Natural Gas Markets in Three Distinct Regions Essay Example for Free

Natural Gas Markets in Three Distinct Regions Essay Introduction As with many other products and commodities participating in a globalized supply chain, the three dominant market places are located in North America, Europe and Asia. This is no different for natural gas. While each region shares similarly a reliance on energy to support the tenets of the modern high-standard of living, all three are highly divergent in terms of demographic, culture, and history; and differ widely in policies concerning finance, monetary regulation, and of course, energy. These qualities and more have shaped generations of market development in terms of policy and practice, and in examining the results of those developments, or today’s key differences between the natural gas markets in Asia, Europe, and North America, differentiations will be made based on the following three criteria: market maturity, the sources of supply, and the dependence on imports. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) Asia – Market Maturity Asia is the least developed natural gas market but shows the greatest growth potential. China in particular is rapidly modernizing; what was once a largely agrarian country is becoming a collection of burgeoning city-centers with growing energy needsproof can be found in any of over 100 cities with a population over one million (Perkowski, 2012). In addition, Chinese government has recently unveiled a policy whereby natural gas is prioritized for the transportation sector in an effort to displace diesel and reign in emissions. (Aishu and Hua, 2012) This suggests China, currently the eighth largest consumer of natural gas, may ascend that list to the top three—situating itself among Russia and the US. Despite China’s position to increase gas consumption, significant barriers exist to natural gas market maturity. Structural and regulatory issues concerning natural gas—including pricingare addressed ad hoc. (Huang, 2012 p.3058) Although industrialized Asia largely sets worldwide LNG prices (which are tied to oil-indexed long term contracts), the prices are not binding. China has pursued non-market concessions with India through bilateral agreements (McRae and Ruppel, 2011), and bypassed bidding processes with countries like Angola and Nigeria, who sign agreements without human rights or financial transparency requirements normally required by Western investors. (Mitchell, 2012) Absent any semblance of sound legal framework (let alone continuity of pricing practice), such actions show great unpredictability in China’s trading habits which reduce confidence of potential investors aspiring to enter China’s natural gas industry. These add up to significant barriers to natural gas market maturity. Asia – Sources of Supply Asian geography promotes trade by sea and larger economies have logically invested heavily in LNG—more than two-thirds of global LNG is traded in the Asia Pacific region (Mitchell, 2012) where flexibility exists to receive gas shipments from a variety sources. Australia (LNG) and Central Asia (pipeline) have traditionally supplied gas to China, but should global market conditions shift, China is easily able to accept shipments from Canada and the United States, and high-CAPEX projects like the Kitimat LNG terminal in British Colombia are indications that North America may grow in relevance to China’s gas supply chain. Asia – Dependence on Imports With limited local conventional gas, industrialized Asia is highly dependent on imported LNG from South East Asia, Australia and the Middle East. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) However, recent assessments peg China’s recoverable tight-gas reserves at over 1,200TCF. Due to uniquely challenging reservoir lithology, (Faulkner, 2012) China will require assistance from Independent producers as their EP technology lags by world standard. (Faulkner, 2012) Even with Shell allocating USD1B per year to Chinese shale gas exploration (Hamilton, 2012), it may take a decade until Chinese shale gas flows to market. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect Asia will continue importing roughly 40% of its gas (roughly half is from in-region) and may become increasingly dependent on supplies from Central Asia (Kazakhstan), the Middle East and Western Africa. (Mitchell, 2012) Europe – Market Maturity Europe contains a well-developed natural gas market which is considered open, although the lack of a uniform natural gas financial and legal framework for European Union (EU) nations is an encumbrance to efficient market operation. The complicated patchwork of cross-border pipelines must also comply with multiple and dissimilar legal and regulatory regimes which add complication to construction and operations. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) The European market relies heavily on long term contracts with price terms based on a mix of competing fuels, and pipeline access is restricted. This policy was crafted by way of reaction to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo; it’s inherently inapplicable to today’s market and serves as a hindrance to full development of the European spot market. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) Europe – Sources of Supply Europe is at considerable disadvantage in terms of security of natural gas supply—there is access to Russian and Central Asian natural gas, but only through Russian pipeline systems monopolized by Gazprom and Transneft, meaning shipments are highly subject to disruption resulting from infighting between Russia and transit-nation Ukraine. (Mitchell, 2012) While France has been determined to contain a remarkable 180TCF of shale gas, Europe may never see the benefit as France has invested in nuclear to eliminate the need for hydrocarbon exploration, and holds a moratorium on same. Poland is the other European country with significant shale gas; they intend to monetize their resources expeditiously. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) Europe – Dependence on Imports While dependency rates between EU nations varies, the EU imported 54.1% of its gross energy consumption in 2010 (European Commission, 2012), indicating great dependence on seller nations (primarily Russia, Nigeria, Algeria, Qatar and Norway). The EU receives almost 50% of its gas by pipeline, and LNG continues to support the Iberian Peninsula. Diversification of supply is a high priority. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) One major step to liberalizing markets would be to establish pricing mechanisms not tied to oil. While potential exists for shale gas development to reduce European imports, stringent EU environmental regulations ensure Europe’s dependence on imports for years ahead. Lengthy disruptions are unlikely as Russia and Algeria have failed to reinvest hydrocarbon revenues for economic growth; they remain highly dependent on steady cash inflows to remain solvent. If a lengthy disruption did happen, Europe generally has powerful North American allies who may use diplomacy, sanctions or hostility to mitigate damage. In the event of conflict, North American surplus LNG export capacity may bolster gas shortfalls in Europe. North America – Market Maturity The United States and Canada enjoy the most developed and un-restricted natural gas market in the world. Natural gas infrastructure is highly developed and is the mechanism by which the US was able to consume 22% of the world’s natural gas in 2009. (Mitchell, 2012) Natural gas is produced by private companies with open access to the pipeline network and sold at prices set by the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) based on principles of supply and demand. Gas in North America trades at the greatest degree of independence to oil compared to other regions, indicating an exceptionally mature natural gas market. North America Sources of Supply By way of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the US receives natural gas supply by pipeline from Canada and Mexico, and LNG shipments from Trinidad. Canada receives shipments of American gas to eastern markets via pipeline. Importation of Canadian hydrocarbons may increase if authorization is granted to build the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast. North America – Dependence on Imports North America possesses the reserves and technology to theoretically discontinue natural gas imports. Whether this makes political sense is debatable—doing so would financially impair many supply nations with whom North American countries participate in a variety of global affairs. Canada and the US are particularly well situated to conduct natural gas arbitrage. Environmental concerns have slowed the development of the Keystone XL pipeline. Left unresolved, natural gas may be reallocated for export to Asia. Conclusions In the West (US and EU), increased market share for NG will be an adjustment to an already well-functioning energy supply chain. In China, development of a natural gas market will be part of a paradigm shiftacknowledgement that Chinese people are earning and spending more, and expect higher standards of living. While the West currently enjoys relatively convenient pricing on natural gas, China will boost Asia’s competitiveness with Europe for supplies from Russia, West Africa, Iraq and Central Asia. This will cause an eastward shift of the global gas supply chain, (Mitchell, 2012) and may shine a brighter light of scrutiny on Asia’s standards of conduct that might not be in line with a Western sense of decency. The results of such confrontation on natural gas markets are impossible to predict. One thing we can be sure of is that natural gas as a commodity is more than just a tool by which we power our machines or heat our homes. Natural gas is a gift to the world that if used correctly, can drastically improve the human experience for a great many people. Whether buyer and seller nations can be pragmatic about international trade agreements, use the proceeds to grow internal economies, and establish transparency in the marketplace are the metrics by which we will know if this resource is being put to good use or merely squandered. REFERENCES 1) Mitchell, J. (Nov 2010) â€Å"More for Asia: Rebalancing World Oil and Gas† Chatham House 2) McRae, G. and Ruppel, C. (Jun 2011) â€Å"The Future of Natural Gas, An Interdisciplinary MIT Study† Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Available at: http://mitei.mit.edu/publications/reports-studies/future-natural-gas 3) Perkowski, J. (May 2012) â€Å"China’sBest kept Secrets: Mianyang and Other Tier 3 Cities† Forbes Magazine. [Online] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2012/05/11/chinas-best-kept-secrets-mianyang-and-other-tier-3-cities/ 4) Huang, L. (May 2012) â€Å"Development in China’s Natural Gas Industry Regulation† Advanced Materials Research. [Online] Volume 527-527 pp 3058-3061. Available at: http://www.scientific.net/AMR.524-527.3058 5) Faulkner, C. (Sep 2012) â€Å"China’s Natural Gas Potential† Business Excellence [Online] 26 September. Available from: http://www.bus-ex.com/article/china%E2%80%99 s-natural-gas-potential 6) Aishu, C. and Hua, J. [Ed. Fernandez, C.] (Oct 2012) â€Å"China Prioritizes Use of Natural Gas By Vehicles, Ships† Reuters [Online] 31 October. Available from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/china-gas-policy-idUSL3E8LV5DN20121031 7) Hamilton, G. (Aug 2012) â€Å"Shell Canada to go ahead with Kitimat LNG projects despite billion-dollar Chinese gas investment† [Online] 21 August. Available from: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/resources/Shell+Canada+ahead+with+Kitimat+projects+despite/7124608/story.html 8) Main Origin of Primary Energy Imports, EU-27, 2002-2010.[Online] European Commission Eurostat. Available from: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Energy_production_and_imports

