Monday, September 30, 2019

Cooking: Julia Child and Knife Skills Class Essay

Since I stopped devouring books and using the computer much (because reading triggers migraines), I’ve been bored. I hate being bored. Every hands-on craft I try causes wrist pain that I haven’t been able to conquer. Baking is fantastic, but consuming all that I make isn’t a smart dietary strategy. So I’ve decided cooking will be my new hobby. Although deciding to do something I’ve never particularly liked for fun is a little weird, it makes a lot of sense. I’d love to have a hobby again. I like food, I need to eat, and eating better food would probably make me feel better. By approaching cooking as a hobby instead of a chore, I hope it will be fun, not the high-pressure job of reforming my diet. Ideally cooking will become something I want to do, not have to do. These are the guidelines I’ve established so I don’t exhaust myself. Is it contradictory to set goals for a hobby? Use Simple Recipes I’m currently taking Mark Bittman’s (aka The Minimalist) no-nonsense approach: Make better food in less time with fewer ingredients. I’m starting small with his very short cookbook, How to Cook Everything: Quick Cooking. It isn’t an overwhelming tome, but a short introduction to tasty basic recipes. A perfect housewarming gift for someone in their first apartment, the book includes variations for the more experienced or adventurous cook. I’m supplementing with The Minimalist Cooks at Home for variety. (It’s out-of-print, but is available used. ) I’ve owned it for four years and have liked the few things I’ve made from his books. Now my plan is to approach it methodically. Like Julie and Julia, where blogger Julie Powell set out to make every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking. The Minimalist’s goals are much less lofty, but the idea is the same. Buy Ingredients for One Meal at a Time. This is to avoid wasting food and feeling like I’ve failed. I broke this â€Å"rule† one day into my plan. Because this is a new hobby, not a resolution, I’ve no need to beat myself up. Good things hobbies don’t have rules. Besides, I still think I can do it. Learn New Techniques This is the part that turns work into entertainment. I’ve always been reluctant to cook meat on the stove. In fact, I’m reluctant to cook meat at all. Not only do I get to produce an edible product (however bad it may be), I expand my skills and learn new recipes. This will make my hobby more fun in the future. Tomorrow I’m taking the knife skills class I’ve wanted to take for years. It’s a morning class, so I’m confident I’ll make it this time. I’m already daydreaming about future classes. Do It I made my recipe plan yesterday morning, then Hart called to say he had a work dinner. I felt crappy, so it was fine, but my motivation is far weaker than 24 hours ago. I hope applying the techniques of the knife skills class will boost my overall motivation. Clearly there’s little difference between my new hobby and a New Year’s resolution. Since resolutions usually fail, I’m relying on the power reframing. It’s an essential skill of every optimist.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Leaders are made not born Essay

Good morning honorable judges, fellow debaters and audience My name is †¦.. and I am here with my team members †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. to address the issue â€Å"are leaders born or made and we are in favor of leaders are made. We will discuss eight points to support our argument. There’s a common misconception that some people are born as natural leaders and others simply don’t have it. Although it’s true that people are born with different talents, different abilities and different potential, it’s also true that we as human beings are incredibly versatile. There are skills and lessons that we all can learn to continue growing and developing both as leaders and as people That’s because leadership is an apprentice trade. Leaders learn about 80 percent of their craft on the job. They learn from watching other leaders. And choose role models. Leaders improve by getting feedback and using it. The best leaders seek feedback from their boss, their peers and their subordinates. Then they modify their behavior so that they get better results. They learn from trial and error and from experience so when something fails, a true leader learns from experience and puts it behind him. The only failure they recognize is the failure to learn from experience. If leaders are made then why we have business schools and universities, and why we study business degrees? Through different process of learning, we learn to take decision, control the situation sensibly, being responsible Rajiv Gandhi of India was made leader who was a pilot ; did not like politics. Even during 1989 elections, he said publicly that he was zero in politics.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Yushin Constitution and Its Impact to Korean Political Culture Essay

Yushin Constitution and Its Impact to Korean Political Culture - Essay Example amline the dipping Korean economy back on right track because he was afraid of the people’s agitation when implementing strict measures to stabilize the economy. He has modified even the constitution to remain in power as long as possible. This paper briefly explains Yushin constitution implemented by Park Chung Hee in order to make his ways clear in Korean politics. Park has adopted dictatorship for implementing strict economic reforms and to silence the critiques. Though his first two terms as president was comparatively better, during his third term he really attained the form of a true dictator by implementing strict regulations on public life. He declared emergency in South Korea in December 1971, immediately after being chosen as president for the third term. Later he has suspended the constitution and the parliament in order to make his path smooth for implementing authoritarian administration. â€Å"A new constitution, (Yushin constitution) which would permit the reelection of the president for an unlimited number of six-year terms, was promulgated in December, launching the Fourth Republic†. (South Korea) â€Å"The word Yusin (Yushin) means restoration though what was restored is still debatable†. (Fourth Republic of South Korea) The main purpose of implementing Yushin constitution was to stick in power as long as possible. The earlier constitution was not suitable for him to implement his reforms and dictatorship and hence he suspended it using the limitless power of president. Park was well aware of the fact that because of his authoritarian approach people doesn’t like him and any political election may result in his failure. Moreover he realized that his defeat in elections would definitely lead to his prosecution by the new government because of the massacres he has committed. So the only option left for him to remain power was to revise the constitution. In effect the Yushin constitution has given legal authorities to Park’s presidency and

Friday, September 27, 2019

Master thesis review Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Master thesis review - Article Example Looking at this understanding, the topic was perfect. Two major studies conducted in year 1992 and 2001 shows that the western-European parties, including Norwegian parties, lost members and continue doing so. This proves the phenomenal growth of the Norwegian Progress Party, Fremskrittspartiet, is an exception and hence worth studying. The thesis is strongly supported by proper utilization of extensive literature review, data and qualitative method. The thesis, ‘Explaining membership growth in the Norwegian Progress Party from 1973 to 2008,’ is a case study (Mjelde 2008, p.1). Case study can be defined as â€Å"a detailed examination of an aspect of a historical episode to develop or test historical explanations that may be generalized to other events†(George & Baskette 2005, p.4). The selection of case study as a methodology proved to be advantageous in many ways. The intention of the author was to study the membership growth of the Progress Party in its breadth and depth (Mjelde 2008, p.6). Hence, the choice of case study as a method for this topic was appropriate. The two important strengths of the case study method are: 1. Conceptual Validity, 2. Deriving new hypothesis (George & Baskette 2005, pp.19-22). The choice of case study method helped the author due to its strengths in following ways: Case study allows the researcher to study the validity of the concept at high level(George & Baskette 2005, p. 19). The study of the membership growth in the Norwegian Progress Party was a difficult study as it demanded the researcher to study the growth in presence of different contexts. To study the theoretical concept in depth, it is important to identify and measure the factors that

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Reading Responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reading Responses - Essay Example Authors have successfully articulated the difference between the two and how gender has been manipulated to suit the interests of the powerful. ‘Doing Difference’ by West and Fenstermaker is interesting in its concept and proposes that socially constructed differences in gender produce social inequity across society. It shows that race, class and gender are intrinsically linked and together are responsible for social inequity across gender. I do agree that in the absence of race and class, the need for gender differences would have remained non-competitive. The race promotes culturally diverse roles of genders and the class differences prompt gender inequity in order to dominate the other, resulting in subjugation of women across all strata of society. Pascoe’s article ‘‘Dude, You’re a Fag’: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse’ is highly relevant within the sociological conceptualization of gender inequity that focuses on the ‘fag’ identity of adolescent boys. The article raises the issue of emergence of sexuality across gender, especially the relationship between homophobia and masculinity that tends to lower the impact of masculinity of boys. The penetrated boys or the ‘faggots’ tend to lose their masculinity and become gay. Thus, the homophobia of losing heterosexual prowess that is strongly embedded within adolescent boys becomes an important epithet for harassment which may cause long term psychological problems for the boys in their adulthood. (words:

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Critical theories of bodies, sexualities and identities Research Paper

Critical theories of bodies, sexualities and identities - Research Paper Example The new identity created a new binary heterosexual-homosexual relation and as result communities over the world polarized. The new homosexual identity thus developed has become an international standard now. Today becoming gay is to adapt a particular set of life style, standard, and behavior. The Western gay identity has become almost a de facto identity of this post modern world (Fortier). Judith Butler on the regulatory system of sex/gender: â€Å"The construction of coherence conceals the gender discontinuities that run rampant within heterosexual, bisexual and gay and lesbian contexts in which gender does not necessarily follow from sex, and desire, or sexuality generally, does not seem to follow from gender – indeed, where none of these dimensions of significant corporeality express or reflect one another. When the disorganization and disaggregation of the field of bodies disrupt the regulatory fiction of heterosexual coherence, it seems that the expressive model loses its descriptive force† (Butler 131). The highlight here is that, Homosexuality is not a social menace, it is an identity as well an indispensible part of our society. Sexuality theory The recent decades have encountered proliferation of scholarship on sexuality which has given development of the sexuality theory. Apart from these researchers also stresses focus on the aspects that often permeate our culture and living, seeking answers the things which will come under the classification of sexuality and which do not come under the purview of sexuality. The sexuality theories also help to have a clear view on the ways in which it is understood as a concept, an identity, and as attraction and behavior (Sexuality theory).Sexuality as a concept was not introduced into language until the 19th century. The identification of the word was coined by Health especially in relation with sex as a reproductive function in both plants and animals. In 1889, it was first publicly used by a surg eon who used this term in reference to the surgical removal of a woman’s ovaries. Since then, the term has appeared both in the medical and the other settings and its meaning has become highly complex. Soon newly emerging sciences of psychology and sexology have designed to classify the human sexual behavior in order to describe and quantify it. The cataloguing of sexuality resulted in a shift away from sexual relations being seen only to the people’s behavior and to their identities and the object of desire started to define the individual’s sexuality. The study of sexuality adapted the sexual behavior with a system of heterosexual marriage as the standard any deviation from the heterosexual behavior or attraction outside was regarded and seen as deviant. This deviant conjecture was explored by the sexologists of the nineteenth century with the evolution of the concept of homosexuality which is an age old human sexual behavior. The concept of sexual orientation emerged as a concept describing the human beings emotional, romantic or the sexual attraction towards each other. Sexual orientation is different from the sexual behavior because it signifies that a person may or may not behave according to their sexual orientation. A common notion of the sexual orientation is that a person’s sexual orientation is either heterosexual or homosexual. However the sexual orientation is much more complex and unpredictable phenomena which several

