Article Review: the Religious Sources of Islamic Terrorism

1. The article â€Å"The Religious Sources of Islamic Terrorism† by Shmuel Bar takes an in-depth look into the potential justifications of terrorism in regards to religion. In this article, Bar attempts to identify the differences between the religion of Islam and the duties associated with being a Muslim including participating in jihad. The author explains the various differences between the ideas of both the traditional Muslim as well as the moderate Muslim. He goes on to identify jihadist-type acts that could potentially be changed if the right movement and implementation of rules were set.The key points and concepts in this article are: †¢ the explanation of the Islamic religion; †¢ the jihadist movement; †¢ the traditional versus the moderate Muslim; †¢ the potential strategy to deal with radical ideology. 2. The Islam religion is not one that has blatant disregard for the value of human life. It is regarded as a peaceful religion and should not be mi sconstrued as being a religion that promotes terrorism. Unfortunately, there have been numerous acts of violence and terrorism in the name of Islam and a surface-educated individual will blame the entire religion.Many individuals’ lack of knowledge lead them down a path of generalization and intolerance for the religion itself. The author of this article does a good job explaining that it is not the religion that commits these acts of terror; it is the individual’s interpretation of the writings that radicalize its teachings. 3. The jihadist movement is where much of the violent aspect of the religion can be derived from. The belief is that it is their personal duty within their religion to fight for their faith.This may be non-violent such as an internal struggle with one’s spiritual life. A more physical aspect is displayed in other forms such as the obligation to spread the religion or a more violent approach, fighting to defend a once Muslim country from inv asion of infidels. The act of jihad in a violent manner typically is displayed by the radical Islamists whom are more focused on the traditional and literal meanings of the scripture; hence there exists a conflict between them and the moderates. 4.The ideas of the traditionalist versus the moderate Muslim are conflicting in how they interpret various teachings of their scripture. Participation in jihad may be considered an obligation due to the occupying of so many countries by non-Muslims; however, the idea that it must be fought with acts of terror remains debated. The traditionalists will take a more literal interpretation resulting in acts of violence and terror; even though this initiative tends to have more political motives rather than religious.The moderate Muslim struggles with the possibility that their less orthodox beliefs will appear as though they are abandoning their religion. Due to the fact that the traditionalist is more likely to resort to violence, there is also a fear of retaliation against the moderate Muslim. Unfortunately, with that mentality, the radical Islamists prevail. 5. A long-term strategy has to include ideas and not necessarily weapons and a bunch of rules. The author explains that the solution is a lot deeper than the acts they are committing on the surface.Creating a strategy to potentially combat a radical, religious ideology seems as though it would be impossible. A long-range strategy that outlines the teachings of their religion and focuses on how terrorism is actually against their scripture could succeed. The author acknowledges the idea that Western civilization must take a look within and realize that there are more ways than just their way. This realization, and possibly tolerance, could allow for an interpretation that both societies could deal with. 6. The author of this article, Dr.Shmuel Bar, has notable credibility in this subject matter. According to his biography on The Intelligence Summit website, Dr. Bar is the Director of Studies at the Institute of Policy and Strategy in Herzliya, Israel. He has also held various intelligence positions within the Israeli government and headed various research projects including some for the United States government, according to the Hudson Institute. His academic, professional, and personal expertise lends him to be a reliable source of information.The only question that may be proposed is, what is his religious affiliation? With the extent of his background and knowledge, this may seem like a moot point; however, religion relies on very little logic. Faith is based on how one feels, not just what one has researched or has seen. It is a powerful driving force that is almost impossible to describe. The idea that persuasion could be achieved without truly knowing this driving force is naivety in itself.

Masque of the Red Death Reflection

The Confliction on the Page In the short story â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, by Edgar Allen Poe, the main conflict is the â€Å"Red Death† arrives at Prince Prospero's Masque, and kills everyone. At Prince Prospero's ball the guests in attendance all partied in a castellated abbey which had seven rooms in which the party was held. During the middle of one of the festivities a strange figure came into the room and the bold energy and hype immediately died down to the point of where you could here a pin drop on the floor.At this point the red death has entered the room but nobody knows it yet, Poe writes,† The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. † (Poe 87) This shows that the people in attendance do not know it is the red death yet, until they see the first sign of the Red Death's presence n the people, which angers the prince. When the prince discovers that it is the red death, he pulls a dagger fro m his belt and follows the corpselike figure through the rooms to the last unlit room, the one that had drapes of black velvet.The prince attempts to stab the ghoulish figure but his plan is foiled: â€Å"†¦having attained the extremity of the velvet apartment, turned suddenly and confronted his pursuer. There was a sharp cry-and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterwards, fell prostrate in death the Price Prospero. † (Poe 88) the reader then sees that the prince died due to him being foolish rather than him getting the Red Death disease. The red death then sickened the whole group and everyone dies. This shows how the Red Death was the main conflict in the story due to the fact that it keeps killing everyone.

Gow Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Chapter 19 of the book The Grapes of Wrath presents historical background on the development of land ownership in California, and traces the American settlement of the land taken from the Mexicans. Fundamentally, the chapter explores the conflict between farming solely as a means of profit making and farming as a way of life. Throughout this chapter, Steinbeck uses a wide variety of persuasive techniques including parallelism, diction, and metaphors to convey his attitude about the plight of migrants migrating to California. This chapter is filled with parallelism. The Californians wonder â€Å"what if [the okies] won’t scare,† (236) and â€Å"what if they stand up† (236) and â€Å"shoot back† (236). Here, Steinbeck is pointing out the natives’ fears and hinting about the migrant’s bravery. He also makes a distinct contrast between the recently arrived Okies who believe that they â€Å"ain’t foreign† (233) and the Californians. Perceiving themselves as coming from a similar background as the rest of the inhabitants of the Golden State, the Okies insist on similar rights; however, the natives believe that although the Okies â€Å"talk the same language† (236) they â€Å"ain’t the same† (236). This knowledge that they deserve the same decencies as any other American citizens gives strength and credence to their demands. Steinbeck makes the Okies appear more dangerous to the California natives and hints that they have the power and ambition to seize the land if they come together. Steinbeck uses diction to prove that the Okies are great people, and that they might be unstoppable if they come together. Steinbeck talks about a boy who dies from â€Å"black tongue† (239) as a result of â€Å"not gettin’ good things to eat† (239). When the Okies learn that the boy’s â€Å"folks can’t bury him† (239) since they have to go to the â€Å"county stone orchard† (239) to do so, their â€Å"hands [go] into† their â€Å"pockets and little coins [come] out† Although, the Okies have barely got enough food to feed their own families, they will not hesitate to help a person in need. Steinbeck is trying to prove how these â€Å"people are good people†(239) and that they are â€Å"kind† (239) no matter how poor they are. In the end of this chapter, he talks about how they constantly pray to God that someday â€Å"kind people won’t all be poor† (239) and that someday â€Å"a kid can eat† ( 239). Steinbeck points out that â€Å"someday the praying would stop† and get answered. In addition to parallelism and diction, he also uses metaphors in his writing. In this chapter he tries to show how desperate the Okies really are by comparing them to â€Å"ants† (233) that are â€Å"scurrying for work, for food,† (233) and most importantly â€Å"for land† (233). He also mentions why the natives are so terrified of the Okies. The natives are scared for their faith because they picture the Okies as armies. They fear the day that the Okies will march on their land â€Å"as the Lombards did in Italy† (236) or â€Å"as the Germans did on Gaul† (236) or as â€Å"Turks did on Byzantine† (236). By making these comparisons between these armies and the Okies, Steinbeck is trying to convey the migrants as powerful. All in all, Steinbeck uses Parallelism, diction, and metaphors to convey the migrants as powerful, caring, and desperate.

The topic of the paper will focus on a criminal case that has been Research

The topic of the will focus on a criminal case that has been adjudicated by the United States Supreme Court and has implications on the criminal justice system - Research Paper Example Immediately the defendant is arrested, pretrial interviews and investigations are conducted by the prosecution. The defendant is then brought before the jury, where the judge informs him of the charges against him. The judge determines whether the defendant should be held in jail or released on conditions during the first appearance (â€Å"Supreme Court of the United States,† 2010). Before the actual trial, the defendant goes into a plea to the charges in a hearing referred to as an arraignment. During the arraignment, if the defendant pleads â€Å"guilty† then he awaits to be sentenced, but if he pleads â€Å"not guilty† the defendant will stand trial. In the criminal cases, the burden of proof rests on the state. A perfect example of a criminal case is the case of Vincent Cullen v. Scott Lynn Pinholster. In 8th January 1982, Scott Pinholster Brown and Corona were accused of breaking into Kumar’s house in the night and viciously beating and killing two men who interrupted the burglary. The two victims killed were Kumar’s friends who arrived at the site, found out what was happening and threatened to call the police. However, before they could call the police, Pinholster attacked Beckett and Brown attacked Johnson stabbing them on the chest till death. As Corona was driving them away from the site, the two kept boosting how they had killed the victims and instructed corona not to speak about the robbery. At the apartment, they split the proceeds from the robbery and dispersed. Two weeks later, corona reported to the police and became the state’s first witness. Pinholster was arrested and charged with first degree murder. Pinholster refused to be defended and insisted that he would be his own witness. During the time in jail, the state mailed him informing him of the prosecution’s intent of using aggravating evidence against him in the trail (Hall, 1999). During the case, the court appointed Harry and Wilbur Dettmar to

