Global risk analysis Essay

This paper aims to review the publication of the World Bank Risk Management on the natural disaster hotspots. Specifically, this book is entitled â€Å"Natural Disaster Hotspots: A Global Risk Analysis†. In addition, this book was published in 1995 in order to address increasing risk brought by the natural disasters all over the world. As a result, this book gave light to the role of natural disasters in significantly shaping the lives of every people as well as its economy and its community. And so, a review in this book will yield great results to the readers of this paper. A Global Risk Analysis on Natural Disasters Natural disasters are described as any terrible event, not caused by human activity, which results in deaths, injuries or even damage to property. (Forces of Nature, 2007) As it name implies one cannot avoid the occurrence of natural catastrophes since they are not man-made activities. In other words, human activities cannot interfere with the occurrence of natural phenomenon. More importantly, their occurrence usually causes great damage on the lives and community of people. And as a matter of fact, it disrupts the everyday conduct of lives of human beings. In the book, the authors have presented the great risk faced by people with the occurrence of the natural catastrophes. More specifically, the study reveals that 3. 4 billion people, more than half or the world’s population, live in areas where at least one hazard could significantly impact them. Aside from this finding, other important findings in the book are as follows: (Uku and Tobin, 2005) †¢ Approximately 20 percent of the Earth’s land surface is exposed to at least one of the natural hazards evaluated; †¢ 160 countries have more than one quarter of their population in areas of high mortality risk from one or more hazards; †¢ More than 90 countries have more than 10 percent of their population in areas of high mortality risk from two or more hazards; †¢ In 35 countries, more than 1 in 20 residents lives at relatively high mortality risk from 3 or more hazards; †¢ More than one-third of the United States’ population lives in hazard-prone areas, but only one percent of its land area ranks in the highest disaster-related mortality risk category; †¢ Taiwan may be the place on Earth most vulnerable to natural hazards, with 73 percent of its land and population exposed to three or more hazards; †¢ More than 90 percent of the populations of Bangladesh, Nepal, the Dominican Republic, Burundi, Haiti, Taiwan, Malawi, El Salvador, and Honduras live in areas at high relative risk of death from two or more hazards; and †¢ Poorer countries in the developing world are more likely to have difficulty absorbing repeated disaster-related losses and costs associated with disaster relief, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Indeed, natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, cyclones, droughts, landslides and floods cause tens and thousands of deaths as well as hundreds of thousands of injuries. Aside from deaths and injuries, natural hazards also cause economic losses around the world each year. As such, billions of dollars are expended also every year in the aspect of humanitarian assistance, emergency loans and development aids. (Dilley et. al. , 2005) And so, the key findings of the book imply that in almost all parts of the world, people are faced with great risks from natural hazards. As a result, the occurrence of these natural phenomena disrupts the regular conduct of personal and business activities of people and organization. This disruption, in turn, results to the overall socio-economic development of a nation. And in the case of the developing world, development will even become more elusive. With the annual occurrence of natural disasters, it is the poor nations that are greatly affected, such that they become poorer and poorer with every cyclical happening of natural phenomena. Despite the large losses of people and money from natural disasters, organizations especially governments are unable to address effectively the damages brought about by natural disasters. This claim has been evident on the recoded loss of human lives as well as properties annually due to natural catastrophes. For instance, the tsunami incident that happened in Thailand last December 26, 2004 had killed 229,866 people. Also, the international community has donated an estimated US $7 billion for humanitarian aid to all the victims of the tsunami incident. And so, the reluctance on the part of the government and the people can be traced on the fact that natural disasters are unavoidable phenomena. What they can only do is to experience this phenomenon and hope for the minimal damage it brings. This kind of thinking has been the target of the book. It aims to deliver the message that in spite of the potential threats brought about by natural disasters, the people and the government can coordinate in order to have a successful encounter with these phenomena. Furthermore, the book emphasizes more on the development issues rather than the typical issues on humanitarian aspect. It also identifies the regions which are highly at risk with natural hazards. In this way, development efforts can be better informed and designed to reduce disaster-related losses in the future. Because of the natural hazard cycles repeating themselves every few years, developing countries find themselves in a vicious cycle of loss and recovery without the ability to move forward and achieve sustainable development. As such, there is a need for the highly affected nations such as the developing world to cooperate with the international community in devising ways to manage disaster risk rather than merely giving humanitarian aids. It is through disaster risk management that the international community can truly help the developing nations. As mentioned earlier, the occurrence of natural catastrophes cannot be avoided. And so, it is best to have an effective risk management program on disasters than forever be included in the vicious cycle of damage and revitalization. By stepping out of the vicious cycle, one is removed from the path of continuous loss and recovery, thus achieving development. Based on the book, risk management on disasters is effectively done by primarily focusing on the two disaster-related outcomes- the mortality and economic losses. The risk level was then estimated by combining the hazard exposure with historical vulnerability for two indicators of elements at risk- gridded population and gross domestic product (GDP) per unit area- for six major natural hazards: earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, floods, drought and cyclones. The natural disasters were classified in three categories- geophysical, hydro and drought. The geophysical includes the volcanoes, earthquakes and landslides. On the hydro, it consists of the floods and hurricanes. And so, by calculating the relative risks for grid cells rather than for countries as a whole, the authors are able to estimate risk levels at sub-national scales. (Dilley et. al. , 2005) Conclusion Overall, the book served as a catalyst in enlightening individuals as well as organizations both in the public and private realm about the impact of natural disasters and how they will be able to address this phenomenon. Undoubtedly, the book has shed some light into the ways of escaping the vicious cycle of loss and recovery, which is brought about by the annual occurrence of natural disasters. This is especially true in the context of the developing world wherein development becomes elusive once countries have entered the natural hazard cycle. And so, in order not to aggravate poverty, countries especially the developing ones must properly manage natural hazards. The occurrence of natural disasters can be addressed by the international community not through humanitarian aid but by development programs in the context of risk management on disasters. REFERENCES Dilley, M. , Chen, R. , Deichmann, U. , Lerner-Lam, A. and Arnold M. (2005, April). Natural disaster hotspots: A global risk analysis. World Bank disaster risk management series no. 5. Forces of Nature. Glossary. Retrieved June 26, 2007 from, http://library. thinkquest. org/C003603/english/glossary. shtml. Uku, R. and Tobin, M. (2005, March 31). Natural disaster hotspots: A global risk analysis- Columbia University and the World Bank produce new report. EurekAlert.