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Write up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Write up - Essay Example fasalt and marble schiet which according to Erickson were formed through heat and pressure that made them to melt miles below the sea level (Erickson 59). The rain energy played a leading role in transporting these grains. The age of this fountain formation is 300 million years and its height is approximately 10000 feet high. At the Morrinson, there were the lyons and lykins formations that were formed about 251 million years ago. With respect to color the formations comprise of green, gray and maroon clay stone as well as mudstone. This formation was necessitated by movement and deposition of grains. There is also the presence of fossil deposits including dinosaur bones. This is exemplified by their wavy layers of muddy limestone that is indicative of stromatolites. The movement of the grains is attributed to rain energy that is also responsible for the weathering process. Their size according to Erickson is 400 feet thick (Erickson 59). With respect to the period of formation, it is a bit difficult to tell because this is largely depended on the kind of sediment carried in suspension as well as how well this is deposited. A walk through the Dakota formation offered useful insights regarding sandstone formation. In this, there was a continuity of various sandstone beds located at distinct spots along the road. Also, there were different sedimentary structures. These variations in the layers imply that the process of formation is continuous and not static. Notably, each layer was formed during a specific period with the bottommost layer having been formed earlier than the topmost layer. This shows that the process of deposition is continuous and being experienced even today. This is because the rain energy that necessitated previous depositions is still being experienced in the region. This structure also offers useful information about the deposition rate experienced in distinctive years. Notably, the layers differ considerably in size. This shows that the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Designing and implemlenting an evaluation of the quality of yur Lab Report

Designing and implemlenting an evaluation of the quality of yur clinical teaching - Lab Report Example It is also worth noting that teacher evaluation exercises should focus on teaching practices rather than on individual teachers. To focus on professionalism in the teaching industry and in individual teachers, evaluations should consider the responsiveness and the involvement of others in such exercises. The key processes or stages in a teaching evaluation exercise include planning, preparation, observation, data collection, reporting, and follow-up. Notwithstanding the approaches used in teacher evaluation, these exercises should form an integral of the larger strategy education and teacher improvement. The other important part of teacher evaluation is its being dialogical rather than hierarchical. Teacher evaluation is not a preserve of the education industry; instead, other industries such as nursing also require teacher evaluation exercises as nurses require continual training and refresher course. Evaluation of clinical teaching with regards to student learning and competency is quite instrumental in giving teachers, administrators and employers of training programs an overview of the quality of the teaching and learning practices of those involved. However, that clinical teacher should also be evaluated makes it necessary for those concerned to design and implement various teaching evaluation policies and approaches. The design and the implementation of clinical teaching evaluation tools is thus quite a crucial undertaking in nursing and other types of clinical education. This paper designs and implements a nursing teaching evaluation for the employer, detailing the approaches used in the evaluation and changes suitable for improving future nursing teaching. Nursing Teaching Evaluation and Improvement There are several reasons for which the undertaken nursing teaching evaluation was conducted. First, nursing teaching evaluation helps employers and administrators to gauge the effectiveness of teaching personnel, thus contributing to informed and wise decis ion making in clinical educational institutions. One method by which the nursing teaching evaluation was done is the use of student evaluators. It is often recommended that administrators and employers assess the evaluation tools used on their reliability, relevance and validity. In this nursing practice evaluation, the development process and psychometric testing for clinical and educational evaluation of teaching were applied. Since the students were required to fill without feeling their time was being wasted, the evaluation instruments had to be relatively short. The instruments were quite useful in meeting the reasons for which evaluation is such an important part of nursing and nursing education. The first aim of the evaluation was to determine whether the educational interventions used are effective in assisting learners to achieve the expected outcomes. Just in the same way as students are constantly assessed to determine their progress, so should nursing teachers. A five-ev aluator program, which is a rather accurate and valid evaluation approach critical in the education of competent professional nurses, was used in the nursing teaching evaluation. The evaluators included educators, students, peers, administrators and heads of programs and/or departments such as pediatric, health, administration, medical-surgical, psychiatric. However,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Statistics and Stress in Medicos Essay Example for Free

Statistics and Stress in Medicos Essay There is a lot of anxiety among medical practitioners, both senior and junior concerning certain topics like statistics and epidemiology. The anxiety in some situations becomes quite acute causing stress to themselves as well as their students. Good research draws on statistics to prove certain findings and to establish associations. However statistics is definitely not everything in research. Identifying a topic of research, writing up the objectives, planning the right design, coming up with a water tight methodology, estimating an adequate sample; all these are equally important. Even as judging of studies in conferences goes, most experts are carried away by some fancy statistical methods used rather than other criteria. Unfortunately our current medical society is captivated by statistics in a love hate relationship, with a significant overlay of fear of the subject. This fear is being passed on to the new generation. Let us face the facts. Statistics is a subject associated with mathematics. Most degree courses in universities combine statistics with math. Biostatistics is one field where we have borrowed some principles of statistics to assist in our medical research for the common good of the society. Just like there are surgically inclined and non surgical people in our medical fraternity, there are those who are statistically inclined and those who are not. Some of our medical people have taken to statistics well and kudos to them. We depend on them to unravel a few of the mysteries of this predominantly mathematical subject to us; just enough maybe to help us do our research well and come up with scientific inferences. We can continue to draw more and more complicated statistical precepts into our medical field. But at what cost? After a post graduate subject like General Medicine, many doctors feel the need to specialize in a particular sub specialty like nephrology, cardio, gastro etc. In the current age, due to rapid advancements in technology and newer knowledge, there is much to learn in each sub specialty and now we are seeing higher and finer specializations. One would not expect a general medicine specialist to have a nephrologists’ knowledge or diagnostic skills and also an endocrinologist’s knowledge. Similarly after an MD in Community Medicine we cannot expect one to have full knowledge in all the subspecialties for example epidemiology, nutrition, health economics, project evaluation etc. Trying to do that would cause a lot of stress and anxiety. However it is desirable to get a good working knowledge of each. This will also help one to decide what subspecialty they would like to take up in the future. There are user friendly statistical packages; Epi Info, SPSS etc. which can help us analyse our data quickly and efficiently. We do need to know some of the simple applications of these packages as it would make our research work very easy. The techniques are simple but need a practical work shop (hands on) approach. I am sure that we can identify resources within our group to help familiarize ourselves with these valuable skills. In conclusion I would like to say that we should stop being fearful of statistics. If I want to travel to a certain city by train, I need to know certain things like which train to catch and how much it would cost and how to get to the station in time. It would be redundant for me to know how to engineer the train to that city. There is an engine driver for that and he is well trained to do just that. The statisticians in our departments are also there to help us. If they are not good enough, it would be appropriate to help them get the required skills. However it is not fitting for us to give too much importance to one topic like statistics at the cost of other perhaps more important fields. We must also keep in mind the younger members in our field who may needlessly develop a phobia for epidemiology and statistics which will then handicap their future.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

