Everglades Research Paper

The Florida Everglades is the state’s most highly visited park in the state. The Everglades is also home to thousands of animals, reptiles, and plants. Many tourist travels just to get a glimpse of the many exotic reptiles. Although, the Everglades is very beautiful it’s also one of the most endangered parks in the state. The park is endangered from humans and land developments. The state has laws imposed to protect the everglades. In order for people to save and protect the Everglades there are things we have to do on part. Throughout this essay I will go into depth about the different species, human threats, and what we can do to protect one of our states natural wonders. The Florida Everglades formed from the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee, this mass body of swamp lands stretch’s over 11,000 square feet. (U. S Department of, 2011). The Everglades has imbedded itself into our ecosystem, which has formed biological structure for the southern half of the state. Many, of the species depend the on the biological structure that the Everglades provides to the land. Many mammals such as the Florida Panther only found in the state and is classified as endangered species calls the Everglades home. Florida Panther depends on the warm weather and vast land to survive. The Florida Panther continues to be an endangered species because it has been hunted by tourist. Many, other mammals, such as deer’s, rabbits, and fox’s all depend on the biological structure found within the Everglades. The White Tail Deer, one of the most beautiful deer’s and highly favored in classic fairy tales such as Bambe. The White Tail Deer are commonly found in other parts of the world but In Florida the White Tailed Deer is particular smaller than the others found in the country. They are particularly smaller because they don’t have all the extra layers of fat, which other deer’s living in other parts of the country need to protect them from harsh winters. The White Tailed Deer depends on the biological structure for food; the deer’s feed on the saw grass found within the Everglades. The Marsh Rabbit is also found within the Everglades, is the most dominant member of the rabbit family found in Florida. The Marsh Rabbit depends on the biological structure for a couple of reasons. The rabbits depend on the wet marshes and pinelands, over the years they have adapted to the biological structure. The Marsh Rabbits are unlike many other rabbits, since they have adapted so well they have become great swimmers. Many tourists have claimed to see the Marsh Rabbit swimming within the marsh lands. Another, animal that has grown to the divine biological structure of the Everglades is the Gray Fox. The Gray Fox builds their home within the marsh lands, a den semi under the ground. The Gray Fox also is the only fox that can climb trees, this asset puts it above the other fox’s because it gives them a unique hunting ability. The Everglades are filled with hundreds of different mammals but the Everglades is also home to many different reptiles, tourist flock to the Everglades in hopes of catching a glimpse of the American Crocodile. The American Crocodile is one of the most well known reptiles hidden within the depths of the Everglades vast swamp. The American Crocodile is a predator and can be seen with a protective boarder, the crocodile depends heavenly on the biological structure of the Everglades. The swamp land doesn’t only help them prey on other animals but also keeps the crocodile from being prey. The American Crocodile is a huge reptile but it also is prey to hunters and snakes. Snakes are another reptile that rules the swamp lands of the Everglades. In recent reports Anaconda’s have been reported to be in the Everglades and they prey on all animals. Despite the different reptiles found within the swamp of the Everglades, many birds are commonly found within the Everglades. In the 1800’s John Audubon stated, â€Å"The sky was often darkened by the flocks of numerous birds above. (U. S Department of, 2011). Many birds would flock to the Everglades during the winter to escape harsh winters from up north. The Everglades skies aren’t filled with as many birds anymore due to numerous reasons. One of the saddest reasons that many animals and reptiles are losing their homes is because of humans and land development. The beautiful of the Everglades is simply breathing all the creatures and different plant life is a joyous site to witness. The beauty of the Everglades that past generations has witness isn’t the same that the current generations witness. As the years progress we continue to do more harm to our beloved Everglades. We continue to push our animals to relocate and find new homes because we take away their land for our own personal developments. The population continues to increase and that calls for newer and better developments, more and more of the Everglades is being taking away from plants and animals. This land that is being taken away from the plant and animal species is being turned into communities, shopping plazas, and other new buildings. The Everglades once rumored to be 22,000 square feet has over time become no more than 11,000 square feet. This major drop over years and years is a result of land development. The continuation of taking land away from our animal and plant life in the Everglades can result in horrible consequences. Animals will eventually be forced to find homes somewhere else and we will lose valued plant life. The land development has become a problem within the Everglades and we are destroying a treasured park in our state. As much as we are destroying our land, tourists are bringing even more problems to our Everglades. In the year of 2003 many viewers witness all over the world a snake devour a crocodile. Many, people sat shocked and watched the event reply on national news channels repeatedly and many of these viewed wondered how this could be happening in our Everglades. Since the beginning of time some people have loved to have exotic pets and many times with these exotic pets people don’t understand how to tame the animal. In consequence of not being fully aware of how to tame an animal decide to rid themselves of the animal by dumping them into the wild. The Burmese Python has become a favorite pet among many individuals and many of these individuals don’t understand how to tame the python. Many of this pythons has been found in the Everglades and other animals that don’t belong in the Everglades have been found. Animal dumping is increasing and people are using the Everglades as place to dump unwanted pets. The Burmese Python does not belong in the Everglades because it has an increasingly hungry appetite for other animals and the climate in the Everglades is the perfect climate for pythons. The pythons can survive in the Everglades climate and have many different animals to choose from to devour. Some estimates, there are now 150,000 pythons in the park and there is no doubt that pythons pose a grave threat to the fragile Everglades ecosystem. † (Scholastic Scope 2010) All these issues need to be addressed from the dumping of animals to land developments because we are in many ways destroying one of national treasures. There are many groups around the country and state devoted to helping our national parks. Unfortunately these groups can’t save our Everglades by themselves; they need assistance from community and state government. There are many ways to help protect the Everglades; the easiest form is by sending monetary denotations. Monetary donations help fund different projects and groups committed to saving the Everglades. Another, way for an individual to help save the Everglades is through volunteer work, taking time out of their schedule and help clean up the Everglades. Individuals can also write letter and petition our government to do more for our Everglades. The government has a great influence on people, they can do more to help protect the Everglades. Our Everglades is a national treasure and is beautiful park home to many different animals and plant life. The Everglades provide numerous benefits to our ecosystem. Many animals and plants depend on the Everglades and its habitat as a source of life. We as individuals have to protect that way of life for the animals and plants. In process of protecting the everglades for other species, we are also are helping to protect our ecosystem. The different situations in the Everglades can improve but it will take a full effort from parts. Protecting and providing homes for all the different species in the Everglades is very important and very fundamental to our lives.

