The Definition of Statehood

Before diving into the question of this essay, one that looks simple on the surface but reveals itself to be as complicated as it is deep, I found myself asking how we define â€Å"statehood†. It’s all good and well to say that the state is a contested organisation, but when the idea of what exactly a state is comes into it, that statement becomes all the less clear. By definition a nation state is a state/country that possesses clear borders and land, and contains mostly the same type of people by either race or cultural background. ttp://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/467746/political-system/36702/National-political-systems? anchor=ref416908 Yet some states have numerous ethnicities, Nigeria for example has been calculated to have over two hundred culturally distinct groups, even Gambia, whose population numbers about half a million people, has eight distinct ethnic groups (Hughes 1981: 122). Then again, these are both countries that are considered as â€Å"fai led states†, something I will return to later on.According to Philip Cerny, statehood is the capacity to guard the social, economic and political life of its people and also to protect them from external threats and predators. He then goes on to say that states regularly fail at one of these tasks, often not doing well at both at the same time. Statehood, according to Cerny, is the â€Å"problematique of the modern world system itself†. Why? Why are nation states so bad at doing what they say on the tin? Surely it can’t be that hard to defend one’s people and at the same time give them basic needs such as employment, welfare and education.Of course, the world isn’t a perfect place, and we have yet to reach the utopia dreamt of by our grandparents, but really does everything have to be so terrible? To be fair Cerny does give a good argument against that, and provides much evidence to show that the state is indeed a contested organisation. He argues t hat â€Å"future structural organisational developments will depend on the kinds of political coalitions that can be built to confront and deal with those challenges†, especially those involving cross-border networks.In that case the result is likely to be a more complex form of world politics that is not only multi-level but also multi-nodal. Cerny makes a clear statement that the ideal states are â€Å"organisationally distinct from families, churches, classes, races, economic institutions† and also non-state political organisations. He then simplifies that claim that the state is a contested organisation by breaking it down into 3 sections: economically, socially and politically. First we will look at each of these individually and examine that statement.Of the three, the most interesting to me was his ascertain that the state is an economically contested organisation. Cerny says that states are organised through relationships of power, but they are also bound to th e ideals of fairness and justice. Economic groups such as corporations and markets however, are not. They revolve around a principle of profit and aren’t shackled by the same need to be ‘nice’ that states are. One can go so far as to say that Cerny is nearly directly addressing the issue of globalisation without ever saying the word.Take big companies such as Coca Cola or McDonalds, while they give a consumer-friendly image and do help communities with various projects, at the end of the day they are 100% profit driven and if circumstances dictated that they must drop half their workforce to save costs, you can be sure that they would. Globalisation has meant that corporations no longer operate within borders, and for the most part are free to trade as they please. That some of these firms make more money than the Irish state is a very scary thought indeed. It is an invasive and destabilizing phenomenon that states must contest with.Not only does it signal height ened interconnectedness, but it encroaches into those formal-legal aspects of sovereignty that secure or tie down authority in the first instance, and benefit from it in the second. In other words, â€Å"the transnational connections inherent in globalisation are significant on a qualitative as well as a quantitative level. But what new patterns of authority are emerging here? † (Williams 1996: 118) It is said of sovereignty that there is plenty of it around, but that as a result of globalisation â€Å"the sites for its concentration have changed. According to this argument states are being forced to concede certain of their sovereign powers to regional, transnational or world bodies on one hand, and to local and other sub-national institutions on the other. On a side note while on the point of globalisation, though Cerny doesn’t explore the idea it is also worth mentioning the globalisation of military power as it contests with every state organisation. Advanced nucl ear weapons systems can now operate worldwide, for they can deliver their payloads to any place at all on the planet, and do so within a very short time.They are thus capable of making the whole earth uninhabitable, and of threatening the very survival of the all states, whether they wish it or not (Poggi 1990: 177). You really can’t get much more global than that. The next area we will examine is Cerny’s claim that the state is a socially contested organisation. According to him states â€Å"are not natural, spontaneous emanations† from a â€Å"taken for granted, pre-existing society, people, or public†, they are made up from real people who base them on a range of often divided groups such as class, ethnicity, religion and ideology to name a few.People who are born in to this nation state may not always agree with or like the way things are and can find themselves caught in conflicts of identity, and the state finds itself constantly at odds with those who feel socially indoctrinated with the rules, power structures and policies of that state. As Cerny says, â€Å"citizens are made, not born†. Another big social contender is the internet, any one person can simply log on to Facebook (or other social networking sites) and instantly connect with people all over the world, again ignoring state boundaries.The final point that is discussed is that the state is a politically contested organisation. This can nearly go without saying, as there isn’t a state in the world that hasn’t been challenged politically at one stage or another. This happens on all ends of the scale, from as Cerny puts it: â€Å"absolutist monarchs and national revolutionaries to various bureaucrats, officials, patrons and clients†. He even goes on to mention religious movements and criminal gangs.It is important to note that the organisational strengths that Cerny mentions, whether they be rooted in widely accepted social identities or bo nds, or that they have power internationally, need not only apply to Westphalian states (and indeed many of those ‘official’ states are weak on those levels). Take certain groups such as Hezbollah or the IRA for example, upon looking past the fact that they are viewed by some as terrorist organisations (although most European countries have refused to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation [http://www. digitalnpq. org/archive/2009_summer/03_qassem. tml]), these groups often take on the state roles for the people they claim to serve. Hezbollah is a major provider of social services, operating schools, hospitals, and agricultural services for thousands and playing a significant part in Lebanese politics. [http://www. cfr. org/publication/9155/hezbollah_aka_hizbollah_hizbullah. html? breadcrumb=/]. Likewise the IRA are renowned for looking after their own, be it ensuring the well being of prisoner families or upholding the law (or at least a version of it), in area s where traditional state politics have failed.Going back now to the other two headings for the contested state, economically and politically, and applying them to the state â€Å"alternatives† I mentioned above, it is hard to understand why Cerny didn’t do the same. One can not simply draw a line in the sand and say that all the ones over here (those of the Westphalia type) are states, and those over there are not. There are many similarities to be found on both sides. These groups also find themselves to be contested organisations.Yes it can be argued that economically, Hezbollah only functions because the nation states of Iran and Syria support them, but the same was also said of the peripheral state of Cuba when it was funded by the USSR (Giddens 1985: 269). In the north the IRA have succeeded in many social areas that the government have not, giving identity, protection and services to a select group of people who otherwise feel abandoned by a system that is suppo sed to do the same. The downfall of these groups is that their (occasional) focus on fighting and violence only serves to detract from the other areas.Yet returning to Cerny, he raises the point that some find the cost of the US’s war in Iraq (estimated at 2-3 trillion dollars), has prevented it from addressing issues both domestically (health care and employment for example) and abroad (development aid, fighting disease ect). This shows that even the largest of official states can do itself damage by focusing too much on military operations. But what happens when a state can do no more for its people? When it becomes such a contested organisation that it loses physical control of its

