Urban Planning and decision-making in Dubai Essay

Urban Planning and decision-making in Dubai - Essay Example n of this paper that the biggest concerns Dubai seems to have at this point are: 1) sustainability 2) cultural considerations 3) labor relations and 4) traffic. Sustainability is an issue that can best be judged from a future point. The cultural considerations are also elements that are being worked out in many ways. So labor and transport issues become the central themes of this paper. The biggest complaint to date is traffic problems. The planning of roads seems to have lost its way. This, in contrast to the other planning elements, seems a small problem but it is becoming more and more of an issue as Dubai becomes popular and established as an international city. What role does the public play in the decision-making process during the development of Dubai? To what extent did the government maintain a monopoly over these decisions? How active of a role did the private sector play in the urbanization of the city? How has globalization affected the decision-making process? A review of Leonie Sandercock’s â€Å"Toward Cosmopolis† shows that Sandercock writes about the cultural pluralism of planning theory in a way that is highly idealistic (Blanco 1998). She is said to discuss her social project in a political and economic vacuum, failing to address the underlying causes of the social problems. Cosmopolis is, for Sandercock, â€Å"a common civic culture which has embraced the social project of tolerance, alterity, and inclusion† (Blanco 1998). Sandercock states that there are three forces that create the major cultural politics of difference: migration and multiculturalism, postcolonialism, and the age of women and minorities. She believes that the history of planning has supported segregation and discrimination. These are major forces at work in Dubai’s planning. A perceived threat of marginalization (Aarts 1999) by less developed countries has often led to their full interaction with the world economy, before they may be ready. Aart feels that

Antitrust Practices and Market Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Antitrust Practices and Market Power - Essay Example Antitrust laws, often known as ‘competition laws’ are norms introduced by the government of U.S. to prevent the consumers from the negativities of rapacious pricing introduced by the potential business giants in market and thereby help in promoting free trading activities in the open economies. This essay will concentrate in the recent antitrust investigation against the giant web searcher Google. The Federal Trading Commission had introduced the antitrust inquiry against Google in October 2012 and recommended the government to completely sue the business giant. Such laws are generally incorporated over firms that exhibit monopolistic or oligopolistic characteristic features. In short, the imperfectly competitive market structures encourage the malpractices and bureaucracies of potential firms in almost all industrial segments. Antitrust investigation is the best combat against such ill practices. The issue of antitrust investigation against Google encompasses the online business industry (Lohr, 2012). Reason for Antitrust investigation against Google The Federal Trading Commission (FTC) augmented pressure in Google for an antitrust investigation and decided to sue the giant web searcher. The company was claimed to manipulate its search results in a way that would facilitate its own products and make the same difficult for its potential rivals in the industry. However, the officials of the company had announced to answer and prove its innocence against any charges imposed by the regulators. FTC has equipped itself with a team which would drag Google to the court if required. Beth A. Wilkinson was the legislator appointed by FTC to fight against Google in the court. The European Union Commissioner have also claimed that Google is monopolizing the online industry and forcing other specialized search engines and advertizes to foreclose their businesses. Google has also been accused for manipulating its e-commerce services results. It is also found tha t Google introduces lobbying affairs with smart phone makers and force them not to remove the Google android operating systems from their manufactured phones. The American Antitrust Institute (AAI) has also agreed to the claims of FTC made against Google. This case is a typical case of antitrust exploration that has been prerequisite because the firm concerned (Google) simply enjoys oligopolistic or monopolistic power in the digital market places (Cleland, 2013). Pecuniary and Non Pecuniary Cost due to Imperfect Competition The monopolistic and oligopolistic firms exist in markets where perfect competition does not exist. The firms in this type of a market structure are not ‘price takers’ but are ‘price makers’. There are a large number of buyers but only few sellers in such market structures. Thus, the existing producers in an imperfect market have power to discriminate the buyers both in social and economic grounds. The demand curve faced by these types o f firms is downward sloping in nature (W. Shepherd & J. Shepherd, 2003). Figure 1: AR and MR Curve of a Monopoly or Oligopoly Producer AR, MR Price or Average Revenue Curve (P or AR) Quantity Marginal Revenue Curve (MR) Antitrust behavior of the firms causes many economic and noneconomic costs. Imperfect competition in the market is responsible for inefficient allocation of resources, the monopolistic and the oligopolistic sellers often hoard their products to artificially increase the prices. Price discrimination is also one of the mal practices