Beyond the Ordinary Bloody Hell Drama Essay

Beyond all human endeavors to attain their highest human potential; be it during grief, war, abundance, injustice, among others, is the rule that no matter what, â€Å" always do the right thing. † In this particular paper, I have chosen William Shakespeare’s work â€Å"Hamlet, Prince of Denmark† as well as Oscar Wilde’s â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† as the two main plays for my essay. I have a particular interest in these two plays by two different authors, because the two radiates social and moral themes, which I think is more interesting. â€Å"Hamlet† for example, conveys the message of revenge as evil and could result to unintended consequences. â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† posits an emphasis on the importance of being Earnest (since this was paramount during the Victorian era), which I would later on mention in my succeeding discussions. However, I have chosen the two plays because of its contrasting theme-satire vs. tragedy. I was particularly interested in the way the two plays (in different themes) could stir up moral-social values and messages. ‘Hamlet† is a story of oozing portrayal for vengeance (Shakespeare as cited in The Literature Network, 2000). Hamlet accidentally killed Polonius, after he thought that it was Claudius (the new King of Denmark). Look more:  satire in the importance of being earnest essay He intended to avenge the death of his father on Claudius. However, after the accidental killing of Polonius, Ophelia (the daughter of the latter who loved Hamlet despite the hatred she felt for him) and Laertes (son of Polonius, brother of Ophelia), were especially furious on him and planned to kill him to avenge the death of their father. It was the latter who carried on the plan since Ophelia was prevented by her love for Hamlet. On the course of their pursuit for revenge, all Hamlet and Laertes gain was the unintended consequence of their actions. The first accidentally killed Polonius instead of the king, as cited by Shakespeare (n. d): Hamlet: â€Å"How now? A rat? [draws] â€Å"Dead for a ducat, dead†! Polonius: [Behind the Arras] â€Å"O, I am slain†! [Fall and Dies]. (Shakespeare p. 150) Laertes, on the other hand, instead of killing Hamlet, was killed by his own sword as mentioned by Shakespeare (n. d): Laertes Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric; I am justly kill’d with mine own treachery. (Shakespeare p. 246) The message however of the play conveys that, revenge is not always the right thing to do, no matter how badly you’ve been hurt by someone. This is conveyed in the play of Shakespeare (n. d), when Laertes spoke to Hamlet: It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain; No medicine in the world can do thee good; (Shakespeare p. 247) On the other hand â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† portrayed the story of two characters (Jack and Algernon) that had employ deception for their convenience; Jack using the name Ernest and Algernon having an imaginary friend named Bunburry. The two employed deception to attain their ends (for Jack to be engaged to Gwendolyn and Algernon used Bunburry as an excuse to leave the country). Later on, Algernon also made-up a story that he was Ernest, to propose to Cecily. It was found out later on in the story that smoke has its way of escaping; the deception did not last long, it was soon discovered by the girls including Lady Bracknell (Gwendolen’s mother) that Ernest was just an imaginary person whose name was used by two persons (The Importance of Being Earnest, 2000). To cover all these mistakes, the two men were told to do the right thing to redeem themselves from the wrath of their fiancees. The two plays had some common grounds. Firstly, both plays were guilty of committing the â€Å"law of unintended consequence† of their actions. Hamlet is a story about revenge, but people who seek revenge for the death of their loved ones (Hamlet and Laertes), were not prepared for the unintended consequence of their actions. As the tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark it says: â€Å"A villain killed my father†¦I his sole son, would do the same villain†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shakespeare as cited in etext. library, n. d). However, it was not anticipated by Hamlet that the man he killed was not the King. Clearly, Hamlet had mistaken Polonius as King Claudius. Moreover, when Laertes avenges the death of his father, he was killed by his own sword. The result of their plans was different since they were not familiar with the possible consequences of their actions, because experience wise, they’re not raised to slay somebody out of hatred and vengeance. As was mentioned previously, Jack and Algernon also did not expect the law of unintended consequences of their deception. It had evoked a lot of fantasies from the women, and led to conflict when both women assumed that they were both engaged to the same man named Ernest. One of the lines in The Importance of Being Ernest (2000) showed this conflict: Gwendolen. [Quite politely, rising. ] My darling Cecily, I think there must be some slight error. Mr. Ernest Worthing is engaged to me. The announcement will appear in the Morning Post on Saturday at the latest. Cecily. [Very politely, rising. ] I am afraid you must be under some misconception. Ernest proposed to me exactly ten minutes ago. [Shows diary. ] (p. 43) A â€Å"civilized war† in which flaring emotions were dealt not through aggression, but tensions over words and manners exist between Cecily and Gwendolen when they unmistakably thought that they were engaged to the same man named Earnest. The next comparative point for the play is the emphasis on doing the â€Å"right thing. † If King Claudius respected the life of the former King, Hamlet would not have thought of revenge, same as Polonius. However, they neglect to pay respect to the lives of these people, hence, one mistake leads to another. Vengeance could not be the right thing to do; since social laws are present (this is the function of law in every society-to ensure harmony and control towards equilibrium). The other play (†¦Being Earnest) was in fact clear about choosing the â€Å"right thing† to do. First, being morally right is the â€Å"right thing† to do. Take for example the line of Algernon after his conversation with Lane. The first stated that, what use the lower class would be if they don’t set good example; when they are in fact a class to have no sense of moral responsibility. Gwendolen believes that style, not sincerity is more important (The Importance of Being Earnest, 2000). This was depicted in the story when the Gwendolen and Cecily, instead of pouring out their hatred and contempt to each other, chose to have a â€Å"civilized war† because it is the â€Å"right† thing to do-impression management is more important than sincerity. Respect was also of significance in Hamlet. The play conveyed that whatever wrong a person has caused on you, it is still wrong for you to wish for his death, much more kill him. Killing someone had never been right, much more, seeking vengeance and putting the role of law on your own hands as what Hamlet and Laertes did. The third point of comparison for the two plays is their similarity in portraying conflict. Conflict usually occurs over the competition of highly valuable scarce resources. While Hamlet was a tragic play, it evoked conflicting interest between King Claudius and Hamlet’s father. Shakespeare (n. d) illustrated this scene through the following lines: Ghost: A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forged process of my death Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown (Shakespeare p. 14) The two were in conflict over the reign of the thrown in Denmark. It should be noted that conflict would either result to a positive or a negative consequence. Take for instance the case of King Claudius and Hamlet’s father; their conflicting interests enable King Claudius to kill his brother to take over to his thrown as the King of Denmark. On the other hand, The Importance of Being Earnest posits a deeper conflict between classes. In the way upper classes looked at marriage, wealth and the importance of superficial personalities to retain their pleasant status. Despite any wrong done, upper classes have their ways of doing the â€Å"right† thing, which they themselves have imposed. Lady Bracknell touches on the issue when she states, that: â€Å"pleasant or not, an engagement should be given to a girl through a surprise† (The Importance of Being Earnest, 2000: p. 43). Upper class has a standard way of looking at marriage-in fact they looked at it as a business transaction. Hence, marriage for the upper class is a way of showing social position, character and â€Å"taste† for marriage. This was however seen in the words of Gwendolen when she said sugar is being out of fashion and cake is not in best houses where it used to be seen (The Importance of Being Earnest, 2000). Cecily put sugar and cake on Gwendolen’s plate as otherwise requested by the latter. The two girls were actually insulting each other, but chose to do it in a more subtle and superficial way; that nobody could hint they were relatively furious with each other. Always doing the right thing is the best way to deal with hatred, happiness, and conflict, and extreme emotions. I have proved this right when Hamlet chose to revenge the death of his father instead of trusting the law of society to punish King Claudius. His revenge leads one way to another when other person was being killed, living the latter’s family in grief and the son to be also planning for revenge. On the other hand, I had also proved that doing the right thing is the best way to settle misunderstandings and feud. In Being Earnest, deception was used at first, and it was soon found out that it could create great complication; not only, people doing the deception gets into trouble but also the people in whom they had applied their deception as in the case of Gwendolen, Cecily and Lady Bracknell. Also, doing the right thing could be the best way to avoid negative consequences of conflict (e. g following the rule of transition to the throne in the case of Hamlet). Above all things, the two plays were great, since, errors were recognized and even if the right thing to do was not done immediately, the characters came into their senses and recognized that what they have done might be corrected. With the right attitude towards things as well as with the values that guide human character, one might not go wrong if s/he just lived with these and chose to always do what is â€Å"right† for everybody. â€Å"Hamlet† is indeed a great play, depicting many facets of the test of character amid hatred and betrayal. In the Importance of being Earnest, it was personal volition to use deception, but in the end, the choice to be â€Å"right† for the sake of harmony prevailed. References Hamlet. (2004). TeachWithMovies. com, Retrieved, January 20, 2008, from http://www. teachwithmovies. org/samples/hamlet. html The Importance of Being Earnest. (2000). CliffsNotes. com. Retrieved, January 20, 2008, from http://www. cliffsnotes. com/WileyCDA/LitNote/The-Importance-of-Being-Earnest. id-29,pageNum-31. html (IMPORTANT)

Alvin Ailey Contextualisation Essay Example for Free

Alvin Ailey Contextualisation Essay Ailey used his culture and many childhood memories to base his choreography on. Church and worship played a huge role in the lives of black Americans and was the center of Ailey’s community. â€Å"The exuberance and poignancy of the black experience are well served in Ailey’s splendid. â€Å"The church was always very important, very theatrical, very intense. The life that went on there and the music made a great impression on me. † (A. P Bailey 1997 pg. 8) He grew up in Texas in the 1930s with both racial segregation and the economy being big problems of the time. â€Å"Black lives were as peaceful and secure as racism and poverty would allow. (Dunning, 1996) â€Å"In those days black people were forced into certain sections of the town†¦you couldn’t buy a house in other sections of the town, so you had to go to schools that were essentially segregated’’. In spite of the miserable living conditions   Ailey’s community and others alike were joyful in church and the drew drop inn which was where all the adults used to go on Saturday nights to dance to the blaring juke box. The dew drop inn was a rough place to be. My mother was in there, and everybody was doing what they considered to be the nasty dances†¦many of the same people who went to dew drop inn on a Saturday night went to church on a Sunday morning. In dance I deal with these two very different worlds: Blues suite and revelations. † (A. P Bailey 1997 pg23) At the age of 12 Ailey joined his mother in Los Angeles where she was to work as cleaner for a wealthy white family â€Å"I remember very well seeing my mother on her knees scrubbing these white folks’ rooms and halls. That image is in my ballet cry† (A. P Bailey 1997pg32) Here he experienced the theatre and heard the music of Duke Ellington for the first time, who’s music he later came to create a total of 14 dances to. Including The River’ â€Å"The River is a legendary collaboration between Ailey and Ellington†¦ was Ellington’s first symphonic score written specifically for dance†¦The legendary and highly acclaimed collaboration mirrors together the art forms beautifully. (http://www. exploredance. com/article. htm? id=1635) Creations of Two Masterful Artists, Alvin Ailey and Duke Ellington by Amber Henrie December 28, 2006. It was not until the 1940s that Ailey took a serious interest in dance, seeing the Dunham Company perform excited him in a way that nothing ever had before. Proving it to be a transcendent experience for him, he felt a connection with her and her dancers and was ‘lifted into another realm. I couldn’t believe there were black people on a legitimate stage†¦before largely white audiences†¦doing afro-Caribbean. Lester Horton not only inspired Ailey with his stylized technique and incredibly expressive movement but also in the way he offered his students a ‘complete education’ teaching them how to participate in all aspects of production from lighting and reading music to choosing the correct fabric for performances â€Å"He knew every fabric in the world and was extremely knowledgeable about color, design, dyeing and tailoring†¦I am still guided by Lester’s insistence that costumes must be made from extraordinary fabric† (A.P Bailey 1997 pg. 63) The Horton Technique focus’ on movements that lengthen the spine and the hamstring muscles with flat backs, lateral stretches, descending and ascending from the floor into horizontal positions, release swings, leg swings and deep lunges all of which appear in Ailey’s works regularly. Lester Horton has proved to be Ailey’s biggest influence; the similarities between the 2 choreographers are due to Ailey’s awe of Horton, his works and his attitude. As he just as Martha Graham had, had a mixed racial company â€Å"He realized that you have to use the best dancers regardless of color† (A. P Bailey 1997 Pg. 60) All of the above stylistic features are seen in works of Ailey’s such as Revelations, Cry and Witness to name a few. Each using deep plies and stunning lines to create interesting and meaningful viewing, using a combination of modern dance with jazz and classical ballet. Each with a meaning and a message to its audiences worldwide. Ailey (cited by De Frantz) said From his roots as a slave, the American Negro – sometimes sorrowing, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful – has created a legacy†¦ which have touched, illuminated and influenced the most remote preserves of world civilisation†¦ We bring you the exuberance of jazz, the ecstasy of his spirituals and the dark rapture of his blues. † Yet while Ailey drew lots of his choreography from his ‘blood memories’ he did create plot less works too, making more use of ballet technique which can be seen in Streams. After Lester Horton’s death, Ailey founded his own company and had great success that still lives to this day; he and his company toured worldwide and were awarded with numerous honours before settling In New York. Yet Thomas F DeFrantz (2004) said the unasked question, implicit in dozens of feature articles and reviews, seemed to be: how could a gay black man from dirt-poor. Rural, depression-era Texas, with limited dance training and no college degree found and run the most successful modern dance company in the idiom’s history? Alvin Ailey Contextualisation. (2018, Nov 07).