History of Rock n Roll

Blue notes- Blue melodies are full of slightly altered pitches. Lowered 3rd and lowered 7th 10. Standard song form (ABA)- a musical structure that typically consists of two musical parts (A and B) played in four sections. Each section is usually 8 measures long. 11 . â€Å"Smooch† tenor- Ballad singer for the easy listening, slow dancing love songs 12. 12-bar blues progression- so called because each verse Is twelve bars long. No matter what the tempo of the song, there Is a basic beat that Is counted in groups of four, with four beats to each part.Arranged Into three groups of four measures. 13. Rockabilly Polymaths-The combination of two contrasting rhythmic beats simultaneously. There are two main types of polymaths: rhythms that carry â€Å"over the bar† and rhythms that exist â€Å"within the bar. † 14. Slide guitar- The term slide is in reference to the sliding motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choi ce for such slides, which were the necks of glass bottles. 15. Station (Ref) – Repeated melodic figures on the low strings 16.Grist (Jail)- African musicians who correspond most closely to the blues singers; hailstorm/musicians room northwest Africa. W. C. Handy 17. Double stops-is the act of playing two notes simultaneously on a melodic percussion instrument (like a marimba) or stringed instrument (for example, a violin or a guitar). 18. Bent notes- to slightly alter the pitch of a note by pilling on a string, raising or lowering the voice, or tightening or loosening the embouchure, or mouth position, on a horn. (Often considered a blue note) 19.Barbershops rhythm- The surface rhythm of a guitar accompaniment subdivides the basic pulse into a triple pattern, resulting in a bouncy, uneven rhythm. 20. Two-beat bass- bassist plays the root of the chord on the first beat of a 4/4 measure and the fifth of the chord on the third beat of a measure. Heavy emphasis on beats 1 & 3. 21 . Tonic- the main or central pitch off major key. Tonic also refers to the chord that Is built on the first pitch of a scale and Is therefore the mall or central chord, or home chord of a major or minor scale. 22.Dominant- The is heavily accented 24. Backseat- 2 & 4 beats are heavily accented 25. Subdivision- the fourth pitch of a major or minor scale. Also refers to the chord that is built on the fourth pitch of a scale. 26. Work song- a piece of music closely connected to a specific form of work, either sung while conducting a task (often to coordinate timing) or a song linked to a task or trade which might be a connected narrative, description, or protest song. 27. Strophic song form- a song form in which each verse of the text is sung to the same music.The music for each verse stays the same, and only the lyrics change. 28. String band- Earliest country groups; consist of lead vocalist, back up vocalists, fiddles, acoustic guitars, banjo, and acoustic bass (sometimes mandolin). 29. Turnaround-Very often on the last measure of the regression (measure 12), the dominant chord is played to set up the return of the tonic chord at the beginning of the next verse. 30. Fill- The last two measures of each sung line are an improvised instrumental passage, an instrumental response to the sung call.Know who the following people are and with which rock or blues artists or styles they are associated: 1. Charley Patton- Father of the Delta Blues 2. Cosmic Mahatmas- Owner, recording engineer, J & M Studios 3. Jerry Libber & Mike Stroller- are among the most influential American songwriters and music producers in post-World War II popular music. . Alan Freed- known also as â€Å"Monody†, was an American disc-jockey who became internationally known for promoting African-American rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll. . Phil & Leonard Chess- was a record company executive and the founder of Chess Records 6 . Big Mama Thornton- was an American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. She was the first to record the hit song â€Å"Hound Dog† in 1952. 7. Sam Philips- founder of Sun Studios in Memphis, TN 8. Scotty Moore- Lead guitarist in Elvis' band 9. Cool. Tom Parker- Elvis' manager 10. Eddie Cochran- was an American rock and roll musician and an important influence on popular music during the late sass, early sass. 11.Dave Bartholomew– Artist & Repertoire (A & R) Trumpet player, arranger, manager, band leader (â€Å"Mint that a shame† co wrote with Fats Domino) 12. Carl Perkins- Popular performer with Memphis rock and roll. Style includes: 1 . Anticipated chord 2. Finger picking 3. Dampens Strings 4. Single and Double bends 5. Syncopated rhythms The Blues Call and response performance technique from work songs. (Eased the drudgery of work) Deciding melody from field hollers Use of blue notes: lowered 3rd and 7th scale degrees Simple harmonic progression ( l, †˜V, V) from church hymns, folk songs.Strophic Song Form: Series of verses, essentially same tone; lyrics change Country and Western (Southern country and Southwestern country swing) Southern Country: General Characteristics Simple Melodies (narrow range uncomplicated surface rhythms) Simple Harmonic structures Simple rhythms , clear meters Use of two – beat bass Little elaborate instrumental improvisation Vocalists often have a nasal quality, slide from pitch to pitch, use widening technique Texts often about unrequited love Lilted lovers) Blues + Country = Southern Country Style Jimmie Rogers (1867-1933) – sometimes called father of country music Blue Yodel (recur. 927) – Tea for Texas Hank Williams (1923- 1953) Move it On Over (recur. 1949) The Carter Family Southwestern Country Swing Mixes elements of southern country with big band swing. Originated in the Texas string bands, late sass's -early sass's To country swing band added: Drums Piano Steel Guitar (of ten) Horn Section Performed same repertoire as country band, but also included popular Jazz, pop and blues songs. Players encouraged to improvise Influenced mainstream country with use of drums, piano, electric instruments Bob Willis (1905 – 1975) Swing Blues (recur. 936) Boogie Woozier Woozier was popular with dance bands & their audiences Also known as â€Å"honey ton† from the type of bar in which the style originated. Possibly from Madding word bug – to beat a drum Possibly from English slang bogy – at first meaning dark apparitions. Later used to describe blacks in a derogatory fashion. Characteristics: Eight quick pulses per measure (8 to the bar) Uses the barbershops rhythm (bounced) Improvised right hand part Steady pattern (station – riff in left handUses 12 – bar blues progression Made Lewis Rhythm and Blues General Characteristics Blue elements: Strophic song form ABA blues text form Melodic style (descending melody, blue notes) 1 2-bar blues progression Boogie Woozier elements: station bass line 8-pulse rhythm (walking rhythm†¦ Constant) barbershops rhythm Big band swing elements: performance style instrumentation–piano, guitar, bass, drums (rhythm section), horns, Be prepared to recognize artists discussed in class who are representative of these styles. Be familiar with the specific style characteristics of: Rural Texas blues –Single-note bass string runs Repatriated chords (chord that is spread) Repeated melodic, rhythmic figures (riffs) on bass strings Alternate playing on bass and treble strings (Alternate high and low) Single – String Melody Fills Blind Lemon Jefferson (c. 1883-1929) Heart Attack; found frozen the next day in his Cadillac. Field Holler Style Rural Mississippi delta blues- Frequent sliding from note to note Play slide guitar Wailing style of singing (forlorn) Small Melodic Range (low -up a little – then back down) Intricate Polymaths Rhythmic Choral fill s (rather than melodic) Percussive playing styleCharley Patton : Father of the Delta Blues Robert Johnson (c. 1911-1938) Cross Road Blues (recur. 1936) – Song Echoes his â€Å"selling his soul to the devil† Died from complications of pneumonia from whiskey laced with strychnine) Part of the â€Å"27 Club† Texas Urban Blues Stronger influence on other blues, Jazz then on rock Generally use horns in back – up band Saxophone often the soloing instrument Strong Piano basis (rather than guitar) Aaron â€Å"T-bone† walker (1910-1975) Call it Stormy Monday Blues (recur. 1947) Huge influence on rock guitarists Urban Chicago blues- Derived from Mississippi Delta Blues Use of slide guitarFrequent slides between notes Frequent use of bent notes Frequent use of double – stopped strings Intricate rhythm patterns, polymaths Single string fills (esp†¦ B. B. King) Muddy (grandmother gave him this) Waters (from his Job) (1915-1984) McKinley Northfield B low Wind Blow (recur. 1950) Harmonica (unique sound) B. B King Northern band rock ‘n' roll (Bill Haley) Style Characteristics: A steady, mechanical meter Fast tempos Staccato guitar chords on the back beat (2 and 4) A slapped, walking bass line – (clicking) A boogie woozier station (often, not always) Bill Haley and The Comets Shake, Rattle, and RollCombines Western String Band (lead & background vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, electric lead guitar, steel guitar) with rhythm and blues (bass, drums, piano, tenor saxophone) New Orleans dance rock- An overall bass foundation Boogie Woozier Barbershops rhythm (bounce feel) The basic beat is often subdivided into 3 quick pulses (triplet feel) Rhythms and meters are looser than the stiff, mechanical meters of Bill Haley and the Memphis Country style. Surface rhythms vary from a lively, bouncy beat to a slow, intense shuffle beat. Lead vocalists featured prominently Rarely any background singingRhythm & Blues band: lead vocal, piano, acoustic bass, drums, guitar, tenor saxophone Cosmic Mates – Owner, recording engineer, J & M Studios Dave Bartholomew – Artist & Repertoire (A & R) Trumpet player, arranger, manager, band leader Antoine â€Å"Fats† Domino Warm Creole accent 2 handed boogie woozier style Clear song structures â€Å"Fat Man† â€Å"Blue Berry Hill† Standard Song Form Little Richard Penman â€Å"Fire and Brimstone† singing style Gospel oriented, influenced Frenetic, energetic performing style Tenor Sax Solo about 2/3 into song Memphis country rock Rhythm & Blues Elements: Emphasis on back beat 2 bar blues format Country and Western Elements: Instrumentation (string bands) Strict rhythms Nasal singing style Pronunciation (accent) Overall treble – dominated sound (twangs) Instrumentation: Lead Electric guitar Acoustic rhythm guitar Acoustic bass (slap bass 2 beat (Beats 1 & 3)) Drums, Piano (After c. 1956) Generally no backup singers Lead Guitar St yle: Bright, tinny character Corresponds with nasal voice Primarily country style picking (finger postsecondary on delta blues style (slide) Vocal Characteristics: Stuttering, yelps, cracked falsetto Sometimes slur words together Nasal singingOther characteristics: Generally fast tempos Propelled by slapped bass Looser sense of rhythm than New Orleans Dance Recorded with natural studio echo Developed principally at Sun Studios, Memphis, TN (Sam Phillips) Carl Perkins-guitar style- Anticipated Chords Finger Picking Dampens Strings Single and Double Bends Syncopated Rhythms Elvis Presley–vocal style and influences Vocal Styles influences: Country: Clear pronunciation Southern accent Sense of melodic phrasing Hiccup, stutter (from yodel) Rural Blues Vocal Delivery (groups, blue notes) White Gospel Clear, four part harmonies Black Gospel Exuberant performing styles (shouting†¦ Etc) Pop Low tones, vibrato Chicago rock ‘n' roll Time: Generally Fast Tempos Hard-driving be at Even beat subdivisions Sound: Guitar based bands Soloists are guitarists Instrumentation like R&B Band: Vocal, Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano May use horns for background riffing Generally no back-up singers Guitar style derived from Chicago blues: Slide Guitar Finger sliding on strings Multiple -stopped strings (& bends) Hard, percussive picking style Harmony: 12 bar blues progression Form: Strophic Texts: Often Narrative Chuck Berry–guitar style and influencesStyle Characteristics Strong use of syncopated rhythms Use of repeated rhythms, melodic figures (riffs) Guitar accompaniment from boogie woozier accompaniment Use of double & multiple stops Finger slides, single & double notes Click © introductory figure Guitar Sources: Charlie Christian, Carl Hogan Jazz) Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker (Blues) Melodic Sense: Illinois Jacket daze Sax) Influenced by Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker Heavy use of revere in amplifier Raw edged blues sound Chant – like, rhythmic s olos Rhythms based on Cuba rhythm (â€Å"Boo Diddled Rhythm† or Hammond rhythm) Buddy Holly†guitar and vocal styles Combines elements of Memphis & Chicago Rock and Roll Background in Country & Western Vocal Characteristics Highpoint/Stuttering Changing vocal tone color mid-song Recorded own material almost exclusively First group with line-up of electric lead and rhythm guitars, bass, drums, and everyone sings. Double – tracked vocals and guitar solos (recorded voice 2nd) Popularized use of Fender Cotoneaster guitar.Vocal group rock ‘n' roll Predecessors: Black vocal harmony groups 1890-sass's sass – ass: Mills Brothers, Ink Spots Vocal Traits based Gospel traditions: High tenor against low, rumbling bass Backing harmonies fill in chord Call and response between lead tenor and back-singers Sound Lead Vocalist supported by 3-4 back-up vocalists Tight, close harmony singing (â€Å"barbershop style†) Backup sings nonsense syllables Instrumentalis ts deep in background (except for solos) Band: guitar, drums, bass, piano, tenor saxophone Form: Many songs in standard song form Harmony: Many songs use the â€Å"do whop† progression: Tonic (major) Substantiated (minor) Subdivision Dominant (l -IV-IV-V) C: C- A mint -F -G Other: Many â€Å"one or two hit wonders† Many Bird Groups (Orioles, Ravens, Penguins, Larks†¦ Etc) Many Car Groups (Falsehoods, El Dorado, Impalas†¦ Etc)

