Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Vegas Vacations Never Disappoint. Men Embarking On A Sin

Vegas vacations never disappoint. Men embarking on a Sin City expedition for the first time commonly research the best Vegas hotels for single males. If you want to stay where you play, you must select a hotel that reflects your signature style and meets your expectations. There is no single hotel that fits everyone, so defining preferences and needs before checking availability is key. Some need the budget to come first, while others are willing to splurge to obtain the poshest amenities. If this is your inaugural visit, you will most definitely want to stay on the Strip to maximize your time. If your pre-trip planning includes addressing a craving for outstanding eye candy, we can do more than advise you on ideal resorts! Bunnies of†¦show more content†¦There are women of all types among our ranks, but the one commonality among them is their desire to cement a smile on the faces of their dates. #### Single Gambler’s Paradise The MGM Grand’s 170,000 square feet of gaming space cements the complex’s status as the gamblers’ Mecca. Inside the 5,300 square foot sports book, all sports and races are televised on 60 television screens, and skyboxes offer a VIP experience with a special second-level view. After gaming in the world’s third largest hotel, and hopefully winning big, high-rollers enjoy one of many onsite bars and lounges, or if the weather is just right, they hit the city’s first ultra pool, the adults-only Wet Republic. This exclusive pool features bungalows, cabanas and two saltwater pools, and some of the **hottest girls in Vegas**. For those who favor poker, the Bellagio is a regular stop, as it is an exemplary option for card players of all skill levels. Low-limit games are offered, but there are also big money games played by celebrities and some of the most talented players in the world. The Bellagio poker room is a stop on the famed World Poker Tour, and the 7,000 square foot space houses 40 tables and two high-limit areas. Fans of the game often drop in to sneak a peek at the infamous Bobby’s Room, which is a two-table enclave named in honor of 1978 World Series

Sunday, December 22, 2019

What Would Life Be Like Without The Police Essay - 786 Words

History of the Police. What would life be like without the police? Would it be survival of the fittest, the law of nature? What actually happens when police are not present? In a small town in Oregon, budget cut-backs caused the entire police force to be laid off. When this happened, was there anarchy? No. The citizens organized their own volunteer police force to take the place of the police (Henry, 2014). This shows that if there is no police presence, one is necessarily created by the citizens who see the need for it. Even in nature, herds of horses have a lead stallion, lions have a dominant male and even birds follow one leader. This shows that society and nature need someone or something to lead them in the right direction. Society has come to see the police as the ones to go to when they are in trouble. Children are taught to look for a police officer if they need help, and the police are the first ones that most people call when they are in trouble. This must mean that they are seen as a necessity in today’s society. Whether they are seen as good or evil, they are vital. Although they are many times depicted as feeling entitled, they are governed by the same laws as everyone else, and they remain an essential part of the social order. When the British came to this country, they brought their cultural heritage with them, including their criminal justice system (South University Online, 2016). This included: 1. Limited police authority. 2. LocalShow MoreRelatedPolice Officers And The Law Enforcement970 Words   |  4 Pageslaw that need to be brought to justice. All police officers are trained to know all the rules and regulation in the handbook of the court of law. One the contraire, there are still some individuals police officers in this nation who abuse their authority of having those rights to serve and protect us from danger. For the most part, the individual’s police officers whom broke the code of conduct on killing a inercent victim or purposely harming them without having the right probable cause to do so,Read MorePersuasive Essay On The 5th Amendment1174 Words   |  5 Pagesgovernment would be just, and protect its citizens from internal discord. The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments in The Constitution and are to be our most basic of rights. The 5th amendment states â€Å"life, liberty, and property without due process of the law†. The 5th Amendment protects people from being hel d for committing a crime unless properly prosecuted, from being tried twice for the same crime, from being forced to testify against yourself, and from property being taken without paymentRead MoreSerial Killers : Be Understood By Society924 Words   |  4 PagesPsychologists have no reason behind why serial killers do what they do and what motivates them to murder innocent people. In most cases, police investigations and forensic data collected from crime scenes leads to arrest. In â€Å"The Chessboard Killer† by Peter Savodnik, the case of Alexander Pichushkin, a Russian serial killer, in prison after being convicted of killing 48 people maliciously. Pichushkin stated, â€Å"For me, life without murder is like life without food for you.†(204). Psychologists have found himRead Moreâ€Å"The Police Who Killed Walter Scott And Laquan Mcdonald1356 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"The police who killed Walter Scott and Laquan McDonald now face criminal charges--largely due to video cameras that captured the shootings.† (No Tape, No Testimony) Police body cameras are used in some police departments as a way to record any interaction between an officer and a citizen. Some Americans today seem to think that police body cameras interfere with their right to privacy, because they record sensitive situations. Other Americans believe that the cameras serve as evidence in caseRead MoreMovie Analysis : Robocop Directed By Jose Padilha1435 Words   |  6 Pagesto do violence on their behalf†. What if they were robots instead of rough men? That is the idea explored in the 2014 movie Robocop directed by Jose Padilha. Robocop is the story of a company named Omnicorp that specialized in developing robotic soldiers and weapons to be used by the military. When Omnicorp sought domestic expansion in the US, they transformed severely injured police officer Alex Murphy into an android that arrested criminals quickly and without prejudice. This movie proves thatRead MoreThe Civil Law System : The United States Of The American Society F or A Long Time Essay1616 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction The history of police has been an important part of the American society for a long time. Throughout the course of history, American policing has been the biggest impact of how the law that all citizen follows. They have been using the format from an early English society where the citizens were both responsible for their action they take upon the law enforcement and in the early stages of expansion in their communities. Policing has been changed rapidly over the years. The UnitedRead MorePolice Enforcement And The Police1540 Words   |  7 Pagesresponsibilities of their job, they can not go against their word. The citizens look towards the police for protection and safety, so what happens when the police are the source of violence?Some people don’t believe that police are capable of injustice, but there is clearly enough cases of police brutality. Are police responding to situations with excessive or unreasonable force or are their actions reasonable? Some police officers have taken advantage of their power and abuse their place in the communityRead MoreThe Violence Of Black Men And Women1436 Words   |  6 PagesYes all lives matter, however, a pattern of black men and women have been murdered by police brutality; therefore, we need to concentrate on preserving Black at this moment. At this very moment, in the United States, there have been destructive riots and peaceful protest from all races but mostly African Americans because we continue to witness our black men and women die from police brutality without justice being served. It is significant that whoever wins the presidential Election will take stepsRead MorePolice Misconduct and Police Brutality985 Words   |  4 Pages We hear about police misconduct case and wonder, Why don’t they do anything to stop this? Many say that we should keep the police officers’ perspective in mind. Others say that these actions are due to racism or post 9/11 paranoia. Whatever the excuse may be for these cases, there should be no need for violence anywhere. Police brutality videos go viral and reveal to the world that it actually happens and that it may happen to you too. This pervades people with fear and anger because theirRead MoreWhy Police Should Be Suspended944 Words   |  4 Pagesof just like a slap on the wrist saying to not do it again. The officer has yet to been charged (Coleman) is something that many of us see in many police cases. Somehow the police almost always get away with their wrong doing, sometimes even after they kill someone and there is more than enough evidence against them some juries still plead that there isn t enough proof to plead the officer guilty (Coleman) which also means there isn t enough proof to prove them not guilty. Police should be

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Psoriasis Treatment and Management Free Essays

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder of the skin, which means that the body’s defense system has turned on itself. This causes â€Å"angry red lesions to appear on the surface of the skin, multiply, and scale over with silvery patches† (1). Not only do they look hideous, but cause terrible itching and discomfort. We will write a custom essay sample on Psoriasis: Treatment and Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"The word (psoriasis) comes from ancient Greece, and means ‘to itch'† (1). This disease can be present from birth or not show up until a person is well into their adult years. They can also be found anywhere on the body, from the scalp to the elbows. Psoriasis affects about two percent of the population. The severity can range from a few spots to massive outbreaks covering the whole body, requiring hospitalization. Although the disease is genetically inherited, â€Å"it has triggers which can cause the body to go from a very mild case to a severe case within days† (1). Strep throat and spicy foods are examples of triggers that increase the severity. â€Å"There are also other factors, such as sunlight, which help decrease the severity† (1). There are many types of psoriasis including, nail, scalp, plaque, pustular, guttate, inverse, erythrodermic, and psoriatic arthritis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common type. Along with these irritating physical side effects are the emotional factors. This disease can cause its’ victims to feel alienated from fellow coworkers and friends. People who have no experience with the disease tend to be distant towards those who do, because they think it is contagious. To compensate, sufferers often wear pants and long sleeves to cover their skin, even in summer heat, or avoid a social life altogether. There is no known cure for psoriasis, only the hope to control its’ severity. Each case of psoriasis is different, and may require a certain form of treatment or a combination of treatments to obtain relief. Most of those available now work to lessen the redness and itching, but tend to be pricey and time-consuming. Recently, scientists have developed a new method of treatment. The 308-nm excimer laser is a highly concentrated beam of UVB radiation. During the procedure a patient receives a certain, prescribed dosage of radiation on a large plaque of psoriasis. Unlike other methods of phototherapy, the laser only touches the effected area, leaving normal skin unharmed by unneeded radiation. In a study done in a university dermatology service, the following was reported: Thirteen consecutive patients with at least four large, stable psoriasis plaques were used. Excimer laser-generated 308-nm UV-B radiation was given to each of the four plaques, which received 1, 2, 4, and 20 treatments, respectively. Untreated areas within each plaque served as the control. With 308-nm UV-B radiation generated by an excimer laser, it is possible to clear psoriasis with as little as one treatment with moderately long remission (2). Carcinogenic levels, which measure the amount of cancer-causing radiation, were much lower in patients who use the laser technique, than in those who use total body UV-B radiation treatment. Unwanted side effects with the use of the 308-nm excimer laser include burning sensations and some blistering. The use of topical ointments with hydrocolloid dressings is a more traditional form of treatment. It involves applying a prescribed corticosteriod ointment, like calcipotriol, to a psoriasis plaque and then wrapping the area in a hydrocolloid dressing. In a study done by the Department of Dermatology in the Netherlands, it was reported that: After an average treatment of 3. 6 weeks, each lesion had cleared (apart from some residual erythema). The average remission period was 8 weeks. During this treatment, the number of cycling epidermal cells and the expression of keratin 14 and keratin16 had decreased substantially. It is speculated that a combination therapy of calcipotriol with treatments with a different mode of action, such as photo-therapy, might be worthwhile (3). However, some patients experienced discomfort in the normal skin surrounding the psoriatic patch with this method. Researchers also found that the psoriatic epidermal skin cells proliferated, or reproduced, at a much slower rate than normal, which means that the plaque formation would lessen and be controlled easier. Perhaps the oldest and most popular form of treatment for psoriasis on the market today is coal tar. â€Å"Exorex TM is a new over-the-counter preparation† which contains, â€Å"one percent coal tar† (1). This form doesn’t necessarily clear the effected areas, it relieves itching, redness, and scaling to a certain degree. It is probably the cheapest and easiest to use, and does not require a prescription to obtain. Most users have accepted the fact that they have this disease, and that there is no cure for it. Therefore, they use these ointments for personal physical relief, not to try and hide their psoriasis from others. There are few, trivial unwanted side effects of coal tar ointments. Susceptibility to sunburn, messiness, unpleasant odors, and staining of clothing and skin occur frequently. This active ingredient is not only found in ointments but medicated shampoos and bath solutions as well. Agranulocytosis is described as â€Å"a condition caused by a lack of or an insufficient number of white blood cells† (4). Scientists have found that in severe cases of psoriasis, drug-induced agranulocytosis actually helps to clear the affected areas. In a study done on a 45-year-old man by the International Journal of Dermatology, it found that: The patient was treated with intravenous granulocyte monocyte stimulating factor (GMSF). The GMSF was given on five consecutive days. On the sixth day, the psoriatic lesions cleared almost completely. There was 90% clearance of the lesions, with a PASI (Psoriasis Activity and Severity Index) being reduced (from 22) to 2. 2. The patient also had improvement in joint pain. In addition, the generalized lymphadenopathy detected at admission had reduced considerably (5). According to Dr. Kevin Patrick, lymphadenopathy is an inflammation of the lymph nodes, which filter organisms and bacteria out of the bloodstream (4). However astounding these results may be, scientists still claim that â€Å"drug-induced agranulocytosis is a complex phenomenon, it is difficult to comment on its exact role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis† (5). The most promising treatment for psoriasis is hard to prove, since each case is different, and not all treatments work for every victim. However, the 308-nm excimer laser technique seems to be the treatment with the best results. If a patient wants long-lasting clearance and does not mind sacrificing time and a large sum of money, the laser will work for them. However, for those who’s main concern is the physical side effects, such as itching, flaking, and redness, then coal tar ointments and similar products may be the choice for them. They are easy to obtain, most drugstores and supermarkets carry them, and fairly inexpensive compared to other treatments. For those who would like clearance of their plaques, but can not access the excimer laser therapy, calcipotriol ointment, and hydrocolloid dressings seem to hold the most promise for them. How to cite Psoriasis: Treatment and Management, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Major Market Economies Constitute Different Market Characteristics