The Determinant Power of Education on Economic Development Term Paper

The Determinant Power of Education on Economic Development - Term Paper Example The researcher states that obvious determinants of economic development include, but are not limited, to the following: the overall number of human resources available within a given geographic region, the overall number of raw material or prevalence that might be exhibited within a given geographic space, distance to determine the market, and last but not least the overall education level of the workforce. It has been broadly assumed over the past several decades, without a great deal of analysis, that education levels dramatically impact upon the overall rate and extent to which economic development is able to take place. However, a more thorough analysis of the issue does not necessarily reveal this simplistic interrelationship. Instead, stronger more market-driven determinants have been effectively determined to have a profound impact upon economic development; at least as compared to the overall education level of the human resources that might be available within a state. As a function of this understanding and analysis, the following paper will provide a literature review, methodology, data analysis, references, and appendix that describes the impact and importance of education in terms of economic development. The underlying hope of the author is that such a level of analysis will be beneficial in providing a more determinant of how economic development can effectively be engaged and how stakeholders can seek to promote further levels of economic development within their respective spheres. One of the first pieces of literature that were reviewed in terms of this particular focus has to do with Singh and Hensel’s article entitled â€Å"Impact Of Extension Education On Improving Knowledge Of Sustainable Technical Agricultural Practices†. Within the article, the authors consider the means by which the United States economy has changed as a function of time. Essentially, manufacturing and the production of durable goods within the United Stat es was a staple of economic development; even as compared to service industries or any other sector of the economy.

Political Parties and the Electoral Process Essay

Political Parties and the Electoral Process - Essay Example Apparently, the two major political parties receive massive support due to the ideologies (Levendusky, 2009). Consequentially, the two leading parties in the US are the democrats and the republicans. They have been dominating the political scene of the United States for years and have since amassed massive support in regard to their presidential candidates. The two parties hold contrasting views of different ideologies which receive prevalent attention. Therefore, the two parties either choose to take a liberal view of ideologies or settle on the conservative view of ideologies. The liberal view states that abortion is a legal action that is taken by women as citizens of the United States. They state that women are human beings who have the right to make decision in regard to their lives. Therefore, they have legal choice of using abortion to control their lives as it is open to all the citizens. On the other hand, the conservative view states that immorality is not acceptable (Ashbe e, 2004). As a matter of fact, they state that abortion is immoral and should be banned. In this particular view, the politicians think that abortion is an infringement of the right to life since the unborn child is a form of life. The second point of contrast is the issue of gun control (Levendusky, 2009). Gun control is a prevalent issue in the United States since many people would wish to own guns for security reasons. Since the government issues licenses for individuals owning guns, there is need to have restrictions and control on the issuance. On one side, the liberal view of ideologies states that there should be high restrictions of gun control. As such, there should be a number of laws that should restrict the ownership of guns. Inclusion of stringent laws would reduce the bizarre incidences that occur due to gun ownership. On the other hand, the conservative politicians insinuate that there should be less restriction on the gun control issue. The third issue that draws att ention in the two leading parties is the issue of taxes (Levendusky, 2009). Taxes affect all the citizens of the country and should be considered with utter keenness. On one side, the liberals think that taxes should be high and progressive. Higher taxes will give the country more revenue which will be used for development. On the other hand, the conservatives state that taxes should be lower and progress at a lower rate. This will not affect the citizens as the taxes will not have dire effect on their income. Lastly, the two political parties differ on the issue of gay marriage. For example, the liberals state that gay marriage should be legalized. On the other hand, conservative politics state that gay marriages are illegal. Key reasons why third parties have never been successful at the presidential level Though there are third parties in the United States, they do not seem to give an impressive performance in the presidential elections. This has been attributed by a number of re asons. First, the two leading parties have been clinching the presidential office. As such, the parties have had the advantage of holding the office and pushing their candidates to get a better place in the upcoming elections. On the other hand, the third parties have not had such an advantage. Secondly, the ideologies of the two leading parties are steadfast. The two leading parties take a stand in the prevalent issues in the country and expound on the strategies they will use in solving the situation. This

Financial Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Financial Planning - Essay Example There may be some additional cost attached with the purchasing of house is that cost of furniture fixture, electricity cost, maintenance cost and cost of decorating the house. The use of credit card incurs some cost as interest rate. As the interest rate in the credit card is very high like interest rate on the credit card of Shawn is 18% and Mary is 15%. The use of other means of payment like cash payment reduces such costs involved. Thus, they need to reduce the usage of credit cards in borrowing goods and services because the high rate of interest leads to increase in their expenses in the income expenditure statement. For this reason, if they reduce the usage of credit cards then they will be able to save the amount of interest. Shawn wants to sell off his truck any buy something new. From the primary consideration of buying vehicles, it can be said that buying new vehicles is always good though it costs high but the quality of the vehicle is brand new and Shawn can easily repair or maintain the car from the company service center if it’s new. However, if he wants to buy a used vehicle then the cost will be low as after one-year usage of any vehicle, its cost decreases. However, here he needs to consider two things- one is that the age of the vehicle. He should not purchase too old vehicle, which is having low cost because it might not be in a good condition. Second is that only age of the vehicle cannot be the measurement factor for the condition of the vehicle depends on the Km. it has run and depending on the miles or Km it can be decided that whether the vehicle is in good condition or not. Some other consideration in the purchase of a used truck is the property transfer cost and the service it w ould incur to make the used truck running and in a good condition. If the costs involved are much larger or near to the cost of a new truck, he would purchase the new one. Nevertheless, buying an old truck

The Opium Wars Commentary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Opium Wars Commentary - Research Paper Example France, Britain and the United States deployed some of their citizens, as well as their army men, to go and settle in strategic regions of China. This put the country into pressure noting that its sovereignty was being mocked by the three other nations, which had decided to settle without consent in China. China’s endeavor to remove the foreigners from their land was what made the whole process seem like warfare as there were always tensions throughout the land of expected battles.However, even if it seemed that Britain, The United States and France were taking advantage of China’s weakness, China's regime was brutal and corrupt. It executed many of its citizens on trumped up charges and was not worthy of any sympathy. Even as it is correct for critics to argue that wars have been brought about by fewer issues, I believe the Opium Wars was a way of granting Britain the right to sell opium to the Chinese. It was also one of our less epic military ventures. The Chinese, a ccording to the source provided, seem to be quite touchy regarding that part of their history, as torching down the Summer Palace is quite a sore point. Also it would be an oversight for the British regime to push this matter too far as it will weaken China’s reliability when objecting to genuine injustices.Another question that might arise from this topic is how weak the Chinese regime was just to allow the sale of tobacco to their people from other nations. In addition, they were forced to accept the venture without their views being heard.

Please read the attachments carefully you'r able to know what I want Essay

Please read the attachments carefully you'r able to know what I want - Essay Example Moreover, the NoSQL databases are deployed in a distributed environment and open sourced (NoSQL. n.d). It is pertinent to mention here that there are four (4) types / categories of the NoSQL database include: the document oriented database, XML database, graph database and key-value store / database. In the document oriented database the data is stored in the documents, the examples include: the CashDB, MongoDB etc. In the XML databases, the data is stored in the XML format, the examples include: the BaseX, eXist etc. In the Graph database, the data is stored as the collection of nodes that connected using edges, the examples include: DEX, Stones GrapgDB etc. The key-value store refers to storing data without schema in the form of strings, hashes, stored sets etc., and the examples include: Riak, BigTable, etc. One of the NoSQL databases is developed by the Oracle Corporation. The Oracle NoSQL database is characterized by the BASE – Basically Available, Soft State, and Eventua lly Consistent. The Oracle database used to replicate data in a way that data would be always available to the users, moreover, to avoid unavailability it distributes / share data among several database storage servers. The soft state refers that the Oracle NoSQL database allows inconsistent data and assigns its responsibility to the application developers. The Eventually Consistent refers to the ability of the NoSQL database becoming and presenting consistent data with the passage of time and its usage. Generally, it can be stated that the NoSQL database management systems are used to deal with huge data where the data does not necessitate being relational. The NoSQL database has the capabilities of storing, retrieving and appending data in a highly efficient manner without discrepancy of the data size. It is pertinent to mention some of the organizations dealing with massive data and use the NoSQL database for manipulation of the data, these organizations include: the LinkedIn, Go ogle, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook (Oracle Corporation, 2011). NoSQL and Relational Database Management Systems – the Differences There are several diverse features of the Oracle NoSQL database that makes it different from the traditional Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). On the basis of the differences, the management of any organization can take an informed decision whether to employ the Oracle NoSQL database or the RDBMS. One of the main differences between the NoSQL and RDMS is scalability. The NoSQL data stores have the ability to scale it even on the distributed systems and it can be deployed over several database servers. Whereas, the RDMS can only be deployed and scaled over a single server and it is the reason that the NoSQL databases can handle a huge number of data. This is one of the main motives of the growing popularity of the NoSQL. Moreover, as the NoSQL database can be deployed on several servers, therefore, these databases offer high data availa bility with little or no unavailability. Moreover, the performance of the NoSQL database is highly efficient as compared to the RDBMS, because the data is being shared and processed on several servers. But in order to provide the data highly available along with high performance, the NoSQL databases compromise the data consistency, as the data is redundantly stored or replicated on the diverse servers (Strauch, n.d). The NoSQL databases have been developed focusing the BASE acronym of Basically Available,

