Monday, September 30, 2019

Indian Parliament

PARLIAMENT IN INDIA AND SHORT NOTES ON OTHER PARLIAMENTS By, T. Vishnu, IX A. The  Parliament of India  is the supreme  legislative body  in  India. The parliament house originally known as ‘Council House ‘, founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses  legislative supremacy  and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises thePresident of India  and the two Houses,  Lok Sabha  (House of the People) and  Rajya Sabha  (Council of States). The President has the power to summon and prorogue either House of Parliament or to dissolve Lok Sabha.The parliament is  bicameral, with an  upper house  called as Council of States or  Rajya Sabha, and a  lower house  called as House of People or  Lok Sabha. The two Houses meet in separate  chambers  , in New Delhi. The Members of either house are commonly referred to as Members of Parliament or MP. The MPs of Lok Sabha are elected by  direct election  and the MPs of Rajya Sabha are elected by the members of the State Legislative Assemblies and Union territories of Delhi and Pondicherry only in accordance with  proportional voting.The Parliament is composed of 790 MPs, who serve the largest  democratic  electorate  in the world The Estimates Committee, constituted for the first time in  1950, is a Parliamentary Committee consisting of 30  Members, elected every year by the Lok Sabha from amongst its Members. The Chairman of the Committee is  appointed by the Speaker from amongst its members. A Minister cannot be elected as a member of the Committee and if a member after his election to the Committee, is appointed a Minister, he   ceases to be a member of the  Committee from the date of such appointmentTerm of Office The term of office of the Committee is one year. Functions The functions of the Estimates Committee are: (a) to report what economies, improvements in  organisation, efficiency or admini strative reform, consistent with the policy underlying the estimates  may be effected; (b) to suggest alternative policies in order to bring about efficiency and economy in administration; (c) to examine whether the money is well laid out within the limits of the policy implied in the estimates; and d) to suggest the form in which the estimates shall be presented to Parliament. The Committee does not exercise its functions in relation to such Public Undertakings as are allotted to the Committee on Public Undertakings by the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha or by the Speaker. Working The  Parliament of Great Britain  was formed in 1707  Soon after it is constituted, the Committee selects such of the estimates pertaining to a Ministry/Department of the  Central Government or such of the statutory and other bodies of the Central Government as may seem fit to the Committee.The Committee also examines matters of special interest which may arise or come to light in the course of its work or which are specifically referred to it by the House or the Speaker. The Committee calls for preliminary material from the Ministry/Department, statutory and other Government bodies in regard to the subjects selected for examination and also memoranda from non-officials connected with the subjects for the use of the Members of the Committee. The Committee, from time to time, appoints one or more Sub-Committees/Study Groups for carrying out detailed examination of various subjects.If it appears to the Committee that it is necessary for the purpose of its examination that an on-the-spot study should be made, the Committee may, with the approval of the Speaker decide to undertake tours to make a study of any  particular matter, project or establishment, either as a whole Committee or by dividing itself into Study Groups. Notes relating to the institutions/offices etc. to be visited are called for in advance from the concerned Ministries/Departments etc. and circulated to th e Members of the Committee/Sub- Committee/Study Group.The Members while on tour may also meet the representatives of chambers of commerce and other nonofficial trade organisations and bodies which are concerned with the subjects under examination of the Committee, for an informal discussion. When the Committee/Sub-Committee/Study Group is on study tour only informal sittings are held at the place of visit. At such sitting neither evidence is recorded nor any decisions are taken. All discussions held by the Committee with the representatives of the   Ministries/ Departments, nonofficial organisations, etc. re treated as confidential and  no one having access to the discussions directly or  indirectly, should communicate to the Press or anyunauthorised person any information about matters taken  up during the discussions. Later in the light of informal discussions during Study Tours,  memoranda received from non-officials and information  collected from the Ministry/Depart ment concerned and other sources, non-official and official witnesses are invited to give evidence at formal sittings of theEstimates Committee held in Parliament House/Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi. The observations/recommendations of the Committee are embodied in its Reports which are presented to Lok Sabha. After a Report has been presented to the House the Ministry or Department concerned is required to take action on the recommendations and conclusions contained in the Report within a period of six months. The replies of the Government are examined by the Committee and an Action Taken Report is presented to the House.The replies to the recommendations contained in the Action Taken Reports are laid on the Table of Lok Sabha in the form of Statements. While U. S. A’s parliament is called as UNITED STATES CONGRESS The  United States Congress  is the  bicameral  legislature  of the  federal government  of the  United States, consisting of the  Senate, its upper house, and the  House of Representatives, its lower house. Congress meets in the  Capitol  in  Washington, D. C.Both representatives and senators are chosen through  direct election. There are 535 voting Members of Congress; the House of Representatives has a membership of 435 and the Senate has a membership 100. Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms representing the people of a district. Congressional districts are  apportioned  to states by  population  using the United States Census results, each state in the union having at least one representative in the Congress.Regardless of population, each of the 50 states has two senators; the 100 senators each serve a six-year term. The terms are staggered so every two years approximately one-third of the Senate is up for election. Most incumbents seek re-election, and their historical likelihood of winning subsequent elections exceeds 90 percent. The  Parliament of the United Kingdom o f Great Britain  is the supreme  legislative body in the United kingdom, British  Crown dependencies  and  British overseas territories.The  parliament  is  bicameral, with an  upper house, the  House of Lords, and a  lower house, the  House of Commons. ]The Queen is the third component of the legislature. The House of Lords includes two different types of members: the  Lords Spiritual  (the senior  bishops  of the  Church of England) and the  Lords Temporal  (members of the  Peerage) whose members are not elected by the population at large, but are appointed by the Sovereign on advice of the Prime Minister . The  Parliament of Great Britain  was formed in 1707. Read also: My Ambition Is To Become a Collector

