The villa Amalia Review Essay Example

The villa Amalia Review Paper Essay on The villa Amalia The banal situation is extremely unusual heroine a woman, a well-known and talented composer. Anna Hidden in 47 years discovers her husband rather roommate, with whom she lived for 17 years, is cheating on her. At the same time, Anna meets an old school friend George, a lonely homosexual, which finds support and assistance. Anna takes a nontrivial solution do not mention his wife completely negates his whole past life. She sells the house, throwing out clothes, furniture, leaves work, change the style, arranges a new home next to George and went to travel across Europe. Annas first loss will not last, waiting for her moments of happiness and times of sadness and loss. But it is important is not it, the main thing that escaped from everyday life, she began to really do, and in the work of its comfort and healing Read difficult enough, the author has a particular style -. A very short, simple sentences, at least descriptions, many pronouns. The story is in the form of short, not always related sketches and develops the overall picture of these fine lines. The whole book is imbued with a sense of loneliness and sadness, even despair, the characters are alone, their relationships are fleeting, not a relationship with their parents. And, of course, as always with Kinyara, the entire work is filled with music, it is felt in every line, the sad melody speaks somewhere deep down. Creativity Kinyara largely dedicated to Europes culture, processes occurring in it. One feels that the author is a true scholar and master, and reading makes certain demands on the reader. Rasprobovat this book I could not at once, but its worth it. We will write a custom essay sample on The villa Amalia Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The villa Amalia Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The villa Amalia Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Health Essays

Medicare And Its Financial State/Health Essays Medicare And Its Financial State/Health Paper Medicare And Its Financial State/Health Paper Medicare is planned health insurance generally for older persons over 65 year old, younger persons with special medical conditions or persons with permanent Kidney failure. Medicare was formally signed into law on July 30, 1965 and has served the American people ever since. It is important to note that it took another year for beneficiaries to sign up for coverage on July 1, 1966. Medicare was operated primarily by the federal government and subsequently other Medicare plans such as Health Maintenance Organization plans (HMOs) and Preferred Provider Organization plans (PPOs) are offered through private organizations. In recent times there has been active debate on the future, finances and scope of this health insurance. Medicare coverage primarily consists of two parts: Part A (the hospital insurance) and Part B (the medical insurance). Part A covers inpatient care at a hospital, hospice, nursing home or home health care. Part B mainly covers health care by doctors, outpatient care or some other medicines to prevent diseases. Medicare coverage offers options in that persons may choose part A, part B or both parts. It is useful to note that other plans: part C and D are now being offered to cover other services such a purchase or prescription drugs. Plans such as HMOs are chiefly for group health insurance plans which are purchased by groups such as companies, while PPOs are plans where health care providers such as clinics and hospitals sign up with the PPO to provide care for persons who are insured with the organization. Persons with Medicare coverage pay less on doctor visits from their pockets albeit, the actual amount paid to the doctor is determined by factors such as whether it is a participating physician, a non-participating physician who accepts assignments on a case-by-case basis or a non-participating doctor who does not accept assignments.. The board of trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance (HI) and Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) trust funds in their report to congress in 2006 state that there was deterioration in Medicare’s financial health since the previous year. This report stated that the Hospital expenditure would exceed non-interest revenue in 2006 and that the trust fund faced serious financial conditions to the extent that there would not be enough resources to provide coverage in future years. In addition the report showed that the federal government would have to proffer addition financial aid which would negatively impact the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It was noted that Hospital Insurance (HI) fund would be depleted in 2019, two years earlier than expected. The projection showed that there would be a need for a serious injection of capital or the future of Medicare would be dire. In its annual report in 2008, the board of trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance (HI) and Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) trust funds, reported that there were still serious problems relating to the financial health of Medicare. The report paints a gloomy picture where the long run costs of running the program would exceed inflows and this process would be unsustainable. A vastly burgeoning number of aging baby boomers would put a serious strain on financial resources of Medicare and fiscal deficits are projected in future years. During the 2008 presidential election, there were debates on what to do with health care for the nation and the new government is actively looking at Medicare with the view to doing a complete overhaul including providing increased funding and coverage. The warnings about the potential demise of Medicare and the deleterious impact on America’s aging population has been sounded again by the trustees of (HI) and the new government seems to be awakening to the exigencies that now face the nation. The Medicare report in 2008 pointed to the need for an increase of over 122% in payroll taxes which would mean a move from 2. 9% to 6. 44% to balance inflows with outflows. It is now time for action on the part of the Government to prevent a dismal future for Medicare. References Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2007). Acute Inpatient Prospective Payment System. Retrieved on November 15, 2007 from cms. hhs. gov/AcuteInpatientPPS/04_outlier. asp#TopOfPage U. S. Department of Health Human Services (2007), What are the Medicare premiums and coinsurance rates for 2008? Retrieved on November 15, 2007 from hhs. gov/faq/medicaremedicaid/650. html Medicare (2004). Questions. Retrieved on May 3, 2004 from medicare. gov/. Medicare (2004). Participating Physician Directory. Retrieved on May 3, 2004 from http://www3. medicare. gov/Physician/Search/PhysicianSearch. asp. Social Security Administration (1935, August 14). History. Retrieved March, 06, 2009 from: ssa. gov/history/hfaq. html American Academy of acturies (2008). Medicare’s Financial Condition: Beyond actuarial balance. Retrieved March 6, 2009 form: actuary. org/pdf/medicare/trustees_08. pdf