Upholding Peace in the International Community Essay Example for Free

Upholding Peace in the International Community Essay For many years, the United Nations have been the main international organization which is responsible for most of the conflicts and issues which had been present in the international community. From the year 1945, the United Nations is the foremost organization which is capable of uniting all nations in concerns with regards to attaining peace and security for all nations. In the international community, many nations have experienced conflicts and problems due to many different types of matters such as wars, terrorism, and etc. Thus, there is a need to have a mediating actor for the issue to be resolved. In the past, many nations had been representing as a mediator/s in order to resolve issues however, the World Wars had been an evidently one situation in which the world needed one institution that would be able to apply the best interest of every nation. The United Nations is the only entity that is run by the whole global community in order to handle all types of threats that may diminish peace and security among nations (United Nations, 2008). The duties of the United Nations to uphold the international law and maintain neutrality through protecting every nation is also an obligation which the organization is striving to attain. Therefore, the United Nations is responsible in the mediation of nations in terms of conflicts and misunderstandings which is usual occurrence in the international community due to reasons of territory, terrorism, religion, politics, human right violations and the likes. Thus, the United Nations is upholding the international law through keeping the traditional ways of prevailing peace. In accordance to the abilities and responsibilities of the United Nations. , for many decades the organization had been active in peace keeping. Many nations have and are participating in this kind of activity for they believe in the ability of military forces to resolve variety of conflicts. The peacekeeping missions of the United Nations had been present in different parts of the world such as Africa, Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the likes. During conflicts such as civil wars, wars and terrorism the United Nations are often the first international organization to be brought in the war zone. Some of their duties are to provide the medical needs of the people most especially those that are weak due to sicknesses and the hostile activities done with in the parameters of war. In refugee camps, the United Nations peace keeping teams together with other international organizations such as the Red Cross are present in maintaining sanitations in the location to lessen the possibilities of having an epidemic in the place. In addition to these, the United Nations peace keeping (United Nations Peacekeeping, 2009) is also responsible in rebuilding the devastated placed which had been tremendously hit by the war. There are times in which the United Nations peace keeping teams are assigned to different tasks such as rebuilding nations through construct buildings and facilities, feed children and people who are devastated by the war, fight the groups that sustain atrocities towards civilians and the likes. Hence, the United Nations peacekeeping is immersed in the task of helping nations and its people in times of need. It is not only with mediating and creating policies must be the organization present its active participation with maintain the peacefulness of the international community but also in creating vivid actions that will create a difference most especially for the people who are facing such difficult times. Reflecting on the events which had happened for the past decades, it is evident that the United Nation has been the most active in promoting peace and security. Reflecting on the wars which had been participated by the United Nations, it is evident that the troops being brought to most of the war zones creates a difference through bringing peace in the state. In the movie Hotel Rwanda, the civil war conflict has arisen during the 1990’s. The government did not have control with the people or the government offices, the militants were the ones that have the power amongst all the control which must be given to the government leaders. Thus, the whole Rwanda was already uncontrollable. Thus, there was a need for an international intervention which could only be done by the United Nations and countries that are related to the country of Rwanda. Due to the huge impact of the civil war many people were devastated and needed to move outside of their homes which then make them refugees of the war. In such situations, the United Nations is also responsible in creating a list and saving these people in being displaced. These refugees are given temporary homes providing camps which could provide all their needs such as medication, food and security from the grave dangers of the wars and the militants. Until this very day, the United Nations is still the foremost institution that holds the power in promoting peace and security through the help of the international law. Although there is a great need for the international law to be updated, and revised (United Nations, 2009). in order to fit the modern times, it is still the United Nations that has the capability to hold and attract the whole global community to maintain peace and security. Through similar goals of attaining peace and security for the whole world, every nation will attain its desire to have harmony with all nations. In the end, the United Nations will still be the main organization to uphold the peace and security in the world. Through the active participation of different members states and the perseverance to follow all the policies and the written laws, declarations, and agendas, the harmonious relationship will all nations will be attained. If only every state is able to know the importance of having one goal and unity amongst states, then the world will not need any type of mitigating factors to stop all the hostilities. However, in the current state of the world it is seemingly impossible to attain this kind of situation. It is only through cooperation that peace is attained. Thus, all nations must amass and address the problem through the United Nations and its means. References United Nations. (2009). â€Å"Reform at the United Nations. † Retrieved April 10, 2009 from http://www. un. org/reform/. United Nations. (2008). â€Å"UN Action to Counterterrorism. † Retrieved April 10, 2009 from http://www. un. org/terrorism/. United Nations. (2009). â€Å"United Nations Peacekeeping. † Retrieved April 10, 2009 from http://www. un. org/Depts/dpko/dpko/.

Concepts of Cultural Artefacts

Concepts of Cultural Artefacts This paper discusses about cultural artefacts and the concepts of the cultural artefacts. It also provides the artefacts of the cultural in order to represent the cultural events, economics and the entertainments. This paper analyses the details of the artifact that related to the values and the beliefs of the culture and it also investigates the deep cultural roots of the artefacts. It analyses the historical roots that are allowed to the artefacts of the culture. This paper examines the influences of the artefacts to the development of the cultural period. It also concludes with this concept by providing the better evolution that might undergo to the cultural artefacts. Cultural artefacts The artifact is the one that made by the human being and typically it is an item of historical interest. The cultural artifact is made by observing something in a scientific way of investigation and that is naturally presented. The artifact is the element in which the historical events, situations, entertainment, heritage can be identified by the human being. The artefacts include the function, architecture the designs and so on for the identification of the cultural influences. It is the historical tools that can deliver the environment of the earlier cultural people. The cultural artefacts have the deep roots in the case of representing the philosophy, religion, and economics of the earlier culture. In the case of African culture, the music was the main artifact on their culture and the impact of the music on the African culture positively. Their society and the regions are contributing the musical traditions. The music was the better influence on the African culture and they impact their heritage, entertainment and the social perspectives of the African culture. In earlier, many languages were spoken by African and those languages led the connection among the music in their local cultures. The African music influenced the language, the environment, politics, a variety of cultures, and the population movement of the Africans. African culture had characterised by the cultures, traditions, beliefs, religions and the artistic expressions. African people had integrated music in their daily actions and the music was the inspiration part of their lives. The forms of the music influenced their traditions, beliefs and religious and the artistic expression and the values. The forms of the music also contributed in the case of love appreciation among the African people and their music involved in the case of community participation. In African culture, the musical practises have influenced the social, economic, and the political structures and they impact the African people positively. The musical traditions of Africa were dynamic, and the music practises had modified the African culture throughout the creative and the traditions were articulated inter-generationally. The musical traditions of Africa had impacted by various factors that are trade, colonialism, religious expansion, and the migration. The African music traditions were popular and they got the positive feedback from other countries by their performance in the case of composing music. The African music became very famous in the case of expressing their opinions, contentions, share philosophy and display the critiques. The African musical traditions were utilized for the communication, synchronization, adversity and so on. The music was composed not only for entertainment and but for delivering the philosophical messages and the concepts of the African culture. African students were engaged to discussing the variety of artists for the evaluation of the musical direction and so on. African musical practises were provided with emotion, power, rhythm that are through the field hollerers, work songs and the blues. African music had set the standards and they became the source of the perfect music styles in their culture. The African musical traditions were very popular when compared to other cultures and hence they have the capability to cover the audience. Musical traditions were the functional in Africanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ethnic life and that were accompanying birth, marriage, hunting and political activities. The music traditions were involved in the case of politics, economic and the social perspectives of the African culture. African people were traditionally ensures the passage of the cultural practises from one generation to another. The historical accounts of the African music and the dance can be found from the oral literature of the African culture. The aesthetic and the utilitarian were the functions and they were served by the African musical traditions. The functions involved in everyday activities of the African people such as child rearing practises, national ceremonies, initiation rules and the agricultural activities. They were considered as the historical roots of the African musical traditions. The musical practises of the African were played a vital role in the case of religious influence. The number of musical songs was provided for the Christian services and hence the musical practises encourage the Christianity in African culture. On the other hand the Islamic and the Arabic people were also composing the musical concepts for their culture and the religion. In the case of political activities, the African musical practises were utilised for addressing the activities in the African culture. The African political department recognized the musical practises to enhance the entertainment of the African people and to enhance the society of the Africa in the case of music. The one of the music historical root was politics for the musical artefacts in Africa. The social, political and the economical factors were the historical roots of the African musical practises. The political ways of approach was the responsible for the musical development in Africa and they allowed the music to enhance in future. In traditional cultural period, the African music was motivated for the enhancement and the musical cultural period was from 1889-1990. During that time the music composers were developed and now also they are providing the better contribution in the case of developing the musical artefacts. The major development has occurred in the case of musical artefacts between 1889 and 1990. The anticipation will be effective in the musical practises to the African future generation. The musical technologies will be developed more in future culture of Africa and the people will be excellent in the case of composing musical and the dance artefacts. They will be the best music composers in the world when compared to other cultures. This musical artifact will be passed to the future generation of the Africa as perfect and they will be also motivated the musical composers and this artifact will get the higher value among the future generations. This entertainment will provide the better outcome to African culture and to the future generations. In future, the evolution of the musical artifact will be rhythm, melody and the harmony and they can provide the better musical experience to the musical artefacts. The evolution of the music will be effective for the future generations and the music artefacts will be delivered with the various technologies in African culture. African culture was the sources of the musical artefacts and they could only provide the various types of musical methods. The African culture will be modified by the utilization of the western music artefacts and this will be future evolution. Conclusion African cultural artefacts and the importance of their artefacts were discussed. The relationship of the musical artefacts with the beliefs and the African cultural perspectives were described. The historical roots of the African culture were detailed and the cultural periods of African artefacts were examined. The future evolution and the anticipation of the musical artifact was concluded.

