American Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

American Civil War - Essay Example His ultimate goal in the campaign of 1864 was ostensibly the capture of the Confederate capital, Richmond. Every movement, position and counter attack was intended to push through the Confederate forces. Smaller Union forces under the command of Franz Siegel and Benjamin Butler attempted to carry out missions that were to cut off supplies and reinforcements from General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. While capturing Richmond would have been a great leap towards ending the war, Grant admitted in his writings that this was actually a secondary goal. The primary objective of his campaign in the spring and summer of 1864 was to wage a war of attrition against the rebel troops. He wanted to wear them down, deplete their morale and break what remained of their allegiance to the cause of the Confederacy. While Grant ultimately failed in taking Richmond during the campaign, it could be argued that he did indeed cause a serious drop in morale among Confederate soldiers by causing high rates of attrition and displaying more tenacity to win battles than any Union commander had before him (Rickard 2006). The start of the campaign began with Grant traveling with Meade and the Army of the Potomac south, in an attempt to cross the Rapidan River and travel through the Wilderness. This Wilderness had been the scene of fierce fighting one year earlier that resulted in the retreat of the Union forces back across the river. Grant was hoping that he could push through the Wilderness before Lee was able to position his troops. Lee beat Grant to the Wilderness and the forces met amid the thick brush and tangles of the forest. Lee was successful in halting the Union advance, but Grant showed considerable determination by refusing to retreat back across the river. Instead, he withdrew from the Wilderness and tried to march around Lee’s army. Grant set his sights on obtaining control of a railroad junction near a village known as

Police Light Circuit Design

Police Light Circuit Design Introduction Police light have been around for years, since then they have developed drastically, with technology moving forward so have aspects of police light and how they are made, developed and manufactured nowadays. In the 1940s authorities used single beacon lights, which was placed on top of their cars. Early 1990s the single beacon lights became less common as light bars where introduced, they became popular and replaced the single beacon light. Police lights are a significant aspect of many emergency vehicles, as its one of their most recognisable features, which informs the public that indeed the given vehicles is an emergency vehicle. This system is controlled by in system controls within the vehicle itself, which allow the user to have full control of the lights system, determine how and when the lights come on or go off, and even how the police light behave in terms of how they flash. This system is used in the case of an emergency, the user will turn it on whenever there is an emergency, as a result the public will be aware that that given vehicle is an emergency vehicle, this allows the public to respond with necessary action, in that given situation. Principle behind the circuit Circuit diagram Required components Hardware NE555 Bipolar Timer 4017 Decade Counter 1N4148 Diode 1.2K Resistor 10K Resistor 470 Resistor 4.7uF Electrolytic Capacitor (50V) BC547 NPN Transistor LED 10K POT Switch Software Proteus 8 professional Windows 10 Components used Resistor When trying to resist the flow of alternating or direct electric circuit a resistor can be used in order to perform that action, this piece of component is placed in the electric circuit, depending on the circuit and how it functions the location of where the resisters are placed will vary. In electronic circuits a resistor is typically used to either limit or divide the current, protect an electric circuit or reduce voltage. When the charged particles(electrons) move from one region to another it is known as electric current. the shape of a resistor is cylindrical. There are many different types of resistors that have different values, when using resistors, you can identify the value of the resistor by looking at colour coding, resistors have something known as a colour band, a resistor can have 3,4 or 5 colour bands, depending on the resistor value. When the temperature is constant the current density is directly proportional to the electric field, which obeys ohms law. Capacitor A component such as a capacitor can be used when needing to store an electric charge. When electrical energy is added to the capacitor it is known as charging, however when energy is release from the capacitor it is known as discharging. A capacitor has two metal plates, which are separated by a non-touching layer which is called a dielectric. Electricity from a direct current or an electrostatic source charges one of the plates. When power is supplied through a circuit electrical charge will gradually build up in the plates. While one plate gains a positive charge, the will gain a negative charge. When you integrated a capacitor within a circuit that might contain a lamp or motor, the charge of the capacitor flow through the lamp or motor, until there is no charge remaining gin the plates. The capacitance of a capacitor is the amount of electrical energy the capacitor can store, the bigger the capacitance the more electrical energy it can store. There are a wide range of capacitors available on the market, such as Air, Mica and Paper, depending on the intended purpose, different capacitors are used. Transistor A component such as a transistor is a device which is used to transforms current flow from a low resistance to al high resistance path. A transistor is a solid-state device which contains a piece semi conducting material, which can usually be silicon or germanium. When negatively charged, electrons are present we call a transistor an n-type transistor, because it contains donor impurity atoms. However, when positively charged electrons are present we call a transistor an p-type transistor, because it contains acceptor impurity atoms. Flow chart Advantages User control Ease of use No mercury in LED Cheap Light up quckly Disadvantages Colour shift Constant flow of voltage and current Applications future enchancments Light patterns changing how thy flash

Musings Essay -- Personal Narrative Creative Writing Essays

Musings How strange the things that reach in and touch the heart. Sometimes the tears spring unbidden from some deep and secret place in my soul. And anguish sweeps across me just as the breeze sweeps across the desolate prairie. I don't know from where these feelings come. I only understand how powerful and consuming they are. And yet somehow out of this comes renewal. A reaffirming that even through all of my faults and all of my imperfections, I still care. I still love. And through this realization the tenderness that lives within is reborn if only for a little while longer. Such started the morning in which I looked into the mirror to see this young man whom I didn't really know. His blue eyes staring back at me. A body, a man, a shy secluded young man with a scar on his left eyebrow. "This morning I roused from a fitful sleep. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth, always the first ritual of the morning. I stood there brushing away and glanced up at the man staring back at me as though he didn't know who I was. The moment was very disconcerting. The glance slowly lengthened into an incredibly intense stare." Finally, to break the unbearable silence that hung uncomfortably between, words seemed to tumble from my lips. "Who are you? What has made you who you are?" I decided that maybe I needed to examine these questions and the questioner as well. What are the burdens that weigh upon you? Where are the scars of the battles you've fought? Which ones did you win and which ones were lost? Do you realize that the very question is faulty? All battles that you fight are won, not singularly because of the experience you gain from them, but also because you chose to take on the obstacle, to tackle the problem and... ...nd the moon, full and beautiful, stares down at me with its silvery gaze. It winks as the misty clouds pass infront of it. Do you see it, my love? I want you. I need you. I have so many things I want to share. As I sit here on my bed, I can imagine the twinkling smile in your eyes. I can already see your beautiful smile and it comforts me. My life isn't empty, quite the opposite in fact, but it lacks a special and arguably integral component. How precious it must be to see your own soul reflected back at you in someone else's eyes. What does fate have in store for me? As I ask this question, the realization comes to me that perhaps I should not have the answer. Maybe the more important realization is that you should not put your expectations on what life ought to be, but rather allow it to flow naturally to you and appreciate it for the surprises it brings.

