Notions of Differences in Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

Identify the  three notions of differences  mentioned in the attached documents in  Nervous Conditions  and show how they relate to issues of identity. Three notions of differences : 1. The act of veiling 2. The use of silence 3. The question of subjectivity 1)The act of veiling will result in loss of identity as the people choose to remain oppressed by the so called more superior people. These people chose to stay veiled by the more superior and fighting against because they somehow felt comfortable and is alright with the current situation. However, this is extremely injustice towards the people who takes the act of veiling to protect themselves. Eventually, the so-called more superior people will dominate the people and seize more power against them. Tambudzai, the main character of Nervous Conditions who realizes that she did not want to be oppressed, stood up to take off the mask of veiling to avoid being continuously oppressed by the more superior men in her life. Slowly, Tambu is said to lose her identity as an African as she no longer follows her original traditions and yet started to fantasize the West and follows the western culture. 2)The use of silence can be clearly seen in mostly the elder women in Nervous Conditions. Women in the story is constantly oppressed by the men however they did not choose to fight for their rights but remained silent and followed whatever the men says. This can lead to the loss of dignity of women and also human rights. Tradition says women should only learn how to be housewives and not receive education. Looking into this matter, women should all stand up and protest against their rights and that women too can serve the country well with proper education. Remaining silent is really not a good solution to problems as it will only lead to greater problems in the future. 3) The question of subjectivity consists of ideas and opinions of a person and the choice that would like to be made by the person. Everyone has their own thinking and behaviour and people are different in terms of that. Oppression is an act that takes away people’s thinking and in fact oppressing them with matters that they don’t like. Subjectivity is indeed a subjective matter where normally people cannot question about it. People should be given opportunities to have their own opinions and not having to blindly follow what other people says. At times, we might be at the right side and we do have to voice out if the opponent is actually wrong. There are distinct differences between the three notions but they actually work together to form a strong barrier that makes people fear of voicing out or speaking out. The women mentioned in Nervous Conditions often comprises the three notions that made them incomparable the men. They had to follow what the men say and silently doing their assigned duties without uttering a word. This is hard for the women as they slowly lose their identities as women and the chance of being at equal with the men.

A Prayer Fpr My Daughter

A Prayer For My Daughter A Prayer for My Daughter is a poem written by William Butler Yeats in 1919. This poem is a pray-like poem. And it generally tells about the poet's ideas about his daughter who is sleeping at the same time while the poem is being told. Throughout the poem the Yeats reflects that how he wants his daughter's future should be.This essay will analyze the poem under three subtitle: 1- What does this poem mean†, 2- The poetic devices, imagery, rhyming, figures of speech, used in the poem and mood, diction, language, and the structure of the poem, 3- An essay in a feminist point of view titled â€Å"What does the poet want his daughter to become†Ã¢â‚¬  . The poet is watching his infant daughter sleep. In the first stanza he starts with describing the setting of the poem. It is stormy outside, there is a kind of dark and gloomy weather and he prays for her.And he says that he has gloom in his mind and we will understand that what gloom is that in his min d. In the second stanza the poet describes the things while he was praying for his daughter. He walks for an hour and notices the â€Å"sea-wind scream upon the tower†, â€Å"under the arches of the bridge†, â€Å"in the elms above the flooded stream. † They probably represent the dreaming of the human beings and they are decisive. They are all about the present things and they block people from thinking about the future events.The last four lines of the second stanza clearly explain this idea: â€Å"Imagining in excited reverie That the future years had come, Dancing to a frenzied drum, Out of the murderous innocence of the sea. † In the third stanza he prays for her beauty, but not too much. He considers the beauty as a decisive element for choosing the right person to marry. He emphasizes that too much beauty may cause her loose the â€Å"natural kindness† thus that might prevent her from finding the â€Å"heart-revealing intimacy† and a true friend.Related with the third stanza, the fourth stanza refers to Helen herself, who â€Å"being chosen found life flat and dull,† and also to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who chose her spouse the cripple, Hephaestus. Helen â€Å"had much trouble from a fool†, the fool is Menelaus, the husband of Helen, whom she deserted in favor of Paris. Whereas Aphrodite suffered from â€Å"being fatherless†, hence without a father to guide her, Yeats intends to be a guiding father to his young daughter. The fifth stanza describes the quality that Yeats came to see as at the very heart of civilized life: courtesy.By courtesy he understands a means of being in the world that would protect the best of human dignity, art and emotion. And in his prayer for his daughter he wishes that she will learn to survive with grace and dignity in a world turned horrific. He explains that many men have hopelessly loved beautiful women, and they thought that the women loved them as wel l but they did not. In the sixth stanza he hopes that his daughter will be a â€Å"flourishing hidden tree†, which is not rebel but kind and happy, but contains her happiness within a particular place.And additionally he wants his daughter to be not argumentative and aggressive, or perhaps quite and secure, â€Å"rooted in one dear perpetual place. † When combined with the previous line, the last line clearly defines his hope fro daughter to live in a victorious life â€Å"like a green laurel. † And the linnet also represents that he wants her thoughts to be a guide for a good life for her and her life to be in a good fate. In the seventh stanza he tells about himself a little bit, and we can conclude that he also suffered from love and beauty, but he also emphasize that hatred is drying and destructive.Thus he asserts that hatred is the worst response one can have in the world. He hopes that his daughter will not have such strong opinions which are the forms of hatred. Then he implies that â€Å"an intellectual hatred† is the worst of hatreds. In this stanza he uses an image â€Å"Plenty's horn. † It symbolizes the source of the rich gifts that will be given, served to his daughter. This part of the poem also accuses â€Å"the loveliest woman†, Maud Gonne, because of not using properly the gifts given to her and he hopes that her daughter will use them well and wisely.Ninth stanza serves the ideas of Yeats about hatred and recovering of the world. He supports that a woman can heal herself by getting away from hatred and also the world can be purified by avoiding from hatred and diversions. Thus we can recover the innocence and we can â€Å"be happy still. † In the conclusion stanza he hopes her daughter to be married in ceremony, of which source is the â€Å"horn† again. He uses the ceremony to symbolize the richness of the horn and the power of the â€Å"laurel tree. † POETIC DEVICESOnomatopoeia (the use of words that sound like the thing that they are describing) – howling, scream, spray, choke, scowl, howl Repetition (saying the same thing many times) – in the ninth stanza: self-appeasing, self-delighting, and self-affrighting Alliteration (the use of several words together that begin with the same sound or letter in order to make a special effect) – howling, and half hid, cradle-hood and coverlid, great gloom, sea-wind scream, being made beautiful, like the linnet, live like, linnet from the leaf, hatred driven hence, recovers radical, bellows burst, bridegroom bring, find a friend Assonance (similarity in the vowel sounds of words that are close together in a poem)- walked and prayed, young-hour, such-overmuch, trouble- fool, with-meat, yet-that-played, beauty-very, poor-roved, loved-thought-beloved, hidden-tree, dried-late, linnet-leaf, should-scowl, quarter-bowl, hatred-wares, spreading laurel tree. FIGURES OF SPEECH Metaphor- Ceremony is used for the Plenty's horn, custom is used for the spreading laurel tree, linnet is used for good faith, and laurel is used for having a victorious life Personification- Sea-wind scream-human being, years†¦ dancing-human being, frenzied drum- human being, angry wind- human being, Simile- â€Å"all her thoughts may like the linnet be†, â€Å"may she live like some green laurel† Juxtaposition- â€Å"murderous innocence† Imagery- The â€Å"storm† is representing the dangerous outside forces, may be the future that she will encounter with soon.The â€Å"cradle† is representing his daughter's babyhood. The sea is the source of the wind and logically is the source of â€Å"future years† as well. The â€Å"murderous innocence† is attributed to the sea and represents poet's daughter and the outside world which waits for her. He uses the imagery â€Å"dried† for his mind to explain how the bad ideas are rooted in his mind. And also he uses the â€Å"horn† as ceremony and the â€Å"tree† as custom. LANGUAGE, DICTION, MOOD, STRUCTURE The language used in the poem is like the language used in lectures and also prayer. The word â€Å"may† gives to the poem a pray-like mood. The narrator is the poet's himself, and he tells the poem quite personal.He uses â€Å"I†, â€Å"she†, â€Å"my daughter† to make it personalize. The moods of the stanzas are different than the others. But the first stanza has a frightening atmosphere. In the second stanza he is anxious about what will future bring to her, the third one has the same mood but in here he is careful. In the next one he uses classical mythology to express his obsessions. The fifth one is a little bit more confident and hopeful. The sixth one is more cautious and has a negative mood. The seventh is self aware, strong and kind of regretful. And the last three stanzas are written in a happy mood and have hopefulness. The structure of the poem is not complex to analyze.It has 10 stanzas and eight lines each. It was written in iambic pentameter. The rhyme scheme is aabbcddc, and the rhythm is regular. WHAT DOES THE POET WANT HIS DAUGHTER TO BECOME The poem is about William Butler Yeats ideas, and his anxiety about his baby daughter's future and life. He wants his daughter to become a woman who is virtuous, wise. He uses the image of his daughter partly to represent his ideal woman. Most of the images that he uses are parts of the ideal woman he has in his mind or its opposites. He supports that a woman should be â€Å"a flourishing hidden tree†, who is not well-known but beautiful. She shouldn't be anything but â€Å"merry. † Innocence† is beautiful in women, that's why if his daughter keeps her innocence inside and do not abuse it, she will not be affected by the â€Å"wind. † He thinks that too much beauty distorts women, and causes them to destroy the gifts that are given by â€Å"H orn of Plenty† thus he wants his daughter to use the gifts wisely and properly. And he wants his daughter to learn the fact that â€Å"hearts are earned†, and the men, who are deceived by just beauty, will notice their mistake later. He wants her daughter not to have strong opinions like hatred, because he thinks that hatred is the worst thing in the world. He hopes she will marry, and her house will be full of customs.

