Rhetorical Analysis of a Mgm Grand Advertisement - 1104 Words

Rhetorical Analysis of MGM Grand Advertisement There are many rhetorical tools used in advertising today to grab the readers’ attention. Some of those include, but are not limited to, color, sex, surroundings, and fantasy. All of these tools are used in the advertisement of the MGM Grand that I chose to analyze. MGM Grand has chosen several techniques to help market themselves better to vacationers. It uses visual pictures, inviting colors, and an enticing choice of narrative as its strategy. One of the many things that Vegas has to offer is the chance to get rid of all of your inhibitions and just have fun. Also, the fact that Las Vegas is famous for the saying, â€Å"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas†, sends a message to vacationers†¦show more content†¦It is only logical to enjoy your time in Vegas, and with the MGM Grand, it is a guarantee. Do it big when you go to Vegas. The advertisement goes as far as to say â€Å"Your alter ego is waiting. Escape begins at MGM Grand.† MGM Grand wants you to make the right hotel choice, which is why all the pictures and text are necessary to persuade vacationers to stay there. Instead of worrying about price, look at what all they have to offer. It is easy to see that the text in this add strongly supports the authors credibility and character, otherwise known as ethos. The text describes the amenities of the hotel with many adjectives that suggest the MGM Grand is a top notch place to stay. The pictures also go along with the text to give the readers a better idea and actual picture of what they can expect at the hotel. You will not just get a regular continental breakfast, but you will have gourmet cuisine and fine dining. You should not just expect a mint on your pillow; they have luxurious accommodations for the whole family; such as luxurious suites. The MGM has more than just one pool. It has a 6.6 acre Grand Pool Complex. The use of these adjectives tells the reader that this is not just some normal hotel; it is the cream of the crop. The whole purpose of the advertisement is to show the reader what the MGM Grand has to offer while persuading you to visit there at the same time. All of the details are depicted in the layout of multiple pictures and

Risk Assessment And Risk Management - 1901 Words

The purpose of this term paper is to examine the terms ‘risk’, ‘risk assessment’ and ‘risk management’ and discuss how uncertainty affects these. The first part of the paper will be discussing risk in further detail especially when risk can be disadvantageous to an individual or a corporate body, and the need to eliminate or minimize the disadvantageous risk, especially if human life is at stake. The next part will start discussing the process of how industrial companies in particular go about starting the process of mitigation and reduction of risk to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP), which is assessing risk through the use of variable tools. After the risk is assessed, then the process of actually putting things in place to manage the risks and their probable effects is discussed. The paper will round off with a discussion on uncertainty and how uncertainty affects the processes of risk assessment and risk management. Aside from uncert ainty, the common word in all these terms is the word risk. Risk is covered by many definitions according to the context that it is used in. Some definitions are: 1. â€Å"Chance or probability harm is caused by exposure to a hazard† 2. â€Å"Probability that an actual return on an investment will be lower than expected† 3. â€Å"Product of consequence and probability of a hazardous effect or phenomenon† 4. â€Å"Threat; danger; possibility of something unpleasant† Risks most of the time have a negative connotation to them. Risks which have aShow MoreRelatedRisk Assessment and Risk Management2989 Words   |  12 PagesRisk assessment and risk management Introduction There are many hazards associated in an industrial workplace. With new technologies, new machinery and constant updates with regulations it is more important now than ever before to produce efficient risk assessments. Good risk assessments reduce hazards and fatalities in dangerous areas in the workplace. A good risk assessment will make workers feel safer and therefore happier and promotes a good business structure within the company. A good riskRead MoreRisk Assessment And Risk Management3124 Words   |  13 Pages Risk Assessment and Risk Management. SS4018 To protect the confidentiality of the service users I worked with who are mentioned in this assignment, all service users’ names and any identifying features have been anonymoused. Confidentiality is key for the Social work profession to ensure sensitive information remains undisclosed (Doel, 2012). The aim of risk assessment is to consider problems or situations where it is likely or unlikely that harm may occur (Adams et al, 2009). Risk is a genericRead MoreIdentification and Assessment of Risk in Risk Management1331 Words   |  5 PagesRisk management is the process of taking actions to avoid or reduce risk to acceptable levels. This process includes both the identification and assessment of risk through risk analysis and the initiation and monitoring of appropriate practices, in response to that analysis, through the agencys risk management program. Risk assessment is a critical component of that process to ensure state agencies have an effective risk management plan in place. Risk Management and Risk Assessment are major componentsRead MoreRisk Management Plan For A Risk Assessment879 Words   |  4 PagesThe goal of a risk assessment is to figure out all of the risks and vulnerabilities there are, or could possibly be within a business. The goal of a risk management pl an is to then figure out how to mitigate those risks and vulnerabilities to lessen the impact on the business if ever one should arise. Creating a plan helps not only to identify any risks, but also helps to choose the best solutions available to mitigate those risks. If a risk management plan is not created and implemented, thereRead MoreRisk Assessment Methodologies And Risk Management Strategies888 Words   |  4 PagesRisk Assessment Methodologies Risk assessment is a key component to Risk Management strategies. If this assessment is ignored or not done correctly, vulnerabilities can be overlooked or not addressed at all leaving systems exposed. By picking an appropriate Risk Assessment Methodology, a business is able to define how the organization defines and reacts to risk making the process functional and repeatable. This report will briefly explain the process of assessing and managing risk, look at variousRead MoreRisk Management Assessment Paper1066 Words   |  5 PagesRisk Management Assessment Paper Ebonie Franks University of Phoenix Risk Management Assessment Paper The effort to decrease and evaluate risks to patients, staff, and organizational resources within a health care institution is defined as health care risk management. In order for facilities to minimize financial loss is to reduce accidents and injuries. All health care facilities and providers put risk management in to practice on a continuing basis. In 1985, the senior officers of theRead MoreRisk Assessment : An Essential Part Of A Risk Management Process1046 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The risk assessment is an essential part of a risk management process designed to provide appropriate levels of security for information systems. The assessment approach analyzes the relationships among assets, threats, vulnerabilities and other elements. Security risk assessment should be a continuous activity. 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One third of the population aged 65 and older will fall each year, and of those five to ten percentRead MoreRisk Assessment And Management Planning1774 Words   |  8 PagesThe Clinical Question â€Å"In the hospitalized adult patient, will the use of multifactorial fall risk assessments and management planning (Morse Fall Assessment) be more efficient in comparison to the current risk assessment (Heinrich model II) practice to prevent falls in the months of November- December in comparison to September- October.† Background Falls are a major health issue for older adults. One third of the population aged 65 and older will fall each year, and of those five to ten percentRead MoreRisk and Quality Management Assessment 1865 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Risk and Quality Management Assessment Summary Sherry Noble HCS/451 September 29, 2014 Charriet Womble Risk and Quality Management Assessment Summary Reunion Plaza Nursing Center, a long term nursing facility with a 102 beds and is in the process of adding an additional wing that will have 30 beds for the elderly, disable, and short term rehabilitation with a staff that consist of Administrator, Business Office Staff, Social Worker, MDS Coordinator, Central Supply Clerk, Staffing Coordinator