Children with exceptional need Essay

Researches in development reveal that both genetics and environment not only separately influence normal or abnormal functioning of the human psyche, but together and inseparably affect an individual’s manner of operating in his world (Nevid, Rathus and Greene, 2008). Environment’s influence can start as early as the nurturer’s bearing, i. e. the moment of conception when the fertilized cell is immersed in the mother’s internal environment. The contention that genetics cannot be downplayed since this fertilized cell contains genetic material that may mean the marked direction of growth towards normality or abnormality has been embraced by biologists and psychologists for many decades until now. Nature and nurture interact to mould a person into what he becomes; hence psychological disorders are regarded both a product of genetics and environment according to many studies. However, the degree of their influence such as at what critical times will the developing child or person succumbs to the effects of environment is observed to be crucial though. This means that the individual who has risks of developing mental illness, depends largely to these â€Å"critical periods† (Nevid, Rathus and Greene, 2008). Abnormal psychology or the study of the development of psychological disorders focuses on the interplay of genetics and environment and how most psychologists agree to the notion that though genetics increases the possibility of the development of â€Å"malfunctioning† or disorders; this is generally moderated by environment (Nevid, Rathus and Greene, 2008). Learning disorders are also coined as â€Å"language and speech disorders† and academic skills disorders. They are commonly identified when a child enters school-age. the problems related with these disorders generally hamper a particular child’s overall engagement in school activities which may usually have their dire effects on his/her esteem (Nevid, Rathus and Greene, 2008). Academic skills disorders have the following subtypes: developmental arithmetic disorder (children who cannot do simple arithmetic equations like addition and subtraction and the recognition of their symbols like a plus + or minus sign -) ; developmental expressive writing (a severe difficulty in the ability to express themselves through writing or composition) , and developmental reading disorders (termed as dyslexia, this disability is characterized by a child’s inability to recognize words or letters and understand the printed material) (Nevid, Rathus and Greene, 2008). Language and speech disorders usually are identified with children and are categorized as: developmental articulation disorder (cannot make a sound or speak specific words), developmental expressive language disorder (grammatical errors which are profound) and developmental receptive disorders (children who have the inability to comprehend someone speaking a language) (Nevid, Rathus and Greene, 2008). Many problems are faced by students who are highly creative. This includes the need to conform to the majority, seemingly lacking in motivation, lack of insights into their asynchronicity, the parental lack in terms of knowledge or understanding into their child’s dilemmas, underachievement and a host of others. These are further complicated by lack of experts in the local level (Santrock, 2005). Discussion The adolescent who is gifted has different sets of needs and challenges which are indeed complex ones. The bigger bulk of responsibility lies in the hands of the parents and then the school. A lot of studies have been conducted to establish what these needs are, how one gifted child differs from another, and the varying interventions that may be employed to enhance and meet the unique requirements of the gifted child (Santrock, 2005). Giftedness comes in diverse ways, and educators, parents alike follow some hard and fast rules in determining students who fall into specific categories of giftedness. Today, many specialists look into the minds of a gifted student by defining and measuring creativity. This entails that a person possesses the ability to provide a novel idea or solution to a problem, make solutions which others have not discovered before, or finding very unusual solutions. It takes into consideration that high creativity may not be found with the high academic intelligence criterion. Classic researches all reveal the â€Å"modest correlations† linking IQ and creativity (Santrock, 2005). From this development, Guilford proposed the two kinds of thinking: the convergent and divergent. IQ tests measure convergent thinking which looks for accurate and single correct answer or solution. The tests for creativity seek divergent type of thinking ((Santrock, 2005). Programs are varied depending on the institution in which the student/s is enrolled; however, most schools are mandated and are trained to identify or recognize children with gifted or exceptional abilities. The US Department of Education identifies the basic two approaches employed in meeting the complex needs of this oftentimes marginalized segment of students. Enrichment enlarges and intensifies skills and knowledge base by providing the student with additional classroom projects or activities; field trips can be very important to enhancing a student’s creativity and coaching by an expert in the child’s specific talent or interest. Another approach is acceleration which is oftentimes urged by experts and educators. Children skip a grade or take a placement test to be classified in a specific or particular subject or advanced courses (Santrock, 2005). The counseling course then often takes a route along these two approaches. Once the child is identified as possessing some remarkable qualities that are unusual to his age or group, the parents are advised to provide the enrichment the child needs. In whatever the case, teachers often are placed in positions to identify these creative streaks and expected to make the necessary interventions to help the student make use of his talents. In most cases, children suffer some debilitating â€Å"handicaps† due to their unusual creativity; such as a combination of ADHD and the giftedness (they call it â€Å"twice exceptional). This is where parents and especially teachers must be fully trained to spot complications that go with being gifted (Santrock, 2005). Teachers must be made aware that alongside other difficulties, specific manifestations may be evident as symptoms of their difficulties; e. g. , having messy school work because their hands cannot cope with the speed of their minds, or may even be poor spellers and poor performers in rote memorization. In other words, these students with their contrasting difficulties just don’t seem to fit (Santrock, 2005). The goal then for the parents, teacher or school counselor is to magnify on the child becoming an asset rather than emphasizing on such possibilities as pursuing and achieving fame, high economic status or even a Nobel Prize. It is important that the goal for the educational community is for gifted students who will develop into an individual adult who will become comfortable with his innate capabilities and has used them productively (Santrock, 2005). Conclusion The question of whether heredity (nature) or environment (nurture) is more important in determining the course of human development has been debated throughout the centuries (Papalia et al, 2002). The advent of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution (1859), which emphasizes the biological basis of human development, led to a return to the hereditarian point of view. With the rise of behaviorism in the twentieth century, however, the environmentalists’ position once again gained dominance (Atkinson, 1993). Behaviorists such as John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner argued that human nature is completely malleable: early training can turn a child into any kind of adult, regardless of his or her heredity. Watson stated the argument in its most extreme form which is presented the average person’s activity (Atkinson, 1993). Today most psychologists agree not only that both nature and nurture play important roles but that they interact continuously and guide development. For example, the development of many personality traits, such as sociability and emotional stability, appear to be influenced about equally by heredity and environment; similarly, mental disorders can have both genetic and environmental causes (Atkinson, 1993). Behavior geneticists are attempting to sort out the relative importance of nature and nurture influences in the development of various behavior patterns. Psychologists are especially interested in the roles of nature and nurture in intelligence, abnormal behavior patterns such as schizophrenia, and social problems such as sociopathy and aggression (Atkinson, 1993). Non-genetic influence or the environment is perhaps the strongest alibi any person attributes to whenever things turn out not as good as they want them to be. We often make justifications why we tend to be mediocre; â€Å"because my parents did not try their very best to train me and provide for all that I need,† is our typical rejoinder. To what extent is this true, and where does the line end when it comes to personal responsibility, genetic predispositions, or the responsibility and accountability of people who exert immense influence on us? The argument postulated in this paper is not so much as â€Å"drawing the line† in as much as it has evidently proven the great impact of nurture on personality and/or human development in general (Papalia et al, 2002). Parental abuse and neglect have been issues in learning because these are factors that are vital to the child’s overall performance and normal functioning as they operate as kids and later as adults in the real world. This is also true with nutritional status of children in their growing years. Several studies have proven the effects of these factors that they are consciously observed among the educated parents; as much as possible, many actively pursue in avoiding the drastic effects of either deficiency (Papalia et al, 2002). Indeed, the environmental changes that are constantly influencing children in their early stages are established in the scientific disciplines; this despite the many arguments to the contrary. Reference: Atkinson, R. L. , R. C. Atkinson, E. E. Smith, D. J. Bem, and S. Nolen-Hoeksema. 1993. Introduction to psychology. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace and Company. Nevid, Jeffrey, Spencer Rathus, & Beverly Greene (2008). Abnormal Psychology in a Changing World. Pearson Prentice Hall. Santrock, J. W. (2005). Adolescence. (12th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill. Papalia, Diane, Sally W. Olds, Ruth D. Feldman. 2002. Human development 8th Ed. McGraw Hill.

Letter from Birmingham Jail Argument

Letter from Birmingham jail argument essay In Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s essay â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail† he makes the claim that; â€Å"It is a historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give who their unjust posture, but†¦groups tend to be more immoral than individuals,† (paragraph 12). This means that those who come from privileged groups tend not to give up their privileges. Which is completely true, hence is why I qualify with his statement.King lived in the 1960s and was a anti-segregationist activists. Also he was a member of the clergy and a very influential member in our American history. In the 60s blacks and whites were separated in everything they did, from schooling all the way down to restrooms and water fountains. It was a unfair and unjust time period for the oppressed blacks. Which is why King was in jail to begin with, and also why he wrote hi s letter in response to the clergyman. King's statement about how the privileged are not quick to give up their privileges is evident throughout our history.When the slaves in America were enslaved the white slaveholders who were clearly privileged were not quick to give up their ownership over theses people, in fact they even went to war over this issue. The Germans, in Nazi Germany were not quick to revolt against the Nazi's because their power allowed them even greater privileges. In fact, I would argue that those who are a part of a privileged group will even advocate towards immoral actions to greater their privileges. Personally speaking as a competitive dancer I have seen an example of this first hand. The more money you put into the sport it is evident that you get out more.And the dancers' parents who put in more money expect more, even if their child is completely un-talented. These dancers whom are clearly privileged when asked if they will trade a front line in a dance f or the back because little Susie never gets to be in the front will simple scoff at even the idea. People who are privileged do not even know what it is like to work hard to earn your blessings, and that is what us wrong with our world today. King's argument about those who are privileged is evident throughout world history and continues onto modern day. Those who are given more will not hand over what has been granted to them.