Denver Art Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Denver Art Museum - Essay Example I entered into the museum, I felt like entering into a new world, which was a world of art and creativity. An important thing that I noticed was the behavior of the administrative staff. The administrative staff of the museum was very cooperative and well mannered. During my visit, I saw a large number of people from different backgrounds, races, and religions in the museum. Everyone was admiring the collection of artworks as well as the way the artworks were housed in the museum. However, the number of people present in the museum was the least enjoyable factor for me because I could not get the assistance of the administration staff properly. There were a large number of people whereas the number of staff members was very less. The most enjoyable thing for me was the light music that was being played which was adding to the beauty of overall environment of the museum. Another considerable thing was the ethnic and cultural diversity of America that Denver art museum reveals. I can never forget my trip to the Denver art museum because it created a new image of America in my mind, which was the image of a culturally diverse America. Let me now describe two pieces of art from Asian art, which I really liked on my trip to the museum. 1. Shiva, King of Dancers Retrieved from http://www.denverartmuseum.org/explore_art/collections/objectDetails/objectId--104894 ‘Shiva, King of Dancers’ was created by an Indian artistic genius, named Narja Narayan according to some art historians, in the tenth century AD. The sculpture was created using bronze material and the dimensions of the sculpture are 111.51 x 101.64 cm (43 6/8 x 40.5 inches). Shiva, represented as Nataraja, is one of the most amazing symbols of divine powers. Storl states, â€Å"As Nataraja, Shiva appears as the king of dancers with a drum in one hand and a fire in the other† (34). The sculpture reveals a concept of Shiva dancing in and out of the existence of the world. â€Å"The sound of his drum heralds its creation; his burning flame signals its final conflagration† (â€Å"Asian Art†). In the sculpture, it is shown that on e hand of Shiva is up whereas the other one is down. The up hand shows that Shiva is relieving the emotions of fear whereas the other hand is towards his foot, which he has raised up in a dancing position revealing the sense of freedom. According to Berkson, Shiva shows a trancelike face expression in the sculpture (12). Shiva is shown dancing in a circle of time revealing a sense of independence and self-rule. Summing it up, the bronze made sculpture of Shiva attracts everyone because of its style, design, creativity, and feelings that it gives to the visitors. 2. Family of Tigers Retrieved from http://www.denverartmuseum.org/collections/objectDetails/objectId--104878 ‘Family of Tigers’ was created by a Korean artist in 1600s. The painting was created using ink and color on paper and the dimensions of the painting are 23 x 14 5/7 inches (58.5 x 37.1 cm). In the 1600s, people used to admire Korean tigers for their independent spirit and strength (â€Å"Asian Art† ). The painting reveals the mindset of Korean people of the past time when they believed tigers as guardians of their households. At that time, people used to create paintings of tigers on the papers in order to hang them on the walls of their houses. The painting also shows

Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Questions - Assignment Example The French has a lasting impact on language as most of it is used in Canada today. Additionally, England led to naming of colonies that still exist today such as Virginia and Maryland. In addition, it led to the introduction of protestant. The Great Plains and western part are dry due to constant land exploitation at the time of colonization. Intensive agriculture led by settlers led to breakage of prairie responsible for moisture conservation at the area. As a result, the area became drier and arid. There are factors contributing to Hispanic immigration to United States. The factors include poverty, unemployment and deplorable social conditions in their country as well as promise for prosperity, wealth and happiness. The remittance is the transfer of money by a foreign worker to an individual in his/her home country. The remittance helps the immigrants to boost the economic status of their country as well as help their kin. The Great Migration was the movement of African American from the south to go and work in the industrialized north. The impact on United States was distribution of blacks to various parts of the north as it is today. The main protestant religions denominations include Baptist church, northern Appalachia and the lower Midwest, and the Roman Catholic Church. Baptist church is widespread in the south due to its popularity among African American that lived there. The northern Appalachia and the lower Midwest are located in areas significantly influenced by awakening and revival. the roman catholic church dominates the southeast, southwest and western due to heavy presence of Hispanics that are staunch follower of the

Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Development - Essay Example rnment to support humanitarian causes, the provisions and limitations of monetary allowances, & more importantly, how money translated to distinct help reaches a certain group of beneficiaries. With this said, I would say that this book is really a substantial tool for average or ordinary readers who are not necessarily involved in any humanitarian causes to understand how organizations seek to aid humanitarian crisis and will serve as a light to start motivating themselves to be part of a bigger cause, to help make the world a better place for everyone. Digging deeper to the content of the book, I would say that one of the most striking statement from the book would be, â€Å"building the resilience of vulnerable populations is an essential part of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and is not well served by responses that create a false partition between chronic poverty and vulnerability to crisis.† (Randel, J., p.6). With the ongoing concerns tackling whether humanitarian efforts really help poor societies build a better future or just further hinder their ability to support themselves without the assistance of anyone is now on the spotlight as this book emphasizes the need to draw a line between helping them and feeding on their dependence on the government or NGOs. Of course, this is another case that has two sides of the story. We cannot deny the reality of poor communities who really need the support from humanitarian organizations to give them the tools to gain an equal chance of at least survival. Howe ver, it is also crucial to clearly set guidelines to avoid humanitarian efforts to be a weapon that would destroy a community’s drive to better themselves. As it is said, it is better to teach someone how to fish rather than just feeding him fish. A distinct example of which would be Korea where humanitarian efforts go beyond financial support, instead, builds resilience among the beneficiaries through cash-based programming, enabling people

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Assignment

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services - Assignment Example The body is also responsible for upholding the activities of ‘Maryland’s Criminal Justice Information Repository’, ‘Criminal Injuries Compensation Board’ and the ‘Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions’ along with many other criminal related functions. The human resources play a considerable role in the operational procedure of this agency as well. The main mission of the body is to protect the public, its employees and control offenders under its supervision. The main vision of the legal body is to establish itself as the most recognized body in the nation which believes that their employees are the biggest strength and can stop any form of illegal activities. The leadership quality of DPSCS is well known all over the state for maintaining a strict form of leadership quality which helps in maintaining law and order in the country. Within the periphery of DPSCS, The Maryland Public Safety Education and Training Center (MPSE TC) is located in Sykesville in Maryland. It functions beneath the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions which is a division of DPSCS (Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, n.d.). ... It is a general overview of the operational and the basic safety measure of firearms, as applicable for the purchase, rental or transfer of regulated firearms. It does not allow students to pursue this training course as the law does not permit it. The institute includes staff office, class room for training the applicant, an armory for storing the firearms used during the training, weapon cleaning areas with solvent storage and a computerized shooting stimulation station. Though the institute provides no indoor range for practice however the FTF building consists of 4 pistols and one riffle range all with self-contained bullet traps (Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, n.d.). Drivers Training Facility (DTF): Another facility provided by the DPSCS is the facility of training drivers. The facility mainly deals in training new drivers the different rules and regulations which should be considered while driving. The institute is co-located and approximately 2 miles from the academic related institute of the agency. The institute consists of training vehicles, classrooms, fuel, automobile supplies and a DTF repair garage. The enrollment procedure for drivers training can be done online in the official website of DPSCS (Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, n.d.). Academic and Administrative Complex (AAC): Academic and Administrative complex controls all the administrative and most academic and training centers in this complex. The Public Safety Education and Training Center is located in the ground of Maryland Springfield State Hospital. The main aim of this department is to improve local infrastructure along with reducing the expenditure by establishing legal bodies such as Police

Group Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Group Work - Essay Example The main objective of formation of this group was to assist various individuals within the institute and outside too in organizing various events like seminars, workshops, conferences, concerts, and various other formal and informal gatherings in a professional mode. The true objectives associated with this set up were many but the major ones are listed as below: There are very fewer set ups that offer opportunities to earn and learn simultaneously, and this set up was one of them. Apart from the earn and learn concept, it also allowed the members to associate themselves with various firms that needed events organized and managed, and allowed creating contacts in various industry for sponsorships and other related activities. The rationale for the creating of such a group was the recognized need; as witnessed in the career sections of the newspapers, the demand for event organizing and management individuals was growing rapidly not just in the home town but across the continent. Considering the same aspect, it was realized that having such a set up would provide home grounds for learning and making most of this opportunity, as it was foreseeable that this experience would tremendously contribute as we graduate and move in the jobs market. It was also felt that formation of this group and serving this category is a niche that is lacking in the market today. It was felt that firms hire individuals as event managers or event coordinators and once hired, they perform all the tasks and keep coordinating with the concerned department or to a particular person in the firm, while this hired individual has no command but the role of a coordinator. It was realized that formation of such a group would eventually as sist firms in outsourcing any events to be planned, managed or organized. Our job relates to social work because often charity organizations are involved in organizing various programs and