If I Had A Choice By Walt Whitan Essay Example for Free

If I Had A Choice By Walt Whitan Essay Wave resemblance in Walt Whitmans If I Had the Choice Although not rhythmically or metrically consistent throughout, Walt Whitmans poem If I Had the Choice is very consistent in its attempt to resemble the characteristics, specifically the waves, of the sea; whether read, heard, or seen, the poems adaptation to a waves nature is clearly evident. Whitmans use of repeated, but not uniform, rhythm in the poem exposes the up and down nature of waves, while the sudden, drastic change in rhythm helps depict the crashing of a wave. The metrical variation in the poem similarly attributes to the resemblance of a wave, for it goes hand in hand with the length of each line, giving the poem the physical characteristics of a wave. While the there is no metrical consistency throughout the poem (probably done because no two waves are identically alike), there is a noticeable pattern and consistency in the rhythm of the poem. The consecutive use of iambs in the first five lines of the poem help to not only emphasize the steady motion of the sea, but more importantly to give the poem a sense of the up and down motion of the waves in the sea; the pattern of unstressed/stressed/unstressed/stressed syllables in every line is very similar to the up and down undulation of a wave. The shift from the iambic rhythm in lines one through five to a loud, sudden spondee in line six clearly depicts the image of a wave crashing. The spondaic rhythm (stress/stress) of the first two words in line six, These, these, is an unexpected, drastic change from the prior unstressed/stressed pattern. Similar to the crashing of a wave, this change was drastic, and quick; it does not last long, hence the reason for the poems quick return to an iambic rhythm. The poems last three lines are once again consistently iambic; they are back to the quiet, pacific motion of waves in the sea. Just as the height of a wave affects the power of a wave, the meter of this poem affects its rhythm. Although there is no specific pattern for the number of feet per line in this poem, the meter is still greatly significant. When broken up iambically, the number of feet increase steadily from line one to four, until we reach line five, the longest (10 feet) line. The length of line five is significantly important in portraying the nature of waves; it is representative of the amplitude of a wave before it is about  to crash. Line five is ten feet long because it is followed by line six, the line in which there was a sudden rhythmical change, which portrayed the crashing of the wave. Once it crashes, the waves return to their prior size, just as the following lines of the poem go back to having the same range of feet as they did before line five. The alternating number of feet per line also allow the poems structure to resemble a wave; no two waves are similar in frequency (height) or amplitude (width), just as no two sentences of this poem are identical in length. As the lines approach the middle of the poem, they get longer, and then begin decreasing in size after they reached the longest point, line five. Since line five, the middle of the poem, is the longest line, when held sideways, this line is representative of the middle of a wave, its highest point right before it crashes. By using rhythm and meter skillfully, this poem is successful in imitating the rhythm of the sea, and the meter of the waves in the sea. In doing this, Whitman makes a very distinctive point; rhythm and meter affect each other, just as the height of a wave affects its crash. This relationship is evident whether one reads, sees or hears this poem.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Education System of Pakistan Analysis