Hard Work Pays Off Professor Ramos Blog

Hard Work Pays Off It was an early morning in 2016 in a small town called Beaumont. A fresh new week to start off the winter season. It was not too hot, not too cold but just the right weather for a young overweight sophomore to start his first day of wrestling. A day that he would most likely remember for the rest of his life. This young fat boy is me Timothy. I was 5’9, weighed about 240 pounds, and was mainly made up of fat and had a little bit of muscle at the time. I barely had any stamina to begin with. I did have a year of football experience which honestly did nothing to really help, except for the weight lifting I was taught. Furthermore, nothing I knew at the time could help me to endure wrestling. If you didn’t have any drive, or a sense of will power, than you were done right there in the first day of practice. In any other sport, if you didn’t make the cut you were out. Yet the wrestling team wasnt like any other sport. Students that didnt make the wrestling team had quit, they were never cut. At the time I didn’t really believe that wrestling was that tough. So I asked one of the coaches if I could join the team and he said â€Å"Yeah, if you want you could start early before the season starts.† I said, â€Å"Yes, of course.† Looking back, I didn’t really think about the decision I made to start wreslting before the actual season began but, it literally saved me from a week embarrassment during the junior varsity practice. I assumed the coach was looking for students that would join because their JV team wasn’t fully equipped, which means there weren’t enough students on the team. The team needed roughly twenty-four students and they barely had half. The reason coaches wanted roughly twenty-four students is because if anyone got hurt, they can have a â€Å"second string† to take their place if needed. Practice started right after school at 3:15 p.m so we barely had enough time to get dressed and stretch. I felt fine at the beginning of practice, but it would quickly turn upside down once we started the conditioning part of practice. This was no ordinary conditioning because we wouldn’t just run, we would sprint, we would carry each other about 100 yards and then switch and we also run up and down stairs. When that was all over, if the coach felt that we didn’t give it our all, we would run some more however he saw fit. Once we were done with this, we would continue with our warm ups which was a five to ten minutes of a â€Å"light† workout, but it didn’t feel like an easy workout after all the conditioning we had just done. After this we started to stretch out parts of our body that I have never stretched before like our necks, our back, and even our wrists.While we were stretching our necks we were basically forcing our backs to get into an angle where we could stretch our necks and funny enough it also stretched out our wrists as well. After stretching, our coach went over the rules of wrestling which took about ten to twenty minutes. The way he was describing it was short, simple, but very confusing to someone new. Next, we got into pairs and he showed us a couple of moves, which he expected us to know after several minutes of practicing with one another. After several more new moves and several more attempts to learn the moves with our partner, we were moving on toward the end of practice which meant live wrestling. Live wrestling is when we get in groups of four with people that are closest to your weight where two people are wrestling and two people are coaching and making sure the two people that are wrestling aren’t crashing into other groups. Yet, my experience wasn’t the best because the people in my group were all varsity players and had a lot more experience than I did. So when it was my turn to wrestle, I was basically taking a beating every single time. I was also told by Danny, one of the varsity wrestlers, that I was very â€Å"passive and not aggressive enough.† Which I later took into consideration. When live wrestling was over, we would do another ten to fifteen minutes of conditioning, which included different types of pushups, sit-ups, burpees, and other types of exercises that were extremely hard. After my first day of practice, I felt good in a way but I also very exhausted. From that point forward I would continue doing wrestling and continue to grow with my teammates, even though my coach thought I was going to quit because for the first few weeks he would always ask me â€Å"Are you going to come back tomorrow?† After a couple weeks of off-season practice, we would finally hit the regular wrestling season, which meant I would be practicing with the junior varsity coach and junior varsity wrestlers. This practice started at 5:45 p.m. when it was basically almost night time. When it first started, we did the regular warm ups we did during the off-season but we ended up doing more conditioning than the varsity players. We also practice with the varsity girls which was very awkward but we adapted pretty quickly. After weeks of non-stop practice and extra conditioning, I finally get to have my first wrestling match which was during a dual wrestling tournament. This is where two schools would line up all their best wrestlers and match them by weight with the other schools wrestlers and the way it worked out is with whoevers wrestlers would win, that team would gain a point and whoever gets the most points is the team that will win the tournament. Our very first team dual was against Big Bear and they had a full-sized team just like ours. We started the dual with the lighter weights and then moved on to the heavy weights, which gave me time to take in the experience that I was wrestling with my team. Not only was I soaking in the experience, but it also gave me another reason to do my best seeing that everyone before me gave it their all so I didnt want to disappoint them. When it came time for me to wrestle, since I was the very last one, I was hiped and full of energy until I was informed that I was wrestling a girl. She was a few inches taller than me and looked more muscular than I did. It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences I have ever had. Yet since I already wrestled varsity girls on our team, it wasn’t too bad but it was still weird because I was wrestling in front of an audience and my team. I didn’t want to hurt her but at the same time, I couldn’t let my team down. So I dragged out the match because I was trying to find a way to win by not using too much force. In the third period I finally pinned her in the last couple of seconds. After this match I had several more matches and I did not hold anything back and was able to pin my opponents in the first period. Wrestling has been a big part of my life since and has changed me physically and mentally. I started off at 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing around 240 pounds and after three years of wrestling I grew two inches and lost a couple of pounds. Now I stand at 5 feet 11 inches and weigh about 200 pounds. But my physique is not the only thing that has changed. My stamina, strength, flexibility, and durability has also changed for the better. Because of wrestling, I have become more humble of how I act and treat others. I’m much more respectful now than I was before and I’m also a bit more outgoing. Wrestling has made me a better person and has also made me continue to workout consistently, which helps me manage my everyday life.

Morries Aphorisms essays

Morries Aphorisms essays Using Morrie's Aphorisms as Teaching Tools No bubble is so iridescent or floats longer than that blown by the successful teacher. Sir William Osler (1849-1919), 4 Oct. 1911, Glasgow (quoted in: Harvey Cushing, Life of Sir William Osler, vol. 2, ch. 31, 1925). Mitch Albom wrote Tuesdays with Morrie as a final tribute to his old college professor, Morrie Schwartz, who intended that his death should be his "final thesis." Grim and fascinating, Professor Schwartzs courage in the face of a painful death is truly inspiring. The lucidity and wisdom which Professor Schwartz gained over the years became increasingly pronounced and focused as he contemplated his life and imminent death, as well as his place in the Cosmos while his frail body melted away through A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig's disease). This paper will discuss five of Professor Schwartz aphorisms (or proverbs), which would facilitate learning in subject- specific -and other educational venues. So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when theyre busy doing things they think are important. This is because theyre chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning. (emphasis added) (p. 43) Professor Schwartzs analysis of the "meaning of life" is particularly appropriate for teaching philosophical views and sociological concepts. Since time immemorial, man has contemplated why he is on the Earth and what his place is in the Greater Scheme of Things. While students rush through the educational process in a pinball-like attempt to learn what they need to thrive and survive, they frequently overlook those aspects of their education, which are the most important. When people become self-actualized,...

The Rules of Engagement in English

The Rules of Engagement in English The Rules of Engagement in English The Rules of Engagement in English By Mark Nichol In the same day, this site received, among readers’ responses to my recent post Courtesy Titles and Honorifics, two diverse email messages: One was a reasonable, well-written support of the writer’s opinion that, as she was taught, because the courtesy title Ms. is an artificial designation that doesn’t abbreviate anything, it should not include a period. The other correspondent wrote, â€Å"hey watch out your website looks like a rule book, and we all know rule books are fascist.† Whether one’s convictions are adept or absurd, however, one must accept the incontrovertible fact that although one is free to write in any style or manner one chooses, this choice has consequences. Linguistic anarchy is inimical to language, by virtue of the fact that language, as a form of communication, is essential to family, to society, to civilization. Just as abiding by rules of personal and community conduct (the latter extending in scope from the smallest village to the United Nations) helps protect the fragile coexistence of humans, adhering to guidelines for language use enable at least sizeable blocs of humanity to agree on common signals for cooperation (or conflict). Language evolves, constantly and relentlessly, but precepts and attitudes about it prevail for a time before they slowly respond to changes in usage. Therefore, for example, though one of the correspondents I referred to above is correct that the period following Ms. is not logically justified and that for that reason, early in the term’s life span, many writers omitted the punctuation it is now standard, for the sake of consistency, to treat Ms. the same as Mr. and Mrs. One’s gender and gender politics are irrelevant: Those are the facts, ma’am er, ms. Do you write simply for pleasure, or to share your thoughts and ideas with a small coterie of readers? Do you self-publish, whether in print or online? Knock yourself out you are hereby granted a dispensation to write in any fashion that pleases you and anyone who chooses to read your work. You are akin to a homesteader or a survivalist, staking out your own terrain on your own terms and accepting the terms that go with those terms. But if your intent is to identify yourself as a professional writer or if your employment status is predicated on the fact that your writing is intelligible to your colleagues and perhaps even consistent with distributed guidelines certain standards apply, and your ability to adhere to those standards is inextricably linked to your professional success or survival. If that’s fascist, then I proudly represent the New World Order. I don’t mean to get all serious on you. I respect the point about the unpunctuated Ms., and for all I know, the comment about the â€Å"rule book† may be a goof. But both comments inspire this tip: When it comes to composition, let your unfettered freak flag fly. But if you submit the flag to be unfurled atop a highly visible flagpole, expect it to be redesigned to suit that flagpole or to be refolded and respectfully returned for you to do with what you wish. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:How to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and TricksTypes of Plots