Causes Of Violence In Our Society Communications Essay

Causes Of Violence In Our Society Communications Essay The world most disturbing topic now days are violence. People are not responsible any more they don’t even know what their personal responsibilities are. Respect your older, manners and responsibility are an obsession of the past. Media and drugs play a very important role in the violence of the society. Our society becomes more violent and dangerous day by day due to media. It’s a scary world for our children every third or fourth teenagers knows someone who has been shot. Media is one of the most dangerous sources of violence in our society. The news-media promoted intense fear before and during the Iraq War by almost universally, unquestioningly reporting the government position as fact. On the local level, news programs constantly report violent episodes in poor neighborhoods with increasing frequency while consciously or otherwise consumers see their society as violent and scary. Mostly white people spend so much of their income on security systems while they aren ’t supporting the local corporate puppet promising to crack down on crime. Media is one of the main sources of violence in our society. The movies of new era video games and TV programs everything have different kind of violence. Many video games are full of violence and children around seven years or older love to play those kinds of games. When I was Twelve years old I was very interested in video games, my favorite games was street fighter and I always dreaming to be strong like my game player and I can beat the people who give me hard time in the school, Just Imagine if every child have the same experiences that I had, and what a big impact that could do to a little children. Many teenagers try to bring out their dreams to be exactly like their favorite hero done in the game or movie. By selling and showing these games and movies, I would emphasize that we are propagation a production of violent children, which make our society more violent in the future. We have to teac h our children that violence is bad for our society. We try to teach our children self respect brotherhood and patience. We also teach our children don’t hurt anybody and always help others. Every two minutes someone is sexually assaulted in America. One in six women and one in 33 men will experience sexual assault in their lifetime, according to a study by the World Health Organization. The U.S. Dept. of Justice states that nearly a quarter of a million sexual assaults occur each year. Sexual, physical and psychological violence causes as much illness and death among women aged 15 to 44 as cancer, while child sexual abuse is more common than teen pregnancy, pediatric cancer or childhood obesity, according to the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Given all the press lately about the issue of childhood obesity, we should remember there are many hidden issues facing our children today —sexual violence is one of them. The American Medical Association has call ed it â€Å"the silent violent epidemic.†

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Economics Module 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economics Module 3 - Assignment Example (10 pts.) Watch  at least one of the following entertaining videos:   (i)  LearnLiberty.orgs The Broken Window Fallacy  (3.09); and (ii)  Stossel Macro Video 04 - Government spending, jobs, and unemployment  (2.40) Listen  to or read at least one of the following pieces: (i)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Seen and What Is Not Seen  by Frederic Bastiat. Or, listen-on-the-go to the  Audio   (8.11); and (ii)Creating Jobs vs. Creating Wealth  by Dwight Lee (Audio, 8.58 minutes).    Directions:   Use your knowledge of the â€Å"Broken Window Fallacy† to evaluate each of the following claims.   These statements are used frequently by proponents to argue that government spending can help pull an economy out of a recession.  What does economic analysis indicate with regard to this argument? (Hint:   Write the â€Å"seen† and the â€Å"not seen† effect of each one of these proposals.) 2.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I propose that we hire all of the unemployed people as government workers and pay half of them to dig holes and the other half to fill them back up.   This way everyone who wants a job can have one!† This is a true policy that was implemented by the government to basically find a reason to spend. As of now, the focal point is in spending when the government must enact programs to stimulate growth. FDR has similar initiatives during the Great Depression as he forced the government to spend in public infrastructure even when it was necessary. This policy created jobs and reached its objectives of keeping unemployment rates low. 2.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The unemployment rate is high and, therefore, it is time to stimulate the economy!   I propose that we use tax dollars to pay car dealers to destroy older used cars by smashing them and sending them to the dump.   This will cause people to buy new cars which will increase economic activity and put us on the path to

The Broadband market in Italy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Broadband market in Italy - Research Paper Example In the third quarter of 2008 the broadband market subscribers was approximately 18 percent of the population. Italy has consistently been ranked as one of the countries with the lowest broadband penetration in Europe, the country lacked cable and DSL infrastructure and therefore market penetration was considerably low. The entry of other firms in the industry led into an increase in penetration and in 2005 Italy recorded the highest growth of broadband in Europe. Population growth rates in Italy have been decreasing over the last several years with current rates near zero. Major cities are densely populated and most of the population lives in flats and blocks that make FTTH and DSL more appropriate to provide broadband services. Vigevano(2002) pointed out that there were some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy and they included digital divide and lack of competition, this means that in rural area, broadband services were less profitable and therefore majority of the providers concentrated more in urban area. Government has not typically concerned itself with encouraging more s ophisticated use of the internet such as online transactions, and focus on European Computer Driving Licence(ECDL) provided to teachers, government employees, students this leads to increasing the awareness and skills of individuals. Vigevano(2002) points out that there are some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy, some of the factors that he highlighted include lack of capital to improve infrastructure, this hinders the growth of broadband in Italy. ... pointed out that there were some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy and they included digital divide and lack of competition, this means that in rural area, broadband services were less profitable and therefore majority of the providers concentrated more in urban area. Government has not typically concerned itself with encouraging more sophisticated use of the internet such as online transactions, and focus on European Computer Driving Licence(ECDL) provided to teachers, government employees, students this leads to increasing the awareness and skills of individuals. Vigevano(2002) points out that there are some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy, some of the factors that he highlighted include lack of capital to improve infrastructure, this hinders the growth of broadband in Italy. He also pointed out that there are regulatory issues that pose uncertainty regarding rights; another problem is digital divide whereby there is high adoption of broadband in certain area and in others low adoption and therefore firms concentrate only in large cities. According to House (2001) the shape of the S curve depends on the time period and saturation level and that the saturation level is less than 100%, he also states that saturation is driven by both the supply side and demand side, saturation level depends on the appropriateness of the technology and Economies of scale reducing prices increasing level of acceptance to peak. Estimated Level of Saturation The chart below summarises Penetration rate of Broadband in Italy from 2001-2008 Diagram 1: From the chart it is evident that broadband users(households and business) per 100 individuals has gradually increased over the years, it is also evident that in 2001 to 2002 is the introduction

Health Economic summer 2010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Economic summer 2010 - Essay Example Gordon et al. (2010) have researched the impact of such tests on smoking cessation programmes and chain smokers considering the costs involved. Their research focus has been to evaluate the impact of genetic test needs of routine smoking cessation programmes on chain smokers to measure the cost effectiveness of such initiatives. No quality methods can measure the impact of such health interventions except the cost valuation approaches used within cost-benefit analysis. Through the use of common currency result measures, researchers have estimated the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) to measure the validity of running such tests. Already much work has been accomplished regarding cost per QALY estimates by clinicians and through smoking cessation services. General impression on carrying genetic tests has been positive for treatment interventions but QALY assessment is not enough to evaluate the complex effect due to psychosocial nature of the treatment for public and individu al health impact. There have been limitations in deriving results as one-size does not fit to all (Kelly et al. 2005). The cost-utility analysis (CUA)evaluations can measure health impacts by making comparisons in all fields of health that help in distribution of resources but are unable to map the non-health outcomes and opportunity cost of such programmes (Kelly et al. 2005). The cost-benefit analysis (CBA) appraises all costs and benefits through currency terms. In case the benefits are more than costs, it is suggested to spend more money on such programmes and in case the reverse is happening, further investment can be put on hold. The CBA approach is appealing and genuine but it is a complex mechanism to perform appraisal because monetary terms are involved for evaluating health and economic viability of conducting genetic tests. Economists’ evaluations not recommended previously can be attempted as has been done to measure the changed impact of taxation on drinking alco hol and smoking of cigarettes to further the research on it (Kelly et al. 2005). Gordon et al. (2010) have used two strategic models for a hypothetical cohort of chain smokers above 50 years of age. By selecting people who have both undergone and not taken the genetic test in a smoking cessation intervention, they have included nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and counseling. Data has been captured to be based on Markov model considering randomized examination and meta-evaluation of 12-month quit rates and long-term relapse rate for measuring risk of lung cancer to participants in the intervention. The model covered five health states. As per the two strategies, the smoking cessation programmes were run with and without genetic tests producing results that the people may not, probably enter into relapse and start smoking again as evaluated from the outcomes of 12 months (Gordon et al. 2010). A cohort of 50 years old men and women consuming 20 cigarettes a day entered the smoking c essation programme. Generally, such an initiative considers general practitioners’ advice, telephone counseling and NRT treatment given during 12 weeks. There have been in practice some pharmacological treatments with better smoking cessation rates but NRT is widely accepted as a means of quitting smoking. For genetic testing blood samples are collected to for