Against Teen Pregnancy Essay

Many adolescents are sexually active today. Whether it personal decision or being forced into it, teenagers are still involved. According to Sue Christensen and Ann Rosen, of those sexually active, only one in five use contraception (Williams). These teenagers who do not use contraception set their selves up for hardships in life. Being sexually active and using contraception as a teenager is a choice that may determine the rest of your life. Is â€Å"it† really worth it? One major outcome of those sexually active is pregnancy, which leads to many other choices: adoption, abortion, or keeping the child. Pregnancy all begins with talk of sexual activity. According to Ilene Lelchuk, out of 618 California high school students, 44 are engaged in some type of sexual activity during the years of 2002 – 2004. These 44 students have had sexual relations by the end of tenth grade (Lelchuk 1). Statistics from The Family Connection of St. Joseph County, Inc., stated that â€Å"56 percent of young women and 73 percent of young men today have had intercourse by age 18†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Williams 3). Beginning in the 1950s, there are records of teenagers having intercourse and many unwanted pregnancies. Shockingly, pregnancy trends from the 1950s to present. According to Christensen and Rosen, the teen birth rate in 1957 was higher than it is today (Williams 1). Although teenage pregnancy has become more socially acceptable in this day and age, so have pregnancy terminations and abortions. This meaning the birth rate may have gone down but the pregnancy rate has not. Yet, â€Å"In 1955†¦only six percent of white teenage childbearing occurred outside of marriage; today it is 42 percent† (Williams 1). Although a teenager becoming pregnant was very common in the 1950s, after discovering they were pregnant, it was perceived as the right thing for the father to marry the woman he impregnated. The father was often forced into marrying the mother of his child. In the eyes of the public, this was a social norm for a teenage couple soon to have a baby. Even though the couple may not necessarily have been in love with one another, they still followed what was expected of them. Therefore, today pregnant teenagers don’t marry the father as often. Prior to the 1970s, demographers and family planners were focused on health aspects of both mother and baby in unplanned pregnancies of middle-aged women. Meanwhile the sexual activity of teenagers was being overlooked and in turn on the rise. With these occurrences, more attention was devoted to teenagers having children. By the mid-1970s, it was common to see teenagers â€Å"pregnant and carrying an armload of schoolbooks†. This seemed to be the start of moral decay of young men and women as well as our society in believing this trend to be socially acceptable. According to Christensen and Rosen, sexual activity was lower in the 1970s than today (Williams 3). These statistics should have directed the educators to target the use of contraception over abstinence, since sexual ac tivity was obviously going to continue to increase. Surprisingly, even though sexual activity in teenagers has risen, the birthrate from 1990 to 2005 has decreased according to Sandra M. Alters (Teen Birthrate 1). There are good and bad reasons for this decrease. A positive force was the education of teens in the use of contraception, which lowered the likelihood of becoming pregnant. With the legalizing of abortion in 1973, teenagers started relying on abortion as an easy way out of a difficult situation. From 1972 to 1990 the pregnancy rate increased per one thousand women from 95 to 117. As stated earlier, the birth rate went down in these same years due to the abortion rate increasing from 19 to 41. In their bizarre way of thinking, this may have helped their situation but they gave no thought to the health and well-being of the unborn child. There are two choices a teenager has before she has the chance of becoming pregnant. There is the obvious choice of abstinence. Abstinence means that teenagers do not have sexual intercourse. Abstinence protects teenagers from STD’s and pregnancy 100 percent. According to the Center for Young Women’s Health, more teenagers are choosing abstinence, including those who have already been sexually active. Three out of four teens already sexually active are now choosing abstinence (Why 1). Abstinence may be hard to live by with peer pressuring interfering, but in the end it is the best decision. Although there are many temptations that lure teenagers into sexual activity, they must stay strong in what they believe and realize the outcome may change their life. There are teenage boys who will say ‘If you love me, you’d have sex with me,’ but girls must remember, if it is really love, they would be willing to wait until marriage (Why 1). Contraception is th e second option. Contraception also has a better chance of reducing the risk of pregnancy. There are many different forms of contraception. One in five teenagers do not use contraception. Those who do not use it, have a 90 percent chance of becoming pregnant (Williams 5). Many schools have tried to have sex education classes teach about the dangers of being sexually active as a teenager, yet teens overlook them. Therefore, if adults cannot stop sexual activity in adolescents, they must provide a safer way to decrease the risks of pregnancy. Contraception is a must if teenagers refuse to stop sexual activity. Teens often make mistakes of ignoring these two options, leading to unwanted pregnancies. Far too often they do not realize the impact it has on themselves and also the family because their parents do not talk to them about being sexually active. To reduce these misunderstandings, parents need to be confident and open with their children, and converse about the risks engaging in sexual activity. According to Olivia Ferguson, â€Å"Parents, as teens themselves reveal, are the ones who have the most influence on their children’s decisions about sex†. Teenagers who delay sexual activity have â€Å"an intact family structure, parentsâ⠂¬â„¢ disapproval of adolescent sex, teens’ sense of belonging to and satisfaction with their families, parental monitoring, and parent-child communication about teen sex and its consequences†. Family structure means the number of parents living in a family along with the relationship they have with their children. Adolescents who live in an intact family structure are less likely to have sexual activity. Adolescents living in a non-intact family tend to begin sexual activity sooner because of the relationship differences between parents and children. For example according to Ferguson in 1960, 88 percent of children lived with their parents; in 2007 only 68 percent lived with parents. With this in mind, in 1960 five percent of births were to unmarried women, in 2006 these numbers increased to 38.5 percent. Therefore with the increase of parent-child communication, there is a decrease in teen sex, leading to a decrease in teen pregnancy. Teenagers have three alternatives after becoming pregnant. Adoption, keeping the baby, and abortion are options pregnant teenagers will have to face. Many parents are unable to have children; hence they adopt children. Pregnant teenagers hav e the wise option of putting their baby up for adoption. Adoption is a great way to give the baby a better life. Adoption agencies are very helpful in procedures. They offer financial help and therapy to cope with both the pregnancy and the emotions of giving their baby up for adoption. They help young men and women realize it is the best decision for both the parents and the child. The pregnant mother can rest assured that the baby will be given to parents that will love the child as much or more than they could have themselves. Not only will the parents love them, but will give them the life they deserve, a good life. Abortion is seen more frequent in more successful women because they have a career to pursue. They do not think they have time to take care of a child. Teenage girls who have higher goals and greater ambitions are more likely to seek an abortion rather than those who have few goals and future plans. Abortion is also a common choice in scared teenagers or girls pressured by the father of the child. The words of boyfriends, peers, or parents have a major influence in the choices made about a baby. Abortion is often said to be an easy way out. Abortion is a horrible decision for teenagers. The pregnancy of a teenager is not the baby’s fault, therefore the baby should not be punished for the selfish decisions the mother or father make. Why have an abortion when the baby can be put up for adoption? The third option is to keep the baby. Keeping a baby means that young teenagers must learn to become young parents. They must be able to care and provide for another life, other than their own. Keeping a baby is the toughest decision because you must learn the dos and don’ts of properly raising a child. More than love is required for a baby, but the lifetime of hardships will explain. Teen pregnancy is quite common. According to USA Today, every day more than three thousand teenagers become pregnant. There were 4.31 million babies born in 2007. Of these babies, 23 percent were from teen mothers .39 out of 100 girls at the age of fourteen will get pregnant once before they reach the age of twenty (Jayson 1). Most pregnancies are unintentional, yet it is the teen’s decision to become sexually active. Teen pregnancy is definitely not worth all the hardships. Teens should choose abstinence and completely reduce the risk of becoming pregnant. If pregnancy does occur, of those sexually active, adoption is the greatest choice a teenager can make. Providing the baby with a better life is the most important. Every teenager must ask themselves, is â€Å"it† really worth it? Works cited Jayson, Sharon. â€Å"Teen Pregnancy, Abortion Rates Rise.† Teen Pregnancy, Abortion Rates Rise – USATODAY.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Aug. 2013. Lelchuk, Ilene. â€Å"SAN FRANCISCO / UCSF Explores Teens’ Post-sex Emotions.† SFGate. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Aug. 2013. â€Å"Why Is Teenage Pregnancy Declining? The Roles of Abstinence, Sexual Activity and Contraceptive Use.† Why Is Teenage Pregnancy Declining? The Roles of Abstinence, Sexual Activity and Contraceptive Use. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Aug. 2013. Williams, Anna. â€Å"Teenage Pregnancy-Ann Rosen and Sue Christensen.† : Teenage Pregnancy- Ann Rosen and Sue Christensen. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Aug. 2013.

Significance Of Customer Portfolio Management In Modern Business Envir Essay

Significance Of Customer Portfolio Management In Modern Business Environment - Essay Example A loyal customer is an invaluable asset to any organization that contributes to the accomplishment of the firm’s long-term goals and objectives. Scholars reflect that efficient customer portfolio management at different levels of an organization is a fundamental driver of strategic as well as financial success. The concept of customer portfolio can significantly contribute to the firm’s efforts to retain the profitable segments of its customers because customer portfolio is a potential way to achieve enhanced customer satisfaction. According to experts, â€Å"in much the same way that we can examine a portfolio of products or brands, the importance of customers as assets and investment centers mandates a similar portfolio analysis† (Hooley, et al. 2008, p.436). This paper will explore the concept of customer portfolio management. The paper will also discuss how a company can apply this concept in its strategic management.  The term portfolio is often used by ma nagement professionals in the context of investments to represent the collection of assets owned by a person or an institution. With regard to customers, this term has a parallel meaning. A customer portfolio can be defined as â€Å"the collection of mutually exclusive customer groups that comprise a business’s entire customer base† (Buttle, 2009. p.125). In simple words, a customer portfolio encompasses different groups that make up a business’s customer base. For instance, Coca Cola’s customer portfolio comprises grocery stores, amusement parks, and restaurants. The thorough analysis of customer portfolios can assist a company to identify how a specific customer group is performing.

Real work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real work - Essay Example The ‘simple insight’ that Rodrigues has during his experience of working as a manual laborer is that he would not learn in three months what his father had meant by ‘real work’. He realized that his keenness to experience the sensations from the regular motion of shoveling, even when he was doing it for several hours at a stretch, was because he knew that this experience was only a temporary one for him. Rodrigues’ sweating chest and painful shoulder did not lessen his enjoyment of the work; and he was unwilling to learn from an older colleague who wished to show him a different manner of shoveling, to avoid making his back work too much. He realized that because he was not bound to the job, the sensations of exertion and fatigue were something to be savored, according to him. On the other hand, people like his own father and uncle who had done similar work at his age out of sheer necessity, would have feared fatigue because of its different toll on t heir bodies and minds. undertake for the purpose of making a small living. According to Rodrigues’ mother and father, ‘real work’ involves working with one’s hands at manual jobs. Their only purpose for doing such work for little pay, was to make ends meet, and to find a foothold in the foreign soil of America where they hoped to make a living. Thus, his parents would think of the author’s enjoyment in experiencing of the sensations of manual labour as far from the truth about ‘real work’. Rodrigues’ mother and father may not consider as ‘real work’ white collar jobs related to desk work, and working in comfortable or plush environments. The contemporary mode of working at computer systems may seem to them merely as pleasant pastimes, not to be regarded as actual work. Rodrigues doubted his ability to understand real work because even if he worked in some kind of factory, like his father’s last job, it would be a different experience for him. His long years of education

How music affects emotions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How music affects emotions - Essay Example Though emotional reactions occur within human beings, most of the times, various factors or people provoke these reactions. Music is the perfect example of a factor that affects and influence heavily on human emotions. Music impacts profoundly on the emotions and elicit reactions such as happiness, sadness, and anxiety. Furthermore, it leads to stress or the relaxation of people. The massive ability and power that music has is unmatchable and undeniably strong. Music easily manipulates human beings’ emotions and the brain in a simple yet a sweet and exciting way. Music physically influences the brain that triggers a range of emotional response from human beings. Though the emotional content of most music is subjective, it has little or no influence on the ability to trigger feelings and reactions in humans. Consequently, various people enjoy and experience music in different ways that massively affects their memories both positively and negatively. The difference in experiencing varied emotions hugely depends on the environment and mood of the person listening to the music. Additionally, culture, personality, and preference also play an enormous role in determining a person’s emotional experience when listening to music. Furthermore, various types and genres of music elicit different and contrasting emotions among the listeners Music easily makes people happy and psyched up at different times. Although pursuing personal happiness is important and relevant to most people, some view it as a selfish and self-centered act. Major keys and rapid tempos cause happiness among listeners. This type of music elevates the mood creating and ecstasy feeling among the listeners. Furthermore, happy and excited people tend to maintain and improve their mood by listening to lively music. The idea of listening to such type of music at such moments is natural and people have no explanation for this. In addition, music serves a