Comparing Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper; and Kate Cho

Comparing Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper' and Kate Chopin's 'The Story of an Hour' 'The Yellow Wallpaper';, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and 'The Story of an Hour';, by Kate Chopin, are alike in that both of the women in the stories were controlled by their husbands which caused them to feel an intense desire for freedom. Both stories were also written from a feminist point of view. However, the women in the stories had different life changes and different responses to their own freedom as a result of that change. In both stories the women's husbands had direct control over their lives. In 'The Yellow Wallpaper'; the narrator's husband controlled her both mentally and physically. He does not allow her to have any sort of mental or physical stimulation. She is virtually imprisoned in her bedroom, supposedly to allow her to rest and recover her health. She is forbidden to work and not even supposed to write. She does not even have a say in the location or dà ©cor of the room she is forced to spend almost even moment in. Furthermore, visitors are absolutely not allowed. She says, 'It is so discouraging not to have any advice and companionship about my work-but he says he would as soon put fireworks in my pillow-case as to let me have those stimulating people about now';(Gilman 635). Mrs. Mallard in 'The Story of an Hour'; had to deal with the same sort of affliction. Her husband had control over her 'body and soul';. She felt that he lived her life for her and did 'not believe that anyone had th e right to impose a private will on a fellow creature'; (Chopin 13). This control caused both women to long for freedom from their husbands' oppressive behavior. In 'The Yellow Wallpaper'; it seems that the narrator wishes to drive her husband away. She explains, 'John is away all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious. I am glad my case is not serious'; (Gilman 634)! This quote shows that she is glad to see her husband away so that she may be left alone to do as she pleases without interference from her husband. She is frequently rebelling against her husband's orders. She writes in her journal and tries to move her bed when there is no one around to see her. However, she always keeps an eye out for someone coming. The intense desire for freedom is even more obvious in 'The Story of an Hour.'; Mrs. Mallard's craving for freed... ...her husband's death, 'she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment'; (Chopin 12). But, her grief was short lived. She soon was overcome with the joy that her husband would no longer control her. 'Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of day that would be her own'; (Chopin 13). However, when she realized that her husband was not really dead, she was overcome by grief again. The resulting grief because her husband was not dead was so intense that it killed her. 'The Yellow Wallpaper'; and 'The Story of an Hour'; have many similarities between the two. Both stories had controlling husbands that directly led to the their wives yearning for freedom. The stories were also both written from a feminist point of view. But, the women had different types of life changes and different responses to the change in their life. Works Cited: Choplin, Kate. 'The Story of an Hour.'; Literature for Composition. Ed. Sylvan Barnet et al. 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2000, 12-13. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'; Literature for Composition. Ed. Sylvan Barnet et al. 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2000, 12-13.

osteoporosis :: essays research papers

Osteoporosis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to fragile bones and an increased chance of fracturing the hip, spine and wrist bones.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Osteoporosis affects not only woman but men also. One out of every two women and one in four men over fifty will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. Forty-four million Americans suffer from osteoporosis; sixty-eight percent of that number are women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A couple risk factors that you cannot change concerning osteoporosis are gender, age, body size, ethnicity, and family history. Your chances of developing osteoporosis are greater if you are a woman. Women have less bone tissue and lose bone more rapidly than men because of the changes involved in menopause. Age, the older you are, the greater the risk of osteoporosis. Your bones become less dense and weaker as you age. Body size, small, thin-boned women are at greater risk. Ethnicity, Caucasian and Asian women are at highest risk. African American and Latino women have a lower but significant risk. Family history, susceptibility to fracture may be in part, hereditary. People whose parents have a history of fractures also seem to have reduced bone mass and may be at risk for fractures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some different risk factors that you can change to help decrease the possibilities of osteoporosis are sex hormones, anorexia, a lifetime diet low in calcium and vitamin D, use of certain medications, inactive lifestyle or extended bed rest, cigarette smoking, excessive use of alcohol are all risks you can prevent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vitamin D and calcium are two main vitamins needed to keep your bones strong. Without each other, ones bones weaken. Vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium. Without enough Vitamin D, we can not form enough of the hormonal calcitriol, which helps the calcium be absorbed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You can get Vitamin D from either your daily diet or fifteen minutes in the sun. The actual needed amounts necessary for your body every day differ from person to person depending usually on age or pregnancy.

cells Essay -- essays research papers

The life Process of a cell In my report you will learn about the life process of a cell based on the two main functions, metabolism and mitosis. You will learn about the four stages of metabolism: ingestion, digestion, respiration, and excretion, and how the cell completes them. You also will acquire information about the four stages of mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telephase, and how the cell completes them. Mitosis is the process in which cells reproduce. These two processes are interdependent on each other. The steps of metabolism are the same for any species. First the cell must ingest glucose through active transport. The glucose is ingested through the cell membrane. There are only 2 ATP’s yielded in each glucose. An ATP is an energy enriched molecule. That is not enough energy to completely digest it. It is just enough energy to get it to the mitochondria. The enzymes in the mitochondria respire. Also now it has 34 ATP’s. Then the lysosomes fully digest it. Then the all the waste is excreted by the golgi bodies and vacuoles. The cell has fully metabolized. Now the process starts over. Mitosis is the process in which a cell divides into two new cells. The four steps of mitosis are prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telephase. The step where the cell prepares for mitosis is called interphase. During interphase all of the chromosomes duplicate, and then are joined at the centrimere. Now mitosis begins, first in prophase all of the chromosomes then g...