Psychology case study on the character Sybil from the novel Sybil Essay

Psychology case study on the character Sybil from the novel Sybil author Schreiber - Essay Example Another common group of disorder is usually termed anxiety disorders. Personality disorder is not really a mental illness that tends to develop quite suddenly and usually in response to particular stresses. In fact, it develops slowly, as the person grows up and is thought to be mainly due to environment and upbringing. For example, in Sybil's case, she grew up in a family with no love, constant beatings and a mother who suffers from schizophrenia, naturally she will develop anti-social behavior or a paranoid personality; but it seems it's more than that because she developed 16 different personalities, worst is she has a male counterpart of herself. A growing body of evidence also suggests that early sexual abuse also distorts the development of a healthy personality. Sybil's case is more of psychoanalytic in nature because she in conflict with herself wherein her mind is an expression of conflicting forces - some conscious, the majority unconscious. Her condition involves the unconscious where unpleasant experiences are repressed, the conflict arising from the unconscious mind when her set of beliefs impacts adversely on another area of beliefs, causing emotional suffering felt as disappointment, anger or frustration. It also involves her drives and instincts as well as her personality in the genetic viewpoint. Years before, this illness was simply called hysteria. Sybil's traumatic childhood and the abuses that she had experienced resulted to the development of sixteen (16) personalities. Symptoms of the illness include amnesia, depersonalization, derealization, depression and anxiety or mental illness. Amnesia in this type of disorder is the experience at certain periods of time when Sybil forgets both events and people. This type of memory loss is more extensive than the forgetfulness that we normally experience. Dissociative amenesia, as it is called is the trademark of this illness as it can't be explained by physical or neurological condition. Dissociative Identity Disorder is an illness which makes the affected person 'switch' to another personality whenever he or she is experiencing stress and or severe anxiety. Experiences may include several different people taking inside your head, having their own name, own story and characteristics. They also have their own qualities as manifes ted in the voice, manner, gender and even physical qualities. Sybil indeed have all of these present, as she has sixteen different personalities, having different physical characteristics, attitudes and even gender, as she also had two male personalities of herself. Sybil's 'alternate self' is a mirror of what she feels inside. Her desires of being confident, self-assured and all that is positive that she wanted to experience as all these were "robbed" from her in her childhood days. Due to her traumatic experience in her mother's hands and her father's indifference to her situation made her grow up having so much pain, hatred and confusion in herself that instead of molding her into a stronger person, she tended into the "unfortunate" side - DID. In her growing up years, Sybil in some way also showed Reaction-Formation, a process by which we can disguise our true motives or desires when such would cause us guilt or shame if we really face up to them. The defense consists in strongly expressing the very

Building a House for the Handicapped Term Paper

Building a House for the Handicapped - Term Paper Example iii. Benefits analysis: A benefit analysis must be carried out to ensure that the project is justified. A qualitative benefit analysis as well as a quantitative benefit analysis would ensure that all possible aspects are covered. The qualitative benefit analysis would comprise of various aspects that make handicapped housing better than simpler abodes for disabled individuals. The quantitative analysis could comprise of the cost benefit analysis which would determine if the proposed project is better than existing solutions. (Flyvbjerg, Bruzelius, & Rothengatter, 2003) b. Initial Planning i. The planning process would need to take into account the proposed design to facilitate disabled individuals as well as the compliance of this design with guidelines and relevant laws. This would be followed by procurement planning and subsequently construction planning. ii. WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): The WBS approach ensures that a larger project is distributed into smaller components that c an be defined individually. The various work areas are articulately defined so that they are mutually exclusive. This helps to define the complete scope of the project with relative ease. (Haugan, 2001) The WBS for the project is presented below: iii. SWOT analysis: SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) represents the internal strengths and weaknesses of a project or business operation. (Armstrong., 2006) The SWOT analysis for the project is presented in the matrix below: Strengths Weaknesses well planned execution; help from volunteer groups; well established trends to take cue from. mismanagement during construction; underestimated timelines; underestimated costs; provision for specialised services will add to cost. Opportunities Threats government funding support; volunteer based help. solution may not be the most feasible solution around; budgetary overruns. iv. SOW (Statement of Work): A SOW is a formal piece of documentation that defines the total work activitie s along with deliverables within a timeline. Often a SOW is used for coordination between provider / vendor and the concerned client. Generally detailed price breakups and requirements are included in a SOW as well as any relevant regulations and governance conditions. A SOW will be developed for the project to enhance traceability as well as measurability of the overall progress. (Nielsen, 2009) 2. Design a. Time planning i. Constructing a time plan will be done through standard tools such as Microsoft Project to create a comprehensive Gantt chart as per the WBS. This will enable the executing party to take full measure of the time involved along with the resources involved. ii. Tasks dependencies will be listed within the prepared timeline and will be kept to a minimum in order to ensure that the WBS is allowed to function fully. Major task dependencies will include approval of planned materials (including plot plans and construction blueprints), building foundations, creating wal ls, building the roofing and floors. Finishing will depend on these tasks during which special elements such as ramps, communication equipment etc. would be added to facilitate disabled people. b. The critical chain approach ensures that project planning and management depends largely on resource requirements. This is opposed to traditional methods such as PERT and critical path. The CCPM (critical chain project

Building a House for the Handicapped Term Paper

Building a House for the Handicapped - Term Paper Example iii. Benefits analysis: A benefit analysis must be carried out to ensure that the project is justified. A qualitative benefit analysis as well as a quantitative benefit analysis would ensure that all possible aspects are covered. The qualitative benefit analysis would comprise of various aspects that make handicapped housing better than simpler abodes for disabled individuals. The quantitative analysis could comprise of the cost benefit analysis which would determine if the proposed project is better than existing solutions. (Flyvbjerg, Bruzelius, & Rothengatter, 2003) b. Initial Planning i. The planning process would need to take into account the proposed design to facilitate disabled individuals as well as the compliance of this design with guidelines and relevant laws. This would be followed by procurement planning and subsequently construction planning. ii. WBS (Work Breakdown Structure): The WBS approach ensures that a larger project is distributed into smaller components that c an be defined individually. The various work areas are articulately defined so that they are mutually exclusive. This helps to define the complete scope of the project with relative ease. (Haugan, 2001) The WBS for the project is presented below: iii. SWOT analysis: SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) represents the internal strengths and weaknesses of a project or business operation. (Armstrong., 2006) The SWOT analysis for the project is presented in the matrix below: Strengths Weaknesses well planned execution; help from volunteer groups; well established trends to take cue from. mismanagement during construction; underestimated timelines; underestimated costs; provision for specialised services will add to cost. Opportunities Threats government funding support; volunteer based help. solution may not be the most feasible solution around; budgetary overruns. iv. SOW (Statement of Work): A SOW is a formal piece of documentation that defines the total work activitie s along with deliverables within a timeline. Often a SOW is used for coordination between provider / vendor and the concerned client. Generally detailed price breakups and requirements are included in a SOW as well as any relevant regulations and governance conditions. A SOW will be developed for the project to enhance traceability as well as measurability of the overall progress. (Nielsen, 2009) 2. Design a. Time planning i. Constructing a time plan will be done through standard tools such as Microsoft Project to create a comprehensive Gantt chart as per the WBS. This will enable the executing party to take full measure of the time involved along with the resources involved. ii. Tasks dependencies will be listed within the prepared timeline and will be kept to a minimum in order to ensure that the WBS is allowed to function fully. Major task dependencies will include approval of planned materials (including plot plans and construction blueprints), building foundations, creating wal ls, building the roofing and floors. Finishing will depend on these tasks during which special elements such as ramps, communication equipment etc. would be added to facilitate disabled people. b. The critical chain approach ensures that project planning and management depends largely on resource requirements. This is opposed to traditional methods such as PERT and critical path. The CCPM (critical chain project

Grains and the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Grains and the Environment - Essay Example The invasive plants are the species of plants (aquatic weeds, shrubs and herbs) that requires careful management to reduce their harmful effects (Ondrasek et al., 2014). Another area of discussion under the Land and Water Management is the land degradation. Land degradation occurs when the land is rendered unstable. The land degradation displays the loss of the vegetation cover, soil fertility. The three categories of the land degradation include; soil erosion, ecosystem decline, and soil erosion. Irrigated Agriculture is a sub-topic that is covered under the Land and Water Management. Under this subtopic, various ways effective irrigation systems are discussed. The catchment hydrology discusses the various hydrological processes that are operating in the eroded catchment so as to determine the relationship between the run-off and the rainfall. The last subtopic under the land and water management is the salinity management. Salinity is brought about through the accumulation of salt in the soil (Irvine, & Doughton, 2001). I have chosen Land and Water management because water and land are the most powerful providers of the ecosystems services. By improving the manner in which we use the water and land, we can boost the food production, helping people adapt to the climate change and mitigate its effects while fostering the biodiversity hence enhancing the contribution to the greener economy (Tang & Rengel, 2003). Nurturing of the land, in particular, is essential to human existence. Therefore, the understanding of the water and land management is important to human life. Another topic that I chose under the PMP is soil. The sub-topics that are covered under this topic are soil management, soil health, coastal acid sulfate soils, soil health checklist, soil matters, soil PH, soil and land survey directory, soil glossary, and soil texture. Soil and land survey directory provide the information of the history of the soils. Soil health, on the other