What Is The Likely Influence Of Institutional Investors On Corporate Essay

What Is The Likely Influence Of Institutional Investors On Corporate Social Performance - Essay Example The World Business Council for Sustainable Development proposes a definition for CSR which is " CSR is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large". Reference (this definition was developed in 1998 for the first WBCSD CSR dialogue in The Netherlands.) There has been an increasing role of CSR in the community these days. This is because of the impact of globalization, where the effects of actions on the other side of the world are being debated in the press. There is also increasing attention from investors through the rise of socially responsible investment or SRI. Investment in ethical funds was given a boost when pension funds were obliged to state whether they took into account social and environmental impacts. The reason behind such an investment is that firms that closely manage their social and environmental conditions are subject to less risk, are possibly better managed and thus will also turn out as better investment, as well as satisfying a principled standard. To promote CSR it is necessary to enter into a trust based relationship with stakeholders. In such an environment the firm will need to think of themselves as being part of a network in which value is created and where co-operation is more vital. The scheme of CSR basically is about moving away from a business focused approach towards a one that explores the impact and value on society which then further has impacts on the business. And thus if a business recognizes that it is a part of society and its aim is to create value in the society it will be able to consider the value that is created both for the firm and for society. Business and society have an impact on each other. With the increasing focus on CSR, comes another scheme better recognized as Corporate Social Performance (also known as CSP) and which also enables to calculate and view the performance of business in the social ambit. The social performance needs to be handled and organized properly to get rid of other liabilities and to make the business move on the road to progress. CSP is not only a moral value but also helps the organization financially. CSP is highly correlated with the financial performance. It is connected and related with accounting return procedures rather than market return procedures. The reason of effectiveness of CSP seems to be due to status effects between a huge number of stakeholder groups, and not because of the organizational learning effects. In order to make CSP profitable and able to pay the full amount of a bill, debt or other financial obligations top administration must plan it with a tactical vision that is communicated all through the organization. To make a successful CSP policy, it should be kept in view that it must contain both "soft" and "hard" topics (soft topics like managerial trends and employee values and hard topics like social policies, programs and managerial structures.) Reference Each of us can probably name more than ten cases in which unprincipled organizational performance had created serious consequences for organizational efficiency, both during and after the managerial "ethics crisis." Until now, however, a small number of efforts have been made to standardize the way that we think about organizational principles and social responsibility, greatly lessen the financial per

Scuba Diving with Jellyfish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Scuba Diving with Jellyfish - Essay Example When we arrived at the island the captain stopped and anchored the boat. I immediately jumped in the water and started snorkeling while all the other drivers were still on the boat putting on their scuba equipment. After being in the water for about two minutes wearing only my swim trunks, I started feeling this stinging sensation all over my body. After about another minute or so the stinging got so bad that I had to get out of the water and back on the boat. I mean the stinging felt like I was being burned or something the pain was excruciating. When I got on the boat, I found that I had welts on every inch of my body that wasn't covered by my swim trunks. I had been stung numerous times by a Jellyfish. I was blessed to still be alive said the captain of the boat, Poseidon. He was a Mexican man who claimed he was king of the ocean. Personally, I thought the guy was a little wacky. However, he poured this liquid substance all over my body and immediately made all the stinging go away. I immediately asked what the liquid was, soon after he implied, it was a secret liquid he made back home. I thought it was vinegar from the way it smelt, nonetheless, I was just happy for the stinging to be gone. Poseidon said the jellyfish had to have been one of the smaller species of Jellyfishes because if not I would have been dead. I immediately knew then that if I got back in the water I would have to wear a wetsuit and all the protective gear I could find. A little while later, after I recovered from the jellyfish stings, I put on my wetsuit, weight vest, regulator, tank, fins, and mask, all the equipment essential for scuba diving. I was pretty nervous about going down, so the instructor, a man named Michael Walters went over all the steps, equalizing, breathing, and reassured me everything was going to be okay and to just relax. Â  

Conflict of Interest Becomes Key Issue in Public Sector Research Paper

Conflict of Interest Becomes Key Issue in Public Sector - Research Paper Example Conflict of Interest becomes a key issue in Public Sector. Chapter 7 Title 59 of the Idaho State’s Code specifically states the conflict of interest occurs when any official or administrative action, decision or recommendation by any person in relation to ones’ official duty as a public officer that would generate economic gain of the person or member of the public officer’s family members, or a business owned, whether partially or wholly, by the public officer. The code specifically states that the public officer shall not use one’s office to enrich oneself. For example, the police officer shall not receive money in exchange for not giving a parking ticket. The judge shall not receive gifts in exchange for winning a case filed under the judge’s courtroom. In addition, the fireman shall not receive cash in exchange for prioritizing the saving of one’s home over the other homes in the community. Likewise, the government construction engineer s hall not receive cash or other gifts from the suppliers in exchange for winning a government contract. (http://www.boisestate.edu/policy/policy_docs/7080_ethicsingovernmentconflictofinterest.pdf) Exceptions to the Conflict of Interest Rule. However, there are exceptions that would prevent the public officer’s action or inaction from being classified as conflict of Interest. One example is when the law requires the public officer to pursue the action or inaction. ... ic officer’s legal salaries, wages, and other benefits) on the public officer as that of a substantial group of persons engaging in the same profession, trade, or occupation. Further, the public officer can act or not act on any transaction if the public officer or any member of his family is a director, owner, officer, or partner employee owns stocks in the benefiting organization amounting to $ 5,000 or less. Lastly, another example is when the public officer’s action or inaction in relation tax imposition will have the same effect on the public officer and the general public. (http://www.boisestate.edu/policy/policy_docs/7080_ethicsingovernmentconflictofinterest.pdf) Ethics in Government. All government employees must comply with government ethics policies. The †¦ states that a public officer who is a noncareer officer or employee working on a government position with the rank of GS-15 or the General Schedule, or if not found under the General Schedule, has a ba sic salary rate equal to or more than 120 percent of the minimum rate of basic pay for a GS- 15 of the General Schedule, in any one accounting year, should not receive outside remuneration exceeding fifteen percent of the annual basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule under Section 5313 Title 5 of the United States Code starting January 1, 1978. Likewise, the law allows the public’s giving of charitable institution on behalf of the public officer provided the amount is equal to $2,000 or less in any given accounting year. However, the public’s giving of charitable contributions to any charitable organization where the public officer or any of his family members will have economic gain, whether directly or indirectly. (http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/98/02/98002.pdf) Further, the same website

Death Penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Death Penalty - Essay Example The death penalty should not be used for the mentally ill or youths under the age of 18. Circumstances surrounding each individual case also need to be determined. The most important issue concerning the death penalty is the debate. This issue is far from settled either legally or socially in the United States. Many myths surround the death penalty. â€Å"Among the myths surrounding the death penalty are that it deters violent crime, that it costs less than life imprisonment, that victims’ families demand it, and that organized religion justifies and supports its use† (Catron and Stein-Holmes n.d.:4). If a murderer wants to commit a crime, their main thought is not about the death penalty. If this were the case, states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia would see a decrease in capital offences. Timothy McVeigh would have blown up a Federal building in Iowa, not Oklahoma City. Murderers do not have the morals that a rational law abiding citizen have, which makes them think differently. The death penalty does not serve as a deterrent to crime. Although deterrent hypothesis still exist, they are only a hypothesis (Cloninger and Marchensini 2005:3). Research has not definitely proven the death penalty as a deterrent (Cloninger and Marchensini 2005:3). Another myth is the death pe nalty is cheaper than life imprisonment. The death penalty costs more than life imprisonment (Schaefer 2008:177). Another myth debunked is all families request the death penalty. Some family members do not want the death penalty. Finally not all religions demand the death penalty. An example of an anti-death penalty church is the Catholic Church. These myths should not be used to argue for the death penalty. The United States is the last Western country to implement the death penalty (Catron and Stein-Holmes n.d.:4). Of all execution reported, 92% happened in the United States (36 states/military/Federal government), China, Pakistan, Iraq, and Sudan (Schaefer

Death of a saleman-producer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Death of a saleman-producer - Essay Example This includes the actors who will be performing on stage. The production crew can be the music producers, character analysts, cast managers and many more. In the production roles and responsibilities in the play, the production crew who are the board of directors, producers and the artists are given their individual roles to play on. The board of directors maintains the budgets of the finances and they also select the production. They also select the artistic director and the producer. They are the active producers who approve and set the budget and adjust any casting and production. The producer develops the budget to be used for performances, theater labor and other important budgets. They also deal with the security matters where by they are responsible for assigning the security team. He also secures the space needed for the production. The artistic directors deal with the artistic decisions on who to take responsibilities in the play. They also block the scenes needed in the play and block the rehearsals in the play. Working at the theatre as a collaborative team is another big issue in that not all the members in the board will agree on the procedures to be followed. This gives a challenge when the team is organizing for the best in the play. The most challenge in theater is lack of enough money to fund the production. This is majorly a problem when none of the board member has capital for the production play. As a producer you are supposed to gather all the board members and assign them the required tasks and always ensure that they are united when producing the play on stage. Learn to make decision that are always right and consult quite a number of leaders in the same field before coming to the decision. Looking for the right character to play on stage is another major problem. Deciding on the best actors to take up the characters is quite a critical decision. The actor must be captive and convince the audience who are the entertainers. He is

Recommendations and Conclusions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Recommendations and Conclusions - Essay Example The high rates of consumption in the world give the product higher chances of survival and even beating other products in the market and therefore should be taken into consideration in the future planning On the factors that that influence the consumption, there is need to do thorough research on the psychological and cultural factors as they influence the attitude which directly affect the sale. The perception and attitude towards the product begin in the mind and transfer on the belief systems, values and culture. It is these factors that affect most the consumptions and therefore the company should spend most of their effort and energy to investigate and find out the actual fact underlying them in order to reduce negative impact. In conclusion the Dasani water as a product has a future prosperity in the market if the challenges associated with marketing and advertisement is overcome. The consumers will continue to develop positive attitude if their complaints are identified and appropriate measures are taken in place

Same Artist, Different Pictures Essay Example for Free

Same Artist, Different Pictures Essay The way artists can look at a scene in many different lights is very similar to what Earle Birney did when he wrote January Morning/Downtown Vancouver and Vancouver Lights. An artist can paint a picture of a given setting and then come back and paint a totally different painting of the same subject. The two poems share similarities but where the description of January Morning/Downtown Vancouver ends, the theme for Vancouver Lights begins. The two poems based on the same setting create entirely different ideas in the readers mind. Evidently, Birneys poems both contain very powerful descriptions, but the two descriptions have different effects on the reader. January Morning/Downtown Vancouver beautifully describes exactly the title of the poem. However, the poem missing meat or substance, does not require the reader to analyze it in any way. In contrast, the first paragraph of Vancouver Lights is also a description, but this only sets the tone and allows the reader to get a feeling of the poems future. For example, when Birney says, to look on this quilt of lamp is a troubling delight( Earle Birney, January Morning/Downtown Vancouver ) implies a hidden meaning where as, The streets wait outside / chained to their hydrants( Earle Birney, Vancouver Lights) only describes. Although the poems are written about the same city, the descriptions Birney writes differ and imply different meanings. Similarities in the two poems are hard to find because they both have different agendas. The immediate understanding of January Morning/Downtown Vancouver completely contrasts the intense thought process required to fully understand Vancouver lights. Birneys wants the reader to think about mankinds insignificance and that mankind can create and destroy itself in Vancouver Lights where as January Morning/Downtown Vancouver needs little analyses, therefore extracting the theme appears difficult because of its simplicity. When Birney writes, These Rays were ours / we made and unmade them Not the shudder of continents / doused us the moons passion nor the crash of comets ( Earle Birney, Vancouver Lights) he acknowledges the fact that mankind are creators and destroyers, but in January Morning/Downtown Vancouver the reader can not find a phrase that has a  deeper meaning. Also, Vancouver Lights has numerous references to ancient symbols such as: Phoebus, Nubian, Prometheus, Nebulae and Aldebaran. This puts Vancouver Lights on a different level from January Morning/Downtown Vancouver because it requires the reader to have some pre-conceived knowledge to understand the theme and meaning of the poem. The simplicity in January Morning/Downtown Vancouver and complexity of Vancouver Lights makes similarities of the two difficult to uncover, yet the reader can see a direct link between the two because of the setting. These two poems paint completely contrasting pictures because January Morning/Downtown Vancouver only describes while Vancouver Lights requires previous knowledge and in-depth thinking to unlock the theme. The simplicity of January Morning/Downtown Vancouver creates detailed images but Birney leaves little to the readers imagination. On the other hand, Vancouver Lights about the same setting, forces the reader to think and discover the theme on their own. Like an artist can paint different pictures of the same subject, Birney accomplishes this in his poems, January Morning/Downtown Vancouver and Vancouver Lights