The Indigo Spell Chapter Two

MS. TERWILLIGER REFUSED to say much more after that. She drove us back to Amberwood and hardly seemed to know I was there. She just kept muttering things to herself like, â€Å"Not enough time† and â€Å"Need more proof.† When she finally dropped me off, I tried pressing her for more information. â€Å"What was all that about protecting myself?† I asked. â€Å"Protection from what?† We were parked in the fire lane again, and she still wore that distracted look. â€Å"I'll explain later, in our session tomorrow.† â€Å"I can't,† I reminded her. â€Å"I'm leaving right after my regular classes. Remember? I have a flight to catch. I told you about it last week. And yesterday. And earlier today.† That brought her back to attention. â€Å"Did you? Well, then. I suppose we'll make do with what we must. I'll see what I can have for you in the morning.† I left her for my bed after that, not that I could get much sleep. And when I showed up to her history class the next morning, she was true to her word. Before the bell rang, she walked up to my desk and handed me an old book with a cracked red leather cover. The title was in Latin and translated to Elements of Battle, which sent a chill down my spine. Spells to create light and invisibility were one thing. There was a practicality to them that I could almost rationalize. But battle spells? Something told me I might have a little trouble with those. â€Å"Reading material for the plane,† she said. She spoke in her usual, addled scholar voice, but I could see a glint of that anxiety from last night in her eyes. â€Å"Focus only on the first section. I trust you'll do your usual thorough job – and then some.† None of the other arriving students paid any attention to us. My last class of the day was an independent study session on late-antique history, which she served as my mentor for. More often than not, she used the session as a passive-aggressive way to teach me magic. So, her giving me books like this was nothing out of the ordinary. â€Å"And,† she added, â€Å"if you could find out where that neighborhood is, it would be extremely useful.† I was speechless for a few moments. Locate one neighborhood in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area? â€Å"That's . . . a very large area to cover,† I said at last, choosing my words carefully with witnesses around. She nodded and pushed her glasses up her nose. â€Å"I know. Most people probably couldn't do it.† And on that semi-complimentary note, she returned to her desk at the front of the classroom. â€Å"What neighborhood?† asked a new voice. Eddie Castile had just arrived and slid into a neighboring desk. Eddie was a dhampir – possessing a mix of human and vampire DNA that had been passed down from days when the two races mixed. For all intents and purposes, though, he was indistinguishable from an ordinary human. With his sandy-colored hair and brown eyes, he also bore enough resemblance to me to support our cover story that we were twins. In reality, Eddie was here at Amberwood as a bodyguard for Jill. Dissidents among her own kind, the Moroi, were hunting her, and even though we'd seen no sign of them since coming to Palm Springs, Eddie was always vigilant and ready to pounce. I slipped the red leather book into my messenger bag. â€Å"Don't ask. Another of her wacky assignments.† None of my friends – save Adrian – knew about my involvement with Ms. Terwilliger's magic use. Well, and Jill by default. All Moroi possessed some sort of elemental magic. Adrian's was a rare and powerful one called spirit, which could work miracles of healing. He'd used that magic to bring Jill back from the dead when assassins had killed her. Doing so had made Jill â€Å"shadow-kissed† – that is, it created a psychic bond between them, one that allowed Jill to feel his emotions and sometimes see through his eyes. As a result, Jill knew more about what went on between Adrian and me than I liked. I took my car keys out of my bag and reluctantly handed them over to Eddie. He was the only one I trusted to drive my car, and I always let him borrow it when I left town, in case he needed to run errands for our group. â€Å"Here you go. I better get it back in one piece. Do not let Angeline near the driver's seat.† He grinned. â€Å"Do I look suicidal? I probably won't even use it. Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to the airport later?† â€Å"You'd miss class,† I said. The only reason I was able to cut school early was because of the unusual nature of my independent study. â€Å"I wouldn't mind, believe me. I've got a science test.† He grimaced and lowered his voice. â€Å"I hated physics the first time, you know.† I couldn't help a smile. Both Eddie and I were eighteen and had graduated high school, me through homeschooling and him through an elite Moroi and dhampir academy. We couldn't pose as students without going through the motions of class, however. While I didn't mind the extra work, Eddie wasn't as taken with a love of learning as I was. â€Å"No thanks,† I told him. â€Å"A cab will be fine.† The bell rang, and Eddie straightened up in his desk. As Ms. Terwilliger called the class to order, he whispered to me, â€Å"Jill's really bummed she can't go.† â€Å"I know,† I murmured back. â€Å"But we all know why she can't.† â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed. â€Å"What I don't know is why she's mad at you.† I turned toward the front of the classroom and pointedly ignored him. Jill was the only one who knew about Adrian's declaration of love, thanks to that bond. It was another one of those things I wished hadn't been shared, but Adrian couldn't help it. Although Jill knew vampire-human romances were wrong, she couldn't forgive me for hurting Adrian so badly. To make things worse, she was probably personally experiencing some of his pain. Even if our other friends didn't know what had occurred, it was obvious that something wasn't right with Jill and me. Eddie had picked up on it right away and immediately interrogated me. I'd given him a vague excuse about Jill not liking some rules I'd instated for her here at school. Eddie hadn't bought that, but Jill had been just as close-mouthed on the matter, leaving him clueless and frustrated. The school day zipped by, and before long, I was in a taxi and on my way to the airport. I'd packed light and only had one small suitcase and my messenger bag, both of which could be carried on. For what seemed like the hundredth time, I took out a small silver and white gift bag and examined its contents. Inside was an expensive crystal sun catcher, the kind meant to be hung on a porch or in a window. It depicted two doves in flight, facing each other. Wrapping it back in its tissue paper, I returned it to its gift bag and then my own bag. I hoped it would be an acceptable gift for the upcoming event. I was going to a vampire wedding. I'd never been to one before. Probably no Alchemist had. Although we worked with the Moroi to protect their existence, the Alchemists made it clear they wanted no involvement that went beyond business contact. After recent events, however, both groups had decided it would be good to improve our professional relations. Since this wedding was a big deal, a few other Alchemists and I had been invited. I knew the couple, and in theory, I was excited to see them married. It was the rest of the event that made me nervous: a huge social gathering of Moroi and dhampirs. Even with other Alchemists there, we'd be hopelessly outnumbered. Being in Palm Springs with Eddie, Jill, and the others had gone a long way in improving my feelings toward their kind. I got along with that little group well and now considered them friends. But even as liberal as I was in such matters, I still possessed a lot of the anxiety other Alchemists had inside the vampiric world. Maybe Moroi and dhampirs weren't creatures of evil, like I'd once believed, but they certainly weren't human. I kind of wished my Palm Springs friends were coming with me, but that had been out of the question. The whole point of Jill and the rest of us being in Palm Springs was to hide her away and keep her safe from those trying to kill her. Both Moroi and Strigoi tended to avoid sunny, desert regions. If she suddenly showed up at a major Moroi function, it would defeat the whole purpose. Eddie and Angeline, another dhampir protecting her at Amberwood, had to stay behind as well. Only Adrian and I had been invited to the wedding, and we were thankfully on separate flights. If anyone had noticed that he and I were traveling together, it could attract attention back in Palm Springs, which could then expose Jill. Adrian's flight wasn't even leaving from Palm Springs. He was flying out by way of Los Angeles, two hours west, just to make sure we weren't linked together. I had to connect through a different flight in Los Angeles, which reminded me of Ms. Terwilliger's task. Find one neighborhood in all of Los Angeles's greater metropolitan area. Sure, no problem. The only thing I had going for me was that the Victorian houses were so distinct. If I could find some historical society, there was a good chance they could direct me toward areas matching that description. It would narrow my search considerably. I reached my gate at LAX an hour before the scheduled flight. I'd just gotten cozy with Ms. Terwilliger's book when an overhead announcement declared, â€Å"Paging passenger Melrose. Please come see a customer service agent.† I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Gathering up my things, I approached the desk and was greeted by a cheery airline representative. â€Å"I'm sad to tell you this flight has been overbooked,† she said. From her peppy voice and big smile, she didn't seem sad at all. â€Å"What's that mean for me, exactly?† I asked, my dread growing. â€Å"I have a confirmed seat.† I dealt with bureaucracy and red tape all the time, but overbooking flights was something I'd never understood. How did that even happen? It wasn't like the number of seats was a surprise to them. â€Å"It means that you're no longer on the flight,† she explained. â€Å"You and a couple other volunteers gave up your seats to accommodate that family. Otherwise, they would've had to be split up.† â€Å"Volunteers?† I repeated, following her gesture. Off to the side of the seating area, a family with seven children smiled back at me. The children were tiny and adorable, with big eyes and the kind of cuteness you saw in musicals about orphans finding new homes. Outraged, I turned back toward the agent. â€Å"How can you do that? I checked in way ahead of time! I have a wedding to get to. I can't miss it.† The woman produced a boarding pass. â€Å"We've more than made up for it. We've booked you on another flight, to Philadelphia – one that's leaving sooner. And you've even been upgraded to first class for your inconvenience.† â€Å"That's something,† I said. I was still annoyed at this, simply out of principle. I liked order and procedure. Altering those threw off my world. I looked down at the boarding pass and then did a double take. â€Å"It's leaving now!† She nodded. â€Å"Like I said, sooner. I'd hurry up if I were you.† Then, on cue, I heard a last-call announcement for my new flight, saying all passengers need to be on board now, as they were about to shut the cabin doors. I wasn't the swearing type, but I almost was then – especially when I saw that my new gate was on the opposite side of the terminal. Without another word, I grabbed my things and sprinted toward the gate as quickly as I could, making a mental note to write a letter of complaint to the airline. Through some miracle, I made it just before my new flight was closed to passengers, though the agent working that gate sternly told me that next time, I should plan ahead and allow more time. I ignored her and headed into the airplane, where I was greeted by a much nicer flight attendant – especially when she saw my first class ticket. â€Å"You're right here, Miss Melrose,† she said, pointing to the third row of the cabin. â€Å"We're so glad you could join us.† She helped me put my suitcase in the overhead bin, which proved to be pretty difficult since other, earlier passengers had taken up most of the space. It required some creative knowledge of spatial relations, and when we finally managed it, I practically passed out into my seat, exhausted from this unexpected flurry of excitement. So much for a relaxing trip. I had just enough time to fasten my seat belt before the plane began backing up. Feeling a little steadier, I plucked the safety card from its pocket so that I could follow along with the attendant's presentation. No matter how many times I flew, I always thought it was important to be up to speed on procedures. I was watching the attendant fasten an oxygen mask when a familiar and intoxicating scent washed over me. In all of the chaos of making this flight, I hadn't even bothered to pay attention to my seatmate. Adrian. I stared in disbelief. He was watching me with amusement and had no doubt been waiting to see how long it would take me to notice him. I didn't even bother asking what he was doing here. I'd known he was flying out of LAX, and through some wacky twist of happenstance, I'd been bumped to his flight. â€Å"This is impossible,† I exclaimed. The scientist in me was too amazed to fully realize the uncomfortable nature of the situation I now found myself in. â€Å"It's one thing for me to get moved to a new flight. But to end up next to you? Do you know what the odds of that are? It's incredible.