Assingment for Law Enforcement Research Design class Assignment

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Health Care Spending in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Care Spending in the US - Essay Example In 2012, the government assigned $3 trillion to health care. This was an increase from 2011 spending of $2.8 trillion. Researchers have used this to project a 4% growth rate in the national spending on health in the subsequent years. The rate of growth of national health spending in 2011 was 3.9% as compared to 3.7% growth in 2010. As a percentage of the nation’s gross domestic product, health care spending indicated a fairly stable 17.9 index between 2009 and 2011 (Peden, 2012). Looking at the nation’s spending on health care in 2011 by service, hospital care took $850.6 billion which was a 4.3% growth rate, and this was a drop from 4.9% rate in 2010. The slow growth was attributed to both the drop in price and use of hospital service experienced that year. Allocation to physician and clinical service in 2011 amounted to $541.4 billion which was a 4.3% growth as compared to the 3.1% 2010 growth. This change may have emanated from the increase in the use of services in 2011 despite the slowed growth in prices experienced the same year. Private health insurance and Medicare spent more in 2011 than in the previous year. Other professional services received $73.2 billion in 2011 that was a 4.9% growth rate over the expenditure for the same the preceding year. The national government in 2011 assigned $108.4 billion to dental services indicating a 3.0% growth over the previous year’s 2.7% growth. The spending for other health, residential and personal care services in 2011 came to $133.1 billion reaching a 4.0% growth as compared to 4.5% growth in 2010. Nursing care facilities and continuing care retirement communities stood at $149.3 billion in 2011 indicating a 4.4% growth over the previous year’s 3.2% growth (Jonas et. al., 2013). Homecare health care spending was $74.3 billion in 2011 indicating a 4.5% growth lower than 2010’s 5.8% growth. This slow growth was as a result of a fall in Medicare and Medicaid spending that year. T he national government allocated $263.0 billion to prescription drugs in 2011which translated to a 2.9% growth over the previous year’s 0.4% growth. This increase was due to an increase in the price of prescription drugs and additional spending on the new brand of drugs (Barr, 2011). Medical equipment received $38.9 billion which was a 5.3% growth in 2011 relative to 5.8% growth in 2010. Non-durable medical products were assigned $47.0 billion in 2011 which maintained the 2010 4.0% growth rate. Major sources of finance for heal care spending have been consistent. In 2011, Medicaid gave $407.7 recording a 2.5% growth relative to 5.9% growth in 2010. Medicaid registered 3.2% enrollment in 2011 which was a drop from 2010’s 4.9% enrollment (Jonas et. al., 2013). There was a decrease in federal Medicaid to 7.1% in 2011 while the state Medicaid expenditures increased to 22.2% owing to the lapse of the aid accorded states by the federal government that year. The OOP (Out-of-p ocket) spending was $307.7 billion in 2011 indicating a 2.8% increase from 2010’s 2.1% growth. Medicare accounted for 21% of the nation’s total spending on health in 2011. That year, it contributed $554.3 billion an outstanding growth to 6.2% as compared to 4.3% growth in 2010. This increase in growth was as a result of the fast growth in expenditure on nursing facilities and physician services and an accompanying

In Defence of Harry Flashman Essay Example for Free

In Defence of Harry Flashman Essay It is understandable why the first mention of the character of Harry Flashman – the opportunistic philanderer of his Majestys service who lied and cheated his cowardly way through the Victorian pages of his fictional memoirs by George MacDonald Fraser – is enough to deter the browsing lady, though far be it from anyone to say it should. Since patterns of book-buying snake across the sexes like a flailing sidewinder, it would be hopeless to say as to where on the shop shelf the hand might lay to rest. Nevertheless, for a series of stories far too overlooked for the publics common good, what could the otherwise fairer sex also find to appreciate in a man whose charm seems as fictitious as the women who fall for it? To put it more simply: can this man – to borrow the blurb – be all bad? If the name â€Å"Flashman† is shouting forward from the back of your mind, dare the â€Å"Lord Flashheart† be named as the bothering heckler? Dont think him an unwanted associate, for Blackadders slavering womaniser could be seen as an exaggeration of the â€Å"Flashman persona† and certainly close to what Harry himself may have become had he not, by hand and boot of queen and empire, been thrown into the Flemingesque scenarios he haphazardly emerged from, some the wiser and better-shaped. Unlike the all-consuming debauchery of his comedic counterpart, Harrys lechery is merely a tempered impetus; punctuating his desire for the English comforts that makes for the only form of patriotism youll see in him, if you can call it patriotism – the patriotism of Bond it most certainly is not. What differs Harry from James is awareness, and when taking stock, the idiom trumps the ammo. It would be daft to credit Harrys decision making with the weighing of political consequence, however; that would be a laughable excuse; something he doesnt begin to admit. Its fear that has his mind running back to the jolly English riff-raff and the spread of beds that await. Though isnt to think with your legs the best strategy for the reporter? Reluctant maybe, Harry is a better reporter than he is a soldier. This cowardice kept him alive til a time when he could afford to admit the truth. Concerning the First Afghan War, the truth about a man, General Elphinestone who single-handedly stripped the meat from his ranks as he rung them through the Khord-Kabul pass on their retreat from Afghanistan. Long after witnessing rom on high, the massacre of the regiments from which he had high-tailed the night before, Flashman verbally guts he whom he declares â€Å"No fate could be bad enough for†: â€Å"I still state unhesitatingly, that for pure, vacillating stupidity, for superb incompetence to command, for ignorance combined with bad judgement in short for the true talent for catastrophe, Elphy outshines all as the greatest military idiot of our own or any other day Now what a sorry waste of insightful wit it would have been to have it lost amidst the idiot pride of a fellow more gallant than Harry. Elphinestone is not alone; Harry considers many of the figures he meets to be – to varying degrees – morons, despite his care to concede a grace here and there. Its no surprise that he met such a top-heavy pile of fools; he was, after all, involved in some of the worst disasters of British imperialism all the more reason to flee when he could. But you know the fastidious type. Perhaps youve a friend whom fits this description, in which case, youll understand how empowering it feels to have them praise you – youre worth a cheer! When chance encounter pairs Harry with one he considers of rare dignity, you too, as the reader, hold them as praiseworthy, or rather, worthy of investigation. It was in 1842 when he jumped into the carriage of Lola Montez – an Irish dancer girl turned adventuress of Europe whose life was spent â€Å"playing with kingdoms† as one might romantically say. Her appearances in Royal Flash are glimpses; moments too brief to capture her entirety, yet he alludes to a life beyond the pages with so delicate a respect that one is inspired to follow. Whilst Harry never himself existed, he may as well have. Its very easy to speak of his personality as anything but fictional. Perhaps to no great surprise considering we get to know the fellow through his own confessions, worded not merely to the benefit of his own authenticity, either. The true blue honesty rubs off well onto those he brushes shoulders with. Its what we have to thank this bounder for – dramatising without disfiguring a past of characters pallid to most today and enriching the pursuit of history for ourselves. Harry once said about the Earl of Cardigan, that some human faults are military virtues; for Harry, some human faults are literary virtues.

Government Control and Subsidy of Energy vs. Private Sector Investment Essay Example for Free

Government Control and Subsidy of Energy vs. Private Sector Investment Essay A subsidy is a payment from the government to a business to encourage the continual use or development of a technology or product that is considered to be useful or beneficial to the society. Most often, the money (or subsidies) is coming directly from taxpayers. This is where Milton Friedman’s signature phrase, â€Å"there’s no such thing as a free lunch† comes in to play. A unit of a product or service may be free for one person, someone or something is enduring an opportunity cost. Currently, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are being subsidized by roughly $24 billion a year because of the perceived environmental benefits that go along with â€Å"green† technologies. However, renewable energy companies such as Solyndra have gone bankrupt and the government has supported them to keep them running via subsidies. The argument for continuing these subsidies is that wind and solar are still in the start-up phase in the industrial world and have not yet reached large scale markets. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that these companies will ever be largely profitable because renewable energy, with a few exclusions, are unable to reach the profitable market margin that generating plants fueled by coal, natural gas or nuclear can. While the government tries to focus their support on said renewable energies, only providing limited tax breaks for the private oil companies, the US private sector has produced a substantial increase in oil. 2011 was the third consecutive year of higher domestic oil production and, at the same time, natural gas output reached an all-time high. Over the past five years, about two thousand new jobs have been created in the oil and gas industry while employment growth for renewable energies has been limited at best. With many of the recent failures of several renewable energy companies, employment has declined in this area during several periods. The renewable industry will also struggle to prosper because they rely too heavily on the government for support. The government has taken billions of dollars and will place it in this industry with little to no return for the enrichment of the economy and society. Friedman makes a rather sarcastic comment on activities like this by saying, â €Å"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand†. This is an example of rent-seeking. Rent-seeking is a term, used by economists, to describe actions that involve a political process of taking wealth of others and getting essentially a loss of wealth. Without the incentive to compete to raise and gain money, the renewable energy industry doesn’t feel the need to produce more efficient and cost effective products or services. On the flip side of that, since most companies in the oil industry are in the private sector, the profit alone is a large enough incentive to supply valued goods and services at reasonable prices. If private sector companies do not continually improve or develop, they will quickly be â€Å"weeded out†. Since the private markets are decidedly competitive, they are continually searching for the sweet spot in the market that assures a large and readily available supply of energy and the cleanest yet practicable balance of the usage of our limited resources, all at the lowest price possible. Despite the fact that for more than a decade, there has been a large amount direct taxpayer support, renewable energy still cannot meet the market demand and, therefore, the subsidies for these areas should be significantly reduced if not completely done away with. If politicians are truly concerned with cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a better allocation of federal spending would be to target subsidies and incentives towards natural gas and nuclear power plants. These clean-burning fuels can heat our homes, power our vehicles, and generate electricity for America’s households and industries a lot more cheaply and reliably than renewable energy can. If America is not careful, it will quickly fall into crony capitalism. Crony capitalism, in layman terms, is where private businesses focus on doing political favors rather than the consumer market because the government uses spending, regulations, and subsidies to benefit businesses that provide political support. Instead of trying to pick winners and losers, the government should create a competitive marketplace with fair rules, no subsidies, and allow the private sector to prosper. One great aspect of America is the freedom to continuously change business strategies and marketing to adapt to change. Like Milton Friedman said, â€Å"Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.†