Effects of Free Speech on Children

Effects of Free Speech on Children The development of media for the last 50 years has allowed people to explore and discuss lots of concerned problems in the society but they are not always having the chance to freely speak up whatever they want to say or search for a particular topic due to censorship from the government. Since then, freedom of expression has been a controversial issue in many countries all over the world. While in Western nations, citizens have more access to freedom of expression, people in communist countries such as Vietnam and China are limited to express their ideas to certain extend. Some commentators have argued that free speech can bring upon detrimental effects on children, facilitate hate crimes, and anti-government groups to spread. It is the contention of this essay that It is a human right for people to have freedom of speech through the media without having any fear or being interfered by any forces. This essay will discuss the following aspects of free speech on media, the Internet in particular, as effects on childrens awareness, humans minds and democracy. It is a point of dispute between free speech through media and effects caused on children. It is often the case that children are exposed to adverse influences on the media through what they believe as freedom of expression. Reinhard (2004, p.170) contends that a person can still legally express his beliefs, ideas through films or music despite their viciousness and degradation, which brings up the moral issue on the media especially when children start to commit flagitious crimes. According to Bushman and Huesmann (2005, p. 351), violence on the media is most likely to increase aggressive behaviour in children, as well as, create long-term effects on children. Nevertheless, these arguments are not convincing enough. Freedom of expression through the use of media can hardly bring detrimental results such as violent behavior to children and it is, in fact, a positive influence for the development of children. A research conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital led Dr. Cheryl Olson (Beresin Schlozman 2012) proves there is no definite relationship between media violence and aggressive behaviour in children. Samenow (2012) asserts that it is the personality that leads to violence not the media. Moreover, freedom of expression is able to enhance their confidence and awareness of their right. An article on Safely Connect (Magid 2014) demonstrates that despite the risks of social media, some teachers embolden students to use it to express themselves freely and widen their horizons by exchanging learning resources with others. Having access to freedom of expression allows them to speak up their mind and, thus, address important issues and unfairness in society despite their age. In brief, practicing freedom of speech on social media beneficially affects children as it raises their confidence and awareness that their voice matters. There have been several debates on whether or not freedom of speech broadens peoples minds. It has been argued that free speech makes them more small-minded and hateful. It could be asserted that the fact that cyber-libertarians object to censorship online can help extremists to spread hate on the media (Banks 2010, p. 2). Furthermore, in the 2012 Digital Terror and Hate Report by Simon Wiesenthal Center (cited in Ring 2013, pp.1-2) about 15,000 hate sites based on race, ethnicity and sexual preference are currently active. Even though some believe that these hateful speeches are parts of freedom of expression, there has been a stronger argument by Leets (2001, p. 312) that depend on certain rules and standards, hate sites such as white supremacist websites may not be protected by the First Amendment. In addition, freedom of expression can significantly help to widen humans minds. It is undeniable that without freedom of speech human would never have been able to acquire knowledge to create a more civilized and intellectually developed world. Pinker (2015) demonstrates that by practicing free speech, human beings start to question the nature of reality and test their ideas to come up with the truth. The power of media supports this idea by allowing its users to exchange ideas and knowledge on a global scale. There is evidence that at least 4.66 billion web pages existed in mid-March 2016 while this figure is only approximately 1 billion in 2014 (Pappas 2016). This indicates how frequently people are interacting with the Internet everyday practicing free speech to broaden their horizons. Overall, social media opens up peoples knowledge and perspective by allowing them to have free speech to exchange ideas or question the reality. It is also a matter of debate between free speech on media and political movements. One argument is that freedom of expression