Contemporary Hospitality Branding

Question: Discuss about the Contemporary Hospitality Branding. Answer: Introduction: The present essay is going to make an analytic discussion on the marketing campaign focusing on the reward program conducted through the joint attempt of Marriott and Starwood. Hence, the key focus of the assignment would be to identify the challenge the campaign is facing and how exactly two of the leading enterprises of the hospitality industry is responding against them. In this particular context, it is essential to jot down that Marriotts worldwide reward program has adopted a new marketing initiative in global portfolio type. The key purpose behind the launch of the new marketing initiative is to provide more customer benefits regarding customer privacy (Dev, 2013). Under the new tagline you are here, the international company is planning to overwhelm their customers. However, there is a point of confusion that whether the new marketing idea will maintain customer confidentiality or not. However, it should not be ignored in this case that Marriott possesses a strong privacy statement for their members. The most interesting thing to denote in this respect that the award winning loyalty program of Marriott provides joining opportunities free of cost and the enterprise is well aware about to provide customer privacy to the first time users also. However, it is a fact worth to appreciable that the company use the third party vendors for collecting inf ormation of their members of the reward program though several times it has been considered as an inconvenient strategy of the company. The chief goals related to the loyalty programs are to increase the volume of membership and to grab booking from the providers of the third party level. The decision regarding the joint venture is standing on the prediction that indicates that the entire membership would be near about 75 million (fortune.com, 2016). However, it should be acclaimed in this respect that Starwoods program of preferred guest has been recognized with the best program for frequent traveler in the world, whereas the reward program of Marriott International is celebrated for being a program that strengthens the aspect of customer loyalty. However, it is probably unfortunate that while Marriott is experiencing over 54 million memberships with near about 10% increase in share acquisition; Starwood is having only 21 million (Gustavo, 2013). Most interesting to record that whereas Marriott Internationals point valuation is about $8.92 for 1000 points, Starwoods are worth of $22.68 that is supposedly the highest redemption rate. Therefore, it can be deducted that Marriotts reward program has the potentiality to run more smoothly and successfully to retain customers than Starwood (Rogers Davidson, 2015). That is why it can be presumed that value points of Starwood could decrease at a disappointing level. Therefore, the reason behind the merger between of these two leading companies is understandable. However, at the same time it has to be said that in the current scenario, there are chances for rapid decrease in the redemption volume. Thus, predicting this certain issue, both of the organizations have to make an efficient evaluation to decide which potential properties will act favorable for the agreed program of these two enterprises in future. Nonetheless, one fact is definite that the agreement is proving fruitful for Marriott as the new Marriott has officially announced to have more than 30 brands with less than 5,700 hotels in total 110 countries (Leung, 2012). In case of talking about the merger, it should be noted that instead being merged u, two of the enterprises individual customer loyalty program is going to be conducted separately. It is probably little unfortunate that after the official announcement of the merger, discouraging number of attempts have been made. It is probably because of the fact that two of the loyalty programs still suffering with some serious flaws (Khairallah et al., 2016). For example, the individual reward program of Marriott has several gaps related to the benefits for their elite members, communication, promotion, brands and theirs corporate culture. On the other hand, Starwoods biggest problem is their high cost for membership (Vinnie, 2013). According to Chris Holdren, the senior of SPG, in order to combat with the loyalty hurdle both of the enterprises are working out to make a link between the different structures and organizational values. Moreover, it should be praised that for making the agreement successful, Marriott is comparatively making a pivotal contribution through their new campaign of global rewards for the young travelers. Additionally, considering their weakness on the premise of promotion, Marriott is introducing a new advertisement program. Therefore, it is understandable that to mitigate the certain challenges the joint company of Marriott and Starwood is not staying reluctant by folding their hands. After considering these varied facets, it should be remarked that the joint organization should consider keeping the guests for individual loyalty programs separate. Alongside the collaboration should give significance to improvise the individual facility program for the elite class of Marriott. References Dev, C. S. (2013). Challenges in Contemporary Hospitality Branding. Gustavo, N. (2013). Marketing management trends in tourism and hospitality industry: Facing the 21st century environment.International Journal of Marketing Studies,5(3), 13. Khairallah, J., Foster, A., Adamson, A., Dev, C. S., Hudson, B., Tucker, E., Muller, C. (2016). Boston Hospitality Review: Fall 2016. Leung, X. Y. (2012).Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality Administration(Doctoral dissertation, University of Nevada, Las Vegas). Vinnie, J. (2013) Building employability in hospitality industry: Insights from IIMT Gurgaon?Oxford Brookes University collaborative effort,Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 5 (3), pp.268 - 276 Rogers, T., Davidson, R. (2015).Marketing destinations and venues for conferences, conventions and business events(Vol. 14). Routledge. Tkaczyk, C. (2016).Marriott Reveals How the Starwood Merger Will Affect Loyalty Programs.Fortune. Retrieved 21 November 2016, from https://fortune.com/2016/09/23/marriott-starwood-loyalty-programs/

Visual Language in Video Games free essay sample

I believe this is very essential to video games and not just the obvious reason, which is that video games are all visual. There are many visual aspects that have to go into a video game for it to be successful. The creators must be able to create something that visually fits with their game but also visually relays to the player were and what to do. There are many aspects that I could go into that visually effect a game, but this is about visual language in video games not the visual aspects of games. Visual language is basically a language that everybody picks up in their life especially now that we’re more of a visual culture; the only thing is that they don’t really realize that they know this language. It’s really simple to understand once someone opens your eyes to it. Something like video games which are all visual can be easier or harder for someone to analyze it. We will write a custom essay sample on Visual Language in Video Games or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To give you an example, I will explain the visual elements of games, the pros and cons of visual realism in games, visual effects of games on gamers, and an Image analysis of a picture of a character of a video game. For me to accurately example visual language in video games you need to understand some basic visual aspects of video games. Ever game has the same general visual elements to â€Å"†¦guide, direct, and communicate with the player. † (Visual Elements within Games) For example, every level that you play is designed to lead you to your goal. The level designer must make this easy for the player to visually find their way either with a map or simply by the way the level is laid out with a set path that player has to take. In any game there is a HUD (Heads Up Display) which is where the player is able to see things that they can’t physically look and see. For example, in first person shooters the HUD would show you how many bullets you have, which weapons you have available, your navigation, and grenades. The title screen is also a visual element that every game has. The title screens were originally used to attract the players when games were in arcades. They had to visually communicate to the player what the game was about. Finally every game has some sort of menu system to communicate to the player the options they have in this game. If one of these elements is missing the game will fail because it will not be able to visually communicate to the player and the player will not be able to play it. Now a day’s almost all games try to be visually realistic to increase the enjoyment of playing the game; however there are pros and cons to this. The more realistic the games graphics become the more visual elements the creators can incorporate in it. For Example, now they can put actual weather in games; the next generation consoles can actually create random weather patterns just like in real life. A game also is limited on where they can expand, you can only tell the same story over so many different ways. Graphics can continuously be improved and thus give the game industry a way to expand. The reason anybody plays games is to escape reality. There is a story of a king during a famine ordered everybody to play a game all the time and only eat once a week. Games throughout centuries have been able to let people escape there reality. With games becoming more realistic the easier it is for the player to experience enhanced escapism; basically the easier it is for the player to become the character and live in the characters world. The down side to hyper realism is a game trying to be realistic a game company may focus most of their time and money on the graphics side of the project; which may be bad do to every other aspect of the game will be hindered, if this happens then the story or concept of the game will be lacking and won’t be able to sell because the stories boring. Another con is games become more expensive. The more time, labor, and software usage the game company has to spend money on so that’s why games continuously become more expensive. The final con is the biggest one of all. Desensitization of reality; it is the biggest political argument against the game industry. Since games have become so realistic the players since of reality is distorted. For example, when someone shoots so many virtual people and have no remorse since its virtual they can also kill real people because they won’t feel guilt for taking someone’s life because they have done it so repetitively in their games virtual reality. The visual effects on gamers are very beneficial to the gamers and the game industry. â€Å"Video game players may get an unexpected benefit from blowing away bad guys—better vision. † (Brian Handwerk) Playing video games improve the players contrast sensitivity function which is the first thing to fade with age. This is the ability to see the different shades of things, also gives us the ability to see at night or when there is minimal amount of light. There are actually a lot of visual aspects in a person’s vision that is increased when they play video games, especially first person shooters. â€Å"†¦games can help an individual learn to focus on relevant visual information† (Rick Nauert). Games help us to determine what we need to focus or not focus on; because the player strains their vision to see the little figures when there try to shoot them in the distance. This benefits us because it will help us determine relevant and non-relevant information in our world of visual communication; however it only benefits the person who actually plays the first person shooters, not the spectators due to the spectator not actually reacting to the situation just watching the situation unfold. Visual language is all about analyzing the things we see so I will show you how I have analyzed a picture I found of Master Chief, the main character of Halo. The value states it’s a futuristic era by the armor/suit, also since he’s wearing a helmet possibly a place without oxygen. The focus is master chief since he’s in the foreground and in an action pose. The audience is anyone who likes the halo series and the picture states he’s ready for anything. The tone is apprehensive do to the smoke in the background; master chief looking like he’s ready for hordes of covenant to come after him, isolation, but it is also calming since the environment consists of earthy and cool tones. The structure is to have the focal point in the foreground in a heroic or dynamic pose and the background is added to show its set on the edge of a wilderness that master chief probably had to fight his way through, which is shown by the smoke; master chief is on top of the rock to emphasize his type of character. To summarize everything, visual elements of games, the pros and cons of visual realism in games, and the visual effects of games on gamers are all ways the games speak to us visually. The next time you play your favorite game, take a second to find out all the different reasons that game creators put certain things in their games. No creator will get the go ahead to put something in there game just because it is cool. There always have to have a reason why or how it fits in the universe that they are creating. We as a culture are becoming more visually lead, and we as a culture must be able to determine whats real or not and to not fall prey to â€Å"pretty pictures† that tell or sell you something and you try to recreate it in reality; almost all visual things are done virtually where restrictions can be stretched.