Question: Discuss about the Major Market Economies Constitute Different Market Characteristics? Answer: Introduction The study demonstrates different market structures of the Albany, capital of New York. In this particular paper, the researcher has been appointed as a consultant by the local mayor of Albany. The researcher would help the mayor to understand the business structures of the city. Further, the researcher would discuss about the role of the government in this particular market. Different Market Structures As mentioned by Dunne et al. (2013), the entire business of an economy runs under four main types of market that include Pure Competition Market, Monopolistic Competition Market, Oligopoly Market, Pure Monopoly Market. In pure competition market, broad range of sellers is involved for selling same products, and thus they confront high competition. Along with this, large number of buyers is also involved. In this particular market, the product price is set by the interaction of the market demand and marker supply. The monopolistic competition market defines a imperfect competitive market where many of sellers as well as buyers are engaged. In this market, the products sold by the sellers can be differentiated from one another. The goods and services produced by the producers are not perfect substitute (Frank, 2013). Mohammadi et al. (2016) added that the firms in oligopoly market confront relatively less competition as small number of sellers are engaged, along with large number of buyers. The oligopolists have the power over the product price, thus the consumers are charged higher price. On the other way, the pure monopoly market defines the market where single seller and many buyers are involved. The researcher has discussed these economic markets as these four markets influence the economy of Albany most. Further, the researcher is going to separate them by their major characteristics. The market characteristics of Pure Competitive Market: In this certain market, the produced goods and services are identical. Thus, the sellers do not have the option to offer different or better products to the consumers. All the sellers have equal power over the market as they are offering same products against same price. There are Low barriers for the new entrants in this market. The new firm can easily enter into as well as exist from the market. The price of the products is set as per the consumers willingness to pay for particular product. Though, single buyer cannot influence the market price (Makowski, 2014). The market characteristics of Monopolistic Competition Market: In monopolistic competition market, the produced goods and services are similar, but not identical. More specifically, the firms sell almost similar products which can be slightly differentiated from one another. Another major characteristic of this market is the extensive knowledge of product price and technology. The consumers have the information about alternative prices as well as the product differences. On contrast, the sellers have the information about the price the other firms charge to the consumers. Along with that, they use almost similar production techniques (Feenstra, 2016). The market characteristics of Oligopoly Market: The oligopolists produce either identical products or differentiate products. In the oligopoly market, some sellers are there who sell identical products, likewise perfect competitive market. On the other way, some sellers sell products that are slightly differentiated from one another, like monopolistic competition. The identical products in the oligopoly market are the intermediate goods such as petroleum, aluminum etc sold to many of the industries. On contrast, the differentiate products are the final goods sold to the consumers for personal consumption. Further, the small firms are dominated by the small number of large firms. The firms have more power of market control in comparison to the monopolistic competitive firms (Sung et al., 2016). The market characteristics of Pure Monopoly Market: In the pure monopoly market, there is a single seller who is the sole source of the produced goods and services. No close substitutes are available in the market. Some barriers are there that prevent its competitors to inter in the market. The barriers include legal barriers, control of resources, and economies of scale etc. Among this, the legal barriers including licenses issued by government, patents, copyrights etc. are the most powerful constraint (Baldwin Scott, 2013). Real life example of a market structure in local city After illustrating all the market structure along with their major characteristics, the researcher brings out an example that would help the mayor to understand the market structure. The fish market in Albany can be considered under perfect competitive market. Large number of seller is engaged in the market to sell the identical product. At the same time, large number of consumers is there with perfect information about product price and product quality offered by the market. Thus, no seller can charge higher or lower price than others. They do not have the power of attracting consumers by the product price or product quality. Further, the existing fish sellers do not have the power to prevent other fish sellers to entering or quitting the market. New sellers who want to sell the same product (fish) can freely enter in the market. Presence of high entry barriers that leads long-run profitability It has been discussed before that in the perfect competitive market, no such entry barriers are there. No economic profit is made by any of the existing firms, as the price continuously decreases till the level of consumers willingness to pay. If one firm charges higher price than any of other sellers, the consumers will purchase from the seller who offers products at lower price. If there can be a stage where most of the firms exit from the market and few numbers of sellers remain in the market. They can charge higher price for making profit. In this situation, more firm are attracted and entry in the market. As a result, supply increases, and thus price drops, and will result zero economic profit (Koschker Mst, 2015). The highest barriers are present in the monopoly market. Thus, the monopolist can make the most profit in the long run compared to other market sellers. The demand curve of the monopolist is the market demand curve. No firms are there to compete with. If the monopolist sell products at lower price that could have been sold at a higher price, the marginal revenue curve will lie below the demand curve. In such case, for the elastic portion of demand curve, the lower price increases the total revenue. On contrast, in the inelastic portion, lower price decreases the total revenue. Thus, there is always a possibility of increasing total revenue by raising the price and lowering production. The monopolist will lower the price until marginal revenue equals marginal cost, which denotes the profit maximizing point. Thus, the monopolist will able to make long run profit. Competitive pressure in market with high entry barriers Moving on, the researcher is going to demonstrate the competitive pressure presents in the market along with high entry barriers. Along with the monopoly market, high entry barriers are there in the monopolistic competitive and oligopoly market as well. The firms do not face any competitive pressure until they provide any strong response to the new comers (Claessens Laeven, 2016). The researcher has considered an example to explain it in a better way to the mayor. Suppose, a firm has strong place in the market of Albany; it produces safe and long lasting small batteries and sell them at reasonable price. The firm who wants to enter in the market has to produce such batteries which can be proved better from every way. The battery should have to be longer lasting and the price should have to equal or lower than the available battery price. Thus, the new firms confront high competitive pressure along with the high entry barriers. Price elasticity of demand and its impact on market As per the statement of Da-Graa Masson (2016), Price elasticity of demand measures the relationship between the change in price as well as the change in quantity demanded for any specific goods or services. It explains the market situation of price sensitivity. The researcher explains to the mayor about the impact of the price sensitivity on each of the above mentioned market. Price changes in the perfect competitive market do not affect the market too much. More specifically, the small change in price has no impact over the demand of the goods and services that are available in the perfect competitive market. A drastic change in price would reduce the quantity demanded for the products. On the other way, if the available materials become restricted or expensive, it will increase the price, and hence affect the demand of the market (Kirzner, 2015). In case of the monopolistic competitive market, a large number of firms are there with low degree of monopoly power. Though, the price hike in this market will retain few of the buyers. On the other way, price fall will create more demand in the quantity of any particular product against its price (Campbell, Goldfarb Tucker, 2015). Few competitors are there in the oligopoly market. A drastic change in product price will drive the firms into either monopolistic competitive market or monopoly market (Ji, Chang Huang, 2016). In case of monopoly market, the seller is the sole source of the produced goods and services. Therefore, price change in the monopoly market results decrease or increase in the total revenue of the single firm. Too much decrease in the revenue will result closure of the firm. On other way, increase in price will allow the firm to generate more revenue as well as profit in the long run (Indounas, 2016). Role of government in each market structure The government of Albany plays an important role in each of the market and influences their pricing ability for their produced goods and services. The researcher elucidates the major role of the government to make the mayor understand the influence factor of price changes. Through implementing tax, government controls the prices of the products. If government imposes more tax on a product, the price of the product will increase. In case of elastic product, the demand for the product will decrease as the price increases. On the other way, if the product is inelastic, the demand will remain same. For example, the cigarette can be considered as inelastic product, without which the addicted person cannot live. Further, government imposes new regulations that affect the production as well as the sale of the products (Wang et al. 2012). Effect of international trade According to Antrs Yeaple (2013), the international trade put impact on each of the market in a different way. In context of trading, the import of a particular goods make fall in the price of its substitutes or identical products available in this country. The firms of Albany will reduce the product price because these are available at a cheaper rate due to importing those from another nation. The researcher can support the concept of the effect of international trade with an example. For example, the call centers are outsourced in order to reduce the expenditure of the company. At the same time, it hampers the job growth of the country. As a result, the market structure and market economy of the country is affected in terms of international trade. Conclusion After conducting the study, the researcher concludes that the four major market economies constitute different market characteristics. Through providing real life experiences, the researcher helps the mayor to relate the market characteristics with the real world. It further concludes that the monopolist make high amount of profit in the long run, whereas long run profitability is not possible in the competitive market. Some of the new firms are there who confront competitive pressure along with high entry barrier, to enter a market. Moreover, the mayor has come to know that price elasticity of demand affect each of the market in different ways. Lastly, the researcher provides the concept of the affect of government intervention and international trade in the economy. Reference List Antrs, P., Yeaple, S. R. (2013).Multinational firms and the structure of international trade(No. w18775). National Bureau of Economic Research. Baldwin, W., Scott, J. (2013).Market structure and technological change(Vol. 18). Taylor Francis. Campbell, J., Goldfarb, A., Tucker, C. (2015). Privacy regulation and market structure.Journal of Economics Management Strategy,24(1), 47-73. Claessens, S., Laeven, L. (2016). Competition in the Financial.Financial Development and Economic Growth: Explaining the Links, 66. Da-Graa, T., Masson, R. (2016). Market demand of smart but uninformed consumers rotates counterclockwise with better information: surprising welfare effects.Applied Economics Letters,23(1), 11-14. Dunne, T., Klimek, S. D., Roberts, M. J., Xu, D. Y. (2013). Entry, exit, and the determinants of market structure.The RAND Journal of Economics,44(3), 462-487. Feenstra, R. C. (2016). Gains from Trade Under Monopolistic Competition.Pacific Economic Review,21(1), 35-44. Frank, K. (2013). Risk, uncertainty and profit. Indounas, K. (2016). The Effect of Market Structure on Pricing Behavior of Industrial Service Firms. InMarketing Challenges in a Turbulent Business Environment(pp. 401-416). Springer International Publishing. Ji, L., Chang, J. J., Huang, C. Y. (2016). Unionization, market structure, and economic growth.Southern Economic Journal,82(3), 935-951. Kirzner, I. M. (2015).Competition and entrepreneurship. University of Chicago press. Koschker, S., Mst, D. (2015). Perfect competition vs. strategic behaviour models to derive electricity prices and the influence of renewables on market power.OR Spectrum, 1-26. Makowski, L. (2014). Perfect Competition, the Profit Criterion, and the Organiza-tion of Economic Activity.Journal of Economic Theory,22, 105-25. Mohammadi, A., Shirazi, A., Talebnezhad, A., Javaheri, A., Javanmardi, E. (2016). The combination of system dynamics and game theory in analyzing oligopoly markets.Management Science Letters,6(4), 265-274. Sung, H. C., Liao, S. L., Yang, J., Yuan, C. (2016). Earnings Target, RD Investment Choice, and Oligopoly Competition.Transylvanian Review,24(5). Wang, C., Hong, J., Kafouros, M., Wright, M. (2012). Exploring the role of government involvement in outward FDI from emerging economies.Journal of International Business Studies,43(7), 655-676.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Ancient Olmec Culture