Education System of Pakistan Analysis All through human history, the source of success had been the control of natural resources land, gold and oil. Suddenly, the emphasis has shifted to knowledge and education in the modern contemporary world. The worlds wealthiest man, Bill Gates, owns nothing tangible no land, no gold or oil, no factories, no armies. For the first time in human history the worlds wealthiest man owns only knowledge, which has become the new basis for wealth. Progress and prosperity of a country, both spiritual and material, thus largely depend, more than ever before on the kind of education it provides to its people. Indeed, education is one of the most powerful instruments of change in achieving national goals by producing young minds imbued with the knowledge, attitude, skills and competencies to shape the future destiny of a nation. Contrary to the challenge of this emerging education revolution, out of Pakistans total population of 140 million, around 80 million are illiterate.  [1]  The national literacy rate is 45 percent with male literacy at 57 percent and female at 33, a gross enrolment at primary level of 87 percent (of whom 50 percent drop out before grade 5), 17.5 percent gross enrolment at secondary level and 4.5 percent at tertiary level?  [2]   Despite 53 years of our independence we have not been able to tailor the education system in conformity with our religious, ideological, socio- economic needs and the imperatives of the modern world. The failure could be attributed to any number of causes but the fact remains that quantitatively, our literacy rate is poorest even among developing countries of the world, qualitatively our certificates and degrees carry little weight in the international institutes and there still exists an imbalance in our requirements to tailor an ideal education system. We have stepped into the 21st century, which surely requires a definite reappraisal of our education system. We ought to learn from our very slow progress rate in the past and must take steps to meet the challenges of the future lest we are left behind. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF EDUCATION IN THE SUB-CONTINENT Teaching the offsprings has always been the natural instinct of all animals. It differed from society to society and man to man. The Sub-continent remained in darkness so far as community education was concerned till the establishment of Vedic schools but than it saw turbulence in this field which very few regions have seen. This part will briefly cover the different stages of the turbulence in the sub-continent. Before British Rule Vedic Schools of Brahmins. The earliest schools in the country now known as Pakistan were the Vedic schools for the training of Brahim priests. Sometimes before 500 B.C these schools began to enrol nonpriestly class pupils and to develop as true community schools in every village. They were generally composed of 12 to 20 students, and their sole teacher was the village priest who was regarded as a public official supported through rent-free land or a share in the harvest. The classes were normally held in the open under shady trees. Buddhist Monks. A parallel educational system was sponsored by the Buddhists to prepare their adherents for a life of meditation as a monk. The Buddhist schools, although located in monasteries, were open to all. Youth intending to pursue a monastic life were trained until the age of 20, while those who wanted a secular career left at the age of 12. Muslim Madrassahs. The Muslim invaders introduced the third educational system, and it flourished particularly in the northern areas of the subcontinent. Schools were generally attached to the Mosques, and the curriculum consisted of the Quran and little else. While the Muslim rulers supported only Islamic schools, Hindus and Buddhists retained their traditional education. Muslim male children (females were excluded from all forms of public education) began their study in maktab, where they received instructions from the imam (worship leader of a mosque) in the rudiments of the Arabic language. The older students continued their studies in the madrasahs, where they were taught Arabic and Persian, rhetoric, grammar, logic, geometry, algebra, astronomy, natural philosophy, medicine, theology and poetry. Children of the wealthy, especially the girls, were often tutored privately in their homes. The madrassahs declined in number and standards with the decline of the Mughal Empire and ris e of British power in the 18th and 19th centuries  [3]   During the British Rule The British System. The system of education followed in colonial India was introduced by the British primarily for turning out clerks and subordinates necessary for carrying on the administrative affairs of the country in English under the British masters in the colonial set-up. The system of education designed by Lord Macaulay in his own words was aimed at forming a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, opinions, morals and intellect.  [4]  By the end of the 19th century, Muslims were encouraged to opt for the British system of education, which opened the door to economic and social advancement. However the consensus of the opinion was that since the existing system was designed by the alien rulers to serve their own imperialistic ends it can hardly be expected to deliver the goods.  [5]   Muslim Institutes. In reaction to the British system, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan introduced a new English education system which, in character was Indian- Muslim. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded Anglo-Muhammadan College, now known as Aligarh Muslim University in 1875, and he always believed that Western education was compatible with Islam. Simultaneously, the orthodox Muslims introduced institutions like Deoband, Nadwat-ul-ulema Lucknow etc, thus giving rise to a sharp distinction between the traditionalists and the modernists, a distinction that continues to this day. At / After Partition The inherited System. The present system of education in Pakistan is the heritage of the Pre Partitioned British India. However, since independence many policies, plans and reports have been formulated for improving the literacy rate in the country. The important documents in this regard are listed as annex A. Education Policy 1998 to 2010. The policy incorporates a large number of new steps to resuscitate the education system. According to this policy 45,000 new primary schools and 20,000 mosque schools are to be set up before 2003. 75,000 more basic education institutions were to be established under Prime Minister Literacy Commission. 45,000 primary schools are to be upgraded to middle level and 30,000 to secondary level. The policy laid special emphasis on vocational and technical education. Private sector has also been encouraged to set up schools, colleges and universities. This is an ambitious policy aimed at achieving 70% literacy by year 2010. Its other main features are attached as annex B  [6]  : All the policies and plans as mentioned above envisaged various objectives at different levels however the spirit of the objectives, remained the same as it continues to stress: The ideological basis of education. National Unity. Development. Growth of the Society. Economic Progress. Equalisation of educational opportunity. Social equality. Quality of education. j. Education to be oriented to the world of work. Quality of education to be maintained at all levels with global standard. Propagation of scientific, technological and research aptitude. To promote functional literacy among out of school children. To bring about cultural harmony and social cohesion through education. To bring about the countrys spiritual and culture in harmony with the contemporary world. The overall sketch of the objectives of all-educational policies and plans clearly indicates the story of Education in Pakistan as the story of high promises, rhetorical emphasis on progress but sadly, little real achievement  [7]  . ANALYSIS OF OUR PRESENT EDUCATION SYSTEM Though the education system has attracted a considerable attention, it is difficult to ascertain any deterioration in its quality as well as quantity. There has been manifold increase in the number of educational institutions. The government is spending much more than it was in the past but the results are still not satisfactory. The parents blame the teachers, teachers the students and students, in turn, shift the entire responsibility to the system and society. To ascertain the erosion of education standards, it is important to analyse the education system as follows: Basic Ingredients. Major Weaknesses. Effects of Existing Education System. Basic Ingredients The educational pyramid consists of three distinct stages Elementary, Secondary/Higher Secondary and Higher Education.  [8]   a. Elementary Education. Designed from 5 to 12 years of age to impart universal literacy and explore hidden talent among the students from class I to 8. Elementary education employs regional languages as medium of instruction. Rural areas confront low enrolment, weak turnout, weak infrastructure and inadequate facilities, whereas urban institutions are overcrowded and located in unhealthy environment. This crucial stage of a childs learning is overloaded with stereotypical academic curriculum basically aiming at providing primary inputs for higher education. The syllabus provides no opportunity for arts, crafts and pre-vocational exposures. Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Secondary and Higher Secondary stage is an integral part of the growth package for an individual towards his intellectual, research and professional excellence, coincides with adolescence stage (a delicate and sensitive phase of human development) which requires calculated guidance with logical reasoning. The existing curriculum at this stage is again information oriented, predominantly bookish and theoretical in nature, which does not develop a child as to the demands of either the society or work place. The students thus lack exposure to practical and creative work. Soon after their secondary schooling, many of them begin to search for a clerical type of job. At present, 60-80% of students in secondary classes are enrolled in arts subjects, which leads through an aimless general education that has very little acceptance in our agro-based controlled economy. Thus, a pattern of supply rather than demand-orientation in terms of instructions at secondary and higher secondary levels is further accentuating the dropouts either before or during this critical learning period. Higher Education. This commences at the age where the element of coercion fades away and students are motivated enough to pursue serious studies and possess abilities for academic/intellectual growth. There are basically stages of scholarly activities at higher education. These are B.A, M.A and the M.Phil. /Ph.D. The first one introduces the field of specialisation, the second the mastery of same field and the third carries students into new advanced fields through independent study and original research work. Under the present educational environment, higher education is producing academics instead of practitioners as there is virtually no concept or avenue for the use of higher learning of certain subjects in our society. Since thinking process and creation of knowledge remains quite restricted without proper experience and experiments and therefore, higher education without practice cannot be truly useful. Some relevant educational statistics/targets as envisaged in the educational policy of 1998-2010 are attached as annexes C, D, E and F MAJOR WEAKNESSES Lack of Quality Education. The most important problem being faced by our educational system is that of quality education. The major factor being over-crowding in the classes i.e. 80 students or more are handled together in a small room. The teaching staff is also unable to pay individual attention to their students; this naturally leads to indiscipline and deterioration of standards in the class.  [9]   Untrained Teachers. Unfortunately non-availability of qualified and properly trained teachers also retarded the expansion of literacy rate by adversary affecting the establishment of new educational institution as well as the quality of education in existing institutions. In a nation wide study in Pakistan in 1995, teachers with less than Matric level education could not answer 30% of questions based on grade four textbooks.  [10]   Large Number of Dropouts. Socio-economic factor is a major reason for a large number of dropouts of students even before completing their primary/middle standards. Economic pressures force a student to assist the family to increase family income at the expanse of his education. Other contributing factors in this regard are :  [11]   A dislike for school subjects. Unsatisfactory student-teacher relationship. A history of school failures. Non participation in school activities. Female Education. Literacy rate of female in Pakistan is half of that of males. Primary reasons for this are: Male dominance, cultural biases, and ages old tribal traditions. Girls are often required to help with household work of the family. Lack of conveniently located schools and separate schools for girls. Non availability of female teachers. In Pakistan female teachers at primary level are 25% of total teachers. Inflexible hours of schooling and irrelevant curricula. Non Involvement of Community. Nationalisation of schools in the 1970s, without adequate community participation in the running of schools, had led to a major deterioration in the quality of education. Non Participation of Private Sector. Insufficient government facilities do not cater for requirements of the country. In rural areas, where literacy rate is at the lowest, no worth while participation of the private sector exists. Illdiversification of Courses. It is imperative that a wide choice of subjects be made available to the students at the beginning of 9th class to suit their individual needs, aptitude and temperaments. It is unfortunate that most of our education is of a general and academic nature. Therefore there is an intellectual drought. The general academic nature, no doubt, helps in broadening the vision and creating a general consciousness of the happenings around us, but it is seldom of any use in carrying out the practical affairs of life successfully in the complex society of today. Allocation of Funds. UNESCO has recommended that 4% of the G.N.P, is a reasonable amount to be spent by the developing countries on education, whereas Pakistan presently is spending about 2.2% of G.N.P on education. Infact Pakistan is the only country in South Asia, where expenditure on education, as a percentage of G.N.P, has fallen since 1990.  [12]   Evaluation System. Prevalent examination system is marred by a number of evils. Tests are based on end of cycle certification rather than periodic tests. Dangerous trend of cheating and manipulation has also crept in the system. Language. Our education system suffers from a precarious struggle between education in English and Urdu. Presently, there are two standards of education each basing on one language. Other Factors Out of meagre amount spent on education, a huge portion is wasted through corrupt and inefficient system. According to a survey by Army Rs 1.5 billion per year were embezzled in head of teachers salaries.  [13]   52% of teachers in Pakistan use physical punishment. Curriculum of primary education is not in line with our objectives and national aspirations. Textbooks are sub standard and generally are not in conformity with the specifications/standards set by the curriculum bureau.  [14]   Political unrest and unhealthy political activities amongst students adversely affect education. Its however limited to beyond primary and secondary levels. School timings for the year do not take into account agriculture cycles, which limits attendance in rural areas.  [15]   Narrow research base in the universities. h. Non-employability of educated youth. j. Ineffective role of media. k. Education not being used at all for social change. l. Learning less in substance and more in volume. Effects of Existing Education System Lack of National Aspirations. The development of education is confronted with just about all problems that can be found anywhere in the world. A long detailed description of objectives and aspirations of all educational policies since 1947-98 magnifies the confusion as it has always been set in the absence of definite National Goals. Waste of Effort. The present education system does not prepare a student for the challenges of the life rather it only prepares him for examination. At the same time huge amount is spent on sending individuals abroad for higher studies and research but the country does not have requisite means and infrastructure to benefit from their higher standards on their return, thus the higher qualification become a mere status symbol with no advantage to the country and no satisfaction to the individuals academic aspirations. Loss of Inherited Trade. Most of our students come from the working class. The present system of education detaches them from their ancestral trade/business and imparts them a general education though at times it may be very sophisticated education. These youth are ultimately a loss to their trades, to their parents, to the society and to themselves as well. The present system of education is systematically producing a large number of unemployed, frustrated and dejected youth.  [16]   Unemployment. Education policies in the past made an effort to give an industrial bias to education. Hence a number of polytechnics and commercial colleges were opened throughout the country. The result is that now we have a daring situation of unemployment among technically qualified. Moreover trade and industry field in the country is still not sufficiently developed to absorb these trained people. Bad Governess. Giving higher education to those not possessing the intelligence and aptitude is a national waste. The present system of education in Pakistan is producing so many unemployable graduates of such indifferent quality that they are often not even good clerks and assistants. It is not the number of persons graduating that asses the efficacy of an education system but the quality of such graduates. When the incapable graduates grow in abundance and the society has no system other than the degree to determine merit, the incompetent are bound to infiltrate all walks of life and reasonable positions and threaten the very survival of the socio-economic institutions. The proliferation of facilities for higher education without appropriate merit criteria is, therefore, counterproductive. Waste of Female Strength. Women who constitute 52 % of the countrys population have literacy rate of only 26%. The dropout ratio for women during and after primary schooling is about 80%. The main reason behind it is that girls are not considered as an economic asset to the family hence their education remains a neglected aspect in our society. Production of Disgruntled Youth. According to education policy 1972-80, the existing system of education is one of the root cause of the general dropout in our education system. At present there are internal examination from class first to seventh, under which students are failed or passed on the basis of annual test. There is no test of observing or recording the performance of the student throughout the year. As a result the passing or failing of a students in the annual examination becomes a matter of the pupils memory. The high percentage of failures not only leads to heavy dropouts but also brings to life feeling of frustration and inferiority in the student. This is not only a national wastage but adds to our society a large number of handicapped people,  [17]  which ultimately produces disgruntled youth. Controversial Medium of Instruction. Notwithstanding the recognition of Urdu as a national language in the constitution, education policy on the medium of instruction is always based on compromises. The phenomenon of different languages being used in various regions as medium of instruction and even within a region has created a confused state. In these circumstances development of textbooks in indigenous languages has not been carried out in a systematic and co-ordinated manner. This apart, a student remains exposed to learning three/four languages. From this ensues limited linguistic ability which restricts the students horizon and forces them to rely on memorising and learning by rote.  [18]  The students mug up few topics that they expect in examination; if the question paper include those topics, the examinees are happy and if the expected questions are not asked, they protest violently and leave the examination hall. Lack of Pride in the Teaching Profession. Qualified and motivated youth in the teaching profession is essential to ensure a quality education. The best graduates join either engineering or medicine while the rest look for other outlets before joining as a teacher. Low pay grades, poor social status, meagre benefits and a missing career-ladder in teaching profession does not attract the best students. Presently, teaching is a difficult job with low salary, no status and ever-growing public criticism. These are making it difficult for the teacher to work with pride and dedication. Improvement Towards Betterment STRENGTH Having completed the analysis, it is felt that there are basically five major fields in the education system, which needs close attention to put the things at their right place. The recommendations are being made in these fields one by one which are:- Economic Reforms. Structural Organisations. Qualitative Improvements. Socio-Political, Ethical and Cultural Development. National Emergency Economic Reforms User Charges. There is a strong justification to gradually raise fee structure for secondary and higher level education. However, on social consideration the raise should be steeper for higher level than secondary level. Those poor outstanding students, who qualify for higher studies, should be provided a fixed stipend. Induction of Local Bodies and Private Sector in Education. Education is basically the responsibility of provincial government, but at the same time it is also a national concern and in certain major areas, decision ought to be taken at national level. There is a need to regard education as a federal-provincial partnership. Education planning has to be decentralised to the district level and still down to union council level. Moreover, there is a need to incorporate private sector particularly the NGOs and support them in a massive way through financial support to enable them to undertake literacy programmes on a much larger scale. Increased Budgetary Allocations. The government must allocate minimum 4% of G.N.P, to education as recommended by UNESCO. Additional resources be diverted from the budget to education by effecting some economy in defence /Non developmental expenditure. Structural Organisation Primary and Adult Education. Primary and adult education should form the bulwark of our education structure and should receive highest allocation. Emphasis should be laid on properly equipping the existing schools before establishing new formal schools or informal and community schools. However, the existing and new schools should take into account the socio-economic environment of areas in the matter of educational cycle and timings of schools. If this is not taken into account, high dropout rates and phenomena of ghost schools will continue. Secondary Education. Secondary schools are of two types, general and vocational/polytechnic. These schools should be unified and converted into complete stage of education with curricula of compulsory subjects and a few elective subjects for preparing the students for a definite vocational career. Tertiary Education. The colleges and the universities, both general and professional, have outgrown in number. The need is to consolidate and improve these seats of higher learning than expanding them. This improvement and consolidation should be brought about by: a. Admitting the students purely on merit after subjecting them to aptitude tests so as to determine whether they really qualify for specialised studies. b. Making the colleges and universities autonomous and research oriented. c. Throwing out politics and professional students from the campuses. d. Bestowing on Professors and Teachers the same social status as is enjoyed by them in advanced countries. Medium of Instructions. The issue of medium of instruction has continued to be skirted due to its sensitivity. The issue should be tackled rationally and boldly as under: At primary level the national language as unanimously agreed to by the representatives of the people and enshrined in the Constitution, should be introduced as the medium of instruction. At the secondary level also, the national language should be made the medium of instruction. English should be taught as compulsory subject and its curricula should be completely revised to encourage communicative and cognitive skills in this language. c. At tertiary level, English should be the medium of instructions. The possibility of introduction of national language can be reviewed later. Qualitative Improvements Teachers Education. The output of qualified teachers has lagged behind the expansion in the schools. Therefore, the number of teachers training institution should be increased and unqualified teachers should be compulsorily trained in these institutions. Those who do not qualify should not be retained. At the same time, the terms of service of teachers should be improved to make profession of education attractive. Teachers Supervision and Performance Assessment. With the expansion in the educational network, supervision and assessment of teachers has received a serious setback. This lack of supervision and support has resulted in large-scale absenteeism and low morale among teachers. Hence, in order to improve supervision and carry out on-the-spot support to teachers (model teaching, in service training etc) existing training and inspection system should be strengthened. Incentives. Suitable annual awards should be instituted for the meritorious work in the field of literacy at national, provincial and local level. It has been observed that government schoolteachers take up alternative employment while their attendance is recorded regularly by junior teachers attending the classes. In the rural areas the situation is much worse. Number of Students in a Class. To prevent overcrowding, the number of students in a class should be restricted to thirty-five or less. Physical Facilities including Instructional Material. The educational institutions are deficient in four areas, namely buildings and furniture, laboratories and equipment, textbooks and sports. These facilities are to be made available without any delay. Curriculum. Curricula in educational institutions are not only overcrowded but also out of pace with advancement of knowledge. Therefore, a major effort should be made to revise curricula at primary, secondary, college and university levels in order to make it meaningful and responsive to the needs of the society. Moreover it should be same for both the government and private schools throughout the country. Textbooks. Our textbooks are of poor quality lacking content, method of presentation, printing and set-up. At the same time, they are cost productive. These textbooks have also a strong flavour of foreignness which, to a large extent, owes to syllabus as also to scarcity of writers who can compose textbooks without relying heavily on plagiarism. Therefore, a massive reform of textbooks should be undertaken. Examination System. The examinations test the students for rote memory and largely exclude conceptual and cognitive tests. The system should be reformed with emphasis on internal assessment and its linkage with curriculum development process. There is also a need for the standardisation of the examination system. All examination papers should be prepared by one central authority, through one curriculum both for private and government schools. Effort should also be made to make evaluation system foolproof. There is also a need to take suitable measures to eliminate test papers and notes other than prescribed curr