Personal Skills Require for Organizational Objectives

Personal Skills Require for Organizational Objectives Evaluate the personal and professional skills, as outlined in the brief, required to meet both organization and own goals and objectives. Introduction The success of any organization is depends critically on the abilities and performance of its employee not by an individual but also on the way the employee work with each other. In a fast changing business environment it is not just enough to hire talent staff but the organization need to develop them, provide the training to the employee, retrain them in order to keep pace with technology and rival with global market. So it is very important to evaluate the personal and professional skill to achieve both organizational and individual objectives. Definition â€Å"Personal and Professional development is the process through which the organization and individual engage in the process of learning to meet the challenges and desire goal. It is associate with the development needs of the individual as well as group† In this task we have identified and evaluated key personal and professional managerial/ leadership skills like time management, running meetings, making presentations and stress management, these can be accomplished through examine current skills and preparing and impel maintaining Personal Development Plans. This plan will be acquired by Analyzing current skills and preparing and implementing personal development plans. Professional skills concerned with counselling and coaching staff to support them to learn their own learning and development requirement. Professional skills required leadership; managerial skill etc and these all are come with the self-development and continue efforts by mentor who guide the staff by delivering effective presentation, some of the example are as follow Mentoring Mentoring is a effective elements of the training to learning and development and an increasing popular tool by supporting personal development. Mentoring is the long term passing on of support, guidance and advice. In the workplace it has been liable to describe a relationship in which a more experienced colleague uses their greater knowledge and understanding of the work or workplace to support the development of a more junior or inexperienced member of staff. Its also a form of apprenticeship, whereby an inexperienced learner learns the tricks of the trade from an experienced colleague, backed-up as in modern apprenticeship by offsite training. Mentoring is used specifically and separately as a form of long term tailored development for the individual which brings benefits to the organisation. The characteristics of mentoring are: Mentoring is a important form of development It concentrates on helping an individual to shape their career and develop skills. Personal problem can be discussed more effectively by help of mentoring the individual. Such activities of mentoring have both individual and organizational goals. Counselling In todays competitive business arena, a lot of pressure is being apply on many of the employee of an organization, and this create a stress and strain which affect their physical and mental health. Thus, there is a need for proper and accurate counselling skill for some employee. The objectives of counselling are to relieve work burden and make the work very easy to create healthy work environment. So, it is imperative for a manager have to be full equipped to handle such situations as employees need professional help as well as emotional and mental support. Kavita Singh (2007) Counselling Skills for Managers, Paperback What is Coaching? Coaching is the process of creating environmental and building the relationships that boost the development of skills and the performance the direct reports and the manager. Coaching is powerful sills that can be used to maintain and improve performance and to develop new skills and enthusiasm that will help your direct reports exceed current performance and enhance their job satisfaction. When a manager becomes an effective coach, he has the ability to build a group of confident, self-motivated achievers. Following are the benefits from effective coaching Benefits to the organization Helps the bottom line since more work Is done at a lower cost Attracts high-quality job seekers because people want to work for companies that develop their people Turnover is reduced because employees want to stay Benefits to the manager Get the work done the way it needs to be done Have employees that want to work for you Can get more work done when people are able to do it Your stress level is reduced Can get time to do other work. Multitasking In the organization, multitasking is mandatory skill at the workplace. A study suggests that daily workplace interruptions, such as phone calls or e-mail, consume more than two hours of the average professionals workday. Some time it is very important to work on different project because it can save time and increase a productivity of an individual, some time extreme multitasking can cause the opposite to occur. (/www.allbusiness.com/economy-economic-indicators/economic/8898826-1.html) Leadership Leadership is the ability to motivate an individual or a group of people toward a common goal. Leadership is the essential quality of a manager. It helps manager how to follow the plan, leadership skill is not a inborn skill it comes by the experience and it can be improved with the practice. Leadership Styles There are many approaches, and style of leadership that are based on different assumptions and theories. The style that individuals use will be based on a combination of their beliefs, values and preferences, as well as the organizational culture and norms which will encourage some styles and discourage others. Some Leadership Styles in Practice are following Organize meetings The important part of leadership style is to organize the meeting for better management and communication. Schedule meeting save time and increase motivation, it also increase productivity. Meeting planning is the best way to find out the problem solution, and avoid the conflicts as well. Effective Presentation skill: Presentation skill is the part of communication; better presentation and public speaking are essential aspect for work and life. Effective presentation skills are important in the organization, whether it is a human resource department of marketing department. Communication skill develops the confident and capability in the individual anyone can give a good presentation, or perform public speaking to a professional and impressive standard. Like most things, it simply takes a little preparation and practice. Time and Stress Management The role of Leader/Manager can be very stressful! Management studies have suggested that these roles include a very wide mix of activities, most of which cannot always be controlled or even predicted. Outcome-I-BETOLA-10573 Evaluate ways in which a successful manager can acquire these skills What Do Managers Do? Personal and professional skills are essential for an individual or a manger to achieve organizational goals. There are two types of function namely, operative and managerial function. The topic below discusses the managerial function to develop professional and personal skills the managerial function are as under. 1. Planning Planning is essential before doing something, because proper planning helps an organization to achieve its objectives. A manager should have planning skill to make work effective, the main task of planning are strategic and business planning, project planning, human resource planning and promotion planning. Well beginning half done, so to get target result, pre-planning can be helpful to manager. 2. Organizing resources After making effective planning the next duty of the manager is to organize resources. Organization are division of different department like., human resource department, finance, marketing, etc., so these all are the resources of the organization, and these resources should be well organized. Organization is the main managerial function, so it is the duty of a manager to organize resources effectively. 3. Leading Leading is the important function of management because it leads the company towards the goal. After making the certain business policy, it is important to lead them on right direction; it is the duty of manager to influence the people to follow the right direction either it is individual or group. Performance management play an important role to lead organization effectively towards the certain goal. 4. Controlling/Coordinating Controlling and coordinating is the process of running the organization structure effectively. This embrace ongoing collection of feedback or monitoring and adjusting of system, process and structure accordingly for example, uses of financial controls, policies and procedures, performance management, and risk management. Outcome-IIETOLA-10573 Personal Skills Audits This task describe about the personal skill audit, knowledge and aspects, and the importance of the effective personal skill audit. The task focuses on the interpersonal skill of the manager and how managers should address any shortfalls in personal styles, in addition to provides guideline about the analysis of personal performance in the job role. Key to the audit is the notion of continuous professional development, and the need to apply all phases of the learning cycle to personal development activities. It also provides a framework to reflect on personal and professional development, notably in terms of self awareness (strengths and weaknesses, emotional resilience, creativity, analytical problem solving, social skills, mental agility, balanced learning habits). Psychometric tests are structured tests, taken in exam-like conditions, which aim to measure objectively a persons ability, or certain aspects of their personality. Most psychometric tests which measure ability, and virtually all accredited psychometric tests which measure aspects of personality, are devised by occupational psychologists SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment. It is the first stage of planning and helps marketers to focus on key issues. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. Opportunities and threats are external factors. Your specialist marketing expertise. A new, innovative product or service. Location of your business. Quality processes and procedures. Any other aspect of your business that adds value to your product or service. Lack of marketing expertise. Undifferentiated products or services (i.e. in relation to your competitors). Location of your business. Poor quality goods or services. Damaged reputation. A developing market such as the Internet. Mergers, joint ventures or strategic alliances. Moving into new market segments that offer improved profits. A new international market. A market vacated by an ineffective competitor. A new competitor in your home market. Price wars with competitors. A competitor has a new, innovative product or service. Competitors have superior access to channels of distribution. Taxation is introduced on your product or service. A word of caution, SWOT analysis can be very subjective. Do not rely on SWOT too much. Two people rarely come-up with the same final version of SWOT. TOWS analysis is extremely similar. It simply looks at the negative factors first in order to turn them into positive factors. So use SWOT as guide and not a prescription. Be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of your organization when conducting SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis should distinguish between where your organization is today, and where it could be in the future. SWOT should always be specific. Avoid grey areas. Always apply SWOT in relation to your competition i.e. better than or worse than your competition. Keep your SWOT short and simple. Avoid complexity and over analysis SWOT is subjective. Outcome-IIIETOLA-10573 Task-I produce a detailed personal development plan How to produce personal development plan A Personal Development Plan is a document process that reflect the objectives of development for further planning, this help to set-up a development objectives for the future. This plan helps to build a border for achieving goal and create atmosphere where people take responsibility for their responsibility. Effective Personal Development Plan should be: Realistic Relevant Monitored Agreed Reviewed Effective personal development plan need outline agreed development need, identified the actions to meet the need. The plan also identified timescales for completion and indicates responsibility for implementation; furthermore it should be contained suggested review dates. Objectives There are certain objectives to build an effective personal development plan among them the SMART objectives is very effective, which summaries as under. Specific clearly stating what is to be achieved Measurable how will you know you have been successful? Action-orientated specifying what needs to be done Realistic is it within your control and capability Timely achievable within a credible How to prioritise objectives? Objectives should be prioritised according to organisation / department need. You need to be careful not to have too many objectives on your PDP. Its  better to have a few that you can achieve than a long list that you cant. You  may wish to consider: What new skills do you need in your job and what existing skills must you improve Think about your current objectives related to your section /Division / service plan. Is there anything in these where Improving your knowledge and skills will enable you to achieve Your aims or improve results? For the longer-term strategic objectives of your role, is there an  obvious progression of stages? What timeframe do you see for your Career Development  objectives? Is there again an obvious progression of stages  towards your goal? Task-3- evaluate and review the effectiveness and impact of your learning, and how you will be use this for the future. An individual must have a focus for learning a new set of behaviors. Think about where you are now and where you see yourself upon completing a goal. A goal is like a finish line, you run forward for the accomplishment. You aim for the prize. Setting goals is top priority in a personal development plan. It requires a specific and clear intention followed by action. Once you have established your goal, it should be followed with consistent behaviors which are conducive to reaching that goal. How do you learn new behaviors? By educating yourself. Seeking knowledge on your specific area of focus is crucial for replacing old behaviors or habits with new ones. Plenty of resources exist today for self-help. On any level, you can find information to teach you how to identify problem areas in your life. If in the process you find yourself overwhelmed, frustrated or just plain stuck, consider using a life coach. Life coaches are a wonderful resource for success with a personal development plan. They can provide a strong support system. They have knowledge of self-improvement tools and skills to teach them to you. A life coach will give you positive feedback and encourage you to persevere. Not everyone can do it alone, that is why life coaches exist. There is a lot to be said about someone cheering you on as go for it. They can help monitor your successes and setbacks. Whether or not you choose to use a life coach or go it alone, be sure to zero in on your strengths. It is easy to fall prey to loss of confidence from not focusing on strengths. Learn new skills to complement your strengths and confidence. It is amazing how learning affects over-all well being. When you create your personal development plan, realize magic doesnt happen overnight. It is becoming conscious of your world and how you operate within it. Daily you must make choices that benefit your goals. By doing so, eventually the prize does appear. You must also realize that personal development is a life choice. Some people appear content to meander in their world, oblivious to needed changes. However, life is meant for change. If you do the same things over and over, you will get the same results. Self improvement in life settings and circumstances should always be considered relevant and necessary. You can recreate your life with a good personal development plan. Self-assessment of problem areas of your life is the first step. Set realistic goals. Choose actions and behaviors which benefit the goals. Maintain a positive support system. And most of all, applaud yourself for wanting something different for your life. Conclusion: Personal Development Plan can be very effective tools to helping an individual to reflect and record his learning and achievement in a proper way; it can also be effective to make planning his or her further personal and professional development. This process can encourage deep reflection and long term learning habits which focus on their future development.