Evaluation Of Coca-Cola Corporation Environment

Evaluation Of Coca-Cola Corporation Environment Coca-Cola was established on May 8, 1886 by Dr. John Stith Pemberton, a local pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia. It was first sold in Jacobs pharmacy for five cents per glass. Initially Coca-cola was sold as a drug, Pemberton during that time considers Coca-cola as a cure for diseases such as dyspepsia, morphine addiction, headache and impotence (North America Operating System, 2008). Coca-cola Company is one of the most popular companies in the world. Aside from the fact that it is also one of the oldest corporations that was able to withstand World War II and other changes in the economy over the past years. The fact still remains that it is one of the most famous brands of Cola in the world (The Coca-Cola company case n.d.). The Coca-Cola Company was able to resist the hindrances that occurred; the company was able to utilised change management as efficiently as possible to withstand the obstacles. As mentioned earlier, changes in management is caused by three different factors which are the external environment, internal changes and the proactive reaction to possible threats and difficulties. Temporal Environment Evaluation- over the past decades, the Coca-Cola Company has faced a number of changes in the external environment that have transformed the management of the company. One of the best examples is during the World War II. The company was able to maintain the status of the company, at the same time, was able to enter new markets despite the environment. Instead of lying-low because of the war, the company became more aggressive through providing free drinks for the GIs during the World War II. Through this the corporation was able to hit two birds at one stone. First, because the carbonated drinks sent by the company, it became a patriotic symbol by the United States soldiers in which led to consumer loyalty. Second, the company was able to take advantage of the situation and established the product in newly-occupied countries by the Ally forces and because of that the company established plants in various locations worldwide paving the way for its post-war expansi on. Another aspect in the external environment is the change of taste and expectations of the consumers. During the mid-1980s wherein the Americans favoured the sweet taste of the rival product, the company created its counterpart but became a commercial failure; however instead of backing down, Coca-Cola changed its management strategy and returned the old formula, and just renamed it as Coca-Cola Classic. And with the rise of obesity in the United States and consumers became health conscious the company released new versions of Coke in order to address the needs of these type of consumers, such products include Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero. In addition, according to Bool (2008) companies such as Coca-Cola are compulsory to transform due to trends that have a huge impact on their business, and one of these trends is the health and fitness. A number of people are noe investing more in their health, and in order to keep up with the trend, Coca-Cola introduced their new product which is a calorie burning soft drink, the Enviga. Moreover, Coca-Cola is collaborating with the Swiss company Nestle. Coca-Cola is dealing with innovation and change. During the Asian Financial Crisis, Coca- Cola was also triggered to change its course of management in that particular region. The responses and reactions of Coca-Cola with the external environment are its internal changes. Internal Changes- as mentioned earlier, Asia experienced its financial crisis in 1997. According to Barton, Newell and Wilson (2002) as the financial crisis swept the Asian region, the chief executive officer, Douglas Daft responded to this by mobilising his executives to workshops about how Coca-Cola would seize new growth opportunities. Barton et al, stated that Coca-Cola gave emphasis on acquisition opportunities, Coca-Cola bought acquired bottling business in South Korea which gave more access in retail stores in South Korea, as well as, better entry in China, Japan and Malaysia. Coca-Cola disregarded its country-defined market perspective and focused on regional strategic view and acquired local brands of tea and coffee. In the case of health trends and changing taste of the consumers, Coca-Cola responded to this through innovation and change. Innovation is accomplished through development of new products such as the Enviga, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, and other variants of Coke. The change is incited by the trend in health and fitness and consumer tastes which had an impact on the business of Coca-Cola. During World War II, the response of Coca-Cola to the situation is to provide free drinks to the GIs in order to access new markets in which the company was able to do. Organisational Change Management- this theory presents a general procedure for managing the change in the side of the people at an organisational level (Kotter, 1996). According to Hiatt and Creasey, the organisational change management is consists of three phases, which are, preparing for change, managing change and reinforcing change. The theory of organisational change management was effectively utilised by Coca-Cola. Different managers in various parts of the world have used organisational change management in order to address the issues that the Coca-Cola faced. From the case study (The Coca-Cola company case n.d.) these people are: One of the most notable CEOs of Coca-Cola Company is Mr. Gouzueta, he was the chief executive officer of Coca-Cola for seventeen years. He was able to determine the problem against other manufacturer of carbonated drinks. Mr. Gouizetta played a huge role in measuring the operation of Coca-Cola and developed strategies that aided the Coca-Cola to defeat competition. In addition, Mr. Gouizetta played important roles in planning and leading the tasks in achieving the goals and objectives. In addition, Mr. Gouizetta also appointed Mr. Ivester whom transformed the weakness of Coca-Cola into opportunities and strengths (The Coca-Cola company case. n.d.). Furthermore, the paper of Pigseye, the following organisational management changes that occurred in Coca-Cola over the past years. Coca- Cola has distinguished various forms of its advertisements in order to target different forms of consumers instead of focusing on one group. The company changed the packaging of Coke. Coca- Cola also developed new products such as Gatorade and it extended globally which is composed of the African group, Middle and Far East group, the Latin America group and the European Group (The Coca-Cola company case. n.d.). Interventions As part of the interventions, it is very vital to identify the leveraging changing in an organisation. In identifying the leveraging changes in the Coca Cola Company a Force Field will be used. Force Field Analysis according to Bass (2008) is a technique created by Kurt Lewin in order to analyse the forces that are opposing to change. The current state of the Coca Cola stores in Hong Kong is pretty good and it is still one of the top distributors of softdrinks in Hong Kong. However, if it will be compared to other Coca Cola convenience stores in the world the inventory, marketing, and performance of the personnel is not equal to other Coca Cola company. The company hopes to increase the efficiency of the marketing and inventory, as well as the productiveness of the workforce through implementing management change programmes. If the changes will be applied within the management and businesses, Coca Cola projects that there would be an increase in the output of the company. On the other hand, if changes will not be implemented the inventory, performance and other marketing would deteriorate and continuously be inefficient, therefore there is a possibility that the competitors might be at par or even overtake the market. According to the presented case, the main emphasis of the Coca-Cola is to meet the needs of their customers with excellent product manufacturing and product distribution. The companys change management is very fragile since they predicted that there are some marketing challenges in the near future that they need to face. In order to address the changes in the Coca Cola Company, there should a concrete identification of problems present in the company. The employees and other stakeholders of Coca Cola Company will be affected of this so-called radical changed. Basically, the route of the change is towards the workforce development and not on the services since the company has already established a reputation of delivering good services in the market. The change is also about the possible financial problems that the company may face in the near future. From this discussion, the following figure shows the force-field analysis of the change management procedures suggested to the application of change management within Coca Cola Company. Figure 1. Force-Field Analysis From this force-field analysis, it can be seen that the computed forces to change is much higher compared to the forces against change. Force-field analysis is very vital in change management (Bass, I. 2008). Meaning to say, the plan is quite logical with respect to possible opposition. Actually, change management is basically defined as the formulation and assimilation of change in a methodical process (Kotter, J. P., Schlesinger, L.A. 1979). Meaning, the major objective of change management which is the introduction of new systems in the work organisation i.e. total change project is normal to companies that are engaged in change management. This can similarly be compared to the adoption of new marketing strategies. Businesses like Coca Cola Company must normally undergo change in order to evolve to a higher level of for instance, stability, management or production. And since Coca Cola Company wanted to have an extreme development or a radical change, the CEO of Coca Cola may inc lude changing the companys mission, reforming business operations, application of new technologies, major group efforts, or adoption of new programs. Usually, the organisation is encouraged on settling on change management due to external influences, usually termed as the environment (Nickols, 2004). Thus, change management can alternately be defined as the response of different business to changes brought about by environmental influences in which organisations have minimal or absolutely no control over. Perhaps the space between the new organisation design and implementing it into actuality is the whole coverage of organisation change and development. As mentioned in the introduction, people are adaptive to change. However, certain skills must be present from the initiators of change so as to successfully implement their project. Thus, managers need to have the necessary abilities not only on detecting what needs to be changed but also how to introduce the change effectively. Thus, in this review of related literature, some of the approaches, common problems, influences, case studies and best practices in change management will be analysed in relation to the research problem. Recommended Plans With respect to the force-field analysis that has been previously conducted, the following details are the recommended plans for managing change in Coca Cola. Renewing Systems and Structures The organisational form of Coca Cola is the Entrepreneurial start-up or the simple structure. According to Mintzberg (1992) the structure is described as having a little or no technostructure at all, it also has few support staffers, restrained division of labour, minimal differentiation in the work place, and a small hierarchy in management. Moreover the behaviour within the organisation, particularly in the convenience store is not that formalised wherein it utilises minimal planning, training and liaison devices. In the new organisational form of Coca Cola businesses in Hong Kong, it would be Machine Bureaucracy. According to Mintzberg, the machine bureaucracy is an organisational structure wherein there is a clear configuration of the design parameters wherein it consistently held up researches it includes specialised routinely operating procedures, formalised procedures in the centre of operations, propagation of rules and regulations, proliferation of formalised communication throughout the company, dependence on the functional basis for tasks wherein it needs group work, comparatively centralised power for decision-making, and a complexly detailed administrative structure with sharp differences between the line and staff. In this form of organisational structure Coca Cola will be able to monitor the efficiency of the performance of the workers because there would be standard procedures and more elaborate structure of management. Cultural Web Routines and Rituals- the Coca Cola, Inc. does not have any formal training with its work force particularly within the convenience stores. There are no specific routines emphasised in the organisation, and just like most companies, the managers and workers come in to the work place to perform their job and the cycle goes on. This behaviour does not encourage any worker to perform their job better and if ever changes will be implemented within the organisations it will not look peculiar. The new training programs that will be implemented will focus on customer service. In industries like in Coca Cola customer service is a very important aspect in sustaining the loyalty of the consumers. The routines can easily be changed due to the fact that there is no particular routine in the work place. Organisational Structures- the management within the stores have limited hierarchy and the overall setting is informal because there are no strict rules and regulations within the convenience except for the usual the punctuality and absenteeism. The management structure in Coca Cola encourages collaboration with Coca Cola but competition with other organisations in the same industry. The power structure within Coca Cola is democratic because prior to the changes in the management sectors that will feel the impact of the changes directly will be educated and informed and also their opinions will be heard. Control Systems- In Coca Cola the most closely monitored is the distribution of softdrinks. The company does not emphasise punishment and rewards to the employees, apart from the usual which is the bonus for rewards and removal from the job for punishment. There are few controls in the workplace and the control in the workplace is associated with the history of the company wherein it provides the customers fresh products. Power Structures- the main beliefs of the senior management of Coca Cola is that the success of the company is due to the efficient evaluation of the challenges in the workplace, as well as, the market and quickly respond to the opportunities. The power is distributed to three management teams, the senior leadership team, vice presidents and the division leadership. The dominant culture of the organisation is its being practical and open to the opportunities given to them. The changes in the management programmes can be implemented easily because the proposals of the company are attainable and do not have a negative impact on its employees. Overcoming Resistance Resistance of the employees in the change management programmes in any company is inevitable however overcoming the resistance is important in order to implement the required changes in the management strategies. According to Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) there are six approaches that an organisation can use in dealing with the resistance by the workforce and these are: Education and Communication- In order to overcome the resistance in Coca Cola the employees should be educated and informed regarding the transformations within the company before implementation to prevent incorrect information that will surround the work area. Participation and Involvement- the employees must be involved with the planned changes in the management programmes of the company because once they become involved the employees will not resist but instead will participate in the transformations that will be undertaken. Facilitation and Support- Some of the employees will resist the changes because they are unable to adjust with the new programmes implemented by the management to avoid resistance the management must support the employees that are having a hard time with the changes, establishing a support system will aid the employees to quickly adjust. Negotiation and Agreement- Coca Cola should talk and negotiate with the employees, and during the talks the management must discuss the incentives they will receive once they accepted the changes in the management strategies. Manipulation and Co-option- if the other approaches did not work inviting the union leader to participate and be a representation in the change process will aid in overcoming the resistance to change. Explicit and Implicit Coercion- if all approaches did not work the last step would be forcing them to accept the implemented changes and threaten them that if they will not comply the employees will lose their jobs. Conclusion Change management is basically defined as the formulation and assimilation of change in a methodical process. The major objective of change management is the introduction of innovative means and systems in the work organisation. This can similarly be compared to the application of certain information technologies in the company or the adoption of new marketing strategies. Businesses must normally undergo change in order to evolve to a higher level of for instance, stability, management or production. Appointing a new head officer, for example, can greatly enhance his subordinates based on his management principles and personality. From these discussions, we may conclude that change management is a process in which all companies undergo. This is an important procedure because it enables the organisation to make decisions that will be advantageous and beneficial to the company. In addition, organisations that are open to change are generally more successful compare to companies that re sist it. In a globalise market, new technologies and procedure are emerging rapidly, in order to keep up with this progress a company must be willing to adapt to management changes. The international, as well as, the local market has a very stiff competition, therefore in order to be on top change management must be utilised by companies. Coca-Cola is one of the best examples of companies that utilised change management efficiently and have yielded positive results. The evidence is the dominance of Coca-Cola in the soft drink industry not just in Asia but all over the world.