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Religion and Morality Essay

In this paper I will discuss the relationship between religion and morality. I will first address the question asked by those with religion, how are atheists moral? Then I will examine morality and its relativity to culture. Next I will explore whether those without a religion are actually more moral than those with a religion. And finally, I will discuss any possible objections to my claims. This argument is in no way saying that those that believe in God are unmoral but that those who don’t believe in God, are just as capable of being moral. Being atheist means that you choose to believe that God, or a god, does not exist. You have no faith or religion, you don’t go to church every Sunday morning, or pray every night before you go to bed. Therefore the belief is that you’re condemned to spend the rest of eternity in hell. So just because a person doesn’t believe in a God, does that make them a bad person? A common question of those with religion is, where do atheists get their moral compass from? Atheists aren’t taught by any type of ultimate superior that they can’t lie, cheat, steal, rape, or murder. So how do they know not to do it? The underlying message I interpret from this is: religion is what keeps everybody in the world moral. That the only thing stopping you from murdering someone is reading a Bible (Marcotti, 2011). Just because you don’t have a bible does it mean that you want to go around blowing up buildings and terrorizing grocery stores. It’s safe to assume that most people want to do good in the world. There is the occasional serial killer every once in a while but, the bulk of the world’s population is promoting good that exists in all forms because everybody has a different idea of whats right from wrong. Some people make incredible scientific discoveries to better mankind, that’s considered good. Others might go to countries and help those less fortunate, also good. One might reply that these are just acts of morality. And that they still don’t define a moral person. But if you think about it, nobody’s born with a perfect moral compass. Nobody is born with morals. Not even those that are born into a religion. In our society, when we’re young and we tell a white lie, we learn the consequences. Some are told by their parents, who are told by the Bible, that it is wrong. Others learn that when you deceive people, it can have many effects. Through experience and questioning, do children acquire their sense of right and wrong. Which accompanies them throughout the rest of their lives. In Louise M. Antony’s Philosophers Without Gods, she says that, â€Å"All that is lost, if there is no God, is a divine enforcer. In a world without God, there is no guarantee that the virtuous will ever be rewarded, nor that the vicious will ever be punished. We must do what is right simply because it is right,† (Antony, 2007, pg. 51). Let’s look at morality and religion from a cultural standpoint. â€Å"When used in a descriptive sense [morality] refers to codes of conduct that are actually put forward and accepted by some society, group, or individual,† (Gert, 2012). If you think about it, there are over seven billion people spread out over seven continents in our world. The majority of those people have a religion and believe in a God. But, what about the people that aren’t even exposed to the idea of a God? Let’s say a rural, very secluded tribe in the habitable regions of northeast Asia. Just because they don’t have a religion, would that make them bad people? If they lead a simple life and didn’t steal, lie, commit adultery, or murder, why should they be branded as unmoral for something they have no control over. An excellent insight into Chinese culture and religion is portrayed in the book, The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. Even though this example is a fictional story, it’s based off of a real culture and the religious views of that culture in the late nineteenth century. The protagonist Wang Lung practices a religion with the Earth. When his crop is well and thriving he pays homage to the Earth God and when his crop is poor he resents the Earth God. At a point in the book, Wang Lung kills his newborn daughter because of her sex. During a time of famine, he steals gold coins from a wealthy family. And after he encounters money and prosperity, he spends his time in a tea house with a concubine instead of with his dying wife (Sparknotes Editors, 2012). But, in this story the main character does feel guilt for the things that he did. Knowing that it wasn’t right, and that it didn’t feel right to kill his newborn child, Wang Lung still did it and the act was perfectly acceptable according to their culture. When he stole the gold from the wealthy, he knew morally that it was wrong but, his family needed the money therefore his motivation was to provide for them. And when he purchased a concubine, Wang Lung was complying with the cultural norm of wealthy Chinese men. Whereas in our culture, and its predominant religion, the idea of adultery and lust is considered unmoral. It is even arguable that those without a religion are more genuinely moral. For example, the Christian religion. The whole belief is that you don’t sin and therefore are rewarded with eternal bliss. If you do sin then you will be forever damned. The motivation for all the good that they are guided to do is to have a better afterlife, selfish isn’t it? Well one who has no religion, has no belief in the afterlife. All the actions and choices that they make in this physical life are all they have. They live for today instead of living for tomorrow, metaphorically. When you do the right thing, like not lie, cheat, steal, then your life will reflect upon that. If you rape someone then our judicial system will lock you up in a concrete cell for a few decades and then you just wasted half of the only life you have. From this you could say that an Atheist has more to lose by not being moral. For this argument, well known atheists, Ricky Gervais said, â€Å"Forgiveness is probably the greatest virtue there is. But that’s exactly what it is - ­ a virtue. Not just a Christian virtue. No one owns being good. I’m good. I just don’t believe I’ll be rewarded for it in heaven. My reward is here and now. It’s knowing that I try to do the right thing. That I lived a good life,† (Gervais, 2010). A possible objection brought upon by these claims would be simply that God made morality and it’s not something we acquire. And for those that have faith in God, in all honesty why should they believe any differently? Their faith is what allows them to believe without having any need for reason, and that is extremely commendable. Many people aren’t capable of providing that much trust in the existence of a supernatural being. In this case, there are two sides to the story and it really does come down to which side you are on. Those that have a religion would say that their morality has come from the teachings of that religion. But, they wouldn’t know any otherwise. Even if they came to religion later in life, the bible provides written, physical guidance. An atheist would have a clean palette, not influenced by any ideas or direction. So the question of their morality is perfectly understandable. Its like saying if I had a candy bar, how could somebody else conjure that candy bar and experience the same sensation of it. In this paper, I explored a few concepts that argue the relationship between religion and morality. First by arguing where morality comes from, I said that it is something that we acquire through society. Next I said that morality is related to the religions amidst a culture. Last, I put forward that those without a religion are actually more moral than those with a religion. I Finished by providing objections and a point of view for those with a religion. The examples from literature that were used supported the claims made in the paragraphs. With these arguments, I believe that the relationship between religion and morality was effectively exposed. That it is not necessary for one to have a religion and be moral. References Antony, L. (2007). Philosophers Without Gods’ . Oxford University Press Gert, Bernard, â€Å"The Definition of Morality†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2012 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. ), URL = . Gervais, Ricky (2010) â€Å"Ricky Gervais: Why I’m an Atheist† The Wall Street Journal [Online] Available at: http://blogs. wsj. com/speakeasy/2010/12/19/a-holiday-message-from-ricky-gervais-why-im-an-atheist/ Marcotte, Amanda (2011) â€Å"10 Myths Many Religious People Hold About Atheists, Debunked† AlterNet [Online] Available at: http://www. alternet. org/story/152395/10_myths_many_religious_people_hold_about_atheists,_debunked SparkNotes Editors. (2003). SparkNote on The Good Earth. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/goodearth/Ã'Ž

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Amazon.com Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Amazon.com - Research Paper Example The success of e-business depends on how long a customer spends time in an e-business website. Amazon did everything needed to tie up the customers in their website. They have formulated different strategies to attract the net customers. Most of the internet users are youths and Amazon.com has everything needed to attract the youth customers. This paper briefly analyses the history, supply chain management process, online auction features, competitors and current market position of Amazon.com. History Amazon.com was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 in America† (Amazon.com, Inc). Initially it started as an online bookshop. However it expanded its business during the late 1990s and diversified its business to areas such as to offer the CDs, videos, DVDs, electronics, toys, tools, home furnishings and house wares, apparel, and kitchen gadgets etc (Amazon.com, Inc, n. d). Amazon entered the internet world in 1995 and registered as a public company in 1997. In 1998, they entered the on line music and video business and in 1999, they started to sell toys, electronics, tools, and hardware using their e-commerce website. Though the company has started as an online bookstore, currently it has products such as music CD’s, VHS, DVD, computer software, video games, electronics, apparel, furniture, food toys, etc apart from books. It has started film production also in 2008. Amazon has several websites custom made for countries like Canada, Germany, France, China, UK, Japan etc. The company did not focus on profits for the initial five years and spend much of its revenues in expansions in the initial years. This business strategy brought immense dividends to the company as per the recent statistics. Current market position   Currently Amazon.com employs more than 7800 employees and as per the statistics of 2002, it has reported $ 3.9 billion sales (Amazon.com, Inc, n. d). It is the largest online retailer at present in United States. The closest competitor Staple s Inc has only 1/3 rd of the revenues of Amazon.com as per the statistics available in 2010. As per the recent statistics, it ranked 272 in the list of Fortune 500 companies. Supply chain management process Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the process of controlling the movements of goods or services from suppliers to buyers. The efficiency of supply chain management depends on the availability of the material based on the demand. There should not be more goods in the store if the demand is less; at the same time there should be adequate number of goods always if the demand is good. Amazon has one of the most efficient, sophisticated and advanced supply chain management systems in the world. â€Å"Homemade applications handle nearly every aspect of its supply chain: warehouse management, transportation management, inbound and outbound shipping, demand forecasts, inventory planning, and more† (Bacheldor, 2004). In other words, all the aspects of supply chain management are man aged with the help of advanced software at Amazon.com. The human intervention is very less in the supply chain management process and the machines are dominating in this sector. Thus the chances of human errors which may delay the supply chain management process are very less. For example, computers and software are assisting Amazon in taking orders, processing orders and in ensuring the delivery of goods in time. Whenever, an item is purchased from