is a tool for political reactionaries to spread and develop against the government. According to VOV (2016), a group of Vietnamese people living in exile attempt to promote sinister activities to get rid of the current Communist leadership in Vietnam. They spread false rumours about the government to bring out the anger and frustration of the local, which results in potential protests against the government based on false information. Besides, there are also evidences about ISIS recruiting its new members with the aid of the Internet (Koerner 2016). On the other hand, this argument is tenuous at best because there is strong evidence from Menn and Volz (2016) showing that in reality these types of contents are often removed on social media such as Facebook. One supporting argument for this contention is that free speech mainly results in support for democracy and fight against dictatorship (Pinker 2015). The common oil of great and resilient democracies is the free flow of debate, the proposition and contest of ideas, both good and bad, from all and by all (The Age 2015). It is further explained by Thierer (2011) that the Internet creates more opportunities for people in the Digital Age to be heard. A further contributing proof from Brooke (2012) is that the Internet users in Russia challenge their government for democracy by starting an information war and eventually, they won. Parker (2014) advocates that in the protest for democracy in Hong Kong, social media did play an extremely important role as a tool for people in Mainland China and all over the world to show their support for Hong Kong citizens. In general, freedom of speech on the media has made significant impacts on the advancement of democracy in the twenty-first century. In conclusion, taking into consideration the advantages of free speech, freedom of expression improves childrens progress in confidence and social awareness, facilitates humans to broaden their minds and knowledge, as well as, supports democracy movement in society. Thus, it is crucial for people to express whatever opinions they have without being interfered or threatened. Free speech should be applied on an appropriate scale that is pointing out the faults in the society without involving any crimes. Bibliography Banks, J 2010, Regulating hate speech online, International Review of Law, Computers Technology, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 233-239. Beresin, E Schlozman, S 2012, Violent Video Games and Movies Causing Violent Behavior, Psychology Today, viewed March 7, 2017, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/inside-out-outside-in/201212/violent-video-games-and-movies-causing-violent-behavior>. Brooke, J 2014, Internet Opens Russia for Democracy Movement, VOA, viewed March 7, 2017, http://www.voanews.com/a/internet-opens-russia-for-democracy-movement-138042478/151111.html>. Bushman, B Huesmann, L 2006, Short-term and Long-term Effects of Violent Media on Aggression in Children and Adults, Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine, vol. 160, no. 4, pp. 348-352, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/10.1001/archpedi.160.4.348>. Democracy thrives on free speech, The Age, viewed March 7, 2017, http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/democracy-thrives-on-free-speech-20150113-12nfpj.html>. Koerner, B 2016, Why ISIS Is Winning the Social Media War-And How to Fight Back, WIRED, viewed March 7, 2017, https://www.wired.com/2016/03/isis-winning-social-media-war-heres-beat/>. Leets, L 2001, Responses to Internet Hate Sites: Is Speech Too Free in Cyberspace?, Communication Law and Policy, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 287-317. Magid, L 2014, Protecting children online needs to allow for their right to free speech, ConnectSafely, viewed March 7, 2017, http://www.connectsafely.org/protecting-children-online-needs-to-allow-for-their-right-to-free-speech/>. Menn, J Volz, D 2016, Facebook And Google Have New Weapons In Place To Block Extremist Videos, The Huffington Post, viewed March 7, 2017, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/facebook-isis-videos_us_577128a2e4b017b379f66ed6>. Parker, E 2014, Social Media and the Hong Kong Protests, The New Yorker, viewed March 7, 2017, http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/social-media-hong-kong-protests>. Pinker, S 2015, Why free speech is fundamental The Boston Globe, BostonGlobe.com, viewed March 7, 2017, https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/01/26/why-free-speech-fundamental/aaAWVYFscrhFCC4ye9FVjN/story.html>. Reinhard, C 2004, The Ethics of Censorship: Should Governments Cover Our Childrens Eyes?, in At the Edge of Information Changing Ethical Dilemmas, Ethica Publishing, Leeds, pp. 164-172. http://www.ethicapublishing.com/6CH11.htm>. Ring, CE, 2013. Hate Speech in Social Media: An Exploration of the Problem and Its Proposed Solutions. PhD. Boulder: University of Colorado. Samenow, SE 2012, Watching Violence in the Media Does Not Cause Crime, Psychology Today, viewed March 7, 2017, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/inside-the-criminal-mind/201202/watching-violence-in-the-media-does-not-cause-crime>. Thierer, A 2011, The Internet Isnt Killing Our Culture Or Democracy, Forbes.com, viewed March 7, 2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamthierer/2011/06/05/the-internet-isnt-killing-our-culture-of-democracy>. Viet Tan: terrorist and reactionary nature 2016, VOV VOV Online Newspaper, viewed March 7, 2017, http://english.vov.vn/politics/viet-tan-terrorist-and-reactionary-nature-320205.vov>.