The Different Types of Aircraft Hazards and Support Equipment for ARFF

To become a firefighter is not an easy job. To become an aircraft rescue and firefighter (ARFF) takes a special individual because of the unique level of duties it requires. There is a great deal of preparation and skills that ARFF personnel must have to respond effectively to any aircraft accident or incident. â€Å"Because of the extensive nature of emergencies† that ARFF personnel may come across, they must be well trained to handle any of these circumstances (Jenkins, 2008). ARFF personnel are and have to be universal in a wide range of duties. ARFF personnel must have the comprehension and ability to handle fires, emergencies, and any other types of situations that they may encounter. Some other requirements for ARFF personnel to have may include an emergency medical technician (EMT) certificate or a paramedic license. â€Å"ARFF personnel will likely encounter rescue, mass-casualty, fire fighting, and hazardous material operations† (IFSTA, 2008). ARFF pers onnel are usually the first to respond to an aircraft incident or accident and must be fully prepared to address any hazards or dangers at the scene. This paper will discuss the different types of aircraft hazards and support equipment for ARFF personnel. The Different Types of Aircraft Hazards and Support Equipment for ARFF Personnel There are many types of aircraft hazards that ARFF personnel will encounter and/or must be familiar with at an airport. ARFF personnel must know and understand the different types of aircraft hazards. Aircraft accidents will have potential hazards that involve fluids, structures, and components which can all burn at high temperatures. ARFF personnel should always avoid inhalation or ingestion of smoke, fumes, and particles of a... ...y dangers and hazards during any emergency rescue and firefighting operation. ARFF personnel must be familiar with and know how to respond to any emergency. ARFF personnel have the skills from advanced training and experience to quickly respond to and rescue people from aircraft accidents or incidents. Technology has enhanced ARFF personnel’s capabilities and abilities to respond quicker during emergency rescue and firefighting operations. PPE and other safety equipment help protect ARFF personnel and must be worn at all times while performing any emergency rescue and firefighting operations. ARFF apparatus, support vehicles, and support equipment must be maintained and ready to support ARFF personnel during emergency rescue and firefighting operations. ARFF personnel has an extremely complex and universal profession which some people call a modern day hero.

Gawain :: Essays Papers

Gawain Passage Analysis An anonymous author around the fourteenth century wrote Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The story is set in the time of King Arthur and deals with two major plot devices that are common in such tales: the beheading contest between Gawain and the green knight and the attempted seduction of Gawain by the lady. The passage contained in lines 928-993 occurs shortly after the lord of the castle invites Gawain into his home and offers him a meal. The section focuses on the introduction of the lady who will later try to tempt Sir Gawain to sin. The author describes her in such ravishing splendor that the reader can imagine how hard it would be to resist her advances. The hag by her side is also introduced here as a direct contrast to the lady. In this way, the lady's and the hag's respective physical characteristics are further enhanced by the presence of each other. Similar to other stories written in this period, the hag in this story has magical elements that are not revealed until much later. The lady of the castle comes to Gawain only after dinner and prayers are attended to by herself and her lord for she "Longed to look on the knight"(Norton, 222). Prior to her appearance, the lady has been secluded away in the church closet with her maids. From the very first words written about her, she is described as a very attractive person. The author goes on to describe her hair, face, and manner of dress, all of which only lend more brilliance to this vision. The passage is a testament to her comeliness and will later be important in the story since it sets the foundation for the obvious attraction Gawain feels towards this woman from whom "He claims a comely kiss, and courteously he speaks; / They welcome him warmly, and straightaway he asks / To be received as their servant, if they so desire"(222). The lady later admonishes Gawain the next morning when he fails to kiss her as a chivalrous knight should. The lady's appearance is only enhanced by the presence of the hag at her side. The magical element of the hag has also been introduced in such other literary works as "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" and in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. In each of these stories, the hag turns out to be something other than what she seems. Gawain :: Essays Papers Gawain Passage Analysis An anonymous author around the fourteenth century wrote Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The story is set in the time of King Arthur and deals with two major plot devices that are common in such tales: the beheading contest between Gawain and the green knight and the attempted seduction of Gawain by the lady. The passage contained in lines 928-993 occurs shortly after the lord of the castle invites Gawain into his home and offers him a meal. The section focuses on the introduction of the lady who will later try to tempt Sir Gawain to sin. The author describes her in such ravishing splendor that the reader can imagine how hard it would be to resist her advances. The hag by her side is also introduced here as a direct contrast to the lady. In this way, the lady's and the hag's respective physical characteristics are further enhanced by the presence of each other. Similar to other stories written in this period, the hag in this story has magical elements that are not revealed until much later. The lady of the castle comes to Gawain only after dinner and prayers are attended to by herself and her lord for she "Longed to look on the knight"(Norton, 222). Prior to her appearance, the lady has been secluded away in the church closet with her maids. From the very first words written about her, she is described as a very attractive person. The author goes on to describe her hair, face, and manner of dress, all of which only lend more brilliance to this vision. The passage is a testament to her comeliness and will later be important in the story since it sets the foundation for the obvious attraction Gawain feels towards this woman from whom "He claims a comely kiss, and courteously he speaks; / They welcome him warmly, and straightaway he asks / To be received as their servant, if they so desire"(222). The lady later admonishes Gawain the next morning when he fails to kiss her as a chivalrous knight should. The lady's appearance is only enhanced by the presence of the hag at her side. The magical element of the hag has also been introduced in such other literary works as "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" and in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. In each of these stories, the hag turns out to be something other than what she seems.

The Emperor?s New Clothes :: essays research papers

‘The Emperor's New Clothes’ is a tale of an emperor who was exceptionally fond of new clothes. Two swindlers came one day and claimed that they were weavers and said that they could weave the finest cloth ever seen. They claimed that the colours and patterns were not only exceptionally beautiful, but the clothes made from this material possessed the wonderful quality of being invisible to anyone who was hopelessly stupid or incompetent. They were paid handsomely to weave this cloth and given a room to work, as the emperor wanted to wear his new robes in an upcoming parade. When they decided that they had finished ‘weaving’, the emperor sent in his ministers to judge the quality of the cloth. The ministers, not wanting to lose their respected positions, told the emperor that it was magnificent when they could not see it at all. The emperor, believing his ministers could actually see the robes, and not wanting to seem a fool, paraded in the streets wearing th e new clothes, which were, of course, non-existent. The public admired the emperor’s clothes, for they too did not want to be labelled fools; only a child came out and said that the emperor was actually wearing nothing at all. Upon this outburst, the rest of the public realized that this was true, and the emperor finished the parade in shame for his stupidity of believing the two swindlers in the first place. One of the morals of this fairytale would be to not succumb to peer pressure. Had the emperor not cared about looking like a fool in front of his ministers, he would have declared that he could see nothing, and would have asked whether the ministers could actually see anything. Another moral would be to always give your honest opinion.