Thursday, September 19, 2019

How Priestly Uses the Characters to Represent His Own Views on Society :: An Inspector Calls Edwardian Society Essays

How Priestly Uses the Characters to Represent His Own Views on Society The play "An Inspector Calls" is set in 1912 but was written in 1945. Edwardian society at that time (1912) was strictly divided into social classes and over two-thirds of the nation's wealth was in the hands of less than 1% of the population. Below the very rich were the middle classes (doctors and merchants, shop workers and clerks), after that came the craftsmen and skilled workers. At the very bottom of the social ladder was the largest class of all - the ordinary workers and the poor, many of whom lived below the poverty level. The men of industry treated the workers very badly and they were paid pittance. This caused workers to become better organised and strikes were becoming more frequent as they demanded better conditions and higher pay. J.B. Priestley was writing the play for a middle class audience and was trying to speak up for the working class by showing how the Birlings and Gerald Croft were all involved in making a young working class girl's life a misery. Priestley wants to show us that we have a responsibility to others to act fairly and without prejudice and that we do not live in isolation. Our actions affect others. This is the concept of collective responsibility. Priestley says, 'things could really improve if only people were to become more socially responsible for the welfare of others'. We have to confront our mistakes and learn from them. The play starts off with the Birling family celebrating their daughter's engagement to Gerald Croft. The family included Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Eric Birling, Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft. Arthur Birling is glad because Gerald is the son of his business competitor and it will be a merger of businesses. Through the middle of the dinner there is a knock at the door. This is where we meet inspector Goole. He tells the family that a girl has committed suicide and that in one way or another they are responsible. Mr Birling was responsible for sacking the girl from his factory. Sheila Birling was responsible because she got the girl sacked from a shop where she works. Eric Birling was seeing her but the broke it off, and Gerald Croft was having an affair with her but he also broke it off. All of their morals are tested and they are all put to the test because none of them really know the truth about what they have done until the inspector brings it out of them. After the inspector goes the family finds out that he was a fake and that no girl had died.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Bipolar Disorder Essays -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness affects about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population (8). It is defined by fluctuating states of depression and mania throughout ones life. Those who are depressed may be restless, irritable, have slowed thinking or speech, decreased sexual activity, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, suicidal thoughts as well as other changes. Those in a manic state may have increased activity or energy, more thoughts and faster thinking, grandiose thoughts, decreased sleep and need for sleep, increased sexual activity, elated mood, irritable mood, as well as other symptoms. Mixed state is when both depression and mania are exhibited at the same time in a cycle. Rapid cycling is when episodes occur more than four times a year. This is more prevalent in women and is also more resistant to treatment. There are two forms of bipolar I disorder, bipolar disorder and bipolar II disorder. The difference between the two is that bipolar I disorder is what is typically thought of as bipolar disorder with episodes of severe mania and depression, bipolar II is when the episodes are depression and hypomania, which is milder than a full manic episode. The exact cause of the disease is unclear. The most probable case is that there are many factors that contribute to the disease. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder is not exact. Since there is no physiological test for the disease an assessment must be made physiologically. This is done through the administration of behavioral assessment tests, use of scales, basis of symptoms, course of illness and family history. The diagnosis can be tricky especially when it comes to bipolar II disorder. Many with the disease are misdiagnosed w... ...mhsource.com/pt/p960533.jhtml?_requestid=387992 5) Evening Out the Ups and Downs of Manic-Depressive Illness http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/596_bipo.html 6) Bipolar Disorder http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=54&ContentID=23037 7) Bipolar Disorder Research at the National Institute of Mental Health http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolarresfact.cfm 8) Going to Extremes http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/manic.cfm 9) Bipolar Disorder http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolarmenu.cfm 10) The Neurobiology of Depression http://www.sciam.com/missing.cfm 11) Scientists on trail of manic-depression gene http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/mentalh/depress/lhmde002.htm Other Sources 12) "Portrait of the Artist as a Manic-Depressive". Psychology Today. July/August, 1995

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Alexander Pope’s Essay Essay

Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man and Voltaire’s Candied adopted opposing views on how reason should be used during their time. They had varying opinions about taking man’s life in general with Pope adopting a pessimistic view of life while Voltaire expounded on scathing remarks about things and events which he observed. Pope elucidated that he had two reasons for writing his essay and that was first, he thought that â€Å"principles, maxims, or precepts so written, both strike the reader more strongly at first and are more easily retained by him afterwards. † The second reason was because he knew that he could express himself more using the poetic style instead of prose itself. First, Pope uses this reasoning ability to work on his references and regard for God as well as His great domain. It was a requirement then that the writers would regard the religious authority in such a high regard. It seems that Pope uses reason in order to dwell on the fruitlessness and meaninglessness of life. Pope reasons that this maze of life has a reason for being so and believes that there is a plan for everything and that there is no haphazardness in what happens to man: A mighty maze! But not without a plan; a wild, where weeds and flow’s promiscuous shoot; Or garden, tempting with forbidden fruit. Together let us beat this ample field, Try what the open, what the covert yield! Born in 1694 to a middle-class family in Paris, Francois-Marie Aroused, later known as Voltaire, grew up at a time when the majority of the people in France lived in abject poverty. When he came of age, Voltaire witnessed the iron-fist rule of the aristocracy, and at the same time, the spread of the Enlightenment and its ideas of equality and basic human rights, as well as the importance of reason and scientific objectivity. It is not surprising then that he will devote his time writing biting satire which eventually garnered him a solid reputation in France. So scathing were some of his writings that it caught the ire of its target, the government, which unhesitatingly meted out punishments, ranging from exile to imprisonment. In fact, it was during his incarceration in the infamous Bastille that he acquired his nom de plume. Thus, he uses reason in another kind of biting way in order to effect changes. Aside from the government, Voltaire also criticized the Church with equal fervor and in with perfect reason he could ever think of. Indeed, he became a lifelong champion of the poor and the downtrodden, and used the power of the pen to further his cause, writing with a rare kind of passion against both tyranny and religious persecution. In the 1750s, greatly dismayed by the injustice and disaster that surrounded him, Voltaire set out to write what would become his signature work, Candied, where he simultaneously criticized the nobility and the Church, and the people’s misguided optimism (Spark Notes). Candied, the protagonist of the novel was an illegitimate child of a German baron who grew up under the tutelage of the philosopher Dr. Pan gloss who taught him about unconditional, and often misguided, optimism: â€Å"It is demonstrable that things cannot be other than they are, for since everything is made to serve an end, everything necessarily serves the best end. Observe: noses were made to support spectacles, hence we have spectacles. Legs, as anyone can plainly see, were made to be breeched, and so we have breeches. . . . Consequently, those who say everything is well are uttering mere stupidities; they should say everything is for the best (p. 2). † The philosophy, thus, points out the perverted idea during Voltaire’s time that all things—including all human suffering—is part of a cosmic plan, and one must not question whatever tragedy comes his way, for to do so is tantamount to questioning God’s plan. Put another way, since God is perfect, then he must have created a world that is no less than â€Å"the best of all possible worlds. † In the meantime, Candied fell in love with the baron’s daughter, Lady Cunegonde, but the blossoming affair was cut short when the baron caught them kissing. He kicked the young Candide out of his house, and so began the long list of Candide’s misfortunes which collectively challenged his conviction about the â€Å"best of all possible worlds. † His experiences—and later, those of Dr. Pangloss—could serve as proof to the notorious Malcolm’s Law which states that if something can go wrong it will. This is how Voltaire was able to parody Dr. Pangloss’ philosophy: first, his philosophy is proven false by real-world evidence; and second, Pangloss’ philosophy ultimately encourages complacency toward all that is wrong in the world. At one ridiculous scene, when Dr. Pangloss’ benefactor, the Anabaptist Jacques, was drowning in the bay of Lisbon, the philosopher prevented Candide from trying to rescue him by insisting that â€Å"the bay of Lisbon had been specially contrived so that the Anabaptist might drown in them† (p. 13). One could also draw from this event that people like Pangloss are ludicrously fatalistic to a point that there is no reason to make any effort to put matters into one’s own hands, and to change things that are evil. Voltaire was profoundly critical of the Church’s beliefs as can be seen in his literary works Candide. He draws on this reasoning ability in order to refer to many things around him just as when Pope makes reference to presumptuous man. He uses his reasoning again in order to look at the mysteries that are presented to him. Then say not Man’s imperfect, Heav’n in fault, – Say rather Man’s as perfect as he ought: His knowledge measur’d to his state and place, His time a moment, and a point his space. Meanwhile, it was at about this time that more philosophies claimed that reason could be used in order to explain everything. Reasoning ability was placed at a high pedestal explaining that people can make the world a better place to live in and Voltaire uses reason again to counteract this reasoning. He is not given to such optimism, preferring instead to reason that he doubts that there is â€Å"ever a chance of people securing happiness† (1-2). Voltaire’s reasoning was a bit odd because in his failure to reason out well, he instead adopted the belief that â€Å"true happiness can only be experienced in an unreal world. † (42) lamenting the fact that optimism is a mania for â€Å"saying things are well when one is in he. † (40). Thus, Voltaire uses reasoning in order to satirize the foolishness of believing and being optimistic. Of the writers during the Enlightenment period, Voltaire was one writer who criticized the Church with equal fervor. Indeed, he became a lifelong champion of the poor and the downtrodden, and used the power of the pen to further his cause, writing with a rare kind of passion against both tyranny and religious persecution. In the 1750s, greatly dismayed by the injustice and disaster that surrounded him, Voltaire set out to write what would become his signature work, Candide, where he criticized the nobility and the Church, pointing out the people’s misguided optimism (Spark Notes). The philosophy, thus, points out the perverted idea during Voltaire’s time that all things—including all human suffering—is part of a cosmic plan, and one must not question whatever tragedy comes his way, for to do so is tantamount to questioning God’s plan. Put another way, since God is perfect, then he must have created a world that is no less than â€Å"the best of all possible worlds. † Later on, Candide meets Martin, an extreme opposite of Dr. Pangloss in that he is a categorical pessimist who finds the world â€Å"utterly mad and abominable† (p. 75) where one can find â€Å"very little virtue or happiness† (p. 77). Indeed, this philosophy is more effective at explaining real-world experiences than Pangloss’, but it too has its flaws. Thus, Martin fails when he predicts that Candide’s valet trusted with millions in gold will surely betray his master out of greed. And like Pangloss, Martin is seen as somebody who does not assume a proactive role in changing the world for the better, for after all, he abides by the idea that man is bound to live either in misery or in boredom. In effect, Voltaire demonstrates that both absolute optimism and absolute pessimism are nothing more than simple abstractions that defies reality. Voltaire shows a pessimistic view of human nature in Candide. To do this he used an imaginary perfect world—El Dorado—where Candide lived in for a short time. Inaccessible to outsiders, the kingdom of El Dorado is full of just and peaceful people who pay no attention to jewels and gold that lay scattered everywhere. But rather than remain in the perfect world of El Dorado, Candide has acquired a greed that ultimately made him decide to leave the place, in order to return to the imperfect world where he could live off the jewels he has taken from El Dorado. He said, â€Å"If we remain here, we shall be only as the other inhabitants; whereas if we return to our own world with but a dozen of sheep laden with the pebbles of El Dorado, we shall be richer than all the kings of Europe†¦ and we may easily recover Lady Cunegonde† (p. 52). However, misfortune continued to follow him, and culminates in his reunion with his beloved Cunegonde, who, alas, has turned unbearably ugly due to her own share of difficulties. In the end, Candide learns that practical action seems to be the only antidote to human suffering. This he learned when he met a humble old man who, with the help of his children, is content and happy. He told Candide, â€Å"Labor holds off three great evils: tedium, vice and poverty† (p. 103). Taking this advice, Candide and his group set themselves to exercise their various talents (e. g. Cunegonde continued to be very ugly, but she became an excellent pastry cook) and their small farm yielded good crops. Indeed, both Pope and Voltaire, being masters at reason, utilized this to their advantage during their time. WORKS CITED â€Å"Candide†. Spark Notes online. 2004. Retrieved June 10, 2008 at: http://www. sparknotes. com/ lit/candide Pope, Alexander. Essay on Man and Other Poems. Dover Publications; New Ed edition (June 16, 1994) Voltaire. Candide. (1759). London: Penguin Books. 1997. Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man and Voltaire’s Candide adopted opposing views on how reason should be used

