Perfect Pitch Essays - Cognitive Musicology, Music Cognition

Perfect Pitch Perfect Pitch is the ability to identify any musical note without comparison to a reference note, and is a talent displayed in a small amount of people. What causes it is a question which has attracted a lot of attention lately. Scientists are asking them selves if it is a learned ability or are we given this unique talent through our genes. MRI scans in test have shown an enlarged portion of the brain present in individuals gifted the ability of perfect pitch. Scientists have been extensively surveying and testing musicians and non-musicians alike to place the key to this rare and special gift. A research team from D?sseldorf, Germany believes they have located the physical basis of perfect pitch. The team led b y neurologist Gottfried Schlaug and Helmuth Steinmetz of D?sseldorf Heinrich Heine University report that the planum temporale is far larger on the left side than on the right side in professional musicians--especially in those who have perfect pitch (Nowak 616). Previous studies have suggested that the left hemispheric activation sites in the brain are seen during phonological, lexical, or semantic language task performance, while the right hemispheric preponderances are found for melodic and pitch perception (Schlaug 699). So Schlaug and his colleagues decided to examine the relative sizes of the left and right planum temporale in musicians' brains because previous work has shown that a leftward asymmetry there is associated with mental functions unique to humans, such as language (Blakeslee A16). Steinmetz believes that the neurological basis of music making is l ikely to be in the planum temporale since music may be "an even higher function" than language (qtd. Nowak 616). Researches carried out comparisons by means of magnetic resonance imaging, which allowed the researchers to measure the volume of specific brain structures. They compared the images of the brains of thirty professional musicians (eleven with perfect pitch, nineteen without) with those of thirty sex and age matched non-musicians. The left planum temporale was larger than the right in both musicians and non-musicians. But the size disparity was twice as great for the musicians, a difference almost entirely due to the presence in the group of musicians with perfect pitch (Chatterjee 16). Other studies are trying to pin down perfect pitch in our genes. Peter k Gregersen, MD, chief of the division of biology and human genetics at North Shore University Hospital (Manhasset) has observed that perfect pitch seems to run in the family. Out of 126 people with perfect pitch surveyed, five and a half percent reported their parents having perfect pitch and twenty-six said they have siblings with the skill. While on the other hand only one point one percent of the musicians without perfect pitch reported there parents having it and one point three percents of there siblings with the skill ("North Shore" 38). The survey also pointed out that all of those musicians with perfect pitch started playing at an average age of four point seven years, while those without it started at seven point three years old. Another study led by Siamak Baharloo from the University of California, San Francisco, surveyed six hundred musicians and found that forty percent of those with perfect pitch cl aimed to have a relative with the talent, while only twelve percent of those without perfect pitch said they had a family member with the ability (Travis 316). Researchers have also suggested that early exposure to pitches can help obtain perfect pitch. Diana Deutsch of the University of California, San Diego, has found that perfect pitch is common among native speakers of tonal languages such as Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese. Deutsch quoted that "Our findings show that speakers of Vietnamese and Mandarin possess an extraordinarily precise form of absolute pitch, which is reflected in their enunciation of words." She goes on to say that "since all except one of the subjects in the study had received little or no musical training, we conclude that this ability resulted from their early acquisition of tone language, and that they had learned to associate pitches with meaningful words very early in life" (University of California n.p.). In conclusion perfect pitch is believed to be caused by a variety of things. Research has shown links to

Impressions of a Traveler in U.S. History essays

Impressions of a Traveler in U.S. History essays First of all, I do not want you to worry about me. I am in America now, and I am alive, at least. I am living on a large farm; they call them "plantations" here. There are many people from our village here, and we talk about all of you at home often, at least, when the overseer (he's the boss) isn't looking, and we are allowed to talk with each other. You will be happy to know that I live with a good family, and they are watching over me as much as they can. I will tell you what happened to me since you last saw me, and what my life is like now. You remember that I left our village to look for food, and that was the last you saw of me. Some men where hiding in the bush, and they attacked me and carried me to the coast, where they had many other of our people herded together like animals. They moved us onto a huge structure that floated upon the water that they called a "ship." The ship floated all the way across the water from our home to America, and it was a long and terrible trip. Hundreds of us were thrown into the bottom of the ship where there was no light and no fresh air. There was nowhere for our body waste, and food came down to us in a bucket, when it came at all. The stench was horrible, and many of our people died on that journey. By the time we arrived in America, most of us were so weak we could barely walk. Our captors took us from the ship in chains, and placed us on public display in a large city, where people came and haggled over us as if we were melons in the street market back home. A large man in a white suit with a big, wide hat purchased several others from our village and me, and we left the city still chained together. It took us two days to reach our new home; in a land the people here call "Georgia." The earth is good here, and the "master," as he is called, grows a perplexing crop called cotton, that is backbreaking to hoe and p...

Abandonment provisions authorize the premature termination of a contract

Abandonment provisions authorize the premature termination of a contract Abandonment provisions authorize the premature termination of a contract, and occur through various scenarios within real estate. Abandonment-Landlord/Tenant California real estate law permits landlords to use abandonment as a reason to terminate the lease of a tenant. Most lease agreements contain provisions which state the length of time a tenant has to pay rent before a landlord can claim abandonment.Generally, If a tenant falls behind on payments more than 14 days, the landlord can draft and send a letter to the tenant of the intent to evict the tenant.If the tenant does not respond to the letter within 15 to 18 days, the landlord has the right to terminate the lease.If the landlord sends the letter using certified mail (confirmed with a receipt of arrival from the post office), the tenant has 15 days to respond to the letter. If the landlord sends the letter using standard mail, the tenant has 18 days to respond to the letter.If the landlord establishes abandonment of the property, the landlord can:Lease the property to another tenant Open the doors of the property without violating the tenants right of privacy Obtain legal representation to recover rent that has not been paid Leased property that is abandoned by the tenant of a lease can be confiscated by the landlord. Common actions that are inconsistent with continuous use of property include:Lessee fails to make rent payments Lessee removes personal property off property If lessee files a change of address with the post office In the three scenarios above, the land owner has the right to assume use of property. Abandonment of a Prescriptive Easement The granting of the easement occurs if the party claiming the property has used the property for five continuous years. If the party that holds the easement right abandons the property for five years, his or her right to the easement terminates. Abandonment in Insurance Contracts Insurance contracts can have abandonment provisions as well. If a homeowner’s property becomes severely damaged or destroyed (i.e. from a fire), and the cost of refurbishing or rebuilding outweighs the total property value, then the homeowner is allowed to abandon the property while recovering compensation from the insurance company. The property is then taken over by the insurance company. Abandonment in Bankruptcy Proceedings A trustee in a liquidation bankruptcy may elect to abandon a debtor’s property. If a particular property is of low value or rife with encumbrances, thus not worth selling off, the trustee may choose to abandon that property. The trustee would then have to file a notice of abandonment, which may be challenged by a creditor who believes the trustee has made an inaccurate evaluation of the property’s worth.

Google Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Google Company - Research Paper Example Google follows people-centric strategies that broadly cater to the varying demands of its users and rely on customer satisfaction. It integrates the use of technology with the business processes in order to optimize productivity. Its business strategy is basically focused on providing free access to information to a diverse populace. Advertising is its major source of revenue. Its three key products and services are AdSense, Google App and Android operating system for mobiles that have considerably contributed to its global sales volume and database of customers. AdSense facilitates advertisements for clients for widening their client base and Google App helps to organize personal and professional lives of users and helps them to communicate effectively. Android was launched in 2011 as a mobile-based platform for developing applications for mobiles which is now used by more than 250 million users worldwide (ar, 2012). Its organic culture and decentralized functioning hugely promote i ts business strategy and goals. It facilitates a constant learning environment for its employees and gives them full freedom to experiment with new ideas. They are highly driven by ethical standard, motivation to innovate and share knowledge across its various stakeholders and shareholders. Google not only offers huge opportunities for growth for its workforce but also for its customers to expand their business interests across the globe. Its state of the art research team is relentlessly working towards the development of creative products.... sements for clients for widening their client base and Google App helps to organize personal and professional lives of users and helps them to communicate effectively. Android was launched in 2011 as mobile-based platform for developing applications for mobiles which is now used by more than 250 million users worldwide (ar, 2012) Its organic culture and decentralized functioning hugely promote its business strategy and goals. It facilitates a constant learning environment for its employees and gives them full freedom to experiment with new ideas. They are highly driven by ethical standard, motivation to innovate and share knowledge across its various stakeholders and shareholders. Google not only offers huge opportunities of growth for its workforce but also for its customers to expand their business interests across the globe. Its state of the art research team is relentlessly working towards development of creative products and services to improve and improvise user experience and meet the challenges of time. Personal opinion With offices in more than 50 countries and providing services in more than 100 languages, I believe that Google has been successful in its mission of providing people with access to critical information cutting across age, gender, class, race, culture and border. Its global values and credibility of well-researched database helps its users to meet their demands timely and efficiently. Its applications and AdSense are very useful for small business, entrepreneurs and corporate houses for advertising business products and services across wider database of customers. They are important mechanisms of exploiting new opportunities of personal and professional growth. Their cloud based applications have also emerged as vital platforms for storing