Hello Dali! Surrealism and Dadaism essays

Hello Dali! Surrealism and Dadaism essays The Dada/Surrealism movement is referred to as an anarchist movement against art, which at the time was considered another representation of bourgeois power. (Gombrich 593-594) The Menaced Assassin reflects two abiding preoccupations of the Surrealists," writes Gablik Magritte. (Gowing 884) (Gowing 885) (Anderson 1170-1172) You must begin to dream. (Gombrich 591) (Gowing 887) Dali's "paranoiac-critical method" gave his work a pseudo-Freudian twist, and his new work became much like the rest of Surrealist art, paintings of "private fetishes." (Gowing 887) Eventually Dali, along with Magritte and the other Dada artists, was excluded. In the end, in Breton's attempt to keep Surrealism out of the fascist, anarchist world and keep it in the world of the Freudian dream state was a failure. Breton actually moved Surrealism into the anarchist's world that Dada's Tzara had created. New York NY: Harper A History of Art. The Harper American Literature, Vol. 2. Dictionary of the Arts. english.upenn.edu/~jenglish/English104/tzara.html Dadaism by Tristan Tzara Surrealism moved the humanity out of the romantic and classical notions of life and creativity into a world of ongoing and escalating anarchy and devastation. Regardless of its enduring influence on art, Surrealism may never have occurred without the founders of the Dada movement. (Varisco) In accord with the Manifesto of Surrealism of 1924 written in collaboration with Andre Breton, companion poet and dramatist Tristan Tzara wrote in the Zurich Chronicle: "Let us destroy let us be good let us create a new force of gravity. NO equals YES. Dada means nothing . . . and I hate good sense." (Varisco 139(10)) This created the basis for artists Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Sherman Anderson, and every radical of the early 20th Century. Moreover, although t...

Special Education Jobs Without College Degrees

Special Education Jobs Without College Degrees Not all people who work directly with a special education need to have a degree or certification in the field. Here are some options for a special education career if you dont have the usual degree. Support Staff Support staff, who work as wrap around or classroom aides, work directly with children but are not required to have college degrees or certification in special education. Some college can be helpful, and because support staff does not take their work homeie. plan or write reports, it is often rewarding work with little stress. Some training may be required, but the district, school or agency who employs you will provide it. Therapeutic Support Staff (TSS) Often referred to as a wrap around a TSS is assigned to assist a single student. They are often provided by a county mental health agency or other outside agency at the request of the parents and school district. The responsibilities of the TSS revolve around that single student. That child may have been identified as needing wrap around support because of emotional, behavioral or physical needs that require individual attention. The first responsibility of a TSS is to be sure a childs Behavior Improvement Plan (BIP) is followed. The TSS will see that the student stays on task and that besides supporting the student in participating appropriately in class, the TSS also sees that the student does not disrupt the educational progress of other students. They are often provided in order to help a student stay in their neighborhood school in a general education classroom. School districts or agencies will hire the TSSs for students. Check with your local school to see if they hire TSSs, or whether you should contact an agency or perhaps the Intermediate Unit in your county. College is not usually required, but some college credits in social services, psychology or education can be helpful, as well as experience and interest in working with children. TSSs make something between minimum wage and $13 an hour, 30 to 35 hours a week. Classroom Aide School district will hire classroom aides to assist special education teachers, occupation therapists or in full inclusion classrooms to provide support to students with disabilities. Classroom aides may be expected to provide toileting, hygiene or hand over hand support to children with more severe disabilities. Learning support children need less direct support: they need help completing assignments, checking homework, playing drill games, or working on spelling assignments. Classroom aides are hired by the hour, and work between the time the students arrive and the students leave. They work during the school year this is often a great job for a mother who wants to home when her children are home. A college education is not required, but having some college in a related field can be helpful. Classroom aides usually make something between minimum wage and $13 an hour. Large districts may provide benefits. Suburban and rural districts seldom do. Para-Professionals Can Make a Special Education Program. The teacher with whom a paraprofessional works are responsible for a childs special education program as defined by their IEP. A good para-professional pays attention to what the teacher wants him or her to do. Often these tasks are laid out explicitly, sometimes they are a continuation of activities that have supported learning in the past. A great para-professional anticipates what is necessary to keep students on task, and when the teacher needs to hand off a child to the para-professional so the teacher can move on to other children. Para-professionals need to remember they have not been hired to babysit or to become the childs best friend. They need strong, responsible adults who will encourage them to give their best, stay on task and participate in their class.

Integrated Communication Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Integrated Communication Marketing - Assignment Example The most influencing method is the one that converts potential customer to an actual customer (Castronovo and Huang). Event based marketing is the method that has influenced most on the purchasing decision. The reason is attention gained by the sellers and also the right customers being targeted through the well designed events. The method is though costly as compared to other ones but is accurate. The methods that are very common, spamming and random are least influencing methods (Castronovo and Huang). Such methods include email marketing which does not necessarily target the potential customers and the people usually ignore such marketing messages. More than the method, the designed message and the way render it most or least influencing. Mobile marketing influenced once resulting in purchase decision. The message was about the internet package being offered by the marketing personnel. However it was a random message but hit the head’s nail. At another instance at a sports event, the message regarding soccer kit resulted in purchase

How media influences people about disease---ALS and its ice bucket Research Paper

How media influences people about disease---ALS and its ice bucket challenge - Research Paper Example People who use Facebook and Twitter are for all practical purposes running little media houses, and face the problem of their much larger brethren, where will the next story come from? Originality is too time-consuming: emulation is inevitable. Fads ensue. What gets emulated? Anything that can contribute to social capital. The content must be easy to create but not as easy as photographing ones morning cappuccino. For example, someone in Toronto snapped a selfie with the controversial mayor Rob Ford. Overnight, hunting Rob Ford became a Toronto sport, and your face next to his became social currency across Canada. Its easy to write off these fads as simple stunts of digital narcissism, but they matter to marketing because they carry incidental meaning. It was not lost on Fords reelection team that media coverage on Facebook was as good as, perhaps better than, press coverage. Selfies with Ford carried the incidental meaning that he was one of the people, a fun-loving regular guy. He began to make himself selfie-friendly. Brands, too, ask how they can become incidental props in these viral stunts. The challenge that brands encounter, however, is that their involvement could come off as merely jumping on the bandwagon because spreadable stunts tend to carry no meaning beyond the stunt itself. Take "planking" for example. An early Facebook fad, planking is the act of lying face-down in an incongruous place. It is the epitome of digital narcissism and any hint of motive other than "look at me" just clouds the picture. By contrast, the ALS ice bucket challenge offers an example of a brand harnessing the energy of a narcissistic fad on social networks in service to the brand itself. The usual elements are there: an act that is incongruous, not easy to do, and screams "look at me." Yet here, the incidental meaning is not at all dissociated from the personal meaning. Im