Privacy and The Internet: Life of Others Essay -- The Internet

As the explosion of internet social media based companies has grown the issue of privacy has been at the forefront of many people’s mind. Privately held information can easily become available to people and be negatively used due to the digital age we are in today. Two of the leading companies in social media are Google and Facebook. This case study analysis explores both Google and Facebook’s privacy policies and issue that has stemmed from it. Google and Facebook recently have taken a lot of backlash from people and governments regarding the way they handle the information they have gathered from the consumers that use their products. Facebook in 2009 was in a dispute with the Canadian government over the use of the data collected and struck a deal with the Canadian government to change their policies. Google also has been faced with criticism that it recorded personal communication sent over unsecured in home Wi Fi networks. German federal commission called for independent investigation of Google’s practices. While both companies are getting more popular by day there is a growing concern and outcry to not use its services. Websites such as QuiteFacebookday.com is now advocating users to abandon Facebook. European leaders and American groups have voiced concerns over the privacy setting within the systems. Electronic Privacy Information Center has asked America’s Federal Trade Commission to see if Faceb ook’s approach to privacy violates the consumer protection laws. In response both Facebook and Google has changed the privacy policies. Google has even came and said that it has the most consumer centric privacy policy among all of the other online services. The privacy policy goes well beyond the social network and s... ...sed earlier in this case study, leaders within the company has make conscious effort to make the consumer’s information protected. (Hunter, 2004, p. 60) Leadership requires that we develop the essential life skills of delaying gratification and being patient, trusting in the law of the harvest and having faith that if we do our part the fruit will come. If consumer confidence in the company deteriorates then more regulations will be put in place to regulate the industry which could cause issues on its own. References Hunter, J. C. (2004). The World's most Powerful Leadership Principle (Sixth ed., p. 60). New York, NY: Crown Business. JESSICA, SILVER-GREENBERG, & SCHWARTZ, NELSON D. (n.d.). MasterCard and Visa investigate data breach. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/business/mastercard-and-visa-look-into-possible-attack.html?_r=1 Privacy and The Internet: Life of Others Essay -- The Internet As the explosion of internet social media based companies has grown the issue of privacy has been at the forefront of many people’s mind. Privately held information can easily become available to people and be negatively used due to the digital age we are in today. Two of the leading companies in social media are Google and Facebook. This case study analysis explores both Google and Facebook’s privacy policies and issue that has stemmed from it. Google and Facebook recently have taken a lot of backlash from people and governments regarding the way they handle the information they have gathered from the consumers that use their products. Facebook in 2009 was in a dispute with the Canadian government over the use of the data collected and struck a deal with the Canadian government to change their policies. Google also has been faced with criticism that it recorded personal communication sent over unsecured in home Wi Fi networks. German federal commission called for independent investigation of Google’s practices. While both companies are getting more popular by day there is a growing concern and outcry to not use its services. Websites such as QuiteFacebookday.com is now advocating users to abandon Facebook. European leaders and American groups have voiced concerns over the privacy setting within the systems. Electronic Privacy Information Center has asked America’s Federal Trade Commission to see if Faceb ook’s approach to privacy violates the consumer protection laws. In response both Facebook and Google has changed the privacy policies. Google has even came and said that it has the most consumer centric privacy policy among all of the other online services. The privacy policy goes well beyond the social network and s... ...sed earlier in this case study, leaders within the company has make conscious effort to make the consumer’s information protected. (Hunter, 2004, p. 60) Leadership requires that we develop the essential life skills of delaying gratification and being patient, trusting in the law of the harvest and having faith that if we do our part the fruit will come. If consumer confidence in the company deteriorates then more regulations will be put in place to regulate the industry which could cause issues on its own. References Hunter, J. C. (2004). The World's most Powerful Leadership Principle (Sixth ed., p. 60). New York, NY: Crown Business. JESSICA, SILVER-GREENBERG, & SCHWARTZ, NELSON D. (n.d.). MasterCard and Visa investigate data breach. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/business/mastercard-and-visa-look-into-possible-attack.html?_r=1

Expanding the Horizons of Beauty Through Fiction, Poetry, and Drama Ess

Expanding the Horizons of Beauty Through Fiction, Poetry, and Drama In the short story Everyday Use, Alice Walker employs symbolism to enhance the message of the story and the value of the genre. As she narrates the relationships between Mama and her daughters Dee and Maggie, Walker uses the quilts as the main symbol to support the meaning of heritage and bond between generations of African American women. It is thanks to this symbolic meaning that we are able to reflect on the conflict of the story as Walker presents the contrasting ideas of Dee and Maggie about appreciating family traditions. Maggie knows how to keep her heritage alive as she learned to quilt herself, whereas Dee would hang the quilts as decoration and thus holds a rather superficial view of honoring one’s tradition. Symbolism in fiction, therefore, opens a door to understand the characters in a deeper dimension, identify the conflict in a better way, and help the author develop the plot in an interesting ma nner In addition, symbolism works as an aesthetic glass through which the reader can perceive the beauty and universal appeal of the story. In every culture, heirlooms are a bonding element among family members. Thus, the symbolic meaning of the quilts allows the reader to connect personally with the story, help him reflect on his own family and, possibly, appreciate how past generations have contributed in his or her life. Furthermore, symbolism becomes even more relevant to the African American community. The fire in the Johnsons’ house is an important event that symbolizes the flame of oppression in society before blacks were granted civil rights. Maggie’s scars, therefore, become a symbol of the marks that slavery and abuse left in the hearts of African A... ...read their works, we are encouraged to explore life in a profound way and understand the struggles, fears, and hopes that are part of the human experience. And so, as they skillfully use each key element in their works, these African American writers remind us that the power of creativity and beauty goes beyond the color of one’s skin, that literature is a universal art. Works Cited Walker, Alice. â€Å"Everyday Use.† English 120. (Professor Theresa Sweeney). Fontbonne University. 2012. Handout. Hayden, Robert. "Those Winter Sundays." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 551. Print. Wilson, August. "Fences." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 1517-1566. Print.