Friday, September 27, 2019

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Financial Management - Essay Example Dividend relevance The relevance of dividends in the price movement of the shares will be very high in case there is a shift in the fundamental factors governing dividend policy. ‘Agency theory posits that dividend mechanism provides an incentive for managers to reduce the costs associated with the principal/agent relationship. Distributing resources in the form of cash dividends forces managers to seek outside capital, thus causing them to reduce agency costs as they subject themselves to the scrutiny of the capital marketplace’ (Moh’d et al., 2005, p.367) The fundamental factors in this regard are profitability of the companies, the investment opportunities available to the companies for plough back of profits for the growth and management policy. Therefore, any change in the continued practice or policy is reviewed critically by the investors. In could affect the value of the shares in the following ways. 1. The existing investors sell the stocks if the change in policy impacts future dividends and is inconsistent with their investment objectives. 2. The change in policy could attract new investors if it is consistent with their investment objectives. 3. The demand and supply of stocks due to change in dividend policy will influence the market prices. ... The process of price discovery in the market is greatly vitiated in general by the interplay of these factors. Though these factors do cause price movements, the impact is very unpredictable. This leads to speculation with regard to the motives of the management of a company relating to dividend decisions. The investor community would generally be affected by these dividend decisions due to lack of access to market information or inability to interpret the information and its impact on the stock prices. There would be violent fluctuations of the stock prices in the short run which are caused not due to information content in respect of dividends, but other considerations or perceptions. The fundamental factors influencing dividend policy Profitability of company, its growth over years, the opportunities available to company for investment within company and management policy are the important factors governing dividend policies of the companies. Earnings growth The consistency and gr owth in payment of dividends by a company over years are discounted in the stock prices under efficient market conditions. The companies with good track record in this respect command high price/earnings multiple in valuation of their companies’ stocks. Dividend policy is, therefore, relevant to the premium in price/earnings multiple attached to the stocks. But, the recurring dividend announcements in line with the expectation of the market are not the determinants of the value of the stocks. However, when the earnings beat the expectation of the market and company increases dividends substantially or the payout ratio is increased significantly, the investors expect that the increase in dividends will be maintained in the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Football Attendance Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Football Attendance - Research Proposal Example When it comes to data analysis, the casual design of the research will begin with checking for the accuracy of the obtained primary data from interviews before it can be fed into the computer. The data will then be inferred to describing the important points that where obtained from the interviews to achieve the objectives and the aim of the research. Ethical issues will be emphasised in the researched through referencing of sources of information in the bibliography. The term foot ball is applied differently all over the world in terms of the sport, for example in the US it refers to the sport that involves running and kicking the ball in a competition between two teams in their attempt to score a goal. However, to its generality in the UK and other English speaking nations, foot ball also known as soccer is a sport like any other that involves manoeuvring a ball with ones foot with the aim of making goal. The game is characterised by two competing teams that comprises of eleven players. The players are usually males but with the course of time, it has seen females engage into the game. The players are restricted to a field of play where certain rules that govern the game are employed through its monitoring by a referee. The game usually lasts for ninety minutes with a half time break of fifteen minutes. However, in some instances the game can go beyond ninety minutes in what is referred to as extra time and this is usually influenced by time th at is wasted due to injuries or substitutions during the course of the match that prompts the referee to halt the game for a while. This causes the referee to compensate the wasted time by extending the length of time of the game. Foot ball's origin dates back to the times of the Ancient Greeks and Romans in medieval Europe who are considered to be the inventors of this game that has seen its popularization because of the large numbers of fanatics all over the world. This game was initially associated with peasants of the time who played it as a form of leisure. It was not governed by any rules or guidelines. Many people would engage in the game at the same time making it be referred to at one time as mob football. The game would be played by teams of people against other towns which would see a chaotic game that resembled a struggle. At the time there where no goal scoring posts and would be characterized by an attempt by the players to move the ball to a certain geographical location of their opponents. The game further developed in other regions as indigenous people adopted different versions of the game such as playing it on ice or other surfaces or introducing tools that they would use

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Use of Financial Tools in the Management Process Term Paper

The Use of Financial Tools in the Management Process - Term Paper Example Investments have related interest expense amounts. The same return shows the interest rate that is used to generate a resultant zero net present value. The present value is arrived at by using an interest rate in the computation. The annual or periodic cash inflow is collected. Examples of inflows of cash are: ? 260 for year 1, ? 280 for year 2, ? 250 and for year 3. The interest rate is given. The periodic or annual inflows of cash are multiplied by the present value factor (interest rate). The result of the multiplication activity is the present value amount of the periodic inflows of cash (Hilton, 2011). To computation of the rate of internal return, the present values are determined. Next, the decision maker must equate the cost of the investment as the total inflows of cash. Subtracting the two accounts, the net present value is nil (Daft, 2011). Next, the internal rate of return can be easily computed (Sollenberger, 2008). The total present value of net inflows of cash is divid ed by the total inflows of cash. The computation outcome is traced is plotted on the net present value table. The decision maker searches for the column where the division result falls. Further, the internal rate of return (IRR) tool is used to compare the financial performance of two or more entities. For example, the internal rate of return of Reagan Company is 6 percent. Further, Washington Company has an internal rate of return of 8 percent. Comparing the two companies’ internal rate of return, Washington Company has a better internal rate of return. The company with a higher internal rate of return output shows a financially better business image (Gitman, 2008). Compared with the net present value decision-making tool, the internal rate of return is a better management tool. Most decision makers prefer the internal rate of return. The internal rate of return places importance on times’ effect on money, cash flows. Time value analysis includes placing a higher value on the earlier collection or payment of cash amounts over the same amount of cash collected at later years.  

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Harlem Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Harlem Renaissance - Essay Example Supported by the African American Church and even more so by the African American writers, playwrights, artists, and musicians; the expression of African American resentment and the new grown self- confidence was demonstrated in their protests of American entry into the First World War in 1917. The Harlem Renaissance was very vocal against what they believed was a capitalist war that was not in their interests, and so exhorted the African American brought into New York from the South to support the war effort, to join the trade unions instead of being involved in the actual fighting in the war. Yet, many of the African Americans did go to war, expecting to get full citizenship. The denial of citizenship along with the segregation faced by them in the army, caused the returning soldiers to be involved in the expression demanding more rights for the African Americans (Williams, p.1-20). The newly found prosperity of the African Americans disappeared with the Great Depression in 1929. This was to have a profound impact on the survival of the Harlem Renaissance. In the beginning, the Great Depression had little impact on the fortunes of Harlem. Life went on as usual and the great writers continued to churn out inspirational works that expressed the African American desire of greater freedom and social expression. Yet, the era of the great days of Harlem were over. Erosion of the new found prosperity gradually reduced the importance of Harlem, as people strived to face the challenges of the Great Depression. The final nail in the coffin was the repeal of Prohibition by the government in 1933. The nightlife of Harlem disappeared, with the population of Manhattan preferring to remain in Manhattan, as they could drink legally in Manhattan. Many of the Harlem residents lost their jobs and were forced to eke out a living in penury, leading to racial riots (Worth, p. 92-98) . Yet, to view the impact of the Harlem Renaissance as limited to

Monday, September 23, 2019

Definition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Definition - Essay Example Many people have shown the attitude to persevere despite of the difficulties. As a result, they have helped and inspired many to do the same. In this paper, perseverance is defined in three distinct ways: the capability to endure hardships, hard work and committed to the task. Likewise, it will present three famous persons who have shown these characteristics and placed them in the pedestal of success making them good examples to young people. Perseverance is a virtue that entails the ability to endure many adversaries towards the attainment of a goal. This is something Helen Keller showed in her own life journey. We all know that Helen Keller wrote many poems and stories that are widely read by people young and old alike. The inspiring thing about her is that she is blind and deaf. Helen was born on June 27 1880 with the sense of sight and hearing. However, an unknown illness struck her when she was about a year and a half years old. Everyone in her family thought she was going to die. And then unexpectedly, after a few days, she got well. However, her mother noticed that Helen no longer responded to sound (like the ring of the bell) or sight stimuli. They then concluded that the illness has left her a mark which she suffered for the rest of her life. Towards her childhood years, Helen has been very hard to manage particularly when she throws tantrums and screams towards other members of the family. Upon the recommendati on of the family's friend Alexander Graham Bell, Helen's family finally decided to look for a teacher at the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind. Although difficult at first, Helen struggled to learn how to spell words using hand signals. With the efforts of her teacher Ann Sullivan, she continued to improve and master her skills despite of her condition. The highlight of her education happened when Anne brought her to the lake and spelled "water" in Helen's hand and the later immediately understood. From that moment, Helen's improvement was astounding as she could spell thirty new words that day including Anne's name. After this incident, Helen became famous because of an article that was written about her achievement. Eventually, she was also given a teacher to train her how to speak. Helen tried all her efforts to learn how to speak but was unsuccessful because her vocal chords were not fully developed. Still, this didn't stop her from pursuing her dreams. On 1891, she wrote the Frost King as a birthday gift for her friend Michael Agnos. Helen was also recognized as the first deafblind person to enter and finish a Bachelor of Arts degree in a higher learning institution. However, it was not easy for her as tons of school work further led to the deterioration of her eyesight. Helen soon travelled around the world giving lectures about her experiences. She has been an ambassador of faith and determination to many people. Perseverance also shows the spirit of service and commitment to people. Franklin D. Roosevelt is one of the famous American presidents because of the policies and political changes he started. His leadership started just in time when the unemployment rate is high and the economy was in slump. He proposed a program to bring relief to those who are unemployed, recover losses in business and enacted some reforms for the citizenry. Despite of all