Monday, September 16, 2019

Analysis of a Hearing Loss

SHS 150 November 26, 2012 Analysis of Experiences/Expressions of Hearing Loss About 37 million people, in America, are affected by a hearing loss of some kind (Hearing loss, 2011). Only about 15 percent of those affected actually get treated for their hearing loss, no matter how mild or severe (Brody, 2012). This means people are either in denial about the hearing loss or are not aware that they have one. In order to properly analyze the experience of having a hearing loss, I wore earplugs for 8 hours in activities I would do on a normal basis.Some of these activities include attending class, doing homework, shopping, eating at a restaurant, watching TV, and hanging out with my roommates. Wearing the earplugs simulated me having conductive hearing loss, a type of hearing loss in which sounds is not well conducted from the ear canal to the eardrum and middle ear bones (Conductive hearing loss, 2011). The degree of hearing loss simulated is mild, which means that speech understanding i s reduced, especially in noisy environments (Hearing loss, 2011). This experience gave me a little insight on how people’s lives can become more complicated by having a hearing loss.In my first activity with the earplugs in, I attended one of my regularly schedule classes. This class is in a decent sized lecture hall, where the professor was standing at least 50 feet away from where I was sitting. Normally in this class I would listen to the professor speak as I wrote down notes in my notebook. Because the earplugs hindered my listening ability, I was forced to stare at the professor throughout the class to even remotely hear what he was saying. I began trying to read his lips to help understand more of what he was saying, but when I did this I was not retaining the information he was saying out loud.I became very frustrated very quickly and realized I had not really learned much in this lecture. Next, I attempted to complete some homework back at my apartment. It was a littl e easier to concentrate on my work because the sounds of my roommates talking or music being played where not there to distract me, like they normally do. While doing my homework, one issue did arise; because I was so concentrated on reading, things I could have heard even with the simulated hearing loss were non-existent.My roommate came to ask me a question and ended up startling me because I did not hear her walk up before she touched my shoulder. She told me she had already started talking to me and that I was not responding at all. While shopping for groceries and at the mall, I had a whole other set of problems. At the grocery store, I could not tell when other shoppers where waiting behind me to pick an item I was standing by. This became frustrating for not only me but also the other shoppers.Later, I asked a worker where a specific item was located and could tell by the look on their face that I was speaking too loud. When he answered my question I had to ask them to repeat the last part of their sentence again because another customer was talking on their cell phone right next to us and the workers words became very distorted. The grocery store, as a whole, was a very noisy place so I heard a lot sounds but a lot of times all the sounds became jumbled. The mall was a very similar situation, except that I know my way around very well so I did not have to ask for help.However, I normally would have asked the workers at certain stores if they had any deals or if specific items came in a different size, but I refrained because I was already aggravated from the other activities of the day. When the greeters at the store entrances said something, I usually just smiled and kept walking unless I could clearly hear what they said. I am sure it was an awkward encounter for them if I did not say anything back but I did not want to hear them wrong and say something wrong and embarrass myself. Needless to say, I left the mall empty handed.Two activities that prov ed to be less irritating than I originally thought they would be was watching TV and hanging out with my friends. I turned the TV volume up, which helped me hear it somewhat better. Also, I was mostly watching a football game so I could see how that could be less challenging than a sitcom because even if I could not hear every word the announcers were saying I still knew what was going on if the game. The last major event I wore the earplugs too was going out to eat with my family. This proved difficult since there was music playing and a lot of other groups talking throughout the restaurant.When ordering I had to really concentrate on what the waiter was saying so I did not have to ask him to repeat himself. I did a pretty good job but I was a little slower reacting to some of his questions than normal, as it took longer to process what he was saying. Once the 8 hours of wearing the earplugs was up I was very relieved to take them out. Conductive hearing loss can be caused by numer ous things, mostly commonly an ear infection, impacted earwax, a damaged ear drum, and poor Eustachian tube performance (Conductive hearing loss, 2011).As mentioned before, almost 85 percent of people with a hearing loss choose not to get treated by a doctor. Hearing loss awareness is not as high as it should be in America. Most people believe losing hearing is just a part of getting older, but some other reasons could be affecting their hearing and could eventually be reversible. In certain cases, the cause of a hearing loss could be a tumor, which if not treated could be deadly (Hearing loss, 2011).With the use of iPods and other listening devices increasing in kids and teens, their risk of obtaining a hearing loss is also increasing. They are most likely not aware how listening to their music too loud can affect their hearing. More awareness needs to be brought to this subject as well as other similar situations. Even if a persons hearing loss is something that can be fixed with a hearing aid, it is important to get one because activities such as driving, walking across a street, and working in certain environments could be dangerous, if you cannot hear properly (Brody, 2012).Through this experience, I have had a small taste of how a hearing loss can truly affect my everyday activities. It was a very lonely and sometimes depressing situation because simple communication was a labored tasked. I am normally very big on multi-tasking, but in certain cases the simulated hearing loss hindered my ability to do other things as I tried to listen to someone speak. The best word I can find to sum up how the whole experience affected me is I felt disconnected.The worst part about this disability is it is a hidden one. Other than some people wearing hearing aids, a person with a hearing loss is not always identifiable and therefore much harder to distinguish if they need assistance with something just by looking. From this experience, I have decided if I ever develop a hearing loss, I will visit a audiologist right away to figure out the problem for my safety and the safety of everyone around me. References 1. Conductive hearing loss.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. asha. org/public/hearing/conductive-hearing-loss/ 2. Hearing loss. (n. d. ). House Research Institute. (2011) Retrieved from http://www. hei. org/education/health/loss. htm 3. Brody, J. E. (2012, January 26). Personal Health: Lifelines for People With Hearing Loss. Health and Wellness – Well Blog – NYTimes. com. Retrieved from http://well. blogs. nytimes. com/2012/01/16/personal-health-lifelines-for-people-with-hearing-loss/

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Coca-Cola Fizz Factor Essay

1) The Coca-Cola Company in my opinion has all the resources listed in the chapter. They have been such a successful organization over the years that they posses; financial, physical, human, intangible, and structural-cultural resources. It is because of their Global nature that I believe that they have these resources, and these are needed to for organizations to have capabilities and core competencies. Understanding that because Coca-Cola is such a global brand it means that their capabilities must stretch through culture so I do believe it is very hard to develop unique resources and distinctive capabilities. However, because of the resources behind them in some ways it is easier to develop strategies and gain that competitive advantage. 2) Coca-Cola has a number of distinctive capabilities. Its brand is one by itself, they have created a competitive advantage just by their name, Coca-Cola is known globally and it is a testament to the organization that it is so powerful. Another distinctive capability would be the shape and design of their bottles and cans, it may not seem like much but it can create nostalgia for and again turn in to a competitive advantage. Also with the patent for their designs it makes it impossible for competitors to imitate and take away that competitive advantage. 3) 127 Years of Happiness – This is a major strength; Coca-Cola’s history and tradition automatically give it credibility and make customers trust the brand. Other newer competitors just cannot compete with this, however it is extremely important that they continue to change and innovate. 200+ countries – This may mean a global organization, but this brings about some weaknesses. You have to deal with so many different cultures, languages, climates, and beliefs that it can be very difficult to keep everyone happy and keep providing a quality product. 3500 products worldwide – Again this is like the example above, it can be very challenging due to the diversity and target audience of all the products. However, it can be an advantage because of the variety of products you provide sets Coca-Cola apart from it competitors, giving them yet another competitive advantage. 1,322,000 Tweets per quarter – Twitter is becoming huge, and we saw during the Superbowl blackout how powerful a marketing tool it can be. Oreo cookies tweeted â€Å"†Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark† so in my eyes I see this growing number to be a huge positive on a marketing front. Although on the other hand, social media can be very damaging, and if Coca-Cola does something bad, a negative reputation could spread around the world in a matter of moments. Protest Group of 100,000 people wanting the original Coke back – this shows that if you get it wrong you can face a major backlash from your customers. But this also showed how loyal people were to the original Coke, yes it was a negative result but it really highlights to the Coca-Cola Company what a great product they have. 4) It has to be the capabilities assessment profile, by following the five steps of this option Muhtar Kent can truly analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the organization on a global scale. The key competencies and capabilities are what set Coca-Cola apart and they need to continue to focus on these aspects, it creates the competitive advantage and this must be maintained in the future. This is vital if Coca-Cola want to remain up there as on of the most popular brands in the world.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Personal Literacy Narrative

To Learn Is to Change Life is full of risks, and that is what makes it so much more exciting. I took a risk in life when I switched from homeschooling to â€Å"real school. † This risk required me to walk through an unknown door. I quickly learned that in order to take a risk, I had to step outside of my comfort zone. If I had not taken that step to go out and try something new, I would not have learned how to survive in a new environment. We learn things in life by doing, and if we do not try things, there will be no growth.In the end I found joy in the journey of risk-taking. If I went back to the day I had the thought of going to â€Å"real school for the first time, I would have told myself the same thing: â€Å"Go for it. † When I walked through the school building’s doors for the first time, I was very nervous. I wondered how I would make new friends. What if the school work was difficult? I was homeschooled until the third grade, and when I began â€Å"r eal school† I surprisingly thrived in my new environment.At times I was bored at the slow pace my peers learned, and I made many new friends. The glory days of high school were some of my absolute favorite times. I was able to get into some challenging academic and musical programs that fully engaged my mind and prepared me for college. I had several teachers say they could tell I loved to learn by the amount of hard work that I put into my school assignments. What could I say? Homeschooling gave me a desire to learn. I enjoyed how much information I would reel in every single day.Frederick Douglass had a life full of chances to grow. For example, he learned to read and write as a slave. In his autobiography he states, â€Å"I wished to learn how to write, as I might have occasion to write my own pass. I consoled myself with the hope that I should one day find a good chance. Meanwhile, I would learn to write. † His soothing hope illustrates that we must be motivated fro m the inside. Douglass had confidence and acted for himself. He faced the truth that extraordinary things happen when we take a chance and open doors that life before us.Unless we do the things we fear and take a chance in life, we will never know the outcome. Homeschooling has shown me that education is a process that changes the learner. I truly am thankful for the experience of public school, and I treasure the years that I spent learning at home, especially. I am thankful that I had faith to explore the unknown. Homeschooling taught me that I can confidently open up new doors in the future that will have so much to offer. There is always more mystery.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Acts 1 and 2 of Romeo and Juliet