Are We Abusing Our Free-Speech Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Are We Abusing Our Free-Speech Rights - Essay Example This fundamental freedom must be continually fought for in every medium and circumstance if the nation is to remain the shining beacon of liberty for the world. The constant battle for the preservation of free speech has most recently been enjoined concerning the unabated flow of information on the internet. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) ruled that radio and television was exempt from First Amendment protection therefore must comply with arbitrary content guidelines. Though clearly a legal matter, the FCC gave itself the power to censor the media without virtue of a court decision. Now that censorship has been accepted by the majority, the government is currently attempting to control the internet. The powers that be apparently believes the public is abusing it’s free speech rights. The American public seems to be in favor of restricting online gambling as well as material of a sexual nature but this is a generation that has grown accustomed to censorship by their government and in many cases encourages this unconstitutional practice. A disturbing trend that should end with this generation and the battle ground is cyber-space. The Internet, today’s battleground for free speech The internet itself is not regulated. As efficient and enormously informative as the web is, its content is not overseen as are other communications mediums such as television and radio. It is a groundbreaking new technology that has amalgamated societies of the country and the world and introduced the concept of truly free expression and the perception that nothing is taboo. Everything is exposed and available at everyone’s literal finger-tip. The Internet has no physical, ethical or moral boundaries. Lawmakers and legal scholars generally use legal precedents from broadcast media decisions as the model for definitions of indecency and obscenity when developing regulations governing the Internet. Governmental censorship rational The Communications Decenc y Act (CDA) of 1996 made it a federal crime to display ‘indecent material’ on any computer network unless the website owner utilizes ‘effective’ techniques to control access of that material to minors. This law appears to be a reasonable compromise that protects free speech and prevents children from accessing objectionable material, but in practice and effect, outlaws free speech from the Internet. The Internet allows everyone the freedom to connect with other people and suppliers worldwide but an economical means for individuals to restrict their art or thoughts to the eyes of children is yet to be developed. Because of this lack of security technology, across the board prohibition is justified under the law, a concept that is in itself considered unlawful by a strict definition of the First Amendment of the Constitution which unambiguously guarantees the right to free speech (Pilon, 1994). Supreme Court decisions have consistently found that the First Am endment does not apply to obscene communications and have allowed communities to establish their own restrictions regarding what is obscene. The court in Miller v. California explained that if the ‘average’ person would describe the work as obscene or if it showed or expressed patently offensive sexual conduct without ‘serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value,’ the material is correctly defined as obscene (Mason, 2000). Censoring the Internet is impractical

Microbial Content of cooked meat kebab Lab Report

Microbial Content of cooked meat kebab - Lab Report Example However, because the meat is cooked on one surface only, there is an increased opportunity for pathogen outgrowth and microorganism multiplication (Vazgecer, Ulu and Oztan, 2004). There have been reported cases of food contamination and foodborne disease occurrences circumstantially connected to kebab consumptions which can lead to more complex outcomes (Angelillo, I.F., Viggiani, N.M.A., Rizzo, L. and Bianco, A., 2000. Food handlers and foodborne diseases: knowledge, attitudes, and reported behavior in Italy. Journal of Food Protection 63 3, pp. 381–385. View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (35)Angelillo, Viggiani, Rizzo, and Bianco, 2000). Some human ailments may be caused by foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella serotypes, Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Bacillus cereus (Swaminathan and Feng, 1994). The changing epidemiology of foodborne diseases and the resurfacing of some microorganisms and pathogens are attributable to various conditions, such as everyday habits and routines of consumers, food handling and preparation, food manufacture and distribution, and understanding of food risks (Lacey, 1993; Roberts, 2000; Slutsker, Altekruse, and Swerdlow, 1998). This experiment will determine levels of aerobic microorganisms and identify probable pathogens in two kebab meat samples of chicken and lamb. Moreover, it will verify probabilities on disease transmission and assess kebab’s quality and safety for human consumption. 10 grams of the chicken sample was placed in a sterile stomacher bag with 90ml of buffered peptone water; homogenized with a blender; incubated for 24 hours. 1 ml of chicken sample was then suspended into 9ml of SCB and incubated for another 24 hours at 37 Â °C. 10 grams of the lamb sample was placed in a sterile stomacher bag with 90ml of Ringer solution; homogenized with a blender; diluted with 20uL of sample and 180ul of