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Hospitality Industry Questionnaire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospitality Industry Questionnaire - Essay Example Major role is to develop new ideas for creative events and recreational activities that would keep the customers interested and tempt him to experience events and go in for innovative recreational activities. Ensure safety and security for various stakeholders in the hospitality industry. Ensure that events and recreational activities are environment friendly and conducted within the parameter of defined government guidelines and ethics. They oversee the smooth front desk operation of hospitality industry and therefore, they should be of pleasant demeanor, well mannered and extrovert persons who can be trusted to act with discretion at all time. They should be highly motivated with good interpersonal and communication skills. They should exhibit exemplary leadership qualities and must possess innate sense of responsibility and accountability. F&B Manager must be knowledgeable, witty, enthusiastic, fun loving and creative. He or she should have leadership traits and ensure state of the art services in the field of F&B. They should also have strong organizational and communication skills. Degree in Hospitality Management with specialization in food and beverages is essential. Computer skills are also necessary. He should have minimum 2 years of experience in the F&B department of hospitality industry. He should have strong communication skills and managerial leadership qualities. He should also be tactful, patient and optimistic. His extrovert nature and persuasion skills should be extraordinary so that he is able to sell the various product and services of the hospitality industry. He should be used to working under stressful conditions and long

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Nicomachean Ethics Essay Example for Free

Nicomachean Ethics Essay Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote the Nicomachean Ethics, portraying the significance of studying the realms of ethics and political science. In his work, Aristotle focuses on the theme of how human beings can attain the chief human good—happiness—at which everything aims. Aristotle argues that ethics, the study of moral character, and political science, the branch of knowledge and analysis of political activity and behavior, must be closely studied together in order to fully grasp the meaning of and obtain the good way of life. Aristotle believes that there is only one goal, one ultimate end for every individual—that is eudaimonia, translated as happiness, not as a feeling but happiness as the highest human good or a life full of activity. He claims that a person should live a way of life distinct from the lives of animals, where they only live for the sake of living or pleasure. 1 As human beings, people should use their power of speech to communicate and make rational decisions within a polity, striving to live their lives up to their full potential and to their full capacity for a happy life. 2 The life of politics, the via activa, is thus the key to the chief good or the best life for humans; however, the life of action must be of certain type of quality, in accordance with reason, since different actions may lead to the good or the bad life. In other words, a person’s actions must be in line with arete, with virtue or excellence. 3 Possessing virtue is having the ability to realize the good things, and doing them at the right time and the right way to get things done. Virtues can result to two different ways: a good or bad life. For example, President Lincoln versus Adolph Hitler—both of these men possess the virtue of wisdom, although they have used them disparately, one ending a Civil War in peace and the other manipulating others to killing millions of innocent people. To make it to the good end, Aristotle claims that we must practice virtue by, giving it a certain type of character or ethical quality to our actions. 4 Although human cannot acquire virtue by nature alone, nature allows and gives us the capacity to acquire virtue by learning and through exercising them in our lives. 5 By constantly acting with virtue, we cultivate habituation and ultimately we do not need to be self-controlled to do what is just. Instead, we become accustomed to do what is right willingly and naturally. Activities of good ethics or good moral character are virtues. And so, to best learn and exercise these virtues is by incorporating political science in connection to ethics. Aristotle asserts that the science of politics, the highest master of science combined with many other sciences, must be very well studied, for it is where moral laws are examined and its end, including the ends of other sciences associated with political science, will be the chief human good of all society. 6 Therefore, Aristotle presents the idea that the state must play an important role to aim and shape a society of good citizens, incorporating what the good life is: the life of virtue. 7 The state must look after its citizens morally, creating a type of society that will allow people to have a political life together; consequently, this political life will give them the opportunity and the ability to realize their wide range of capacities and their ideal life. Without the state, humans will not be able to experience the good life, the life of action. They are not self-sufficient enough to work alone, for they need others to be self-sufficient and happy. 8 Having a community will give every individual a chance to experience the struggle within the polity, in which he or she can exercise his or her many virtues, whether it be the ability to be courageous in the face of danger, the ability to make better judgements, or the ability to resist pain in the midst of hard criticism. Consequently, they build up their ethos or character, cultivating them to eventually living a happy life. The life of struggle, of politics, is the life where humans can have the chance to develop their full capacities, abilities, and strengths to overcome many hardships and difficulties. 9 Having a strong state does not achieve full satisfaction; hence, the state must know what eudaimonia is in order to direct and guide its citizens. It is necessary for the state to study and establish what is just and what is ethics. In this way, the state could inculcate what is moral through laws and education. Acquiring the chief good starts at home. Aristotle argues that a good state support an educational system, for a society that promotes morality is the best way of cultivating habituation in young children. 10 Having this strong educational system in the state will successfully encourage parents of each household to train their young children in good principles, abiding by the set of moral laws established in the community; as a result, they will naturally apply their good habits in their daily lives and ultimately gain the perfect virtuous life. Connecting the study of ethics and political science together can bring the whole society into a healthy life of virtue. Ethics is the key in which politics can utilize and produce a good society. By knowing what is righteous and what is ethics, the state can make the ultimate life of happiness possible for its citizens. Political science plays the role of establishing and enforcing good and moral character through an effective system that can guide and habituate every part and class of society. Ultimately, having access to a superfluous life of activity in a way that is in line with reason will let individuals life life to the fullest, of virtue and of happiness.