Paper based on your own version of a walking tour of religious sites Essay

Paper based on your own version of a walking tour of religious sites in New Jersey or New York City - Essay Example e and 29th Street I came across the not so well-known Episcopal Church of Transfiguration, also known as the, â€Å"Little Church Around the Corner.† Later on my walk, I explored the famous St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral at 51st Street. And lastly, at 63rd Street, I found the Jewish Temple Emanu-El, the largest synagogue in the United States. At the beginning of my tour, the Little Church Around the Corner didn’t necessarily jump out at me as it’s rather hidden by the mammoth contemporary buildings along the block. The church was founded in 1848, and was originally a rather simple church lacking ornate design and magnitude. As the years have gone by, various architects have built additions to the church that now gives it a hodge-podge like architectural style of buildings that have been glued together. Upon arrival, the first thing I noticed was the quaint garden at the entrance of the chapel. The low gate that surrounds the property gives the feeling of a friendly playground rather than a church. Near this entrance is the Chapel of the Holy Family designed in a style reminiscent of the 1940s, but then, the Lady Chapel from 1906 is a jeweled room of bits of glass. The over-sized decorations are more fitting for a majestic cathedral, but this is what gives this little church its eccentricity. The church gain ed popularity in 1870 when a famous actor/comedian of that time passed away and his funeral was refused at the Marble Collegiate Church, the executor of his will was referred to the â€Å"Little church around the corner,† and has since then been considered a church for theatre misfits, immigrants, and those who see the lighter side of religion. It has also become a popular place for marriage ceremonies because of its romantic history and because the parish quickly accepts marriage situations from all walks of life. Considering the long history of this church, and the way its clergy have continued to creatively add to its physical size, it still

Virtual reality environments for geographic visualisation Essay Example for Free

Virtual reality environments for geographic visualisation Essay Today a wide variety of virtual worlds, cities and gaming environments exist and become part of life of their human inhabitants (Borner et al 2005). Navigation is playing an increasingly important role in virtual environments (VE). Today virtual worlds are very large and present challenging navigation tasks. According to MacEachren et al (1999), virtual environment (VE) technologies have considerable potential to extend the power of information visualization methods, and those of scientific visualization more broadly. Ruddle (1996) assertion of â€Å"one in three people get lost in virtual environment† is true due to lack of knowledge but is possible to roam and explore these geographic environments. Previous work have been done to develop tools that generate visualisations of user and environment interaction for social navigation, monitor, study, and research virtual worlds and their evolving landscapes. Visualization and navigation in virtual environments The geovisualization of virtual environments use of 3D display and thus has the potential to depict the three geographic dimensions of real spaces with each dimension of the display space depicting a geographic dimension (MacEachren et al, 1999). There is progress and developments in research and applications in this field. A lot has been developed, for example, Lahav and Mioduser (2003) developed and researched a multisensory virtual environment simulating spaces in real-life. Chen and Stanney (1999) came up with theoretical models of wayfinding, used to guide the design of navigational aiding in virtual environments. Galyean (2006) immersed VR experience with the advantages of narrative structure to allow smooth and continuous interaction and presentation with the structural and temporal qualities. Ruddle et al (1997). Tsai-Yen Li et al (2008) also developed a real-time camera control module for navigation in virtual environments. The wayfinding process has embraced cognitive mapping, wayfinding plan development, and physical movement or navigation through a virtual environment. Virtual environment navigation has evolved drastically from archaic to post-modern tools. There have been developments in virtual simulation of urban and rural environments using both traditional cartographic methods and modern geo-information technologies such as Google earth and fly-through movies. The recent developments in the use of satellite imagery, Digital Elevation Models and Aerial Photographs have led to new lead large scale movies and virtual reality navigation processes. The coming of these 3D geographic information systems (GIS) is fundamental for synoptic vie and virtual terrain recognition. Augmented reality as part of emerging concept allows live direct view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality in which a view of reality is modified and its augmentation is conventionally in semantic context with environmental elements. A Virtual Geographic Environment (VGE) is a multi-user shared, intelligent, virtual environment representing the real geographic environment to conduct geospatial analysis, carry our geovisualization, to support collaborative work, planning and decision making. According to Hui and Zhu (2004), virtual geographic environments consist of five types of space, namely; geographic data spaces, network spaces, multidimensional presentation spaces, social spaces and sensory/perceptual spaces. These virtual spaces make VGE different from the traditional virtual reality space associated with unrealistic expectations. VGE is equated with reality by making the spaces continuous and coextensive. Nguyen et al (2009) carried out various experiments to investigate effects of scale changes on distance perception in virtual environments. The rural and natural environments basically involved use of existing natural linear features and landmarks such as roads, cliffs and rivers to navigate. The new paradigm shifts (Joseph et al 2001), have tremendously tacked the issue of scale especially on global views. The traditional experiences were profound and thus these new innovations have proved successful. For example, Vinson (1999) designed guidelines to ease navigation in large-scale virtual environments. The guidelines focus on the design and placement of landmarks in virtual environments. The distinct features and landmarks represented various areas like buildings, petrol stations and corners to direct the navigation process along a designated navigation route. This limits the audience’s movement through the space to interesting and compelling paths. According to Ruddle (1996), examples of interface fidelity include the lack of physical movement that is required to travel around VEs and the impoverished field of view. Important factors of environment fidelity and precision include the amount of visual detail and the omission of non-visual sensory information. The virtual reality world has become interested in large scale spatial cognitive simulation. This takes a role of an environments physical form and how the design of a setting shapes the spatial behavior and cognition of its users. It largely puts into consideration numerous forms of spatial information: real-world environments, virtual environments, maps, route directions, gestures, and both written and spoken descriptions (Mekni and Moulin Mekni (2008). Sensor Webs are deployed in large scale geographic environments for in-situ sensing and data acquisition purposes, a perfect example of a dramatic solution to large scale simulation and virtual reality representation. Conclusion Advances in human-computer interaction have created completely new paradigms shifts for exploring and presentation spatial information in a virtual environment, with flexible user control. Hence, more intuitive and efficient interactive visualization environments become increasingly significant for the visual exploration of large amounts of extensive spatio-temporal information both at small scale and large scale. There is special focus on new geographic and cartographic applications which involve experts and users in the context of data visualization in real virtual environments. They are mainly developed to aid visualization in a natural extension of communication and functions in the visual thinking domain. References Bishop, I. D. , and C. Karadaglis. 1994. Use of interactive immersive visualization techniques for natural resources management. SPIE 2656:128-139. Borner, K. , Penumarthy, S. , DeVarco, B. J. , and Kerney, C. 2005. Visualizing Social Patterns in Virtual Environments on a Local and Global Scale. In Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Springer Berlin / Heidelberg. Volume 3081. ISBN 978-3-540-25331-0 Fisher, P. 1994. Randomization and sound for the visualization of uncertain spatial information, in Visualization in Geographic Information Systems. Edited by D. Unwin and H. Hearnshaw, pp. 181-185. London: John Wiley Sons. Chen, J. L, and Stanney, K. M. 1999. A Theoretical Model of Wayfinding in Virtual Environments: Proposed Strategies for Navigational Aiding. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Vol. 8, No. 6, Pages 671-685 Galyean T. A. , 2006. Guided Navigation of Virtual Environments. MIT Media Lab. Cambridge, MA. 02139 Hui L and Zhu Q. , 2004. Data Visualization: Virtual Geographic Environments combining AEC and GIS. Extracted from http://www. directionsmag. com/article. php? Joseph J. LaViola Jr. Daniel Acevedo Feliz Daniel F. Keefe Robert C. Zeleznik(2001) Hands-Free Multi-Scale Navigation in Virtual Environments. Brown University. Department of Computer Science, Box 1910. Providence, RI 02912 Lahav, O. and Mioduser, D. 2003. 6A blind persons cognitive mapping of new spaces using a haptic virtual environment. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. Volume 3. Issue 3, Pages 172 177 MacEachren, A. M. , Edsall, R. , Haug, D. , and Ryan B. , 1999. Virtual Environments for Geographic Visualization: Potential and Challenges. Proceedings of the ACM Workshop on New Paradigms for Information Visualization and Manipulation, Kansas City, Nov. 6, 1999. MacEachren, A. M. , D. Haug, L. Quian, G. Otto, R. Edsall, and M. Harrower. 1998b. Geographic visualization in immersive environments. GeoVISTA Center, Penn State University, www. geovista. psu. edu/publications/i2. pdf. Mekni, M. and Moulin, B. 2008. A Multi-agent Geosimulation Approach for Sensor Web Management. Proceedings in Sensor Technologies and Applications, 2008. SENSORCOMM 08. Second International Conference on Sensor Web Management. Dept. of Comput. Sci. Software Eng. , Laval Univ. Quebec, Quebec City, QC ISBN: 978-0-7695-3330-8 Nguyen, T. D. , Ziemer, C. J. , Plumert, J. M. , Cremer, J. F. , and Kearney, J. K. 2009. Effects of scale change on distance perception in virtual environments. Proceedings of the 6th Symposium on Applied Perception in Graphics and Visualization. ACM New York, NY, USA. Pages: 27-34. ISBN:978-1-60558-743-1 Rhyne, T. -M. , and T. Fowler. 1996. Examining dynamically linked geographic visualization. Computing in Environmental Resource Management, Research Triangle Park, NC, Dec. 2-4, 1996, pp. 571-573. Ruddle, R. A. 1996. Navigation: Am I really lost or virtually there? In D. Harris (Ed. ) Engineering psychology and cognitive ergonomics. Vol. 6, 135-142. Burlington, VT: Ashgate. Ruddle, R. A. , Payne, S. J. Jones, D. M. 1997. ‘Navigating buildings in â€Å"desk-top† virtual environments: Experimental investigations using extended navigational experience’. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Vol. 3, pp. 143-159. Tsai-Yen Li and Chung-Chiang Cheng 2008. Real-Time Camera Planning for Navigation in Virtual Environments. In Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Springer Berlin. Vol 5166. Pages118-129. ISBN978-3-540-85410-4 Vinson, N. G. 1999. Design Guidelines for Landmarks to Support Navigation in Virtual Environments. Proceedings of CHI ‘99, Pittsburgh, PA. May 1999† Institute for Information Technology. National Research Council, Canada. Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6