† â€Å"Some might call it fate,† he said. â€Å"Or maybe there just aren't that many flights to Philadelphia.† He raised a glass of clear liquid to me in a toast. Since I'd never seen Adrian drink water, I had to assume it was vodka. â€Å"Nice to see you, by the way.† â€Å"Um, you too.† The engines roared to life around us, momentarily sparing me from conversation. Reality began sinking in. I was trapped on a five-hour flight with Adrian Ivashkov. Five hours. Five hours sitting only a few inches from him, smelling his overpriced cologne and looking into those knowing eyes. What was I going to do? Nothing, of course. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to escape since even first-class passengers weren't allowed parachutes. My heart began to race as I frantically groped for something to say. He was watching me in silence, still with that small smirk, waiting for me to lead the conversation. â€Å"So,† I said at last, staring at my hands. â€Å"How's, uh, your car?† â€Å"I left it out on the street. Figured it'll be fine there while I'm gone.† I jerked my head up, jaw dropping. â€Å"You did what? They'll tow it if it's left there overnight!† Adrian was laughing before I even finished. â€Å"So that's what it takes to get a passionate reaction, huh?† He shook his head. â€Å"Don't worry, Sage. I was just kidding. It's tucked away safely in my building's parking lot.† I felt my cheeks burn. I hated that I'd fallen into his joke and was even a little embarrassed that I'd just flipped out over a car. Admittedly, it wasn't just any car. It was a beautiful, classic Mustang that Adrian had recently purchased. In fact, he'd bought it to impress me, pretending he couldn't drive manual transmission in order to spend more time with me while I taught him. I thought the car was amazing, but it still astonished me that he would have gone to that much trouble for us to be together. We reached our cruising altitude, and the flight attendant returned to get Adrian another drink. â€Å"Anything for you, miss?† she asked. â€Å"Diet Coke,† I said automatically. Adrian tsked once she was gone. â€Å"You could've gotten that for free back in coach.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Do I have to spend the next five hours being harassed? If so, I'll go back in coach and let some lucky person ‘upgrade' to my seat.† Adrian held up his hands in a placating gesture. â€Å"No, no. Carry on. I'll entertain myself.† Entertaining himself turned out to be doing a crossword puzzle in one of the in-flight magazines. I took out Ms. Terwilliger's book and tried to read, but it was hard to focus with him beside me. I kept sneaking glances out of the corner of my eye, partly to see if he was looking at me and partly just to study his features. He was the same Adrian as ever, annoyingly good looking with his tousled brown hair and sculpted face. I vowed I wouldn't speak to him, but when I noticed he hadn't written anything in a while and was tapping his pen loudly on the tray, I couldn't help myself. â€Å"What is it?† I asked. â€Å"Seven-letter word for ‘cotton gin pioneer.'† â€Å"Whitney,† I replied. He leaned over and wrote in the letters. â€Å"‘Dominates the Mohs' scale.' Also seven letters.† â€Å"Diamond.† Five words later, I realized what was happening. â€Å"Hey,† I told him. â€Å"I am not doing this.† He looked up at me with angelic eyes. â€Å"Doing what?† â€Å"You know what. You're luring me in. You know I can't resist – â€Å" â€Å"Me?† he suggested. I pointed at the magazine. â€Å"Random trivia.† I angled my body away from him and made a big show of opening my book. â€Å"I have work to do.† I felt Adrian look over my shoulder, and I tried to ignore how aware of his proximity I was. â€Å"Looks like Jackie's still got you working hard in her class.† Adrian had met Ms. Terwilliger recently and had somehow charmed his way into a first-name basis. â€Å"This one's more like an extracurricular activity,† I explained. â€Å"Really? I thought you were pretty against doing any more with this stuff than you had to.† I shut the book in frustration. â€Å"I am! But then she said – † I bit off the words, reminding myself that I shouldn't engage with Adrian any more than I had to. It was just too easy to slip back into old, friendly behaviors with him. It felt right when, obviously, it was wrong. â€Å"Then what?† he prompted, voice gentle. I looked up at him and saw no smugness or mockery. I didn't even see any of the burning hurt that had plagued me these last few weeks. He actually looked concerned, which momentarily distracted me from Ms. Terwilliger's task. Seeing him this way contrasted drastically with what had followed in the wake of our kiss. I'd been so nervous at the thought of sitting with him on this flight, and yet, here he was, ready to support me. Why the change? I hesitated, unsure what to do. Since last night, I'd been turning her words and the vision over and over in my head, trying to figure out what they meant. Adrian was the only person who knew about my involvement with her and magic (aside from Jill), and until this moment, I hadn't realized how badly I was dying to discuss this with someone. So, I cracked and told him the whole story of my desert adventure. When I finished, I was surprised to see how dark his expression had become. â€Å"It's one thing for her to try to get you to learn spells here and there. But it's a totally different thing for her to drag you into something dangerous.† His ardent concern surprised me a little – but maybe it shouldn't have. â€Å"From the way she talked, though, it wasn't like it was her doing. She seemed pretty upset about . . . well, whatever all this means.† Adrian pointed at the book. â€Å"And that'll help somehow?† â€Å"I guess.† I ran my fingers over the cover and embossed Latin words. â€Å"It has protection and attack spells – things that are a bit more hard core than what I've ever done. I don't like it, and these aren't even the really advanced ones. She told me to skip those.† â€Å"You don't like magic, period,† he reminded me. â€Å"But if these can keep you safe, then maybe you shouldn't ignore them.† I hated admitting when he was right. It only encouraged him. â€Å"Yeah, but I just wish I knew what I was trying to stay safe from – no. No. We can't do this.† Without even realizing it, I'd slipped into the way things used to be, talking to Adrian in that easy, comfortable way we had. In fact, I'd even been confiding in him. He looked startled. â€Å"Do what? I stopped asking you for crossword help, didn't I?† I took a deep breath, bracing myself. I'd known this moment was coming, no matter how much I wanted to put it off. I just hadn't expected it to come while on a plane ride. â€Å"Adrian, we have to talk about what happened. Between you and me,† I declared. He took a moment to consider my words. â€Å"Well . . . last I knew, nothing was happening between you and me.† I dared a look at him. â€Å"Exactly. I'm sorry for what happened . . . what I said, but it was all true. We have to move past this and go on with our lives in a normal way. It's for the good of our group in Palm Springs.† â€Å"Funny, I have moved past it,† he said. â€Å"You're the one bringing it up.† I blushed again. â€Å"But it's because of you! You've spent the last few weeks all moody and sulking, hardly ever talking to me. And when you do, there's usually some nasty barb in it.† While recently having dinner at Clarence Donahue's, I'd seen one of the most terrifying spiders ever come crawling into the living room. Mustering all my courage, I'd caught the creepy little beast and set him free. Adrian's comment on my brave act had been, â€Å"Wow, I didn't know you actually faced down things that scared you. I thought your normal response was to run kicking and screaming from them and pretend they don't exist.† â€Å"You're right about the attitude,† he said now, nodding along with my words. Once again, he looked remarkably serious. â€Å"And I'm sorry.† â€Å"You . . . are?† I could only stare. â€Å"So . . . you're done with all of that . . . stuff? Done with, uh, feeling that way?† I couldn't bring myself to elaborate. Done with being in love with me. â€Å"Oh, no,† he said cheerfully. â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"But you just said – â€Å" â€Å"I'm done with the pouting,† he said. â€Å"Done with being moody – well, I mean, I'm always a little moody. That's what Adrian Ivashkov's all about. But I'm done with the excessive stuff. That didn't get me anywhere with Rose. It won't get me anywhere with you.† â€Å"Nothing will get you anywhere with me,† I exclaimed. â€Å"I don't know about that.† He put on an introspective look that was both unexpected and intriguing. â€Å"You're not as much of a lost cause as she was. I mean, with her, I had to overcome her deep, epic love with a Russian warlord. You and I just have to overcome hundreds of years' worth of deeply ingrained prejudice and taboo between our two races. Easy.† â€Å"Adrian!† I felt my temper beginning to flare. â€Å"This isn't a joke.† â€Å"I know. It's certainly not to me. And that's why I'm not going to give you a hard time.† He paused dramatically. â€Å"I'll just love you whether you want me to or not.† The attendant came by with hot towels, putting our conversation on hold and allowing his slightly disturbing words to hang in the air between us. I was dumbfounded and couldn't muster a response until after she came back to collect the cloths. â€Å"Whether I want you to or not? What on earth does that mean?† Adrian grimaced. â€Å"Sorry. That came off creepier than I intended. I just mean, I don't care if you say we can't be together. I don't care if you think I'm the most evil, unnatural creature walking the earth.† For the briefest of moments, his choice of words threw me back in time, to when he'd told me I was the most beautiful creature walking the earth. Those words haunted me now, just as they had then. We'd been sitting in a dark, candlelit room, and he'd looked at me in a way that no one ever had – Stop it, Sydney. Focus. â€Å"You can think whatever you want, do whatever you want,† Adrian continued, unaware of my traitorous thoughts. There was a remarkable calm about him. â€Å"I'm going to just go on loving you, even if it's hopeless.† I don't know why that shocked me as much as it did. I glanced around to make sure no one was listening. â€Å"I . . . what? No. You can't!† He tilted his head to the side as he regarded me carefully. â€Å"Why? It doesn't hurt you or anything. I told you I won't bother you if you don't want me to. And if you do, well, I'm all about that. So what's it matter if I just love you from afar?† I didn't entirely know. â€Å"Because . . . because you can't!† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"You . . . you need to move on,† I managed. Yes, that was a sound reason. â€Å"You need to find someone else. You know I don't – that I can't. Well, you know. You're wasting your time with me.† He remained firm. â€Å"It's my time to waste.† â€Å"But it's crazy! Why would you do that?† â€Å"Because I can't help doing it,† he said with a shrug. â€Å"And hey, if I keep loving you, maybe you'll eventually crack and love me too. Hell, I'm pretty sure you're already half in love with me.† â€Å"I am not! And everything you just said is ridiculous. That's terrible logic.† Adrian returned to his crossword puzzle. â€Å"Well, you can think what you want, so long as you remember – no matter how ordinary things seem between us – I'm still here, still in love with you, and care about you more than any other guy, evil or otherwise, ever will.† â€Å"I don't think you're evil.† â€Å"See? Things are already looking promising.† He tapped the magazine with his pen again. â€Å"‘Romantic Victorian poetess.' Eight letters.† I didn't answer. I had been rendered speechless. Adrian never mentioned that dangerous topic again for the rest of the flight. Most of the time, he kept to himself, and when he did speak, it was about perfectly safe topics, like our dinner and the upcoming wedding. Anyone sitting with us would never have known there was anything weird between us. But I knew. That knowledge ate me up. It was all-consuming. And as the flight progressed, and eventually landed, I could no longer look at Adrian the same way. Each time we made eye contact, I just kept thinking of his words: I'm still here, still in love with you, and care about you more than any other guy ever will. Part of me felt offended. How dare he? How dare he love me whether I wanted him to or not? I had told him not to! He had no right to. And the rest of me? The rest of me was scared. If I keep loving you, maybe you'll eventually crack and love me too. It was ludicrous. You couldn't make someone love you just by loving them. It didn't matter how charming he was, how good looking, or how funny. An Alchemist and a Moroi could never be together. It was impossible. I'm pretty sure you're already half in love with me. Very impossible.

