youth; high schools and colleges that receive federal monies are required to allow recruiters on campus. Pros Conscription for military service is a classic debate between individual liberty and duty to society. Democracies value individual liberty and choice; however, democracy does not come without costs. How should those costs be shared? George Washington makes the case for mandatory service: It must be laid down as a primary position and the basis of our (democratic) system, that every citizen who enjoys the protection of a free Government owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal service to the defence of it. It was this ethic that led the U.S. to adopt mandatory militia service for white males in the late 1700s. The modern equivalent is voiced by Rep. Rangel (D-NY), a veteran of the Korean War: I truly believe that those who make the decision and those who support the United States going into war would feel more readily the pain thats involved, the sacrifice thats involved, if they thought that the fighting force would include the affluent and those who historically have avoided this great responsibility...Those who love this country have a patriotic obligation to defend this country. For those who say the poor fight better, I say give the rich a chance. The Universal National Service Act (HR2723) would require all men and women aged 18-26 to perform military or civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes. The required term of service is 15 months. This differs from a draft lottery, however, as its goal is to apply equally to all. Cons Modern warfare is high tech and has changed dramatically since Napoleans march to Russia, the battle of Normandy or the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. There is no longer a need for massive human cannon fodder. Thus one argument against the draft is that the Army needs highly skilled professionals, not just men with combat skills. When the Gates Commission recommended an all-volunteer Army to President Nixon, one of the arguments was economic. Even though wages would be higher with the volunteer force, Milton Freedman argued that the net cost to society would be lower. In addition, the  Cato Institute argues  that selective service registration, which was reauthorized under President Carter and extended under President Reagan, should also be eliminated: The sign-up was always intended to quickly generate a large conscript armysimilar to Americas 13-million-man military in World War IIfor a protracted conventional war against the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact centered in Europe. Today that kind of conflict is a paranoid fantasy. Consequently, the premium for registration insurance would be better spent elsewhere. And an early 1990s  Congressional Research Service report  says an expanded reserve corps is preferable to a draft: A requirement for major increases in combat forces could be met much more quickly by activating more reserves than by instituting a draft. A draft would not provide the trained officers and non-commissioned officers to man effective units; it would only turn out freshly trained junior enlisted recruits.

TAX TREATMENT OF SALARY -ITS NATURE AND SCOPE Essays - Tax

TAX TREATMENT OF SALARY -ITS NATURE AND SCOPE Essays - Tax TAX TREATMENT OF SALARY -ITS NATURE AND SCOPE SUBMITTED BY STUTI PRIYA OJHA BALLB, 7 TH SEMESTER ENROLL NO. - 0056150813 Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u INTRODUCTION PAGEREF _Toc467133005 \h 4 WHAT IS SALARY? PAGEREF _Toc467133006 \h 4 CONSTITUENTS OF SALARY PAGEREF _Toc467133007 \h 4 PROVISIONS UNDER INCOME TAX ACT 1961 REGARDING INCOME FROM SALARY PAGEREF _Toc467133008 \h 4 SECTION 15 - CHARGEABILITY PAGEREF _Toc467133009 \h 4 SECTION 16 - DEDUCTIONS PAGEREF _Toc467133010 \h 5 SECTION 17 - DEFINITIONS PAGEREF _Toc467133011 \h 5 NATURE AND SCOPE OF SALARY PAGEREF _Toc467133012 \h 5 MEANING OF SALARY AS GIVEN UNDER INCOME TAS ACT PAGEREF _Toc467133018 \h 7 Definition of Salary under Income tax Act PAGEREF _Toc467133019 \h 7 DEDUCTIONS FROM SALARY PAGEREF _Toc467133020 \h 15 CONCLUSION PAGEREF _Toc467133021 \h 16 INTRODUCTION Income tax is that percentage of a person's income that he/she pays to the government to fund infrastructural development and for other developmental schemes. All taxes are levied based on the passing of a law, and the law that governs the provisions for our income tax is the Income Tax Act, 1961. This income tax is to be paid by all individuals, Hindu Undivided family, firms and associations. The Income Tax Act provides detailed provisions on what constitutes an income. Income from different sources is taxed differently. These sources are called heads of income and are as follows: Income from Salaries Income from House Property Income from capital gains Profits or gains from business Income from other sources WHAT IS SALARY? Salary is a fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly basis but often expressed as an annual sum, made by an employer to an employee for services rendered. The origin of the word can be traced back to the Latin term salarium , originally denoting a Roman soldier's allowance to buy salt,( from sal salt'). CONSTITUENTS OF SALARY The two basic constituents of salary are : Monetary payments (e.g.- basic salary, bonus, commission , allowance etc) Non- Monetary facilities (e.g.- house accommodation, medical facilities , interest free loans etc.) PROVISIONS UNDER INCOME TAX ACT 1961 REGARDING INCOME FROM SALARY SECTION 15 - CHARGE A BILITY It includes full time as well as part employment . Salary foregone by a employee is also accountable. Tax paid by employer on the salary of the employee also constitutes the income of the employee SECTION 16 - DEDUCTIONS Entertainment allowance Professional Tax SECTION 17 - DEFINITIONS NATURE AND SCOPE OF SALARY Relation between Payer and Payee: The relation between payer and payee should be that of employer and employee . I n other words for an income to be taxed under head salaries the relation between payer and payee should be of employer and employee. Employer may be an Individual, firm, AOP etc and an employee may be full time or part time employee. If the relation between payer and payee is not that of employer and employee income received cannot be charged under head Salaries it would be charged under other heads. TEST: The test to determine the employer-employee relationship between the payer and recipient is existence of right of control in respect of manner in which the work is to be done. Income by way of examinership fees received by a professor from the same university in which he is employed would not be chargeable to tax under this head but must be taxed as Income from other sources under Section 56. Income by way of remuneration received by a managing director would be taxable as his salary income whereas the income received by him as directors fees in his capacity as director for attending the meetings of the Board would be assessable under the head Income from other sources. An official liquidator appointed by the Court or by the Central Government would also become an employee of the Central Government under Section 448 of the Companies Act, 1956 and consequently the remuneration due to him would also be assessable under the head Salaries. Remuneration received by a manager of a company even if he is wrongly designated as a director or by any other name would be chargeable to tax under this head regardless of the fact that the