Henry David Thoreau Essay Example for Free

Henry David Thoreau Essay Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862) was an American writer and philosopher famous for his naturalistic and anarchical ideas as well as his adherence to the movement of transcendentalism. Thoreau was a vegetarian, actively stood against slavery and war, and was one of the first who supported Darwin’s theory of evolution. Among his many works, the best known are his essay, Civil Disobedience, a proclamation against injustice and an urge for individual opposition to civil government, and the book ‘Walden’, where Thoreau’s reflects his personal experience of living simple life in natural environment. Although these works, like many others of Thoreau, are considered ‘transcendental’ and had been published ages ago, the ideas and concepts they contain may still at some point be related to the issues we may face while living in the 21st century. In general, the core of transcendental beliefs is a faith into a perfect spiritual state of mind that transcends both empirical and physical. It can only be realized through the person’s intuition, not through the doctrines of any existing religions. Therefore, it is rather a philosophy then a religion. The transcendentalism was grounded on principles that are ‘transcendental’, i. e.  based not upon sensual experiences but upon inner feelings and empirical, spiritual essence of a human. (En. wikipedia. org) American transcendentalism was mainly dominating in the first half of the 19th century, encouraging to abandon our mundane world, establish close relationship between human and nature, and to concentrate on ideal existence through spiritual abundance and self-reliance. Henry David Thoreau was admitted as a co-founder of this movement not only for his great thoughts on transcendentalism, but also for his empirical ideas and personal practice of his beliefs, which was greatly illustrated in his most famous book, ‘Walden’. The book firstly released as ‘Walden, or Life in the Woods’ (1854) was later widely recognized as one of the best non-fictional works of American authors. Living amidst woodland that belonged to R. W. Emerson, his friend and another founder of transcendentalism, near Concord, Massachusetts, in the small unpretentious self-built cabin, Thoreau mainly aimed to isolation from society for its better, more objective understanding. He stayed there alone for almost two years but kept receiving and returning visits. For example, he often went to Emerson’s hÐ ¾use for meÐ °l and conversÐ °tion. Moreover, as he indicates in the book, the cabin was located ‘at the edge of town’, not in the wilderness, even not far away from his family home. Therefore, he focuses reader’s attention on the importance of human’s closeness to the nature, self-reliance and meditation. The book combines Thoreau’s autobiography with a criticism of society, namely American consumerism, materialism, and nature destruction, the issues still common in our century as well. Such experiment of cut-off living was made by Thoreau for special purposes. First, he tried to escape the negative effects of the Industrial Revolution through keeping agrarian lifestyle. Interesting fact, the experiment was of a temporary character, and in the book Thoreau strongly advises his readers to avoid repeating it. Thus, anyone who studies Thoreau’s works has to keep in mind that at some degree they should be approached philosophically rather than understood literally. Second, the writer wanted to practically experience the main transcendental belief that every individual can transcend from normal to divine by means of nature itself. Like other members of the movement, in the ‘Walden’ Thoreau, for example, speaks about Vedic concepts to illustrate his vision of the nature. â€Å"I lay down the book and go to my well for water, and lo! There I meet the servant of Brahmin, priest of Brahma, and Vishnu, and Indra, who still sits in his temple of the Ganges reading the Vedas, or dwells at the root of a tree with his crust and water-jug. I meet his servant come to draw water for his master, and our buckets as it were grate together in the same well. The pure Walden water is mingled with the sacred water of the Ganges. (Thoreau 221) At some point, Thoreau’s attempts to promote the ideals of transcendentalism may seem to be impractical and rather inapplicable. In fact, after an in-depth analysis, Thoreau’s ideals may even look infeasible, namely his appeals to ascetic way of living and refusal of common human needs. In the scope of critical thinking, impossibility to follow the idea of living without any blessings of civilization is rather obvious. The average American who lives in the 21st century can hardly imagine him- or herself without Internet connection, using cell-phones, driving cars, or going to supermarkets. Nevertheless, it is possible at certain degree. Moreover, due to global ecology problems, it even may become necessary for each of us to refuse some advantages of our daily welfare for the great purpose of saving the world from environmental catastrophe. For this reason ‘Walden’, as well as many other Thoreau’s works, is frequently quoted by specialists who work in various fields and are concerned with the environmental problems of the Earth in general and in the USA in particular. While the whole issue of bad ecology becomes more and more crucial, Thoreau’s idea of simple life in the forest turns out to be not as unsuitable as it seemed at first glance. It is important to mention that Thoreau’s works on natural history is a great anticipation of findings and methods in the fields of ecology and the history of environment, which later became main sources of nowadays movement of environmentalism. In the book ‘Earth Rising: American Environmentalism in the 21st Century’ we read that â€Å"some 150 years ago, transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, sitting in his tiny cabin on Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, was already mourning the loss of the wilderness and the debilitating effect of industrialism on the human spirit†. (Shabecoff 16) Thoreau significant influence onto the entire concept of nature preservation and conservation is unquestionable. â€Å"In the United States†¦ the movement expanded in the 1800s, out of concerns for protecting the natural resources of the West, with individuals such as John Muir and Henry David Thoreau making key philosophical contributions. Thoreau was interested in people’s relationship with nature and studied this by living close to nature in a simple life. He published his experiences in the book ‘Walden’, which argues that people should become intimately close with nature. The conservationist principles as well as the belief in an inherent right of nature were to become the bedrock of modern environmentalism†. The conservation movement is a political, social and scientific movement that aims to protect natural resources, including plant and animal species as well as their habitat for the future. Chiefly in the United States, conservation is seen as differing from environmentalism in that it seeks to preserve natural resources expressly for their continued sustainable use by humans. In other parts of the world conservation is used more broadly to include the setting aside of natural areas and the active protection of wildlife for their inherent value. (En. wikipedia. org) Because of Thoreau and his associates humanity became truly concerned about the nature, the world we live in. He can definitely be called a pioneer ecologist. Numerous contemporary movements and organizations prove the actuality of environment problem and therefore significance of all Thoreau’s works related to nature preservation. For example, his vision of the environmental issues in the 19th century became a ground for the book ‘From Walden to Wall Street: Frontiers of Conservation Finance’ written in the current times. â€Å"Why do we invest in conservation? Why do human beings invest their time, energy and financial resources in protection of land, plants, and animals? We invest in conservation because it is an expression of our faith in the future. Conservation investment is an expression of our faith in the future of natural systems that are essential to life on Earth. It is an expression of our faith in the future of deeply loved natural wonders. And it is an expression of faith in the future of our families and communities whose lives will be immeasurably enriched by the living world that we are striving to sustain†. (Levitt 3) Here is one more evidence on how outstanding were the Thoreau’s works and what a great impact they made and still do. In ‘Walden’ he included a famous aphorism that â€Å"in wilderness is the preservation of the world†. Thoreau kindled the Wilderness Religion that found fertile ground in America and provided a spiritual basis for conservation. In ‘The Main Woods’ (1864) Thoreau called for the establishment of national forest preserves, helping to set the stage for the National Park movement. (Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature 6) Despite of the fact that Walden is considered by some critics a failed experiment, the issues raised in the book are still of current importance. As 21st-century people, for instance, we suffer of consumerism and globalization, with their negative ethical aspects. Thoreau’s prophetic awareness of them is amazing, they are as relevant now, as they used to be in his century. He rejects consumerism, its adverse effect on society with its status stratification, and still teaches us lessons vital for our survival and progress. Another kind of ideas Thoreau often promoted in his works are related to anarchism and civil disobedience. Thus, let us shift our attention to this theme of Thoreau’s writings and discuss how those fit in the American viewpoint of the 21st century. In his disobedience to the American low of his times he was as prominent as in his attempts to bring humanity closer to the nature. He certainly was a key figure in the American radicalism. Disobedience was the main point in his endeavors to justifÃ'Æ' morÐ °l anÐ °rchism and to encourage each individual to act on the basis of their personal judgments, their personal opinion about the very justice rather than civil regulations. Unfortunately, Thoreau offers nothing instead and relies of his personal sÐ µnse of justice, which is univÐ µrsal. Here is the historical background of the essay. â€Å"’Civil Disobedience’ is an analysis of the individual’s relationship to the state that focuses on why men obey governmental law even when they believe it to be unjust. But ‘Civil Disobedience’ is not an essay of abstract theory. It is Thoreau’s extremely personal response to being imprisoned for breaking the law. † Because he opposed slavery and because tax revenues contributed to the support of it, Thoreau decided to become a tax rebel. He was arrested and imprisoned. It was short as a one night but has had enduring effect through the writing of ‘Civil Disobedience’ which has exerted its powerful force over time. (McElroy 2) In accordance with Thoreau’s ideals, the government of his days was far from perfection due to Mexican-American war and slavery expanded in the US. Therefore, the essay was written as anti-slavery and anti-war protest soon after the war’s beginning. Thoreau later wrote about governmental justice. â€Å"If it is of such a nature that requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop he machine†¦ Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also prison†. (Thoreau 259) In the essay the author urges American citizens to show their disagreement to government by passive disobedience without acts of violence. Such form of protest was later used by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King who initiated movements for social changes. Thoreau was emphasizing the importance of acting upon the person’s ethical and moral beliefs. According to Thoreau, â€Å"unjust law exists: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? † This urge to disobedience is in tune with the message of ‘Walden’. Those who are not satisfied with the society should not obey its norms, and neither wait until the norms are changed, nor until the majority joins them, but live according to their own believes. Personal values should be compared to the ones of the contemporary society, and unless they comply, stick the voice of conscience. Thoreau also said that â€Å"it costs me less in every sense to incur the penalty of disobedience to the state, than it would to obey. I should feel as if I were worth less in that case. † (Thoreau 258) In fact, many of the issues pinpointed by Thoreau 150 years ago have not yet been overcome by the American society, and that strikes the most. He hated its slavish materialism as well as commercialism and believed that â€Å"the state should never rank above the individual conscience or the business of living. But if the state demands a person’s first allegiance by asking him to violate his conscience and participate in an injustice, the person should disobey – not through violence but by removing his cooperation. † (McElroy 3) Thoreau foresaw many issues typical to the modern American society. Over 150 years ago he predicted the crisis, spiritual and moral, that now corrodes it. The writer still begs us to slow down our hectic lives, to review our values, and to live in harmony with our consciences. He repeatedly talks about the possibility to establish a society where the justice is appreciated and the beauty of the nature is preserved.

Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Essay -- Philosophy of E

Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Knowledge is a very powerful thing, and to be able to deliver this to today’s youth has been a dream of mine for a long time. There are many advantages to teaching. I feel that is a very fulfilling profession. I have seen my sister in the classroom, and it greatly inspired me to want to make a difference in some ones life. Through watching my sister in action I was inspired to follow in her footsteps. I believe that each child has the will to learn, and that if they have a teacher who is on fire they will be on fire. I think that if a teacher cannot be excited about why they are doing, how can they expect their students to be excited. I want to be a teacher who brings the classroom to life. I want to have students who share their own views, and show the desire to learn. I strongly feel that if I show a desire to learn, they will want to learn from me. Children of all race, and creeds want to learn and excel. Unfortunately they usually come across an experience that can alter this desire. I also feel that a child’s home life can greatly affect their desire to learn. In order to help children in these situations you must be understanding, and try to see where they are coming from in order to give them the desire back. By being patient with students especially at the early childhood level when many times they are still in the early stages of life, I strongly feel they will gain a respect and love for school. Knowledge is an endless institution from which you can always take from regardless of the situation. This has to be wanted from the beginning, children must understand that it is theirs for the taking. I strongly feel that each child can learn whatever he... ... chance to do things in the real world it will be easier for them to learn what we are teaching. I hope to one day be able to deliver all of these ideas and concepts to children in a classroom I call my own. I hope to graduate from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education with a minor in history. While teaching I intend on working through graduate schools earning a masters, and physical doctrine in special education. I hope to one day be employed by a university, and be able to educate future teachers. I hope to run a classroom where students have a say in their education, and I hope to have a great amount of mutual respect. My best learning experiences in school were in classrooms where I had a say so in my education. I hope to show children that they all have the same opportunity, and can achieve whatever their hearts desire. Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Essay -- Philosophy of E Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Knowledge is a very powerful thing, and to be able to deliver this to today’s youth has been a dream of mine for a long time. There are many advantages to teaching. I feel that is a very fulfilling profession. I have seen my sister in the classroom, and it greatly inspired me to want to make a difference in some ones life. Through watching my sister in action I was inspired to follow in her footsteps. I believe that each child has the will to learn, and that if they have a teacher who is on fire they will be on fire. I think that if a teacher cannot be excited about why they are doing, how can they expect their students to be excited. I want to be a teacher who brings the classroom to life. I want to have students who share their own views, and show the desire to learn. I strongly feel that if I show a desire to learn, they will want to learn from me. Children of all race, and creeds want to learn and excel. Unfortunately they usually come across an experience that can alter this desire. I also feel that a child’s home life can greatly affect their desire to learn. In order to help children in these situations you must be understanding, and try to see where they are coming from in order to give them the desire back. By being patient with students especially at the early childhood level when many times they are still in the early stages of life, I strongly feel they will gain a respect and love for school. Knowledge is an endless institution from which you can always take from regardless of the situation. This has to be wanted from the beginning, children must understand that it is theirs for the taking. I strongly feel that each child can learn whatever he... ... chance to do things in the real world it will be easier for them to learn what we are teaching. I hope to one day be able to deliver all of these ideas and concepts to children in a classroom I call my own. I hope to graduate from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education with a minor in history. While teaching I intend on working through graduate schools earning a masters, and physical doctrine in special education. I hope to one day be employed by a university, and be able to educate future teachers. I hope to run a classroom where students have a say in their education, and I hope to have a great amount of mutual respect. My best learning experiences in school were in classrooms where I had a say so in my education. I hope to show children that they all have the same opportunity, and can achieve whatever their hearts desire.

Case Study Cameron Auto Parts Essay

1. Cameron was right to have licensed to McTaggart. Expansion strategies, as discussed in class, have different barriers and costs. For example, for Cameron to have entered a joint venture with the company would have cost both sides a lot of money and time. For Cameron to have expanded into the UK – what Andy had argued – would have been the most expensive and time consuming of the four options. The company definitely has money, however the extra cash needed to finance such large operations isn’t available. Finally, for Cameron to have simply exported into the UK economy could have been easy however, it is exactly what they are doing now. This leaves them limited to the amount that the importers are able to pay in terms of duty and freight, currency exchange, as Sandy explains, as well as the issue of never knowing â€Å"how long the goods will take†(International Management, pg 254) to arrive. Also, with the developing need, having more orders would force Cameron to build a new manufacturing facility to accommodate for the higher production. This would exuberate their need for that second plant. All of this leaves licensing to be the most viable option as it requires the least amount of capital, both financial and human. Cameron Auto Parts are paid royalty fees as well as the costs of setting up the manufacturing and training without having to spend much money to get the UK plant running. 2. I would say that McTaggart is a good choice for the company to become the licensee of the UK for Cameron. According to Exhibit 3, even though they had sales of –  £9 million from 1991, it states that this is because their sales took a plummet against â€Å"a U.S product of superior quality† (International Management, pg 255) It also states that they have the capacity to increase production substantially. This means that given the right product, they are already capable of producing according to demand. Further, because Sandy himself knows there is a huge (and growing) demand for the part, coupled with the current customers of Cameron, there is almost already a very large customer base and all it needs is a facility that is very seriously interested in becoming â€Å"exclusive agents for the UK market† (International Management, pg 256) in order to supply that demand accordingly. McTaggart also has an excellent credit record, and having been in operation for almost 150 years, it is clear that they are in the business for the long run and would not risk damaging situations and dishonored contracts. 3. The two had come to a compromise of 2% in royalty fees. They came up with the rate of using integrative negotiation techniques. They both knew that they wanted the situation to work, and neither of them came in with an unrealistic starting point or forceful attitude – distributive techniques. Alex began the negotiation at 3% while Sandy pushed a few times for 1.5%. Even though Sandy gave an offer of 2% on the first million â‚ ¬, he still kept close to his initial offer by saying that any profits after the first million would be at a 1.5% royalty rate. Pleasingly, they both agreed to meet in the middle, at 2%. Without knowing the legal royalty limit in the UK, the textbook (International Management, pg 99) does state that 3% is a stringent limit. This implies that governments consider this rate reasonable and not high enough to hurt the domestic company. That being said, 2% is the right rate. An important piece of information to take note of is the fact that even though their production skills were not as up-to-date as Cameron’s – an issue that would be rectified once the set-up of the facility is completed – McTaggart already has original cost saving ideas implemented in their current plant. This indicates an ingenuity that perhaps Cameron’s techniques could use. Because Alex specifically states that he would require a flow-back clause in their agreement, this is an added benefit to compromising that 1% since it is only a matter of time before McTaggart’s facility comes up with cost-saving techniques for the flexible couplings. This would more than make up for the compromise.

Study on Infiltration and Soil Texture Under Banana and Maize Land Use Systems in Gatundu Catchment, Kiambu County, Kenya