Friday, September 20, 2019

An Overview Of The Book Of Ruth Theology Religion Essay

An Overview Of The Book Of Ruth Theology Religion Essay The Bible is full of inspirational concepts and full of revelatory truth. While the Old Testament points to Jesus of New Testament, it also contains basic doctrines that are established in the New Testament. Hence, words like kindness, faithfulness and mercy have their root in the Hebrew Bible. Hesed is an interesting and fascinating Hebrew word that has a wide range of meaning. The desire to study it makes one to learn a great deal about the characters and attributes of God as it relates to His kindness, faithfulness, goodness, mercy and steadfast love. Hesed was explicitly expressed in the Bible, most especially in the Old Testament. God revealed Himself to His chosen nation (Israel) through His personal attributes and characters (Jenkins,2011:1). No discussion of hesed would be complete without mentioning its role in the interactions of Naomi, her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, and the redeemer Boaz. It is on this fact that this paper answers the following questions: What does the concept of hesed entails? What is the general overview of the Book of Ruth? How is hesed described in the book of Ruth? And what implications do hesed present to the Nigerian Christians? This paper therefore intends to discuss how hesed was embraced and expressed in the Book of Ruth. THE CONCEPTS OF HESED There is a beautiful and rich word in the Hebrew language that powerfully describes the faithfulness, mercy, steadfastness and loving-kindness of the Lord. This Hebrew word is transliterated into English as hesed (Maxey, 2012:1). Hesed (pronounced khesed) is not just a Hebrew word to be translated by exegete as simply loving-kindness or mercy , it is in fact an attribute of God. The hesed of God is a divine characteristic and is at the center of why God acts as He does in real space and time. (Belnap,2009,1) Hesed as Jenkins(2011) asserted can be divided into the following three categories: family relationships, relational and religious (1). He went further to describe its occurrences in the Bible in the following words: Hesed occurs in the family relationships categories seven times in the Old Testament, six times in Genesis, once in 1samuel and once in Ruth. Hesed occurs in nine times in a relational way in the Old Testament- once in Ruth, once in Psalms, once in Esther, once in Daniel, twice in Ezra, once in Job, once Psalms and once Zechariah. Hesed used in a religious category involves forty times in the Old Testament- four timed in Genesis, once in Exodus and Deuteronomy two times in 2nd Samuel, fifteen times in Psalms. Once in 1Kings, once in 2nd Chronicles, once in Job, three times in Isaiah, once in Jeremiah, and once in Ruth. (2) The Bible also reveals that hesed is an attribute that children of God possess and they are commanded by God to emulate and develop it. Being made in God image, Gods people can emulate the divine attribute of hesed. While the idea of loving-kindness and mercy may seem to be only that of positive emotion, it will be demonstrated that Gods loving-kindness is a two-edged sword. Hesed can also mean a mechanism of judgment and accountability before God. People can be described as having the gift of hesed or having no hesed, or no loving-kindness. Hesed is both a Hebrew word and more importantly a Jewish theological concept. Hesed is found approximate 250 times in the Hebrew Bible, with about125 appearances in the Psalms alone. And while the word is not identified specifically as hesed in the Greek New Testament, the Old Testament concept of loving-kindness, mercy and selfless giving can be said to be the very heart of the New Testamnt Gospel. For God so loved the world that He gaveà ¢Ã¢â €š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Jn 3:16) (Emilio, 2012:4). AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK OF RUTH The Book of Ruth is named after one of the main characters in the story. There are two books in the Bible that bear the name of a woman. These books are: Ruth and Esther. While Ruth was Moabites, Esther on the other hand was a Jewess. The Book of Ruth has the records of a Gentile woman who came to live among the people of Israel and became the great-grandmother of David, Isreal greatest king; while in the Book of Esther an Israelite woman was taking into the court of the Gentile king and became a queen who secured deliverance for her people (Cowle, 2008; 22). Also, Tiessen in his write up portrays the book of Ruth as one of the most well-crafted pieces of literature in the Old Testament. He submits that: Despite its lesser status within the Jewish canon and the Christian Bible, the narrative of Ruth is well known. This popular familiarity is largely due to the engaging and challenging story the book offers: The tale of two women who overcome several formidable obstacles and succeed in preserving themselves and the family line, which eventually leads to the great King David (Tiessen,2010:1) The name of Ruth is mentioned twelve times in this book which bears her name (Heijkoop, 1989:7). The meaning of this name is friendship. This meaning according to Harlow (1987) reflected in the relationship of Ruth with her mother in-law (Naomi), and other people that came along her way. Even though she was a stranger in a strange land she blended well with the people because being friendly was part of her (5). This book of Ruth is in connection with the geneology of Jesus Christ as recorded in (Matt 1.5). Heijkoop (1989) also asserted that, The book itself beautifully illustrates how the Holy Spirit gathers up family circumstances in a manner which quite naturally directs the mind and thoughts to a very important truth(7). This special story in the Book of Ruth draws ones attention to the most precious titles of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word kinsman as used here could be translated as Redeemer or Avenger. This little book of only four chapters has drawn tributes from very many, and it has even been described as the Perfect Story. It is told simply and directly. Cundall and Morris (1968) in their own assertions described this book in the following words: The book is a book about friendship. The devotion that Ruth shows to Naomi and the care that Naomi exercises towards Ruth run through the book. It is simple a tale of friendship. The three principal characters of the book are depicted as being mindful of their obligations to the family. Ruth does not forget her duty to Naomi, and consequently to Elimelech, Naomi seeks out a marriage that will preserve the name of her deceased husband while Boaz marries the Moabites to raise up the name of the dead (241). It is better to see the book as a tale told because it is true and because it shows something of the relationship between God and man. The book of Ruth raises the question of whether or not Yahweh can be trusted. The incident suggests to Naomi that God had abandoned her or He is no more reliable. The author of the is unknown, but the last verse of chapter 4 points to the fact that it was written during the time of king David because the is where the list of Ruth descendants ends. (Harlow,1987; 6). The story according to Reid (2000), is told from a female point of view and certainly seems to commend Naomi and Ruth to believers (25). HESED IN THE BOOK OF RUTH The book of Ruth revolves around the concept of hesed. Hesed is an active concept and it is considered as an essential part of the nature of God. The word is frequently used to describe the gracious and merciful practices of God (Farmer, 1991: 96). Human beings, as said earlier are also expected to show hesed to one another. The Book of Ruth is about a stranger who had probably not encountered God personally but might have been hearing her mother in-law talked about that God. This gentile woman acted as an agent of Gods hesed when she showed hesed to Naomi. When Naomi thought that every hope was gone, this non- Israelite woman that brought hope by showing kindness to her mother in-law. In accordance with this, Farmer asserted: Ruths speech in 1:16-17constitutes an act of hesed. By committing herself and her future to the Lord, Ruth becomes the means through which God will transform Naomis emptiness into fulfillment. The Lord will be able to work through the loving-kindness of Ruth to change a crises situation into an occasion for hope. The Book of Ruth is a special book Christians should study and ponder well upon. It has an unhappy beginning, an uncertain middle and a happy ending. The tragedy that befell Naomi made her to forget that YHWH is still in control and that He can still bring redemption. This reflected in her statement: 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back, each of you, to your mothers home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband. Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, We will go back with you to your people. But Naomi said, Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lords hand has gone out against me! 14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 Look, said Naomi, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her. ( Ruth:8-15) NIV Naomi tried to convince the women to go back home She even reminded them of their mothers house. She knew the weak spot of Moabites female. The existence of Moab was the result of willfulness of the part of Moabs first mother, who at all costs had to have a relationship with a man and have children. (Gen 19:30-38) And the daughters of Moab had manifested the same willfulness (Heijkoop 31-33). Naomi directly blames YHWH for the tragic circumstances of her life. Believing that everything came from God. Her situation can be related to that of Job. Job accepted the misfortune that came upon him is from God. He said: Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? (Job 19:21-22). NIV Bruggeman, quoted by Tiessen explained the thoughts of job in relation to that of Naomi in these words: Job asks: Is God reliable? And Job, in his rage, entertains the option that Yahweh is not. Naomi, like Job, is in the throes of tragedy and likewise expresses and entertains the option that Yahweh is not reliable. Notice that in 1:13b Naomi asserts that the hand of Yahweh is against her, and thus she excludes her daughters-in-law who also have experienced profound loss through the deaths of their husbands (4). Naomi also pointed to her lonely position. A life without a husband and no children who would give her hope. All was Gods fault. Not only did Naomi try to keep her daughters-in-laws from joining her by depriving them of any hope of help, but she had also given them a total false picture of God, who actually is the husband to the widows and helper to the strangers. She indicated that God was responsible for all her misfortune, instead of admitting that she had brought those things upon herself by leaving God and His appointed place where they would have blessings (Heijkoop,36). She and her entire family chose to go to Moab neglected the place where they would have had the experience of Gods hesed as the Psalmist expressed: Behold, the Lords eye is upon those who fear Him who revere and worship Him with awe, who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness,  To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine (Ps 33:18-19). Naomis great effort to dissuade her daughters-in-law from accompany her seems strange, especially in view of her desire that they become true children of the Lord God of Israel. However, it seemed to be the only course she could take in view of her dire circumstances (Parker, 1980:144). While Orpah yielded to the advice of her mother in-law, went back to her own people and gods. Ruth clave to her, And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you (1:16-17). The strong desire of Ruth to go with Naomi symbolized her commitment to her and her God. Ruth was neither obliged for expected to become her mother-in-laws source of support. But once they were back in Bethlehem she was the one who went into the fields to glean the bits of grain that the harvests missed. Ruth indeed was a good daughter in-law. Her kindness was a total self sacrifice. She took the initiative in providing for their needs by suggesting that Naomi let her glean ear of corn. Gleaning, according to Parker (147) was a special provision of God written into the law to provide for the poor, especially for strangers, widows, and orphans (Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut.24:19). The practice required that owners should leave at harvest the corners of their fields and the droppings of the harvesters to care for the unfortunate groups of people. The attitude of Ruth towards Naomi by volunteering herself to take care of her is an expression of hesed which actually belongs to YHWH. One would wonder how a gentile could display the attributes that Gods children should possess. Emilio responded in the following words: How then did Ruth, a Moabitess, come by this divine trait which was originally given by God to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? The answer to this mystery is not found in the Holy Bible. However the Talmudic explanation is of value and interest because it helps clarify the theology of hesed which is found in both the OT and NT. Simply put, the Sages held that Ruth was a direct descendent of Abraham by way of Lot. They teach that Ruth was the daughter of Eglon and the granddaughter of Balak who were direct descendents of Moab the son of Lot and nephew of Abraham. Thus Ruth was an inheritor of the seed of lovingkindness which Abraham planted in Lot (Emilio, 2012) The hesed that Ruth showed to Naomi made it possible for her to meet her redeemer. Ruth met Boaz and received unexpected praise and favour. 11  And Boaz said to her, I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people unknown to you before. 12  The Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge! 13  Then she said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord. For you have comforted me and have spoken to the heart of your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants. 14  And at mealtime Boaz said to her, Come here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the sour wine [mixed with oil]. And she sat beside the reapers; and he passed her some parched grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left [for Naomi]. 15  And when she got up to glean, Boaz ordered his young men, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Ruth 2:11-15 The writer of this paper has discovered that Ruth and Boaz are like-minded people. The similarities between them are emphasized. Reid (2000), enumerates their similarities as follows: Boaz praised Ruth for her kindness to Naomi (Ruth 2:11-12) and Ruth praised Boaz for his generous kindness to her (Verses 10, 13). As Boaz enters the field, he pronounced a kindly phrase, The Lord be with you!(verse 4). This suggests that Boaz is such a leader who values and respected his employees. The workers respond, The Lord bless you! Boaz is clearly a good, kind man; who is suitable for good, kind Ruth (41). Studying this Book one will discover that God is at work even in the lives of his people. Ruths story reveals loud and clear that through the ordinary and unpredictable aspects of everyday life, one experience the reality of Gods care (Reid, 2000:25-28). IMPLICATIONS OF HESED FOR NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS Hesed in the book of Ruth is significant to the Nigerian Christians. It expresses how good and faithful YHWH is to His promises. He remembered Naomi in her low estate (Psalm 136: 23), even though she and her family brought the tragedy upon themselves. Many Nigerians Christians today run to Oversee countries because of the economical situation of their father land. Some of them are lost not remembering home again. The writer of this paper is of the opinion that there is still hope for Nigeria. The situation can still be better than what it is, if only Nigerian Christians can hope in God and trust Him absolutely. Similarly, hesed in the Book of Ruth stresses both family and community loyalty. Naomi thought first of the welfare of her daughters-in-law. She always acted with their best interest in mind. Boaz was noble. Ruth was loyal. Kent, (1980) submits that the simple narrative also amply illustrates the Lords providential care. God is clearly at work in the lives of those open to Him (143). Nigerian Christians are to commit to one another so as to be of help to one another in terms of needs; an adage says a friend in need is a friend indeed Also, as God expressed hesed (mercy) to His people, He expects them to reciprocate. God was ever faithful and devoted to His people (Israel) in the ancient time and He is still the same God of the contemporary times. In like manner does He expect faithfulness, total dedication and devotional life from the Nigerian Christians. The Christian leaders are expected to be faithful and dedicated to the position they are holding. They should be mindful of the welfare of their followers. As God is good and loyal to His promises, Boaz was good and kind to his followers so the Nigerian Christians should be good and loyal to one another. Also, Nigerian Christians should see God as a God of love and should demonstrate that love into their personal lives and ministries towards others. By doing this, Christians will be able to demonstrate to the world in words and deeds that their lives are grounded in the character of God who loves and desires to redeem the world through the person and work of Jes us Christ. Furthermore, it is worth noting that God can use anybody, no matter how rough the background may be. Willingness and readiness is what He desires. In like manner, Christians should pay sacrifice of taking other peoples problem upon themselves. They should be mindful of poor and the needy around them. CONCLUSION Hesed, is indeed a word denoting emotion but it is more a word of action. On the other hand, hesed is a gift from God, that is to say, God imparts a measure of His loving kindness to His children. And He expects all His children to express it to one another. Hesed, as used in this paper reveals the characters of three major people, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Many in this world have experienced the tragedy of Naomi and long for God to be present and active amidst situations where He does not always act in the way human beings expect. But absolute trust in Him will end in a happy way.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Compulsion Toward Evil in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay

The Compulsion Toward Evil in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†      Ã‚   It is the intention of this essay to demonstrate the compulsion toward gross evil in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† that is indicated by the actions of the characters, a compulsion that includes not only the leading characters but virtually everyone in the tale.    In Salem village that fateful night when the young Puritan husband was departing home for the night, he exchanged â€Å"a parting kiss with his young wife.† The wind was playing with â€Å"the pink ribbons of her cap.† Literary critic Wagenknecht surveys some of the critical interpretation relative to these ribbons on Faith’s cap and how they convey a message from Hawthorne:    Mathews finds the pastel of infancy in pink, but since pink is a color intermediate between red and white, William V. Davis prefers to take it as suggesting â€Å"neither total depravity nor innocence† but â€Å"the tainted innocence, the spiritual imperfection of mankind,† a view shared, up to a point, by Robinson. . . . (62).      So the critics would have us believe that the author is making a statement here: that seemingly good Faith is not all that good, based on the author’s placement of pink ribbons on her cap.    She whispered, â€Å"Dearest heart, prithee put off your journey until sunrise and sleep in your own bed tonight. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts that she’s afraid of herself sometimes.† Q.D. Leavis says in â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet† that â€Å"It is a journey he takes under compulsion, and it should not escape us that she tries to stop him because she is under a similar compulsion to go on a ‘journey’ herself† (36). So the main male and female characters are manifesting similar compulsions toward evil. .. ...n toward evil in the tale, which is indicated by the actions of the characters, a compulsion that includes not only the leading characters but virtually everyone.      BIBLIOGRAPHY    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Complete Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc.,1959. 247-56.    Lang, H.J.. â€Å"How Ambiguous is Hawthorne?† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Leavis, Q.D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Martin, Terence â€Å"Six Tales.† In Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989. The Compulsion Toward Evil in Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown Essay The Compulsion Toward Evil in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†      Ã‚   It is the intention of this essay to demonstrate the compulsion toward gross evil in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† that is indicated by the actions of the characters, a compulsion that includes not only the leading characters but virtually everyone in the tale.    In Salem village that fateful night when the young Puritan husband was departing home for the night, he exchanged â€Å"a parting kiss with his young wife.† The wind was playing with â€Å"the pink ribbons of her cap.† Literary critic Wagenknecht surveys some of the critical interpretation relative to these ribbons on Faith’s cap and how they convey a message from Hawthorne:    Mathews finds the pastel of infancy in pink, but since pink is a color intermediate between red and white, William V. Davis prefers to take it as suggesting â€Å"neither total depravity nor innocence† but â€Å"the tainted innocence, the spiritual imperfection of mankind,† a view shared, up to a point, by Robinson. . . . (62).      So the critics would have us believe that the author is making a statement here: that seemingly good Faith is not all that good, based on the author’s placement of pink ribbons on her cap.    She whispered, â€Å"Dearest heart, prithee put off your journey until sunrise and sleep in your own bed tonight. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts that she’s afraid of herself sometimes.† Q.D. Leavis says in â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet† that â€Å"It is a journey he takes under compulsion, and it should not escape us that she tries to stop him because she is under a similar compulsion to go on a ‘journey’ herself† (36). So the main male and female characters are manifesting similar compulsions toward evil. .. ...n toward evil in the tale, which is indicated by the actions of the characters, a compulsion that includes not only the leading characters but virtually everyone.      BIBLIOGRAPHY    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Complete Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc.,1959. 247-56.    Lang, H.J.. â€Å"How Ambiguous is Hawthorne?† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Leavis, Q.D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Martin, Terence â€Å"Six Tales.† In Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Revealing One’s Personality Online :: Blogs