Ancient Olmec Culture The Olmec culture thrived along Mexico’s Gulf Coast from approximately 1200-400 B.C. The first great Mesoamerican culture, it had been in decline for centuries before the arrival of the first Europeans, therefore, much information about the Olmecs has been lost. We know the Olmecs primarily through their art, sculpture, and architecture. Although many mysteries remain, ongoing work by archaeologists, anthropologists, and other researchers has given us something of a glimpse into what Olmec life might have been like. Olmec Food, Crops, and Diet The Olmecs practiced basic agriculture using the slash-and-burn technique, in which overgrown plots of land are burned: this clears them for planting and the ashes act as fertilizer. They planted many of the same crops seen in the region today, such as squash, beans, manioc, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. Maize was a staple of the Olmec diet, although it is possible that it was introduced late in the development of their culture. Whenever it was introduced, it soon became very important: one of the Olmec Gods is associated with maize. The Olmecs avidly fished from nearby lakes and rivers. Clams, alligators, and various types of fish were an important part of their diet. The Olmecs preferred to make settlements near water, as the floodplains were good for agriculture and fish and shellfish could be had more easily. For meat, they had domestic dogs and the occasional deer. A vital part of the Olmec diet was nixtamal, a special sort of corn meal ground with seashells, lime or ashes, the addition of which greatly enhances the nutritional value of the cornmeal. Olmec Tools In spite of only having Stone Age technology, the Olmecs were able to make several sorts of tools which made their life easier. They used whatever was at hand, such as clay, stone, bone, wood or deer antlers. They were skilled at making ​pottery: vessels and plates used for storing and cooking food. Clay pots and vessels were extremely common among the Olmec: literally, millions of potsherds have been discovered in and around Olmec sites. Tools were mostly made of stone and include basic items such as hammers, wedges, mortar-and-pestles and mano-and-metate grinders used for mashing corn and other grains. Obsidian was not native to the Olmec lands, but when it could be had, it made excellent knives. Olmec Homes The Olmec culture is remembered today in part because it was the first Mesoamerican culture to produce small cities, most notably San Lorenzo and La Venta (their original names are unknown). These cities, which have been extensively investigated by archaeologists, were indeed impressive centers for politics, religion, and culture, but most ordinary Olmecs did not live in them. Most common Olmecs were simple farmers and fishermen who lived in family groups or small villages. Olmec homes were simple affairs: generally, one large building made of earth packed around poles, which served as a sleeping area, dining room, and shelter. Most homes probably had a small garden of herbs and basic foods. Because the Olmecs preferred to live in or near flood plains, they built their homes on small mounds or platforms. They dug holes in their floors to store food. Olmec Towns and Villages Excavations show that smaller villages consisted of a handful of homes, most likely inhabited by family groups. Fruit trees such as zapote or papaya were common in villages. Larger excavated villages often have a central mound of greater size: this would be where the home of a prominent family or local chieftain was built, or perhaps a small shrine to a god whose name is now long-forgotten. The status of the families that made up the village could be discerned by the how far they lived from this town center. In larger towns, more remains of animals such as dog, alligator, and deer have been found than in smaller villages, suggesting that these foods were reserved for local elites. Olmec Religion and Gods The Olmec people had a well-developed religion. According to archaeologist Richard Diehl, there are five aspects of Olmec religion, including a well-defined cosmos, a shaman class, sacred places and sites, identifiable gods and specific rituals and ceremonies. Peter Joralemon, who has studied the Olmecs for years, has identified no fewer than eight gods from surviving Olmec art. Common Olmecs who worked the fields and caught fish in the rivers probably only participated in religious practices as observers, because there was an active priest class and the rulers and ruling family most likely had specific and important religious duties. Many of the Olmec gods, such as the Rain God and Feathered Serpent, would go on to form part of the pantheon of later Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Aztec and Maya. The Olmec also played the ritualistic Mesoamerican ball game. Olmec Art Most of what we know about the Olmec today is due to surviving examples of Olmec art. The most easily recognizable pieces are the massive colossal heads, some of which are nearly ten feet tall. Other forms of Olmec art that have survived include statues, figurines, celts, thrones, wooden busts and cave paintings. The Olmec cities of San Lorenzo and La Venta most likely had an artisan class who worked on these sculptures. Common Olmecs likely produced only useful art such as pottery vessels. Thats not to say that the Olmec artistic output did not affect the common people, however: the boulders used to make the colossal heads and thrones were quarried many miles from the workshops, meaning that thousands of commoners would be pressed into service to move the stones on sledges, rafts, and rollers to where they were needed. Importance of Olmec Culture Understanding the Olmec culture is very important to modern-day researchers and archaeologists. First of all, the Olmec was the mother culture of Mesoamerica, and many aspects of Olmec culture, such as gods, glyphic writing, and artistic forms, became part of later civilizations such as the Maya and Aztecs. Even more importantly, the Olmec were one of only six primary or pristine civilizations in the world, the others being ancient China, Egypt, Sumeria, the Indus of India and the Chavin culture of Peru. Pristine civilizations are those that developed somewhere without any significant influence from previous civilizations. These primary civilizations were forced to develop on their own, and how they developed teaches us a lot about our distant ancestors. Not only are the Olmecs a pristine civilization, they were the only ones to develop in a humid forest environment, making them a special case indeed. The Olmec civilization had gone into decline by 400 B.C. and historians arent exactly sure why. Their decline probably had much to do with wars and climate change. After the Olmec, several clearly post-Olmec societies developed in the Veracruz region. There is much that is still unknown about the Olmecs, including some very important, basic things such as what they called themselves (Olmec is an Aztec word applied to sixteenth-century dwellers in the region). Dedicated researchers are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is known about this mysterious ancient culture, bringing new facts to light and correcting errors previously made. Sources Coe, Michael D. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs. Ancient Peoples and Places, Rex Koontz, 7th Edition, Thames Hudson, June 14, 2013. Cyphers, Ann. Surgimiento y decadencia de San Lorenzo, Veracruz. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Vol XV - Num. 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). P. 30-35. Diehl, Richard A. The Olmecs: Americas First Civilization. London: Thames and Hudson, 2004. Grove, David C. Cerros Sagradas Olmecas. Trans. Elisa Ramirez. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Vol XV - Num. 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). P. 30-35. Miller, Mary and Karl Taube. An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. New York: Thames Hudson, 1993.

Monday, November 25, 2019

WILKINSON Surname Meaning and Family History

WILKINSON Surname Meaning and Family History The Wilkinson surname is a patronymic meaning son of Wilkin, from Wilkin, a diminutive for William from the Germanic name Wilhelm, which in turn derives from the elements wil, meaning will or desire, and helm, or helmet or protection. Wilkinson is just one of many surnames derived from William, or son of William. Wilkinson is the 72nd most common English surname. Surname Origin:  English, Scottish Alternate Surname Spellings:  WILKENSON, WILKERSON, WILKINS, MCQUILKIN, MCQUILKEN, MCQUILKAN, MACQUILKIN, MACQUILKEN, MACQUILKAN Famous People with the WILKINSON Surname Signe Wilkinson  -  Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonistTom Wilkinson  - Popular British character actorMark Wilkinson  - English furniture designerSir Geoffrey Wilkinson  -  won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1973John Gardner Wilkinson - one of the founders of EgyptologyJane Wilkinson Long -  considered the Mother of Texas for giving birth to the first child of European descent in Texas Where is the WILKINSON  Surname Most Common? Surname distribution information from  Forebears, tells us that the Wilkinson surname is most prevalent in England, particularly in the northern half of England.  Data from  WorldNames PublicProfiler  supports this, demonstrating that Wilkinson is most prevalent in the North region of England, followed by Yorkshire and Humberside, North West and East Midlands. Wilkinson is also more common in Tyrone in Northern Ireland, as well as throughout Australia and New Zealand. Genealogy Resources for the Surname WILKINSON Wilkinson Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Wilkinson family crest or coat of arms for the Wilkinson surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. WILKINSON DNA ProjectMore than 130 members have joined this project for the Wilkinson surname to  work together to find their common heritage through DNA testing and sharing of information. WILKINSON Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Wilkinson ancestors around the world. Search the forum for posts about your Wilkinson ancestors, or join the forum and post your own queries.   FamilySearch - WILKINSON  GenealogyExplore over 6  million  results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Wilkinson surname and variants on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. GeneaNet - Wilkinson RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Wilkinson surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. Ancestry.com: Wilkinson SurnameExplore over 5  million digitized records and database entries, including census records, passenger lists, military records, land deeds, probates, wills and other records for the Wilkinson surname on the subscription-based website, Ancestry.com. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Support Immigrants are the Best Way to Strengthen a Country Essay