Fruit and vegetable consumption among young adults Essay

The World Health Organisation is predicting that chronic disease will account for over sixty per cent of deaths; with 41 million deaths by 2015.1 Up to 80% chronic disease could be prevented by eliminating tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.2 Chronic disease and obesity in Australia are continuing to contribute to premature death and burden of disease.3 Cardiovascular disease and cancer remain the main causes of disease burden and type 2 diabetes prevalence has trebled in the last ten years and is expected to be the leading cause of disability and death by 2023.4 The rapid rise in diabetes incidence and prevalence is thought to be due to the rising rate of obesity.5 61% of Australian adults, using measured BMI are currently either overweight or obese6 , with younger age groups gaining weight more quickly than previous generations.7 Approximately 32% of Australia’s total burden of disease can be attributed to modifiable risk factors. 4 Considerable reductions in morbidity and mortality from diet-related diseases could be achieved if the population increases healthy eating behaviours including increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV).8 Fruit and vegetable consumption is strongly linked to the prevention of chronic disease and to achieving better overall health.9 Internationally up to 2.6 million deaths and 1.8 % of global burden of disease is attributable to low FV consumption. Inadequate FV intake in Australia is thought to be responsible for 2.1% of the overall burden of disease.10 Increasing individual FV intake could reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease by 31%.11 In particular reviews of studies have indicated that FVs reduce the risk of developing cancer12; cardiovascular disease13 and obesity.14,15 A meta-analysis of studies investigating FV intake and the incidence of type 2 diabetes indicated no significant benefits for increasing FVs but an increase in green leafy vegetables could sign ificantly reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.16 The mechanism of action is thought to be related to their micronutrient, antioxidant, phytochemical and fibre content.17 Current recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption Based on  available evidence the World Cancer Research Fund recommends eating at least 400g of non-starchy vegetables and fruits per day (2007).12 The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that Australians consume a minimum of two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetable daily.9 Current consumption patterns are well below these figures. Data on FV consumption in Australia is collected predominantly via validated short questions as part of the National Health Survey. This self reporting of FV consumption does incorporate a number of errors related to the ability of individuals to determine serve sizes18 and the validity and reliability of the short questions. Alternative measures of FVs, predominantly food frequency questionnaires have been determined for different age groups19, 20. For adults the most recent determination of FV intake indicates that only 56% of females and 46% of males over the age of 15 are eating t he recommended serves of fruit and 10% of females and 7% of males over the age of 15, are eating the recommended serves of vegetable daily. 15 The 2007 national children’s nutrition and physical activity survey used a combination of multipass 24 hour food recalls and food frequency and indicated that only 1-2% of older children were consuming three serves of fruit and only 1-11% of older children met the guideline for vegetable consumption21. In another survey specifically looking at young adults 34-43% of those aged 19-24 year olds met the daily fruit consumption guidelines of two serves a day but only 8-10% of young adults ate the recommended five serves per day of vegetable.3, 22 Low consumption of FVs is, therefore, an issue across the spectrum of age groups. While young adults do not necessarily have FV intakes any worse than older adults and children, the lack of overt medical problems has meant that the 18-24 year old age group have received little attention.23 Given that fewer young adults consume the recommended serves of vegetable, strategies that focus solely on vegetables would appear to be appropriate . Young adulthood is a critical age for weight gain24; and in the United States the transition from high school to college is a potential period of rapid weight gain increasing the risk of obesity in later adulthood.25 Chronic conditions are a significant challenge for Australia’s young people because these conditions can affect normal growth and development, quality of life,  long-term health and wellbeing, and successful participation in society, education and employment.3 Studies predominantly undertaken in the United States and Europe are contradictory with respect to whether food habits are positively or negatively affected in the transition to independence. In one study students living independently were more likely to consume a healthy diet than their counterparts living at home. Independent living may increase responsibility of various food-related activities such as budgeting, purchase, preparation and cooking which young adults living at home have not yet developed.26 Other research however indicates that dependent students consume more FVs – independent students may take more responsibility for their food choices while dependent students may be controlled by the primary care-givers.27 It should be noted that the transition from highschool to university in Australia is not necessarily marked by a move out of the family home as it does in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe. Living on campus or in university-provided accommodati on is only undertaken by a small percentage of students in Australia. In 2008, there were almost 3 million young people aged 15–24 years in Australia, accounting for 14% of the total population.3 In addition the majority of Australians who start a course at a higher education institution are aged between 15 and 34 years of age and in 2009 more than 45% of young adults aged 18-24 years were enrolled in a course of study leading to a degree or diploma qualification.28 Universities and other higher education institutions would therefore be an appropriate setting to target individuals in this age group. Determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption The National Public Health Partnership identified the primary determinants of FV consumption to inform the development of strategies.29, 30 These are outlined in the table below. Table 1 Identification of determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption Determinant Objectives Food supply Increase and sustain access to high quality, safe, affordable FVs Awareness Increase the proportion of the population aware of the need to increase consumption of FVs Attitude/Perceptions Increase the proportion of the population who perceive the benefits of FVs in terms of taste, convenience, low relative cost, safety and health. Knowledge Increase the proportion of the population with the knowledge of the recommended minimum intakes of FVs Skills to purchase and prepare Increase the proportion of the population with the knowledge, skills and confidence to select and prepare convenient low cost, tasty FV dishes For children, adolescents and adults, previous consumption or exposure to FVs, knowledge, awareness, preparation skills and involvement in food preparation, lack of time and taste preference have all been implicated in the consumption of FVs .31,32,33 From an environmental perspective, availability of FVs within home, school and community settings plays a significant role in promoting FV consumption.32, 34 Those who report eating home grown produce have significantly higher intakes of FVs while poor accessibility to shops and high FV prices have been shown to have a negative impact on FV consumption.35, 36 The presence of a major food retailer in an area has been associated with improved FV consumption.37 In Australia, the evidence is less clear-cut with those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas having similar opportunities to purchase FVs when compared to those in levels of higher advantage.38 Recent work has indicated that price and availability in disadvantaged areas are similar to those in more advantaged areas but that quality could be seriously compromised, which could impact purchasing behaviour.39 FV prices have been identified as a significant barrier in FV consumption with intakes among those of lower and middle socioeconomic positions more price responsive than their higher socioeconomic position counterparts (Powell et al 2009).40 The national public health partnership identified the lack of recognition of the low relative cost of FVs as a barrier to consumption.29 However, given the recent rapid increase in FV prices identified by the Australian Bureau of Stati stics (15.5% increase for  fruit and 11.4% increase for vegetables in the December 2010 quarter) the perception of cost now may be a reality and a significant barrier to consumption.41 For young adults at university many of the determinants described above are applicable. In addition, access to cooking facilities and equipment, increased availability of unhealthy and convenience foods choices, lack of access to transport, cost of food, lack of time to prepare and to shop, lack of knowledge and of cooking skills were all identified as barriers to FV consumption.42, 43 Given the increased mobility of young adults a focus on home or school may not be sufficient. Recent research indicates that 40% of eating occasions for young adults were on average 6.7 miles (10.5 km) away from their primary place of residence regardless of whether they were living with care-givers or independently.44 This being the case proximity may play a relatively minor role in an individual’s food choices. Instead decisions may be based on a complex web including food quality, pricing, variety, availability, travel patterns, social or cultural influences and various other factors.44 Strategies Based on the determinants and using the Ottawa Charter as a framework, strategies can be divided into two primary categories those that build personal skills and those that create supportive environments. The majority of interventions have not been undertaken with the target group but rather with children (primarily in school settings) and adults. Work with the young adult age group however has highlighted that there is a general lack of understanding about motivators25 but that negative health outcomes are not particularly relevant and the focus should be more on taste.45 Social and environmental cues, on the other hand, could be especially significant.46 In Australia, the broadest population campaign has been Go for 2 and 5. This media campaign began in Western Australia and has since been implemented nationally and in each individual state. The campaign primarily aimed to increase FV consumption through the increased awareness and knowledge of the benefits of FVs, ways to cook FVs and serve size awareness. Evaluation has indicated that the campaign was successful in reaching the target audience and achieving increased awareness of recommended serves of FVs. The Western Australian campaign achieved an average increase of 0.5 of a serve.28 Primary target groups have been children and adults, adolescents and young adults have not been a focus. Education strategies have included embedding curricula in primary and secondary schools and providing regular newsletters to increase knowledge.47 For children and adolescents other successful strategies focus on creating supportive environments combined with elements of education including the provision of free or subsidised fruit either directly or through the provision of tasting programs, snacks, gardening or cooking. 47,48, 49, 50 Within more community settings, interventions have included point of purchase information, reduced pricing, promotion and advertising and increased availability and variety.51 However, there is little evaluation of the effectiveness of these strategies for improving fruit and vegetable consumption in the wider community. Very few of these interventions have been trialled with young adults as the target group. For the few programs that have focussed on young adults the strategies have centred on the development of personal skills through the provision of education either as on-line individualised programs25; tailored individualised counselling52; newsletters promoting FV intake23; and via a general nutrition course to enable students to move from knowledge to application.53 All of these showed modest short term increases in FV intake, a lack of data means that long term establishment of behaviour has not been determined. Based on the available evidence there is a need to focus on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among young adults. Given the large numbers of young adults at tertiary institutions – universities are an appropriate setting. There are few strategies that particularly focus on young adults in the Australian context. However, based on the underlying determinants, strategies should focus on improving knowledge, awareness and preparation skills, changing taste preferences, increasing availability of FVs within local settings, reducing the cost of FVs in selected settings. The development of a comprehensive, multi-strategy program specifically addressing increased fruit and vegetable consumption is required in order to  improve general health outcomes and specifically reduce the risk of chronic disease. References 1. World Health Organisation. (2005). Preventing Chronic Diseases: A Vital Investment. World Health Organisation Geneva. 2. World Health Organisation. (2008). 2008-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. World Health Organisation: Geneva. 3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010). Australia’s Health 2010. Canberra, AIHW. Australia’s Health Series no. 12. Cat. no. AUS 122. 4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s Health 2008. (2008). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Canberra. Available from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10585. 5. Colagiuri, R., Colagiuri, S., Yach, D. and Pramming S. (2006). The answer to diabetes prevention: science, surgery, service delivery, or social policy? American Journal of Public Health 96.9:1562–9. 6. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Summary of Results National Health Survey 2007-2008. Cat #: 4364.0 h ttp://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4364.0Main%20Features42007-2008%20(Reissue)?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=4364.0&issue=2007-2008%20(Reissue)&num=&view= Accessed February 24th 2011 7. Allman-Farinelli, M.A., Chey, T., Bauman, A.E., Gill, T., and James, W. P. T. (2007). Age, period and birth cohort effects on prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian adults from 1990 to 2000. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62: 898-907. 8. McCullough, M. L., Feskanich, D., Stampfer, M. J., Giovannucci, E. L., Rimm, E. B., Hu, F. B., Spiegelman, D., Hunter, D.J., Colditz, G. A., Willett, W.C. (2002). Diet quality and major chronic disease risk in men and women: moving toward improved dietary guidance. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 76(6): 1261-1271. 9. Department of Health and Ageing. (1998). Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Canberra: DHA. 10. Begg S, Vos T, Barker B, Stevenson C, Stanley L & Lopez AD 2007. The burden of disease and injury in Australia 2003. AIHW cat. no. PHE 82. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 11. Lock, K., Pomerleau, J., Causer, L., Altmann, D.R., McKee, M. (2005). The global burden of disease attributable to low consumption of fruit and vegetables: implications for the global strategy on diet. Bulletin of the World Health Organization