Remote sensing project Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Remote sensing project - Annotated Bibliography Example ment and social acceptance of the American people; since an estimated 30000 drones will be expected to be across the US airspace by 2020 (Hiltner, 2013, p 398). Hiltner proposes the advantages and ease of execution of police roles with the integration of the UAss, as highlighted by their manufacturer and mandated by the constitution of the United States. Koppel’s â€Å"Warranting a warrant† discuses the use of the Fourth Amendment in enhancing privacy and the use of modern technological gadget that may intrude the essence of privacy without a warrant. He uses the concept of a search warrant to emphasize the application of the fourth Amendment in providing rights to protection against the violation of private property. The document provides relevance in the use of police drones as a violation of the Fourth Amendment. However, the action is significant in the provision of security in the US. In this case, Koppel concludes that the Fourth Amendment should be reconstructed in a manner that conserves general public interest as well as individual rights. Kyllo vs United States explores the use of legal approaches by law enforces in the aim of attaining peace and security. The use of a device that is not in public utility to conduct private search can be classified under violation of the Fourth Amendment. In this case the use of drones in surveillance activities by the police force can be viewed as an act of trespass which is against the rights of individual privacy. The fact that drones are not silent portrays violation of privacy as people tend to feel they are under surveillance when drones pass by their homes. Katina Michael, MG Michael discusses how modern technology has influenced the invasion of people’s privacy. The use of â€Å"embedded sensors on wearers† is one of the modern technology inventions which are aimed at acquiring information on a person’s nature. The article is relevant to the topic of discussion as it explains the pros and cons of privacy

Organization behavoir Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organization behavoir - Essay Example Organizational behavior in an organization develops over the years of the existence of the organization and is closely linked to what is referred to as organizational culture. Managing organization behavior is a relatively complex process in normal situations, especially if a major change occurs like mergers and acquisitions or other important structural or managerial changes within an organization. There have been many studies and researches on the importance of managing various types of organizational behavior (in various situations) within an organization and studies have clearly pinpointed the relation between organizational behavior, and leadership styles of managers. This paper seeks to explore the various factors associated with organizational behavior with special reference to managing OB in the BAPCO (the Bahrain Petroleum Company). The paper also tries to through light on the link between organizational management and organizational behavior. The paper will argue that a man ger requires certain personality traits and should follow the most appropriate leadership styles in various situations to manage organizational behavior effectively. A Brief Overview of BAPCO and Organizational Behavior: BAPCO is one of the major companies in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the only of its business like, which is the petroleum refining. It was established in 1929 and continues producing a wide range of petroleum products even today. It was jointly owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain and Caltex till 1997, when its full ownership was transferred to the government. BAPCO participate largely in the economy of Bahrain and it employs around 3,000 employees distributed between upstream, the oil production, and downstream, the oil refining. BAPCO is a vibrant and energetic company playing a key role in the development of young Bahrainis. The strategic vision of the company is as follows – â€Å"To manage and operate an integrated oil and gas business, supplying crude oil, pe troleum products and gas to the international and local markets, to create value for our shareholders, customers and employees† (The Bahrain Petroleum Company: Strategic objectives). Training in craft and technical skills has been at the centre of the activities and the Two year programmer, which concluded in May 2008, fulfilled the company vision of creating a pool of talented Bahraini technicians to meet the ever-growing needs of the local industries. Developing young graduates to become the manager of the future has been a pressing concern for the company. BAPCO also supports other major leadership and mentoring programmers, such as the prestigious Crown Prince international scholarship programmer, by providing funding for scholarship, mentors and on the job training opportunities. BAPCO has always shown a strong relationship with its employees through the trade union, and overall spirit of cooperation and this harmony has resulted in constructive resolution of individual a nd companywide issues through regular negotiation meeting. However, there is currently an increased tendency among the PMD (Plant Maintenance employees) to request transfer to other divisions such as ED (Engineering Department) and this has proved to be a major challenge for the general manager of BAPCO to manager this organizational behavior. Organizational behavior: Organizational behavior and culture in organizations are interrelated. Culture in

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 29

Leadership - Essay Example In turn, the followers are able to connect effectively with their leader without fear of any punitive measures against them. In this leadership model, a leader should be able to enhance positive change among his followers. It focuses on the personality of the leader instead of the actions of the same leader. To effect change and impart it among individuals requires a lot of assertiveness which is a must trait that a leader should posses if not learn. The film depicts Coach Carter as having idealized influence over his followers, which is simply the trust people have in him. Transformational leadership as seen in the film builds and maintains mutual trust between follower and the leader. Further, Carter has given his followers more autonomy and voice in making decision concerning them. This makes them feel important since they know that their leader cares about them. This builds a harmonious relationship between employees and top management (Bass 36-38). In order to create an atmosphere of trust, the leader can give workers more autonomy, interact with them and create a situation of idealized influence eliminate misconceptions about their relationship with the management. Transformational leadership facilitates and redefines people’s vision and mission. It also renews people’s commitment and restructures their systems to accomplish a certain goal. Thus, a mutual relationship stimulates and elevates follower to become leaders. In addition, it may also convert leaders to become moral agents. Transformational leadership should therefore be grounded on moral foundations. As seen in the film Coach Carter posses this qualities since he advocates for things that would lead to attainment of the people’s mission and vision. Transformational leadership has been renowned for fostering capacity development to bring higher personal level of commitment among

Means Producing Masculanity in Brokeback Mountain Essay

Means Producing Masculanity in Brokeback Mountain - Essay Example The mentioned aesthetics is used as part of the modern cinematography methods. It should be known that the mountain mentioned in the film symbolizes the protagonists’ masculinity. The word mountain is, in fact, a metaphor, which symbolizes the relationship that the two leading men have. This shows that landscape can be used as a method of expressing masculinity as has been used in the film. The two protagonists explore their sexuality as the mountain environment provides them with an opportunity. Furthermore, the mountain area is described as being primal in nature (Bronski, 2008). It is quite evident that the film ‘Brokeback Mountain’ created a lot of controversy because it focused on homosexuality. In fact, many people seem to believe that this film is one of the few to attempt to reach perfection. The cinematography displayed in the film is flawless as witnessed in various scenes. For example, perfect cinematography is witnessed when the sheep were seen on a gr een slope running up and about, and long shots were being taken at the same time. Also, intelligent mise en scene can be witnessed when the sexuality portrayed by Anne Hathaway dies slowly (Gilbey, 2006). Thereafter, one can view her sexuality from her exceptionally long nails as well as her blond coif. The film had a spare script, which in this case, was another vital aspect of its mise en scene. The film’s cast acted their roles well and the most outstanding character being Heath Ledger. He is portrayed as a man who utters words that he cannot be able to control in turn; most times he is tampered down (Williams, 2008). In other movies that have been directed by Lee, focus had been on women who were oppressed in the societies they lived in. In this film, he chose to focus upon homosexual men, who are victimized in society. The latter are often denied an opportunity to express their masculinity, but Lee made a perfect attempt in demonstrating this. The cinematography made sur e that when a non -gay person watches the film, they will not be prejudice against those who are gay. Most people who have watched the film claim that it is a tearjerker, because one feels compassion for the protagonists (Gilbey, 2006). The extremely purposeful and powerful mise en scene shows how Ennis and Jack demonstrate their masculinity, when they engage in acts of seduction. Each of the various scenes, where foreplay and seduction take place is in an almost slow motion. This ensures that the person watching the film becomes fascinated by the mysterious love story. It is clearly evident from the film that males can also express their masculinity and sexuality, just as women do. In the first scene, a long shot is taken to show how the two protagonists meet each other. In this scene, bogy language is expressed well and one notices that Jack is the one who seduces Ennis. He does this by holding himself suggestively as he waits for a response from Ennis. In the coming scenes, close up shots have been used to show how Ennis reacts after being seduced. It is evident that Ennis is trying to hide his true character by not responding to the advancements made by Jack (Williams, 2008). The shot that comes after shows how Jake views Ennis from his mirror, which suggests that he is still trying to seduce him. In the last shot, Jake is seen trying to shave, while at the same, time talking to Wood and Ennis. Jake seems to appreciate male masculinity as shown by the film’