Corporate Control of the Media Defines Our Culture :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Corporate Control of the Media Defines Our Culture Viacom is on the warpath. They got your MTV, and Blockbuster, and even Paramount pictures. Forrest Gump is on the payroll. Any rock band or rap artist who wants to be anything is too. They own your music and your movies and a lot of the television you watch, and pretty soon they'll probably own all the books you read. They don't just supply the movies or music, either. First they tell you what you're going to like- -they lifted Forrest Gump all the way to an Oscar--and then they give it to you. And, if they're marketing is as good as it usually is, you're probably going to like it. They rule your tastes. They rule your culture. Viacom is everywhere. Viacom sucks. Viacom, with billions of dollars in their infantry, is conquering culture. They're not the only corporate general, though, leading the charge. Time/Warner has a formidable platoon, buying up magazines and chain stores and TV stations. Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, all with so much money they can't even spend it, just formed a multi-billion dollar media conglomerate called DreamWorks SKG. They want movies and music and TV and computers and anything else that entertains us. They want it all, and IBM and Microsoft and MCA records, among others rounding out the all-star corporate squad, are looking to get in on the deal. The war for cultural dominance is on, with billions and even trillions of dollars on the line. Everyone stand aside. The big guys are here to fight, and fight hard. Culture is a multi-billion dollar industry. Movies, computers, books, CD's, theme parks--they're what Americans spend their money on. Everyone has seen Jurassic Park. Everyone has heard Michael Jackson. Entertainment, and the culture it defines, is something we all share, something that unifies the American, and even world, experience. Little else can or does. Movies, music, TV especially have become the cultural staples of our time. A number one song can make you a millionaire, and some movies become so popular that literally everyone has seen them. Entertainment defines the American scene. It is our culture. It is, then, inevitably a part of everyone's life, if not only through your pocketbook. This, then, is what drives the battle to conquer culture--your money. American culture--what America reads, listens to, and watches--grows larger and larger every year, expanding like the Blob(a cultural icon) not only across the country but also across the world.

Learning and Memory: Biology vs. Society

There has been much debate about the nature of human’s intelligence.   Questions arise from the matter.   Is the way you think and learn inherited, or as the nature side of the debate argues, biological?   Or is the way you think influenced by outside forces, or as the nature side of the debate argues, societal?   This paper aims to present the points of view of each side of the argument.   At the end of the paper, the author gives not just a summary of what has been presented but also an integration of the two views that gives the more believed perspective nowadays.   From this point on, the society that is referred to in the title is the environmental factors and biology is the genetic factors. During the last twenty years, genetics has moved from a relatively difficult to understand sub-field of biology to one of its most well funded segments.   Over these twenty years, there has been an explosion of genetic discoveries.   Nevertheless, more and more questions pop out from our minds regarding genetics.   One of these is the question: How does genetics research fit with our existing notions of us as humans? Recently, there have been an increasing number of researches that prove that cognitive abilities such as learning and memorizing are determined by genes.   That is, that our intelligence is hereditary.   Our human knowledge and cognitive processes are passed on from our parents.   Nature theorists believe that our cognitive abilities are the product of â€Å"a unique web of interactions among genes† (Lickliter and Honeycutt 461). These nature theorists believe that when we were born, our intelligence and everything that we know of are already part of ourselves because of our genes.   That is, they believe that â€Å"Nature is everything, nurture nothing† (Gopnik).   Leamnson and Betz (as cited in McMahon) argue that learning is a biological process as much as respiration or circulation is.   McMahon further explains that cognitive abilities such as thinking, learning and memorizing take place when biochemical reactions occur across synapses which then form the neural networks. While some researchers agree to the fact that genetic and environmental factors both play an important part in our cognitive development, they still believe that genes take the primary part in influencing our thinking, learning and memorizing abilities.   In their study, Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Development of Intelligence, Bartels et al. found that as the child grows up, the genetic influence on his intelligence increases while environmental factors decrease influence to his cognitive ability.   Thus, they conclude that â€Å"genetic influences are the main driving force behind continuity in general cognitive ability† (Bartels et al. 247). On the other side of the debate are the nurture theorists.   These theorists believe that environmental factors have a more significant part in sharpening our cognitive processes.   These nurture theorists believe in John Locke’s philosophy that when we were born, our minds are in blank states or as they call it tabula rasa. That is, when we were born, we do not know anything.   We only acquire knowledge, that is, we only learn as we experience the world around us.   That is, as Gopnik puts it, â€Å"nurture is everything, nature nothing.†Ã‚   Locke believed that we learn through experience. James Flynn, a NZ-based political scientist, found that after World War II, the average IQ in all countries increased which he claims is due to environmental effects.   Ulric Neisser explains further that this is because children are increasingly exposed to sophisticated visual images such as ads, posters, videogame and television in contrast to the methods of learning before the world war.   This suggests that the children’s cognitive abilities are influenced by the environment (Gopnik). Recently, however, there are an increasing number of researchers who believe that intelligence is influenced by both genetics and environmental factors.   There is no dominant factor; both play an equal role in the development of human intelligence.   Lickliter and Honeycutt describe the developmental systems theory (DST) that believes in the power of both genetics and environment to influence our cognitive abilities.   According to this theory, our cognitive abilities cannot be determined by genetics or environmental factors alone. As Lickliter and Honeycutt explain, â€Å"development is seen as a self-organizing†¦process in which pattern and order emerge and change as a result of complex interactions and relations among developmentally relevant resources both internal (including genes, but also cells, hormones, organs) and external to the organism (and not from some set of prespecified instructions)† (Lickliter and Honeycutt 462).   In contrast to the solely nature theorists, DST argues that genes and the mere passing of it to a child is not a sufficient explanation or cause of an individual’s learning and memorizing.   That is, although genes and environment both play an important role to the cognitive development of human beings, we cannot separate them and consider them as independent causes. The nature vs. nurture debate is likely to continue on but unlikely to be resolved to the satisfaction of those who strictly believe that intelligence is solely nature caused or nurture caused.   However, recently both environmentalists and behavior geneticists have called for the matter to have be ended by echoing Anastasi’s call to emphasize more on the question â€Å"How?† rather than â€Å"How much?† in the study of heredity and environment. Works Cited: â€Å"Nature Vs. Nurture in Intelligence†.   2005. November 20 2007. . Bartels, M., et al. â€Å"Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Development of Intelligence.† Behavior Genetics 32 (2002): 237-49. Gopnik, Alison. Nature vs. Nurture. 2004. Lickliter, Robert, and Hunter Honeycutt. â€Å"Evolutionary Approaches to Cognitive Development: Status and Strategy.† Journal of Cognition and Development 4 (2003): 459-73. McMahon, Graham Peter. â€Å"Getting the Hots with What's in the Box: Developing Higher Order Thinking Skills within a Technology-Rich Learning Environment.† Curtin University of Technology, 2007.   