I am the Cheese - Theme :: Free Essay Writer

I am the Cheese - Theme Heroes are not always credited for their honesty and righteousness. This is the view towards society that Robert Cormier exhibits in the novel  ¡Ã‚ §I am the Cheese ¡Ã‚ ¨, where the individual is punished for standing up to himself. In this society, the non-valiant are rewarded for their ignorance and compliance, narrated through the characters of Grey and Whipper. Moreover, Robert Cormier portrays this society to be void of truth and justice. This is seen through exploring the innocence behind Adam ¡Ã‚ ¦s parents ¡Ã‚ ¦ suffering and death. Nevertheless, the author holds reserve for truth and justice when Adam tries to complete the puzzle of his past. The character David Farmer, father of the novel ¡Ã‚ ¦s protagonist, plays the victim of the society in  ¡Ã‚ §I am the cheese. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Through testifying to the truth, he and his family have had their freedom lacerated, and ultimately, have suffered the penalty of death. David Farmer began the case with the belief that  ¡Ã‚ §he would be protected, his identity kept secret. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Although aware of the perilous circumstances and the hazards, his determination to act patriotically prevailed. His powerful motive for his precarious action was that  ¡Ã‚ §he was an old-fashioned citizen who believed in doing the right thing for his country, to provide as much information as possible. ¡Ã‚ ¨ David Farmer was under no obligation to disclose his researched information, and yet chose to take the risk. Clearly, this is an example of an individual standing up to himself, acting accordingly to his own beliefs and values. Nevertheless, David Farmer and his family were punished lethally. E ven the interim between the testimony and his death was a metaphor for a cage, an insecure prison bound for the Never Knows, and yet was always destined for death. The example of the bomb that was planted to detonate the entire family and the  ¡Ã‚ §undercover policeman ¡Ã‚ ¨ whose supposed job was to protect heralded an unending chain of misery. These events introduced Grey, who identified himself to be involved with the US Department of Re-Identification. Grey, who shot the assassin, was the trusting saviour of David Farmer. Grey warned the Farmer family about the car bomb. He distributed new identities for the entire family, produced new birth certificates and arranged a move to Massachusetts. He was the eternal alert watchdog who packed the family away when chances took their position for a Farmer whereabouts leak. Grey had the power to dismiss 3 lives at his will.