Explain the history of voting rights. How were blacks discriminated Essay

Explain the history of voting rights. How were blacks discriminated against what where some of the methods used to obstruct them from voting - Essay Example The 14th Amendment saw citizenship being granted to American immigrants making them equal with others. The 15th Amendment gave only adult men, both black and white, the right to vote. However, women were still restricted from voting. The same year, 1869, when the 15th Amendment was made witnessed the emergence of Black Codes which were chiefly laws that were restrictive of the freedom of African Americans (Hayduk 77). The right to vote was one of the crucial freedoms that African Americans were deprived and understanding the history of the same is critical. With women still being restricted from voting, activists on the rights of women that were to be seen in the liberation of the sex were common in the late 1880s. The Seneca Falls Convention that was held in 1848 saw activists contest for the right of women to vote (Hayduk, 47). The 19th Amendment of 1920 was a promise that was meant to see the liberation of women and their eventual right to vote. The breakthrough was witnessed in 1965 with the enactment of the federal Voting Rights Act. Here, Dr. Martin Luther King and other activists aimed at registering voters and eliminate barriers that obstructed the same. Several methods were used by Whites to prevent African Americans from voting. Literacy tests were widely used to sieve African Americans as the same group of people could not access an education. African Americans failed these tests making them ineligible to vote (Hayduk 53). The use of poll taxes was also extremely effective as Black people were slaves and had no money to pay as fees. This saw many African Americans being left out of the poll as they were with no money. Locations of polls were only known to whites as blacks were kept in the dark regarding were to cast their votes. In most cases, these polling stations were manned by armed guards and were classified making it exceedingly difficult for African Americans to access the same. Black codes also emphasized

Sustainable Aviation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainable Aviation - Essay Example The fuel used for the aircrafts like kerosene and others are often complained of emitting harmful gases like Nitrogen Dioxide into the atmosphere thus leading to an increase of air pollution in and around the regions surrounding the airports. It was however found that reduction of the combustion capacity of the engines led to the increased emission of Greenhouse gases like Carbon Dioxide into the air. Scientists and environmentalists around the world are endeavouring to find means for deriving a sustainable fuel source for the aircraft engines which in turn would reduce the atmospheric pollution (Azapagic and Perdan, 2011, Ch. 15). However it is often held that the endeavour to produce a sustainable fuel for the aeroplanes is not feasible in the technical and ethical sense. It is observed that most of the efforts conducted to produce a sustainable fuel often does not confirm the carbon footprint test and also happens to render increased stress on the engines thus hampering its produc tivity (Daggett et al., 2007, p.1). Hence the above efforts to produce a sustainable aircraft fuel suffer from lack of technical and ethical feasibility. Sustainable Fuel for Aircraft Engines The term sustainability refers to protecting or sustaining the environment in order to meet the needs of the present population without compromising on the needs of the future generation. Sustainability thus concerns a holistic network of environmental, social and economic policies aimed at sustaining the scarce resources. These policies must be measureable and again must also be lend for evaluation to help it met the demand of different periods (Wohlmeyer and Quendler, 2002, p.198). 198). Aviation fuel has long depended on products like kerosene to help ignite the motor engines. However the practice is found to have contributed largely to the polluting of the atmosphere through the emission of large volumes of nitrogen dioxide. Thus to reduce the content of greenhouses gases and other harmful gases into the atmosphere the need for a sustainable fuel resource is greatly emphasized. Research unto generating a feasible sustainable fuel for the aeroplanes is under process with introduction of fuels generated from biomass or fuelling of liquid hydrogen into the air engines. The research of generating a sustainable fuel source for aircraft engines is gaining patronage from many nations owing to its help in protection of fossil resources and the atmosphere from being polluted (Evans, 2007, p.162). Sustainable fuel generation for aircraft engines appears to be the new challenge for it signifies taking resort to alternative sources of fuel other than that related to diesel, petrol and kerosene. Production of alternative sources of fuel can be conducted through the use of biomasses derived from large amounts of bio waste products and algae masses. Again use of liquid hydrogen and other cryogenic materials like use of ethane and methane gases in the liquid state is also being recommended for the fuel generation of aircraft engines. Thus the use of considerable amount of biomass and cryogenic liquids for the production of aircraft engine fuel is considered a sustainable means for generation of aircraft fuel. Use of such energy resources are observed to help in reducing the combustion temperature of the engines which in turn led to the production of low or no amounts of carbon dioxide. Further research is enabled to derive natural gases from both natural bio mass and other synthetic sources with also enhancing the dependence on gases like Ethane derived from natural gases for production of sustainable fuel for aircraft engines (Daggett et al., 2007 , p.1). Technical and Ethical Feasibility of Efforts in Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel The current