International Marketing (Emaad) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Marketing (Emaad) - Essay Example McDonald’s has realigned its worldwide operations around its global strategy ‘Plan to Win.’ The retailer strives to continuously improve its business operations and thereby improve customer experience. McDonald’s realises that it exists because of its customers. It if for this reason that the foodservice chain’s aim is to provide quality, service, cleanliness and value (QSC&V) to every customer, every time. McDonald’s also ensures that it caters to the needs of all the stakeholders including the shareholders. McDonald’s, a publicly traded company, is a profitable business and provides superior returns to its owners. Its â€Å"three-legged stool†Ã‚  business model ensures that McDonald’s balances the interests of its operators, suppliers and employees. McDonald’s conducts its business in an ethical and responsible manner. The QSR also discharges its corporate social responsibility to make the world a better place to live in. The restaurant is well known for its hamburgers,  cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries,  milkshakes, and  desserts. In response to the changing times, McDonald’s has also included various salads, wraps, smoothies and fruit items in its menu. The Big Mac, Quarter Pounder and Chicken McNuggets are some of its immensely popular products. The company attempts to create a standardised set of items that taste the same across all its business locations. In some cases, the taste and ingredients are deliberately altered to suit local tastes. McDonald’s has adopted a multi-domestic strategy while pursuing its strategy of Internationalisation. 2.0 Rationale behind Internationalisation McDonald’s grew by leaps and bounds in the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. The company had thus made inroads in its home market and was looking at greener pastures oversees. The rationale behind internationalisation was to become a dominant worldwide player and increase its revenue. In 1967, McDonald’s opened its first oversees restaurants in Canada and Puerto Rico. As things stand today, McDoanld’s has business operations in 119 countries around the world (McDonald’s, 2013). The food chain has set three growth priorities; optimization of menu, modernisation of customer experience and increased accessibility to the brand. The last of these three growth priorities acts as a propeller for International expansion (DeTar, 2012). In 2012, the company added 1439 restaurants in its established markets like United States, France and Germany as well as its emerging markets like India, China and Russia. The ensuing discussion is on McDonald’s foray and expansion in India which is one of the most promising markets for McDonald’s. 3.0 Mode of Entry McDonald’s has been able to grow rapidly throughout the world due to its astute use of franchising. The importance of franchising in McDonald’s growth can b e gauged from the fact that more than 80 percent of its restaurants are franchisees. McDonald’s has extremely standardised procedures which makes it easier to train franchisees. Standardisation in business operations enables McDoanld’s to provide the same product, the same taste all over the world. McDonald's set foot on Indian soil by forging a 50-50 joint venture partnership between McDonald's Corporation (United States) and two Indian companies; Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd., and Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. It is noteworthy to mention that McDonald’

Should the federal government provide health care to all American Term Paper

Should the federal government provide health care to all American citizens - Term Paper Example Talking about the American healthcare system and the medical insurance in the US, it is necessary to mention that the poorest layers of the society have to stay behind the amenities of the democratic life. Even though people are American citizens, the norms of the Constitution do not refer to them, strange as it may seem. As one of the richest countries dedicated to the standpoints of democracy, the United States should never go without providing people with basic and advanced healthcare. Otherwise, it shows its underdevelopment in this field. The overall opinion on this matter is as follows: â€Å"A June 12-16, 2009 poll shows that 64% of Americans say health care should be a right† (ProCon 1). It makes everyone believe in the public urge for equality in terms of healthcare prospects. On the other hand, the opponents of the healthcare for all Americans might think that working hard should be the main basis for letting people get their medical coverage and proceed on healthcar e services. The thing is that the followers of the capitalistic way of living think that if the federal government assigns the universal right for healthcare, it will lead to the use of tax revenues for masses which is like in the socialist way of living (ProCon 1). However, the United States is still a huge and the main debtor to the world countries and to China (socialist country), in particular. Hence, it should be a reminder for the officials in their tries to get the life better for the electorate. The question is that it is really a disgrace to the United States when 46 million people are uncovered with medical insurance (Phillips and Bostian 136). In the world arena, America seems not so attractive when people from other countries see a low rate of social guarantees for all citizens. On the other side, all American talks on the democracy which should touch upon every country of the world render null in this case. In fact, Americans have encountered the perils of the bureaucra cy in the federal government letting all ordinary people cast adrift. Neither Clinton nor Obama was apt at introducing the healthcare reform in the short run. This is why Americans covered by the insurance feel anxiety about their future: â€Å"All Americans now expect Medicare to be there for them when they reach the age threshold, or if they become disabled, and use this knowledge in their financial planning† (Levine 31). Hence, when the officials talk about that not all Americans get insurance, it makes the public opinion right opposite to the idea of the appropriate Medicaid knowing that healthcare is the largest industry in the country employing 14 million people (ProCon 1). By and large, behind the healthcare, there might stand people with solely commercial interests going apart from the human ideals of democracy. To say more, the US healthcare system should be re-evaluated first. Needless to say, to make reforms come true, the officials are to think of their promises b efore the electorate. However, one of the main impediments to the universal healthcare system is â€Å"the unnecessary fragmentation of the US delivery system† (Shi and Singh 2). In this respect along with the overall desire of officials and ordinary people to make the universal healthcare delivery system possible, the US federal government

Revenue allocation Essay Example for Free

Revenue allocation Essay Revenue means income. Allocation means to divide. Revenue allocation is defined as the division of available resources within an organisation or company. At a broader level, it is the process of assigning a cost to the amount of services and products generated. Government revenue is obtained from taxes, licenses and fees and allocated to public facilities. Because of the current revenue allocation formula In Nigeria, though there is a great deal of wealth In the country from the oil Industry, 64% of the population lives below the poverty line. While the federal government akes over half of all the money In the Nigerian federal account, little has been done to promote welfare and development projects that would benefit the general public. According to the Nigerian Revenue Moblllzatlon Allocation and Fiscal Commission, a new revenue allocation formula Is In the works, but It remains to be seen If these measures are enough to remedy the problem. When Nigerias maverick CBN Governor recently In an Interview Justified the sadlstlc, sub-human and horrific terrorist activities going on In the North of Nigeria by attributing It to the fact that 011 evenue was being unfairly shared on the basis of derivation primarily instead of population which is the Norths competitive advantage, I was shocked that such a flawed argument could come from such a respected Nigerian whose controversial reform of the Nigerian banking sector has won him praises and awards locally and internationally. SLS traced the root cause of terrorism in the North to grinding poverty in the North which he claims was caused by Nigerias use of the derivation principle instead of population as the primary yardstick for allocating revenue among he states. He believes that this preference for the derivation principle has short- changed the North and disadvantaged it. I totally disagree with SLS and will articulate in this article my reasons for disagreeing with him and my suggestions on the way forward for Nigeria using history as a guide to arrive at what I believe is a Just solution that will be favourable to all.