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY STUDY ON INFILTRATION AND SOIL TEXTURE UNDER BANANA AND MAIZE LAND USE SYSTEMS IN GATUNDU CATCHMENT, KIAMBU COUNTY,KENYA KAKAIRE JOEL I56EA/20023/2012 ICEDUNA MARION I56EA/20021/2012 MWM714: FIELD MAPPING AND LABORATORY TECHQNIUES FIELD REPORT COURSE INSTRUCTOR: DR. MAKOKHA GEORGE TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS PAGES 1. 0 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 1. Significance of the study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 1. 2 Objectives †¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 1. 2. 1 Specific Objectives †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 2. 0 METHODS AND MATERIALS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 2. INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 2. 2 Study area †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 2. 3 Research design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 2. 4 Data collection procedures and laboratory analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 2. 4. Soil Texture †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 2. 4. 2 Infiltration †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 3. 0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 3. 1 Soil Infiltration Measurements †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 5. 0 REFERENCES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 15 APPENDIX †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 Appendix 1: Data sheet for Infiltration for Banana and Maize Fields †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 17 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: I nfiltration Curve of Banana field †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 0 Figure 2: Cumulative Infiltration of Banana Field †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Figure 3: Infiltration curve of Maize Field †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 Figure 4: Cumulative infiltration of Maize Field†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Description of infiltration sites †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Table 2.Summary of the soil texture report from the test sites †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 LIST OF PLATES Plate 1: Infiltration in Banana and Maize field respectively †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 iv v 1. 0 Introduction Water is one of the most important factors limiting the growth of plants in all Agricultural systems. In this respect, good water management is necessary in order to solve water related problems such as irrigation and erosion control. Infiltration is the process by which water arriving at the soil surface enters the soil.This process affects surface runoff, soil erosion, and groundwater recharge (Gregory et al. , 2005). The rate at which it occurs is known as infiltration rate which mainly depends on the characteristics of the soil. ( Saxton, 1986) reported that, the major soil and water characteristics affecting infiltration rates are: the initial moisture content, condition of the surface, hydraulic conductivity of the soil profile, texture, porosity, degree of swelling of soil colloids, organic matter, vegetative cover and duration of irrigation or rainfall and of these, soil texture is predominant.Therefore the measurement of water infiltration into the soil is an important indication in regard to the efficiency of irrigation and drainage, optimizing the availability of water for plants, improving the yield of crops, minimizing erosion and describing the soil permeability. Land use and land cover changes among other factors have also been reported to infuluence the infiltration rate of soil. According to (Suresh, 2008), for a given soil, the land use pattern plays a vital role in determining i ts infiltration characteristics.Different land use practices affect infiltration rates in different ways. (Taylor et al, 2009), observed that intensified land use results primarily in a change in soil structure rather than soil compaction. When land is put to certain uses, there is an accompanying change in the properties of the soil and this alters the hydrological balance of the soil. According to (Osuji, 2010) infiltration rates in tropical forests under bush fallow were found to be high compared to arable crop land. In addition, Majaliwa et al. 2010) explains that the change from natural forest cover to tea and Eucalyptus induces changes in top soil properties like exchangeable Magnesium and Calcium, available Phosphorus, soil organic matter, soil pH, and soil structure of sub soil. Furthermore, Land use/type cover influences soil organic matter evolution which is a vital indicator of soil quality and it has implications on soil properties like aggregate stability/soil structure , infiltration and aeration rates, microbial activity and nutrient release (Boye and 1Albrect, 2001). Additionally a soil’s water retention characteristic, is affected by soil organic matter (SOM) content and porosity, which are significantly influenced by land use type (Zhou et al. , 2008). Gatundu catchment is one of the catchments in Kenya which have experienced soil degradation due to conversion of natural forest to crop land mainly banana, maize and Coffee. This has been fastened by the increasing population in the catchment leaving most of the natural forest cover cleared and replaced by crop land.The result has been massive soil degradation, through loss of plant nutrients and organic matter, soil erosion, river bank degradation; build up of salinity, and damage to soil structure (Bekunda et al. , 2010). Therefore this study aims to determine the degree of relationship between infiltration rates and the land use types in two selected sites under Banana and Maize croppi ng systems in Gatundu sub catchment. 1. 1 Significance of the study The knowledge of water retention capacity and land use effects is important for efficient soil and water management.Upon conversion of natural lands to cultivated fields, water retention capacity is strongly influenced (Schwartz et al. , 2000; Bormann and Klaassen, 2008; Zhou et al. , 2008). Thus, infiltration rate is an important factor in sustainable agriculture, effective watershed management, surface runoff, and retaining water and soil resources. Properly designed and constructed infiltration facilities can be one of the most effective flow control (and water quality treatment) storm water control practices, and should be encouraged where conditions are appropriate (Ecology, 2005) 1. Objectives The objective of the study is to determine the effect of banana and Maize land use practices on water infiltration into the soil in Gatundu catchment 1. 2. 1 Specific Objectives 2 1. 2. Describe how different soil types influence water flow through the soil Compare Water movements through the soil at two different sites (Banana and Maize fields) 3. To find out how soil texture influences water infiltration into the soil 2. 0 METHODS AND MATERIALS 2. INTRODUCTION This section covers the methods and materials used in the study which include description of the study area, experimental design, field data collection procedures for soil samples and data analysis procedures; laboratory and statistical data analysis using Microsoft office package. 2. 2 Study area Gatundu district is one of the districts located in central province of Kenya at 1 ° 1†² 0†³ South, 36 ° 56†² 0†³ East; covering an area of 481. 1 km2 and borders Thika district to the East and North and Kiambu East to the South and West (Figure 5).The population density varies from 370 persons per Km2 in Chania and Mangu divisions to 636 persons per Km2 in Gatundu division on the 2008 population projections. Gatundu divisi on is the most densely populated division with 636 persons per square Km. The population over the plan period is expected to increase marginally thereby increasing demand and competition for the available resources like water and land resources (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). 3 ` Figure 5: Map of Gatundu south Topography features of Gatundu district Gatundu district is located about 1520 m ASL at the lowest point and 2280 m ASL at the highest point.There are several permanent rivers and streams that traverse the landscape and these include Ndaruga, Thiririka, and Kahuga. All these rivers flow from the Aberdare ranges to the west and towards the southeast joining River Tana thus forming part of Tana and Athi river 4 drainage system. The train is conducive for gravity system of irrigation (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). Terrain Gatundu district is characterized by a ragged terrain, which has had both the negative and positive impacts on the developmen t of the district.The steep slopes and valleys characteristic of the most part of the district, coupled with intensive crop cultivation render most of these areas susceptible to soil erosion making it necessary for farmers to practice terracing which is costly. The conducive environment in the district favour the cultivation of tea and coffee however, other crops like cereals, horticultural crops such as pineapple, mangoes, avocadoes and vegetables plus bananas (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). Soils Gatundu district has soils that correspond entirely with typical Aberdare Humic Andosols and Nitosols.These Nitosols have great agricultural potential coupled with the relatively high rainfall regime in the region. Production of tea, coffee, tropical fruits and food crops such as maize, beans and potatoes are the most common sources of income to the households. The hilly terrain of the district has had profound effect on the soils, resulting into low and moderate fertilit y levels (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012). Climate The rainfall pattern is bi-modal with two distinct rainy seasons, long rains falling in March and May while short rains between October and November.The amount received varies with altitude ranging from 800 mm to 2000 mm with the highest rainfall being experienced in the tea zones. The mean temperature is 200 C with coldest months being June, July and August. The hottest months are February, March and April. Temperatures vary from 80C minimum to 300 C maximum during the year. (Gatundu District Development plan, 2008 -2012) 5 2. 3 Research design A completely randomized block design was used for the study. Two treatments were considered (Banana and Maize land uses) and the blocking was landscape position. For Each land use type, only one experiment was carried out because of time. . 4 Data collection procedures and laboratory analysis 2. 4. 1 Soil Texture Five (5) soil samples from both Banana and Maize land uses at di fferent landscape positions were collected. The sampling was done at depth of 0 -15 cm and were collected using a 50 mm diameter auger using a Random sampling Technique as explained by Haghighi et al. (2010) . The 0-15cm depth was considered because it’s the major agricultural layer and root zone for most of the crops. The five soil samples from each land use were thoroughly mixed to obtain composite soil samples which were taken to Makerere University Laboratory for Analysis.Soil texture was determined using the hydrometer method described by Bouyoucos (1962) and results presented in percentages of mineral proportions. The samples were passed through an electric shaker for 30 minutes and then the sample was treated with sodium hexametaphosphate to complex Ca++, Al3+, Fe3+, and other cations that bind clay and silt particles into aggregates. The density of the soil suspension was determined with a hydrometer which was calibrated to read in grams of solids per liter after the sand settled out and again after the silt settled. Corrections were made for the density and temperature of the dispersing solutions.The percentages of mineral fractions were calculated as below; Percent clay: % clay = corrected hydrometer reading at 6 hrs, 52 min. x 100/ wt. of sample Percent silt: % silt = corrected hydrometer reading at 40 sec. x 100/ wt. of sample – % clay Percent sand: 6 % sand = 100% – % silt – % clay Results were reported as percentages of the mineral fraction, % sand, % silt, and % clay. Soil texture was based on the USDA textural triangle. 2. 4. 