Acts 1 and 2 of Romeo and Juliet Essay Love is an important theme in Romeo and Juliet and is interpreted in many ways by the many different characters. After the prologue, which is filled with hints of the ending for the star-crossed lovers, the play opens with a scene between Sampson and Gregory who are two servants of the Capulet family. They are vulgar and crude, making many sexual references and innuendoes. They do not see love as involving emotions or desires, but as a purely physical thing, sexual not emotional. Sampson refers to women as weaker vessels and tells of how he will rape the maids of the Montague household. Neither of them appears to have ever experienced true love. They talk in a rude and coarse manner and objectify women. The opening helps the audience to contrast this vulgar image of love shown in a humorous context, to Romeo and Juliets sincere love for each other. This perception of love is also shared by the nurse and Mercutio, both who are comical characters. Mercutios humour is mostly offensive and insulting; he sees love as a pointless emotion. Mercutio teases Romeo from the start for being a lover. He believes that love is just an illusion, its made up in dreams by Queen Mab, he says she gallops night by night through lovers brains, and then they dream of love. The nurse uses similar bawdy language by way of, Go girl, seek happy nights to happy days. The nurse urges Juliet to get all of the pleasures out of love and she ensures Juliet and Romeo are able to marry and indulge in their sexual relationship. In this way, although there is long elaborate speech of true passionate love between Romeo and Juliet, there is also rude and coarse language which would have appealed to the lower-class audience. In the Elizabethan era, it was common for a young man to fall hopelessly in love with an unattainable beautiful woman, often with little chance of being loved back. This is how we first meet Romeo; he is very depressed and confused. However, you see many different attitudes towards love from Romeo; during each situation he is in, he reveals a different portrayal of love. Here he tells his cousin, Benvolio, of how he is in love with a woman, Rosaline, and speaks his love. This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Romeo speaks of how he does not enjoy being in love and that he sees it as a punishment, like being shut up in prison or like being whipped and tormented. He talks of love as being something he has to do, not something he feels. Benvolio believes that Romeo is not really in love, but that it is more of an infatuation. In his attempts to help Romeo overcome his obsession, Benvolio tells him to examine other beauties. Benvolio does not have a lot of belief in true love but merely in loving the beauty of women. In this scene, the audience see Romeo for the first time and they are exposed to a pathetic, depressed, miserable boy, who does not take pleasure in love, ay me sad hours seem long However the fact Shakespeare never reveals Rosaline to the audience adds mystery to Romeos obsession. This kind of love he feels for Rosaline did not tend to lead towards marriage, which was something else. Marriage often had nothing to do with love; it was arranged between families and was generally all to do with legal contracts, family, pride and wealth. This is shown by Juliets parents; Capulet is much older than Lady Capulet, who married when she was very young. Her mother learnt to love him after they married. This is also depicted in the scene when Paris asks Capulet for Juliets hand in marriage before he has even met her. Although Juliet is very young, Capulet still gives Juliet a choice of if she wants to be married and by this shows his affection for her. He refers to her as the hopeful lady of his earth and she calls him as good father. He believes marriage as a good thing but also states that love is preferable. He does also show his concern about Juliets age, READ: Using Shakespeares' Romeo and Juliet and Baz Lurhmanns' film version EssayShe hath not seen the change of fourteen years, Let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride. Yet Paris states that women younger than Juliet are already made mothers, a thought shared also with Lady Capulet, Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers: by my count. She feels marriage is more important than love as well, So shall you share all that he doth possess, By having him, making yourself no less. She implies that marriage a necessity and it is what women are made for. Lady Capulet also recites a long elaborate speech full of comparisons of Paris face and love being like a book, Read oer the volume of young Paris face, This precious book of love, this unbound lover This speech starts with the assumption that because Paris is a man of wax, Juliet should be very excited to be given the chance to marry him and should immediately be attracted to him. However, Lady Capulet soon gets irritated when Juliet shows no signs of interest; she hurries Juliet, asking her of her feelings towards this, Speak briefly, can you like of Paris love? Juliet answers in such a way that keeps her parents happy, Ill look to like, if looking liking move, She says that she will look forward to liking him, if by looking at him can lead her to liking him. As she is so young, her answer seems acceptable as her mother does not question her further. Lady Capulets scene with Juliet is not normally how a mother addresses her daughter or how a daughter addresses her mother. Their dialogue seems very formal and polite, Madam, I am here. What is your will? This depicts the distance between Juliet and her mother; instead of saying mother, she says madam. However, this gap between them is filled by the nurse. The nurse effectively acts as Juliets substitute mother and it is her, who Juliet confides in and trusts. When Romeo first meets Juliet, the insincerity of his love for Rosaline is exposed and he suddenly realises it, Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I neer saw true beauty till this night. He speaks of how his love for Rosaline was not true and pure, like the love he now feels for Juliet. His attitude towards love changes as suddenly as his change of heart. Romeos feelings sound more genuine in speeches about Juliet than of Rosaline which was much more exaggerated. He wants to be with Juliet all the time, and he is continually comparing her to a saint and the light that can brighten up anything. O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! O, then, dear saint, O, speak again, bright angel! In the sonnet shared by Romeo and Juliet, the interpretation of love is shown as religion. There are many references to saints, pilgrims, shrines, holy, prayers, faith and devotion. This is an obvious contrast to how he felt when he was in love with Rosaline. Juliet seems very playful in her language with Romeo but she also feels the same way as she refers to him as her only love. In their scene at the balcony, Romeo now feels love as being a power in which he can with loves light wings fly over the high walls surrounding the Capulet mansion. When Juliet asks Romeo how he knew which room was hers, Romeo replied, By love that first did prompt me to inquire; He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes. This means that love led him to her balcony. Juliet, in this scene, seems much more mature than Romeo and speaks in a much more serious tone; Romeo speaks using elaborate and indirect language, READ: Good Hook For Romeo And Juliet EssayIt is my soul that calls upon my name: How silver-sweet sound lovers tongues by night, Like softest music to attending ears! Juliet does not like his theatrical speech, instead she gradually tears Romeo away from this artificial language in which he used with Rosaline. Juliet speaks of love as being eternal and sacred, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite. She believes in their love so much that she accepts to marry him, the only son of her parents sworn enemy, even though Paris had offered to marry her. Friar Lawrence acts as Romeos substitute father and looks after him throughout Romeos relationship with Juliet. He agrees to marry them thinking it will unite their families but still feels it is still a risk, Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast. When the Friar remarks on how quickly he falls in love, Romeo replies by saying that there is a difference between his old love and his new one, Her I love now Doth grace for grace and love for love allow. The other did not so. This is another example of how Romeo is truly in love with Juliet. The friar is similar to the role of the nurse towards Juliet as they both look after and advise the young lovers. In conclusion, there are many forms of love; parental love, marital love and physical love. I believe that Romeo and Juliet contains the right balance of each different aspect of love. The humorous bawdy language of Mercutio and the nurse provide a break from all the ominous reminders of the tragic ending and the elaborate, fancy dialogue of Romeo and Juliet. These crude parts of the play would also have appealed to the lower class and less cultured members of the Elizabethan audience. All in all, the theme of love is well presented in many different ways by many characters.

Current Event Review Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Current Event Review - Article Example However, he believes that the federal and judicial agencies are corrupt in protecting the whistleblowers and, instead, allow the bureaucracy to avenge those who have blown the whistle. In fact, those who endorse the corrupt activities and are involved in its operations are promoted for their work. The prevailing conditions for whistleblowers are very discouraging for individuals with moral spirit to come forward and uncover corrupt activities. For those, who can gather enough strength to voice out the misconduct, the ineffective laws are bound to destroy their professional careers and, possibly, their lives too. They will either be forced to leave the organization, or face a low-profile transfer; they may even be disregarded, or ridiculed, and threatened by their colleagues. Even in the U.S., a nation that proudly boasts justice, equality and freedom of speech, the judicial agencies ensure that a whistleblower is punished for being morally strong and honest. These conditions, on the contrary, are very encouraging for institutions to commit crimes. With an ineffective system, businesses and institutions can be corrupt and easily get away with it. The business can be harsh on any employee who intends to or already has blown the whistle. However the extent to which this is possible is debatable since the article talks about federal bureaucracy benefiting from a federal judicial system. In the case of other businesses or institutions it would be important to see the interests of the judicial agency within a particular scenario and the benefits they can get from it. Nonetheless from an institutional point of view a whistleblower’s lifelong savings can be seized through a lawsuit while institutions can spend millions of dollars in a lawsuit. Unless the government agencies become honest and work for the greater interest of their people, whistleblowers will be forced to follow the system whether it is wrong or right. The government needs to

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Government and the Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Government and the Economy - Essay Example This is the foremost time of experiencing such an occurrence in more than four decades. The expenditure of the federal administration has been rising at a decidedly sluggish pace in the three years of the prevailing administration. Falling expenditures of regional and area administrations, which have equally shrunk in spending at an alarming rate, plummets the slow rise. The slow growth of federal spending along with the free-falling expenditure of regional administrations is a strong pointer at the economic and political situation in the country. These signs cannot pass unnoticed because failure to experience rise on government expenditure, more so during the initial period of a new administration, is not only rare but profoundly significant in the political and economic essence. The real GDP of government (both federal and regional) for the primary three months of 2012 is estimated to be 2 per cent less than 2009, when the new administration took the reigns of power. This means tha t the spending of the administration has experienced a fall ever since the forming of government in 2009 implying that certain factors have inhibited the outlay of funds by administrations, both central and local. Such a situation transpired in the US in the course of Richard Nixon’s reign and was attributed to the waning expenditure on the Vietnam conflict. Currently, it is unclear which factors are responsible for the slow growth as well as the falling spending by regimes at the central and local level in the sense that a number of dynamics govern economic growth. Government policies play a prominent role. However, sometimes growth rate can also be attributed to luck of the incumbent regarding the state of the economy when he inherited reigns of power. The current administration took power at the time when the recession was ending. However, the recovery and growth has been remarkably sluggish. The reasons for slow economic growth, which has led to low spending by government under the prevailing regime that ranks lowest in history, have been myriad. The failure to step up government spending emanated from the feeble private sector, which made it difficult for the economy to expand at a high speed (Norris B2). The growth of the private sector is a noteworthy gauge of the circumstances of the economy because it denotes the growth rate of the economy. Changes in spending by the government are because of the expenditure on military disbursement, which has grown dismally in the past few years irrespective of the fall in expenses of Afghanistan as well as Iraq conflicts. On the other hand, nonmilitary outlay has witnessed an upward trend under the prevailing administration. In situations when economy is weak, outlay on investment by central and area governments often fall (through cutbacks) to reflect the state of the economy. Such expenditures include highways and educational institutions like schools and colleges. In essence, falling operating outlays are not new to the US economy and have been part of the country particularly in times of economic difficulty. Therefore, money saving schemes like retrenchment of tutors has not prevailed in the recent past although the number of workers in education has been low. In conclusion, the federal, state, and local governments have been shrinking in the last three years, and this means that the US