Hybrid Cars Essay Example for Free

Hybrid Cars Essay Americans today do not realize that hybrid cars are not cost efficient to buy. This is caused by many factors, many having to do with price of production and gas prices. The cost of production for many hybrid cars is too high causing the car to be to expensive for consumers to buy. They end up paying so much more for a car that promises to save them money. These cars turn end up not fulfilling that promise and leaving people short on cash. It is true that a hybrid car will save money at the pump, but not enough to cover the cost of buying and maintaining the car itself. Gas prices are another reason why these cars arent worth it. The prices of gas today are around 3 dollars which is nearing a record high. Even with prices this high, people will not save enough money with less gas consumption to cover the extra costs of owning such a high maintenance and highly complex car. The math works out that spending more on a hybrid car over a similar small car will end up costing the owner more money. The only way to make the car cost efficient would be to own it for an abnormally long period of time, which most people do not do. Many people are not willing to pay this extra money on a car that is supposed to be good for the environment, but some people do. Hybrid cars are better for the environment because they produce less greenhouse gasses. These are the emissions that specifically hurt the layers of the atmosphere and are among other emissions that are bad for our earth. Hybrid cars burn less fuel and they burn it cleaner, so they produce less exhaust that can potentially cause smog in cities like Chicago, or that can hurt the atmospheric layers such as the ozone layer that so many people talk about being in danger. To some people, the extra cost of owning one of these vehicles is worth helping the environment, but to most it is not. People want fast cars that are fun to drive and that get decent gas mileage. Or a mom might want a van that can haul a lot of people and weight and still get decent gas mileage. A dad would want a truck that can pull a heavy load and do the heavy duty work and wouldnt care about gas mileage. All of these are reasons why people dont want a small, meek, gas sipping hybrid. The first thing that makes most people shy away from buying a hybrid car is the price tag. They see that extra five or six thousand dollars and they say, NO! People want a durable car that gets good gas mileage and has room for a family and that is safe. All of these features can be purchased on a regular car that costs much less than a hybrid. The perfect example for this is the Honda Civic. This car comes in many trim levels, one for each type of consumer, minus the person looking for the truck. The Civic Sedan, a four door car with room for five people, starts at 15k and is the perfect car for a small family. This car gets 30mpg city and 40mpg highway which is very good by todays standards. The Civic Hybrid, the same size as the Civic Sedan, costs 22k, thats 7 thousand more, and gets an increase of only 19mpg city and 11mpg highway. This means that they would not save enough money on gas to cover the 7k increase in price in under 10 years. Since the car gets better gas mileage, one would go to the pump less, but not enough to save that much money. The third is the Civic Si, this is the sporty version of the Civic that only comes with a manual transmission and is very quick. This car costs 21k, one thousand less than the hybrid. It is much faster is only has two doors. This car gets 23mpg city and 32mpg highway, not much worse than the Civic Sedan or hybrid, and is much faster and more fun. Why would a student pay one thousand dollars more for a car that is slower and more boring when the mileage increase isnt that much, they wouldnt. People want fun cars that get the job done and the Civic does that with great gas mileage and a low price, without having to be a hybrid car. Another example of this concept is the Toyota Camry. This is the best selling family sized sedan in the United States. This car comes in many trim levels but the ones we will look at are the base Camry and the base Camry Hybrid. For 2007 this car got a gorgeous remodel as well as a new engine in the base Camry and they added the Hybrid model. The base Toyota Camry costs 18k and has many features needed for a small family to fit in the car along with a lot of luggage. Do not be confused though, this car can be seen driving down the road pimped out with 20 (thats really big) rims and banging sound systems by college guys. It can also be seen with pick stickers and fuzzy dice in the window being driven by a couple college girls on the way to the beach. This is a very pretty, versatile car. The base Camry gets 24mpg city and 34 mpg highway. This is very good for a full sized car and will get the owner a long distance before having to refill the tank. The Camry Hybrid costs a pretty penny, but some say its worth it. This car gets 16mpg more city and 4mpg more highway than the base Camry. The huge gain in city mileage is due to the way Toyota makes their hybrid cars. They have the ability to switch fully from electric to gas power whereas the Honda Hybrid drive train can only go from minimal usage of each, but never fully switches. Toyotas is called Hybrid Synergy Drive and uses the electric engine most when accelerating and charges the batter when braking. The braking actually charges the battery more than the gas engine, so the car is able to shine when driving around the city because of the constant starting and stopping, the car uses almost fully the electric engine. This is why the Toyota Camry Hybrid gets such good gas mileage in the city. Lets face it though, a car that big wont be found driving around the city, most people will be office executives taking long drives from offices to home or to customers and they will not benefit as much. The Camry Hybrid only gains 4mpg over the base Camry on the highway so many people do not agree with spending eight thousand dollars more for the hybrid. This is definitely not cost efficient for the owner. People will like the 18k price of the base Camry because it comes with so many standard options and is ready to fulfill any soccer moms fantasy. When talking about Hybrid cars, there is one that stands above the rest in durability, functionality, style, price, and ability to save gas. That car is the Toyota Prius. This car could be the only argument one could make against this paper. It costs 22k and it does not come with a non hybrid counterpart. This car does cost more than say, a Corolla, but it has more room than a Corolla, and slightly less room than a Camry. It is in a class of its own and its only close competitor is the Honda Insight. The Prius is able to get 60mpg city and 51mpg highway. This is the best mpg rating of any production car and it actually is selling. You can see a Toyota Prius on just about any trip that you take and it does have unique styling that always turns heads. Although it costs more, the mpg rating of this car are almost double that of the nearest non hybrid competitor making it almost worth the extra price tag. However, the cost of maintaining such a highly complex car is greater than that of the base Civic or Corolla and will end up costing more. The Honda Insight, the other close competitor, costs 21k and gets 60mpg city and 66mpg highway. Those numbers were only the estimated numbers and consumers found them to be too high and actually got less mileage than that. Also, Honda doesnt make this car anymore so a customer would only be able to buy it used. These cars all shown, people will not save money on buying a hybrid car. The gas prices right now are not high enough to allow people to save money at the pump if they own a hybrid car. They will get better gas mileage and they will go to the pump less but they are only saving a small amount of money each year. If somebody spends 30 dollars every two weeks on gas in a regular car, that would cost them about 780 dollars a year. A hybrid car could probably go an extra week without needing gas so that would cost them 520 dollars a year on gas. They would be saving a mere 260 dollars a year on gas. If the hybrid car costs 7k more, then they would need to have the car for about 26 years to cover the extra cost of the car. No way would somebody own a car for that long this day and age. That is only covering the cost of the actually sticker price and not the extra costs of owning the vehicle, like fixing it and stuff, which would have to be done since the car would need to get fixed in the 26 year period. Many websites do a calculation of the cars which would be the lowest true cost to own. One website listed the Prius and the Camry Hybrid under their list of cars costing around 25k that would be the lowest true cost to own. This is excluding how long one would own the car for and how high the gas prices are. Also they did not list any hybrid under the coupes which are lowest cost to own and they dont say customer reviews on how fun these cars are to drive. The fact is that most people do no see it necessary to buy a car that costs so much more when they could get a car for less money that will cost them less money in the long run. People also want fun cars that will cost the same, but be much more fun to drive, even though they arent amazing at gas mileage, they still succeed in getting decent gas mileage, so people buy them. Also the hybrid drive train is not good for hauling heavy loads that is why there arent many pickup truck hybrids out there if any. Hybrid cars may cost more causing people to shy away from buying them, but they are better for the environment. People dont realize that driving a car can be the largest form of pollution. We drive by a paper mill and see all the smoke coming out of the stacks and say to ourselves how bad that must be for the air. Meanwhile we are sitting in a car, that when grouped up with many cars, is much worse than the thing we are complaining about. Pollution from cars causes smog, which deteriorates the ozone layers closest to us. This can cause for major extremes of hot and cold in the seasons. The atmosphere helps moderate the temperatures on earth by holding in heat during the winter and shielding out heat during the summer. Big cities have problems with smog which is a constant haze in the air caused by so many cars in one place emitting gasses bad for the environment. Cars also have toxins in their exhaust that can cause acid rain or global warming, and even cause cancer in some people. The water supply on earth is never growing or shrinking, the water we have is all that we get. When there is acid rain, that water has to go somewhere and may sometimes end up in drinking water or people who have wells might take showers in it. This is how it can cause cancer in as many as 1,500 people a year. There are many bad gasses that come from motor vehicles, but the three main ones are hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. Hydrocarbons react with nitrogen. The best times for this to happen are in the summer when there is lots of sunlight and really high temperatures. This reaction causes something called ground level ozone. This is a type of gas that is supposed to be in the atmosphere but is in our breathing air. This can cause many things such as eye irritation, wheezing, and even permanent lung damage. Nitrogen Oxides also cause the formation of ground level ozone and are major factors in causing acid rain and water pollution. Finally, carbon monoxide, which is an odorless and invisible gas, causes a slowing of oxygen in the bloodstream which can impair ones senses and cause permanent mental damage. Cars are responsible for around 90 percent of the carbon monoxide in the air in most urban areas. All of these gasses can be reduced by driving a hybrid car, but the best way to reduce them is public transportation. Studies show that a person who uses mass transit, such as buses or subways, for a year, instead of driving to work, can keep about 9.1 lbs of hydrocarbons, 62.5 lbs or carbon monoxides, and 4.9 lbs of nitrogen oxides from being put into the air (Emissions). Other ways of reducing pollution from cars in the air are things such as driving at steady speeds, buying newer cars that have fewer bad emissions, keeping your car in good running condition, or even not topping off at the pump. People can help the environment by buying a hybrid car, but that isnt the best way. Using public transportation or even riding a bike if possible, would do a lot more good, and save somebody a lot of money. By using public transportation and by carpooling, people can save an estimated three thousand dollars a year (Emissions). Other numbers show that idling and stop and go traffic alone use 753 millions of gallons of gasoline per year (Emissions). People dont realize how much better it would be to just use public transportation. Instead, we want to go on our own schedules and have the freedom to go where we want when we want, and that costs money and causes pollution. The cost of a hybrid car over a regular car is too much. People will not buy a hybrid car when they can get a vehicle with very good gas mileage for much less money. They can get all the bells and whistles of a hybrid but spend around seven thousand less. Teenagers dont want a slow gas sipping car, they want a fast car with a loud exhaust. They cant get this from a hybrid car so they wouldnt spend the money to buy a slow hybrid when they could have a fast sports car. A dad needs his truck to haul stuff around and hybrid cars dont offer that. The mom needs the van to have a safe car for her family that can fit them and their luggage. The cost of gas prices right now is not nearly high enough to benefit the consumer who owns a hybrid car. There is some small benefit, about 300 dollars a year, but that would take 20 years to equal just the increased price of owning a hybrid, not to mention the added costs of the upkeep of such a complex car. People want the lowest price with the best package, and hybrid cars dont offer that. While they do offer benefits to the environment, people dont realize how important the environment is and they wont spend the extra money for benefits they wont see in their lifetime. Overall the hybrid car is not worth buying because the cost is just too great. Not only is it not worth it, but people are not buying them enough to make a difference to the environment anyways, further diminishing their value. Hybrid cars are not worth buying right now and will not be for many years to come.