Continuation of Design principles 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Continuation of Design principles 3 - Essay Example The detailed architectural model is used to achieve the level of security in the system, the performance of the system as well as the effectiveness and efficiency (Coulouris, Dooimore, and Kindberg, 2001). There are three (3) forms of the system architecture include: the client based, server based and the client-server architecture. As the proposed system for ‘Electronic Credit Checking and Mortgage Approval’ is online, therefore, I have chosen the client server architecture. Architecture Design The client-server architecture for the proposed system that presents the client has to place a request to the web server by utilizing the web browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.). The web browser takes the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request, Files Transfer Protocol (FTP), data, etc. to the web server of the Mortgage Company; the web server would interact with the database server for the relevant information. The database server would send a SQL query to the da tabase and the database returns the information against the query. The database server would reply to the web server with the information received from the database. The web server would display the information on the web browser of the client. The web application would be deployed on the web server or application server; the database server would contain the database as shown in the following diagram (Kambalyal, n.d). The system architecture that has been used for deploying the web application is 3-tier architecture that provides higher flexibility; high security can be implemented at each level of the service, and high performance due to sharing of tasks between servers, moreover, it can be extended (scalable) with the requirements of the Mortgage Company (Kioskea, 2012). Design Notes The client has to use the web browser to access the web application over the internet, in order to provide security the client’s request has to be passed through the firewall deployed in the c omputer network. The firewalls not only filter the outbound traffic (the clients outside of the Mortgage Company) but also filter the inbound traffic (the clients / employees of the company) (Vicomsoft, 2012). The servers would process the request of the client and returns the required information in the form of HTML, JavaScript, PHP / ASP.Net etc. The same process would be followed whenever the client requests the information from the servers. USER INTERFACE DESIGN Process In order to design the user interface, I have chosen the first use case (process) – the online application for registration with the bank (Mortgage Company). This selected process would be initiated by the client when he / she want to register him / her with the company by providing the requisite information. Upon successful completion of the registration process, an acknowledgement would be issued by the company containing user name and password of the client. The client has to provide information / data, the system / web application would perform the validations to check whether the format of the entered data is correct for the respective field. If the format of the

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Expansion Politics Essay

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Expansion Politics Essay This paper will examine North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Expansionlooking at the real benefit of NATO growing. Does it provide leverage that shapes the political and economic development of European countries where democracy and free markets are not yet taken for granted or still growing? As discussed in our regional studies elective on Europe NS 2206, in order to win a NATO membership, the candidate countries must agreed to long agendas of reforms, ranging from ensuring free press and fair elections to protecting minorities and acting against drug trafficking and corruption. Currently NATO is comprised of twenty-eight members, with additional candidates awaiting approval (i.e. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro). NATO had twelve founding member nation they were the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, France, Iceland, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Norway. Although membership in to NATO is rather difficult to achieve, NATO has added new members through six expansions since its founding in 1949. Throughout NATOs history it has established different programs with the intent to create greater regional cooperation between NATO and its neighbors. These programs include the Partnership for Peace, the Mediterranean Dialogue initiative, and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. From these programs NATO has established relationships that have led to new NATO members. With the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, NATO has experienced something of an identity crisis. NATO was originally conceived as a military alliance to deter Soviet expansion into Western Europe, the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union forced NATO to reassess its once clear objective. A former Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Joseph Ralston once said that, For most of NATOs history the strategic problem was easily defined: we could predict where we might fight and under what conditions.But today we have a much different problem. We do not know who the enemy might be, and we do not know where we will fight.  [i]  As the political and military circumstances changed in Europe, many member nations believed that NATO should adapt and reflect these changes. In 1995, the NATO Alliance published the results of a Study on NATO Enlargement that considered the merits of admitting new members and how they should be brought in.  [ii]  It concluded that the end of the Cold War provided a unique opportunity to build improved security in the entire Euro-Atlantic area and that NATO enlargement would contribute to enhanced stability and security for all.  [iii]  The Study further concluded that enlargement would contribute to enhanced stability and security for all countries in the Euro-Atlantic area by encouraging and supporting democratic reforms, including the establishment of civilian and democratic control over military forces; fostering patterns and habits of cooperation, consultation, and consensus-building characteristic of relations among members of the Alliance; and promoting good-neighborly relations.  [iv]  The Study also concluded that enlargement would strengthen the Alliances ability to contribute to European and internat ional security, strengthen, and broaden the transatlantic partnership.  [v]   In 1997, the United States Clinton Administration led efforts to invite three former Eastern bloc communist countries, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland to join NATO. Since their invitation in 1997, there have been a number of further invitations for membership to newly democratized states seeking membership into one of the greatest military alliances in the world. After this fourth enlargement in 1999, the desire to become a member of NATO spread rapidly both into the Baltic and seven East European countries and they lobbied for NATO membership. Seven of these countries joined in the fifth enlargement in 2004. Albania and Croatia joined in the sixth enlargement in 2009. This pushed NATOs boundaries further east than they had ever imagined. In November 2010, NATO members adopted a new Strategic Concept at the Lisbon Summit. They reaffirmed the Alliances commitment to keep NATOs door open to any European country in a position to undertake the commitments and obligations of membership, and contribute to security in the Euro-Atlantic area.  [vi]   This NATO expansion is accomplished by each new potential member nation through a Membership Action Plan (MAP) mechanism. This is a procedure where the current members review new members formal applications. The mechanism was approved in the 1999 Washington summit. A nations participation in MAP entails the annual presentation of reports concerning its progress on five different measures: (1) willingness to settle international, ethnic or external territorial disputes by peaceful means, commitment to the rule of law and human rights, and democratic control of armed forces; (2) ability to contribute to the organizations defense and missions; (3) devotion of sufficient resources to armed forces to be able to meet the commitments of membership; (4) security of sensitive information, and safeguards ensuring it; and (5) compatibility of domestic legislation with NATO cooperation.  [vii]   The question of NATO enlargement has not been made without it debate by its member nations. They have debated the arguments for and against expansion. An expanded NATO, they argue, may provide the military security and political integration necessary to aid the development of these young democracies.  [viii]  Furthermore, these experts contend that enlargement will help secure a more stable and peaceful future for Europe, which is crucial for U.S. interests.  [ix]  Critics of expansion contend that enlarging NATO risks diluting both its military effectiveness and capabilities. They argue that the new alliance will lack the cohesion and clearly defined purpose that made NATO in its previous incarnation the most successful military alliance of modern times.  [x]  Opponents of expansion also insist that the economic price of enlargement far outweighs its benefits. Furthermore, these experts fear that an enlarged NATO threatens to divide the world into coalitions, not to ment ion the very real possibility of isolating Russia and fanning the flames of the hard-line forces that still threaten Russias democratic development.  [xi]   The six large expansions have made NATO change policies and organizational structure in order to accommodate the newly added states. Some members nations as well as members of the United States Congress have asked what will further expansion cost; who will pay for the costs; is it necessary; how should enlargement be conducted; what is an expanded NATOs purpose? Mr. Sarwar A. Kashmeri tries to answer these questions in his new book NATO 2.0: Reboot or Delete? He provides some insights stating, America has underwritten the security of Europe for over sixty years. It is not a state of affairs that I believe the increasingly pressured American taxpayer will look upon favorably any more. Especially considering that the European Unions gross domestic product now exceeds Americas and the combined defense budget of the Member States of the European Union of around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200 billion (over $300 billion) is not appreciably smaller than Americas defense budget after removing the expe nses of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and subtracting the expenses of Americas world-wide responsibilities, a global role that Europeans seem to have no desire to underwrite or assume.  [xii]   These costs are in effect a return on NATOs investment in these new member countries. The NATO alliances enlargement has promoted stability in Europe by providing a secure environment for new members for further consolidation of democracy and open markets. The progress made in a few years by the latest members to NATO such as Albania and Croatia have been impressive and deserves reward. These countries spent more than eight years in rigorous preparation for NATO membership. Today, Croatia has the most impressive economic performance, and real estate prices, of any country in southern Europe.  [xiii]  In recent years, Albania has contributed more soldiers to missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and international peacekeeping than most NATO allies.  [xiv]  These new members have made the trans-Atlantic alliance stronger. Philip H. Gordon, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at Brooking Institute, said it best in his statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 11, 2008 when he stated, that NATO enlargement has contributed to security and prosperity in Europe. The incentive of NATO membership has led aspiring countries to reform their political systems, liberalize their economies, root out corruption, resolve territorial disputes with neighbors, rationalize their military establishments, and improve minority rights. Once in the alliance new members have contributed troops for vital NATO missions in the Balkans and in Afghanistan and many sent forces to join the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. In turn, NATO membership has reassured their populations of political and military solidarity with the United States and members of the European Union, enabling them to focus on improving the well-being of their citizens rather than worrying about the types of military threats they had lived with fo r centuries.  [xv]  