Development of Nationalism in East and Southeast Asia Essay

Development of Nationalism in East and Southeast Asia - Essay Example In terms of East and Southeast Asia, critics assert that nationalism is the process that gave rise to different nationalist movements in the region in the twentieth century. The aim and objective of these movements was to rebel against the colonial ideologies of the West.Nationalism is considered to be a process, which develops with respect to time; it does not emerge abruptly or unexpectedly. â€Å"It is not a phenomenon that appears suddenly. It is the result of a process by which a people become conscious of themselves as a separate national entity in the modern world, a process by which they become willing to transfer their primary loyalty from the village, or the region, or the monarch, to the nation-state† It is this perspective, which can be found in East and Southeast Asia. In order to integrate nationalism, several steps and measures have been adopted by the government. These measures include the suppression of opposition, the selection of a mutual language and the co ncentrate on economic growth in order to sustain and maintain liberty. Nationalism and Communism in Southeast Asia is the product of colonisation. The vast majority of the East and Southeast Asian countries were â€Å"controlled either by the British, French, Dutch, Americans or Portuguese, who sought to control unnatural boundaries and had no regard for the natives of those areas† After the end of World War II, majority of the East and Southeast Asian countries declared independence from the Western imperialist. For instance, Indonesian nationalists fought with the Dutch in order to get their independence. Philippine got it independence from United States; Vietnam got its independence from France after the Indochina war. In Vietnam, the French did not have the ability to withstand Vietnamese nationalism and thus, they adopted repressive strategies in order to control it3. Majority of the Vietnamese nationalist’s politic leaders and activists were jailed. Furthermore, opposition from Vietnamese nationalists made the French to remove them from government positions and to create hurdles and obstacles in their education4. Communism is considered to be movement, which concentrates on changing the social and political structure of the society. The change is brought by creating a society in which there is no class difference among the citizens, they can freely access the goods they need and wage labour and private property concepts are disregarded1. Frequently, nationalism and communism have crossed path. For instance, the civil war in China was between these two beliefs, which concentrated on controlling China. The Chinese Civil War started in 1947 and lasted for a period of three years. China was divided into two parts; Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China. The fifties witnessed Communist China, which had gained full control of mainland China4. During the struggle for independence in Vietnam, Vietnamese nationalists fled to China, where they were ignored. However, they provided assistance to them once they realized the advantage of Vietnamese nationalists; they could be used to spy the Japanese military activities in Vietnam. In the year 1945, â€Å"the Emperor Bao Dai abdicated to Ho.   Ho Chi Minh then formed a provisional government with himself as its president and Vietnam declared independence on 2nd of September, in the year 1945†1. During this time, the Americans feared the expansion of communism and thus, provided military

Enterprise Development, Culture and Management Assignment

Enterprise Development, Culture and Management - Assignment Example An entrepreneur is a risk taker. He is a unique person in the society with skills that are crucial for championing change. On the other hand, any individual who works as his own boss is considered as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is a term that is often used interchangeably with innovation. Innovation can be referred to as an intentional process of change aimed at creating value by targeting opportunity and in quest of advantage. Entrepreneurship emphasizes on the creation of new products and services, new production processes, new organisational structures and the invention of new markets. New entrepreneurial ideas are those that can be commercialized and should be able to contribute greatly to the development process of the entire society. Entrepreneurship plays a very crucial part in economic development process. Economic development is usually influenced to a great extent by entrepreneurial activities. Innovation propels the economic growth and development of any country. The level of economic performance relies hugely on the level of technology used by firms. Research and development, which is characteristic of entrepreneurship, provides a great thrust to technological advancements in companies and hence production efficiency. Neo-classical economics acknowledges that economic growth is as a result of enhancements to the basic factors of production such as labour and capital, which is the main objective of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is characterised by competitive actions that spur market processes to success. The introduction of new activities in the market is essential for the development process of trade. Established firms as well as new entrants in the market develop new products that respond to the varyin g needs of consumers and thus contribute enormously to the development of the economy and betterment of the society (Wong et al 2005). Entrepreneurship and innovation are thus universal primary determinants of

The Essence Of Miranda Warnings Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

The Essence Of Miranda Warnings - Research Paper Example For example, this right grants an arrestee to refuse from answering questions which he or she thinks would compel him or her to give incriminating statements which could possibly be taken as admissible evidence and might be used against him. The Fifth Amendment gives right against compelled self-incrimination and the due process of the law. If the arrestee was formally charged with a crime, the Miranda Warnings must be made known to the arrestee. Further, the sixth amendment grants the right to a legal counsel or an attorney during all subsequent questioning process. The sole example that is presented on this study is a domestic violence case and should a police officer perform the interrogation process.  If a person is under custody for interrogation, any police officer called to perform the interrogation process must read to the arrestee the Miranda Rights. If in any case, the respondent did not respond to give an affirmative answer, silence should not be taken as a waiver of the se rights. The interrogation can still proceed but responses from the arrestee are considered void and ineffective during a trial if the statements were made prior to Miranda Rights.  In the case of domestic violence, if the arrestee was formally charged, the police officer must warn the arrestee of his or her constitutional rights. All the responses of the suspect under custody shall be taken as admissible evidence, provided, the rights were made known to her. In addition, the suspect’s 6th amendment protection shall be applied and may not be doubted or questioned relating to subject matter of the offenses being charged to the suspect if there is an absence of a legal counsel or an attorney or anything that waives the right to an attorney.  If the suspected criminal has not been formally charged, it is necessary to determine if Miranda Warnings are needed. If the person is not â€Å"in custody†, Miranda Rights are not necessary and the statements made by the arres tee are admissible.

Enterprise Development, Culture and Management Assignment

Enterprise Development, Culture and Management - Assignment Example An entrepreneur is a risk taker. He is a unique person in the society with skills that are crucial for championing change. On the other hand, any individual who works as his own boss is considered as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is a term that is often used interchangeably with innovation. Innovation can be referred to as an intentional process of change aimed at creating value by targeting opportunity and in quest of advantage. Entrepreneurship emphasizes on the creation of new products and services, new production processes, new organisational structures and the invention of new markets. New entrepreneurial ideas are those that can be commercialized and should be able to contribute greatly to the development process of the entire society. Entrepreneurship plays a very crucial part in economic development process. Economic development is usually influenced to a great extent by entrepreneurial activities. Innovation propels the economic growth and development of any country. The level of economic performance relies hugely on the level of technology used by firms. Research and development, which is characteristic of entrepreneurship, provides a great thrust to technological advancements in companies and hence production efficiency. Neo-classical economics acknowledges that economic growth is as a result of enhancements to the basic factors of production such as labour and capital, which is the main objective of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is characterised by competitive actions that spur market processes to success. The introduction of new activities in the market is essential for the development process of trade. Established firms as well as new entrants in the market develop new products that respond to the varyin g needs of consumers and thus contribute enormously to the development of the economy and betterment of the society (Wong et al 2005). Entrepreneurship and innovation are thus universal primary determinants of

Outsourcing in Strategic Management Accounting Essay

Outsourcing in Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the concept of migrating internal business processes or functions to an outside organization may seem quite appealing on the surface. Reducing internal resource constraints and corporate expenditures and increasing quality may make service providers a potent draw. Today more types of services are available than ever before. Among other things, we can choose to outsource our network infrastructure, e-mail services, Web applications, and collaboration activities. Over the last decade, the attitude of businesses toward outsourcing has undergone a change of opinion reflecting the need to compete globally and focus on core competencies. Most processes have traditionally been kept in-house where it was thought they could be controlled most effectively. For many companies, an outsourcing decision represents the longest and largest financial commitment the company will make. The selection of an outsourcing partner will directly affect the comp any's growth and future performance. In short, the outsourcing decision is critical to the company's future success. However, without careful planning and preparation, our outsourcing project can easily result in lost revenue, added expenses, and, potentially, litigation. In order to reach efficiency that believed can obviate company from bankruptcy, a lot of method and concept are have been developed. One of them is by doing outsourcing. However, besides promising many strategic benefits, it also brings consequence of the appearance of strategic risk. The growth of outsourcing over the last century has been driven by the ever-expanding quest to improve productivity, reduce costs, and deliver greater value to customers and shareholders. Outsourcing decision is taken by all managed to improve their company performance that is related to process business, which is not representing core competence or core business. Expected by â€Å"delivering† the management process to other co mpany (as a business partner), which is owning core business in the area, process with the optimal performance will be created.