Overview Of The Indian Pharmaceutical Industry Economics Essay

Indian Pharmaceutical Industry The pharmaceutical industry in India is among the most extremely organized sectors. This industry plays an of import function in advancing and prolonging development in the field of planetary medical specialty. Due to the presence of low cost fabrication installations, educated and skilled work force and inexpensive labour force among others, the industry is set to scale new highs in the Fieldss of production, development, fabrication and research. In 2008, the domestic drug company market in India was expected to be US $ 10.76 billion and this is likely to increase at a compound one-year growing rate of 9.9 per cent until 2010 and later at 9.5 per cent boulder clay the twelvemonth 2015. Industry Tendencies aˆ?The drug company industry by and large grows at about 1.5-1.6 times the Gross Domestic Product growing aˆ?Globally, India ranks 3rd in footings of fabricating drug company merchandises by volume aˆ?The Indian pharmaceutical industry is expected to turn at a rate of 9.9 % boulder clay 2010 and after that 9.5 % boulder clay 2015 aˆ?In 2007-08, India exported drugs deserving US $ 7.2 billion in to the US and Europe followed by Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America aˆ?The Indian vaccinum market which was deserving US $ 665 million in 2007-08 is turning at a rate of more than 20 % aˆ?The retail pharmaceutical market in India is expected to traverse US $ 12-13 billion by 2012 aˆ?The Indian drug and pharmaceuticals section received foreign direct investing to the melody of US $ 1.43 billion from April 2000 to December 2008 Challenges Every industry has its ain sets of advantages and disadvantages under which they have to work ; the pharmaceutical industry is no exclusion to this. Some of the challenges the industry faces are: aˆ?Regulatory obstructions aˆ?Lack of proper substructure aˆ?Lack of qualified professionals aˆ?Expensive research equipments aˆ?Lack of academic coaction aˆ?Underdeveloped molecular find plan aˆ?Divide between the industry and survey course of study Drug company Companies in IndiaDishman Pharmaceuticals, Elder Pharmaceuticals, J B Pharmaceuticals, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Ranbaxy India, Cadila Pharmaceutical Limited, Wockhardt, Strides Arcolab, IPCA Laboratories, Alembic, Amrutanjan, Virchow Laboratories, Polydrug, Laboratories, Dr. Reddy ‘s Laboratories, Aurobindo Pharma, Jubilant Organosys, Astrazeneca Pharma, Divis Laboratories, Merck Ltd. , Astrazen Pharma, , Abbott India, Aventis Pharma Limited, Glenmark, Pharmaceutical Ltd. , Clarion Drugs, Blue Cross Laboratories, Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited, Lincoln Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Matrix Laboratories Government Enterprises The authorities of India has undertaken several including policy enterprises and revenue enhancement interruptions for the growing of the pharmaceutical concern in India. Some of the steps adopted are: aˆ?Pharmaceutical units are eligible for leaden revenue enhancement decrease at 150 % for the research and development outgo obtained. aˆ?Two new strategies viz. , New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative and the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Research Program have been launched by the Government. aˆ?The Government is contemplating the creative activity of SRV or particular purpose vehicles with an insurance screen to be used for funding new drug research aˆ?The Department of Pharmaceuticals is chew overing the creative activity of drug research installations which can be used by private companies for research work on rent Pharma Export In the recent old ages, despite the lag witnessed in the planetary economic system, exports from the pharmaceutical industry in India have shown good perkiness in growing. Export has become an of import drive force for growing in this industry with more than 50 % gross coming from the abroad markets. For the fiscal twelvemonth 2008-09 the export of drugs is estimated to be $ 8.25 billion as per the Pharmaceutical Export Council of India, which is an organisation, set up by the Government of India. A study undertaken by FICCI, the oldest industry chamber in India has predicted 16 % growing in the export of India ‘s pharmaceutical growing during 2009-2010. Key participants in Indian Pharmaceutical Industry There are several national and international pharmaceutical companies that operate in India. Most of the state ‘s demands for pharmaceutical merchandises are met by these companies. Some of them are briefly described below: aˆ?Ranbaxy Labs Limited is the biggest pharmaceutical fabrication company in India. The company is ranked at the 8th place among the planetary generic pharmaceutical companies and has presence in 48 states including universe category fabrication installations in 10 states and serves to clients from over 125 states. Ranbaxy Laboratories 2009-2010 Q3 Net Net income Results showed a net income of Rs 116.6 crore as compared to Rs 394.5 crore shortage, recorded during the corresponding period last financial. aˆ?Dr. Reddy ‘s Laboratories industries and markets a broad scope of pharmaceuticals both in India and abroad. The company has 60 active pharmaceutical ingredients to fabricate drugs, critical attention merchandises, diagnostic kits and biotechnology merchandises. The company has 6 FDA workss that produce active drug company ingredients and 7 FDA inspected and ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified workss. Dr. Reddy ‘s Q1 FY10 consequence shows the grosss of the company at Rs. 18,189 million which is up by 21 % . During this one-fourth the company introduced 24 new generic merchandises, applied for 22 new generic merchandise enrollments and filed 4 DMFs. aˆ?Cipla is an Indian pharmaceutical company renowned for the industry of low cost anti AIDS drugs. The company ‘s merchandise scope comprises of vermifuges, oncology, anti-bacterials, cardiovascular drugs, antibiotics, nutritionary addendums, anti-ulcerants, anti-asthmatics and corticoids. Cipla besides offers other services like quality control, technology, undertaking assessment, works supply, consulting, commissioning and know-how transportation, support. For the fiscal twelvemonth 2008-09 the company registered an addition of 22 % in gross revenues and other income over the old twelvemonth. aˆ?Nicholas Piramal is the 2nd largest pharmaceutical health care company in India. The trade names manufactured by the company include Gardenal, Ismo, Stemetil, Rejoint, Supradyn, Phensedyl and Haemaccel. Nicholas Piramal has entered into join ventures and confederations with several international corporations like Cheissi, Italy ; IVAX Corp ; UK, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. , Allergan Inc. , USA etc. aˆ?Glaxo Smithkline ( GSK ) is a United Kingdom based pharma company ; it is the universe ‘s 2nd largest pharmaceutical company. The company ‘s portfolio of drug company merchandises consist of cardinal nervous system, respiratory, oncology, vaccinums, anti-infectives and gastro-intestinal/metabolic merchandises among others. On November 2009, the FDA had announced that the H1N1 vaccinum manufactured by GSK would fall in the list of the four vaccinums approved. aˆ?Zydus Cadila besides known as Cadila Healthcare is an Indian pharmaceutical company located in Gujarat. The company ‘s 1QFY2010 consequences show the net gross revenues at Rs880.3cr which is higher than the estimated Rs773cr. The net net income was Rs124.8cr which was addition of 39 % ; the addition was on history of higher gross revenues and betterment in the OPM. India ‘s Domestic Pharmaceutical Market ( 12 Months Ended January 2009 ) Company Size ( $ Billion ) Market Share ( % ) Growth Rate ( % ) Entire Pharma Market 6.9 100.0 9.9 Cipla.36 5.3 13.4 Ranbaxy.34 5.0 11.5 Glaxo Smithkline.29 4.3 -1.2 Piramal Healthcare.27 3.9 11.7 Zydus Cadila.24 3.6 6.8 Beginning: ORG IMS Future Scenario With several companies slated to do investings in India, the hereafter scenario of the pharmaceutical industry in looks pretty promising. The state ‘s pharmaceutical industry has enormous potency of growing sing all the undertakings that are in the grapevine. Some of the future enterprises are: aˆ?According to a survey by FICCI-Ernst & A ; Young India will open a likely US $ 8 billion market for MNCs selling expensive drugs by 2015 aˆ?The survey besides says that the domestic drug company market is likely to make US $ 20 billion by 2015 aˆ?The Minister of Commerce estimations that US $ 6.31 billion will be invested in the domestic pharmaceutical sector aˆ?Public disbursement on health care is likely to raise from 7 per cent of GDP in 2007 to 13 per cent of GDP by 2015 aˆ?Dr Reddy ‘s Laboratories has tied up with GlaxoSmithKline to develop and market generics and preparations in upcoming markets overseas aˆ?Lupin, a Mumbai based pharmaceutical company is looking to tap chances of about US $ 200 million in the US unwritten preventives market aˆ?Due to the low cost of R & A ; D, the Indian pharmaceutical off-shoring industry is designated to turn out to be a US $ 2.5 billion chance by 2012 Expectation From Budget 2010- Health & A ; Pharmaceutical Industry February 24, 2010- Budget intelligence on budget outlooks by wellness sector of India The Finance Minister of India is merely two yearss off from 26th February, 2010 when he will show the Union Budget 2010-11. This is a really of import fiscal papers for all the sectors of India as it will find how the public presentation of assorted industries is to be financially and otherwise supported by the Government of India. In the budgets of past old ages, high allotments had been made to the flagship programmes of the authorities that includes national wellness excessively among others. The wellness industry that includes natural wellness sector every bit good as pharmaceutical industry of India has high budget outlooks from the Union Budget 10-11 as it hopes for proclamations of believable stairss to be taken to better the quality of public outgo on wellness sector. Issues such as wellness, HIV AIDS, poorness relief, sanitation undertakings, H2O planning and development undertakings, should go on to stay high precedence points on the budget for improved supports and overall development. aˆ?Currently the wellness related in-house R & A ; D disbursals enjoy 150 % leaden tax write-off that should be extended to disbursals on outsourced surveies such as clinical tests and specific research lab surveies. Besides the leaden tax write-off should be raised from 150 % to 200 % . aˆ?On lines of the developed economic systems, the construct of research revenue