Asian Women in the Eyes of Americans Essay example -- Asian Studies Res

Introduction The history of Asian women has many facets. I am about to touch on two key monumental points over a sixty year span that have shaped the views of Asian women in the eyes of Americans. As a brief overview, from as early as the 1940s, Asian women were recruited to serve their soldiers during World War II as sex slaves. Forty years later, the dawning of the 1980s brought about the desire of Asian women into American households and sparked the mail order bride phenomenon. The beginning of a new century has altered the lives of Asian women, in parts of Asia as well as in the United States of America. I will give you a glimpse into their every day lives in their home country and site observations to their strides into the American workforce today. Let me unveil the lives of Asian women . . . past, present, and future. Comfort Women During World War II, hundreds of thousands of women from all parts of Asia were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army to â€Å"serve† soldiers on the front lines. These poor young women, generally known as â€Å"comfort women†, were recruited, kidnapped, sold, enticed, and deceived with the promise of well-paying jobs to serve their soldiers. Eighty percent of the estimated 100,000 to 200,000 â€Å"comfort women† of WWII were Korean girls and women. These unfortunate victims were stationed in â€Å"comfort stations† throughout Asia and the South Pacific. Prisoners in these stations were subject to daily degrations such as physical and verbal abuse, repeated rapes, hard labor, and sometimes murder. The women drafted as â€Å"comfort women† had a regimented schedule. To much astonishment, each women had to serve twenty to forty men a day at a rate of a man every t... ...l reach the same level of respect in another sixty years. The past and present lives of Asian women have been unveiled, now I am anxious to see what the future reveals. Works Cited Kumar, Nita, ed. Women As Subjects. United States: University Press of Virginia, 1994. Lee, Rose J., and Clark, Cal, ed. Democracy and the Status of Women in East Asia. United States: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 2000. Stetz, Margaret, and Oh, Bonnie B.C., ed. Legacies of the Comfort Women of World War II. United States: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 2001. â€Å"Tajik Forum Urges Laws on Violence Against Central Asian Women.† Global News Wire. 2003. 27 November 2003. (LexisNexis) â€Å"Why I Recommend Asian Women.† 2003. 05 December 2003. http://www.heart-of-asia.org/gen/whyasia.html â€Å"Women of Color Make Big Strides in the Workforce.† Star Tribune. 2003. 01 August 2003. (LexisNexis) Asian Women in the Eyes of Americans Essay example -- Asian Studies Res Introduction The history of Asian women has many facets. I am about to touch on two key monumental points over a sixty year span that have shaped the views of Asian women in the eyes of Americans. As a brief overview, from as early as the 1940s, Asian women were recruited to serve their soldiers during World War II as sex slaves. Forty years later, the dawning of the 1980s brought about the desire of Asian women into American households and sparked the mail order bride phenomenon. The beginning of a new century has altered the lives of Asian women, in parts of Asia as well as in the United States of America. I will give you a glimpse into their every day lives in their home country and site observations to their strides into the American workforce today. Let me unveil the lives of Asian women . . . past, present, and future. Comfort Women During World War II, hundreds of thousands of women from all parts of Asia were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army to â€Å"serve† soldiers on the front lines. These poor young women, generally known as â€Å"comfort women†, were recruited, kidnapped, sold, enticed, and deceived with the promise of well-paying jobs to serve their soldiers. Eighty percent of the estimated 100,000 to 200,000 â€Å"comfort women† of WWII were Korean girls and women. These unfortunate victims were stationed in â€Å"comfort stations† throughout Asia and the South Pacific. Prisoners in these stations were subject to daily degrations such as physical and verbal abuse, repeated rapes, hard labor, and sometimes murder. The women drafted as â€Å"comfort women† had a regimented schedule. To much astonishment, each women had to serve twenty to forty men a day at a rate of a man every t... ...l reach the same level of respect in another sixty years. The past and present lives of Asian women have been unveiled, now I am anxious to see what the future reveals. Works Cited Kumar, Nita, ed. Women As Subjects. United States: University Press of Virginia, 1994. Lee, Rose J., and Clark, Cal, ed. Democracy and the Status of Women in East Asia. United States: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 2000. Stetz, Margaret, and Oh, Bonnie B.C., ed. Legacies of the Comfort Women of World War II. United States: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 2001. â€Å"Tajik Forum Urges Laws on Violence Against Central Asian Women.† Global News Wire. 2003. 27 November 2003. (LexisNexis) â€Å"Why I Recommend Asian Women.† 2003. 05 December 2003. http://www.heart-of-asia.org/gen/whyasia.html â€Å"Women of Color Make Big Strides in the Workforce.† Star Tribune. 2003. 01 August 2003. (LexisNexis)

normalization :: essays research papers

Normalization of the Lowe's Inventory Information System Database As a database grows in size and complexity it is essential that order and organization be maintained to control these complexities and minimize errors and redundancy in the associated data. This goal is managed by a process referred to as normalization. Normalization permits us to design our relational database tables so that they "(1) contain all the data necessary for the purposes that the database is to serve, (2) have as little redundancy as possible, (3) accommodate multiple values for types of data that require them, (4) permit efficient updates of the data in the database, and (5) avoid the danger of losing data unknowingly (Wyllys, R. E., 2002).". As a prelude to normalization, the database modeler researches the company and current database uses to determine the requirements for the new database. Table elements and relationships are determined, and candidate keys reviewed and established for the tables. The process of database normalization then begins. Databases can attain varying degrees of normalization classified as 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, 4NF, 5NF, and BCNF, however for practicality and in staying with the layout of our Lowe's inventory database, only the first through third normal forms or 1NF – 3NF will be addressed. First, a balance must be struck between data accessibility with regard to performance and maintenance and the concerns of data redundancy. To accomplish this and normalize the Lowe’s database, the supply and retail sides of the database were combined and the tables set in first normal form. In first normal form, the tables were formatted to ensure that the data within them was atomic i.e., ensuring that it was in its simplest form and had no repeating groups. A concatenated PK characterizes tables in 1NF and these tables can have partial and transitive dependencies. Decomposition from this point helps to eliminate redundancy as the modeler works toward a defined goal based on business rules and individual needs. The tables were next moved to second normal form, again undergoing a review where efforts were taken to reduce the amount of redundant data by extracting and placing it in new table(s). Here, each key component is written on a separate line, with the original key written on the last line. All dependant attributes then follow their perspective keys. This process is used to eliminate partial dependencies which are not allowed in 2NF. Finally, the tables were set into third normal form by ensuring that no non-identifying attributes were dependent on any other non-identifying attributes.