Evolution of Community Kitchens

Evolution of Community Kitchens Abstract Community kitchen, as a concept is critical for ensuring the food security of the vulnerable population. It is a gathering point where groups of people come together to pool their resources to cook large quantities of food. The main focus of this research thesis is to understand the concept of community kitchens and their operation in different social settings. This research also aims to understand the role of the government agencies (if any) in ensuring the food security for the communities (which is their primary responsibility). In the changing context of state relegating to a secondary position, initiatives by such private actors assume significance. By highlighting on two different case studies of organizations, we tend to unravel the process of community kitchens in separate social environments. With the help of participant observation, focus group discussions and in-depth individual interviews, this research is an exploration of the possibilities of food security through the c oncept of community kitchens. Introduction Community kitchen is an institution where food is prepared by the members of a community in a collective manner. There are different models of community kitchens that exist around the social space. Generally it is observed that members of a community who prepare food are also the consumers of the same meals cooked collectively. However there are other models like Akshay Patra (our case study in the present study) where food is collectively prepared but distributed among the non preparers of the food cooked. Community kitchens aid the community in preparing affordable meals through a self sustaining institution. The purchase, preparation and consumption are more often than not done in a collective manner which makes the enterprise a cost effective and time efficient in nature. While meeting a communitys social needs, collective kitchens are a mechanism which provide financial, social and food security to the community members. Community kitchens are socially rooted institutions, they help in increasing the solidarity among the members of the community. Grace Campbell states The formation and operation of community kitchens varies widely across communities and cultures and is largely dependent on the membership, yet each organization requires a well-equipped kitchen, willing participants, and initial capital. Food security is a modern day challenge, which needs to be addressed at all levels of society. Community kitchens at local level provide access to affordable and nutrition rich food to the members of a community, which goes a long way in ensuring food security. Globalization, inflation, increasing gap between the haves and have nots, are the major reasons which are keeping an average man food insecure. In such a scenario, this research aims to explore food security through the concept of community kitchens. Food security Food security is a condition in which all people at all times can acquire safe, nutritionally adequate and personally acceptable foods that are accessible in a manner that maintains human dignity.[1] The four components of food security, as described in the literature, are the quantitative, the qualitative, the social, and the psychological. The quantitative component describes what is traditionally known as hunger, not having enough to eat at the individual level, or not having food in the house at the household level. The qualitative component concerns the quality of the available food (its nutritional adequacy, safety, and variety). Individuals often compromise on food quality to cope with a lack of funds to purchase suitable foods. The psychological component includes the fears and decreased feelings of self-worth associated with dealing with the lack of funds to purchase sufficient, quality food, whereas the social component describes many of the coping strategies used to acquir e food when funding has run out, such as charity, stealing, and buying on credit. [2] In the 21st century disparities in economic growth have questioned the socio-economic and environmental sustainability. The issue of food security has now become a global concern. Notwithstanding the technological and scientific developments in the area of agricultural productivity, hunger and malnutrition continue to be a threat to the humanity. Access to food is still perceived by many as a privilege, rather than a basic human right, and it is estimated that about 35 000 people around the world die each day from hunger. An even larger number of people suffer from malnutrition. [3] UNFAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization) defines food security as Food security is food available at all times; that all persons have means of access to it; that it is nutritionally adequate in terms of quantity, quality and variety; and that it is acceptable within the given culture. Only when all these conditions are in place can a population be considered food secure. Based on the UN definition research world over emphasizes on four main components of the issue of food security those being availability to provide sufficient food to all, equal accessibility to nutritious food, acceptability of food based on local traditions and cultures and lastly adequacy which emphasizes on sustainability of production and distribution of food. Food security in India Food security has been a major development objective in India since the beginning of planning. The achievements of green revolution have somehow failed to reach the bottom of the pyramid. Chronic food insecurity remains at an all time high. Over 225 million Indians remain chronically under nourished. The state of Indias food security is worsening by the year.[4]The cost of food items is increasing rapidly, making them unaffordable to a majority of the people. In recent years, there has been a state policy focus towards household level food security and per capita food energy intake is taken as a measure of food security. The Indian government has been implementing a wide range of nutrition intervention programmes for achieving food security at the household and individual levels. The Public Distribution System (PDS) supplies food items, such as food grains and sugar, at administered prices through a network of fair price shops. There have been a range of food-for-work and other wage employment programmes. Another approach adopted by the government is to target women and children directly. This includes the mid-day meal programme for school going children, supplementary nutrition programme for children and women and Right to Food bill. [5] The Right to Food Bill introduced in the parliament in 2009 insists on the physical, economic and social right of all citizens to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with an adequate diet necessary to lead an active and healthy life with dignityWith the Right to Food campaign, hunger and food insecurity have come in the center of development discourse in India. Notwithstanding all these developments, our country is a habitat of people with unconscionable level of malnutrition and hunger. Malnutrition levels among the children and women are even higher than the overall average. Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council for Medical Research) estimates that nearly 40% of the adult population in India has a Body Mass Index of less than 18.5, which implies chronic energy deficiency of epic proportions, bordering on a national humanitarian crisis. [6] Since food security of the vast majority in the region is at stake, addressing such a wide range of issues demands community value-system based participatory approaches to ensure involvement of all the stakeholders. The various government schemes may serve as immediate means for dealing with food insecurity but shall be of ultimate irrelevance, until we work on developing our local community based food systems strong.[7] One of such means is through the institution of community kitchens. Community kitchens in their historic perspective Community kitchen as a concept is old, dating back to the late 15th century, which has undergone change over the years and the current form seems to be involving the community to address larger social issues like food security. In India, Sikhs have a history of providing food along with every worship service, ceremony, or event, and when Gurus gained popularity, people traveled from far of distances and gathered in groups to hear them preach the principles of equality and humanity. It was in the late 15th century that Guru Nanak dev ji, the founder of Sikhism, started the institution of Langar (community kitchens). Langar is a Persian word meaning an alms house, an asylum for the poor and the destitute.[8]Langar upheld and reinforced the Sikh principles of service to mankind, equality of all and humility. Although the institution was begun under aegis od Guru Nanak, it was institutionalized by Guru Amar Das, who sought to encourage a tradition of eating together that had begun with Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Langar is the collective kitchen which is run in the Gurudwara. The institution feeds all who come, regardless of their religion, caste, gender or creed. Sikh devotes are involved in each stage from the food preparation, to feeding and to cleaning of the utensils. Today, this institution of Langar is cornerstone of Sikh religion, encouraging the discipline of service and a spirit of co-operation, philanthropy, equality, the ideas and practices deeply imbedded in the community kitchen movement. The practice and its origin must be seen in the light of its contradiction to the Hindu and Muslim custom at the time, which separated people on basis of caste (social ranking) or purdah (seclusion of women). In the recent past various moments around the concept of community kitchens can be seen across the world. In the nineties of the last century community kitchen was seen as a movement in Nicaragua, when Sandinista government lost power. The fall of the government put the nations food security policy in turmoil. It was then that community kitchens were set up all across the country to address the issues of hunger and deprivation. Similarly in Abkhazia, after the end of war between Georgia and Abkhazia (1994) community kitchens were established to provide food to the vulnerable populations of the country. The focus of the state sponsored community kitchens were women, children and elderly. Self sufficiency and sustainability were attained by purchase at local level and secondly by employing the local community. In America too, we see the moment of community kitchens. A not for profit body called Second Harvest was a pioneer to work in the area of food security in USA. Extensive community kitchens were set up to create hunger free America. The programme was unique as it involved students in the food preparation and distribution process. This led to skill enhancement and job training for the unemployed youth. History also holds evidence of collective kitchens operating in San Francisco. Community kitchens were set up there to meet the need of the immigrants and other discriminated sections of the population. These kitchens continue to encourage community unity through resource pooling, cultural exchange, and social interaction. Although in most of the cases the community and collective meal programmes were primarily organized to address financial challenges, many kitchens now focus on expanding social circles, multicultural interaction, address the challenges of hunger, dealing with food insecurity, and building community capacity. Food security and community kitchens Collaborative solutions that will make our communities resilient in the 21st century dont need to be at vast scales alone. Efforts at local community, household and individual levels play an important role to deal with the issue of food insecurity. One such model of community kitchens is a smart, practical program that has the ability to promote local food security. This model not only ensures that the participants have access to affordable food, but also in a sustainable and cost efficient manner. These are resilience building institutions, and work on principles of shared equality and mutual benefit. This local level initiative has the ability to grow across a wide range and make an impact on the global food security level. Community kitchens as alternate means of livelihood Community kitchens can serve as means of alternate livelihood to women of the marginalized sections, unemployed youth, local unskilled labor and other marginalized communities like sex workers. Community kitchen has the ability to provide the financial means whereby a group or a community can live a dignified and sustainable life. Sex workers face continuous social exclusion and are in a constant search for a stigma free means of livelihood as a pre-requisite for a dignified and better tomorrow. Initiation of community kitchens provides as a means of employment for many unskilled and semi-skilled workers thus ensuring a livelihood to the community. Collective kitchens serve to reduce vulnerability of marginalized sections of the society. It provides source of income as well as a sense of ownership and possession to the members of the community. Sex works lead a life of stigma and discrimination. The degree of stigma is higher among male and transgender sex workers. As members of the society it is their right to be a part of the normal social life, without any marginalization. Especially sex workers facing stigma of HIV Aids have a natural right to live in supporting environments free from social stigmas. United Nations Community based programs like community kitchens have a crucial role in assisting communities to identify and change stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors related to HIV and sex work and to foster a spirit of tolerance and inclusion. Community kitchens provide meaningful and comprehensive set of alternatives and meaningful economic options to sex work. Hunger, food productivity and illiteracy: establishing the link While talking about building community capacity the children of the community must remain the central focus. Children, who come from remote rural areas, work so hard at the household level that going to school remains no priority for them. It is a well established fact that knowledge has the ability to transform society. Education to these children can serve as a force which can liberate the coming generations from the clutches of abject poverty. Children living in vicious circle of hunger and illiteracy require special attention by the government and society, in form of new schools, better learning facilities, learned teaches, and locally relevant syllabus taught in their local language. Have we ever wondered why the hungry are always also illiterate? A study by World Bank states that the people who are undernourished and the adults who are illiterate are mostly the same people, mainly the poor in rural areas. Illiteracy and hunger thus are cause and effect of one another, making it a vicious cycle of poverty. Collaborating the solution of the issues of education and hunger represents an important step forward, it has led to the creation of a new partnership initiative called mid day meal scheme in India. Hunger among children leaves them with very little energy to attend school and learn effectively. Medical research proves that hunger impairs both mental and physical growth of children. If millions of hungry children cannot learn, or are forced to work instead of attending school we will not reach the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education. Offering incentives like noon meal encourages children to attend and their parents to send them to school and such initiatives could have a major impact on child nutrition, school attendance and social equity. Universal and nutritious mid-day meals would be a significant step towards realization of the right to food.