Essay --

Scott Weaver GHS 205 06 11/29/2013 Medicine in China Chinese medicine has a tradition dating back thousands of years, but in recent years it has changed drastically. The influences of Western medicine, Communist ideology, and other government policies have been the force behind this evolution. Since 1950, Chinese medicine has been standardized and transformed into a mostly state-run program that integrates both traditional Chinese medicine and the more scientific, modern style of Western medicine. During this transition, traditional Chinese medicine struggled to find its place in the new Communist society. Today, multiple medical techniques have been blended together which allow the Chinese to receive top-notch healthcare, while retaining their culture and tradition. Medicine in China has been practiced for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found traces of Chinese medicine dating back to the 16th Century B.C. during the Shang Dynasty. "In Shang era ruins, scholars found particles of seeds still used extensively in Chinese medicine and stone-crafted instruments resembling surgical tools. They also found the first medical records on oracle bones" (Medical Journal). Traditional Chinese medicine combines multiple methods including herbal remedies, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and mind-body therapy. Chinese medicine was highly connected to the spiritual world. Chinese medicine is based on "the ancient Chinese perception of humans as microcosms of the larger, surrounding universe—interconnected with nature and subject to its forces" (NCAAM). Concepts from Daoism, Confucianism, and other schools of Chinese thought found their way into the philosophy and theory of medicine. "Qi, for example, which meant air or breath, ca... ... to practice using Western medicine. When interviewed, many doctors have come to find that "if someone died in your care and you had relied on Chinese medicine alone, no authority would defend you against accusations of neglect. If you used only Western medicine, no one would dare blame you". In China, patients are given many treatment options, and it is ultimately up to them to decide their preferred treatment. This dynamic of multiple healthcare practices is unseen in the rest of the world. In all, Chinese medicine has changed rapidly throughout the last sixty years. The influences of Western medicine and Communist ideology have created a plural healthcare system which is nonexistent in the rest of the world. Medicine in China has become more modern and scientific, while at the same time retaining the culture, traditions, and philosophies of the Chinese people.