Comparing US-Canadian Healthcare Systems

Comparing US-Canadian Healthcare Systems Health care in many parts of the world is considered a basic right that should be given to people. Access is crucial in order to ensure the efficient delivery of basic health care services. In general, health care systems are organized in order to provide treatment of diagnosed health care problems and these systems are usually government-run, meaning they utilize the peoples taxes. Though most of the health care systems differ, they share common goals and outcomes as well as features that identify them with the universal health standards. Since the end of the Second World War, universal health coverage remained a contentious public issue in the United States. Today, it is the only wealthy nation in the world to not yet adopt universal health coverage. The debate is often framed by comparing the efficiency of the U.S. healthcare system with that of other affluent nations. Though practically joined to the hip in terms of history and geography, the health care systems of the U.S. and Canada are always basis for comparison because they offer two contrasting models. Canada, like many developed countries in Europe, follow a universal and single-payer healthcare system while the U.S. has decided to retain a limited and multi-payer system of health care. A comparison of the health care systems of both countries reveal that in terms of accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and health care outcomes, the Canadian health care system may be a better model from which the U.S. could learn from. Public Policy, Coverage and Access: It is presumed that the government, being the sole purveyor of public policies must address the aspect of health issues and its impact on the citizenry. There is an extensive involvement in the medical market place including financing, direct supervision, regulation, and subsidization (Henderson 2008). In addition, 45 percent of health care spending comes from government sources such as Medicare, Medicaid and various health plans for both civilian and military (Henderson 2008). The United States remained to be the only economically developed country that has not provided universal health care access to its population so that today, millions of Americans remain uninsured (Brown and Lavarreda 2007). Moreover, because there is no universal access to health care services, not all Americans are entitled to even the routine and basic health care services (Shi and Singh 2009). The issue of health insurance coverage remains to be a contentious point because it is the principal financial means where people can obtain their health care services. Its importance is noted on several studies that compare the access of insured and uninsured people as well as in the studies that validates over time the effects of losing or acquiring insurance and its health status. Since absence of the universal health care access is present in the United States, several subsystems have evolved from either through market forces or the need to take care of certain population segments (Shi a nd Singh 2009). In Canada, a single-payer system is managed by the government for the delivery of healthcare. This entitles every citizen to have a universal access regardless of the ability to pay (Howard-Hassmann and Welch 2006). The universal single-payer system differs from what is being employed in the United States privately funded system. Here, every citizen carries a health care card that can be used in seeking medical intervention without the burden of paying the bill immediately (Howard Hassmann and Welch 2006). The funding is generally from the federal government but certain provisions vary depending on the province. It was in 1962 that a major reform in the health care delivery policy of Canada was done starting with the province of Saskatchewan, which was subsequently adopted in the whole country (Kendall 2008). Reform attempts in the United States during Clintons administration faced a strong opposition from insurance companies who held most of the funding (Howard Hassmann and Welch 2006). In addition, various obstacles such as political and ideological factors, the complexity of the proposed reform plan and the diverse opinions in all the fifty states all militated against the passage of much-needed health care reform (Howard Hassmann and Welch 2006). Until present, the problem persists and more than 40 million Americans are not covered by health insurance (Shi and Singh 2009). The Price and Quality of Health Care: The concept of quality of care in the booming health care industry is more than just an idea. It entails essential details for patient care and the ability to cover up the finances. According to the Institute of Medicine (1990), quality is defined as the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes (quality principles) and are consistent with the current professional knowledge (professional practitioner skill) and meet the expectations of the healthcare user (the marketplace) (Cohn and Hough 2008). This view suggests that good clinical quality produces quality outcomes because the efficiency of the medical practice reduces medical malpractice liability and ultimately enhances financial viability (Cohn and Hough 2008).The National Quality Forum (NFQ) as a non-profit organization seeks to promote new guidelines, standards and quality measures to resolve serious and persistent quality deficiencies; it also seeks to re concile the superfluous and often incompatible guidelines, standards and measures of reporting be various health care organizations dedicated to the improvement of quality health care management (Jonas, Goldsteen and Goldsteen 2007). The issue of regionalization that started in Saskatchewan was seen by others as a way of redirecting the responsibility of budget and funding allocations from the Cabinet down to the provinces regional board (Beach, et al. 2006). This leads to the major advantage of the Canadian health care system over the United States reflected in the reduction of administrative costs. Administrative costs reach 20 percent of the U.S. health care dollar while Canada covers only 10 percent (Kendall 2008). Altogether, with the introduction of the publicly funded system, the cost is well controlled and the Canadian health expenditure per capita increased from 1975 to 1991 but significantly declined by 0.3 % per year (Rapoport, Jacobs and Jonsson 2009). From an economic perspective, the price of health care should equal to the marginal cost of production where most of this scheme prevails in competitive free market ensuring fair profit (Marchildon, et al. 2004). Since 1960, the United States healthcare expenditures increased yearly in both absolute and relative terms and in 1980, the annual rate of increase was always in the double-digit range (Jonas, Goldsteen, and Goldsteen 2007). Uncontrolled health care cost and spending accounts much of the reason for increasing costs of health insurance in the United States plus a decline in the employment based insurance reflected a fundamental flaw in the current health care system (Andersen, Rice and Kominski 2007). Health Care Outcomes: Health of the population is a concern for governments and certain goals and standards must be met to ensure a better quality of life. Based on health indicators used to evaluate the effectiveness of services rendered, a study concluded that the current health care system delivery of the United States resulted to poor outcomes (Henderson 2008). A health indicator reflects more than the health care delivery as it either praises or fault a system where life expectancy and infant mortality rate indicates whether aspects such as environment, lifestyle choices, and social problems are properly addressed. In the U.S., male life expectancy at birth was lower at 75.2 years and female life expectancy at 80.4 years. In Canada, male life expectancy was 77.8 and 82.6 years for females. The infant mortality rate in the U.S. is also higher by 5.3 percent than in Canada (Henderson 2008). The poor performance of the U.S. healthcare system could mean that the higher investment in health services does not generate an equal return for its consumers and the consumption of health services is not really value driven (Cohn and Hough 2008). The assessment of the quality of care faced two key challenges and these reflects the involvement of varied factors outside the health care system (Andersen, Rice and Kominski 2007). Adequate methods in managing the variations in health profile and severity of illness must be compared in using the first key challenge in comparison of health plans and providers (Andersen, Rice and Kominski 2007). Moreover, the second challenge is the issue of attribution in using the outcomes data where the determination of the extent to which the health plans or physician that is being evaluated is responsible for the observed outcomes. Despite the use of several indicators to assess the effectiveness of health care systems, several factors can affect the health outcomes and not all of these can be modified by the health care delivery system (Andersen, Rice and Kominski 2007). This could mean that the lower infant and mortality rate in Canada reflects the quality of care and tells us more about the social conditions rather than the quality of health care delivery itself (Weitz 2009). Impact on the Economy: Economic evaluation is an important tool to gauge the impact of the healthcare outcomes because it considers both the financial and the social attributes of the health care system delivery. The most prominent and widely-used technique for analysis in the economic evaluations of health care systems is cost-effectiveness (Henderson 2008). Cost-effectiveness is integrated into the healthcare policies in Canada, Australia and Europe but the increasing value of it must not be rendered the sole factor in funding for a treatment project (Henderson 2008). Based on spending, Canada and the U.S. allot a significant percentage of their GDP to healthcare, higher than most industrialized nations. Canadas healthcare spending comprises 10 percent of its economy while the U.S. spends as much as 16 percent on healthcare. This big gap on spending between the two nations is due to the difference in overhead. Because of its single-payer system, Canada does not require the service of actuaries who set premiums or lawyers who deny care as the U.S. does. Nonetheless, the contribution of the health industry to the U.S. economy in many levels is a major factor why attempts toward major healthcare reforms have faced difficult opposition. In addition, the health sector makes major contributions in the overall income and employment in the United States (Cohn and Hough 2008). It was predicted that 16 percent of all new jobs created in the year 2012 will be in the health service industry with 10 of the 20 of the fast increasing job will be from the health care sector (Cohn and Hough 2008). Moreover, a ripple effect is created in the continuously growing healthcare industry due to its interconnectedness with the U.S. economy. Beyond its economic impact, there are plenty of qualitative reasons why healthcare is important. A strong healthcare infrastructure plus a leading health care organization would likely increase a community to be settled as a permanent residence for many individuals. Also, the presence of a healthcare facility in a community is important in business because of the industrys economic stability (Cohn and Hough 2008). Analysis: The comparison between the two countries respective health care system has presented knowledge about the differences in terms of public policy, coverage and access, price and the quality of healthcare, health care outcomes and the economy. The aforementioned literature has noted that government involvement played a major role in healthcare as governments have direct supervision, control, and regulation of the health care industry. Public policies addressed towards the need for universal access and coverage of healthcare differed in U.S. and Canada. All Canadians have a health care card that enables them to have access to basic health care services without the burden of directly paying because the government allocated a certain portion of their budget for the subsidization of health care costs. In the United States, there is no universally accessible health care delivery system because such service is restricted to the elderly and the most disadvantaged. The fact that most of the Amer icans do not have insurance is a problematic feature that drives calls for major reforms in the industry. What the Americans have are profit-centered insurance companies. This is the primary reason why the cost of health care in the U.S. is much higher than in Canada. Though reforms have been attempted, the issue is still unresolved as the healthcare industry threatens economic consequences should the private insurers and pharmaceutical companies start losing its profits. These companies, along with political pressure from anti-reform legislators have blocked the way for a major healthcare reform in the United States. Canada however was successful in the implementation of health care reform beginning in Saskatchewan in the 1960s In terms of expenditures, the literature also pointed to the high administrative costs make up bulk of healthcare cost in the United States. In Canada, this is properly subsidized by the government utilizing the decentralization of their public funding releg ated to their provincial governments. In terms of healthcare outcomes, the United States has a relatively poor performance in the most important evaluative tools of measuring the efficiency of its health care delivery. Infant morality rates scored high in the U.S. than in Canada along with the lowest years in both female and male life expectancy. This indicator reflects the kind of environment and the kind of sociopolitical issues the country is facing characterized with a high prevalence certain lifestyle diseases. Though not the sole reason for measuring quality of care, it is indeed a factor in the overall outcomes of health for both countries. In addition, the results of the health indicators for both countries emphasize not only the quality of care but also the social conditions present in each of their environment. Such conditions are very important aspects in the area of business of health care. People tend to choose their residence in a place where there is a visible and quality infrastructure such a state-of-the -art healthcare facilities. From an economic point of view, the health care industry proves to be a recession-proof industry as the need and demand for health care services are in constant in the community. The multibillion health care industries in the United States contributed much to the stability of the national economy of the country and this is also the reason for the failure of healthcare reform to materialize. Jobs and revenue generation constitutes a major issue in tackling health care in the United States, as with Canada. However, the subsidization is in effect in the Canadian health care system whereas in the U.S., some features of subsidization are being emulated in certain U.S. states, such as the value of cost-effectiveness in the measurement of their services over the price of services over time. Conclusion: Although the United States and Canada lie close to each other in terms of geography, the difference in their health care delivery system is unmistakable. In evaluating the various literature comparing the health care system of both countries, the Canadians seem to have a better health care delivery system than the United States based on three grounds. First, Canadas universal accessibility and coverage among its citizens to acquire basic health care services allows for the greater enjoyment of health rights than the restricted coverage offered in U.S. health care. Second, the health care outcomes that measures and evaluates the quality of care rendered among the healthcare consumers is relatively better in Canada than in the U.S. Lastly, the cost-effectiveness of the single-payer healthcare delivery system in Canada makes it a suitable model for other countries to follow.