Margaret Atwood- Moral Disorder

In the course of the many interrelated short stories written in Moral Disorder we tend to find out many thing about the main characters. In some ways the reader develops a sort of one on one relationship with each character, and learns more and more about them in each story. Specifically, one of the main characters who tends to stand out in the storyline as a person with a sort of mysterious personality is Tig. Tigs mysterious personality is brought to life mainly in the story â€Å"Monopoly†. When we first see Tig in the beginning of â€Å"monopoly†, he and Nell just purchased an old farm house where they plan on living. As time progresses throughout the storyline, we learn about Tigs children and how they plan on visiting the new farm house. With this point it brings up thoughts about Tigs old marriage to Oona. We now find out that the reason why Tig and Oona divorced was not because of Oona, but the two of them as a hole. It gives insite to their failed marriage with the fact that OOna would give her total life’s attention at her writing, and leave Tig to take care of the children and the house completely alone. Even though to the public eye Tig and Oona’s relationship could only be described as perfect, it is obvious that deep down being married to Oona was bringing him down. They were often seen together in magazines and in photo’s smiling as if they had not a care in the world, but according to Tig this was the furthest thing from the truth. The two of them together tried to show the sense of love and stability to the public that they both yearned for. They often appeared in magazines cooking and laughing together, but once the camera’s stopped rolling things turned back how they usually where. Oona would be off trying to finish her book, and Tig would be left with taking care of the children and the household chores all while working at a radio station. As time progressed after the divorce Tig and Nell decided to rent an old farm house. We now find out about another mysterious part of Tig’s life, his kids. Once Tig and Nell moved into their farm house, Tig’s children came to visit every weekend. So, every weekend Nell would have to pack up all her belongings and leave their house before Tig’s children arrived. Tig tried very hard in order to make his children know that the reason why he and their mother divorced was not because of Nell, and that he and Oona still were on speaking terms. This shed insight into Tig role as a father. Even though Tig usually doesn’t like to speak about his past marriage with Oona, he makes sure that his children are not affected by the divorce. Every weekend that they would visit, he would try and create a fun loving environment at the farm house in order for his children to be happy. Before this we never saw Tig as much of a family man. Instances such as Tig’s children visiting shed light on a new personality that we never knew about Tig. After Tigs children leave, and Nell returns home things start to go back to normal. Nell and Tig seem to be extremely happy living together, which serves as a complete opposite to his relationship with Oona. Nell speaks about the Sunday nights they spend together once Tig’s children leave, and the time they spend trying to get up the big hill in front of the property during the winter months. Although the some of the things they did together were simple, it was obvious that it meant something to Nell. Tig and Oona would sit together during the ride home in silence most of the time, but the silence they shared definitely meant something. During these times it became clear that the reason that Nell and Tig were together was because of Oona. Shortly after Oona finished her book, she and Tig invited Nell over for a dinner party at her house. The dinner party turned out a success, and Nell ended up staying later than all the other guests to play a game of monopoly with Tig’s children. The night was full of laughs and the conversation at the dinner table seemed as if it were to never end. Nell later saw that that dinner party was not a typical dinner party, but more of an interview session that would later wide up with her being in a relationship with Tig. After awhile life for Nell and Tig started to grow into a sort of routine were Nell would stay at the farm house during the week, then suddenly disappear and hide all traces of her existence. But one weekend this was all about to change. Tig’s mysterious personality came into play again when he told Nell that he wanted her to stay at the farm house the upcoming weekend when his children came to visit. This came as a complete shock to Nell because she never expected Tig to bring the situation up with her because he was always so quiet and to himself about the situation. Nevertheless Nell at first was extremely against this idea thinking that she would â€Å"be crossing the line†. But Tig assured her that it would be best for the children to see her in her natural environment and her home. Tig covertly spoke to his children and to Oona about the situation and they all agreed that it would be a good idea for Nell to stay a weekend with the children when they came to visit.