The Food Wars by Walden Bello

Food insecurity is linked to various issues such as poverty, low income, poor infrastructure, inequitable access to land, water, credit and markets. Food security is also threatened due to natural disasters such as floods, droughts and further exacerbated by internal conflicts which can dislocate rural and farming communities. These issues and challenges are the normal and repetitive debates among the global community of practice regarding food security while the needs and necessities of the peasant farmers, who are responsible for the majority of food production around the globe, are not addressed. In The Food Wars, Walden Bello presents the important and burning issues of the North-South power gap and hierarchy regarding food security. Bello depicts and argues the role of the Bretton Woods institutions influencing agricultural policies in developing countries, organizations such as the WTO designing rules and regulations that exclude developing nations and their smallholder farmers, while donor organizations such as USAID heavily persuade developing nations to adopt unfriendly domestic policies. Most importantly, Bello closes the gap between the policies made by multilateral institutions, developing government ministries and their implication on the peasant farmer. The structural adjustment had massive implication and consequences in Mexico and the Philippines. According to Bello, the structural adjustment tore apart the traditional corn farmers of Mexico and turned a nation that was once the original place of corn domestication to a major corn importer. Furthermore, the creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in an attempt to create liberalization of agricultural trade further displaced smallholder farmers. Policies imposed by the North have diverted the traditional farming practices of the peasant farmer that has existed for decades to commercial agricultural practices in an attempt to increase agricultural efficiency and strengthen food security. Following the structural adjustment and NAFTA Mexico experienced severe food insecurity while the young labor force from rural farms stated migrating to the US. Bello also discusses the Philippines experience regarding the rice shortage. The Philippines once a major rice exporter nation owing to the government echnical services geared towards peasant farmers became a major food importer due to the effects of structural adjustments. Philippines entry to the WTO increased the country’s payment to its debts, extracting funds from various government services including towards peasant farmers while the nation’s food insecurity increased. Bello states: â€Å"Today, the status of the Philippines as a permanent importer of rice and, mo re generally, a net food importer is implicitly accepted by a government that does not view the countryside as an essential element in the nation’s economic development†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Bello, 67). Bello also discusses the impact of the structural adjustment in the African agriculture. In what Bello labeled â€Å"Destroying African Agriculture†, he discusses the transformation of the African continent as a major exporter of food to a major importer. The aim of the structure adjustment in Africa was to loosen governments’ involvement in rural agriculture such as subsidized fertilizers. The ultimate goal was to attract the private sector into the agriculture economy so that ultimately agriculture productivity increases through industrialized mode of agriculture instead of the peasant agriculture. However, according to Bello, the private sector failed to step in to fill in the gaps. In the case of Malawi, the extreme influence over the government to adopt structural adjustment led the extreme food insecurity of the country and eventually led to famine. Prior to giving into the World Bank’s and IMF’s pressure to adopt to these adjustments, Malawi had a fertilizer subsidy program that provided peasants farmers with affordable fertilizers. After surrendering to the structural adjustment, the government of Malawi withdrew its support to peasant farmers with the hope of the private sector stepping in. However, food production declined tremendously while the nation turned to aid. Malawi finally refused to abide by these adjustments and continued to provide subsidized fertilizer which was followed by three years of crop surplus. Furthermore, Bello emphasizes the contradicting approaches between the WTO and the structural adjustment of the Bretton Wood Institutions. While the World Bank and the IMF were forcing governments to abandon the various subsidies they have set up in place for the peasant farmer, the WTO failed to eliminate subsidies by the US and European governments. Bello states: â€Å"Subsidies now account for 40 percent of the value of agricultural production in the European Union and 25 percent in the United States† (Bello, 76-77). Smallholder farmers were in no position to compete in such unfair market environment and thus the rise in food insecurity around the globe. Agrofuels were once considered the remedy to the massive consumption of fossil fuels and the green alternative. However, as Bello mentions and debates: â€Å"†¦that US and EU agrofuels policies were responsible for three quarters of the 140 percent increase in food prices between 2002 and February 2008† (Bello, 123). Agrofuels become an opportunity of major profit making for multiple multinational corporations. Government officials and development workers indorsed this magical solution with the hope of aiding their beneficiaries. However, the serious demand of agrofuel consumption and production led to extensive environmental damage, pollution and threats to biodiversity. Furthermore, the production of agrofuels failed to be sustainable for it exploits more energy than it produces. However, corporate agriculture and various privileged politicians are the primary beneficiaries to agrofuels and the main drivers to projects and policies that are favorable to it. According to Shepard Daniel and Anuradha Mittal’s article â€Å"The Great Land Grab: Rush for World’s Farmland Threatens Food security of the Poor,† the demand for land has driven investors from around the globe to the current land grab: â€Å"Attracted by this big demand and market, investors- mainly from the private sector and OECD member countries- are targeting vast tracts of land to produce crops for agrofuels in developing countries,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Daniel and Mittal, 4). The land grab in various developing nations is not only coming from the usual â€Å"Northern† countries but rather from emerging economies of China, India, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Furthermore, pressured by the international institutions and foreign investors, developing countries governments fail to make the appropriate decisions that favors smallholder farmers. More and more evidence is indicating that there is not much room for smallholder farmers in this global rush to massive land grabs. Peasant farmers are being forced out of their lands, forced to work on industrialized agriculture while losing their family/ traditional values. The global land grab is not only eliminating traditional farming heritages but is also creating a severe food shortage and insecurity in the most vulnerable areas of the world. Walden Bello presents a holistic argument regarding international food insecurity as influenced by various global players of the North. It offers an extensive analysis of the power hierarchy that exists between the North- South divide and its contribution to the various failed endeavors and attempts to achieving global food security. Bello also emphasizes on food sovereignty as the right of each nation and its citizens to sustain and advance its own capacity to produce basic food, while respecting environmental, productive and cultural diversity. Most importantly, the book emphasizes on the importance of the participation of peasant farmers in decision and policy making being key to achieving food security and healthy economic growth as a whole.