10 Major Agricultural Problems Of India Essay

Some of the major problems and their possible solutions have been discussed as follows. Indian agriculture is plagued by several problems; some of them are natural and some others are manmade. 1. Small and fragmented land-holdings: The seemingly abundance of net sown area of 141.2 million hectares and total cropped area of 189.7 million hectares (1999-2000) pales into insignificance when we see that it is divided into economically unviable small and scattered holdings. The average size of holdings was 2.28 hectares in 1970-71 which was reduced to 1.82 hectares in 1980-81 and 1.50 hectares in 1995-96. The size of the holdings will further decrease with the infinite Sub-division of the land holdings. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay The problem of small and fragmented holdings is more serious in densely populated and intensively cultivated states like Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar  and eastern part of Uttar Pradesh where the average size of land holdings is less than one hectare and in certain parts it is less than even 0.5 hectare. Rajasthan with vast sandy stretches and Nagaland with the prevailing ‘Jhoom’ (shifting agriculture) have larger average sized holdings of 4 and 7.15 hectares respectively. States having high percentage of net sown area like Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have holding size above the national average. Further it is shocking to note that a large proportion of 59 per cent holdings in 1990- 91 were marginal (below 1 hectare) accounting for 14.9 per cent of the total operated area. Another 19 per cent were small holdings (1-2 hectare) taking up 17.3 per cent of the total operated area. Large holdings (above 10 hectare) accounted for only 1.6 per cent of total holdings but covered 17.4 per cent of the operated area (Table 22.1). Hence, there is a wide gap between small farmers, medium farmers (peasant group) and big farmers (landlords). The main reason for this sad state of affairs is our inheritance laws. The land belonging to the father is equally distributed among his sons. This distribution of land does not entail a collection or consolidated one, but its nature is fragmented. Different tracts have different levels of fertility and are to be distributed accordingly. If there are four tracts which are to be distributed between two sons, both the sons will get smaller plots of each land tract. In this way the holdings become smaller and more fragmented with each passing generation. Sub-division and fragmentation of the holdings is one of the main causes of our low agricultural productivity and backward state of our agriculture. 1/2/2015 7:58 PM 10 Major Agricultural Problems of India and their Possible Solutions 3 of 16 http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/agriculture/10-major-agricultural-pro†¦ A lot of time and labour is wasted in moving seeds, manure, implements and cattle from one piece of land to another.  Irrigation becomes difficult on such small and fragmented fields. Further, a lot of fertile agricultural land is wasted in providing boundaries. Under such circumstances, the farmer cannot concentrate on improvement. The only answer to this ticklish problem is the consolidation of holdings which means the reallocation of holdings which are fragmented, the creation of farms which comprise only one or a few parcels in place of multitude of patches formerly in the possession of each peasant. But unfortunately, this plan has not succeeded much. Although legislation for consolidation of holdings has been enacted by almost all the states, it has been implemented only in Punjab, Haryana and in some parts of Uttar Pradesh. Consolidation of about 45 million holdings has been done till 1990-91 in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. The other solution to this problem is cooperative farming in which the farmers pool their resources and share the profit. 2. Seeds: Seed is a critical and basic input for attaining higher crop yields and sustained growth in agricultural production. Distribution of assured quality seed is as critical as the production of such seeds. Unfortunately, good quality seeds are out of reach of the majority of farmers, especially small and marginal farmers mainly because of exorbitant prices of better seeds. In order to solve this problem, the Government of India established the National Seeds Corporation (NSC) in 1963 and the State Farmers Corporation of India (SFCI) in 1969. Thirteen State Seed Corporations (SSCs) were also established to augment the supply of improved seeds to the farmers.  High Yielding Variety Programme (HYVP) was launched in 1966-67 as a major thrust plan to increase the production of food grains in the country. The Indian seed industry had exhibited impressive growth in the past and is expected to provide further potential for growth in agricultural production: The role of seed industry is not only to produce adequate quantity of quality seeds but also to achieve varietal diversity to suit various agro-climatic zones of the country. The policy statements are designed towards making available to the Indian farmer, adequate quantities of seed of superior quality at the appropriate time and place and at an affordable price so as to meet the country’s food and nutritional security goals. Indian seeds programme largely adheres to limited generation system for seed multiplication. The system recognises three kinds of generation, namely breeder, foundation and certified seeds. Breeder seed is the basic seed and first stage in seed production. Foundation seed is the second stage in seed production chain and is the progeny of breeder seed. Certified seed is the ultimate stage in seed production chain and is the progeny of foundation seed. Production of breeder and foundation seeds and certified seeds distribution have gone up at an annual average rate of 3.4 per cent, 7.5 per  cent and 9.5 per cent respectively, between 2001-02 and 2005-06). 3. Manures, Fertilizers and Biocides: Indian soils have been used for growing crops over thousands of years  without caring much for replenishing. This has led to depletion and exhaustion of soils resulting in their low productivity. The average yields of almost all the crops are among t e lowest in the world. This is a serious problem which can be solved by using more manures and fertilizers. Manures and fertilizers play the same role in relation to soils as good food in relation to body. Just as a well-nourished body is capable of doing any good job, a well nourished soil is capable of giving good yields. It has been estimated that about 70 per cent of growth in agricultural production can be attributed to increased fertilizer application. Thus increase in the consumption of fertilizers is a barometer of agricultural prosperity. However, there are practical difficulties in providing sufficient manures and fertilizers in all parts of a country of India’s dimensions inhabited by poor peasants. Cow dung provides the best manure to the soils. But its use as such is limited because much of cow dung is used as kitchen fuel in the shape of dung cakes. Reduction in the supply of fire wood and increasing demand for fuel in the rural areas due to increase in population has further complicated the problem. Chemical fertilizers are costly and are often beyond the reach of the poor farmers. The fertilizer problem is, therefore, both acute and complex. It has been felt that organic manures are essential for keeping the soil in good health. The country has a potential of 650 million tonnes of rural and 160 lakh tonnes of urban compost which is not fully utilized at present. The utilization of this potential will solve the twin problem of disposal of waste and providing manure to the soil. The government has given high incentive especially in the form of heavy subsidy for using chemical fertilizers. There was practically no use of chemical fertilizers at the time of Independence As a result of initiative by  the government and due to change in the attitude of some progressive farmers, the consumption of fertilizers increased tremendously. In order to maintain the quality of the fertilizers, 52 fertilizer quality control laboratories have been set up in different parts of the country. In addition, there is one Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institute at Faridabad with its three regional centres at Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Pests, germs and weeds cause heavy loss to crops which amounted to about one third of the total field produce at the time of Independence. Biocides (pesticides, herbicides and weedicides) are used to save the crops and to avoid losses. The increased use of these inputs has saved a lot of crops, especially the food crops from unnecessary wastage. But indiscriminate use of biocides has resulted in wide spread environmental pollution which takes its own toll. 4. Irrigation: Although India is the second largest irrigated country of the world after China, only one-third of the cropped area is under irrigation. Irrigation is the most important agricultural input in a tropical monsoon country like India where rainfall is uncertain, unreliable and erratic India cannot achieve sustained progress in agriculture unless and until more than half of the cropped area is brought under assured irrigation. This is testified by the success story of agricultural progress in Punjab Haryana and western part of Uttar Pradesh where over half of the cropped area is under irrigation! Large tracts still await irrigation to boost the agricultural output. However, care must be taken to safeguard against ill effects of over irrigation especially in areas irrigated by canals. Large tracts in Punjab  and Haryana have been rendered useless (areas affected by salinity, alkalinity and water-logging), due to faulty irrigation. In the Indira Gandhi Canal command area also intensive irrigation has led to sharp rise in sub-soil water level, leading to water-logging, soil salinity and alkalinity. 5. Lack of mechanisation: In spite of the large scale mechanisation of agriculture in some parts of the country, most of the agricultural operations in larger parts are carried on by human hand using simple and conventional tools and implements like wooden plough, sickle, etc. Little or no use of machines is made in ploughing, sowing, irrigating,  thinning and pruning, weeding, harvesting threshing and transporting the crops. This is specially the case with small and marginal farmers. It results in huge wastage of human labour and in low yields per capita labour force. There is urgent need to mechanise the agricultural operations so that wastage of labour force is avoided and farming is made convenient and efficient. Agricultural implements and machinery are a crucial input for efficient and timely agricultural operations, facilitating multiple cropping and thereby increasing production. Some progress has been made for mechanising agriculture in India after Independence. Need for mechanisation was specially felt with the advent of Green Revolution in 1960s. Strategies and programmes have been directed towards replacement of traditional and inefficient implements by improved ones, enabling the farmer to own tractors, power tillers, harvesters and other machines. A large industrial base for manufacturing of the agricultural machines has also been developed. Power availability for carrying out various  agricultural operations has been increased to reach a level of 14 kW per hectare in 2003-04 from only 0.3 kW per hectare in 1971-72. This increase was the result of increasing use of tractor, power tiller and combine harvesters, irrigation pumps and other power operated machines. The share of mechanical and electrical power has increased from 40 per cent in 1971 to 84 per cent in 2003-04. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest average sales of tractors during the five  year period ending 2003-04 and/West Bengal recorded the highest average sales of power tillers during the same period.  Strenuous efforts are being made to encourage the farmers to adopt technically advanced agricultural equipments in order to carry farm operations timely and precisely and to economise the agricultural production process. 6. Soil erosion: Large tracts of fertile land suffer from soil erosion by wind and water. This area must be properly treated and restored to its original fertility. 7. Agricultural Marketing: Agricultural marketing still continues to be in a bad shape in rural India. In the absence of sound marketing facilities, the farmers have to depend upon local traders and middlemen for the disposal of their farm produce which is sold at throw-away price. In most cases, these farmers are forced, under socio-economic conditions, to carry on distress sale of their produce. In most of small villages, the farmers sell their produce to the money lender from whom they usually borrow money.  According to an estimate 85 per cent of wheat and 75 per cent of oil seeds in Uttar Pradesh, 90 per cent of Jute in West Bengal, 70 per cent of oilseeds and 35 per cent of cotton in Punjab is sold by farmers in the village itself. Such a situation arises due to the inability of the poor farmers to wait for long after harvesting their crops. In order to meet his commitments and pay his debt, the poor farmer is forced to sell the produce at whatever price is offered to him. The Rural Credit Survey Report rightly remarked that the producers in general sell their produce at an unfavourable place and at an unfavourable time and usually they get unfavourable terms. In the absence of an organised marketing structure, private traders and middlemen dominate the marketing and trading of agricultural produce. The remuneration of the services provided by the middlemen increases the load on the consumer, although the producer does not derive similar benefit. Many market surveys have revealed that middlemen take away about 48 per cent of the price of rice, 52 per cent of the price of grounduts and 60 per cent of the price of potatoes offered by consumers. In order to save the farmer from the clutches of the money lenders and the middle men, the government has come out with regulated markets. These markets generally introduce a system of competitive buying, help in eradicating malpractices, ensure the use of standardised weights and measures and evolve suitable machinery for settlement of disputes thereby ensuring that the producers are not subjected to exploitation and receive remunerative prices.