Support Immigrants are the Best Way to Strengthen a Country - Essay Example The entrepreneurial activities are always important due to the taxation levied on such businesses by the government (Fleegler, 32). Big entrepreneurial ventures always give the government large amounts of money through taxation. This is important in strengthening the country in many ways. The government can always use such money collected from taxation to pay its laborers. This leads to a very strong nation. In addition, the entrepreneurial activities also contribute greatly towards strengthening of the economy of a nation. It is of crucial significance to note that entrepreneurial ventures initiated by the immigrants always create job opportunities to a large number of populations in the country. This is important in strengthening the economy of such a nation. This makes the government become strong. In addition, the government also taxes the employees thereby contributing to the government’s economic growth, thus strengthening the nation.It is of crucial significance to note that most immigrants contribute to several key government sectors involving technological sector, industrial as well as infrastructure. This leads to strengthening of the government. Most immigrants are always very innovative and inventive (Fleegler, 37). As such, they always come up with several technologies that aid in ensuring effective and efficient sectoral operations. It is important to note that the role of technology in ensuring a strong government is inevitable. One of the major causes behind such exploitation of professional influence.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Voc wk 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Voc wk 4 - Essay Example 141). Students can go into virtual halls where they find a variety of information from assessments they can take to planning their education and work. DISCOVER can be used in conjunction with the SII to find more information on the careers from that assessment. One of the strengths of the SII is that it provides a lot of information that the student can take for further research. Also, it is completed easily, and it is based on the Holland codes which allows the individual to access other assessments that also use the codes. The strengths of the DISCOVER program are that it is computer based, interactive and engaging for the student. The reason it is important to be aware of the issues involved with assessments in special populations is because we cannot make generalizations that match everyone. This is why it is important to know how the tests were normed and the clients demographic profile. Starkey, D.S., and Rasmus, S.C. (2006). Individual and group assessment and appraisal in Capuzzi, D., and Stauffer, M.D. (2006) Career counseling: Foundations, perspectives and applications. Pp. 113-151. At 17 years old, John will have more time to choose a career, but it is a good time for him to explore careers. Although he worries about this now, I would also explain to him that he does not have to choose a solid career at this point because he has his whole life ahead of him. The two ethical considerations that Mrs. Catwick would have to take into consideration would first be to make sure that the test was appropriate for Johns age group. She is giving form R, which she hopefully reviewed or read the booklet to see whether this was appropriate for high school students. Another consideration, according to Engels and Harris (2006) is to make sure to inform John that the SDS is not a test in the way that he is used to taking. The reason for pointing this out is because there is "the high likelihood that clients

Monday, November 18, 2019

E-service Web Portal Accounting Software Assignment

E-service Web Portal Accounting Software - Assignment Example The objective of the participants such as the Lockheed Martin is to solve similar problems. In this case, the market is usually competitive, however within a defined market niche. For the case of Lockheed Martin Company, which contracts with various governments across the world, the accounting package should have distinctive features such as the foreign currency translation due to the issue of diverse currencies in each country. Moreover, features such as an integrated CRM, and bulky marketing abilities are fundamental considerations when selecting an accounting package for a government contracting company. This follows that this investigation focuses on the eService Web Portal accounting package and its integration within the Lockheed Martin system to ensure smooth contracting processes (findaccountingsoftware.com). This refers to web-based portal software that offers and performs enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM). It helps in strengthening associations with larger customers who include national and international contractors. For our case, the system is critical in making its contract correspondence with governments. The eService system is an online system that performs automated work orders, subcontractors, invoice services and approvals among others. This software has an ability to translate multiple currencies. The following are the services that this accounting package software offers to the clients, subcontractors and contracting company (findaccountingsoftware.com). The most fundamental aspect of eService is the ability for customization. The eService can be customized to include both the company and clients’ logos. In addition, the eService offers an extension of creating an interface that indicates the brand of the company.  Other applications that can be integrated with the eService Web Portal include Accounts payable and receivables, Inventory and equipment Job costing, Payroll, Mobile Field Service which are essential in carrying out operations that pertains a government contracting company (findaccountingsoftware.com).     

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Drug Culture and the Impressionable Youth

Drug Culture and the Impressionable Youth Drug Culture and the Impressionable Youth Rock and roll music and rap are the two most listened to genres by teens of the ages nine to twenty- five. Both genres are linked to the drug culture quite often through older music and music today. Rock and rap music communicate drug culture ideals to the impressionable youth through; Lyrics that speak about a drug experience, a trance-like rhythm that makes an experience either better or worse, and by the artists image in the media. All of these play a role on how the youth are influenced in society. Rock and roll has been linked to the drug culture for many years. Whether a song was written about a certain drug or whether the song was written on drugs has had society worried for its children. Children are always singing, whether with the music or just to themselves, but do parents listen to what they are singing? A popular rock band, named Green Day, have a few songs that reference illicit drug content. The song ‘Green Day contains lyrics that reference an experience after smoking marijuana. Here are some lyrics from the song: â€Å"A small cloud has fallen, The white mist hit the ground, My lungs comfort me with joy, Vegging on one detail, The rest just crowds around, My eyes itch of burning red, Picture sounds of moving insects so surreal, Lay around looks like I found something new, Laying in my bed, I think Im in left field, I picture someone, I think its you, Your standing so damn close, My body begins to swell, Why does 1+1 make 2?† Even though this song was written in 1990, it is still played on a few radio stations today. The album ‘1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, sold over five hundred thousand copies. And since then Green Day has become more popular with the youth. Green is only an example of todays music, but The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were huge role models as the drug culture started. The Beatles lyrics are descriptive of encounters with intoxicants and rely on the images and the insider knowledge associated with the meanings put forward by The Beatles (Blackman86). The Beatles had the world at their fingertips; they held the record for the most people to go deaf at a concert, not because the music was loud but because of the thousands of girls screaming at the top of their lungs (Blackman86). After the American tours, The Beatles songs moved onto new subjects with closer links to recreational drug use. On the song, ‘Tomorrow Never Knows, Lennon offers drug advice about the feeling bro ught on by drug consumption (Blackman85). In an interview by Queen and Life magazine in 1967, Sir Paul McCartney states that LSD ‘opened my eyes. It made me a better, more honest, and a more tolerant member of society (Uncut). Rock and roll lyrics speak more about an experience on an illicit drug while the next genre, rap, speak more about selling drugs to make money. Rap has not always been linked to the drug culture till about the 1990s. When children listen to the lyrics of certain rap songs, they hear how selling drugs or taking drugs to make life easier. According to Dr. Herd, an associate professor in the division of Community Health and Human Development at the University of California, illegal drug use became increasingly linked during the late 1990s to wealth, glamour, and social standing, when in comparison to earlier years, when rap music was more likely to have depicted the dangers and negative consequences of drug use (Yang). â€Å"Rap music is especially appealing to young people, many of whom look up to rappers as role models. As a public health researcher, and as a parent of a seven year old, I am concerned about the impact that long-term exposure to this music has on its listeners,† says Dr. Herd (Yang). Ludacris, who is popular with an age range from twelve to twenty-five, published a song called ‘Blueberry Yum Yum. Throughout the song, Ludacris raps about how excellent blueberry yum yum marijuana is. Here a few lines from this song: â€Å"Got a little bit of blueberry yum, yum And I never woulda thought that it could taste this good Thank God for the man who put it in my hood Its got me singin melodies I never thought I would Im feeling sorry for the homies who be smokin wood Chop chop, break it down for a player like ye Im ‘bout to find me a woman and skeet† This song was on the album, ‘The Red Light District and sold over twenty million copies worldwide (Blackman85). Ludacris is not the only rapper that sings about enjoyment of smoking marijuana other names are Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Eminem are a few examples of big name rappers that have followers of young ages listening to their lyrics and singing along. Adolescents are exposed to approximately two hundred and fifty-one references to explicit substance use per day (Parker-Pope). Adolescents are exposed to music more than any other type of media. An example is music compared to film. Adolescents listen to an average of sixteen hours each week of music compared to an average of six hours each week for films (Parker-Pope). Music is a powerful social force that taps into an individuals personal identity, memories, and mood. Lyrics are strong ways to communicate to the impressionable youth about the drug culture but there are more ways to communicate also like a trance-like rhythm. Rock and roll music and rap have many different types of sounds and beats. Shiela Whiteley, Building on Middleton and Muncies analysis, says there are stages of how rock and rap music influence drug use through a song. Whiteley says, â€Å"The first stage is manipulation of timbres, blurred, bright, tingly overlapping associated with the intensification of tripping; second stage, the upward movement in pitch which compares with the experience of being high; third, the characteristic use of harmonies lurching and oscillating which change focus; fourth, the sudden use of regular or irregular rhythms suggesting both the rush of a drug but also the trance-like condition of sounds capes and which acts to disorientate conventional musical structure, offering new enhancements from new technology employed in music and also through the process of hallucination† (Blackman100). Teens pick music to go with their drug experience. Rod Stanley, editor of ‘Dazed and Confused magazine, says in an interview if there was a new drug that came out in todays society, there would a new genre of music spring up over night, he continues to say young people work out the best music to experience a drug (Sampson). The image of the artist has always been a problem in the media and how parents can limit a child from listening to the artist music. Image is the most important part of todays world. How you look, talk, act, and present yourself is how the world will judge you. In contrast to the 1970s where artists like Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, or Elvis Presely were judge on their music. Jim Morrison died in 1971 of an apparent heart attack of an overdose, but is remembered dark and psychedelic lyrics and for occasionally taking off his clothes on stage. Drug deaths are highly romanticized in the world of popular music by the media, fans, musicians, and the industry (Blackman94). Drug induced deaths of pop stars establish new ‘consumer shrines that feed on and promote person and artistic mystery, followed by endless repackaging of existing material, remixes or releases of unsanctioned songs (Blackman94). Kurt Cobain, former lead singer of Nirvana, overdosed numerous times and was told to go to rehab but disappeared and committed suicide. Rap has a bad rap for its image because of how the artist presents themselves in th e media. Snoop Dogg has been arrested five times with the possession of marijuana (Whillans). Snoop Dogg is not the only one with a bad reputation on getting caught with marijuana. Such artists as Juvenile, Lil Wayne, Sir Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, and John McClure are just a few examples of popular

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

How the Characters in 1984 Rebel Against Oppression :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many characters in the novel 1984. These characters all rebel in separate and distinctive ways from each other. In George Owell’s not so sanguine vision of the year 1984 from his standpoint in 1949, he tells of a dreary future of what the world was becoming. In this future, no one has the right to anything, including free speech, freedom of press or even freedom of thought. Even the details like the history of the known world are changed by a corrupt and ever growing political party, which is managed and run by un-emotional and odious officials. From Julia, who rebels by purely simple, sexual acts, to Winston, who dreams to overthrow the party; all the characters have their own personal way of dealing with the oppression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One example of rebelling against the party is that of Julia’s sexual escapades. She plots and plans to have sex with many of the different party members in order to find release in her otherwise boring lifestyle and by doing so she increases the amount of mass personal rebellion within the party’s regiment. After Winston and Julia are done having sex in the woods for the first time, he asks her how many other men has she done this with. She told him that she had done it with â€Å"scores† of other men and Winston is delighted to hear the good news. He feels that the more men she has had sexual encounters with makes the party weaker because those men don’t really feel committed to their party. Julia does not dream of rebellion against their oppressors as Winston does. However, she accepts her role in society and goes about life enjoying herself when she can.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Syme can also be marked as a rebel of the party. Although we have very little actual contact with him in the book, Winston thinks that Syme is too smart to have the party favor him for long. This is probably the reason that Syme disappears later on. He was working on a new Newspeak dictionary for the party but may have fell out of favor because of his intelligence. Syme is a rebel because of his brain. He refuses to go along with everyone else and bring himself down to the I.Q. of the masses, so he, in turn, gets himself killed by the party. This is an important note because Syme does not actually hate the party or even dislike the party.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Analystics Analysis