2 Infiltration The infiltration rate was determined using double-ring infiltrometer as described by American Society for Testing and Materials (1994).It consists of two concentric metal rings. The rings were driven into the ground and filled with water. The outer ring helped to prevent divergent flow. The drop-in water level or volume in the inner ring was used to calculate the infiltration rate . Clock time was recorded when the test began and noted the water level on the ruler at different time intervals as seen in Appendix 1, recorded the drop in water level in the inner ring on the ruler and kept adding water to bring the level back to approximately the original level.The tests were conducted for a period of one to two hours, until the infiltration rate became constant. The infiltration rate was calculated from the rate of fall of the water level in the inner ring as seen in Appendix 1 in the tenth minutes in both the banana field and maize fields. The data was analyzed by drawing graphs of infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration. In both cases, curves were obtained. Plate 1: Infiltration in Banana and Maize field respectively 7 3. 0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 3. Soil Infiltration Measurements Soil infiltration measurements were made at 2 sites in Gatundu sub catchment (Plate 1 above). The two sites have the same soil characteristics, therefore they have been classif ied by the different land uses and land scape positions coupled by other field observations. Sites were selected based on land use, proximity to water source, site accessibility, and soil type. Table 1: Description of infiltration sites Site Location Banana Site Observed and use and field observations Site with Banana plantations, Has some mounds, some trees adjacent to the field, it’s on a higher elevation Maize Site Site with Maize, The site is close to a trench used for moving water, Its close to the road , It’s on a lower elevation Figure 1(Banana land use) and Figure 3(Maize land use) shows that the water infiltrates at a very high rate at the beginning with 1800 mm/hr and 720mm/hr respectively; because the hydraulic gradient is high and then keeps declining with time until it becomes fairly steady after the soils become saturated, which is termed as basic infiltration rate.This is also emphasized by Horton (1940) where he asserts that infiltration becomes constan t with time as the soil column reaches fully saturated conditions which occurred at 40th and 49th minute time intervals in Banana and Maize Land use Systems as seen in appendix 1. Rubin and Steinhardt (1963) also showed that the final infiltration rate reached under these conditions is equal to the vertical hydraulic conductivity of a saturated soil. 8 The steady state in Maize was attained earlier than in banana land use corresponding to 204mm/hr and 450mm/hr respectively.This can be associated to soil disturbances during ploughing and land preparation season after season for annual crops like maize compared to banana field (Perennial) which have less soil disturbances. The scenario under maize land use may lead to soil compaction as a result of continuous cultivation. This is emphasized by Pitt et al. , 2002 and 2008; Pitt et al. , (1999b) who found substantial reductions in infiltration rates due to soil compaction. The implication is that beyond the steady point (saturation poin t), if more water is applied to the soil, it results into surface water runoff.Infiltration depends upon physical and hydraulic properties of the soil moisture content, previous wetting history, structural changes in the layers and air entrapment. The basic infiltration rate of maize land use is lower than that of Banana land use system as seen in Appendix 1; this can be associated to a number of factors although not conclusive for the attained results; 1. The Initial moisture content; the study was carried out in a rainy season, therefore for saturated soils, the infiltration falls to the aturated hydraulic conductivity almost instantaneously. 2. Considering the type of land use in each of the sites; Soils under Perennials (Banana Land use) are subjected to less interferences in terms of land preparations compared to land under annuals (Maize Land use) which correlates with the obtained results of 450mm/hr and 204mm/hr respectively 3. The surrounding of the site; the Maize field is on a lower elevation and near a trench which collects water, therefore it’s possible that the soils could easily reach saturation 9 Infiltration rate mm/hr 000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Infiltration rate,mm/hr infiltration rate mm/hr Time(minutes) Figure 1: Infiltration Curve of Banana field Cummulative infiltration cummulative infiltration,mm 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Cummulative infiltration Time,hrs Figure 2: Cumulative Infiltration of Banana Field In Banana land use, Infiltration was recorded at time intervals of 1, 5 and 10 minutes and in Maize land use it was at 3, 6 and 10 minutes time intervals (Appendix 1) 10Infiltration rate/hr 800 Infiltration rate mm/hr 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Infiltration rate/hr Time,hrs Figure 3: Infiltration curve of Maize Field Cummulative infiltration Cummulative infiltration,mm 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cummu lative infiltration Time,hrs Figure 4: Cumulative infiltration of Maize Field 11 Table 2 below compares the infiltration rates of two sites, classified according to the texture of the soil profiles in Banana and Maize land use systems.In each set of measurements, the infiltration rate of the Banana field belonging to the sandy clay loam was much higher than Maize field belonging to clay loam because of the variation in the physical properties of the two textural classes. In the banana field, basic infiltration rate was attained at 450mm/hr which is higher than that of maize field, 204mm/hr and this explains the relationship between soil texture, structure and infiltration which was obtained in our results where the Banana field with sandy clay loams having larger pores allowed in more water to infiltrate compared to clay loam with relatively smaller pores.From our results, The banana field reached saturation earlier (40th minute) than the Maize field (49th minute) which deviates fro m the assumption that the field at lower elevation reaches saturation earlier than the other on the higher elevation, and this case the maize field was on a lower elevation. As it is not possible to vary soil texture independently of other characteristics it is not inferred that the infiltration rates are caused by texture.Table 2 Summary of the soil texture report from the test sites Sample Percentage % Sand Banana Field Maize Field 50 40 Silt 26 26 Clay 24 34 Sand clay loam Clay loam Textural Class 12 4. 0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Generally from the findings, the two sites registered high basic infiltration rates with banana and maize land use having 405mm/hr and 204mm/hr respectively. The two sites as well reached saturation easily because of the amount of water that was held within the soil because of the rainy season.Several factors influenced the test; measuring rapidly changing water levels was difficult especially for one minute time intervals and therefore subject to i naccuracy and the local site features, challenges in elevation and the soils being too soft which kept altering the position of the ruler and varying the depth thus may have affected individual test results. Therefore the study required more data collection and time to be able to sample many sites at different time intervals. For this study, tests were conducted during a rainy period in December, 2012, where the water table was expected to be above most soil layers.However, Infiltration is a key parameter in Watershed management therefore Properly designed and constructed infiltration facilities can be one of the most effective flow control (and water quality treatment) , and should be encouraged where conditions are appropriate (Ecology, 2005). Additionally infiltration separates water into two major components surface runoff and subsurface recharge, therefore assessment and Evaluation of runoff risk has assumed an increased importance because of concerns about associated pollution hazards in which pollutants are likely to be transferred from soil to rivers and lakes.The speed of irrigation of fields is based on infiltration tests and data; in surface irrigation, infiltration changes dramatically throughout the irrigation season. The water movements alter the surface structure and geometry which in turn affect infiltration rates; therefore accurate determination of infiltration rates is essential for reliable prediction of surface runoff. As environmental impact assessments are concerned with long-term effects, it is essential that the 13 infiltration data on which they are based should be reasonably stable. For planning purposes it is essential to know the stability of infiltration data. 4 5. 0 REFERENCES American Society for Testing and Materials, 1994, Standard test method for infiltration rate of soils in field using double-ring infiltrometer: ASTM Publication D-3385-94, 7 p. Bouyoucos, G. J. 1962. Hydrometer method improved for making particle size analy sis of soils. Agron. J. 54:464-465. Ecology (2005) Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington; Olympia, WA. Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Program. Publication Numbers 05-10-029 through 05-10-033. http://www. ecy. wa. gov/pubs/0510029. pdf Gregory, J. H. , Dukes, M. D. , Miller, G. L. , and Jones P.H. (2005) Analysis of double-ring infiltration techniques and development of a simple automatic water delivery system. Applied Turfgrass Science. Haghighi. F. , & Gorjiz, M. & Shorafa M. (2010). Effects of Land Use Change on Important Soil Properties. Land Degrad. Develop. 21, 496–502. Horton, R. E. , 1940, An approach towards a physical interpretation of infiltration capacity: Soils Science Society of America Proceedings, v. 5, p. 399-417. Osuji, G. E,Okon M. A; Chukwuma and Nwaire (2010): Infiltration characteristics of soils under selected landuse practices in Oweri, Southern Nigeria.World journal of Agricultural Sciences 6(3): 322 – 326 Pit t, R. ; J. Lantrip; R. Harrison; C. Henry, and D. Hue (1999b) Infiltration through Disturbed Urban Soils and Compost-Amended Soil Effects on Runoff Quality and Quantity; EPA 600-R-00-016. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. National Risk Management Research Laboratory. Office of Research and Development. Cincinnati, OH: 231 pp. Pitt, R; Chen, S. -E; Clark, S. E (2002) Compacted Urban Soils Effects on Infiltration and Bioretention Stormwater Control Designs; Proc. , 9th Int. Conf. on Urban Drainage (9ICUD).Portland, Oregon. Pitt, R; Chen, S-E; Clark, S; Swenson, J. , and Ong, C. K (2008) Compaction’s Impacts on Urban Storm-Water Infiltration; J. Irrig. and Drain. Engrg. , 134(5), 652-658. Rubin, J. , and Steinhardt, R. , 1963, Soils water relations during rain infiltration; Part I–Theory: Soils Science Society of America Proceedings, v. 27, p. 246-251 Saxton, K. E. , W. L. Rawls, J. S. Rosenberger and R. I Papendick, 1986. Estimating generalized soil water characteri stics from texture. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. , 50: 1031-1036 15 Schwartz, R. C. , Unger, P. W. Evett S. R. , 2000. â€Å"Land use effects on soil hydraulicproperties. † Suresh, D. (2008). Land and Water Management Principles: New Delhi, Shansi Publishers Taylor, M. , M. Mulholland and D. Thornburrow,2009. Infiltration Characteristics of Soils Under forestry and Agriculture in the Upper Waikato Catchment. Report: TR/18 http:// www. ew. govt. nz/publications/ Technical-Reports/ TR-200918/ Zhou, X. , Lin, H. S. , White, E. A. , 2008. â€Å"Surface soil hydraulic properties in four soil series under different land uses and their temporal changes. † Catena. 73, 180-188. 16APPENDIX Appendix 1: Data sheet for Infiltration for Banana and Maize Fields Banana Field Time Reading clock on difference, Cumulative min time, min Infiltration Water Level, Infiltration, Infiltratio rate cm cm n, mm mm/min Infiltration rate mm/hr Cumulative infiltration, mm 12:32 12:33 12:34 12:35 12:36 1 2:37 12:42 12:47 12:52 12:57 13:02 13:07 1 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 5 5 10 1 2 3 4 5 10 15 20 25 30 40 12. 0 13. 5 13. 8 14. 0 14. 3 9. 4 12. 8 11. 0 12. 0 12. 7 9. 8 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 15. 0 17. 0 17. 3 17. 3 17. 5 3. 0 1. 5 1. 2 1. 0 0. 7 5. 6 2. 2 4. 0 5. 0 4. 6 7. 5 17 30 15 12 10 7 56 22 40 50 46 75