Joyce Carol Oates Essay

‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? ’ is a short story written by renowned author Joyce Carol Oates. The story was originally published in 1966 in Epoch magazine and selected for The Best American Short Stories in 1967 and later won the The O. Henry Award in 1968. The short story’s prominence prompted the creation of a movie adaptation in 1986 entitled Smooth Talk which became the center of several feminist debates. The defining short fiction was inspired by the Pied Piper of Tucson, a teenage killer from Arizona, whom the author read about in Life magazine back in the 60s. Using details from the real life version of Arnold Friend – the story’s main embodiment of seduction and evil – Oates crafted a realistic allegory that is â€Å"Hawthorian, romantic, shading into parable† (Oates & Showalter, 6) that depicts innocence and the consequence of its loss. Like the moniker for the real life serial killer and the actual children’s parable, ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? ’ features a tale that is part twisted Little Red Riding Hood and part The Pied Piper of Hamelin adapted to the post 1950s innocence coupled with the rude awakening of America. At the center of the modern parable is the typical all American girl of the post 50s generation – 15 year old Connie – who is portrayed caught up between the declining innocent sensibilities of the 50s and the rude awakening of the 60s [an emerging culture embodied by rock and roll, random violence, crime and war]. Connie is said to be the embodiment of the new morality emerging in America (Oates & Showalter, 7) and Connie represents this transitional period by being depicted as having two sides to her personality: one that is worn â€Å"one way when she was at home and another way when she was away from home† (Oates, 509). Quoting Douglas Griffin â€Å"Connie is clearly a girl of two minds. The first is the standard life of a bored teen in what appears to be the traditional post 1950’s home; the second is as a teenager on the cusp of attachment to music, cars and sex† (1). Despite the fact that Connie is a teenager awakening in the worldly 1960s, her portrayal still had hints of the innocence typical of someone who grew up through most of the 50s. This is probably why Connie was chosen as the perfect representation of the trappings of choice created by the period marked with boredom: she is the tragic victim of the choice to lose one’s own innocence. Despite her depiction as being more akin to the modern teenagers of her time, Connie’s inherent innocence is still [though barely] palpable within the context of the story. To determine the state of innocence still present in the protagonist Connie, the best probable approach would be to liken her to the prominent figure that mirrors her in a parable often told children: Little Red Riding Hood. First it must be noted that the tale of Little Red Riding Hood as told by Charles Perrault is a cautionary moral tale that warns innocent children of the consequences of listening to the words of a stranger. The parable goes as far as to warn women and children of the wolf in sheep’s clothing; that not all wolves are outwardly threatening and that those most dangerous are often the tame, obliging and gentle (Perrualt). In Perrault’s version of the children’s fable, it was little red riding hood’s own trusting words when she first encountered the wolf that gave the wolf the opening he needed to scheme and eventually eat the unsuspecting child. Like little red riding hood, Connie also failed to realize the presence of the wolf in the woods she was in. She saw him, noticed him [Arnold Friend], but she â€Å"slit her eyes at him and turned away† (Oates, 510) and paid no heed to his declaration â€Å"Gonna get you, baby† (Oates, 510). Little red riding hood mistook the wolf’s intentions for friendliness while Connie mistook Arnold Friend’s look for plain simple admiration. In this particular situation, it could be said that Connie fell victim to the same innocent misgivings of a child like little red riding hood did. This similar pattern is repeated once again near the end of both tales. In the children’s parable, Little Red Riding Hood once again represented innocence in the form of childish curiosity, asking a series of innocent questions that eventually build up to the grim, climactic ending. Here, in her innocence, little red riding hood failed to recognize the wolf disguised as her grandmother, blindly believing the wolf’s answers without taking notice of the signs already in front of her. In a similar vein, Connie also fell victim to the disguised Arnold Friend in the same way. In this particular part of the story, Arnold Friend blatantly presents himself as a friend, talking in a sing-song manner. However, despite being able to â€Å"recognize[d] most things about him, the tight jeans [†¦] the greasy leather boots and the tight shirt, [†¦] that slippery friendly smile of his, that sleepy dreamy smile that all the boys used to get across ideas they didn’t want to put into words [†¦] the singsong way he talked, [†¦] the way he tapped one fist against the other in homage to the perpetual music behind him [†¦] all these things did not come together† (Oates, 513). until much later. Again, like little red riding hood, the wolf was already in front of Connie and she did not immediately notice the threat he posed. Aside from these mirroring qualities between the parable and Oates’ story, Connie also had independent characteristics and behavioural hints that reflect her inherent innocence. This presumed innocence somewhat has a childish quality to it, possibly making it another mirroring quality between Connie and the child in little red riding hood. For example, at the beginning of the text Connie was described as having a quick nervous giggling habit of glancing at mirrors (Oats, 509) – a trait that can be said Connie might share with a newborn or toddler who has just recently discovered his/her reflection. Her walk, described as childlike and bobbing, could be seen as another hint. In public her laugh becomes high pitched and nervous as if she were shy and uncertain. During their nights out at the drive-in restaurant she and her friend would often sit â€Å"at the counter and crossed their legs at the ankles† in [feigned] modesty. Even the way she dreams her ‘trashy’ dreams has a puritanical sense to it, peppered with an ideal that is in no way carnal or corrupt: Connie sat with her eyes closed in the sun, dreaming and dazed with the warmth about her as if this were a kind of love, the caresses of love, and her mind slipped over onto thoughts of the boy she had been with the night before and how nice he had been, how sweet it always was [†¦] gentle, the way it was in movies and promised in songs (Oates, 510). These descriptions of Connie paint her to still have child-like qualities. She has an ideal she believes in, she has an honest sense about herself and her world, and she possesses the same uncertainties a child would have if cast into a strange world. Perhaps, in Connie’s case this is especially true since she is growing up in a new culture that is not like that of the previous decade. However, being an adolescent exposed to the emerging new morals of the time, Connie is often faced with instances that will challenge her moral choices. She is cast as part of a generation that has become bored, a generation that is slowly turning towards anything that would distract them – even for the briefest moments. And in the years the story was based upon, the teenagers of the time has turned to rock and roll, drugs and sex as means of diversion (Moser). Connie in the text is no different. Her fantasy world â€Å"is the world of James Dean, Natalie Wood and Rebel Without a Cause† (Oates & Showalter, 7). She lives in a time where pre-marital sex is romanticized, drugs is an option and teen rebellion is hyped. Her exposure to this environment was not solely coincidental but also consensual. It was always her choice to â€Å"enter[ing] a sacred building that loomed up out of the night to give them what haven and blessing they yearned for† (Oates, 510). It was always her decision to go out with boys named Eddie or some other and have their faces fall back and â€Å"dissolve[d] into a single face that was not even a face but an idea, a feeling, mixed up with the urgent insistent pounding of the [†¦] night† (Oates, 510). It was her own behaviour and choices that led her to the same woods the wolf Arnold Friend stalked. ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? ’ has always been argued as an allegory of good versus evil, of innocence and corruption (Oats & Showalter, 9). Certainly the character of Arnold Friend is the depiction of evil and of corruption and Connie saw this but turned a blind eye. Friend’s seduction and coercion of Connie near the end of the story is a representation of how one’s choices might consequently invite the devil to drive up right into one’s very own driveway. It was Connie’s choices that spoke to Arnold, the same way little red riding hood told the wolf, and led [both] the evil right onto her very own doorsteps. Ultimately, â€Å"Connie’s journey down the path of worldliness eventually leads her to a place that she clearly did not intend† (Griffin, 1) and this has left her â€Å"hollow with what had been fear but what was now just an emptiness† as she â€Å"watched herself push the door slowly open [†¦] moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Friend waited† (Oates, 520). Connie, like little red riding hood, was consumed by the wolf. Works Cited Griffin, Douglas. â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates – An Examination of the Trappings of Choice. † Www. Bookstove. com. Stanza Ltd. 6 May 2009 < http://www. bookstove. com/Drama/Where-Are-You-Going-Where-Have-You-Been-by-Joyce-Carol-Oates. 36420> Moser, Don. â€Å"The Pied Piper of Tucson. † Casebook. Oates, Joyce Carol; Laurie Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell (editors). â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? † Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing 6th Ed. Cengage Learning, 2006. Oates, Joyce Carol and Elaine Showalter. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? 2nd Ed. Rutgers University Press, 1994. Perrault, Charles. â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood. † Casebook.