Task IV Please analyze the theme of the poem, using the speech act hypotheses we have discussed in class. Please pay attention to the change of syntax in the second half of the poem. As the first part of the poem is imperatives and the theme of the poem is elegy, I firstly regard it as an advice or consolation, the poet advising others not to be bothered to find the traces of the person who died. A common condolence is generally soothing and pacifying, describing how the deceased will rest in peace, however, in this case the poet depicts with very unfavorable words, such as â€Å"brittle†, â€Å"cold†, and â€Å"angry†, which is by no means reassuring or encouraging. Then I guess maybe it is a lament in which the poet uses uncomfortable words to give full vent to his sadness and resentment about his friend’s death. The second half of the poem changes from imperatives to declarative statements, depicting what happens to the deceased after the death. According to the poet, the deceased still doesn’t get peacefulness but, luckily, becomes an integral part of nature. Taking the two parts into consideration, I think the poem is a lament at the beginning and a placation for both others and the poet himself in the end. ELEGY Leonard Cohen Do not look for him In brittle mountain streams: They are too cold for any god; And do not examine the angry rivers For shreds of his soft body Or turn the shore stones for his blood; But in the warm salt ocean He is descending through cliffs Of slow green water And the hovering coloured fish Kiss his snow-bruised body And build their secret nests In his fluttering winding-sheet.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Multisensory Teaching Method to Reading

Multisensory Teaching Method to Reading The multisensory teaching approach to reading is based upon the idea that some students learn best when the material that they are given is presented to them in a variety of modalities. This method uses movement (kinesthetic) and touch (tactile), along with what we see (visual) and what we hear (auditory) to help students learn to read, write and spell. Who Benefits From This Approach? All students can benefit from multisensory learning, not just special education students. Every child processes information differently, and this teaching method allows for each child to use a variety of their senses to understand and process information. Teachers that provide classroom activities that utilize various senses, will notice that their students learning attention will increase, and it will make for an optimal learning environment. Age Range: K-3 Multisensory Activities All of the following activities use a multisensory approach to help students learn to read, write and spell using a variety of their senses. These activities feature hearing, seeing, tracing and writing which are referred to as VAKT ( visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile). Clay Letters Have the student create words out of letters made of clay. The student should say the name and sound of each letter and after the word is created, he/she should read the word aloud. Magnetic Letters Give the student a bag full of plastic magnetic letters and a chalkboard. Then have the student use the magnetic letters to practice making words. To practice segmenting have the student say each letter sound as he/she selects the letter. Then to practice blending, have the student say the sound of the letter faster. Sandpaper Words For this multisensory activity have the student place a strip of paper over a piece of sandpaper, and using a crayon, have him/her write a word onto the paper. After the word is written, have the student trace the word while spelling the word aloud. Sand Writing Place a handful of sand onto a cookie sheet and have the student write a word with his/her finger in the sand. While the student is writing the word have them say the letter, its sound, and then read the whole word aloud. Once the student completed the task he/she can erase by wiping the sand away. This activity also works well with shaving cream, finger paint, and rice. Wikki Sticks Provide the student with a few Wikki Sticks. These colorful acrylic yarn sticks are perfect for children to practice forming their letters. For this activity have the student form a word with the sticks. While they are forming each letter have them say the letter, its sound, and then read the whole word aloud. Letter/Sound Tiles Use letter tiles to help students develop their reading skills and establish phonological processing. For this activity, you can use Scrabble letters or any other letter tiles you may have. Like the activities above, have the student create a word using the tiles. Again, have them say the letter, followed by its sound, and then finally read the word aloud. Pipe Cleaner Letters For students who are having trouble grasping how letters should be formed, have them place pipe cleaners around a flashcard of each letter in the alphabet. After they place the pipe cleaner around the letter, have them say the name of the letter and its sound. Edible Letters Mini marshmallows, MMs, Jelly Beans or Skittles are great for having children practice learning how to form and read the alphabet. Provide the child with an alphabet flashcard, and a bowl of their favorite treat. Then have them place the food around the letter while they say the letter name and sound. Source: Orton Gillingham Approach

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Sleeping Beauty Essay Example

Sleeping Beauty Essay Example Sleeping Beauty Paper Sleeping Beauty Paper Essay Topic: Beauty and the Beast and Other Tales Sleeping Beauty Literature Review The story of Sleeping Beauty has evolved over time and has been changed slightly throughout the different versions. It has changed in order to fit social norms for the time and context has been altered to appeal to the current audiences. The three main versions of Sleeping Beauty are the Charles Perrault in 1697, which was adapted from the original fairy tale Sun, Moon, and Talia by Giambattistas Basile in 1634. Perraults version was a tale of rape, adultery and cannibalism. The Brothers Grimm interpretation, from 1812 that made the story more tame and the Walt Disney version from 1959 that was drawn mainly from the St. Petersburg Ballet version of 1890 and the Grimm Brothers version, obviously this version was cleaned up a lot from the predecessors in order to appeal to a younger and more moralistic audience. Most Fairytales hold a kind of formulae that can be seen in Vladimir Propp’s morphology of the folk tale. His theory suggests that most stories just use the same formulae however in different contexts. Sleeping beauty is a typical example of how mostly all of the characteristics used in storytelling are used in this narrative. Such characteristics used in Sleeping Beauty are the character types. The hero, the villain, the donor, the dispatcher, the helper, the princess and the father or in this case the parents. The fairy godmothers play a huge part in the storyline of sleeping beauty, you could say they act as the donors who provide an object with magical properties, such as the sword given to prince charming that defeats the villain. They are also the dispatchers and the helpers who send the hero in the right direction to save the princess. Although these dont seem like the main characters in the story, they hold together the narrative and fill in the gaps that link the events in the story, also without the fairy godmothers we would be missing out on our fix of magic that is needed in any good fairytale. Propp’s theory suggests that these character types are found in every story or film but are just rearranged for different effects. In Shrek, typical fairytale themes are implemented, however the traditional ideas and social norms found in fairytales are swapped around. ‘Shrek upstages Prince Charming and Princess Fiona saves Shrek from Robin Hood and his merry men’. Women are not necessarily depicted as being an inferior sex nowadays as they were back when the initial story was wrote. Sleeping Beauty came from a time when the lesson was that women should wait quietly for the man who would give them their role in society, Not such the case in modern twists on fairytales. However Propp’s strict order of characters and events is restrictive. The format he suggests may change the way in which text is received, for example if the main character dies, the audience is left unhappy because there has not been a happy ending. It is the typical story line in most childrens fairly tales, where there is a vulnerable female in need of rescue by her Prince Charming. We see this again, and again in stories such as Snow White, Cinderella and  Beauty and the Beast. All of these stories have reoccurring patterns in them such as the evil villain, a spell that needs to be broken, a hero prince who needs to rescue a damsel in distress, all of these elements leading up to a happy ending. Propp’s actions as functions of narratives can also be seen throughout the different stories, they are used to progress the narrative. The preparation, complication, transference, struggle, return and the recognition. Firstly The kingdom is preparing for the new born of the king and queen, whilst this gives the villain an incentive to complicate things and upset the palace, In great joy brings great upset this is common at the beginning of most stories, something bad must happen in order to be fixed. Sleeping beauty is then transferred to a safe house in the woods in the Disney version and we meet the prince who is gifted a magical sword by the fairy godmothers, and therefore transferred into the hero. After Sleeping beauty pricks her finger and falls into the deep sleep, the struggle is then on to revive her. The prolonged period of time that varies between the stories depends on the hero, whom overcomes the evil villain with the help of the good fairies. The penultimate sequence in which the hero defeats the villain transformed into the dragon, to me resembles the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. The prince then finds the princess and gives her the kiss of life and she is awoken. He then returns with the princess and gets recognised as a hero when they get married. However this is not the end in the Charles Perrault version as the prince’s mother is not happy with the marriage, and tries to eat the princess and the newly married couples children, eventually she throws herself into a vat of vipers and dies. There are quite vast differences in the plots of Perrault’s version and the Grimm brother’s adaptation. Most of the beginning part of the Perrault version is the same as the brothers Grimm adaptation, it is the second part that is altered. Perrault was also one of the last interpreters of the tale to avoid waking Beauty with a kiss. Most of the versions written and produced since then have used the kiss to awaken the sleeping princess. Instead she was awoken when she was ready to give birth to her baby that had been unwillingly forced upon her whilst she was asleep. The overall conceit of Aurora â€Å"awakening† to a man’s kiss suggests that her maturity may indeed be a sexual one. ’ It is thought that the story was changed in this way to  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœappeal  to the opulent court and aristocracy of Louis XIV of France’. In the Charles Perrault version, the prince’s mother who is an ogre attempts to eat sleeping beauties children, which sounds like more of a horror story than a fairy-tale. The Brothers Grimm version left out this part of the story all together as did Walt Disney’s version because this is far too gruesome for a make-believe story. Also, another variation is that in Perrault’s adaptation the princess is asleep for 100 years and her prince comes to her after hearing about the legend of her generations later. In the Disney movie and the brothers Grimm adaptations, the princess is only asleep long enough for the prince to defeat the villain and give her the kiss of life. Maybe this was altered from the original because of the idea of never seeing your loved ones again was too traumatic for a modern audience and especially children. The good fairies puts the residents of the kingdom under a temporary sleep whilst sleeping beauty is under the spell to lower social panic. Charles Perrault’s version also includes more than 3 fairies bestowing gifts on the young princess, and the villain in the story being an aged fairy that everyone thought was dead. The story of Sleeping Beauty focuses mainly on the seemingly idealistic views that ‘true love conquers all’ and that ‘home is where the heart is’. Sleeping beauty and fairytales in general give people a hope and fantastical view on life and appeal to a modern audience because they allow for a type of escapism. For those that have been in love can relate to the stories. Dream like scenarios where all is not real but the situations are similar to those that happen in real life. 1280 words Bibliography Katy C. Peck. (19/01/08). Analytical Essay – Sleeping Beauty. helium. com/items/806737-analytical-essay-sleeping-beauty Date Accessed 01/03/11 English National Ballet. ballet. org. uk/the-sleeping-beauty/the-sleeping-beauty-story. html Date Accessed 28/02/11 Notes on Sleeping Beauty. sparknotes. com/film/sleepingbeauty/themes. tml. Date Accessed 05/03/11 Notes on Characters in Sleeping Beauty. sparknotes. com/film/sleepingbeauty/characters. html Date Accessed 05/03/11 Tales from the Brothers Grimm yankeeweb. com/library/storytime/grimmbros/grimmbros_56. html Date Accessed 05/03/11 John K. Davis. (26/01/09). The story behind sleeping beauty, early versions weren’t meant for adults. suite101. com/content/the-story-of-sleeping-beauty-a92332 Date Accessed 26/02/11 Propps Theory. adamranson. plus. com/Propp. htm Date Accessed 26/02/11 Charles Perrault, Sleeping Beauty in the Wood. pitt. edu/~dash/perrault01. html Date Accessed 26/01/11 Perraults Fairy Tales  (New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 1969), pp. 3-21 Heidi Anne Heiner. (26/08/10). surlalunefairytales. com/sleepingbeauty/history. html Date Accessed 02/03/11 Sleeping Beauty, Brothers Grimm Summary. grimmstories. com/en/grimm_fairy-tales/sleeping_beauty. Date Accessed 23/02/11 Diana Katheryn Geleskie ; Vannessa Colberg. Walt Disneys Sleeping Beauty, a literary approach. 9/ 04/09 (http://people. setonhill. edu/gel7219/sleepingbeautyliterarycritique/fairytalecanon. html Vladimir Propp (1968) Morphology of the Folktale. University of Texas Press.. scribd. com/doc/37368054/Fairy-Tales. Date Accessed 25/02/11 [ 1 ]. adamranson. plus. com/Propp. htm [ 2 ]. helium. com/items/806737-analytical-essay-sleeping-beauty [ 3 ]. sparknotes. com/film/sleepingbeauty/themes. html [ 4 ]. bookrags. com/essay-2006/3/14/221714/758