Japan and Korea :: essays research papers

INTRODUCTION : a brief overview of the current situation regarding the security issue in the Pacific region Since the end of the Second World War, the shape of the relations between the nations in the Pacific region has stayed more or less the same way until the present. However, there has been one big changed that affected the situation in the Pacific region and it was the outbreak of the Korean war and the creation of a Communist North Korea. This brought a huge inevitable change in relations between countries in the region. The stability that was brought about with the end of the Second World War disappeared and a new type of tension appeared. This especially affected the relations between the Korea and Japan to a great extent. In the past few years, the two countries have been seeking cooperation for the common aim of keeping the security in the Pacific region but things did not always work out fine due to many reasons including the historic background of two countries. In this paper, the historical background, the chronology of main events, the development of the relations and the cur rent situation regarding the security and cultural issues, between Korea and Japan will be examined and analysed, which will be followed by a conclusion. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The relations between and Korea and Japan has a long history. The first exchange of goods and information between the two goes back to the era of Three Countries and since then the relations between the two developed both in good and bad ways until now. There has always been lack of balance of power between the two nations. Back in thousands of years ago, Korea was the one that had more power and helped Japan develop her culture and since the late Chosun era, Japan has been the more powerful one. Conflicts between Korea and Japan continued and the ill feelings towards each other reached the top when Japan colonized Korea. As a result, the history of the Korea-Japan relations is full of conflicts and ill feelings towards each other and even during the time of temporary peace for the 2002 World Cup, small diplomatic conflicts continue. BASIC STATISTICS Diplomatic relations (a) December 18, 1965: Normalization of diplomatic ties between Japan and the Republic of Korea (b) Number of Japanese in the Republic of Korea: 15,217 persons (as of October 1 1999; 14,648 long-term residents, 569 permanent residents)

Theme of Suffering in Musee des Beaux Arts by W.H. Auden Essay examples

A poem is a great way to express your feelings as well as get your point across. Each poet tells their story but sometimes it isn't so easy to figure out what it is trying to say. There are occasions where you have to break that poem into pieces and figure the story behind that selection. These individual pieces come together like a puzzle to teach you the lesson it intended to teach. The different pieces in the poem we read can give you a general idea of suffering, the idea that people undergo pain and distress. In the poem 'Musee des Beaux Arts' by W.H. Auden it is under that suffering occurs everywhere while not always seen, however, when seen everyone is apathetic. Within the poem, Auden makes a reference to the Greek myth of Icarus. Icarus falls to his watery grave after flying to close to the sun. ?First the fisherman, shepard and the farmer are on the scene at the time of Icarus? fall, not as he and Daedalus simply soar overhead like gods?. (Ruby Mary K & Marie Rose Napierkowski: 154-155). This line tells us how three men saw them flying as if they were gods. is that the ?failure? of Icarus is of little importance to these living and laboring, that, as a German proverb states, ?No plough is stopped for the sake of a dying man? (Ruby Mary K & Marie Rose Napierkowski: 154-155). As this quote describes the three men did not stop what they were doing to help Icarus who was dying. Two of the men did not see Icarus suffering so they went along with their lives, but the fisherman saw Icarus struggling as the water entered his lungs. The fisherman went along with his life and just let Icarus die. Later on in Auden?s poem he states that . The expens ive delicate ship that must have seen something amazing, a boy falling out of t... ...f the canvas? (Ruby Mary K & Marie Rose Napierkowski: 154-155). In this painting Jesus suffers as he drags the large cross to his execution. Besides for their own comfort there was a reason to kill Jesus. He endured pain and suffering throughout his whole journey. From all of the people in the painting you can see that there were people who witnessed his suffering, but they were withheld from helping by the torturer and ?the torturers horse?. Breughel painted ?human position? and ?how it takes place?. Each of his three paintings depicts W.H Auden?s idea of people and their relationship with suffering. W.H Auden?s ?Musee des Beaux Arts? there are many allusions to others suffering. These examples all help to support the moral of his poem. Suffering is all around us, yet we still do nothing to stop it. This illustrates his point by showing ignorance in all people.

Understanding Albert Camus The Plague :: Albert Camus Plague Essays

Understanding The Plague  Ã‚   The Plague, written by Albert Camus, is a triumph of literary craft. Camus created a commentary on the way humans react to trying situations and circumstances in his fictional city of Oran in North Africa. The reader is presented with Oran as a city of several hundred thousand people. All of whom seem to take life for granted. The people of Oran ar constantly driven by business or money and only stop for life's finer pleasures on the weekends. A fairly accurate parallel to today's world. When an outbreak of plague begins in Oran, nobody pays attention at first. When the problem becomes too big to be ignored, the city is taken somewhat by surprise and placed under quarantine. The city remains isolated from the outside world for over a year, and when the outbreak reaches its peak, hundreds are dying every day. The main characters in the story are Dr. Rieux, Cottard, Tarrou, Grand, and Rambert. Rieux is the narrator (although he does not reveal himself as the narrator until the end of the story). Through Rieux's eyes and Tarrou's Journal entries , Camus depicts a personal and completely lifelike view of a major catastrophe. The was Camus creates such a quiet masterpiece of literature is not by reading death statistics and important events; it is by his focus on the individuals involved in the crisis. The most striking feature of the novel is actually very sublime. The way Camus approaches the unthinkable catastrophe of the plague is actually the opposite of the way the media in society today reports and enjoys to hear about such catastrophes. It is much easier to deal with disasters in numbers. Today's public wants to hear a comforting '250 dead today' instead of hearing about the people who died agonizing deaths and the people who love them, being forced into quarantine before the bodies are cold. Camus forces the reader to see the brutal realities of the plague, not merely in blood and gore, but also in the subtle and profound changes that occur in the people of Oran. The way Camus does this is by his never-ceasing emphasis on individual people and not the masses of the town as a whole. At the beginning of the novel, people were reluctant to recognize the plague as something that would change their lives. They thought it was simply a passing inconvenience.