Revealing One’s Personality Online The Internet has changed the way we communicate. The difference between communication online and communication in â€Å"real life† is that when you are online, people cannot see you, and therefore have no idea who you actually are. So, people often feel a greater sense of freedom and anonymity, which allows them to reveal either who they truly are, or who they want to be. People often reveal their personalities differently online than in real life. The personalities formed in this free environment play an important role online. In â€Å"Psychology of Weblogs,† Grohol states that people use blogs because they enjoy hearing about other people living their lives; they especially enjoy strong or unique personalities. Grohol stated, â€Å"what’s the purposes of the thousands of small, individually-run sites? One word - personality† (Grohol). Communication over the Internet is based on trust. When you hold a conversation with someone online, the person on the other end of the conversation really has no idea if you are who you say you are, and you also have no way of knowing if they are who they say they are. This situation of questionable identity can occur even when you are talking with friends. I am sure many of us have played this game by chatting on someone else’s instant messenger, all the while letting the other person assume we were someone else. The same thing can happen in chat rooms or even on blogs. Bloggers are free to recreate their personality in the virtual community. This situation gives people the perfect opportunity to change the way they portray themselves to others. It is their chance to be someone else. In â€Å"The Good, the Bad, and the Internet,† Globus supports the idea that alternative personalities are used online by stating, â€Å"In cyberspace, looks don’t count. You can also choose to share only the things about yourself that you consider flattering. You can also adopt new behaviors or even a whole new identity.† (Globus) McLaren continues by stating, â€Å"You can’t ever really know if they are who they say they are.† (Globus) After all, 24 percent of teenagers who were questioned about using different Internet communication tools admitted to pretending to be someone else while online (Globus). After all, if you met someone online, would you really want to tell them about your lesser characteristics?

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Proctor in The Crucible :: Arthur Miller

The Crucible In the The Crucible by Arthur Miller, justice is raped by the immorality of those who kill for pleasure. Salem 1690’s, an epidemic of accusations is going around the village. Women, Men and Children are accusing others of witchcraft. More than a dozen of girls fell ill, everything attributed to the devil. Men and Women are being killed by immoral accusations, some of them because of land disputes, but others because of forbidden passions. A forbidden passion between Proctor and Abigail leads into the tragedy of the play. Proctor is a man with a lot of moral problems, who always concerns only for the care of his family and social welfare. When avoiding his involvement in the trails of witchcraft, he is accused of witchery and sentenced to death. Arthur Miller shows us Proctor as a common farmer, who is honest, and respectable, who only cares for his family. Proctor lives in the town with his wife and their children. Nevertheless, as the play goes, Miller lets us know that Proctor has a significant secret, an extramarital relation with Abigail Williams, relation that was over for Proctor, but not for Abigail. In the following passage Abigail tells Proctor, why she loves him: â€Å"I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was thought by all these christians women and their covenanted men! and now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet.†(page 177) Abigail does not want to believe that everything is over between her and Proctor. For Proctor everything is something of the past, while there is something in him that makes him feel love for Abigail. On the other hand, for Abigail, Proctor is everything and will make everything possible to get his love. Love that will soon come a passion that will set the tragedy in the play. In addition, this affair causes Elizabeth to not believe Proctor, which causes lack of communication between the matrimony. Proctor, who for seven months was trying to get Elizabeth trust again is tired of her suspicions, and tells that, â€Å"Spare me! you forget nothing and forgive nothing. Learn charity, woman.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Respiratory System Mechanics Essay

1.) When you forcefully exhale your entire expiratory reserve volume, any air remaining in your lungs is called the residual volume (RV). Why is it impossible to further exhale the RV (that is, where is this air volume trapped, and why is it trapped?) This â€Å"dead space† of air needs to stay in your lungs constantly; otherwise the lung will completely deflate. If the lung has every bit of air sucked out of it, it will collapse and need to be re-inflated. 2.) How do you measure a person’s RV in a laboratory? By the air remaining in the lung 3.) Draw a spirogram that depicts a person’s volumes and capacities before and during a significant cough. Additional Questions for Activity 1. The following questions refer to Activity 1: Measuring Respiratory Volumes and Calculating Capacitates 1.) What would be an example of an everyday respiratory event the ERV button Stimulates? forced expiration 2.) What additional skeletal muscles are utilized in an ERV activity? abdominal-wall muscles and the internal intercostal muscles contract 3.) What was the FEV1 (%) at the initial radius of 5.00 mm? 73.9% 4.) What happened to the FEV1 (%) as the radius of the airways decreased? How well did the results compare with your prediction? FEV1 (%) decreased proportionally with the radius 5.) Explain why the results from the experiment suggest that there is an obstructive, rather than a restrictive, pulmonary problem. The FEV1 (%) decreased proportionally as the radius decreased, characteristic of an obstructive pulmonary problem Activity 2 Comparative Spriometry Chart 2: Spirometery Results Patient Type TV (ml) ERV (ml) IRV (ml) RV (ml) FVC (ml) TLC (ml) FEV1 (ml) FEV1 (%) Normal 500 1500 3000 1000 5000 6000 4000 80% Emphysema 500 750 2000 2750 3250 6000 1625 50% Acute asthma attack 300 750 2700 2250 3750 6000 1500 40% Plus inhaler 500 1500 2800 1200 4800 6000 3840 80% Moderate exercise 1875 1125 2000 1000 ND 6000 ND ND Heavy exercise 3650 750 600 1000 ND 6000 ND ND 1.) Why is residual volume (RV) above normal in a patient with emphysema? The lungs empty slower than normal. 2.) Why did the asthmatic patient’s inhaler medication fail to return all volumes and capacities to normal values right away? The smooth muscle in the bronchioles didn’t return to normal plus mucus still blocks the airway. 3.) Looking at the spirograms generated in this activity, state an easy way to determine whether a person’s exercising effort is moderate or heavy. The more rapid the lines the more heavier the exercise. Additional Questions for Activity 2. The following questions refer to Activity 2 Comparative Spirometry 1.) What lung values changed (From those of the normal patient) in the spirogram when the patient with emphysema was selected? Why did these values change as they did? How well did the results compare with your prediction? ERV, IRV, RV, FVC, FEV, and FEV1 (%) all changed; these are due to the loss of elastic recoil 2.) Which of these two parameters changed more for the patient with emphysema, the FVC or the FEV1? FEV1 decreased significantly more 3.) What lung values changed (from those of the normal patient) in the spirogram when the patient experiencing an acute asthma attack was selected? Why did these values change as they did? How well did the results compare with your prediction? TV, ERV, IRV, RV, FVC, FEV1, and FEV1 (%) all changed; due to restriction of the airways 4.) How is having an acute asthma attack similar to having emphysema? How is it different? Similar because obstructive diseases characterized by increased airway resistance; Different because more difficult to exhale with emphysema that with asthma 5.) Describe the effect that the inhaler medication had on the asthmatic patient. Did all the spirogram values return to â€Å"normal†? Why do you think some values did not return all the way to normal? How well did the results compare with your prediction? Returned to normal were TV, ERV, FEV1 (%); smooth muscles in the bronchioles didn’t return to normal blue mucus still blocks the airway 6.) How much of an increase in FEV1 do you think is required to be considered significantly improved by the medication? 10-15% improvement 7.) With moderate aerobic exercise, which changed more from normal breathing, the ERV or the IRV? How well did the results compare with your prediction? IRV changed more with moderate activity 8.) Compare the breathing rates during normal breathing, moderate exercise, and heavy exercise. TV increased over normal breathing with both moderate and heavy exercise. Activity 3. Effect of Surfactant and Intrapleural Pressure on Respiration Chart 3: Effect of Surfactant and Intrapleural Pressure on Respiration Surfactant Intrapleural pressure left (atm) Intrapleural pressure right (atm) Airflow left (ml.min) Airflow right (ml/min) Total Airflow (ml/min) 0 -4 -4 49.69 49.69 99.38 2 -4 -4 69.56 69.56 139.13 4 -4 -4 89.44 89.44 178.88 0 -4 -4 49.64 49.64 99.38 0 0.00 -4 0.00 49.64 49.69 0 0.00 -4 0.00 49.69 49.69 0 -4 -4 49.69 49.69 99.38 1.) Why is normal quiet breathing so difficult for premature infants? They don’t have much surfactant. 2.) Why does a pneumothorax frequently lad to atelectasis? If the lungs are broken down mechanically, then the chances of developing increased. Additional Questions for Activity 3 The following questions refer to Activity 3: Effect of Surfactant and Intrapleural Pressure on Respiration 1.) What effect does the addition of surfactant have on the airflow? How well did the results compare with your prediction? AIrflow increases because resistance is reduced 2.) Why does surfactant affect airflow in this manner? It decreases surface tension in the alveoli making it easier for the alveoli to increase surface area for gas exchange. 3.) What effect did opening the valve on the left lung? Why does this happen? The lung collapses because the pressure in the pleural cavity was less than the intrapulmonary pressure; air flows from the lungs, causing it to collapse 4.) What effect on the collapsed lung in the left side of the glass bell jar did you observe when you closed the valve? How well did the results compare with your prediction? It caused the lung to collapse because the pressure in the pleural cavity is less than the intrapulmonary pressure. Air flows from the lungs causing the collapse of the lung. 5.) What emergency medical condition does opening the left valve simulate? A collapsed lung (pneumothorax) is a buildup of air in the space between the lung and the chest wall (pleural space). As the amount of air in this space increases, the pressure against the lung causes the lung to collapse 6.) In the last part of the activity, you clicked the Reset button to draw the air out of the intrapleural space and return the lung to its normal resting condition. What emergency procedure would be used to achieve this result if these were the lungs in a living person? A chest by insertion of tube to draw air out of pleural cavity and restore the pressure gradient 7.) What do you think would happen when the valve is opened if the two lungs were in a single large cavity rather than separate cavities? If both lung were in a single large cavity rather than separate cavity when valve was open the entire lung will collapse and there will be no extra lung to breath with and death would occur much sooner.