“Don Juan” is a digressive satire

â€Å"Don Juan† is a digressive satire aimed at mocking the traditional characteristics of literary Romanticism and is atypical of Byron’s earlier poetry. The structure of the poem’s stanzas are written in eight line iambic pentameter, where the final two lines form a couplet and are often used to deliver a comedic punch line. At times the language is idiomatic and Byron often employs slang, which contradicts the traditional formality of Romantic poetry and further defines the poem’s satirical nature.The poem’s most striking feature, however, is that Byron employs his stream of consciousness throughout the poem, interjecting his cynical sense of humor upon the reader. â€Å"Don Juan†, as depicted by Lord Byron is not a character of permanent values; he is an individual of permanent interests to whom self-aggrandizement is a cardinal virtue. A poet is the master-feeler and he can not avoid the effects of two elements in his writing.Firstly, th e period to which he belongs; secondly the conditions of the society and the ‘standard of life’ and the ‘standard of living’ of people, as it prevailed at a given time. Simplicity and innocence of rural life, beauty and nature, fascinate the poet. His emotional chords respond quickly and he finds it difficult to tolerate or accept the abuses of society, against which he hits back in his own style, with sharp witticisms. He knows pen is mightier than the sword, and he uses his latent literary genius, to strike at the right time.A poet like Byron had the capacity to worship the positive qualities and attack the negative tendencies humanity in a disarming style. It is but strange that how he could maintain and nurture the intimate feelings or romanticism, considering the tough stages that he went through in his real life. The love-feeling remained intact in spite of the vicissitudes in his personal life. Is it one of the vagaries of Nature that The Romantic Er a (1776-1830) and the Industrial Revolution happened at the same time!Powerful and unexpected changes took place, drastic modifications occurred in the life of the common man during this period, the old values had to be shunted out, whether one liked that process or not, commercial angle replaced many unselfish virtues of human beings, and the poets of the era responded well to those changed circumstances. As described by Graham Hough about Lord Byron, â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦it is rather a picture of society-and Juan is there to show the way the natural man might live in. † To Byron, beauty is not renunciation; it is participation, what if an element of selfishness is involved in the process!He is fascinated by the grandeur of richness and the beauty that encompasses it rather than the dullness of poverty-ridden virtues. He is not a tragic-type of lover; he adores dynamic love, the variations in love, and considers the hurdles as jokes. Let us move away for a while from Lord Byr on’s ‘Don Juan’ to an allegory, to understand him better. ‘The full moon is shining in the sky. It is full moon day. Seeing the beauty of the moon, a tempest rises in the ocean beneath. The ocean, in an effort to reach the moon, sends the roaring waves (love thoughts) one after another.But alas! Can the waves reach the moon howsoever big they may be? Can the moon ever come down to the Earth (the reciprocal feelings) whatever be the intensity of the wish? ’—in such a situation, Byron would still believe in the fructification of the love, by taking the help of twinkling stars in the sky. He is thoroughly convinced about the human fascination with external beauty and he is vocal about its open exhibition, like the ocean and the moon. They enjoy the struggle and won’t mind others witnessing and experiencing the beauty of the struggle.Byron’s poems are deeply affected by thoughts of recollection of his own past, poor and not glorious, and his subsequent accomplishments, that took him to great heights and material welfare. He is candid and open about the virtues of wealth and the status-gains involved in the process. Enjoy them, he declares a jovial mood through his poems. He is not willing to keep morality on the high pedestal. Just as trials and tribulations are part of the life, so are comforts and luxuries and status. Why a human being should shy away from them? Byron doesn’t believe in the bifacial strategies and a show off as for morality.â€Å"Lord Byron reflects most of the characteristics of the Romantic Era such as the focus on emotions over reason, human nature and nature. He uses many historical references and poetic devices to emphasize the themes. The themes of human shallowness and artificial focus on wealth and beauty are conveyed through comparisons with nature and each other. The unexplored realm of human feelings that directly affect the humans’ actions is displayed through the m ultiple deeds of the characters. † (Lord Byron's†¦. ) Lord Byron is at the height of his satire and attacks the foundations of the society through his potshots at the institution of marriage.â€Å"As a Romantic, Lord Byron talks extensively about love and human nature. The poem greatly exposes loveless marriages and the mirage of expectations in the society of marriage being the ultimate nest of eternal love. According to Andrew Sanders, the recognized literature critique, â€Å"Juan’s adventures and misadventures, and the narrator’s worldly-wise commentary on them, served to debunk a series of received ideas and perceptions ranging from the fidelity in love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The perception of love and misunderstanding of feelings is evident in this excerpt: â€Å"The love and marriage rarely combine, Although they both are born in the same clime;Marriage from love, like vinegar from wine – A sad, sour, sober beverage – by time It sharpn’ d from its high celestial flavor Down to a very homely household savor. † (Lord Byron, Canto III, 5, lines 35- 41) Compare this to the traditional mind-set of the people as for the institution of marriage. ‘.. Marriage of two individuals means to flow together harmoniously. Two distinct individuals, two different personalities, born, bred and brought up in two different sets of circumstances, try to come together from the day of marriage, to find a common identity, a common goal, and to be precise, a common all!’ Byron moved from one woman to another, poor or rich, married or unmarried, like a monkey that would jump easily from one branch of a tree to another. He would forget the earlier relationship easily, and had no psychological problems about termination of the earlier intimate bond. Considering the time to which be belonged the satire of Byron is too strong to accept even by the yardsticks of beliefs of the 21st century. The literary dagger used by him is to o sharp. It wounds, hurts and sometimes kills, without actually killing!(The human values) â€Å"And finally, the thing Juan is best known for: both Byron and Juan seemed irresistible to women. Byron had numerous affairs with women from all walks of life, from ordinary housewives to rich countesses. Juan scored even better: not even sultanas or the Czarina could escape his spell. † (Don Juan†¦. ) Love, platonic love and carnal love were one and the same for Don Juan. He changed his ‘loves’ as the Nature would change the seasons. He lived the life of a butterfly that goes from flower to flower to enjoy the beauty of hues and to suck honey. ’ If the flowers won’t mind, why the butterfly should mind?’ seems to be the question of Lord Byron. Don Juan did not believe in deep planning about his future life. He lived life as it came and thought of crossing the bridge, when he arrived at that spot. He did condemn the society for its fixed values , but seemed to pity the people, and how they were caught in the cob-web of procedures, customs, traditions and thought very sincerely about their love-life. How they stretched extra to make the love-life work, fearing the backlash and criticism from the moral guardians of the society. Personally he scoffed them by his writings and actions!

Zz Packer

ZZ Packer The Alternative Master Narrative â€Å"By our second day at Camp Crescendo, the girls in my Brownie troop had decided to kick the asses of each and every girl in Brownie Troop 909† (Packer p. 1). Not exactly how one would think a brownie girl would act, but that’s the trope, author ZZ Packer sets in every one of her stories, in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. Like most authors, ZZ Packer has her own style of writing. She uses similar patterns and techniques throughout her collection of short stories.I will look at two of her stories and how they relate to her style of writing. â€Å"Brownies† is a story that many people of cultural value can relate too. This short story has many moral values in it. Brownies takes place at Camp Crescendo, a summer camp for fourth graders near the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. The story is told in first person by an African American girl named Laurel, also known as Snot. On the second day of camp Laurel announces to all the gir ls in her Brownie Troop that they were going to â€Å"kick the asses† of every girl in the troop, who were all white girls.The black girls disliked the white girls the minute they saw them. There ringleader Arnetta, said they smell â€Å"like chihuahuas. Wet chihuahuas† (Packer p2). The black girls have seen whites before, but they’ve never really had much to do with them. Being at the camp with them was the closest encounter they’ve ever had. which made it realistic and hard to not have any hatred towards them. This story is one of Packers most obvious labels that she usually talks about.As the story goes on, it follows another patten how the narrator of the story Laurel is a loner. Ever since the first grade she has always gotten made fun of, and got the nickname â€Å"Snot†. â€Å"The Ant of the Self† is another story that Packer talks about. It follows the themes of blacks to minorities, the presence of blacks on the east coast, and the main character Spurgeon is a â€Å"loner†. The Ant of the Self is a story about Spurgeon, the intelligent son of Ray Bivens Jr.Throughout the story he finds himself carrying the burden of supporting his self centered father on his shoulders. Ray doesn’t know the true meaning of an intimate relationship and is oblivious to his own son’s needs. When thinking about a father son relationship, you would imagine love, respect, laughter, and support, but when it comes to Spurgeon and his father, their relationship can be described as a business transaction. Spurgeon always supports his father, whatever it may be and he never gets any acknowledgement from his father for being there.In the beginning of the short story Spurgeon bails his father out of jail with money that he earned, and instead of his father showing appreciation or thanking him, he tells him â€Å"Opportunities. You’ve got to invest your money if you want opportunities† (Packer p82). The car ride home his Spurgeon’s father thinks of ways of making fast money, and comes up with an idea. Spurgeon tries telling his father that it’s a bad idea, but of course he doesn’t listen. This story, like many others ends with a the lack of a â€Å"happy ending†.