[9] National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE), popularly known as the Mid Day Meal Scheme, was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15th August 1995, initially in 2408 blocks in the country. The mid day meal scheme aims to ensure food security among the school going children in India. Under the aegis of the scheme the school going children in all government schools are to be provided with free lunch. Midday meal scheme began as a strategic program to address two most pressing problems in India: hunger and education. The government of India had made education for children between the age group of 6-14. Hunger obstructs the process of holistic education, as children are forced to leave schools and take up menial jobs. Lack of education curtails opportunities for development and leads to vicious circle of poverty and hunger. Midday meal programs (school lunch) emerged to address the multiple challenges of poverty, hunger, and access to education. Rationale behind the mid day meal scheme is firstly, to protect school going children from chronic hunger. Secondly to attain advancement in school attendance and enrollment rates. Thirdly, enhance socialization and feeling of oneness among students, thus breaking the schakels of gender, race, class and caste. Supreme Court of India passed an order on November 28, 2001, which mandated Cooked midday meal is to be provided in all the government and government-aided primary schools in all the states. This order expedited the implementation of the scheme. Mid day meal scheme was soon extended across the nation and across all government schools, government aided schools and for children in anganwari centers. The allocation and off take of food grains under the scheme during the 10th Plan and the first two years of the 11th Plan 2007-08 2008-09is presented in Table 1. The table 1 summarizes the allocation of funds in terms of food grains each year, from 2002-03 to the last financial year. The allocations have risen considerably over the years, both in terms of the rice and wheat food grains. It is seen from the table that allocations from the central government have been more than the off take or utilization of the food grains in the implementation of the scheme. The summary of subsidies in different states, as on November 2009, is listed below: The table 2 shows a comparative analysis of how the central government is contributing in terms of money and food grains for the smooth running of the mid-day meal scheme. It can be seen that in Karnataka the subsidy varies with three grade levels. Subsidy in terms of money is same for the level 1 to 5 and from 6 to 7, however it increases from 1.80 rupees to 2.20 per child per day when students reach grade 10. The grains available for children below grade 5 are 100 grams per child per day, which increases to 150 grams of grains per child per day from grade 6 onwards. On an average all states are providing 100 grams of grains per child per day in lower primary level and 150 grams per child per day in the upper primary level. Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh provide highest amount of monetary subsidy per child per day that is 3.00 rupees. Karnataka state shows the lowest figures (1.80 rupees) in terms of monetary subsidy. It must also be borne in mind that higher subsidy does not necess arily correspond to better performances. We shall look into the state of Karnataka in detail in section three. The scheme has a long history especially in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it was introduced by K. Kamraj government in 1960s and expanded by M.G Ramachandran in 1982. Ever since it has been adopted by most of the states in India after the landmark directions by the Supreme Court of India. The purpose behind the judgment was to enhance enrolment, retention, and participation of children in primary schools, simultaneously improving their nutritional status. The judgment aims to cater to the nutritional needs of low-income groups in both rural and urban areas (Planning Commission, 2007).[10] As per the programme the Government of India provides grains free of cost and the States will provide the costs of other ingredients, salaries and infrastructure. By January 2004, nearly 50 million children received midday meals provided either by the Government or by NGOs working in partnership with the government.[11] However, inconsistent food quality, occasional food poisoning, poor hygiene, and operational concerns were among the complications to the provision of government-sponsored midday meals. The meals were prepared by teachers, who cooked the same meal every day: ghoogri, gruel made of boiled wheat. Children reported that that they grew tired of eating the same food daily, they did not like the taste, and it often made them feel sick. In 2004, a fire accidentally started by a teacher cooking the midday meal killed 90 children in Tamil Nadu, an event which underscored the safety issues inherent in meals prepared in makeshift kitchens based on school sites. Given the scope of hunger in India and the difficulties faced by the government programs, the task of feeding school children was still a significant challenge. Public private partnership implementation As the research is based on two organizations located in the state of Maharashtra, the following section analyses the public private partnership model used to implement the mid day meal scheme in the state. The State of Karnataka introduced the provision of cooked meals in June 2002 which saw a successful private sector participation in the programme. One such initiative was Akshaya Patra, which started with leadership from ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). The programme has evolved into a movement where by children in the government schools are provided with cooked lunch on all working days. The state and the central government support the Foundation in the execution of the programme. Hence the programme runs a collective kitchen based on a public-private partnership. The Akshay Patra program is conducted in partnership with the various State Governments and Central Government. All of these governments provide a subsidy to support about 55% of the running cos t of the Akshay Patra program. The Central Government support is routed through the respective State Governments. The meal includes a nutritious mix such as sambar, rice, vegetables and some curd on most days. Since the success of this programme there has been an in the private sector participation in India. The partnerships in execution of the programme are not limited to rural areas but also major urban centers like Delhi, and Hyderabad.[12] About the study Statement of the problem In the Indian context both GDP and food grain production have risen at a faster growth rate than growth in population over the past 50 years. Yet our country faces chronic hunger and starvation among large sections of our population. There has been declining calorie consumption especially in the bottom 30% of the pyramid. Attempting policy reforms in an era of overall weakening governance and state commitment in social sectors seems a challenge. In this background, concept of collective and community kitchens have evolved and grown acquiring various dimensions in the past few years. This research aims to explore the possible link between community kitchens and food security. The research revolves around the idea of community kitchens being the possible means to attain an end of food insecurity examining the models of Ashodaya Samiti and Akshay Patra in the Indian scenario. Ashodaya Samiti is a sex workers organization working for HIV prevention since January 2004 in Mysore district of Karnataka. In 2004 University of Manitoba was directly implementing the HIV prevention project ably supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations Avahan project.[13] The organizations collectivization and formal registering as Ashodaya Samithi was done in December 2005. Community mobilization since then has today resulted in the formation of the community based organization to take ownership of HIV awareness, prevention care, support activities and beginning of an entrepreneurial venture in the form of community kitchens. The second organization under study is Akshay Patra. Children from economically weaker sections are forced to seek work in place of education. Some of those who do manage to attend the school drop out to feed themselves and their families while others are known to perform poorly because of short attention spans and extreme hunger. Realizing that a nutritious school meal is an effective means of gettingunderprivileged childrencome to school and complete their education, Akshay Patra was formed as a not-for-profit organization in June 2000. The purpose of the organization in their words is to provide unlimited food for education, through modern community kitchens, thus freeing children from the vicious cycle of poverty and ensuring them an education.[14] Objectives of the study The main objectives of the current study are to Understand the evolution of the concept of community kitchens in India Provide a socio-economic profile of the respondents who are engaged in community kitchen in both settings (of the cases undertaken) Analyze the implementation of community kitchen undertaken by different organizations namely Ashodaya Samiti and Akshaya Patra Study how community kitchen is serving as a means to break social barriers (as demonstrated by Ashodaya Samiti). Understand how community kitchen could be a potential mechanism for eradicating hunger among school going children in the context of mid-day meal programme of Akshay Patra. Analyse the constraints in mobilizing the resources to keep the community kitchen a sustainable enterprise. Methodology Data collection for the research was done in two major organizations, Ashodaya Samiti in Mysore and Akshay Patra in Bangalore. The period of data collection was from 10.02.2010 to 22.02.2010. The data collection involved personal visits to both the organizations, interviews, focus group discussions and -participant observations. The current exploratory study attempts to understand the functioning of the community kitchens. Both primary and secondary sources of data have been collected for the study. The secondary data for the study came from annual reports of the organizations, websites, documentaries and media reports that have been provided by the organizations. The primary data for the study was collected from a diverse group of individuals engaged with both the organizations. In Ashodaya Samiti focus group discussions were carried out with the 20 sex workers who are the key in managing and operating the community kitchen. Individual in dept interviews were also carried out with 2 senior officials of the organization. The interview schedule consisted of open ended questions to include more information, their feelings, attitudes and understanding of the subject of community kitchen. In Akshay Patra data was collected through participant observation and interview schedules. Interviews were carried out with the workers in the kitchen to understand the mechanization of the operations. In-debt interviews were also carried out with the media spokesperson of the organization and the programme director. Visits to the kitchen on daily basis allowed an in-depth investigation of the process of food preparation and its distribution among the schools across the city. In this study in depth interview was useful in understanding the concepts related to community kitchens. The tool was helpful as it ensured that I received detailed information which helped me in exploring the idea to its depth. Focus group discussions were used as a form of qualitative research in which a group of people which included male, female and transgender sex workers of Ashodaya Samiti were asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards sex work as their livelihood, need to collaborate at community level, evolution of the organization from heath interventions to community kitchen, empowerment through community kitchens and their future expectations from the project. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants were free to talk with other group members. Participant observation which has its roots in the traditional ethnographic research was used a qualitative research strategy. Participation and observations were carried to varying degrees to study the communitys daily activities in both the cases (Ashodaya Samiti and Akshay Patra). Participant observation took place in the community settings, in locations like the sex workers day care centers, the Ashodaya hotel, community kitchen of Akshay patra which had direct relevance to the research questions. Engagement was done in such a manner such data could be collected by observing what life is like for an insider while remaining, inevitably, an outsider. While in these community settings, careful, field notes were made to record all observations. Data Analysis The current section provides an overview of both the organizations included in the study i.e. Ashodaya Samiti and Akshaya Patra. Ashodaya Samiti: Community kitchen used to break social barriers The first case that is presented in this section is the Ashodaya Samiti. The history of Ashodaya Samiti has to be seen in the backdrop of project Avahan. In the year 2003 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded an India Aids initiative to reduce the spread of HIV in India under the project AVAHAN. Avahan was set up as a far ranging Aids prevention project, and has been a success story since its inception. Under the aegis of the project aids prevention work is carried out in six major sates in India. Within these states, it provides, prevention services to nearly 200,000 female sex workers, 60,000 high-risk men who have sex with men, and 20,000 injecting drug users, together with 5 million men at risk. [15] In 2003, UNAIDS studies reported that Asia presented the greatest risk of expansion of the global epidemic. The HIV cases have been on a continuous rise since the past decade. The major reasons for that are high prevalence of unsafe sex work and injecting drug users. Initial inter ventions by Avahan indicated that HIV transmission in south India was primarily sexual, and in the north-east mainly related to injecting drug use.[16] The Indian national response had a sound strategy for addressing high-risk groups. However, coverage of these groups was variable across the states and national average strikingly low.[17] [18] The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation designed a programme with help of technical experts to look into the HIV and aids prevention strategies. The project began with full co-operation from the Indian government. Avahans aim was to help slow the transmission of HIV to the general population by raising prevention coverage of high-risk and bridge groups to scale by achieving saturation levels (over 80 percent) across large geographic areas. Considering the scale of the country the project was magnanimous in its objectives. To avoid any complications the project began with local level involvement in operations and planning. Avahan in Karnataka As mentioned earlier, the project was started in six high prevalence states namely Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and Nagaland. The prevalence in the first four states was predominantly due to male, female and transgender sex workers. In the other two states there were high incidences of the spread of virus due to injecting of drugs among the people. In Karnataka, University of Manitoba took the initiative to take up the project in the 18 of the 30 districts. Among the 18 districts, in 16 districts the i