Free Essays on Japanese Interiors

Japanese Interiors I have always been intrigued by Japanese interiors, but never knew much about the actual meaning and function of these spaces until enrolling in this class. Not only am I personally interested; I know that many future clients will share the same interest. Therefore, I wanted to study this topic more in depth so I could use this design in client’s homes in the future. When studying these interiors, not only did I get to learn about traditional furniture pieces, table presentation, and use of space, but also the means in which they are used. For example, while learning about ceramic ware, I also got to learn about the tea ceremonies in which they are used. Before this class I had an illusion of Japan. I imagined little Japanese people dressed in their colorful kimonos in their perfect and tidy little rooms in their lovely towns. This of course is only a fantasy. In reality, Japan has to not only deal with the lack of physical space, but just like the Westerners, they deal with the clutter that we see as so necessary. Vacuums, television and stereo equipment make creating a beautiful space challenging. Understanding this, it made me appreciate the way the Japanese find beauty in unexpected places. In my opinion, they have mastered the art of seeing past the unappealing and bringing out the beauty. They seek out the subtleties rather than the obvious and are enchanted by shadows. Their sense of order and their eye for shape, texture and color in affect made me pay more attention to these details in my own environment. In class we learned about â€Å"green houses† and how shoji screens, although literally paper-thin and even somewhat transparent, was a major source of privacy. We (the west) are accustomed to solid barriers. It amazing me how a simple screen can serve so many purposes. Not only do they provide privacy, they also create space. Simply placing a few shoji screens together may create an entirely ... Free Essays on Japanese Interiors Free Essays on Japanese Interiors Japanese Interiors I have always been intrigued by Japanese interiors, but never knew much about the actual meaning and function of these spaces until enrolling in this class. Not only am I personally interested; I know that many future clients will share the same interest. Therefore, I wanted to study this topic more in depth so I could use this design in client’s homes in the future. When studying these interiors, not only did I get to learn about traditional furniture pieces, table presentation, and use of space, but also the means in which they are used. For example, while learning about ceramic ware, I also got to learn about the tea ceremonies in which they are used. Before this class I had an illusion of Japan. I imagined little Japanese people dressed in their colorful kimonos in their perfect and tidy little rooms in their lovely towns. This of course is only a fantasy. In reality, Japan has to not only deal with the lack of physical space, but just like the Westerners, they deal with the clutter that we see as so necessary. Vacuums, television and stereo equipment make creating a beautiful space challenging. Understanding this, it made me appreciate the way the Japanese find beauty in unexpected places. In my opinion, they have mastered the art of seeing past the unappealing and bringing out the beauty. They seek out the subtleties rather than the obvious and are enchanted by shadows. Their sense of order and their eye for shape, texture and color in affect made me pay more attention to these details in my own environment. In class we learned about â€Å"green houses† and how shoji screens, although literally paper-thin and even somewhat transparent, was a major source of privacy. We (the west) are accustomed to solid barriers. It amazing me how a simple screen can serve so many purposes. Not only do they provide privacy, they also create space. Simply placing a few shoji screens together may create an entirely ...

The Conclusion of Kerner Commission Report Essay

The Conclusion of Kerner Commission Report - Essay Example My extensive research on the riots enabled me to realize that there are significant differences between what the commission reported and what actually happened back in the mid 1960s. I found that the riots were far less destructive than they were claimed to be and in most cases there were no serious confrontations between black and white people. Therefore, what actually happened was less extensive and less destructive than it was reported by the mass media. However, most of the public sector lacked other sources of information and believed what they saw on the television or heard on the radio and thus their beliefs and impressions were shaped accordingly. (Symposium: The Urban Crisis: the Kerner Commission Report Revisited., 1993 pg 10-15) Therefore, most of the American society was a victim of what is known as the sensationalizing strategy of mass media. I believe that the Commissions claim regarding two societies has ever materialized. My view is backed up by the fact that by 1985, American African population in the suburbs had increased to approximately 20.8 million. If America had been moving towards distinct unequal black and white societies as predicted by the Kerner Report, then the American Africans would not have been able to gain the immense political success which they have in the modern society. An African American scholar W. E. B. Du Bois over 100 years ago stated that: â€Å"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line† (Walker et al 2007 pg 1) ... If America had been moving towards distinct unequal black and white societies as predicted by the Kerner Report, then the American Africans would not have been able to gain the immense political success which they have in the modern society. An African American scholar W. E. B. Du Bois over 100 years ago stated that: â€Å"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line† (Walker et al 2007 pg 1) I do believe that wherever multi cultural societies live in close proximity, racism will be inevitable. But what I do not believe is that racism alone is capable of dividing the nation. Despite all the controversies, the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s was a success because due its efforts the African American population has been able to accomplish its birth right i.e. an equal status to American white population. Before the Civil Rights movement was launched, African American population did not have an equal status to the white and were not even allowed to vot e. (Walker et al 2007 page 23). Therefore, they had no elected representation in American Parliament. After the Civil Rights movement was launched, things started to change dramatically. In accordance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Literacy test was abolished and therefore ensured that the black voters were not discriminated. Therefore, the Civil Rights movement paved the way for the success of African American population. It forced the Americans to accept the black population as equal to the white population. (Walker et al 2007 pg 24-25) Indeed, the success of the movement was reflected by the fact that Cruel and unjust punishment of black people was abolished by the American Government. Furthermore, American government strived

Motivation at work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Motivation at work - Essay Example Thus the organization is able to increase the amount of profits it makes since it increases its level of customer satisfaction and retention (Pinder, 2008). From the article, it is a clear fact that motivation plays a significant role in fulfilling the promise for personal improvement as well as that of the organization. It is shown in the way that the employees at the WestLake Computing Corporation (WCC) are provided with diversity training programs that help them to know how to work within a workforce that is highly diverse. Usually the small problems that are identified within an organization serve as a greater revelation of the main issues that are affecting the overall performance of the organization. One of this is motivation, which although may appear to be a minor issue is a very relevant component towards the success of the organization. It thus reveals that there is a lot of motivation that still needs to be offered below the surface hence an indication of the high capability contained in each individual to perform extraordinarily. For instance, the employees in this organization are given the details, case applications or exa mples and regulation to provide employment regulations with which they raise their capabilities in dealing with different situations within an environment with multiple cultures (Pinder, 2008). The article provides a lot of insight regarding the need for motivation at the workplace in relation to the total organizational performance. It is also encouraging in the sense that it is written on a positive perspective and not with the intention to offer criticisms. In relation to the case, it helps to speed up most important issues within the organization that include the expansion of sales to international levels. According to the author, it is the organizational behavior class that helps individuals to point out towards some of the solutions