A Career as a Finance Officer

Every company desires good business. Their primary goals are to earn money, spend in intelligent ways that will increase the company value, and have enough money left to stay clear of debt. It is critical that a company have good financial management in order to attain these goals. Without the proper direction and implementation of solid financial strategies, few companies will survive.Upon completion of my degree, I am planning to work in the field of financial management as a finance officer.A finance officer directs the company budget toward their financial goals, oversees investments, and the financial objectives of an organization. They may also deal with acquisitions and mergers. I am very interested in finding a position as a finance manager, where I am able to use my education, skills and enthusiasm for finance to promote a company’s interests.It is necessary for a finance officer to be well educated, with at least a bachelor’s degree. The entry market is highly competitive and any additional experience or education obtainable is an advantage. Many companies prefer to hire financial managers with an advanced degree or some experience.As I begin my job search, I will research each company of interest to determine their criteria for hire. I understand that some companies require entry exams or a certificate program through their company for prospective employees.Also, it may be necessary to take a position with less responsibility or compensation in order to obtain the experience necessary to advance. My education in computers is will be an advantage since all financial and inter-office interaction is typically computer based.My excellent communication and people skills will assist me in a position as a finance officer. Since most managers will be directly overseeing other employees, being able to direct projects, assign responsibilities and lead others towards desired goals is critical. It is also important to be able to work in a team envi ronment and to be able to explain complex financial information in a clear way. I believe that these are some of my strong points.A successful finance officer is one who is willing to constantly learn and grow in their field. They must change in response to technological developments and data analysis techniques. They must stay on top of the current trends and information in the financial field and they need to be aware of current tax laws governing their industry.Various seminars and workshops are available for continuing education, which may or may not be required, but are always a good idea. The Internet provides much of the current information in the finance world, but trade journals deliver cutting edge information.The Financial Management Association International, based at the College of Business Administration at the University of South Florida in Tampa (http://www.fma.org/) publishes a quarterly and a bi-annual journal (http://www.fma.org/jaf.htm), and the Association for F inancial Professionals in Bethesda, Maryland (http://www.afponline.org/), offers a monthly publication.Both of these regularly have articles about current research, software development, and information of interest to those in finance fields. They post meeting minutes and notifications of available workshops as well.

How People Give Up Rights When Using an Airline

Many people modern day use airlines as a form of transportation. To be able to use this service passengers must have their bags and personal belongings checked by the airline. Airlines do this for the safety of their passengers and to ensure that no catastrophe happens during flight. But when this is done are passengers giving up their rights? Is it right for someone to go through your personal belongings? Or is this procedure only for security reasons? What rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? When Someone travels with an airline they must have their baggage checked before boarding the plane. Some people feel that this invades their privacy and that it is not necessary. Why should the airport check my personal belongings? Why cant they just pull up your criminal record or just check your pockets instead of checking everything? Some alternative plans is to take your bags and keep them in a secured part of the plane so there is no risk. And some airlines may even make you pay additional fees for these baggage checks meanwhile they are for your safety. Some airlines like Allegiant charge you $35 for your first bag. (â€Å"Airline baggage fees† 2) And how many people only bring one bag to the airport? Your second bag is $35 , and then any additional bags are â€Å"Subject to additional fees†. And all of this is paid for on top of your flight. Now shouldn’t it be an option to pay for safety? Does the airline even care about your safety or are they just trying to make more money? Collectively, airlines made approximately $3. 4 billion in baggage fees last year (â€Å"Airlines bagging big money† 1). Some people believe that airline just do this to make more revenue. Even though air ports are forced to check your baggage by the FAA (â€Å"Air Carrier Operations Bulletin† No. 1-94-10) people believe that the airline should not charge you extra and that the whole concept of being charged for baggage is stupid. Instead of being charged separately for baggage airlines should just include the price for baggage in the airline ticket. (â€Å"Clayton† 1). Other people seem to think that baggage fees are just a hidden fee that airlines use to try to get more money (â€Å"Most Obnoxious Hidden Airline Fees† 5). These people agree with the theory that one flat rate baggage fee should be included in the airline ticket. And as the Lehigh Valley Newspaper, The Morning Call says, â€Å"The recent measure of baggage checking at airports for bombs is a blatant disregard of a person’s privacy. Why should we stand for this, when our founding fathers fought to prevent things like this from happening? †. The person who wrote this article seems to be disregarding the fact that if it were not for this law of checking baggage that every time someone were to board an airplane they would be in danger. Imagine if every time someone boarded an airplane that that person was in danger. Modern day children go on airplanes for vacations with their families. Even if our founding fathers did try to prevent this, if this procedure was not done thousands of people every day would be in danger every day in the united states. Now even if this procedure is for the people’s safety, should the people be charged so the airlines can follow the law? Other articles regarding this subject state that when someone travels through an airline they loose their second amendment right. When people use an airline service their rights are not taken away but restricted, and for the safety of themselves and others. The second amendment, protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms (weapons). Many people argue that when boarding a plane that weapons such as knives and guns are not allowed to be brought on a plane during flight. Those people are wrong. It is one hundred percent legal to bring a gun or knife on board of a plane, with some rules of coarse. As stated in the article, â€Å"Traveling with Special Items on Airlines† from TravelSence you can bring a gun on flight as long as, 1. The gun is in part of your checked baggage. 2. the firearm must be unloaded and in a secure hard side container. 3. The owner of the firearm must be at the screening or the item and provide the combination or key to open the secure container containing the firearm. 4. ant and all ammunition must be placed in fiber or packaging specifically designed to hold ammunition. And 5. The ammunition must be in the same container as the unloaded firearm. As long as when traveling with a firearm you follow all of these procedures you can legally bring a gun with you while traveling with an airline. Once again these rules might restrict your rights as an American citizen but they do NOT take away your rights as an American citizen. And there is also rules with sharp objects such as knives. The only rule that there is on these items is,1. It can not be in carry on luggage and it must be securely wrapped to prevent injury. So once again it is one hundred percent legal to bring a weapon with you while flying with an airline service. Also if someone fells that having their baggage checked is taking away their rights that is also not true. The FAA (a government-run organization) enforces these rules and regulations for the airline passengers safety and for no other reason except for the passenger’s safety. Also by having these rules enforced by the government they can not possibly eliminate your rights as an American citizen (although they might restrict them temporarily). And concerning the rule for having baggage checked, it is up to the airlines to charge you for your bags. Some airlines like Jetblue offer your first bag of luggage for free and every extra bag has additional fees. So depending on which airline service the customer uses the cost for baggage check differ so when people complain about baggage fees they should look in to different airlines and see if any airlines offer cheaper fees or no fees at all (â€Å"Airline baggage fees† 5). The theory that baggage fees (if there are any) should be included in the ticket for flight depends on personal preference and one of the reasons why airlines do not charge the baggage fees in the ticket price is to try to hide additional fees from their customers (â€Å"Most Obnoxious Hidden Airline Fees† 5). And even though that may not seem right it is not taking away any rights that a person might have under American citizenship So, even though when someone travels with an airline service it might seem that it takes away their rights given to them in the declaration of independence, it really does not. The most traveling with an airline service does to your rights is restrict them. And the one and only reason that this is done is for the passenger’s/customer’s safety. The question here is, what rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? And the answer to this question would be, airplane passengers do not give up the rights given to them by being an American citizen. But if someone considers their invasion of personal privacy a right than they could possibly be giving up their rights (even though airlines do not save keep any information about your personal information on file).

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 24 (HSPD 24): Biometrics for Identification and Screening to Enhance National Security