Carbon Trading

Carbon Trading: Future Money Making Venture for India Sarika Gupta Assistant Professor, P. M. B. Gujrati Commerce Collage, Indore Abstract Carbon Trading are generated by enterprises in the developing world that shift to cleaner technologies and thereby consumption, consequently reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. For each tone of carbon dioxide (the major GHG) emission avoided, the entity can get a carbon emission certificate which they can sell either immediately or through a futures market, just like any other commodity.The certificates are sold to entities in rich countries, like power utilities, which have targets to achieve and find it cheaper to buy ‘offsetting' certificates rather than do a clean-up in their own backyard. This trade is carried out under a mandated international convention on climate change to help rich countries reduce their emissions. Carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas produced by combustion of fuels, has become a cause of global pa nic as its concentration in the Earth's atmosphere has been rising alarmingly.This devil, however, is now turning into a product that helps people, countries, consultants, traders, corporations and even farmers earn billions of rupees. This was an unimaginable trading opportunity not more than a decade ago. Introduction Carbon Trading are a part of international emission trading norms. They give incentives to companies or countries which emit less carbon. The total annual emissions are capped and the market allocates a monetary value to any shortfall through trading. Businesses can exchange, buy or sell Carbon Credit in international markets at the prevailing market price.India and China are likely to emerge as the biggest sellers and Europe is going to be the biggest buyers of Carbon Credit. India is one of the countries that have ‘credits' for emitting less carbon. India and China have surplus credit to offer to countries that have a deficit. India has generated some 30 mill ion Carbon Credits and has roughly another 140 million to push into the world market. Waste disposal units, plantation companies, chemical plants and municipal corporations can sell the Carbon Credits and make money.Carbon, like any other commodity, has begun to be traded on India’s Multi Commodity Exchange for last 3-4 years. MCX has become first exchange in Asia to trade Carbon Credits. Carbon Trading certify the removal of greenhouse gas from the air or the prevention of greenhouse gas emissions. Each carbon credit is associated with a single tone of carbon dioxide. There are many different kinds of Carbon Trading. How does Carbon Credit save the planet? As nations have progressed we have been emitting carbon, or gases which result in warming of the globe.Some decades ago a debate started on how to reduce the emission of harmful gases that contributes to the greenhouse effect that causes global warming. So, countries came together and signed an agreement named the Kyoto Pr otocol. The Kyoto Protocol has created a mechanism under which countries that have been emitting more carbon and other gases (greenhouse gases include ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and even water vapor) have voluntarily decided that they will bring down the level of carbon they are emitting to the levels of early 1990s.Developed countries, mostly European, had said that they will bring down the level in the period from 2008 to 2012. In 2008, these developed countries have decided on different norms to bring down the level of emission fixed for their companies and factories. A company has two ways to reduce emissions. (a) One, it can reduce the GHG (greenhouse gases) by adopting new technology or improving upon the existing technology to attain the new norms for emission of gases. (b) Or it can tie up with developing nations and help them set up new technology that is eco-friendly, thereby helping developing country or its companies ‘earn' credits.India, China a nd some other Asian countries have the advantage because they are developing countries. Any company, factories or farm owner in India can get linked to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and know the ‘standard' level of carbon emission allowed for its outfit or activity. The extent to which I am emitting less carbon (as per standard fixed by UNFCCC) I get credited in a developing country. This is called carbon credit. These credits are bought over by the companies of developed countries mostly Europeans because the United States has not signed the Kyoto Protocol.How does it work in real life? Assume that British Petroleum is running a plant in the United Kingdom. Say, that it is emitting more gases than the accepted norms of the UNFCCC. It can tie up with its own subsidiary in, say, India or China under the Clean Development Mechanism. It can buy the ‘carbon credit' by making Indian or Chinese plant more eco-savvy with the help of technology transfer. It can tie up with any other company like Indian Oil, or anybody else, in the open market. In December 2008, an audit will be done of their efforts to reduce gases and their actual level of emission.China and India are ensuring that new technologies for energy savings are adopted so that they become entitled for more Carbon Trading. They are selling their credits to their counterparts in Europe. This is how a market for carbon credit is created. Every year European companies are required to meet certain norms, beginning 2008. By 2012, they will achieve the required standard of carbon emission. So, in the coming five years there will be a lot of carbon credit deals. Where do Carbon Trading fit in the planet saving action plan? 1. Recognize that everything we do has associated greenhouse gas emissions 2.Reduce your emissions. 3. Offset with fully certified Carbon Trading today (because the planet can't wait) Certification: the difference between carbon offsets and Carbon Trading There are many retailers offering uncertified carbon offsets. Purchasers should avoid carbon offsets that don't come with a certification as they provide no guarantees that you are getting what you are paying for. All certifications are not equal There are many different kinds of certification available globally. Before you buy, make sure that the certification comes from a trusted third party source.For larger orders Carbon Planet can source any kind of certified carbon credit you seek. However, we do recommend our standard premium stock of NGACs. Find out more about our procurement policies we enforce when sourcing Carbon Trading for you to buy. Carbon Planet currently offers 2 different kinds of certified Carbon Credit as standard stock: 1. Forestry Sequestration NGACs from Forests NSW 2. Carbon Saving NGACs from Showerhead and Light bulb replacement. Forestry Sequestration NGACs The New South Wales Greenhouse Abatement Certificate (NGAC) certification process is comprehensive.It incl udes Kyoto Protocol measures, but goes beyond these. In summary the NGAC certification process ensures the following: * That each NGAC represents one tone of carbon dioxide stored for at least 100 years. * That the trees have been planted since 1990. * That the trees weren't planted on old growth forest cleared land (the land must have been clear prior to 1990). * That should the tree from which your carbon credit came come to any harm within 100 years of your purchase e. g. fire, disease, logging; that carbon credit will be replaced immediately from another source. From NSW Government â€Å"When can a forest manager create NGACs† NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme Fact Sheet Published: October 2004). Forests NSW's carbon pool is audited annually to ensure that every carbon credit issued corresponds to one tonne of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere for 100 years. Carbon Saving NGACs Carbon Planet's current stock of Carbon Saving NGACs is generated from shower head a nd light bulb replacement. This is called Demand Side Abatement. The NGAC certification ensures, with a high level of confidence, that at least one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent has been saved per carbon credit.Thus by purchasing a monthly subscription of NGAC Carbon Trading, you can continuously erase your CO2 footprints. Procedure of trading in carbon: (i) What is Clean Development Mechanism? Under the CDM you can cut the deal for carbon credit. Under the UNFCCC, charter any company from the developed world can tie up with a company in the developing country that is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. These companies in developing countries must adopt newer technologies, emitting lesser gases, and save energy.Only a portion of the total earnings of Carbon Trading of the company can be transferred to the company of the developed countries under CDM. There is a fixed quota on buying of credit by companies in Europe. (ii) How does MCX trade Carbon Credits? This entire process was not understood well by many. Those who knew about the possibility of earning profits, adopted new technologies, saved credits and sold it to improve their bottom line. Many companies did not apply to get credit even though they had new technologies. Some companies used management consultancies to make their plan greener to emit less (Green House Gas) GHG.These management consultancies then scouted for buyers to sell Carbon Trading. It was a bilateral deal. However, the price to sell Carbon Trading at was not available on a public platform. The price range people were getting used to was about Euro 15 or maybe less per tone of carbon. Today, one tone of carbon credit fetches around Euro 22. It is traded on the European Climate Exchange. Therefore, you emit one tone less and you get Euro 22. â€Å"Emit less and increase/add to your profit† MCX is the futures exchange of India. People here are getting price signals for the carbon for the delivery in next five years.The exchange is only for Indians and Indian companies. Every year, in the month of December, the contract expires and at that time people who have bought or sold carbon get or take delivery. They can fulfill the deal prior to December too, but most people wait until December because that is the time to meet the norms in Europe. The MCX decides to trade Carbon Credit because they are into futures trading. Let people decide, if they want to hold on to their accumulated Carbon Credit or sell them now. If the buyer thinks that the current price is low for him, he can wait before selling his credits.The Indian government has not fixed any norms nor has it made it compulsory to reduce carbon emissions to a certain level. So, people who are ready to buy from Indians are actually financial investors. They think that if the Europeans are unable to meet their target of reducing the emission levels by 2009 or 2010 or 2012, then the demand for the carbon will increase and then they can make more money. So the investors are willing to buy now to sell later. There was a huge requirement of Carbon Trading in Europe before 2012. There are parameters set and detailed audit is done before you get the entitlement to sell the credit.In India, already 300 to 400 companies have Carbon Trading after meeting UNFCCC norms. Only those Indian companies that meet the UNFCCC norms and take up new technologies will be entitled to sell Carbon Trading. Till MCX came along, these companies were not getting best-suited price. Some were getting Euro 15 and some were getting Euro 18 through bilateral agreements. When the contract expires in December, it is expected that prices will be firm up then. On MCX we already have power, energy and metal companies who are trading. These companies are high-energy consuming companies. They need better technology to emit less carbon.These Carbon Trading are with the large manufacturing companies who are adopting UNFCCC norms. Retail investors can come in the market and buy the contract if they think the market of carbon is going to firm up. Like any other asset they can buy these too. It is kept in the form of an electronic certificate. The registry and the ownership travel from the original owner to the next buyer. In the short-term, large investors are likely to come and later banks are also expected to get into the market too. This business is a function of money, and someone will have to hold on to these big transactions to sell at the appropriate time.Price Determination Like in the case of any other asset, its price is determined by a function of demand and supply. Now, norms are known and on that basis European companies will meet the target between December 2008 and 2012. People are wondering how much credit will be available in market at that time. As December gets closer, it is possible that some government might tinker with these norms a little if the targets could not be met. If these norms are changed, prices can go through a correcti on. But, as of now, there is a very transparent mechanism in which the norms for the next five years have been fixed.Governments have become signatories to the Kyoto Protocol and they have set the norms to reduce the level of carbon emission. Already companies are on the way to meet their targets. It is a safe market because it is a matter of having more information on the extent of demand and supply of carbon credit market. Analyzing Indian Scenario India being a developing country has no emission targets to be followed. However, she can enter into CDM projects. As mentioned earlier, industries like cement, steel, power, textile, fertilizer etc. emit green houses gases as an outcome of burning fossil fuels. Companies investing in Windmill,Bio-gas, Bio-diesel, and Co-generation are the ones that will generate Carbon Credit for selling to developed nations. Polluting industries, which are trying to reduce emissions and in turn earn Carbon Credit and make money include steel, power ge neration, cement, fertilizers, waste disposal units, plantation companies, sugar companies, chemical plants and municipal corporations. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) A must mention project is The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC): It has become the first rail project in the world to earn Carbon Credit because of using regenerative braking system in its rolling stock.DMRC has earned the Carbon Credit by using regenerative braking system in its trains that reduces 30% electricity consumption. Whenever a train applies regenerative braking system, the released kinetic energy starts a machine known as converter-inverter that acts as an electricity generator, which supplies electrical energy back to the Over Head Electricity (OHE) lines. This regenerated electrical energy that is supplied back to the OHE that is used by other accelerating trains in the same service line. DMRC can now claim 400,000 CERs for a 10-year crediting period beginning December 2007 when the project was reg istered by the UNFCCC.This translates to Rs 1. 2 crore per year for 10 years. India has the highest number of CDM projects registered and supplies the second highest number of Certified Emission Reduction units. Hence, India is already a strong supplier of Carbon Credit and can improve it. BENEFITS FOR INDIA By, switching to Clean Development Mechanism Projects, India has a lot to gain from Carbon Trading: a) It will gain in terms of advanced technological improvements and related foreign investments. b) It will contribute to the underlying theme of green house gas reduction by adopting alternative sources of energy. ) Indian companies can make profits by selling the CERs to the developed countries to meet their emission targets. TRADING OF CERS: †¢ As a welcome scenario, India now has two Commodity exchanges trading in Carbon Credit. This means that Indian Companies can now get a better trading platform and price for CERs generated. †¢ Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), Indi a’s largest commodity exchange, has launched futures trading in Carbon Credit. The initiative makes it Asia's first-ever commodity exchange and among the select few along with the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCE) and the European Climate Exchange to offer trades in Carbon Credit.The Indian exchange also expects its tie-up with CCX which will enable Indian firms to get better prices for their Carbon Trading and better integrate the Indian market with the global markets to foster best practices in emissions trading. †¢ On 11th April 2008, National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) also has started futures contract in Carbon Trading for delivery in December 2008. †¢ MCX is the futures exchange. People here are getting price signals for the carbon for the delivery in next five years. The exchange is only for Indians and Indian companies.Every year, in the month of December, the contract expires and at that time people who have bought or sold carbon will have to g ive or take delivery. They can fulfill the deal prior to December too, but most people will wait until December because that is the time to meet the norms in Europe. If the Indian buyer thinks that the current price is low he will wait before selling his credits. The Indian government has not fixed any norms nor has it made it compulsory to reduce carbon emissions to a certain level. So, people who are coming to buy from Indians are actually financial investors.They are thinking that if the Europeans are unable to meet their target of reducing the emission levels by 2009, 2010 or 2012, then the demand for the carbon will increase and then they may make more money. So investors are willing to buy now to sell later. There is a huge requirement of Carbon Trading in Europe before 2012. Only those Indian companies that meet the UNFCCC norms and take up new technologies will be entitled to sell Carbon Trading. There are parameters set and detailed audit is done before you get the entitlem ent to sell the credit. Financing support in India: †¢ Carbon Trading projects requires huge capital investment.Realizing the importance of Carbon Trading in India, The World Bank has entered into an agreement with Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), wherein IDFC will handle carbon finance operations in the country for various carbon finance facilities. †¢ The agreement initially earmarks a $10-million aid in World Bank-managed carbon finance to IDFC-financed projects that meet all the required eligibility and due diligence standards. †¢ IDBI has set up a dedicated Carbon Credit desk, which provides all the services in the area of Clean Development Mechanism/Carbon Credit (CDM). In order to achieve this objective, IDBI has entered into formal arrangements with multi-lateral agencies and buyers of Carbon Trading like IFC, Washington, KfW, Germany and Sumitomo Corporation, Japan and reputed domestic technical experts like MITCON. †¢ HDFC Bank has sig ned an agreement with Cantor CO2E India Pvt. Ltd and MITCON Consultancy Services Limited (MITCON) for providing carbon credit services. As part of the agreement, HDFC Bank will work with the two companies on awareness building, identifying and registering Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and facilitating the buy or sell of Carbon Credit in the global market.International moves to promote energy self-sufficiency and cut carbon emissions will create a unique opportunity for innovative start-ups to emerge as key infrastructure players over the next few years. The transition to a low-carbon economy will spark a period of historic flux within the business community, characterized by fast-emerging companies and heightened mergers and acquisition activity across the clean tech sector.The global trade in Carbon Credits has taken off fairly well with the turnover going up from $11 billion in 2005 to $118 billion in 2008. Carbon markets investments planned have exceeded all expectations. But the resistance to the idea seems to be gathering steam with many in the developed countries pointing out procedural deficiencies and arguing that Carbon Credits will confer unfair advantages on companies in developing countries like China and India, the major sellers of carbon credit.But despite growing opposition, the concept of Carbon Credits continues to soar steadily, boosting the number of emission-reducing projects in the pipeline from 490 in end-2005 to 4,782 in November 2009, and pushing up the total Carbon Credit supply from 704 million CERs to 2,820 million CERs during the period. One reason the concept of Carbon Credits has gained popularity is its ability to create a political alliance of forces on opposing sides like Left-wing environmentalists and free market proponents.While the former believe that the polluters have no significant incentives for self-regulation and have to be curbed through government intervention, the latter believe that such command and control in tervention would wreak havoc and that the market would eventually offer an optimal solution. Carbon trading regulations helped break the impasse by providing a clear target that the environmentalists could embrace, while at the same time favoring the market mechanism over governmental regulation as advocated by the Right.An added advantage of the Carbon Credits is that it optimizes investments in emission-reduction projects by encouraging projects in countries where the cost of reducing emissions is the least, which generally goes in favor of developing countries. Countries like India have favored carbon trade, as it offers a win-win situation for both entrepreneurs and the broader society. While innovative companies that help reduce emissions are provided with Carbon Credits, which they can encase to boost viability or earn profits, the gains to society accrue in the form of a smaller destabilizing impact on the environment.Opportunities for carbon-efficient companies in India IFC and Standard ; Poor’s have launched the world’s first carbon-efficient index for emerging markets that aims to mobilize more than $1 billion for carbon-efficient companies over the next three years. The innovative S;P/IFC Carbon Efficient Index will encourage carbon-based competition among emerging-market companies, give carbon-efficient companies access to long-term investors, and should help reduce carbon emissions in developing countries. The index was developed by S;P using carbon data provided by environmental data provider Trucost.IFC provided financial support to the S;P/Trucost consortium to accelerate the carbon research on emerging-market companies, and it provided technical support to help validate and refine the methodology. The rollout of smart grid and renewable energy technologies will also usher in transformative alliances between automakers, utilities, battery makers, communications providers and renewable energy firms as they each seek to play a role in the development of integrated low-carbon infrastructure projects.Companies that identify their roles and capitalise on these new alliances earliest will establish sizable leads in nascent clean technology markets. New forms of public-private partnerships will be necessary in creating a ubiquitous, national smart grid, but these new models of collaboration must be closely managed to ensure technologies are rolled out quickly and effectively. Underpinning these clean technology transformations is increased support from the investment community Referances * Mathews, John A. 2008) â€Å"How Carbon Credits could drive the emergence of renewable energies†http://ideas. repec. org/a/eee/enepol/v36y2008i10p3633-3639. html * www. rediff. com/money/2008/feb/05inter. * www. carbontrading. com/c/ * ions Trading; Joint Implementation; Clean Development Mechanindex. php%3Fa†¦ – Cached – Similar * Carbon Tredits India. Emissism (CDM) †¦ India has generated approxim ately 30 Million Carbon Credits and approximately www. globaladvisors * Carbon Credits; by Garg A . in Chartered Secretary November , 2009. * National solid waste of India . News letter, February 2007.