Poverty in America Essay

Poverty is a disturbing but significant global concern. Just as it is for millions of other people all over the globe, poverty is occurring in America. Over the past decades, income disparity is ascending, in addition to the number of communities that failed to keep up with the national economic standard. Although poverty is present everywhere, it is more serious in developing countries, wherein one in every five person lives on not more than $1 for each day, which is the threshold being applied by the World Bank to classify poverty. The unrelenting problem of poverty is a multifaceted one that embraces individuals and communities who, without their fault, find themselves powerless to manage in this information-intensive and constantly developing world. For the majority Americans, poverty implies destitution, or the lack of ability to provide the family with reasonable shelter, clothing, and nutritious food. Despite the fact that material destitution does exist in America, it is relatively confined in severity and scope. To be aware of poverty in America, it is necessary to observe several statistics, as well as to observe the actual living conditions of the persons that are considered poor by the government. Overview of Poverty in America A large numbers of the country’s population live at or below the threshold of poverty, which means payment of bills every month and financing for the essentials, consisting of shelter, clothing, and food, not counting access to health care and a number of simple comforts is a constant struggle. According to estimates in 2003, roughly 25 percent of counties in the United States had low rates of workforce participation, soaring rates of unemployment, high reliance on government transfer expenditures, and incomes that is lower than one-half of the national average or less for each person. The Census Bureau classifies poverty as a family of three earning not more than $14,680, and not more than $9,393 for a worker without any dependent (Blanco, 2004). According to the 2003 statistics of the Census Bureau, almost 36 million Americans lived in poverty, which is 1.3 million more in 2002. Since 2000, the country has experienced an increase of 4.4 million people who lives in poverty (Blanco, 2004). According to a survey, the present American families are experiencing worse living conditions than they have in the previous years, as 10 percent of all families or approximately 7.6 million families in 2003 lived in poverty, which is an enormous ascend from the previous years (Blanco, 2004). In 2005, the registration of the United States Census Bureau of poor individuals in the country totaled to approximately 37 million poor Americans (Rector & Johnson, 2004). Therefore, there is one in every eight Americans that is struggling with inconceivable poverty. These millions of Americans are asserted to be deficient of the necessary clothing, shelter, and enough money for the food, as well as being forced to live in unpleasant conditions (Rector & Johnson, 2004). Common Factors of Poverty In the concluding half of the 20th century, the three factors that are generally offered to explain movements of poverty in the United States are changes in family structure, economic inequality, and income growth. If the average per-capita incomes are increased, such as increasing wages and employment, then it is expected that poverty will generally decline. Nevertheless, economic inequality can take the edge off the overall constructive impact of income growth if lower-income workforce and unemployed citizens do not benefit from the fruits of such development. On the other hand, changes in the family structure, primarily the ever-increasing number of families headed by female may be linked with higher rates of poverty for the reason that such families are more expected to be poor and are more economically vulnerable. I. Economic Equality Certainly, the country has made several enhancements over the intervening decades in terms of the overall minimum living standard as measured through material conditions. Yet the living conditions of the poor individuals are severely different from that of families and individuals who take advantage of various degree of economic security as measured through income levels that provide unstressed and comfortable situations. The escalation in the number of poor individuals and families in the country ought to provide the government various apprehension, but even more upsetting is the increasing difference between the underprivileged and wealthy in America. In the previous decades, compensation for more affluent Americans has considerably ascended, stimulated by increase in stock options, bonuses, salaries and other rewards. However, the compensation provided for millions of lower-wage workforces dropped off; and in fact, a number of them have even lost their jobs (Blanco, 2004). Therefore, this factor has prevented the advantages of economic growth from being equally drawn out. Moreover, in 2005, non-Hispanic white men, not less than 25 years of age, holding only high-school qualification have $35,679 median income; whereas women within the same age group, need a degree in college in order to obtain a comparable median income (Spriggs, 2007). The outcome is that the households headed by female are harmed by the major earnings gap, which has a poverty rate of 31.1 percent in contrast to their male-headed household counterparts, which only had a 13.4 percent poverty rate (Spriggs, 2007). In 2005, poverty for women is excessively elevated than men, which is14.1 percent in contrast to 11.1 (Spriggs, 2007). The disparity reflects unrelenting gaps in earnings between male and female workers. At the same time, since 1959 the median income of white males with a family of five has been higher than the poverty line, but for women with a family of three, it was only in 1990 that their median income broke beyond the poverty line (Spriggs, 2007). Further, notwithstanding the progressive structure of benefit procedure in Social Security benefits, the constant gap is best reflected in disparities in poverty among the elderly, where the lifetime earnings of women suggest they have lower assets than men. II. Family Structure Higher rates of poverty among women have generally been contributed to the changes in family structure. The percentage of families headed by single female with children rapidly rose over the previous decades of the 20th century, which reached 26.5 percent in 1995 from only 11.5 percent of all families with children in 1970; with higher rates for Hispanics and blacks. At the start of year 2003, roughly 26.1 percent of the entire families with children in the country were headed by single woman. A number of such families do not obtain any or adequate child support from the absent fathers of the children. It is suggested in one study that if fathers married the destitute mothers of their children, approximately three-quarters of the single-parents would instantly be elevated outside poverty status (Rector & Johnson, 2004). Obviously, two parents in a household generally earn more than single-parent. The burden of receiving enough income to raise dependent children outside poverty additionally confronts women who are the single head of the family, as well as getting and paying for child care concurrently with their work and management of the household without help. Since this hazard confronted by women of serving non-working dependents as well as their efforts in looking after their elderly parents is not distributed by society, women who head such families are expected to obtain lower levels of education, therefore, resulting to their lower earnings. Aside from the fact that women are more expected to earn significantly less than men with similar qualifications, mothers have a tendency to accumulate less experience than other workers. III. Income Growth Poverty is associated with the lack of sufficient income, so the core problem therefore is the compensation for the workers. Among the poor, only 11.4 percent or 2.9 million jobs around the clock is available for the whole year (Spriggs, 2007). This sector of the population is further directly impaired by minimum-wage laws that have hindered costs of living. This setback is particularly severe for poverty stricken American-Hispanics and American-Asians, where 18 percent of them worked year-round for full time (Spriggs, 2007). There are several reasons why numerous people lack the income to overcome poverty. For instance, people do not work or if they work, they do not earn sufficient amount of money. Whether in good or bad economic times, the ordinary poor family with children exerts only 800 hours of work throughout a year or 16 hours of work for each week (Rector & Johnson, 2004). Evidently, almost 75 percent of poor children would be lifted outside certified poverty status if work is provided in every family, that would increase the work hours to 2,000 for every year or comparable to 40 hours for each week all through the year (Rector & Johnson, 2004). In 2005, approximately 61 percent underprivileged families have no less than one worker; and of twice-poor families, 71 percent have no less than one worker. In view of the 1990s record job creation, the number of poor but working people declined to 8.5 million in 2000 from 10.1 million in 1993. In short, America is capable of dealing with poverty. But there have been vast stubborn concerns that have lodged the face of poverty. Mounting disparity in the labor market has increased the share of the working age poor citizens, and the unsympathetic federal minimum-wage laws that have amplified the numbers of poor people working year-round for full-time. In a country with a per capita Gross Domestic Product is exceeding the poverty line for a family of four, it is atrocious that there are still more than 12 million poverty stricken American children, and nearly 3 million people work around the clock, for one whole year who are still finding it hard to make ends meet. Facts Concerning the American Poor Sector Based on the American’s accepted definition of poverty, only a small number of the 37 million individuals fit the poor description, contrary to what the Census Bureau classified. Despite the fact that real material destitution undoubtedly does take place, it is limited in severity and scope. A number of America’s underprivileged lives in material conditions that would be considered as well-off or comfortable some generations ago. The following are information obtained from different government reports regarding people classified as poor by the Census Bureau: 1. Roughly 46 percent of the entire poor households actually own their individual houses (Rector & Johnson, 2004). The typical house owned by persons identified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with a garage, one-and-a-half baths, with at least a patio or porch. 2. About 76 percent of underprivileged families have air conditioning in their houses (Rector & Johnson, 2004). By comparison, merely 36 percent of the entire population of the United States benefited from air conditioning 3 decades ago. 3. Only 6 percent of the underprivileged families are considered overcrowded, and not less than two-thirds of them have extra two rooms for every person (Rector & Johnson, 2004). 4. The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Athens, Vienna, London, Paris, and other cities all over Europe (Rector & Johnson, 2004). 5. Practically three-quarters of poor families own an automobile, while 30 percent own at least two automobiles (Rector & Johnson, 2004). 6. Approximately 97 percent of poor households own at least one colored television, while half of the said percentage has at least two colored televisions (Rector & Johnson, 2004). 7. Roughly 78 percent own DVD or VCR players, while 62 percent have satellite or cable television reception (Rector & Johnson, 2004). 8. Around 73 percent of the poor households have microwave ovens, one-third owns an automatic dishwasher, and over half own a stereo system (Rector & Johnson, 2004). Further, as a group, America’s poor are far from being constantly malnourished. In fact poor children have usual protein intakes of 100 percent beyond the medically suggested levels and consume more meat than children of higher-income do (Rector & Johnson, 2004). Nevertheless, despite the fact that in general the poor are well-nourished, there are still several poor families who experience short-term distress due to food deficiencies. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, although most of the time the hunger is temporary, still 2.6 percent of poor children and 13 percent of poor families experience food shortage sometime during the year (Rector & Johnson, 2004). Approximately 89 percent of the poor account sufficient food to eat to their families, at the same time only 2 percent says they often do not have adequate food to eat (Rector & Johnson, 2004). Conclusion / Recommendations Following the United States government classification of poverty, the typical poor American people have a living standard far superior as compared to what the public envisions. Nevertheless, the typical poor person’s living conditions should not be taken to suggest that every poor American lives devoid of hardship. Millions of Americans are still continually struggling to hang on, making tough choices between housing, hunger and health care for their families. Economic inequality, income growth, and changes in family structure without doubt affected poverty trends over the latter half of the 20th century. Poverty in America can be readily reduced, if parents are provided with sufficient hours of work and if fathers are at all times present with their families. Although marriage and work are unyielding ladders away from poverty, the country’s welfare system uncooperatively continues to be unsympathetic to both. Foremost programs such as Medicaid, public housing, and food stamps keep on reprimanding marriage and rewarding idleness. Therefore, if welfare could be turned around to uphold marriage and work, the remaining number of poor family would quickly decrease. Further, as a matter of course, the United States has employed over the years job creation and economic growth to trim down poverty, but at present situation the courses are consequential only to the extent that inequality on wages is reduced. Poor people are generally not victims of themselves, but of appalling economic policies along with obstructions to opportunity. Since work generates income, it is important therefore that the government must provide a great increase in available working hours in different labor sectors for the poor. Along with the work opportunities, it is also important to eliminate economic inequalities based on gender, age, economic status, and many others in order to provide higher wages and higher incomes to the underprivileged sectors of the country. America is a nation with one of the most productive and strongest economies in the world. As such, the country must exert a continuing effort to fully utilize the abundance and therefore eliminate the country ’s alarming poverty rate.