enhancement credits to countervail future revenue enhancement liability should be introduced. aˆ?State excise responsibility on certain preparations should be brought down from the present 16 % to 8 % . aˆ?Allocation for the National Rural Health Mission should be increased well. aˆ?Excise responsibilities should non be applicable to all indispensable drugs. aˆ?Tax freedom for export oriented units should be extended and the place of new direct revenue enhancement codification on particular economic zones should be made clear. aˆ?Healthcare installations like medical specialties and life salvaging drugs, trained medical forces and physicians, installations for diagnosing of of import diseases and complaints should be extended to the rural India on a precedence footing. aˆ?The wellness industry has many outlooks from Budget 2010 sing subsidies and revenue enhancement inducements on assorted indispensable merchandises such as life salvaging drugs, equipments for diagnostic intents etc. aˆ?Tax freedoms should be given to bing infirmaries and wellness establishments so that more and more infirmaries and wellness establishments in rural countries can be established. aˆ?Keeping in position the long gestation period, the revenue enhancement vacation provided to infirmaries set-up in rural countries should be extended from 5 old ages to 10 old ages. aˆ?The ordinances such as transportation pricing, imposts rating and drug pricing that are like acrimonious experiences for the pharmaceutical companies should be rationalized along with early nidation of Advance pricing understandings and safe seaport regulations. aˆ?Pharmaceutical companies should be allowed for claim of outgo on a self enfranchisement footing or on specified paperss such as CA certificate so that conformity of the jurisprudence is done in hassle free mode. aˆ?In order to cut down the overall cost of intervention of patients, the list of life salvaging drugs eligible for imposts duty freedoms should be extended and the responsibility on medical devices should be reduced. aˆ?Value Added Tax ( VAT ) on medical specialties should be rationalized across provinces with specific freedom of life salvaging drugs and life salvaging medical equipment. aˆ?Drug makers who are non into exports face the issue of accretion of Cenvat recognition in the books due to the difference in the responsibility construction of APIs and FDFs. Measures should be taken for this as there are no commissariats to retrieve the accumulated Cenvat recognition, which finally becomes a cost to such makers.Budget 2010 – Expectations of drug company industryHitesh SharmaThe last budget being impersonal, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has drawn its unfinished docket with the hope that Budget 2010 would turn out to be a redress for the industry. Industry believes that its wish list has a virtue for consideration in this budget as some of these points have non been covered in the aforesaid at hand statute laws.Research revenue enhancement creditsDrying grapevine of new drugs, increased R & A ; D outgo and increased force per unit area in the developed states to convey the wellness attention costs down has compelled MNCs to offshore R & A ; D farth er. While India is perceived as an attractive finish to outsource R & A ; D work due to its low cost and high quality capablenesss, to set India in a prima place, there is a demand to supply drift to such activities in the signifier of revenue enhancement and financial benefits. While presently, weighted revenue enhancement benefit is available for in-house R & A ; D, there are no specific benefits available to units engaged in the concern of R & A ; D. In this respect, the Government can play its function by supplying benefits to units engaged in the concern of R & A ; D by manner of tax write-off from net incomes linked to investings. Further, benefits in the signifier of research revenue enhancement credits, which can be used to countervail future revenue enhancement liability, similar to those given in developed economic systems can besides be considered.Include disbursals related to research done outside R & A ; D labThe Indian drug company infinite has witnessed multiple advan ced moves that have strengthened their ability to do it large in the discovery/R & A ; D infinite. These Indian companies incur immense outgo on abroad tests, readyings of dossiers, consulting/legal fees for NCE ( New Chemicals Entities ) and ANDA ( Abbreviated New Drug Applications ) filings with the US FDA. Besides there is a important sum of legal costs incurred in supporting the patents and merchandises. While presently, leaden tax write-off is available for outgo on in-house R & A ; D installation, the commissariats do non stipulate that the outgo incurred outside the R & A ; D units are eligible for leaden tax write-off. Consequently, industry organic structures have sought the inclusion of outgo minor expense to research carried outside R & A ; D installation in India or in any foreign state, within the scope of leaden tax write-off.Extend revenue enhancement vacation to infirmaries beyond rural countriesThe quality and low cost advantage has boosted the medical touristry in India. Industry study suggests that about 150,000 medical tourer visit India every twelvemonth. Further, medical touristry to India is expected to convey gross of $ 2 billion by 2012. In order to capitalize on the chance and to beef up the place of India as a low cost wellness attention tourer finish, there is a greater demand to set-up more and more province of the art wellness attention installations. Even otherwise, there is a clear instance of augmenting wellness attention system in India. Given that big portion of investing would necessitate to be contributed by private sector, the Government can play its function by supplying financial benefits and widening the bing revenue enhancement vacation to infirmaries set up beyond the rural countries.Subsidy for rural health care substructureSpecifically with respect to rural and semi-urban countries, several companies have taken the enterprise to construct the supply concatenation substructure and develop specific merchandises â€⠀ these stairss are non easy and carry immense investings. To advance the development of these countries and have better entree to healthcare installations, the Government, in add-on to its ain plans, should back up the private sector every bit good — this could be in the signifier of subsidy, sharing substructure with private sector, revenue enhancement inducements and so on.Rationalise appraisal processAs per the industry pattern, Pharma companies reach out to patients through physicians by supplying free samples of drugs to physicians and incur other promotional outgo on seminars and so on for instruction of physicians. This creates consciousness about the drugs and finally helps in hiking the gross revenues of the companies. During the class of assessment proceedings, the gross governments frequently challenge the promotional information and ask for voluminous paperss which are cumbersome to supply. They besides frequently deny revenue enhancement tax write-off on an ad- hoc footing. In this respect, the Government can apologize the commissariats by supplying for claim of outgo on a self enfranchisement footing or on the footing of specified paperss such as CA certification and so on.Harmonize pricing ordinancesTransportation pricing is another country necessitating particular attending for pharmaceuticals industry. While transportation pricing ordinances expect companies covering in active pharmaceuticals ingredients ( APIs ) /finished drug preparations ( FDFs ) imported from related parties to keep higher borders, Drugs Prices Control Order ( DPCO ) places limitations on the terminal merchandising monetary value. Equally customs ordinances create a rearward force per unit area by seeking to look into any undervaluation of imported APIs/ FDFs. There is a clear instance to being in harmoniousness in transportation pricing, imposts and DPCO ordinances. Other issues which pharma companies face is comparing of monetary values of innovator/ research ori ented companies with generic companies without taking awareness of quality and efficaciousness. This causes important adversity for pioneers companies who spend important costs on research. There is an immediate demand to turn to these issues every bit good. Besides, while it is proposed that Advance Pricing Agreements ( APAs ) and safe seaport regulations would be introduced, it needs to be expedited.Extend list of life salvaging drugsOn the indirect revenue enhancement forepart, the Government can look at widening the list of life salvaging drugs, which are eligible for imposts duty freedoms in India. This will take to handiness of life salvaging drugs to the patients at decreased monetary values and conveying down the cost of intervention for these complaints. Further, it could besides see cut downing the responsibility on medical devices which would take to overall decrease in the cost of intervention of patients. Besides, Government could see cut downing basic usage responsibil ity for preparations to five per centum in line with the Chelliah Committee ‘s long-run financial policy recommendation.Rationalise responsibility constructionThe levy of excise responsibility on API at eight per centum and on end product of four per centum has led to accretion of Cenvat recognition in the books of makers, particularly those who are non engaged in exports and cater merely to the domestic market. Further, there are no commissariats to retrieve the accumulated Cenvat recognition, which becomes a cost to such pharma makers. The Government could see rationalizing the responsibility construction by doing it at par with responsibility on concluding end product. Another demand has been to increase the abatement bound allowed for calculation of excise responsibility on medicines, from 35 to 45 per centum. Further, industry has sought rationalization of Value Added Tax ( VAT ) on medical specialties across provinces with specific freedom of life salvaging drugs and lif e salvaging medical devices. In a nutshell, while the planetary developments have led to exciting chances for Indian drug company industry, it is one time once more in hunt of support from the Government to tap the same. On the other manus, the Government is doing advancement in conveying two major revenue enhancement reforms, ie direct revenue enhancement codification, and goods and services revenue enhancement ; they carry an implicit in docket of conveying revenue enhancement reforms, simplification of processs and minimization of revenue enhancement inducements. Given that the Government