How Harper Lee Develops the Symbol of the Mockingbird

Mockingbirds are a symbol of sheer innocence; their existence causes no harm to others and the sole purpose of its life is to make mellifluous music for all to enjoy. The mockingbird’s sweet chorus is destroyed and disregarded in to kill a mockingbird, as the harmless characters of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are exiled and imprisoned despite their altruism. The use of the mockingbird in the title provides distinction and coincides through characters and events during the novel.Harper Lee develops the symbol of the mockingbird in the novel through the town pariahs Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is accused of a crime he did not commit and in reality was helping another person without a reward. In chapter 10 Jem and Scout are shown an opening to the malevolence in society and are taught a moral lesson and the only sin considered by Atticus, â€Å" Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit em’, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mocking. This quote foreshadows the up-coming events involving Tom Robinson and the injustices he will have to endure, even though the Mockingbird is not deserving of anguish, he is still put to death through the hands of others who would shoot any bird, regardless of what kind it may be. Scout and Jem at the beginning of the novel are oblivious to the harsh racial segregation and the moral teachings of Atticus only have literal meanings until they become immersed in the enmity of racism, where their innocence is later destroyed and the blurred barriers between their father and Maycomb become clear.Atticus is responsible for maintaining the stability of Maycomb and the co-existence of good and evil; he influences his children to have morally good actions and values unlike many other children of Maycomb. Atticus strives for the rights of the mockingbird and the defenceless Tom Robinson, despite the fact that he knows as soon as Mayella Ewell screamed he was a dead man. Atticus allowing Tom Robinson to a trial allowed the ignorance and hatred in Maycomb to some extent deteriorate, even Mr.Underwood a man who never spoke about the â€Å"miscarriages of justice†¦ likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of song birds by hunters and children. † Just as Atticus defends the innocent and vulnerable Tom Robinson, he also provides refuge and respect to Boo Radley, a prejudiced against outcast of Maycomb. From the beginning of the novel Atticus respects Boo Radley telling Scout and Jem not to play in his yard, as he deserves the sanctity of privacy. Town gossip and the children’s fantasy surrounding Boo Radley constrain him to his home, which is veiled in mystery, â€Å"Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom.People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him. People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows†. Later in the novel the children realise that there was an error in their judgement of Boo Radley and th eir fear of him was unjust and cruel as behind the concocted hysteria is a kind-hearted and an innocent mockingbird as Boo Radley inflicts no harm on others and is just an innocuous victim of a cruel narrow-minded society.

Importance of Internet Essay

Books and libraries have long held a position of esteem and regard within civilized societies. Books are the stoic, unchanging witnesses of our past; ghosts in our social conscience; memories of dreamers and the pale laughter from jestered spirits of discontent and revolutionary ideas. Books are the intimate lovers of readers everywhere, beguiling and beckoning travel to places and situations that open the mind and create a foundry of glowing, shiny alloys melded with the brittle iron of the present. Books have the power to lift us from poverty, shift our thinking and empower the powerless with knowledge. This, of course, is why they must be burned, banned and limited to only the privileged. Book burning  has a lot of negative connotations that make many uncomfortable. Burning a book just any ol’ book, serves little purpose. In order to be effective libricide, or biblioclasm, must be supported with thoughtful selection, social responsibility and a healthy dollop of justice and righteous indignation. Before one starts brainstorming and making a list of books to burn for a Church agape group or disciple project, consideration of the recommended code of conduct from international  Memory Hole  experts is helpful. Quote:Are Teachers Becoming Obsolete? How the Internet is slowly replacing formal education By Scott Ijaz From good-natured websites that provide free medical advice, to disturbing ones that explain how to build a firework bomb out of an onion and tin foil, digital dilettantes can learn all sorts of things by surfing the Web. Students often use the Internet’s broad array of information to educate themselves. By presenting course material as a teacher would, websites cater to students who prefer teaching themselves by simplifying the self-education process. Selfscholar. com organizes and connects students with academic tools and resources. The website provides links for free downloadable textbooks, assembles learning communities comprised of students from all over the world who are interested in learning the same topic, and even has a section that teaches languages. Selfscholar. com also has a feature that allows its â€Å"students† to instant message a live tutor. Mike Spuzzilo, a second year mechanical engineering major, said about the site, â€Å"Everything you need is in one spot. If I come across a tough homework problem, I can type it into YouTube,† he said, adding, â€Å"A digital teacher will appear, taking me step by step with a similar problem.Spuzzilo remarked that the process makes more sense to him. â€Å"I learn easier that way,† he said. He notes that the Internet better meets his needs. â€Å"[The resources online] are accessible whenever you can get an Internet connection. University teachers can only help out as their schedule permits. It is much more convenient,† Spuzzilo said. Top tier schools like The London School of Economics, MIT and Yale embrace the advent of self-educational websites through Open Course Software. Open Course Software streams recorded lectures from the classroom into the audience’s room. The Internet viewer who doesn’t drop a dime experiences the same explanations as the students in the classroom who pay high-end tuition dollars. Nathan Shubick, a second year student studying  physics, better comprehended the online explanation than the classroom’s. â€Å"I went to the oyc. yale. edu, and listened to one of their teachers explain the same material on a podcast,† remarked Shubick. Shubick favored the Internet source over his classroom teacher. â€Å"Turns out, the Yale professor authored the textbook which my university teacher refers to in class. It was easier to learn coming from the horse’s mouth,† he said. With such an ample and diverse array of resources, students question emptying their pockets to pay for university tuition if the same material is accessible on the Internet without charge. Karen Diaz, the librarian at OSU responsible for managing online courses, emphasized the advantages of university schooling while pinpointing the shortcomings of an online education. Diaz stressed the importance of learning in person. â€Å"First-hand experience are things you cannot experience in a free online environment,† she said. Whereas the classroom is geared toward meeting individual’s needs, the Internet tries to accommodate the larger population. Supporters of formal education believe that student peers and mentors improve the structure of the overall learning environment. â€Å"You have the chance to interact with the instructor, ask questions, seek clarification or alternate explanations, and seek out help outside of class,† Diaz said. State-of-the-art facilities add another important dimension to the educational setting by applying what a student learns into everyday life. â€Å"There is a big difference between knowing how to do a lab involving a titrate and actually doing it,† Diaz said. The large quantity of online information doesn’t necessarily ensure its quality.