Benefits of Parent Education Programmes

Benefits of Parent Education Programmes Chen Yishu Why parent education program? Persuasive goal: Adoption: I want the audience to think about taking parent education program before they become parents. Specific proposition: Policy: Parents should take parental courses before they have children. Taking parental courses can benefit not only parents but also children. Audience’s current opinion: Neutral: Some people think parents should take parental courses while some don’t think so. Introduction: (example 1, pathos and ethos) When talking about children, what do you commonly think of? Well, if you asked me half a year ago, I would throw out various adjectives like cute, energetic, enthusiastic, and so on. However, now I’ve changed. Last summer vacation, one of my cousins came to visit my family, together with her two-year-old son, my nephew. He is a pretty boy with extraordinary big eyes and long black eyelashes, and when he stared at you wishfully, you will never wish to reject any of his wishes. Even though people always say we shouldn’t judge by appearance, I couldn’t help holding him up and kissed him as soon as I saw him. At that time, he was the loveliest creature in the world until we went to take a nap. I had no idea that he didn’t feel asleep at all and got up secretly after my parents and my cousin went shopping. In just two hours, he broke into my study room and destroyed all my collection of Japanese animation figures. He tore down their heads, dismembered them, and then threw them away. The moment when I found him, he was surrounded by corpses, with my favorite comic book in his hand. He cocked his head and just smiled at me, like an angel proclaiming the end of the world. I was so shocked that I couldn’t even speak a word. But the worse thing happened when his mother, my cousin, arrived at home. The only comment she made after hearing the disaster had only four words: â€Å"Oh, you naughty boy.† She didn’t say sorry, not even express that emotion. When I asked her to compensate for the damage, she was even more astonished than me: â€Å"They are just toys! How can you be so stingy?!† I wanted to argue more but my parents wouldn’t let me do so. She walked away easily. It’s impossible for me to say that I don’t blame my nephew for what he did, but I did attribute his naughtiness to his mother for she lacked the ability and awareness to educate her chil d. Preview statement: Today I like to speak about the necessity for parents, especially parents with their first child, to receive parent education as well as the reasons for taking such courses. To illustrate the points, I’m going to divide the issue into two parts: first, what is parent education; second, why should parents take parent education. Transition: If you look around in your life in China, perhaps you will notice that many of our next generation are actually raised by their grandparents instead of their parents. Certainly one of the reasons is because they have no time to take care of them, but the deficiency of parenting knowledge and skill also has something to do with the situation. In China, parent education is a brand-new concept that worth our attention for the well-being of our offspring. Main Point 1: (logos) Parent education programs contain mainly three categories. Sub-point 1: (evidence 12, ethos) The authors of the academic paper Facilitators and Barriers to Engagement in Parenting Programs: A Qualitative Systematic Review point out in the article that â€Å"Parenting programs are short-term interventions to promote changes in the behavior of parents that result in improved relationships with their children and changes in child behavior† (Julie Mytton, Jenny Ingram, Sarah Manns, James Thomas 127-137) and aim at â€Å"activat[ing] the strengths, competence, and possibilities for change that exist in parents and in the social context,† according to Professor Ching-Man Lam from Chinese University of Hong Kong, in order to enable parents to take good care of their children (Lam 147-168). Sub-point 2: Roughly, there are three types of parent education program as the child grows. Programs that get parents prepared for the new birth. Programs that aim at parents with toddlers and young children Programs that cover common issue with teenagers. Transition: Honestly speaking, it is very hard to divide the types of parent education program for each couple has different demand and as a result, hundreds of thousands of parent education programs that focus on different aspect of parenting exist in the market. Whereas, the influence of parent education program is relatively easier to categorize. Main Point 2: (logos) Parents play a vital role in children’s development. Sub-point 1: When searching online, numerous articles and research papers that emphasize the influences of parents on their children from personality to lifelong goals can be found. (evidence 3, ethos) For example, in the article The Role of Parents in Childrens Psychological Development, Jerome Kagan, an American psychologist, stated that â€Å"The profile of cognitive abilities, beliefs†¦ that characterizes each child†¦ is the result of diverse influences operating in complex ways†¦ the most important determinants of the different profiles include parental practices and personality† (Kagan 164-67). (evidence 4, ethos) At the same time, a newly published article Parents influence suicidal children in the journal The Australian, pointed out that â€Å"PARENTS are more likely than school bullies to influence childrens suicide attempts† (Bita n.pag.). Sub-point 2: Therefore, since parents play a vital role in the quality of children’s development, parent education is needed urgently to help shape the well-being of parents in order to support the growth of children. Otherwise, children may experience severe problems as they grow because their parents don’t know how to take good charge of them. (example 2, pathos)One vivid example is my nephew, the two-year-old boy. He is my cousin’s first child and honestly speaking, she knew nothing about how to take care of him, even though admittedly she loves him very much. She went back to work in Changsha after labor while my nephew was left with his grandparents in a tiny village simply because she didn’t want to sacrifice her spare time to take care of him. She promised to visit once a week, stayed for one day and left again. As a consequence, they weren’t very intimate until my cousin changed her attitude suddenly and took him back when he was one year ol d. Then he was spoiled. My cousin, his mother, gave everything he wanted and praised everything he did. No one could blame his mistakes for he did no wrong in his mother’s eyes. Finally a child with severe behavior problems, or a little evil, was created. Transition: I believe every one of us has encountered some wild kids in our lives, and mostly, their parents are especially guilty. Therefore, since parents have a great impact on children’s development, it is critical for parents to attend parent education and therefore, gain the knowledge and skills to ensure their children’s well-being. Main Point 3: (logos) Parent education programs can benefit children. Sub-point 1: Parent education programs are very likely to improve the health of children. When we look around, we may find that many young parents don’t know how to take good care of children and have to rely on their own parents, especially when it comes to infants. (evidence 5, ethos) In the research paper Preventing Abusive Head Trauma Among Infants and Young Children: A Hospital-Based, Parent Education Program, the author indicated that â€Å"Abusive head injuries among infants (shaken infant or shaken impact syndrome) represent a devastating form of child abuse† while â€Å"25 to 50% of people have not received information about this problem.† What’s worse, â€Å"in some cases of abuse, the perpetrators admitted to shaking the infant violently but confessed that they were unaware of the dangers of doing so.† Then the authors evaluated the effectiveness of parent education program on reducing the injuries and found out that â€Å"a coordinated, hospital-based, parent education program, targeting parents of all newborn infants, can reduce significantly the incidence of abusive head injuries among infants and children Sub-point 2: (evidence 6, ethos) Jane Barlow, a journalist from Oxford University, pointed out in an academic paper that Parent education program can improve the mental health of children and reduce the amount of children’s behavior problems (Jane Barlow, S. Stewart-Brown 356-370). Transition: Besides doing good to children, parent education program can also help parents out of their struggles. Main Point 4: (logos) Parent education programs can benefit parents. Sub-point 1: It is conceivable that parent education programs can help parents understand their influence on kids’ behaviors and the importance to control their emotions and actions. (example 3, pathos) For instance, one of my mother’s colleagues often complained that her son got angry and irritable easily and frequently as long as there was anything unsatisfied. She tried every method and none of them worked. She finally went to a famous parent educator and counselor for help and found out that it was herself who became angry uncontrollably when troubles occurred and her son was just imitating her. She was recommended to attend a anger management class along with parent education courses where she learned that the uncontrollable eruption of anger may get in the way of parenting her children in a good way. Since then, she worked hard to control her temper and gradually, she also made influence on her son and he changed marvelously. Sub-point 2: Parent education programs can improved mental health and well-being of parents, more specifically, it can help ease parent’s stress when facing difficulties at every stage as their children grow, for example, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). (evidence 7, ethos) In a research paper A Parent Education Program for Parents of Chinese American Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs): A Pilot Study, professor Hsu-Min Chiang from Columbia University pointed out that â€Å"parenting stress of parents of children with ASDs could be decreased through a short-term group parent education program† while â€Å"parental confidence in parents of children with ASDs can be improved through the parent education program using a group format.† Besides, the study also found that the parent education program â€Å"result[ed] in significant improvements in the physical health and environment domains† (Chiang 88-94). Transition: However, it is universally acknowledge that every coin has two sides and everything has its benefits and consequences. Therefore, even though parent education program has many advantages, they aren’t exceptions. Problems exist when people begin doing researches on the effectiveness of many programs and the results make them cast doubt. Main Point 5: Counterargument Sub-point 1: (evidence 8, ethos) Unfortunately, many people tend to believe that parents who attend parent education program are inadequate parent, sometimes even carers think so. Consequently, in order to avoid feeling guilty or stigmatized, parents are less likely to join the program, showed in the article Technique Is Not Enough: A framework for ensuring that evidence-based parenting programmes are socially inclusive (Barrett, 9). Sub-point 2: However ironically, the vast majority of the parents who don’t take parent education program are very likely to be the ones who really need to improve their parenting skills, the study showed later. (Barrett, 9). The text also points out that to change their attitudes, government should â€Å"empower local voices by implementing new programmes in co-production with local program service user parents so they become culturally congruent† (Barrett 10). Transition: It is undeniable that the development of parent education program still has to overcome numerous difficulties and problems however, by conducting further research, things will be better. Summary Statement: In my opinion, due to the influence parents have on their children’s development and the numerous advantages of parent education can bring to both parents and children, it is necessary for young parents to take the course. Besides, improvement still need to be done to increase the effectiveness of the programs. Conclusion: Briefly speaking, based on the arguments offered above, we as grown up who are very likely to have our own children within 10 years, should think about taking parent education program before becoming truly parents. Works Cited Barlow, Jane, and S. Stewart-Brown. Behavior Problems and Group-based Parent Education Programs.JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS No.21 (2000): 356-70. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11064964?dopt=Abstract>. Bita, Natasha. Parents Influence Suicidal Children. The Australian 29 Nov. 2014, Australian3 ed., THENATION sec.: 11. Print. Chiang, Hsu-Min. A Parent Education Program for Parents of Chinese American Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs): A Pilot Study.Hammill Institute on Disabilities Vol. 29. No. 2, (2014): 88 –94. Hammill Institute on Disabilities. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. http://foa.sagepub.com/content/29/2/88.full.pdf html>. Davis, Fabian A., Lynn McDonald, and Nick Axford. Introduction. Technique Is Not Enough: A Framework for Ensuring That Evidence-based Parenting Programmes Are Socially Inclusive. Leicester, England: British Psychological Society, 2012. 9. Print. Dias, Mark S., Kim Smith, Kathy DeGuehery, R Paula Mazur, Veetai Li, and Michele L. Shaffer. Preventing Abusive Head Trauma Among Infants and Young Children: A Hospital-Based, Parent Education Program.PEDIATRICSVol. 115. No. 4 (2005): Pp. E470-E477.PEDIATRICS. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/115/4/e470.full?sid=7ea8cd19-674c-4b9c-9ebe-9dc4d0d048de>. Kagan, Jerome. The Role of Parents in Childrens Psychological Development. PEDIATRICS Vol. 104. No. Supplement 1 July 1, 1999 Pp. (1999): 164-67. PEDIATRICS. 1 Jul. 1999. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…“http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/104/Supplement_1/164.full.htmlà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¾. Lam, Ching-Man. Parent Education: Revision and Vision.Asian Journal of Counselling Vol. 10. No. 2, (2003): 147–168. The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. . Mytton, Julie, Jenny Ingram, Sarah Manns, and James Thomas. Facilitators and Barriers to Engagement in Parenting Programs A Qualitative Systematic Review.Health Education BehaviorVol.41. No. 2 (2013): 127-37.SAGE Journals. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. http://heb.sagepub.com/content/41/2/127.full.pdf html>.