Leisure Time Essay

In the mid-1800s Americans started to receive a lot of extra time in their hand and had more time to do fun activities. Businesses declining working hours was a major reason for the rise of leisure time but what also had a huge impact was installation of the electric lighting in the city’s streets which made Americans have more time to perform activities at later hours (Lund). So what did Americans decide to do with this time? The recommendation of physical exercise as a way to relive of all the stress raised the importance of physical actives and to also attend spectator sports became part of the leisure activities in the United States. Vaudeville, dance halls, and motion pictures became popular, while new modes of travel allowed Americans to go visit the mountains, seaside resorts and county fairs (Lund). To begin with after the Civil War, the popularity of sports as leisure activities grew as people began to see the importance of exercise to health. While initially only the wealthy could take part in most sporting events because the middle and lower classes couldn’t afford most of the activities .The opening of public available gymnasiums, courts, and fields allowed the middle class to participate in those activities as well (Lund). Athletic clubs such as the New York Athletic Club were organized and the YMCAs began to institute sports programs. These programs mostly focused on track and field events, introduced by communities of European descent, and gymnastics, heavily influenced by German athletics. Gymnasiums, which included exercises using Indian clubs, wooden rings, and dumbbells, were opened in many Eastern cities which helped expand exercise. Also With the extra time Americans gained American sought out to find new ways to keep themselves occupied and entertained. Americans began to seek out new ways to distract themselves so they started to experiment in making new activities to do. As a result of Americans seeking for a new past time they invented Americas greatest past time today, baseball. Different types of Baseball have been played throughout time and before the 1800s but the rise of the sport didn’t come until after the civil war (Bluett). While at war the soldiers had a lot of extra time in their hands the soldiers from New York introduced the game to their comrades from their camps and soon the game also spread to other camps over the north and south. It was said that because of this baseball expanded from the north to the south baseball was recognized more after the civil war ended. After all the soldiers from the camps were taught how to play, they went back home and introduced their sport to their families and friends which helped expand they name of the game (Bluett). In 1870 the first professional team were founded but didn’t last for more than five years. In 1876 the first major professional league that was formed was the National league of baseball clubs which still exist today. Another sport that was created by Americans in the 19th century which they invented to perform as a leisure activity was Basketball. The game was created from the mind of James Naismith in 1891, while he was an instructor at the School for Christian Workers, later called the International YMCA Training School, in Springfield, Massachusetts (McComb). The YMCA was an international organization that focused on the idea that physical as well as religious training was important for humans. Naismith had graduated from McGill University, and after leaving a Presbyterian seminary jo ined the YMCA school in Massachusetts. When he arrived the director of the YMCA name Luther asked Naismith if he could design an interesting indoor sport for physical activity in a gymnasiums Americans can exercise while having fun in the winter when it was cold and couldn’t be outside (McComb). He thought that people were bored of just working out with weights and running around without a purpose. James considered the thought of throwing a ball into a box, like the warm-up exercise he had used when he played rugby but only this time the box was ten feet up and had to dribble the ball (McComb). The game was a success Americans all over the country were playing it and it even expanded internationally. In the 1880s women didn’t really perform any  sports but after they were introduced with basketball they were so fascinated that it became one of women’s favorite sport in the 1880s. Furthermore although men performed the majority of sports activities around the 19th century. Opportunities for women beg an to appear as the century ended. Some of the most popular sports for women in the 19 century were basketball and lawn tennis. Also by the end of the century schools began to offer even more sports activities for females, such as gymnastics and basketball. One of the most popular sports for women was basketball. Girls’ and women’s basketball flourished in the early years of the game. Two days after the invention of basketball, some female teachers who had heard the shouts of players coming from the gym, asked Naismith to instruct them (Woolum). Naismith did so and the women became very fund of the sport. In 1892 after the women new the game better the YMCA hosted the first tournament for women (Woolum). The game for women spread and they even got to play in college, in 1896 the first intercollegiate game was played in Berkeley between the University of California and Stanford. No male spectators were allowed at the Berkeley match because it was considered improper for male viewers to attend (Woolum). Also the other sport the women were very fund of was lawn tennis. Mary Ewing Outerbridge has be en credited with introducing lawn tennis to the United States in 1874. When she went to Bermuda she watched as British Army officers were hitting a rubber ball with spoon-shaped paddles strung with catgut across an outstretched net. Fascinated by the game, Outerbridge brought a box of the tennis equipment with her and returned to New York (Woolum). When she got home she introduced the game to her friends and family. The game rapidly got popular and became very popular not just with women but with men as well and rapidly spread throughout the Northeast as a favorite national pastime (Woolum). In addition Americans didn’t just past their times with sports they also enjoyed other activities like attending vaudeville shows. Within cities, people attended vaudeville shows which would include many acts. The vaudeville shows were usually watched by the middle class, the shows often ran for many hours so the people could come and go whenever they wanted (Ushistory). In the Vaudeville shows the viewers could enjoy a performance consisting of Shakespeare plays, acrobatics, singing, dancing, and comedy (Lund). Vaudeville shows weren’t just for entertaining they also talked  about economic and ethnic situations. Other popular shows of the time included circuses and Wild West shows, one of the most famous plays was Buffalo Bill Cody’s by William F. Motion pictures also served as entert ainment during leisure time for urban audiences. Initially the movies were originalities in kinescope viewers, until they became acts in their own right on the vaudeville stage. As motion pictures became longer, they moved into storefront Nickelodeon theaters and then into even larger theaters (Lund). Finally another activity Americans did as for their leisure time was to go on vacations. Some people wished to go further afield on their vacations and leave the city now that they invented a new way to travel faster which was by trains (Ushistory). Many with limited budgets went to the countryside or the beaches which mostly included the lower and middle class. Towards the late nineteenth century resorts opened in the outskirts of cities, such as the beach area of Asbury Park in New Jersey which was founded in 1870 (Lund). Amusement parks opened in places like Coney Island in New York was founded in 1897.the Park offering rides, fun houses, and scenes from foreign life, and the latest technological breakthroughs, such as motion pictu res. National parks were created by the federal government to preserve nature and many began to tour these areas on vacation (Lund). One such example was Yellowstone Park where people camped or stayed at the hotels, the park was built there in the late 1880s. World’s fairs and expositions held in different U.S. cities offered Americans a chance to tour the world in one place. The fairs celebrated progress and featured exhibits of science and technology, foreign villages, shows, rides and vendors. The first major one was the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876 (Lund). All in all Americans in the 19th century performed a large variety of activities for their leisure time. Men performed many different physical activities especially when clubs like the YMCA was introduced which helped more Americans become more active, also American performed sports like baseball and basketball in their leisure time. In the late 19th century even women were starting to take place in the sports a nd other activates. Another major activity Americans did for leisure time was to go to vaudeville shows which had all sorts of acts from Shakespeare plays to comedy acts. Finally after traveling was easier Americans started to go on vacations outside the city and go to resorts and world fairs for their leisure time. Bibliography 1. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awlhtml/awlleis.html a. Leisure after the civil war b. Lund, Karen C. â€Å"America at Work / America at Leisure, 1894-1915.† America at Work / America at Leisure, 1894-1915. Memory.loc.gov, 01 June 2000. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. 2. http://www.pacivilwartrails.com/stories/tales/baseball-and-the-civil-war a. Baseball and the civil war b. Bluett, Terry. â€Å"Baseball and the Civil War.† Welcome to the Pennsylvania Civil War Trails. Civil War Trails, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. 3. http://www.elibrary.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=search&dictionaryClick=on&secondaryNav=&groupid=1&requestid=lib_standard&resultid=1&edition=&ts=FA9DBE62F456E22634A15DC6F7B76C44_1385528175587&start=1&publicationId=&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B171337845 a. The Great Spectator Sports of North America b. McComb, David G. â€Å"ELibrary: Login.† ELibrary: Login. Proquest, 01 Dec. 1998. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. 4. http://www.ushistory.org/us/39b.asp a. Leisure time b. Ushistory.org. â€Å"39b. Sports and Leisure.† Sports and Leisure [ushistory.org]. U.S. History Online Textbook, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2013. 5. http://www.elibrary.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=search&dictionaryClick=on&secondaryNav=&groupid=1&requestid=lib_standard&resultid=3&edition=&ts=FA9DBE62F456E22634A15DC6F7B76C44_1385528175587&start=1&publicationId=&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B28013995 a. Women in America sports b. Woolum, Janet. â€Å"ELibrary: Login.† ELibrary: Login. Elibrary, 05 Aug. 1992.