intends to implement these statute laws in the close hereafter, it appears that it may non convey in any major alterations in this budget. Union budget2010-2011 Budget 2010: Hits & A ; girls for Pharmaceutical industry Excise responsibility on goods covered under the Medicinal and Toiletries Preparation Act, 1955 ( ‘MTPA ‘ – applicable to medical specialties and toilet articless holding intoxicant content ) is reduced from 16 to 10 per centum to convey it at par with standard CENVAT rate. The rate of suspension on covered lavatory readyings has besides been revised from 40 to 35 per centum. Further, the jurisprudence is being amended to supply that the Maximum Retail Price ( MRP ) less applicable suspension would be considered for bear downing Countervailing responsibility ( CVD ) for covered imported goods. There has been rationalization in the import responsibility rate construction for the medical devices section, whereby multiplicity of rates have been done off with and the basic imposts responsibility rate has been reduced to 5 from 7.5 per centum. The levy of Particular CVD @ 4 % has besides been withdrawn, whereas in certain specific instances, such as life salvaging medical equipments ( non imported for personal usage ) , available freedoms have been withdrawn. However, on an overall footing, this move is likely to cut down the cost of intervention for patients and hike medical devices industry. The budget proposal exempts import of pre-packaged goods intended for retail sale, which are covered by MRP commissariats of Standard of Weights and Measures Act or under any other jurisprudence from levy of SACD. This is likely to impact bargainers importing finished dose preparations in pre-packaged signifier for retail sale. The Finance Minister has widened the cyberspace of nonexempt services to include wellness look into up undertaken by infirmaries or medical constitutions for the employees of concern entities and wellness services provided under wellness insurance strategy offered by insurance companies Service revenue enhancement would use to said services, merely if, the payment are made straight by the concern entity or the insurance company concerned to the infirmary or medical constitution. Another new levy proposes to cover services provided for care of medical records of employees of a concern entity. Interestingly, the industry wish list still mostly remains ignored, exceeding the list are rationalization of upside-down responsibility rate construction for preparations, imposts duty freedom for all life salvaging drugs, rationalization of transportation pricing ordinances and so on. Clearly, a batch yet remains to be done for the life scientific disciplines industry. 2010 impact: Drug company Below is an analysis on Budget 2010 with mention to the drug company sector. Increased leaden norm of R & A ; D tax write-off to 200 % Addition in R & A ; D tax write-off positive for all R & A ; D pharmaceutical companies Excise responsibility structured remain unchanged Union Budget 2010: Drug company industry welcomes revenue enhancement inducements for R & A ; D New DELHI: Tax inducements given by the Budget for research and development made the Indian pharmaceutical houses sport a smiling but they are left inquiring if the hiking in excise responsibility to 10 per cent on all non-petroleum merchandises will be applicable to them. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed a leaden revenue enhancement tax write-off on outgo incurred in in-house research and development activities to 200 per cent from the current 150 per cent in the Budget. â€Å" We welcome the authorities ‘s move to increase leaden revenue enhancement tax write-off to 200 per cent as research and development activities is a must and in drug company sector, where it is most desperately required, † Indian Drug Manufacturers Association Executive Director Gajanan Wakankar said. However, deficiency of lucidity on whether the drug company sector would besides be covered under the increased excise on all non-petroleum merchandises from 8-10 per cent, held back the sector from observing. Presently, the drug company sector attracts 4 per cent excise responsibility after CENVAT was cut by 4 per cent in December 2008 as portion of a stimulus bundle. â€Å" We are waiting for more lucidity over the issue and so merely we will measure the impact, † Pharmaceutical exports council ( Pharmaexcil ) laminitis Chairman D B Mody said. Piramal Healthcare Director Swati Piramal besides said, â€Å" We are still looking at the ( Budget ) documents. † She, nevertheless said the revenue enhancement inducements on R & A ; D was long overdue.ADrug company: Benefit from hiking in revenue enhancement tax write-off on in-house R & A ; D offset by addition in MAT rateOverall impact of the Union Budget 2010-11 on the pharmaceuticals sector is impersonal. The hiking in leaden revenue enhancement tax write-off on in-house R & A ; D outgo ( from 150 % to 200 % ) is expected to be marginally favorable for pharmaceutical companies concentrating on new drug find such as Piramal Lifesciences, Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company, etc, said the taking recognition evaluation bureau Crisil. The addition in Minimum Alternate Tax ( MAT ) rate from 15 % to 18 % will hold a marginally negative impact for most of the pharmaceutical participants. Pharma participants will non be impacted by the addition in excise responsibility on majority drugs as the same is MODVATable. Adept Talk: How drug companies can utilize tax write-off as add-on Thursday March 4, 2010 07:06 autopsy PST Pharmaceutical companies got a much sought-after wish granted when FM Pranab Mukherjee said in his Budget address for 2010-11 that companies passing on in-house research and development will be taxed less. Drug shapers can subtract duplicate the sum they spend on in-house research while calculating their nonexempt income for the assessment twelvemonth 2011-12 onwards, up from the present tax write-off of one and a half times the research spend. The inducement for disbursement more money in research is welcome, but the quest for new drugs needs aggressively higher investings by the public and private sectors and a alteration in focal point from low-value imitator versions of MNC drugs to new therapies. Harmonizing to official estimations, the top 25 pharmaceutical companies in India spent about 6-7 % of their entire gross revenues on research and development in the last financial compared to the planetary norm of 12-15 % . That worked out to a paltry Rs 3,500 crore by 25 Indian companies in an industry with a turnover of Rs 90,000 crore including exports. The entire R & A ; D spend by the domestic industry is less than 1 % of the $ 130 billion spent globally on drug research. Experts say that unless Indian drug shapers spend more than 15 % of their gross revenues on research, they can non hold a noticeable presence in the universe of sophisticated, high-value, new drugs. One interesting facet is that the current research spend is chiefly for happening new methods for doing transcripts of expensive and blockbuster MNC drugs without conflicting their patents so that the transcripts can be sold in markets like the US to do windfall additions. The US allows a six-month sole selling right to the first generic transcript that enters the market without conflicting the patent protecting the original drug or by turn outing that the patent was invalid. This path involves judicial proceeding with the pioneer and entails immense legal costs. The history of patent challenges by Indian companies is dotted with a few dramatic successes and a figure of failures. The interesting portion is that the judicial proceeding cost is shown as research and development outgo by most of the Indian companies. Until Indian companies focus every bit or more on contriving their ain new drugs, Indian drug company industry can non lift in planetary stature as a manufacturer of new drugs. The present focal point on generics or imitator drugs gets reflected in statistics. Despite being the 3rd largest manufacturer of drugs by volume, Indian drug company industry stands 17th by the value of its end product because of the low-priced nature of the merchandises. Companies have echt grounds for non being able to pass on research every bit much as their planetary opposite numbers. They are smaller in size and about a 4th of the market is under monetary value control. Many Indian drug shapers are researching the possibility of acquiring licenses from the drug discoverer to do an authorized generic version which will hit the market when the original drug ‘s patent expires. The scheme is to fall in the rival if one can non crush him. The authorities is besides non able to apportion the big sums required for drug find from its revenue enhancement grosss or regular adoptions. The aid that the section of scientific discipline and engineering provides by manner of non-repayable grants and soft loans for research is besides non sufficient. Therefore, the authorities needs to happen advanced support theoretical accounts to back up new drug research. For illustration, it could present a theoretical account which mobilises financess from investors who are willing to portion the lucks of the high-risk-high-reward game of drug research and funnel it to companies with promising experimental new drugs. Recently, the Planning Commission gave the green signal to the section of pharmaceuticals to set about a elaborate undertaking study on planing such a theoretical account. The section ‘s thought is to inquire bureaus like UTI Asset Management Company to raise financess through tax-exempt bonds. The financess therefore raised will be used to construct establishments, train people and discover drugs. If the research leads to discovery of blockbuster drugs, it will profit investors, the company and the concluding consumer. Even if it fails, the authorities will vouch a minimal return on investings. It is estimated that merely one in six experimental drugs makes it to the market. Public-funded research will besides let the authorities to exert a say in the monetary value at which the concluding merchandise would be made available to the consumer. It might take several months before the finer inside informations are worked out. The FM ‘s gesture of heightening the revenue enhancement sop for research, despite unfavorable judgment that the leaden tax write-off strategy is prone to mistreat, shows the authorities ‘s committedness to advance new drug research. But much more public and private resources are needed to take the Indian industry to where the policymakers want to take it-the beginning of one in every ten new drugs invented.