Essay --

Americans are dying every day from diseases that could be prevented through the research of stem cells. Diseases like diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, breast cancer, lupus, Lou Gehrig’s disease, arthritis, stroke, anemia, cancer, immunodeficiency, corneal damage, and blood and liver diseases can one day be cured through the research and use of stem cells. People still argue that the use of embryonic stem cells is an act against God. â€Å"The bottom line is that there are 400,000 frozen embryos in the United States, and a large percentage of those are going to be thrown out† (Thomson 10). That is an act against God as well. Every day we hear about these amazing unspecialized cells, and what we also hear that the world is discovering new uses for it every day. The government should promote this phenomenon. It is crucial that the government increase funding for the extremely beneficial use of these precious cells. Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs, which have been fertilized in vitro, fertilized outside of the womb, in an in vitro fertilization clinic. Embryonic stem cells are only one kind of stem cell. â€Å"Human embryonic stem cells are the cells from which all 200 kinds of tissue in the human body originate† (Bellomo 2). These cells are vital to the human body for development, growth, and repair of each organ. Which also means that embryonic stem cells are highly adaptable and able to correspond to every organ in the human body. â€Å"They are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division, sometimes after long periods of†¨inactivity† (Stem Cell Basics 2). When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more s... ...mbryonic stem cells altogether. If these stem cells were researched, tested on, and developed more, there would be no more need to kill embryos. There would also be no more controversy over embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are one of the miracles of life and these marvelous cells should be taken advantage of. They are able to save thousands of lives now and, with more researching and development, they will be able to save hundreds of thousands and even millions. The first issue that needs to be dealt with before anything else is funding for stem cell research. The issues of religion and moral beliefs cannot deter people from saving individuals who are suffering with leukemia and numerous other dreadful diseases. Everyone should receive the treatment they deserve. The government should increase funding for stem cell research for the development and use of stem cells.

To Be Legal :: essays research papers

To Be Legal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana smokers are generally mildly intoxicated, giggle, laugh, bother no one, and have a good time. They do not stagger or fall, and wouldn’t ordinarily attempt to harm anyone. It has not been proven that smoking marijuana leads to crimes of a violent nature or to crimes of a sexual nature. Smoking marijuana has no unpleasant after-affects, no dependence is developed on the drug, and the practice can easily be stopped at any time. So why is marijuana illegal? Although marijuana usage is frowned upon by society, marijuana can be used for industrial, recreational, and even medical purposes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The industry could certainly benefit from marijuana. Hemp (processed marijuana) is among the oldest of industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginning of pottery. Surprisingly, Hemp can replace many of the elements used in products today. One acre of hemp in annual rotation will produce as much pulp for paper as 4.1 acres of trees during the same twenty-year period. Hemp can be grown and harvested every year, unlike trees that take a lasting fifty to one hundred years to grow back. Also, making paper from trees creates over five times more pollution than making paper from hemp. Hemp could also have an effect on the clothing industry producing three times as much fiber per acre as cotton. While cotton is grown on only 3% of the world’s farmland, it uses a devastating 26% of the world’s pesticides per year. Hemp requires no pesticides or herbicides to grow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In regards to recreational use, marijuana is about as benign as you can get. It is not addictive. It does not cause violence. It creates no hangovers and no one has ever died from an overdose. Marijuana serves as a natural relaxant, unlike alcohol, which produces more hyper emotions. Personally, I noticed that people attending college parties based around the consumption of alcohol tend to be more aggressive than those under the influence of marijuana. Marijuana users tend to be more jovial in a social atmosphere such as a party/club and do not pursue things that involve large amounts of energy. Although there are some that claim marijuana usage is harmful to the body, impairing the normal flow of thought, causing loss of coordination, and even brain damage, it can also be a way of enjoying yourself, socializing with friends, and escaping the troubled reality of the world.

The Effects of Specific Diet in Relation to Aging Essay -- Nutrition

Introduction Every day people make decisions that impact their lives, varying from minuscule to dynamic effects. It is widely accepted that eating a nutritious diet may prevent, delay, or lessen certain age-related diseases. Many individuals choose to partake in a vegetarian lifestyle in hopes that it would lead to a more healthful and longer life. While a vegetarian lifestyle has proven to be generally safe and beneficial for human health, the question I propose is what the difference, if any, is between a vegetarian and omnivorous lifestyle over the adult human lifespan in relation to aging and body function? The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential effects, positive, negative, and neutral, that diet, namely vegetarian based vs. omnivore based, has on aging throughout the adult lifespan. Background To introduce the topic, it is important to know that for the purpose of this paper, the term vegetarian will encompass all types of vegetarianism, including, but not limited to, pescatarianism (abstaining from all beef, pork, poultry, and foul, but still consuming all dairy products, eggs, fish, and sea food) , the most common lacto-ovo-vegetarian (abstaining from eating the meat of all and any animals, including fish and sea food, but still consuming dairy [lacto] products and eggs [ovo]), a stricter vegetarianism, known as vegan (abstaining from all meats, fish, sea food, eggs, dairy, animal products, and in most strict cases white sugar because of the way it is processed), and the strictest form, raw vegan( abstaining from all that a vegan does, and also abstaining from all cooked and â€Å"un-natural† foods). It is also to be noted, that while many choose a vegetarian lifestyle for suspected health benefits, many also ... ...ction to food and society. Belmont, California: Thomson/Wadsworth. pp. 282, 283. ISBN 0-534-52582-2. "Protein in diet". United States National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. 2009. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002467.htm. Davey GK, Spencer EA, Appleby PN, Allen NE, Knox KH, Key TJ (2003). "EPIC-Oxford: lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intakes in a cohort of 33 883 meat-eaters and 31 546 non meat-eaters in the UK". Public Health Nutrition 6 (3): 259–69. doi:10.1079/PHN2002430. PMID 12740075. Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine (1997). Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and fluoride. Washington DC: The National Academies Press. ISBN 0309064031. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=5776.