Breaking the Rules

Every company has a set of rules and they should not be broken at any time, but flouting the rules to complete a customers request is not at all wrong, as it is nothing but good customer service, sensing the urgency of the request. Nancy was also rewarded on this basis only; because she took the matter into her hands, and did what she thought was right by reciprocating to the customers request even though she knew that she was breaking the rules. The only thing on her mind was that she wanted to solve the customer’s problem and didn’t want to lose a valuable customer.Her only thought was to provide good customer service to the customer who was in such urgency. The most important thought on her mind was that she should solve the customer’s problem at any cost, and she had to decide how to react, and the decision Nancy took was totally justified, even if she was breaking the rules. Her decision solved the customer’s problem, and he was able to get the spare part he needed on time. Nancy had other options also, she could have told the customer that no distributor was available at that time, and that she could not help the customer.She also could have told the customer that rules did not permit her to send the required spare part directly to a customer. She could also simply ignore the call, as if it had not come at all and got back to her work. Nancy knew that good customer service is always important for a customer to keep coming back to the same company, and Nancy who is a loyal employee of the company, did exactly what she thought was right and got rewarded for what she did. Breaking the RulesNancy was obviously a very good and loyal employee of the company that she was working for, because she did not think of the outcome of breaking the rules, but her most important thought was to provide prompt and good customer service. The manner in which she dealt with the situation is proof enough to judge her behaviour. She didn’t even think twice before writing a personal check for $ 150 to compensate the loss of the same amount to the company, as the distributor refused to pay the dealer, because he was not a regular dealer.This sort of action itself shows that the manner in which Nancy behaved and handled the situation was commendable even if that meant that she had to break the rules. Her loyalty and tactfulness were the main factors that influenced her very much while taking the decision. The reputation of any company should be the primary concern of each and every employee, nobody should behave or act in such a manner towards a customer, that it gives a bad reputation to the company.If the reputation of the company is at stake, than it is alright for an employee to break a rule, if he thinks it would improve the reputation of the company. In this manner the company can also try to modify their set of rules if the need arises. The employees should be encouraged to employ a particular strategy and to break an y particular policies the company has in order to provide good customer service. And such employees should also be properly rewarded for breaking the rules, while keeping in mind the company’s reputation and proper service to the customers.Any company which encourages employees to break policies is a very good company for the customers as well as its employees and investors. A good employee with tact for good customer service goes a long way in improving a company’s reputation. Breaking the Rules Breaking a rule is far better than creating a scene in front of a customer. If there is any rule in the company that has been made only to increase the profits of the company, and to avoid losses, and it does not favour the customer, then the company has to face the wrath of the customer.Therefore it is better to have rules made in such a manner that they also benefit the customer. Every employee should try to judge the rules of the company which are coming in the way of the g rowth of the company, and should try to bring this to the notice of the management, so that they can modify these rules. It is the responsibility of the employee to study each and every rule, and to see if the rules are still meeting the needs of the company, and if only a part of any rule is applicable, then they should try to change or rectify the remaining part of the rule, so that it benefits their company.The employee should try to solve a problem by first defining it, and seeing what needs to be done, to overcome the problem, voicing out the difficulties might help when any other employee might come out with a solution. If any idea is offered and an employee doesn’t like it, he can offer a different perspective to that problem. It is the job of the employee to always think of new strategies and methods to satisfy the customer and to provide better customer service. It is better to challenge the rules which do not add to an employee’s growth or the company’ s growth, than to accept them.Every company should encourage its employees to think in a diverse manner, and to not blindly follow the rules but be creative in their attitudes towards the customers, bending any rules which do not contribute to the growth of the company is very much necessary for the company as well as the employee’s career growth. Good customer service should be the main motto of every employee to attain the confidence of the management. References Customer Service Etiquette, Illium Software Blog, Retrieved on 18 November 2007, http://blog. iliumsoft. com/?p=54 Encouraging Independent Thought, Service Untitled, Retrieved on 18 November 2007, http://www. serviceuntitled. com/category/culture/ John Groth, Career Management: Break the Rules for Career Success, Articlesbase, Retrieved on 18 November 2007, http://www. articlesbase. com/career-management-articles/career-management-break-the-rules-for-career-success-262123. html Laurie Brown, When Good Customer Serv ice Rules go Bad, Retrieved on 18 November 2007, http://www. babyshopmagazine. com/fall07/when-good-customer-service-rules-go-bad. html