Best Dining Experience Essay

Although my favorite Mexican food to eat here is from my grandmother’s kitchen; there are a few restaurants my friends and I enjoy eating at. A few of my girlfriends and I have made Margarita Wednesdays a tradition in the summer time at La Casa. My brother, sister and I go to Los Cabos at least once a month in West Des Moines, which is an amazing delicious Mexican restaurant. I also like Monterrey in Altoona because it’s so close to my house, but no restaurant can compare to Tiki Tok in Mexico. My best friend and I were feeling spontaneous so we took a week off work and went on a cruise. We both found it difficult to eat on the ship because we were continually getting sea sick. I’ll never forget the fishy, chewy, and crunchy taste of the little shrimp and cocktail sauce going down my throat, or the unpleasant feeling I had when it was coming up. The only bad memory of my trip was praying that my legs would stop shaking and that my journey would hopefully reach an end so I could stand on solid ground. Other than being sea sick for the first day; I had a blast on the cruise! I got the opportunity to see many things and visit quite a few places. One of the ports of call was Cozumel, Mexico, and my friend Alexandra and I decided we wanted to try some real Mexican food. Of course, we were a little concerned about getting sick, but I’m glad to say that didn’t happen. We asked on the ship where the best place for Mexican food was, but they said that anywhere along the main shopping strip would be good. We then found a place called the Tiki Tok. The place was on the second level of a building. We sat out on the little balcony that they had. They had covered it with sand. The view from the restaurant was amazing. I was hypnotized by the vibrant colors and the employees’ of the restaurants equally vibrant lifestyles. I remember feeling jealous of the workers because they would get to go back to Tiki Tok tomorrow and the day after that, but I wouldn’t. The walls were an explosion of colorful textiles and every color of paint one could think of that was as bold as can be. Vases were on every table with burnt orange and deep yellow dried peppers inside. The chairs at the dining tables were made of a Mexican Serape material. The colors, the fringe, and the feel of it gave the restaurant even a stronger Mexican energy. My favorite part of the restaurants decor was the little cactus lights that strung amongst all the walls connecting each bulb to the wrought iron chandelier in the middle of the room. When one first enters the restaurant the Mariachi band is one of the most noticeable features. Three men were dressed in black with button up shirts and decorative sombreros all standing in the corner of the room. Two men had violins and the third was handling a guitar. As we took our seats the band started playing lively music and a few older couples got up and danced fearlessly. Everything in the restaurant was bold excluding my bashful personality; otherwise I would have danced too. I was in a trance watching the people dance with one another until the Mariachi band shouted in sync, â€Å"AY! † causing me to be brought back to the present. It was then that I had realized how hungry I was. The menu prices were in pesos, so it looked like everything was really expensive, but it wasn’t. We ordered the hot and spicy red enchiladas which were about 60 pesos, and they also brought us chips and salsa. The chips were a little bit thicker than you would get here in the US, and there were three different types of salsas. There was a regular pico de gallo, then there was one made with tomatillos, and the last was a pineapple cilantro salsa that was actually really tasteful. Lexi and I have never had pineapple cilantro salsa before, so we weren’t sure whether it was going to be appetizing or not. After stuffing myself with chips our food finally arrived. It was just about the yummiest thing I’ve ever had. The red sauce for the enchiladas was a little bit different than what I’ve had here, but I can’t tell you how. It was more delicious over there though. There was chicken inside the enchiladas and a touch of sour cream on top. We took the extra salsa we hadn’t demolished with the chips and smothered our enchiladas with it. I ate every last bite of it and was so full afterwards! The amazing food I had in Mexico was the best Mexican food I have ever had. I remember the smell of the ocean and sweet salsa at the same time. The bright colored sombreros and the ocean front view was an amazing sight to see while enjoying the food as well. Anytime I think about Mexico I think about the short beach chairs, sand between my toes, all the smells of the restaurant, laughing with my best friend and delicious enchiladas. This will be a memory that would be difficult to forget because we took so many pictures of the restaurant and it was the best eating experience I’ve had yet. I’m really glad that my friend and I were able to have this dining experience together. Alexandra and I enjoyed it very much!