Intelligence and Wisdom Essay

Intelligence is an abstract term whose definition depends upon current social values and scientific ideas. Intelligence is the ability to understand and learn from experience or in other words, it is the ability to retain and acquire knowledge known as mental ability. An intelligent person has the capacity for adequate reasoning, problem solving, learning, communication and planning (Gillespie Diane, 1992. Intelligence is the ability to learn from, understand and interact with the surrounding environment. In the modern society, intelligence refers to a variety of mental capabilities such the ability to solve problems, reason, learn quickly, learn from experience or comprehend complex ideas. The concept of intelligence is related to thinking capacity of an individual and ability to apply wisdom in solving certain problems. An individual’s intelligence is measured or obtained through intelligence quotient tests. The tests aim at measuring the capacity of an individual to solve problems and reason. A good example in real world situation of an intelligent person is Bill Gates who developed Microsoft. Ranked as one of the world’s wealthiest people, Bill Gates came up with a software company that is in use today. He used his intelligence and today Gates is a known entrepreneur and promoter of computer revolution. Bill Gates used knowledge a reflection of how wise he is to come up with software widely used by computer operators. This leads to a close link between intelligence and wisdom as is applicable in an individual’s life. There are certain aspects of individual’s intelligence that do not measure up to the expected standards of life and these needs improvement. Some individual’s use their brain or knowledge to violate laws and other ethical aspects which is illegal. For instance, hackers use their intelligence in information technology to access other people’s information, which is unethical. Wisdom is a common term applied in real life situations and it is a Biblical term that was given to David. Wisdom means accumulated knowledge that reflects a test of time and it means the ability to discern information for truth. Wisdom is gained through personal triumphs or traits and both positive and negative experiences in life (Wagman Morton, 1993) Exposure of an individual to life experience is very important as a means of measuring intelligence. Wisdom is a reflection of values and criteria applied to an individual’s knowledge and helps individuals to differentiate between wrong and right. Wisdom relates to the ideas of intelligence in which wisdom is the practical concept of successful intelligence. This means that for an individual to be intelligently successful, he or she should apply traits of wisdom (Barsalou Lawrence, 1992) Knowledge is of essence because an intelligent person has thorough knowledge and experience in many life experiences. Intelligence encompasses the application of various wisdom traits such as perceptions and insight to produce desired results. Wisdom can be measured through observation of an individual’s action which is supposed to be consistent with his or her ethical considerations. Self-knowledge is another measure of a wise person which reflects intelligence in an individual. In this aspect, King David is a good example of a person who used intelligent when he killed Goliath with a sling but does not show wisdom because he just aimed at the forefront which was not protected. It is a Biblical teaching that relates to psychology of mind and application of natural intelligent to overcome certain problems.

Abuse of animals Essay

Most of us, grew up taking family trips to the circus, zoo, marine park or rodeo. Seeing animals held captive for human amusement was part of life. We never questioned it. While it is assumed that all humans, unless they have committed crimes against society, deserve freedom, we are not used to making that assumption for members of other species. We should ask ourselves why not. What have the animals in a zoo or marine park done to deserve their jail sentences, or the elephants in a circus done to deserve lives spent mostly in chains? For thousands of years, animals have been used to entertain humans in sporting events, rodeos, hunting and in circuses. They have been hurt and many have even died. Using animals in sports raises concerns for animals rights.1 Therefore, the use of animals for entertainment or sport should be banned. Now days there are many things other than animals to entertain humans such as computers, phones, games and so on. So why do we need animals? When animals are used in circus’ they have to travel in some sort of truck where they will be kept in a cage. The circus might be poor or unpopular. So the poorer the less the animals will be fed and the less they’re paid attention to. For some entertainment animals are killed, this is wrong. We need more wild life not less. Animals should not be treated like this it is wrong and really not at all necessary! To take part in circuses, animals have to be taken away from their families and their natural habitats, put inside dark trucks and put inside cages. We then take them to the circus or the rodeo to fight and many often do not care if the animal dies, It is just for their satisfaction. We need to stop this and save our wildlife, not destroy it. Why should animals be caged in the first place? They are wild and uncivilized creatures. They have very narrow aims; eat, sleep, breed , die. The most dominant reason for caging animals or birds is for personal entertainment, whether it is a lion in a circus forced to jump through loops or if it is a macaw kept in a cage as a pet or â€Å"companion†. They are kept in inadequate spaces, wild animals have ranges that stretch for miles on end. They need space to run and act out there instincts. With wild animals just like pets when they are restricted in space, exercise and stimulation they get frustrated. This leads to physiological problems, such as pacing in cages and gnawing at bars. This can also lead to violent attacks on the trainer and/or the audience. Most people, seeing tigers jumps through hoops of fire, or elephants stand on their heads, never think about what is behind those unnatural acts. The circus would like us to believe that the animals are trained with positive reinforcement. If that were true then we would see trainers in the ring with bags of treats. Instead they carry whips and bullhooks? Even Ric O’Barry, who once made his living capturing and training the dolphins who played Flipper, now works against dolphin captivity. He is now the marine mammal specialist for the leading French animal protection group, â€Å"One Voice.† That group has shared a horrifying account of the annual dolphin slaughter in Japan, as thousands of dolphins are rounded into a bay and hacked up with machetes. Representatives of marine theme parks from around the world watch the carnage and pay the killers for the best looking dolphins for the tourist industry.2 Animals are harmed when used as objects of entertainment, no matter how innocent that entertainment is. The circus is another arena in which human beings abuse other animals. Animals are trained to perform tricks using whips, electronic goads, sticks, food-deprivation etc. Wild animals such as lions, tigers, and elephants are kept in shamefully inadequate conditions in tiny spaces. The necessity of regular transportation means that the circus can never provide an appropriate home for wild animals. These animals are forced to travel thousands of miles in cramped and squalid conditions and frequently end up physically and mentally ill. And what for? Purely for the entertainment of we arrogant exploitative humans. What sort of lesson does it teach our children about non-human animals to take them to the circus and see these great creatures demeaned and controlled by force to perform silly tricks? The history of animal cruelty has been traced back as far as the 12th Century, for example fighting dogs for sports. Dogs are use in pit fights against larger animals like wild boar and bulls. Cockfighting in some countries may still be legal and part of the cultural norm.3In most counties the act of two or more animals fighting each other, such as cockfighting, is seen as cruel and is therefore illegal such as cow fighting and camel fighting. There are also some legal forms of sport where humans fight animals, such as bullfighting which has a long history in Spanish and Portuguese tradition.4 There are several other blood sports in history that were intended as entertainment. The use of animals in sport demeans humans as Peter Singer arguments that other animals may not have the same level of sapience as humans, but they feel fear, stress, exhaustion and pain just as we do. It is immoral to derive pleasure either from the suffering or forced performance of another living being, especially when that being is under one’s power and control. It would of course be absurd to suggest that animals should have equality with humans on the level of having the right to vote or of criminal responsibility, but they should have equality with us on terms of equal consideration of interests, that is, pain and suffering should be equally significant whether it is a human or an animal that feels it.5nHorses and dogs are among the principle victims of exploitation in human sporting activities. The main purpose of horse- and dog-racing is for human beings to indulge their penchant for gambling. The welfare of the animals involved is at best a secondary concern. The Riverside (Washington)Suicide Race67, where horse often die from the nearly 400 foot steep grade of the suicide hill, the riders trying to make it down and through a river. As for the conditions the animals are kept in, these may be good for the top dogs and horses, but in the main conditions are poor, and once the animals cease to win races they are likely to be neglected, abandoned, or slaughtered. Horses are also forced to take part in the dangerous contact sport of polo in which collisions and a hard, fast-moving puck pose serious danger to the animals who, unlike their riders, have no choice in whether they take part. Pet owners can argue that they love the pets they keep as a part of their family, they provide them with food and shelter, something far better than that which they could have ever seen in the wild. Medical attention is provided and ample enjoyment to accompany that â€Å"perfect† life, The pet technically lives like a king. research also accounts to animals being caged along with education of the youth through zoos, what education could a zoo provide if the animal is far from its natural habitat?, the only knowledge a child could squeeze out of a zoo is that monkeys like to throw things and they also like shout an awful lot at observers. Why should the animals be allowed to live in the wild? without a cage and unsupervised? Simply put, animals are also living creatures with souls, they also feel pain therefore they also deserve to have rights of their own. They may lack wisdom or intellectual resources which allow them to discover at a rate comparable to humans however it is logical to say that animals only attack when they are threatened. They don’t search for human flesh. P.T. Barnum created a form of staged Wild West show as early as 1843s, when he presented a mock â€Å"Grand Buffalo Hunt† in Hoboken, New Jersey. The show was not a great success. The 15 buffalo calves used in the show broke through the barriers and escaped from thes with what they believe is â€Å"better† for them? would a human live as a pet or prefer to be free ? A sane answer would be to protest and a human would probably kill the entire race of ali arena, causing panic among the crowd because they feels threatened.8 Consider the following anomaly for the sake of argument, If there was to be an alien invasion and those aliens were more intelligent and sophisticated than humans, do they have the right to capture humans and keep them as pets in their home planet? by feeding humanens if given the opportunity. Fighting bulls have a better quality of life than meat-producing bulls. If animal welfare is the primary concern then consistency requires that if one accepts the raising and slaughter of animals for meat then one should also accept the raising and slaughter of animals for entertainment. Some thinks that thorough bred animal which lives to a minimum age of four, roaming wild, feasting on Spain’s finest pasture, never even seeing a man on foot, is far superior to that of the many thousands of British bulls whose far shorter lives are spent entirely in factory conditions and killed in grim abattoirs so that we can eat beefburgers.† 9 To condemn bull fighting is to fail to be sensitive to cultural differences and to the true nature of the sport such as the traditional Spanish culture that should therefore be respected in the same way that any other minority activity such as the slaughtering of animals according to certain Jewish or Muslim ritual laws would be. Secondly, the bull fight is a symbolic enactment of the battle between man and beast; the matador is a highly trained and highly skilled artist and fighter and takes his life in his hands when he enters the ring – it is a match between man and animal. Finally, since the bull would be killed anyway, it is of little consequence how it is kill. But it is consistent to oppose both uses of the animal. Moreover, Bull fighting is probably the most barbaric exploitation of animals that is still legally practised (in Spain, Portugal, parts of France, Mexico, and, illegally, in the United States). The idea that there is a fair match between the bull and the matador is laughable. The bull dies at the end of every single bullfight (it is either killed by the matador or slaughtered afterwards if it survives); for a matador to be seriously injured is rare and it is very rare indeed for a matador to die as the result of a bull fight. During bull fights the animals are taunted and goaded, and have sharp spears stuck into their bodies until eventually they collapse from their injuries and exhaustion. Matadors are not heroes or artists, they are cruel cowards. If humans are so desperate for companions, We have other humans for that purpose. Hence i conclude that animals are not to be kept caged, if the expansion of human settlement is a necessity then animal sanctuaries are also a necessity. The balance of nature is something which should not be offset by simple ignorant behavior. In conclusion, the use of animals for entertainment or sport should be banned as there are other alternatives for entertainment and sport.