THE NEW MUMBAI COLLEGE PROJECT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

THE NEW MUMBAI COLLEGE PROJECT - Assignment Example This rear connection can either be removable or permanent (Constructions methods and technical specifications of Clinton county Engineer: Online). The backhoe loader is small and versatile. The excavator is earth moving equipment that is used for digging works and demolition of structures. They normally come in different sizes but they all have the same design. They are normally made with a pivotal cab that is located on the undercarriage. An arm that extends from the middle is connected to a bucket and on each side; the excavator has tracks that are normally used for mobility. Thirdly, the bulldozer is an item that comes in the form of a tractor and has an undercarriage in the form of a track (Winch, 2008). It has a metal blade that is connected to the front part of the bulldozer and it is used to push loads that are very heavy including sand and refuse after structures have been demolished. The blades of the bulldozer can be changed from time to time. The dump trucks are earth moving equipments that normally allow the transportation and deposition of materials at construction sites. An important feature of the dump trucks is that they provide an efficient mode of transport. The dump trucks are capable of being driven for distances that are long without causing any conflicts with the flow of the normal traffic (Winch, 2008). Skid steer loaders are also earth moving equipment that are simple and are capable of turning on their own footprints. They have wheels and this increases their traction in surfaces such as mud, snow and this helps to reduce the amount of soil compaction while their trend system prevents any damage to the finished parts (Winch, 2008). Trenchers are heavy equipment that is used to dig trenches for laying down pipe networks. They are very appropriate for trenching asphalt and other hard surfaces (Reese et al, 2004). The trencher normally has a conveyor system that carries the excavated materials and deposits it next to the

Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Nature - Essay Example The product claims that its ingredients are 92 percent natural. The image that the advertisement uses to promote its assumptions is the picture of various plants and herbs that are coming out of its bottle. The word â€Å"Naturals† attached to the product name itself gives an illusion that the product is all natural. It also uses the figure â€Å"92% natural ingredients† as part of its packaging design. To call something â€Å"natural† means â€Å"not altered, treated, or disguised as well as in a state regarded as primitive, uncivilized, or unregenerate† (Joltes , par 7). Joltes goes on further to say that â€Å"natural† products are perceived to be â€Å"unprocessed and comes from unrefined ores, minerals, plant materials, or other "natural" sources† (par 7). â€Å"Natural† products are believed to be safe and pure (Joltes , par 14). â€Å"Unnatural† products are the exact opposites of â€Å"natural† products. These are products which are processed and may contain

Holocaust in the Middle East, and Muslim-Jew Relations Essay

Holocaust in the Middle East, and Muslim-Jew Relations - Essay Example It might seem rather surprising but Jews and Muslims were not so hostile to each other in the earlier centuries, rather they lived peacefully and harmoniously with each other but something transpired in between that vitiated their mutual relations and ties to a point of no return. At a first glance it seems Jews and Muslims are poles apart and there is absolutely nothing in common between them, rather they are so disparate that possibly mutual hatred is the only shared thread that binds them. But, a deeper look at these two religions would, quite surprisingly, bring out certain common strains that indicate these two religions have much similarity with each other. Both these religions have a common origin in Abraham. While Jews consider Muslims as true followers of ‘Seven Laws of Noah’, it might be a revelation to many that Quran refers to the inhabitants of Israel at least forty three times with Exodus of Jews led by Moses being given special importance. Judaism and Islam also share several broad common perspectives about religious outlook and practice and this theological proximity has over the last 1400 years, notwithstanding last ninety or so years’ hostility, woven certain bridges that neither Muslims nor Jews can ignore. Thus it seems more perplexing that these two religious groups that share the same geographical origin have become bitter enemies of one another (Prager and Telushkin). The most common similarities in religious practices between these two religions are circumcision, prohibition of homosexuality and consumption of pork. While Islam prescribes five times a day prayer, Judaism also insists on five times a day prayer that might however be reduced to twice daily under certain specific circumstances. Any honest student of history must admit that while there have been aberrations in the course of centuries, Jews have by and large lived peacefully and prospered under