A Farewell To Arms †Love And War Essay

Love and War Love is an unexplainable relationship between a man and a woman. The relationship can start one way and then transform into something completely different without warning. Each character in this novel has a different understanding of love. In A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway, the relationship between Catherine Barkley and Frederick Henry closely parallels Rinaldi and the priest’s different views of love. The character Rinaldi does not take love seriously; he is always in and out of love and always has many short-term flings. For example, Rinaldi is always looking for a new girl conquer, â€Å"That’s nothing. Here now we have beautiful girls. New girls never been to the front before† (Hemingway 12.) Rinaldi looks at girls and relationships as if they are a game that he can play. Girls to him are material possessions that he can keep as long as he wants, and then get rid of. Furthermore, Rinaldi can only see one facet of relationships, â€Å"Where did you meet her? In the Cova? Where did you go? How did you feel? Tell me everything at once. Did you stay all night?† (Hemingway 11.) He can only see the physical and sexual side of his and others love affairs. He doesn’t go deeper into what truly makes up the relationship, the feelings that a couple has for one another. In addition, Rinaldi is phony towards the women, he does whatever it takes to get what he wants, â€Å"I must make on Miss Barkley the impression of a man of sufficient wealth† (Hemingway 12.) When it comes to women, Rinaldi is never his true self. He feels that it is better to be someone you aren’t and get what you want, than not get anything at all. He is unlike the priest in his views of love, he is shallow and does not understand what it is to love. The priest has a sincere and deep understanding of love, his relationship with God symbolizes the true awareness of what love is. For example, the soldiers try to make fun of the priest because he does not take advantage of girls like they do, â€Å"He should have fine girls. I will give you the addresses of places in Naples. Beautiful young girls†Ã¢â‚¬ accompanied by their mothers. Ha! Ha! Ha!† (Hemingway 8.) The priest is the butt of all the jokes because he is unlike the other men. He does not always have to be involved in the physical act of love like the others do. Furthermore, he does not participate in the immoral actions that the soldiers do, â€Å"We go  whorehouse before it shuts† (Hemingway 9.) The men have a constant desire for physical gratification, it is like a emptiness they always have to fill. The priest’s relationship with God keeps him continuously satisfied. In addition, God provides the priest with an endless fulfillment of all his spiritual needs, â€Å"People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life† (John 4:13-14) The physical needs the men have are short term and will not last. The spiritual needs the priest has, the ones that are most important, are met by God. The soldier’s relationships leave them empty and wanting more, while the priests relationship with God keeps him full with love. Catherine and Henry start off as a fling, but then grow into something more, a love that is real. For example, when the relationship first takes shape, it is not a true love that exists between them, â€Å"The love that he feels is almost entirely sexual, however, and derives from the pleasure she gives him†Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Donaldson 157.) The love Henry feels for Catherine it is more of a lust. It is purely physical and he is using her for the pleasure he gets from being with her. In addition, throughout the novel Henry does not show any true feelings for Catherine, it is not until the end of the novel where he begins to show true love, â€Å"Throughout their affair, Frederic rarely displays honest and thoughtful concern for Catherine’s feelings. Where she invariably thinks of him first, he often does not think of her at all. Only when she lies dying of childbirth in the Lausanne hospital does he finally begin to want to serve and to sacrifice for her† (Donaldson 160.) It is not until Catherine is threatened with death that Henry’s true emotions begin to form. The thought of life without her sparks this reaction inside Henry. Furthermore, Henry’s sacrifices show how his love for Catherine has changed, â€Å"Please go and get something to eat,’ Catherine said. â€Å"ËÅ"I’m fine, really.’ â€Å"ËÅ"I’ll stay awhile,’ I said.† (Hemingway 314.) Henry gives up eating so he can stay be side her. This action shows a big change in Henry, he is beginning to think of her before himself. This is the beginning of what true love really is. In conclusion, Henry’s love for Catherine began to mature when he put her  needs above him. In reality this is what true love is. True love is not just a physical one; it is emotional, and spiritual as well. â€Å"Mature lovers share equally: they give and gain by giving† (Donaldson 173.) Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Scriber Paperback Fiction, 1995. Donaldson, Scott. â€Å"Contemporary Literary Criticism.† Rev. of A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. Gale Research Company 1980 The New Living Translation: American Bible. â€Å"John 4:13-14† Bible.Crosswalk.com 2001.