The Circulatory System Essay -- Papers

The Circulatory System The circulatory system is one of the most important systems in the human body. It consists of the heart and blood vessels. It is what makes the blood in our body go round. The blood carries oxygen, nutrients and hormones and takes them to where they are needed and removes the waste products like carbon dioxide. The circulatory system nourishes every cell, tissue, organ and organ system in the body. There are approximately ten pints of blood constantly circulating through seventy- five- thousand miles of blood vessels. These blood vessels reach every cell in the human body. Once they reach the cells they deliver much needed oxygen and remove carbon dioxide and other poisonous waste products. The circulation to and from the lungs is called the pulmonary circulation; the circulation round the rest of the body is called the systemic circulation. On average, a red cell would go round the whole circulation in 45 seconds. Our blood is pumped to two places: the right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs, and the left side of the heart has to work harder pumping blood to the rest of the body which is why the left side of the heart is bigger and more muscular than the right side. Blood is pumped from the heart to the lungs and then travels back to the heart, where it is then pumped to the body. To get all the way round the circulation, blood has to go through the heart twice and this is why it is known as a double circulation. Blood is carried round all parts of the body by small tubes called blood vessels. The human Circulatory system is composed of three types of vessels; arteries, veins and capil... ...ood and waste products back to the heart. The blood in the veins moves slowly due to low pressure. Semi-lunar valves are found at regular intervals throughout the veins. These force the blood to move in only one direction. The veins walls are thinner, wider, less elastic and less muscular than those of the arteries. The veins are compressed when body muscles, particularly in the limbs, move so the valves in the veins have to prevent the blood flowing backwards. The blood in most veins is deoxygenated and contains more carbon dioxide but less food than the blood in most arteries. This is because respiring cells have used the oxygen and food and produced carbon dioxide. The pulmonary veins, which return blood from the lungs to the heart, are an exception. They contain oxygenated blood and reduced level of carbon dioxide.

Phytoremediation :: essays research papers

Introduction: In recent years it has become clear that some environmental chemicals can cause risks to the developing embryo and fetus. Evaluating the developmental toxicity of environmental chemicals is now a prominent public health concern. The suspected association between TCE and congenital cardiac malformations warrants special attention because TCE is a common drinking water contaminant that is detected in water supplies throughout the U.S. and the world. There is a lot of concern about the clean up of toxic pollutants from the environment. Traditional methods for cleaning up contaminated sites such as dig and haul, pump and treat, soil venting, air sparging and others are generally harmful to habitats. Some methods strip the soil of vital nutrients and microorganisms, so nothing can grow on the site, even if it has been decontaminated. Typically these mechanical methods are also very expensive. Most of the remediation technologies that are currently in use are very expensive, relatively inefficient and generate a lot of waste, to be disposed of. Cleaning up contamination: Phytoremediation is a novel, efficient, environmentally friendly, low-cost technology, which uses plants and trees to clean up soil and water contaminated with heavy metals and/or organic contaminants such as solvents, crude oil, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and other toxic compounds from contaminated environments. This technology is useful for soil and water remediation. Mechanisms: Phytoremediation uses one basic concept: the plant takes the pollutant through the roots. The pollutant can be stored in the plant (phytoextraction), volatized by the plant (phytovolatization), metabolized by the plant (phytodegradation), or any combination of the above. Phytoextraction is the uptake and storage of pollutants in the plants stem or leaves. Some plants, called hyperaccumulators, draw pollutants through the roots. After the pollutants accumulate in the stem and leaves the plants are harvested. Then plants can be either burned or sold. Even if the plants cannot be used, incineration and disposal of the plants is still cheaper than traditional remediation methods. As a comparison, it is estimated a site containing 5000 tons of contaminated soil will produce only 20-30 tons of ash (Black, 1995). This method is particularly useful when remediating metals. Some metals are also being recycled from the ash. Phytovolatization is the uptake and vaporization of pollutants by a plant. This mechanism takes a solid or liquid contaminant and transforms it to an airborne vapor. The vapor can either be the pure pollutant, or the plant can metabolize the pollutant before it is vaporized, as in the case of mercury, lead and selenium (Boyajian and Carriera, 1997; Black, 1995; Wantanbe, 1997).

Responsibilities of Parents Towards Their Children Essay

Beethoven’s composer said Beethoven â€Å"as a composer is hopeless.† Beethoven was deaf in his 20s. Beethoven composed music despite that and went on to become one of the best known figures for Western Classical Music. Albert Einstein didnt speak till he was four.During his school times , Albert Einstein was considered to be mentally retarded. Einstein , then went on to win the Nobel Prize for his thesis on Photoelectric effect and his crown jewel , Theory of relativity. Abraham Lincoln’s wife died , his business failed , he suffered a nervous breakdown , lost in the elections 10 times before becoming the President of USA. Rocket Scientist Von Braun failed in Algebra. Madam Curie used to fail in chemistry. She won a Nobel Prize in CHEMISTRY!! Winston Churchill failed as a 6th grader. He eventually went on to become one of the BEST prime minister of England. Michael Jordan was cut from his school basketball team. He then won 6 National Championships in Basketball. Thomas Alva Edison was told by his teacher that â€Å"He was too stupid†. He went on to create many useful electronic devices for the 21st century, including bulbs. Walt Disney was sacked by a newspaper because he was too â€Å"unimaginative† and didnt have â€Å"any original ideas†. The Beatles were disregarded by Decca records who told ’em â€Å"We dont like your music. Group of guitars are on their way out!† The Beatles went on to become one of the greatest bands of all time. Isaac Newton did very poorly in his grade school. He went on to write Principia Mathematica and many principles for Physics. Steven Spielberg dropped outta high school. Then was enrolled in a disabled learning class. He dropped again and went on to become one of the most successful directors in the history of Hollywood. Marilyn Monroe was dropped by 20th century Fox as Darryl Zanuck thought she was unattractive. She eventually went on to become one of the best actress , sex icon , pop symbol of the century. Harrison Ford was dropped from Columbia Pictures. George Lucas thought he didnt have it in him to act as Han Solo. Well the rest is history. Failure is the stepping stone of success. Never , never , never give up!!! Surprise the World! Reach out! Do your best! -source:Life quotes and sayings