Monday, November 4, 2019

Math problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Math problems - Essay Example ii) -1.89 lie in IR region. 1c)Because its closer to the nucleus and having some effect on the other electron present in the higher shell Q2 a) Power output of sun = 3.8 *1026W Radius = 1.4 * 108 Power density = ? V= 4/3 ?r3 V= 4/3 ? (1.4*108)3 =1.15*1025 Power density: Power/volume = 3.8*1026/1.15*1025 1ev= 1.6*10-19J Total energy released for He nucleus is 26.7 Mev 26.7*106*1.6*10-19 4.27*10-12 energy is released for 1 he atom =>3.8*1026 J produce 3.8*1026/4.27*10-12 *1/(4*?*(1.4*108)3/3) Helium atoms per second per cubic meter (here assume time =1sec therefore energy =3.8 *1026W *1sec 7.74*1012 Helium atoms per second per cubic meter 2b) In He both the nucleons are there means protons and neutron,2 protons and 1 neutron is there. In first equation there are less number of nucleons involve so there nuclear force will be less and thus it will be more reactive there fore they are less stable while on the other hand when the nucleons are more in number as it is in step 2 therefore the re will be strong nuclear force, will be less reactive and more stable. 2c) When the fusion reaction occurs so at that time two atoms combine and produce larger atom and release high energy in the form of binding energy of nucleons. As this process continues till the formation of iron Fe 56,so at that time binding energy of electron is minimum that is most negative and now if the more heavier atom is required to be formed so more energy will release Q3 a i) Data: Redshift = z = 0.13 Speed of light =c= 3 * 108 ms-1 Hubble constant = H0 = 70 kms-1Mpc-1 Distance to the galaxy = r=? Formula: 1. H0 = v / r Here v = apparent speed of galaxy 2. v = z * c Solution: v = z * c =0.13 * 3 * 108 v = 3.9 * 107 ms-1 v = 3.9*107*10-3kms-1 v = 3.9*104 kms-1 H0 = v / r r= v / H0 r = 3.9*104 /70 r = 5.57*102 Mpc Q3 a ii) Data Red shift =z = 0.13 ?0=589nm ?1=? Formula =?1-?0 z=/?0 Solution z= /?0 0.13= /589 =76.57nm ?1-?0 =76.57 ?1 =76.57+589 ?1=665.57nm ?1=6.65*102 nm Q3 b i) As the wavelength of hypo thetical object is different as compare to the wavelength of the objects which are already present in the cluster and this wavelength is very large which causes this hypothetical object to move out of the galaxy that’s why that this object is not part of this cluster, and is actually more distant. Q3 b ii) The answer is not in the book. Or no relative material is in the book kindly search yourself Q#4 General relativity and quantum gravity depart from Newton’s theory. The gravitational force of attraction is described by Newton’s law of gravity. Einstein’s theory of general relativity describes the interaction between space and the matter within it. When the masses become very large, this theory provides a more accurate description of gravity than does Newton’s law. General relativity also predicts the existence of gravitational radiation, which is emitted by massive objects that undergo an acceleration. There is good evidence that such radiation i s being generated by binary pulsars. A convincing theory of quantum gravity has yet to be formulated, but it will involve quanta referred to as gravitons which interact with everything. Einstein’s theory of general relativity reproduced all the old results of Newton, but without even using the idea of weight. The core of general relativity is the interaction between ‘space’

Saturday, November 2, 2019

You can choose a topic for this essay after you finished it - 3

You can choose a topic for this after you finished it - Essay Example rtheless, culture and ethnicity divergences are the main aspects in demagoguery in mystification of the truth and conflict grouping within the United States due to the constant expression and alterations of issues (Sewell, pp.145-234). This paper aims at explaining the underlying misunderstanding of cultural issues as fundamental information of fully understanding prevailing societal forces. The elusiveness of the word ethnicity and its phenomenon is normally confusing and has numerous problems due to the unclear and continuous expansion trend. Ethnicity is considered as the main linkages via critically different phenomenon and combined societal phenomenon. Moreover, it greatly varies according diverse cases within the prevailing community. For instance, religion is the common resultant of differences within two ethnic groups. Conversely, race different qualities are used to serve the identical purpose. Ethnicity of the certain group normally changes depending on the underlying period. Moreover, most of the groups with cultural distinction do not belong to similar ethnic groups thus making the association amidst the underlying culture and ethnicity is less than ideal (Sewell, pp.145-234). Moreover, all ethnic groups are not ancient and have natural social group. The prevailing differences among ethnic groups do not have equal intensity. Certain ethnic groups have diverg ences that aim at the similar endings that mainly arise from ethnicity as a tradition and past myth. Ethnicity aids in the explanation of development and modernity of societies. According to Sewell (2008), ethnicity is considered to be a subjective symbolic utilized as an aspect of culture by particular ethnic group that distinguish different groups. It is used in the definition of character, quality and corresponding condition of ethnic group membership purely based on the identity and consciousness of groups, which is differentiated from supplementary by symbolic makers entailing cultural,

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Encounter of the East and West Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Encounter of the East and West - Essay Example The three years spent by the French team in Egypt had great influence on the west and specifically Europe at that time. The invasion of the outsiders to Egypt has formed a benchmark onto which the east and west convened and exchanged different aspects. The western culture diversified because of the Egyptian influence. The Egyptian ancient society fade away with time as the encounter between east and west persisted over time. Ancient Egypt civilization as described by the napoleon team was rich in artefacts that triggered great interest to the west. These included the famous Egyptian pyramids, temples, and representations of pharaohs and gods. The sphinx of Giza is one of the statues that have amazed the world because of its age and meaning. The sphinx is a monument that bears the head of a human and the body of a lion. The great monument standing on the Egyptian desert is currently in ruins because of the persistent wind, sand of the desert and rainfall. The sphinx lies amidst Egypti an pyramids in Giza and the meaning that Egyptians have attached to the monument over time is perplexing. Time has redefined the meaning and representation repeatedly. The sphinx stands as a clear illustration of the dynasties existing in the previous civilizations before European intervention. Speculations from the old times indicate that the human face was in honour of one of the pharaohs. The sculpture probably dates back to the fourth dynasty and the face represented belonged to pharaoh Khafre. The monument dimensions are 238 feet in length and 65 feet in height. The origins of the bedrock making the sculpture re not very clear. The lion body depicts the royalty awarded to the dynasty by the people. Ancient Egypt was rich in style and this is the reason why the pyramids of the old times have persisted in world history. The ancient Egyptian civilization greatly influenced the succeeding new kingdom of the modern history. The great sphinx receives respect and honour from the peopl e. For some people, it represented the pharaoh who instructed its building. Others believe that the pharaoh Khafre’s father instructed its building (Bayly, 2004:75). The monument has both political and religious value for some people. While some regard the essence of the sphinx as an important aspect reflecting the fourth dynasty, others associate it with the Egyptian gods. ‘The dream stela’ in the middle of the paws of the sphinx that has inscriptions on it tells the story of prince Thutmosis who slept in the middle of the paws and had a dream in which the gods spoke to him. After this, some Egyptologists claim that the monument had transformed from a king icon to a god icon. The sphinx holds a lot of mystery concerning origin, purpose and disproportion of the monument. Question two Mehmet Ali is a name familiar in Egyptian history because he established a new Egypt after the French troop led by Napoleon left (Darwin, 2007:66). Egypt was an agricultural country during napoleon’s rule. Mehmet was formally a member of the ottoman army and was an Albanian. He moved to Egypt after the departure of napoleon and was ready to transform the empire. He moved to Egypt under the instruction of his uncle the governor. Having grown up in the uncle’s family, he had received responsibilities that presented him with an opportunity to develop great leadership and political skills. In 1801, his mission in Egypt was

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Ethan Frome Essay Example for Free