Free Essays on One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest

Biographical Data Ken Kesey was born on September 17, 1935 in La Junta, Colorado. Ken Kesey is world renowned for his best-selling novel, "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest". At an early age, Kesey had a love for Christian fables as well as the Christian ethical system. Although he had a love for these fables, Kesey never wrote anything or published anything till well after his high school career. In High School he was a champion wrestler setting long-standing state records in Oregon. Unlike most "normal" authors, Kesey always had a love for the "wild" side. He would always be doing crazy things and going to parties. While at Stanford, he was in an experience involving chemicals at the psychology department to earn extra money. Among these chemicals were psilocybin, mescaline, and â€Å"LSD† which is found in the drug, acid. This experience altered Kesey personally and professionally causing him to not be what he used to be, but instead a crazy and weird sort of individual. He became friends wi th a group of people that would later call themselves, the Merry Pranksters. Among these pranksters there were famous people like Jack Kerouac, and Neal Cassady. They bought a bus and all went on a trip to the World's Fair in New York. They recorded most of the trip and showed these clips to drugged up audiences at their parties. Kesey and the Merry Pranksters became known for their Acid tests as well as their extensive use of LSD and other drugs. Thomas Wolfe wrote a book about the merry pranksters called The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Kesey and the Merry Pranksters fled to Mexico after their favorite drug, LSD, was made illegal. When they returned to the United States for a final performance of their band, "Warlocks", or "Grateful Dead", Kesey was arrested on a marijuana charge. After serving his time in Jail, Kesey decided to move to a farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon to raise his family and try to forget his crazy past. Kesey, being a big par... Free Essays on One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest Free Essays on One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest Biographical Data Ken Kesey was born on September 17, 1935 in La Junta, Colorado. Ken Kesey is world renowned for his best-selling novel, "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest". At an early age, Kesey had a love for Christian fables as well as the Christian ethical system. Although he had a love for these fables, Kesey never wrote anything or published anything till well after his high school career. In High School he was a champion wrestler setting long-standing state records in Oregon. Unlike most "normal" authors, Kesey always had a love for the "wild" side. He would always be doing crazy things and going to parties. While at Stanford, he was in an experience involving chemicals at the psychology department to earn extra money. Among these chemicals were psilocybin, mescaline, and â€Å"LSD† which is found in the drug, acid. This experience altered Kesey personally and professionally causing him to not be what he used to be, but instead a crazy and weird sort of individual. He became friends wi th a group of people that would later call themselves, the Merry Pranksters. Among these pranksters there were famous people like Jack Kerouac, and Neal Cassady. They bought a bus and all went on a trip to the World's Fair in New York. They recorded most of the trip and showed these clips to drugged up audiences at their parties. Kesey and the Merry Pranksters became known for their Acid tests as well as their extensive use of LSD and other drugs. Thomas Wolfe wrote a book about the merry pranksters called The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Kesey and the Merry Pranksters fled to Mexico after their favorite drug, LSD, was made illegal. When they returned to the United States for a final performance of their band, "Warlocks", or "Grateful Dead", Kesey was arrested on a marijuana charge. After serving his time in Jail, Kesey decided to move to a farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon to raise his family and try to forget his crazy past. Kesey, being a big par...

How To Grow Instant Sheet Crystals

How To Grow Instant Sheet Crystals You can grow crystals in seconds. It doesnt take special solutions or complicated equipment. You have all the ingredients in your kitchen. Lets do it! Difficulty: Easy Time Required: Crystals form in seconds What You Need Cookie sheet or glass panHot waterCrystal chemical (e.g., alum or Epsom salt)Food coloring (optional) Heres How Make a crystal growing solution. You can use any recipe. Great choices would be Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate, sold with laundry or bath products) or alum (from the spice section of the grocery store) stirred into very hot water until no more will dissolve. Add a little food coloring.Pour a little solution onto a cookie sheet or glass pan. Its okay if the liquid is still hot.Tilt the pan around to spread out the solution. Youll see a fan of crystals form as the liquid evaporates, similar to frost on a windowpane. Tips You dont need very much solution at all! If you have a puddle of liquid in your pan, that is too much. Pour some off and let the bottom dry. The evaporation goes more quickly if the pan is warm, but its not really necessary to heat it (in other words, avoid burns).Try viewing the crystals through a microscope. Polarized light displays gorgeous colors!Another option is to crystallize the solution onto a sheet or plate of clear glass or plastic. Once the crystals have dried, hold the plate up to light. Examine the crystals using a magnifying glass. What do you see if you wear polarized sunglasses?

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL dispute resolution Essay

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL dispute resolution - Essay Example The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) has been set up to meet the expectations of all global parties that enter into negotiations with other entities outside their country of origin or where territorial boundary of countries was merged. In light of international conflict resolution, this paper will try to discuss the arbitrator’s duty of impartiality and independence under the English arbitration Act and compare with at least another system using resolved cases as basis. Arbitration Arbitration is one of the more popular forms of alternative dispute resolution of which two opposing parties agree to use a third person or more to settle the case in question. Although conducted outside the court, this system is acceptable and legal with the decision called the award1. The third party reviews the dispute and provides a decision that the parties have agreed to be bound. In many countries, the arbitration may either be mandatory or voluntary and it is often use d in commercial transactions even between varying nationals or countries. The third party of the arbitration process is called the arbitrator and the arbitrator is independent and impartial23. The International Commercial Congress of Arbitration clarified that arbitration follows the contractualist theory of arbitration that the parties have the right to control the process and maintain that right during the process; and that the parties’ agreement to settle their disputes entails to allow the arbitrator or arbitrators to control the process4. However, in reality, the ICCA stated that it is the State which has sole control of the arbitral process because it provides the power to the parties as well as the arbitrators. The role of the State is apparent in the principle of independence as well as impartiality of the arbitrators together with the principle of immunity bestowed on the arbitrator by the State5. An Arbitrator’s Duty of Impartiality The impartiality of the ar bitrator is a traditional expectation of which â€Å"business managers, investors, and nations entrust their treasure and their welfare,†6. The ethical principles must be guarded by the arbitrators themselves. There are continuing trends and changes that may affect attitudes and will temp arbitrators such as conflict-of-interest cases but Park endorsed an implementation with â€Å"sensitivity to new trouble spots,†7. Such caution of impartiality can be attributed to a lawyer who may serve as an advocate for one case but where there is shift of role to an arbitrator, will remain open about propositions so that regular adjustment becomes necessary on the part of the arbitrator8. The expectation on the arbitrator as impartial was further explored by Bishop and Reed as â€Å"An arbitrator who is impartial but not wholly independent may be qualified, while an independent arbitrator who is not impartial must be disqualified. In selecting party-appointed arbitrators in inter national arbitration, the absolutely inalienable and predominant standard should be impartiality,†9. These conflicts were observed in the cases mentioned in the LCIAM AMINZ Arbitration Seminar involving a partner layer in one locality who served as an arbitrator for an overseas dispute10. Arbitration in England and the United States It was observed that court cases in England and the United States have raised the standards for arbitrators as they were accused of possible bias. They were enabled to refuse as part of their rights although