The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate is an arm of the Department of Homeland Security which has the responsibility and mandate to conduct research aimed at improving homeland security by applying the latest technologies. The applications of science and technology developed at S&T are marketed at its clients who include federal, state and territorial emergency officials and responders. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 24 (HSPD 24) Establishes a framework to ensure that Federal executive departments and agencies use mutually compatible methods and procedures in the collection, storage, use, analysis, and sharing of biometric and associated biographic and contextual information of individuals in a lawful and appropriate manner, while respecting their information privacy and other legal rights under United States law (Department of Homeland Security 2008) This research paper aims to discuss the specifics of this directive, its potential impact on homeland security and explains threat, vulnerability and criticality assessment in the context of HSPD 24. Specifics of HSPD 24 HSPD 24 lays a foundation for ensuring that Federal and state executives and agencies employ compatible methods and procedures while collecting, using, analyzing and sharing biometric and biographic information of people in lawful, ethical and appropriate approaches so as to respect individual and information privacy and any other rights legally recognized under U. S. law (DHS 2008). This directive defines biometrics as the measurable anatomical, physiological and behavioral characteristics attributable to an individual. Such may include fingerprints, facial and iris recognition. It also covers for interoperability, the situation where organs within the security apparatus can mutually exchange information, and use the information to undertake security operations. Impact of HSPD 24 on Homeland Security HSPD 24 is intended to increase the capacity of security agencies to identify â€Å"known and suspected terrorists† while providing a Federal framework for the application of existing biometric technologies as well as the upgrading of biometric information collection systems in line with emerging related technologies. Since the terrorist attack on the twin towers on September 11th 2001, there was a need to increase the capacity of identifying individuals who pose a threat to national security. The collection and storage of biometric information in a database accessible to all security agencies (DHS 2008) is therefore crucial for the protection of American citizens as it makes the tracking of criminal suspects and terrorists more efficient. International criminals can be identified before entry into the nation, and the system also forms a base foe more applicable crime-scene investigations since evidence can be linked to perpetuators of crime. Explanation of Threat, Vulnerability, and Criticality Assessment in the context of Homeland Security and HSPD 24 By definition in this context, a threat is a situation, condition, object, an individual which or who is a source of danger. A threat can also be defined as the declaration of a plan to harm. Threats to national security therefore include terrorism, violent crime, drug trafficking and robbery. Vulnerability in this case is the state or measure of the state to which a nation or its citizens are susceptible to crime. Its dimensions may include physical, social and economic vulnerability. Criticality assessment is an evaluation concerned with the identification of assets, infrastructure and other resources that sustain security agencies, their operatives and their activities and are considered to be of prime importance for the success of a mission. Criticality assessment addresses the impact that a temporary or permanent failure or loss of such resources will have on the functionality of a security unit and its ability to perform its duties. Time and cost of a recovery of security infrastructure in case of temporary or permanent loss of infrastructure or resources is also considered in this assessment. Biometrics for Identification and Screening to Enhance National Security: A Review In my opinion, HSPD 24 is a very essential component in the war against crime as it provides a working platform for almost all other crime prevention endeavors. Once accurate biometric information is collected and shared between security agencies, the movement of criminals can be easily tracked. The implementation of this directive also complements routine security measures like airport passenger and luggage screening. Once accurate biometric information is available in databases accessible to security agencies, evidence collected from crime scenes can be used to track crime suspects and implement justice. It therefore ranks higher than most other directives, especially specific ones like Homeland Security Presidential Directive 19: Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States since it creates the framework form which they can operate efficiently. Conclusion With international and domestic terrorism becoming an increasing threat to national security, there needs to be elaborate mechanisms of preventing it. Technology keeps on changing, and criminals have a knack for using the latest technologies to commit crimes and then cover their tracks. Security operatives therefore need to be ahead of them; and HSPD 24 is one of the ways they can. The creation of an elaborate database of biometric information will not only aid in identifying and tracking criminals, it will also dissuade potential criminals since they will realize it is hard for tem to escape authorities after committing crimes. References Department of Homeland Security, DHS (2008) Homeland Security Presidential Directive 24:Biometrics for Identification and Screening to Enhance National Security. Available: http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/laws/gc_1219257118875.shtm [August 7, 2010]

Nutrition in the Early School System Research Paper

Nutrition in the Early School System - Research Paper Example An understanding of these food classes enables learners to determine the role of each category in the body, for example, carbohydrates provide energy while proteins build body muscles. Fruits, on the other hand, help the body to fight and prevent diseases (Prelip, Kinsler, Thai, Erausquin, & Slusser, 2012). Students will also have identified the effects of over or under consumption of each food to their bodies. The children will have determined the amount of food that they can consume from each class to avoid the undesired effects of unplanned consumption. Children will spread the awareness to their parents and friends from other schools after the lesson. This will create national awareness, which will improve health in the society. The outcome of the second objective is that children will identify the diseases that arise from poor nutrition, for example, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes among others. Children contract obesity more than the other diseases; therefore, the lesson will focus on this ailment. Students will understand the negative psychological and physical effects of having an overweight body, and the foods that lead to the ailment. Students will be able to determine the measures to undertake to avoid suffering from the diseases. The learners will also identify the actions to take in case they contact the disease. Students will identify various ways of exercising their bodies by the end of the lesson. The knowledge of the techniques will enable students to recognize the significance of exercise, for example, reducing weight, strengthening muscles, decreasing depression, and preventing diseases (Avery, Johnson, Cousins, & Hamilton, 2013). Teaching Plan Subject: Healthy nutrition... This report approves that students should understand and explain various food classes, which include fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. An understanding of these food classes enables learners to determine the role of each category in the body, for example, carbohydrates provide energy while proteins build body muscles. Fruits, on the other hand, help the body to fight and prevent diseases. Community resources are the materials that can help students to understand the health, and they are available in the society. The resources include journals and health magazines that are available in community libraries. Students can read these materials and learn new ways of living healthy lives. Students may also attend health conferences conducted by humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross Society. The conferences usually involve presentations of diseases and techniques of preventing the ailments. Learners practice what they learn from the projects to avoid the ai lments. This essay makes a conclusion that the increase in obesity and overweight among children has given rise to the need for nutrition awareness in the society. Teaching is the best technique to create awareness because it takes place in schools where the major stakeholders are parents, teachers, children, and the government. The objectives of teaching healthy nutrition in a class include teaching food categories, malnutrition diseases, and the need for exercise. An instructor may use books, presentations, and games as techniques to help students understand the topic. Community resources such as health magazines and nutrition conferences, which are conducted by various institutions, also help in achieving the objectives.

Procurement management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Procurement management - Assignment Example The sellers that should not be part of procurement are the local IT Company and the small IT Company since they have limited local capacity without the required job experience. This category of procurement is also referred to as strategic procurement. Major complexity procurement includes essential goods that are needed so as to achieve  key needs and objectives of the project’s schedule, cost, quality and technical. The characteristics of  major complexity procurement are: This procurement will apply to buying machines to help in milking 10 cows, collecting eggs from 50 chickens, picking 10 varieties of vegetables, delivering the goods to the local wholesale market 2 miles away. This procurement will also apply to buying machines for plowing fields, planting seeds and harvesting hay. This category of procurement involves purchase of commercially available off-the-shelf items or routine services. Costs of routine procurement are usually low. This type of procurement will apply to incurring cost to hire people to attend to the animals, maintain his 4 work vehicles, maintain 4 general carpentry buildings and pick up general materials he needs around the farm like gasoline, office supplies, feed and building materials (Bower, 2003). This farmer could solicit responses from sellers or suppliers for his needs using internet solicitations. The farmer can create a database for all approved suppliers for his needs. The farmer can then create a proposal for request with well defined requirements that has been recommended by experts. The farmer can then send the Request for Proposal to sellers and review the suppliers response based on supply management, technical and executive management. This phase is the first phase, also referred to as planning phase. It encompasses activities that are related to definition of requirement along with planning of preliminary procurement and issuance of bid solicitation. The impact of proper procurement

Latin American Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Latin American Civilization - Essay Example The staple corn can be pounded into tortillas, taco shells or any desired shape. Beans, rice, and squash also serve as dietary staples. Avocado dip and other moles, or sauces, are popular for dipping tortilla chips. Tequila, in all its various grades, is an internationally popular drink and Cinco de Mayo festivals are becoming prominent fixtures in Mexican restaurants the world over. The Virgin of Guadalupe, whose main house of worship is the Basilica of Guadalupe, serves the Mexican people on multiple layers. Her repeated appearances in 1531 to Juan Diego led to the consecration of the holy mother and her eventual title of Patroness of the Americas conferred upon her by Pope John Paul II. She is a savior particularly to women, but serves all those in need. In 1810, rebels called upon her guardianship in their battle again Spanish colonists. She has long been considered an integral symbol of Mexican religious, national, and political identity. The fiery painter, Frida Khalo (1907-1954), lived a short but brilliant life. When a teenager, she survived a harrowing bus accident that left her with internal damage and chronic pain. However, Frida’s unique painting fused events from her life with indigenous earth mother imagery. The painting at right, titled The Love Embrace of the Universe,the Earth (Mexico), Me, Diego, Mr. Xolotl, depicts such a concept showing a green clay goddess enveloping Frida, wearing a long traditional red skirt with a white fringe, holding a babe-like Rivera. This magical world rests in the penumbras between light and dark in the transformative cycle of birth and death. Chile’s national flag expresses deep historical significance. The star in the blue sky acts as a shining beacon to guide her people in honorable progress. The white represents the snow-capped Andes while the red represents the blood of the martyrs in the

Means of Education Quality Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Means of Education Quality Improvement - Essay Example The overall quality of education can be enhanced by eliminating the grading and reporting system. Educators should not rely on grades while judging the student’s command over any subject. It is hard to judge the academic performance of a student through a single alphabetic letter. It has been observed that letter grades are not sufficient enough to evaluate the academic performance of a student, however, detailed reporting methods can fairly justify the student’s command and these methods can help a student for his self-evaluation in a more purposeful manner. According to Alfie Kohn, grading system can make a student lose his interest from his studies, therefore, these methods should not be considered as vital tools for motivation. He has further suggested that students do not take their studies seriously; they focus more on achieving good grades rather taking their studies as a mode of learning and self-development which can hinder the process of learning as well as it can also adversely affect the thought process in a student. In his essay, â€Å"From Degrading to De-Grading† Alfie Kohn has emphasized the need of grading-free education system because this would enable the students to take more challenging assignments, raise the competition and make them think out-of-the-box whereas in traditional grading system students focus more on acquiring an â€Å"A† grade by taking the easiest assignments and putting comparatively fewer efforts than by taking any challenging hard assignments.