Ethan Frome Essay Ethan Frome had nothing but sickness and trouble. His life revolves around taking care of one invalid after another, from his father, his mother to his hypochondriac wife and finally ending up as a disfigured and very image of â€Å"ruin of a man†. He failed to achieve any of his ambitions to leave town and become an engineer and did not succeed even in his desire to run away with Mattie Silver. Aside from poverty, the rigid moral character of Ethan prevents him from going against the social conventions in favor of his personal ambitions and fulfillment. Set in New England, in the rural town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, this literary piece was written by Edith Wharton in 1922. The bleak environment of seemingly endless winter aptly sets the tone of the story and the fate of Ethan Frome. A narrator who was forced to stay in Starkfield because of a workers strike was instantly fascinated by Frome’s appearance that looks quite old for a man of fifty-two and disfigured since an accident twenty-four years ago when he first saw him outside of the post office. He went on to find out more about him as he had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story (1). The story of Ethan Frome is a portrayal of a passive and unhappy man who is weighed down by his duty to his wife and his bitter existence as a poor farmer. Ethan had been in Starksfield since his youth when his father died and he had to come home to take care of his ailing mother and their farm. Prior to this event, he was taking a technological course in Worcester but the lack of money prevented him from realizing his dream to become an engineer. He decided to marry Zenobia Pierce or Zeena, his cousin who came to help him care for his mother, after the burial as he was afraid to spend the winter alone. Though Zeena was lively and cheerful at first, she later on fell silent and sickly. He woulf often think that had his mother died in the springtime he would not have thought of offering marriage to Zeena. Her illnesses became her obsession as she would go on a monthly trip to Bettsbridge to see her doctor. For rural towns like Starkfield, people with sickness or complications are common topic for conversations and are â€Å"singled out for a great fate†. Zeena’s illness became her weapon that she uses to take control of the household and of Ethan. Mattie Silver actually came to the Fromes to do the household chores in exchange for the food and shelter as she was also destitute after the death of her parents. Since she was not used to doing housekeeping, Ethan would help her out in doing her chores just so she would not incur the wrath of Zeena. Ethan eventually fell in love with lively and cheerful Mattie who gave Ethan respite from the isolation and loveless match with a sickly and whining woman. The illicit relationship however advances to no more than holding of hands as both Mattie and Ethan are too afraid to defy the forces of social and marital duties. The time came though that Zeena decided to send Mattie away because of a broken red pickle dish that is symbolic in the story of the marriage of Ethan and Zeena. The idea of living apart from each other was unbearable for Mattie and Ethan that upon the suggestion of the former, they went on to take a sleigh ride that would crash them into the big elm tree. The attempted suicide failed leaving Ethan disfigured and Mattie a paralyzed woman. The irony of the story is that in the end Zeena seem to overcome her illness and became the caregiver of the now invalid, whining Mattie and the lame Ethan. The entire life of Ethan Frome had been a series of dreams destroyed because of the circumstances of him being poor and his adherence to social duty. His opportunity to leave town and finish education to eventually become an engineer was hindered when his father died and he has a farm and an ailing mother to take care of. Their farm as he said was â€Å"side-tracked† when the railroads where put up and no more people came to town. He blames this as the cause as to why his mother’s condition deteriorated. It could also mean the lost opportunities for the town and also to him as the place got left behind in the course of development. Ethan was one of the people stuck in Starkfield, a place where most of the smart ones get away(14) as Harmon Gow, the stage driver in the story, aptly puts it. The bleakness that surrounds Starkfield, for one thing, is not an environment that would nurture youth and create a field for dreams to come true. The narrator in the story noted that although he initially felt invigorated by the clear blue skies and shocking white of snow, this was soon followed by long periods of cold and darkness that he begun to understand the deadness of the community (15). In an environment that was neither nurturing nor bountiful, Ethan is further subdued into the tangled web of harshness and scarcity. The Fromes practically had to eke living from what little they could get from their farm for their survival. The connection between the land and the people is symbolic in the story. The environment made life for the townspeople difficult such as when Ethan and another man had to struggle in the sleet just to be able to transport logs. Starkfield is isolation in itself, with the places beyond it seen as a place to â€Å"get away† so as to seek a different fortune or freedom from the drab and coldness of the place. The limitations of the environment coupled with poverty further intensified the lost potentials of Ethan Frome. There was the poignant scene where the narrator accidentally left his biochemistry book in the sleigh and later on sees it in Frome’s hand. Ethan was both fascinated and humbled by the book as he exclaimed, There are things in that book that I didnt know the first word about (18). It shows that Ethan’s curiosity and intellect had very few outlets in that kind of environment. For a fifty-two year old man who found excitement in a book, it is painful to think of what he could have been had he got the chance to explore his potentials. The conflict between personal passion and social convention is another theme portrayed in the story. The character of Zeena and Mattie were so different that the reader would readily understand the choice of Ethan between them. Mattie symbolizes beauty and energy in her ways, in the colors that she uses from the ribbons in her hair to the dish that she illicitly uses whereas Zeena possesses the deathly and sickly qualities in life. The sexual and emotional frustration in the marriage of Zeena and Ethan is symbolized by the unused pickle dish. Though shown as Zeena’s most prized possession, it remains at the topmost of the china closet left and unused. The barren relationship that they have is further portrayed with them not having children and hardly ever sharing a conversation. Ethan fell in love with Mattie and had come to hate Zeena but his strong sense of marital duty prevents him from deciding to be with Mattie. He acts with uncertainty and frustration under the looming shadow of his obligation to Zeena that it created a conflict in him. Ethan is also hesitant to leave his sickly wife for he believes that if he went away it would leave Zeena alone and penniless. Even in the moment when Zeena went away, her presence was greatly felt in imagined visions and in the symbol of the cat. Conventionally, the society upholds marriage as a sacred bond and is, in fact, at the apex of the set social orders. A man and woman are joined in marriage; it is protected by the norms of the society to keep the union intact. The critical eyes of the society is so that it could even permeate walls of intimate moments like the evening that Ethan and Mattie spent together when Zeena went away from the town to see a doctor. Their excitement though withered when the cat broke the dish and the looming figure of Zeena in their minds. Zeena’s absence bear more weight that her presence that conversation became impossible. The circumstance does not allow them to attempt to recreate a fantasy of life together, spending an evening as a husband and wife would. Their passion was shrouded by guilt and the unseen eyes of the society that both of them felt in the situation. As Ethan noted in the warm lamplit room, with all its ancient implications of conformity and order, she (Mattie) seemed infinitely farther away from him and more unapproachable (54). Conformity and order in the living room reminded Ethan that it belongs to Zeena and Ethan and could never be Mattie and Ethan. And when Ethan crossed the line when showed the slightest act of passion by kissing a piece of cloth that she was sewing, Mattie was spurred into retreating, scared of the repercussions with the transgression made. Poverty also limited the illicit lovers from taking serious step in pursuing an adulterous affair. Mattie, for one, was in a very precarious condition being dependent on the Fromes for her daily sustenance. Having nowhere else to go, she is also afraid of going into that kind of relationship with Ethan that could take away the refuge that she now has. Ethan, on the other hand, his duty to his wife and even to the Hales prevents him from acting on the situation like the loan that he planned to take from the Hale in able to elope with Mattie. Ethan did not only sacrifice his chance on love but he also sacrificed his ambitions just so he can fulfill his social duties. He had to give up his dream to move out of Starkfield and of becoming an engineer to care for his father, his mother and the farm. And upon the death of his mother, he end up in frustrated desire to fulfill his dreams for he was trapped in a marriage with a sickly wife whom he cannot bear to leave because of her condition. Though a sympathetic character, Ethan Frome can be also frustrating because of his lack determination to change the course of his life. He allows circumstances to take over him and did not decidedly pursue his interests and ambitions. Like the epitaph of the original Ethan Frome in the graveyard with his wife Endurance, he endures rather than act on his fate in pursuit of happiness and fulfillment. In his relationship with Mattie, instead of finding the courage to address his dilemma he opted for suicide with his lover, which he did not even decide on but took on upon the suggestion of Mattie. This was his only bold decision in the entire novel but this too ended up as a failure leaving him ruined and destined to live his entire life with an invalid lover and a controlling wife. Though Ethan is a sensitive and decent person he lacks emotional strength and determination. Instead of mustering enough courage to defy conventions, he chose not to take decisions and face the consequences of it, The deadened vitality of Ethan Frome from the decades of frustrations and his inability to rise up beyond the circumstances had left him in a situation where is â€Å"not much difference between the Fromes up at the farm and the Fromes down in the graveyard†.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Role of micro finance in natural disasters