Dick Cheney †American Vice President

Dick Cheney – American Vice President Free Online Research Papers The role of the Vice president is currently evolving. Until recently, the position of Vice president was seen as ceremonial and as a whole useless. The Founding Fathers saw the position of Vice president mainly as the President of the Senate. The Vice presidency does not have a place; it is part of the legislative and executive branch. The Vice president may or may not have much influence. Judging by history, most have not been vital in the president’s administration. Harry Truman, while serving as Vice president, only saw Roosevelt eight times during his presidency (Kengor 2000, 175). But this situation is not common anymore, because the Vice president’s role is expanding. The Vice president is mentioned but a few times in the Constitution and only once does it define his/her job. Article 1, Section 3 addresses the Vice president’s role as president of the Senate and his duty to vote only where there is a tie. Other parts of the Constitution mention the vice president’s role as successor to the President and the positions requirement to be separately elected from the President. So overall, except for the Vice presidents role in the Senate, nothing is truly defined. In the past this has limited the Vice president; but now, in the times of the modern presidency, it has enabled the office to cross between the executive and legislative branch and take on more responsibilities. The increased role of the Vice president started when Truman took office and was unprepared, and this was during World War II. Nixon saw a larger role under Eisenhower because he was the first vice president to preside over NSC and Cabinet meetings in the president’s absence. Real change started during Carter’s term and his Vice president Walter Mondale. Mondale became the first vice president with an office in the West Wing. This was a big step because every vice president up until Kennedy’s presidency did not even have an office in the executive building (Kengor 177). Now in George W. Bush’s second term, Dick Cheney’s role and influence is greater than vice presidents before him. Cheney’s role should be compared to vice presidents of recent history like: Rockefeller, Mondale, Bush, Quayle, and Gore. Nelson Rockefeller was promised a lot of domestic influence but that proved to be wishful thinking. After a few months, Ford’s staff pushed Rockefeller away from the inner circle (Light 1983-1984, 623). Light states that Rockefeller fell behind from his lengthy confirmation process, his rejection of an office in the executive building, and was not there to form relationships within the White House (623). Ford appointed Rockefeller as chairman of the Commission on Central Intelligence Agency and vice-chairmanship of the Domestic Council. These were nice titles, but consumed a lot of Rockefeller’s time and took away from his influence (Light 624). He also faced competition from Chief of Staff, Rumsfeld. On top of that, Rockefeller was open with his opinion so people saw when President Ford took other directions, and thus showed him as a loser in gaining influence (Light 626). Though Ford had a good personal relationship with Rockefeller, Ford’s staff kept Rockefell er from gaining influence, and Ford and Rockefeller also differed in what policy to attack (Light 628). But he did meet with Ford at least once a week. Rockefeller also did ceremonial foreign travel to Saudi Arabia and other countries. Rockefeller was dropped from the ticket in the next election from his unsuccessful time as a vice president. Walter Mondale had a different time as vice president than Rockefeller. From the start Mondale was not four months late like Rockefeller and he also refused appointments on commissions unlike Rockefeller. Carter allowed Mondale to help him in picking the Cabinet. Unlike Rockefeller, Mondale liked to keep a low profile to hide his influence (Light 628). Mondale and his staff had experience in Washington which helped them gain influence with a President who was a governor from Georgia. Mondale helped gain support for Carter’s legislative agenda (Light 634). No one in the Carter staff knew how to handle Congress so they looked to Mondale’s staff (Light 636). Mondale also set priorities in his policy he tried to push. He picked and chose times so he could be successful (Light 637). Mondale’s big victories were setting electoral reform and the Department of Education as priorities. Concerning foreign policy, Mondale had little or no influence. His adviser was a deputy to the national security adviser. Overall, Mondale was better prepared to be vice president by coming in with a strategy, staying hidden, and knowing when to push his policies. Dan Quayle had a different experience as vice president than those before and after him. He was the chairman of the National Space Council and the Council on Competitiveness. The latter was a council on limiting regulation on the environment and businesses. This was the main issue Quayle worked on. As far as foreign policy is concerned, Quayle served a role much like traditional vice presidents. During the Gulf crisis he acted as a spokesman, took tips abroad, and attacked critics of the President’s strategy in the Gulf (Kengor 2000, 175). Vice president Quayle did experience some success in lobbying Venezuela to increase oil production and getting Brazil and Argentina to stop giving missile technology to Iraq (Kengor 176). But a major problem of Quayle’s in foreign policy was George Bush. Bush’s strength and of his staff was foreign policy. It was hard to fill in a gap in the administration. Quayle did not have much influence on policy and thus his time as vice president looked much like Rockefeller’s. Al Gore completely evolved the job of vice president. He became very involved in foreign policy. For one, Gore met with Secretary of State Warren Christopher every Friday to discuss foreign policy (Kengor 177). Gore was able to influence foreign policy decisions with access to NSA meetings. He became an important spokesman with Russia because he established a solid relationship with Russia’s Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. Gore also met with Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Nursultan Nazabayev to discuss arms control and non-proliferation (Kengor 178). Gore also had a lot of influence in acting against Slobodan Milosevic. Gore was a strong supporter of the Kyoto Treaty as well as other environmental programs that died in Congress. Gore also broke a tie in the Senate to pass economic reform proposed by Clinton in 1993. In a debate on NAFTA verse Ross Perot, Gore helped win public and Congressional support of the issue. Gore served as chair of the Crime Prevention Council. And Gore also had to show support of President Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Overall, Al Gore had influence in foreign and domestic policy matters incomparable to any other vice president before him. Dick Cheney became the 46th vice president of the United States after Al Gore. Dick Cheney came into this position with a lot of political experience. He was Chief of Staff for Ford, Defense Secretary for Bush 41, and served in the House of Representatives including time as the Minority Whip. He has seen the government from different angles. Foreign policy is an area where Cheney has experienced great influence. Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at the University of New Orleans says, â€Å"He [Cheney] is the vortex in the White House in foreign policymaking. Everything comes through him,† (Slavin 2002, USA Today). Some say that his influence exceeds that of Henry Kissinger (Rothkopf 2006, Washington Post). Cheney has an ally in Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, because their relationship dates back to when they served under Ford and they possess similar ideals on foreign policy. Cheney is the main influence on Bush and his actions in Iraq and the war on terrorism. He was one of the main supporters to attack Iraq without support from allies like France and Germany. Unlike most Vice presidents, Cheney doesn’t do much foreign travel as a spokesman for the president or ceremonial visits. By the end of 2003, Cheney had only been overseas to do a tour of Iraq before the war (Hitt 2003, WSJ). As a whole, Chen ey’s influence rivals and exceeds the influence of Secretaries of State Powell [former] and Rice. A strong source of Cheney’s influence comes from his relationship with Congress. He is seen as a whip or lobbyist for the President. He was seen as a central player on tax cuts, a new Medicare prescription-drug benefit and a pending national energy bill. Cheney’s support was crucial in eliminating the estate tax and reducing taxes on dividends (Nather 2004, CQ Weekly). Not only does Cheney have an office in the White House, Executive Building, and Senate, but one in the House as well. This gives him greater access to all members of Congress. Members of Congress trust him because of his time as a Representative from Wyoming. Republican senators saw Cheney as their 51st member when party lines were 50-50 in the Senate (Carney 2001, Time). He has broken ties in Senate six times so far. On top of that, some Republicans do not consider him the President of the Senate, but as a line to the president to make lasting deals (Cochran 2003, CQ Weekly). Cheney has pulled power fro m the legislative branch to the executive branch (Hitt 2003, WSJ). Access to the president largely affects a vice president’s role in the White House. Rockefeller had little access to Ford, but Gore did not have as hard of a time. â€Å"Gore had to ask for his lunch and fight to keep it on Clinton’s schedule,† says James Carney of Time (2001 Time). Cheney spends two-thirds of his workday with Bush discussing all types of policies, which is a huge increase over all past vice-presidents access (Carney 2001, Time). â€Å"Even Cheney’s staff has had access. Cheney’s chief of staff and national security adviser, I. Lewis â€Å"Scooter† Libby, enjoyed the same protocol rank as the president’s national security adviser,† (Rothkopf 2006, Washington Post). Libby also held the title as special assistant to the president, which began with Clinton and Gore. Cheney’s staff is integrated into policymaking which is unique in history (Hitt, 2003 WSJ). Carney says that not only does Cheney not leave â₠¬Å"the loop† but he even was allowed to put allies as head of the Treasury and Defense departments (2001, Time). Cheney has access not equaled by other vice presidents. Another strategy Cheney uses, which Mondale took advantage of as well, is staying behind the scenes. â€Å"Cheney listens more than he talks,† states Cochran (2003, CQ Weekly). He likes to be involved but does not want the public to see this. This helps keep him in â€Å"the loop† and also does not undermine the president’s image towards the public. He has been seen slipping out of a room before photographers have shown up (Hitt, 2003 WSJ). Cheney likes to save his advice and comments for private meetings with President Bush (Slavin, 2002 USA Today). By staying out of the limelight Cheney can privately meet with the president and have a lot more access which let his ideas or concerns have less competition with other advisers. Cheney has had battles over his role in the White House. He was appointed to lead an energy policy task force in 2001 named the National Energy Policy Development Group. The General Accounting Office sued him because they wanted to look at documents on the commission, but Cheney said no by stating executive privilege. It was seen as a struggle of power between the legislative and executive branches. The GAO wanted to know who was involved in the task force, who was consulted, and how much did the work of the group cost (Palmer, 2001 CQ Weekly). Cheney claimed that the ability of the executive branch to govern depends on confidentiality. Clinton lost conflicts similar to this regarding his Secret Service agents testifying and his wife Hillary’s commission on health-care. Congress won in both cases. Cheney’s case went to the Supreme Court but the respondents were Judicial Watch and the Sierra Club, and not GAO. Specifically, these groups were concerned over non-federal em ployees like special interest lobbyists were attending and participating in meetings of the task force (Supreme Court Cases). According to the respondents, Cheney was in violation of the procedural and disclosure requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Cheney lost the case and the group had to open up their documents to Congress. Cheney may have lost, but by trying to invoke executive privilege Cheney has shown the power he can wield. Cheney has encountered controversy unlike other recent vice presidents. His chief of staff I. Lewis Libby has been indicted for perjury, obstruction, and false statements. Some see this as targeting Cheney himself along with Libby (Fineman 2005, Newsweek). Craig Crawford of CQ Weekly says that Cheney, as a right-hand man, is losing his right-hand man (2005 CQ Weekly). As a result of this problem Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has gained influence in foreign policy (Fineman 2005, Newsweek). Because of the Libby indictment, Susan Page of USA Today says that Cheney is not as effective with Congress as he once was (USA Today 2005). The indictment has hurt Cheney’s image with the public and with others in government. Dick Cheney has and does perform tasks of traditional vice presidents. He acts as a spokesman for the administration and their policy and this is a role that is not new to past vice presidents. Since Cheney states he will not pursue the presidency after his time as vice president, it enables him to be more useful to President Bush. Page believes his lack of political ambition has allowed him to be more loyal and thus allowed President Bush to trust him more. He cannot be a future rival. â€Å"In the past few weeks, Cheney has taken on his office’s traditional attack-dog role: denouncing the administrations critics in language more strident than anything the president uses,† Page goes on to say (USA Today 2005). He can also help the president by keeping some of the criticism away from President Bush states Republican Strategist Charlie Black (Page 2005, USA Today). He attracts criticism and thus shields the president from it. The President trusts Cheney and it improves t heir relationship while moving towards goals. Cheney’s retirement after this term also enhanced his ability to act more like a traditional vice president. A senior White House official says that Dick Cheney is enabled because he does not have a constituency within the bureaucracy (Slavin 2002, USA Today). This is provided by the vagueness of the job description in the Constitution. The vice president can now fill roles not specified by the Constitution, but certainly not prohibited by it. The level of influence though in the end is decided by the president because he chooses the role of the vice president. Carter gave a larger role to Mondale just by giving him an office in the West Wing. Clinton allowed access to Gore and thus Gore gained a larger role. President Bush has needed Cheney’s expertise from his time serving in Washington and his knowledge on Iraq from his time as Secretary of Defense. The president chose Cheney to help him and Cheney as a result has been called an â€Å"adviser-in-chief† (Grier 2001, Christian Science Monitor). Joel Goldstein, a law professor at St. Louis University, says that Cheney has lapp ed Gore in involvement. Cheney’s experience, trust from President Bush, and knowledge on a range of policies has provided him influence in the White House. Cheney has seen a role unlike any other vice president in history, so it will be interesting to see how the controversy around him affects the rest of his time in office. Carney, James. John F. Dickerson, Karen Tumulty, and Douglas Waller. â€Å"’Big Time’ Punches† Time, February 12, 2001, 56-59. Cheney, Richard. Interview by Tim Russert. Meet the Press. NBC, 9 December 2001. whitehouse.gov (accessed May 5, 2006). Cheney, Richard. 2002. â€Å"Vice President Discusses the President’s Economic Security Agenda,† Office of the Press Secretary. whitehouse.gov (accessed May 5, 2006). Cochran, John. â€Å"GOP Turns to Cheney To Get Job Done† CQ Weekly, May 31, 2003, 1306. Constitution of the United States Crawford, Craig. â€Å"Craig Crawford’s 1600: Unmaking the Vice President† CQ Weekly, October 31, 2005, 2938. Finneman, Howard, Richard Wolffe, and Holly Bailey. â€Å"Flying Blind† Newsweek, November 7, 2005, 32-35. Grier, Peter; Dante Chinni, and Gail Russel Chaddock. 2001. â€Å"Cheney’s Vice-Presidential Load is Heaviest Yet† Christian Science Monitor 93: 1. Hitt, Greg. â€Å"Out of Sight, Cheney Is Power; Vice President Wields Extensive Influence, but Avoids Public Eye† Wall Street Journal, December 9, 2003, Politics and Policy, Easter Edition. Kengor, Paul, 2000. â€Å"The Vice President, Secretary of State, and Foreign Policy† Political Science Quarterly 115: 175-199. Kitfield, James. â€Å"Cheney as No. 2: Loyal, Trusted, Influential† National Journal 32 (2000): 3395. Light, Paul. 1983-1984. â€Å"Vice-Presidential Influence under Rockefeller and Mondale† Political Science Quarterly 98: 617-640. Nather, David. â€Å"Dick Cheney: Straddling Two Branches† CQ Weekly, August 28, 2004, 1956-?. Page, Susan. â€Å"White House problems stick to the ‘Velcro Veep’† USA Today, December 5, 2005, News. Palmer, Elizabeth A. â€Å"Dispute Over Cheney Documents Champing Up as Significant Test of Executive Privilege† CQ Weekly, August 11, 2001, 1985. Rothkopf, David J. â€Å"Look Who’s Running the World Now† The Washington Post, March 12, 2006, Outlook, Final Edition. Slavin, Barbara and Page, Susan. â€Å"Cheney is power hitter in White House lineup† USA Today, July 29, 2002, News. Supreme Court: Cheney, Vice president of the United States, et al. v. United States District Court for the District of Columbia et al.: certiorari to the United States court of appeals for the district of Columbia circuit, No. 03-475 (24 June 2004). â€Å"The other president† Economist, September 4, 2004, 36. 2005 â€Å"Vice President Cheney Applauds Strengthened Presidential Powers† The American Journal of International Law 99: 492-493. Walsh, Kenneth T, Brush, Silla, Kass, Jeff, Omestad, Thomas, Chapman, Carol Flake. â€Å"The Cheney Factor† U.S. News World Report, January 23, 2006, 40-48. Research Papers on Dick Cheney - American Vice PresidentNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionHip-Hop is ArtAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Research Process Part OneOpen Architechture a white paperBringing Democracy to AfricaUnreasonable Searches and Seizures

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