To What Extent Was Cavour the Architect of the Italian Unification?

To what extent is it fair to refer to Cavour as the architect of the Italian Unification? After the failures of the 1848 revolution, Count Camillo Benso Di Cavour stepped in as the Prime Minister of Piedmont as the state was considered to be agitation concentration for those who still aimed and fought for the independence and unison of Italy. His liberal leadership philosophies enabled him to contribute in the movement towards the Italian Unification. However, is it fair to consider him an Italian Nationalist who always worked with his eyes on a unitary state?Cavour certainly aimed to get rid of Austrian interference in Italy so that Piedmont would grow into the Italian leading state. To accomplish this goal, he had to modernize Piedmont and extend its influence. Yet, he was aware that success would only be achieved by gaining foreign aid as Piedmont itself lacked strength to fight Austria alone. An opportunity to ally and get support from other nations rose during the Crimean War. P iedmont took the French and British sides on a war against Russia, which got defeated in 1856.As well as gaining the sympathy of France and Britain, Piedmont got the chance to attend the Paris Peace Conference where Cavour had the opportunity to share his intentions on ending with all Austrian domination over Italy. Although his plans were not much acclaimed, he did establish friendly relations with the French Emperor, Napoleon III. The two men met at Plombieres on July 20th and an agreement was made stating that if Austria attacked Piedmont, France would send in troops to help the fighting in return for the lands of Nice and Savoy.According to the historian Mac Smith, â€Å"Britain however, mistrusted Cavour and never planned war against Russia†. But still, with the French support, Cavour now tempted Austria into war, and when an ultimatum was issued, he rejected it declaring war. Austria was defeated provoking turbulences and commotions throughout Italy. Napoleon, however, was surprised by the rate at which events were moving and concluded an armistice with Austria causing Cavour to resign, as without France, Piedmont had to hope to grow.Still, the revolutionary movements in Italy while Cavour was still in power had motivated people from Tuscany, Parma, Modena and parts of the Papal States who were calling for annexation to Piedmont. Cavour came straight back to power in 1860 offering Napoleon the states of Nice and Savoy in return for the states of Central Italy. Some historians agree that at this point Cavour even hindered the Unification process as by giving Italian states away to France he was breaking down territorial integrity.Napoleon held a plebiscite and a devastating number of voters wished for the unification to the Piedmontese-Sardinian Kingdom. At this point, Cavour had reached all he aimed for. Piedmont was now a strong constitutional monarchy, which acted as a leader over the other Italian Sates. Through war, Cavour aimed to gain nation al glory only and his idea of foreign assistance never had the intention to help Italy achieve unification, it only meant to empower Piedmont. He was able to initiate the economic transformation of the state, enlarge the merchant fleet, treble foreign trade and develop the railway network.Cavour also established a political partnership, the Cannubio, in which he was able to resist pressure from the clerical right and the revolutionary left as he had his own centre-right party and Ratzzi’s centre-left group. This indicates that he that he focused on methods to modernize and develop Piedmont, and only Piedmont. He was satisfied with what he had achieved and had no intention to expand his kingdom into the southern states. He thought that by joining Naples and Sicily he would be taking the unification idea too further away and that it would provoke foreign opposition. The historian D.Beales says, â€Å"Cavour never talked of Unification but Piedmontese Domination† and LCB Seaman agrees when he states: â€Å"All that can be safely said is that Cavour wanted to get as much as could reasonably be obtained (for Piedmont), but no more†. Later in 1860, a new Italian figure appears. Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian Patriot, who had been a republican under the power of Giuseppe Mazzini in 1831, steps in. He had always been very determined about uniting Italy and had spent his entire life fighting for Austrian expulsion off Italy. A contrasting figure, with its ambitions set very clear, when compared to Cavour.Garibaldi was passionate for his country and wanted to make it all into one. When a revolution broke out it Sicily, he saw the opportunity to assist it. He soon took over the capital and prepared to attack the mainland. Garibaldi entered through Messina, struck north for Naples and made plans to enter Rome. Cavour immediately sent troops south in order to prevent Garibaldi from entering Rome, as it could be a great threat to incite war with France. The fact that Cavour did not support Garibaldi’s views and aims suggests that he undoubtedly did not want the whole unification of Italy.Cavour had no sympathy for Garibaldi, as he believed he was taking the idea of unification to another level and even ordered his arrest. Cavour made it very clear that he concentrated on the affairs of Northern Italy only and did not want the Southern part to join in. The Southern Italian states, however, demanded to unify with Piedmont and Cavour held a plebiscite. A massive majority was in favour of annexation to Piedmont and Garibaldi was forced to hand in over Sicily and Naples to Victor Emmanuel II who was than proclaimed King of Italy. Later in 1870, a plebiscite was held at Rome, which was also united to Italy.The Italian Unification was never under Cavour’s policy. The fact that the Italians aimed to unify altogether made them want to unify with Piedmont beforehand as they saw it as the first step to Unification. Cavourâ€⠄¢s intention to simply achieve Piedmontization failed due to the favourable factors that made the Italian Unification so successful. It is evident that Cavour was not the architect of the Italian Unification as he even tried to hinder the process. If he had not tried to stop Garibaldi in 1860 when he tried invading Rome, the unification process might had been completed before 1870.The historian LCB Seaman says that â€Å"For him (Cavour) the idea was tainted with radicalism, and his diplomat’s sense of realities told him there were too many insurmountable obstacles in the way†. Cavour did however, to a certain extent, enable the Italian Unification, as he was the one who began fighting for it (eventhough for him it only meant Piedmontese unification). He opened the door for Garibaldi. Without him, Garibaldi would have not been able to take over Sicily and move to the mainland so easily.Cavour was able to do what Mazzini couldn’t, he was able to reach every Ital ian and motivate them with the idea of unification. However, his intentions of unifications were very limited and the people of Italy wanted more than what he proposed. When Garibaldi stepped in, he knew he had massive support as a result of what Cavour had originally suggested. We can, therefore, say that Cavour enabled and contributed to the Italian Unification, but it would a falsity to refer to him as the Architect of the Italian Unification as he made it very clear that his intentions were never to reach this point.

Mother: The Most Important Person in My Life Essay

The most important in my life is my mother because she is really all I have, she is my motivation, and she helps me live through all my struggles. I wouldn’t be able now to enjoy this minute of my life writing this essay without my mother. My mother has brought me to this wonderful world. For nine months she carried me, she felt very bad, but did not refuse, and gave birth to me. My mom is the most positive and important influence on my life. Another reason why my mother is the most important person in my life is because she is always with me, when I’m happy and when I’m sad. She helps me with hard problems in my life, and she is glad for some good things I do. She helped me from the first, day I was born. She fed me; she didn’t sleep for many nights, only to make me comfortable. see more:imagine the world in 2050 She went for walks with me, and was always with me. From the first grade of my school, she helped me with my homework; she taught me how to behave. In addition, my mother is the most important person in my life because I am who I am, because of my mom. She always tries to make me a better person. From childhood, she bought a lot of books for me to read. She bought some intellectual games and that kind of stuff; I study hard to make her happy. I want her to be proud of me. I want her to feel, as I am the best child in the world, and as she is the best mom. I do everything for that. I behave myself very good in school, I don’t fight and I obey the rules. Unquestionably, my mother is the most important person in my life because she always supports me for my goals and ambitions, and that’s the key in pursuing my dream. My mother the most important individual in my life in fact that even though how many times we fight, she always makes me feel that I am the best gift she ever received from God. If I would have a chance to be born again, I would have chosen to be again her child. Child of the most important person in my life.

Why has EU been able to successfully develop a common trade policy but Essay

Why has EU been able to successfully develop a common trade policy but not a common foreign policy - Essay Example The member countries have contradicted each other on several occasions not only with reference to the dealing with the foreign countries, but have reservations regarding the nature of role to be played by the EU. The strong members of the EU are of the opinion that EU should be reflected as European Power, but few member countries have come up with objections against such strategies, and have led to further divisions in approach and understanding of the member country (Roland, 2004). The chief of EU Solana has concluded that the involvement of the EU can not be merely judged by the presence of the EU in different countries and international organizations, but the influence of the EU authority is important element, and unfortunately the EU due to lack of co-ordination has failed to achieve that particular status and principal role. The chief has offered different solutions in this regard, which includes, The foreign ministers of the member countries have agreed with these principles, and it was discouraging to observe that EU has not conducted that suggested approach towards any of foreign government, therefore it has been realized that there is need for greater synergy between the EU and member-state activities, but the Union found it difficult to implement such approach and understanding. The Union has to work constructively in this regard, but unfortunately the member countries have reflected the similar status of ineffective co-ordination and hopelessly noncommittal which existed after the formation of European Political Cooperation (Winters, 2002). There is requirement for the introduction and implementation of radical reforms which can contribute towards the achievement of Common Foreign and Security Policy. The reasons attributed with the failure of the EU towards commonality of interests and understanding on foreign issues, is also explained by following reasons, The EU administrative officials, Brussels based, are national capitals