Role of micro finance in natural disasters The impacts of natural disasters are mainly faced by the poor community people in every country. It is very much tough for the poor people to cope with the impacts of natural disasters. Micro-finance has not only generated enormous hope for the poor people in many developing countries but also played a vital role in natural disasters affected areas. In this paper, the roles of micro-finance in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters are illustrated. It has been seen that micro-finance institutions provide support on poor community people prepare for the onslaughts or rehabilitation needs of the disaster victims, show coping mechanism during a disaster hits and how people can wake of a post natural disaster both at the personal level and generally. Key words: Role of Micro-finance, impacts of natural disasters, poor, support, coping, developing countries. Introduction: Over the years, natural disasters seem to have become more frequent across the world, resulting in enormous human and economic losses. Natural disasters take many forms like earthquakes, floods, cyclones, tsunamis, tornados and droughts, which threaten the very existence of the local communities. Further, it has been observed that the effects of natural disasters are more acute in developing countries than in developed ones. Natural disasters have had devastating dev ·as ·tate  Ã‚   tr.v. dev ·as ·tat ·ed, dev ·as ·tat ·ing, dev ·as ·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. .. Click the link for more information.  effects on the poor. For example, in 1998, Bangladesh experienced the flood of the century. Households exposed to flooding had major crop failure, suffered various water-borne diseases, lost shelter, assets and the ability to meet basic needs. Results show that the burden of medical expenditures due to flood-related sicknesses is significantly higher for poorer households, and for households more exposed to flooding. More positively, econometric results indicate that social cohesion built on group-based micro-finance programs provide an informal social insurance that reduces sickness shocks. The strength of group-based micro-credit in coping with natural disasters is yet to be fully explored. Micro-credit may not be effective in the case of a large-scale natural disaster that creates a covariate shock. However, even in the case of a large-scale natural disaster (e.g. 1998 flooding), social capital developed through micro-credit programs is s hown to play a positive role in reducing the burden of sickness shocks. Micro-finance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services. At the end of 2009, 1,084 MFIs that were serving 74 million borrowers ($38 billion in outstanding loans) and 67 million savers ($23 billion in deposits). For example, In Indonesian context, micro-financial savings and lending institutions support families to ensure consumption against illness shocks. Micro-finance actually helps the poor and vulnerable poor people. So, micro finance reduces vulnerability and increases coping against socio-economic shocks, including Natural disasters. At the same time, microfinance can provide relief in direct response to disasters. Thus it is possible to make micro finance tools a part of diverse disaster relief programs or response. Objective of the study: Disaster mitigation practices needs to be tied up throughout the life cycle of micro-finance tools in order to make poor community people sustainable and minimize non-financial losses. As just mentioned, the roles of micro-finance in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters are the purpose of this study. This study is prepared based on the following questions: What are the roles of micro-finance in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters, coping mechanism during or after disaster period? What are the main lessons and challenges of micro-finance to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters in poor community? Microfinance and Disaster Mitigation: Some Conceptual Issues The attributes of microfinance, which are applied in reducing household level risks, are relevant for reducing disaster risks too. Microfinance instruments help poor households diversify their income by source and season. They also diversify income by earner as it provides opportunities to women to earn. Multiplicity of income-earning opportunities and asset building through microfinance help poor households in dealing with disasters better. Microfinance also provides explicit and implicit insurance to the households. There is growing interest and constant experimentation in using microfinance in disaster management. The role of microfinance and microfinance institutions in disaster situations, however, is to be clearly analyzed here. Microfinance deals with the poor who are vulnerable to various types of risks. The poor are more likely to be hard-hit hard-hit adj. Badly or adversely affected: Official rescue and recovery efforts were just getting underway in this ravaged port city and more than a dozen other hard-hit towns  R. .. Click the link for more information.  by disasters like drought drought,  abnormally long period of insufficient rainfall. Drought cannot be defined in terms of inches of rainfall or number of days without rain, since it is determined by such variable factors as the distribution in time and area of precipitation during and before .. Click the link for more information., floods, cyclones, and earthquakes. Disasters normally give rise to two kinds of needs, namely relief and rehabilitation. What is required immediately after a disaster is relief to take care of food, shelter, medicine and other immediate needs of the victims. Through its long term impacts of reducing poverty and supporting sustainable development, microfinance reduces the vulnerability of the poor to disasters. Microfinance cannot, however, provide standalone protection against disasters. It must be part of a greater strategy of disaster risk reduction. MFIs must be prepared for disasters by developing disaster management plans that ensure the survival of the MFI and sustainable delivery of its services. Education on microfinance and disaster mitigation is needed for both successful poverty reduction and disaster impact reduction. Microfinance must be linked to disaster mitigation, especially during rehabilitation when the links between recover y and preparedness are clearly evident. MFIs like BRAC, ASA, Grameen Bank, Shakti etc. are working to reducing vulnerability during natural disaster by providingClint-responsive loans, housing improvement loans, adaptation of current lending, emergency reconstruction loans etc. They help to so compulsory savings, voluntary savings, adaptation of forced loans etc. MFIs suggest people for doing Insurance (best established before disaster). MFIs provide money transfer services (remittances likely to increase), Grants and donations (for increasing power and building financial discipline), Livelihood relief (no payment) to the poor community people. Microfinance Institutions also provide non-financial services like training, information dissemination, distribution of supplies etc. In the aftermath of a disaster, microfinance can quickly provide relief, and then support sustainable recovery and rehabilitation. Microfinance institutions can additionally provide post-disaster communication and coordination through their established community networks. Microfinance requires a degree of self-management by clients and is normally community based, thus fostering recovery ownership, dignity and community cohesion during traumatic and unstable times. Microfinance can reduce the cost of post-disaster recovery financing, while reducing aid dependency. At the same time, however, post- disaster aid can distort markets, adversely affecting microfinance performance. Post-disaster activities must be carefully considered to prevent negative long-term impacts on local markets and MFIs. To best reduce disaster impacts on a community, MFIs should offer a suite of flexible products to adapt to specific needs and situations. Links and/or partnerships with the formal financial secto r are needed to enhance liquidity and support institutional and managerial capacity. IV.Cases (Disaster management of Micro-finance programmes): Flood in Bangladesh (1998): Bangladesh is largely a flat deltaic country formed by the confluence of great river systems of the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna. These river systems annually drain a vast basin about 12 times its own size. Apart from this, hilly regions experiences flash flood after heavy rainfall and due to frequent depressions in the Bay, Bangladesh experiences regular threats of cyclonic storms, often catastrophic. The role of microfinance services in responding to disaster risks was demonstrated first during the 1998 flood. Bangladesh experienced the worst floods in its history from July to September 1998. The damages to standing crops, livestock and houses were overwhelming. The income generating activities of rural landless people were almost suspended. There had been a huge loss of property and human and animal lives during the SIDR attack in 2007 in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, nearly 4 millions affected, and more than six thousand people died, thous ands of livestock perished, and 0.9 million homes fully or partially damaged. All the MFIs in Bangladesh responded to the unprecedented situation of floods and SIDR. During the floods and cyclones, MFI workers even went on boats to ensure that weekly contacts with all members were maintained. Workers carried money with them and provided immediate interest-free consumption loans so that the members would not go hungry. the MFIs allowed the members to withdraw their savings. Grameen Bank, BRAC, ASA, Proshika, TMSS, CODEC, GUK and many other small MFIs despite a very serious financial consequence for their liquidity, opened access to compulsory savings account in an attempt to reduce the precipitous decline many households experienced in their incomes. In non-disaster times, members of these institutions did not have access to these funds unless they had fully repaid any outstanding loans and decided to leave the MFI. BRAC also operated disaster-related deposits, which allowed members to keep their assets safe from loss or damage due to the floods. A number of MFIs such as ASA and others provided voluntary savings facilities to their members. These facilities provided the members more assistance in disasters than compulsory or disaster-related savings with less negative financial consequences for the MFI. Tsunami -Micro Finance in Sri Lanka(2004): The December 2004 tsunami is one of the worst natural disasters experienced by Sri Lanka in recorded history. With over 35,000 dead and over 800,000 displaced it is a disaster of a magnitude that the country was ill equipped to deal with. Thirteen of the countrys twenty five districts were affected with the North and East provinces accounting for over two thirds of deaths and nearly 60% of the displaced. Sri Lanka (RADA) estimates that about 150,000 people lost livelihoods about 80 per cent of the affected lost their main source of income; 90 per cent lost their productive assets including the abodes. There were several issues facing the micro finance sector even pre-tsunami. The micro finance market has been pluralistic with high penetration by many different types of institutions, employing a wide range of micro finance models and methods. Bulk of micro credit is funded through Government banks and programmes, through subsidized credit, w hich is not sustainable. Agro Micro-Finance, BRAC, Arthacharya Foundation were working in Sri Lanka during tsunami. While these MFIs might be fulfilling their social mission, they were not charging interest rates that would achieve cost recovery. Capacity building of these institutions was a priority. Agro Micro-Finance was operating in eight districts in Sri Lanka, many of which were affected by the tsunami. Arthacharya Foundation is a national not-for-profit NGO functioning in seven districts. This organization is working with a large number of donors in promoting micro enterprises through savings and credit, and also working in health and sanitation. BRAC set up operations in Sri Lanka for undertaking post-tsunami rehabilitation activities. BRAC has quickly expanded the outreach as well as loans since establishing operations in Sri Lanka. Within a year of operation the number of clients reached has touched 26,373 making it one of the larger MFIs in Sri Lanka. Well established man agement practices and systems have enabled the MFI to quickly scale up. Though the initial operations were through grant funds from BRAC and Oxfam NOVIB, BRAC has recently approached commercial banks for loans for expanding its loan portfolio. Pre-tsunami, voluntary savings was offered by four MFIs and compulsory savings by ten MFIs. Overall, there have been several positive developments due to post-tsunami funding by donors. Lessons and challenges of micro-finance: As we look broadly at micro-finance as an industry, and at specific experiences in the natural disaster context, it is possible to draw several broad lessons: Microfinance cannot be a financial safety net to an entire affected community, but can play an increasingly constructive role in disaster preparedness and response as it expands its range of products and services. Establishment of long-term relationships between individuals and MFIs allow poor households access to existing MFI products that can help reduce some of the hardships caused by natural disasters. Preparedness of the MFIs staff and systems is the key to providing timely response to clients. Timing of MFI services matters to clients: emergency loans must be available quickly after disaster strikes, while reconstruction support is useful once the household has fully passed the emergency stage. Along with these broad lessons, there are also clear bottlenecks that limit the role MFIs currently play in natural disaster response and mitigation: Most MFIs do not have the liquidity position (or access to a Disaster Loan Fund) to respond quickly or fully in a disaster context. MFIs-from management, to field staff, to reserves, to information and communication systems-are not currently prepared to either weather or respond to a natural disaster situation. MFIs have not considered client needs from an emergency perspective; rather products and services are primarily geared to day-to-day business or household concerns. Demand for special services may be small, yet may require significant institutional investment. Therefore, individual MFIs are unlikely to invest in developing or maintaining these services. Regulatory restrictions and limits to institutional capacity will keep most MFIs from mobilizing voluntary savings for the foreseeable future. Findings of the study: Although the concept of using microfinance for disaster mitigation is a novel idea, the relevance of microfinance under disaster conditions especially for the poor is yet to be fully established. Microfinance even under normal circumstances faces quite a few limitations in bringing about improvement in livelihood. While microfinance can ensure livelihood protection by reducing various shocks and vulnerability, it cannot lead to livelihood promotion unless it is accompanied by other equally important measures like training, market linkages and technology development. As micro-finance institutions involved in livelihood restoration interventions, they are aimed at establishing funds that could be used in normal situations and during times of disaster. Their main aim during normal times was disaster preparedness. By taking up various activities aimed at disaster preparedness, they secured livelihoods and resources, improved the lives of the communities, made them less vulnerable and bet ter equipped to face disaster. In case of an emergency, the projects assisted the communities in mitigating mit ·i ·gate  Ã‚   v. mit ·i ·gat ·ed, mit ·i ·gat ·ing, mit ·i ·gates v.tr. To moderate (a quality or condition) in force or intensity; alleviate. See Synonyms at relieve. v.intr. To become milder. .. Click the link for more information.  the effects through loans reserved for the purpose. Insurance could be a useful instrument of risk mitigation for the poor especially under disaster situation Micro-insurance can take up under MFIs to provide protection to the women against loss of life, accidents, prolonged pro ·long  Ã‚   tr.v. pro ·longed, pro ·long ·ing, pro ·longs 1. To lengthen in duration; protract. 2. To lengthen in extent. .. Click the link for more information.  illness and hospitalization, and damage or destruction of houses and household assets. Thus, both during normal and disaster times, the MFIs funds were used mainly through loans. The core objective of the MFIs is to reach out to the most vulnerable among the target groups. As observed in the study, the members would like to depend upon MFIs for their social, economic and emotional security. For protection and improvement of their livelihood, they need diverse financial services. Many of them would like to take up income generating activities to strengthen their economic base. Moreover, no significant attempt is made by these interventions to adopt an integrated approach required for improving the livelihood of the disaster-affected households. Given the fact that the members of the poor households in the study area are faced with many social and economic constraints like illiteracy, severe caste and gender discrimination, and landlessness, m ere introduction of microfinance may not help them in bringing about any significant improvement in the livelihood. VI. Methodology: The study mainly uses secondary sources. Secondary data on Flood in Bangladesh (1998) was colleted from Bangladesh Country Report by Sirajul Islam (INAFI Asia Bangladesh) and Tsunami Micro Finance in Sri Lanka (2004) was collect from Review of Post-Tsunami Micro Finance in Sri Lanka by Girija Srinivasan. Moreover, I have taken help from different websites and books. VII. Conclusion: Reducing the Poors vulnerabilities to disasters and emergency situations is the role of micro-finance in disaster risk mitigation. It can immediately relieve financial burdens caused by the on set of calamities, especially if savings and micro-insurance is included in the package of services. It can further support consequent initiatives for sustainable disaster recovery and rehabilitation. Since, MFI is private in nature; it has great potential to provide financial and non-financial services in all stages-relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development. However, micro-finance services alone cannot immediately translate into a stand-alone successful disaster recovery enterprise but needs to form part of an over-arching disaster risk mitigation strategy. The success of the microfinance industry in various disasters is indicative of future accomplishments in exploiting microfinance for pre- and post-disaster mechanisms. While micro-finance can be an entry-point for the delivery of sustained services in disaster situation, it still needs the prompt provision of services from the government, like installation of damaged infrastructure and other rehabilitation interventions and active participation of other civil society groups for training, counseling and organizing. A more thorough understanding of microfinance and disaster mitigation is needed for poverty reduction and disaster impact reduction. Finally, it can be said that micro-finance institutions can be an entry point or a point of convergence of poverty alleviation and disaster mi tigation programs.