Fast Food Nation Essay

The growth of the fast food industry over the past few decades into what it is today is an undeniable phenomenon that has occurred in an alarmingly rapid pace. The fact of the matter is it seems that a person has a very realistic chance of finding a McDonalds within a 4 mile radius of any household in the country, it is also arguable that this is already the case for the world as well, and if not now then very soon indeed. According to an article â€Å"Good Home Cooking–Right off the Assembly Line,† by James Bone on the Times Online Web site said, â€Å"only one-third of Americans cook meals from scratch†, meaning with fresh ingredients. Bone also reports that â€Å"Americans spend only thirty minutes cooking dinner, compared with 2-1/2 hours in the 1960s†. In his book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser says, â€Å"one-quarter of Americans eat in a fast-food restaurant each day† (3). Why are Americans eating so much fast food? The answer is simple: they are willing to trade quality for speed. While Americans may be attracted to food that is fast and easy, they are missing some important benefits of slowing down. In fact, Americans’ obsession with fast food is hurting not only their health but also the quality of their lives. The main reason that Americans are getting take-out food and cooking prepared meals is obvious: they don’t have enough time. Bone said â€Å"in more than two-thirds of households in America, two people are working†. People with demanding work schedules have little time for food shopping and cooking. Another reason that mealtime has become so short is that many younger adults grew up in what one might call a fast-food culture. In the past fifty years, inventions such as televisions, fax machines, and computers have increased the pace of life. At the same time, microwave ovens, drive-through restaurants, and TV dinners have changed the way Americans eat. Many people now prefer to eat quickly, even in their cars or in front of the television, instead of taking time to cook a meal and sit at the table. In this culture of instant gratification, people don’t think food is important enough to spend much time on. Even though Americans think that they are saving time and improving their lives by eating precooked and prepackaged food, their obsession with fast food is causing the quality of their lives to go down. Fast food doesn’t contain the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. They have lots of preservatives, fat, sugar, and salt to hide the fact that they are not fresh. As a result, people may feel chronically fatigued and lack the energy they need to complete daily tasks. If people do not eat fresh foods that provide necessary vitamins and minerals, they may become tired and sick, and they will miss out on opportunities to enjoy their lives. Another serious health concern is obesity. There is an obesity epidemic in America today, especially with young person, that is related to the way people are eating. According to Schlosser, â€Å"the rate of obesity among American children is twice as high as it was in the late 1970s† (240). Obesity can lead to many health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In â€Å"The Link Between Fast Food And The Obesity Epidemic. † Dustin Frazier writes, â€Å"deaths due to poor diet and physical inactivity increased 33 percent over the past decade†. It cites a study concluding that, â€Å"poor diet and physical inactivity may soon overtake tobacco as the leading cause of death in this country†. Certainly, if fast food causes people to become obese, and then obesity causes them to get sick or die, fast food cannot be considered â€Å"improvement† in Americans’ lives. Even though Americans may think they are saving time and improving their lives by eating fast food, they will actually have healthier and more enjoyable lives if they change the way they cook and eat. Making dinner from scratch is much healthier than getting burgers and fries from a fast-food restaurant. And people get more than just a full stomach–they get more time with family and friends and a good feeling from creating something healthy. People should learn to choose fast food carefully and remember the pleasure of eating good food in good company. Work Cited Bone, James. â€Å"Good Home Cooking–Right off the Assembly Line. † TimesOnline 27 Mar. 2006. 9 Oct. 2006. Frazier, Dustin A. â€Å"The Link Between Fast Food And The Obesity Epidemic. † Health Matrix: journal Of Law-Medicine 17. 2 (2007): 291-317. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York, NY: Perennial, 2002. Print.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Chaucer on marriage

Chaucer looks at male and female perspectives on marriage and shows the entire institution to be a farce, stereotyped by wealthy, flaccid old men and young, beautiful, deceitful wives. January, the old man in the merchant's tale, says â€Å"wedlock is so easy and so cline† (1264), which is sarcastic as the merchant has already spoken out against marriage, and women in particular. Yet January's motivations to get married are hardly pure, but more practical and shallow.For â€Å"sixty year a waffles man was heel and followed ay his bodily delete/ on women† (1248-50); after sixty years of fooling around with numerous women, he is ready to have a wife â€Å"on which he mighty engender hymn an heir† (1272). Rather than choosing a wife who is wise and loving and would care for him in his old age and sickness, he makes his decision as if he were choosing livestock, saying â€Å"l wool noon Old ‘. Nary Han†¦ / she shall Nat passe twenty year†¦ /and bet t han old beef is the tender feel† (1416-20).What is ironic is that January sees this way of approaching marriage as pure because it was so normal and standard. The purity of marriage would come if it were based on love and mutual respect, but instead for most men it is about having an heir and a beautiful wife. January can't see that he's leaving himself vulnerable to a young wife that will be deceitful and seek pleasure from younger more attractive men, instead thinking he can â€Å"a young thing may men gee,/ right as men may warm hex with handed Pyle† (1429-30).In the wife's tale, she shows that old men cannot actually mold their young wives into good, loving creatures. Although the wife of Bath â€Å"sits [she] twelve year was of age†¦ ‘ housebound at creche door [she has] had five† (4-6), she is no innocent. She manipulates and terrorizes her old husbands with her sexuality to gain money and control, until they are her â€Å"[detours] and†¦ [ thralls]† (155). She ends up molding her old husbands to her will.For her a husband is a source of income, and she always sakes sure she has one lined up on the sidelines. She had her fifth husband ready to marry her by the time her â€Å"fourth housebound was on beer† (587), and she â€Å"wept but small' (592), being already â€Å"purveyed of a make† (591). Even though the fifth husband that she takes is younger than her and she is now in the old man's position, she is still able to control her young husband to a certain degree, although it is much harder.It seems like an innate ability that women have to control their cabanas because its more than a survival method, but a way to find pleasure despite being in a technically submissive role. But a true marriage shouldn't be about control. This is what makes marriage such a Joke to Chaucer, and he is very cynical towards it. The tradition and sanctity of marriage means nothing because it is based on a foundation of lying and shallowness. Men and women conform to their stereotypes because of how society has shaped them and made marriage such a necessity.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Critically Examine the Geopolitics of Humanitarian Aid Within the 21st Century.

Critically examine the geopolitics of humanitarian aid within the 21st century. How have responses to famine changed over time and what are the key challenges to famine prevention today? Geopolitics have played a huge role in humanitarian aid in the current century. Because humanitarian aid is largely sponsored by western countries it poses a huge problem in the form of a â€Å"parochial form of theorizing†1 that supports the interests of the richest countries of the world. For the purpose of this essay I will begin by examining the problems that have arisen in the most recent years of humanitarian aid assistance.This arises from conditional aid, whereby donor countries or organizations impose conditions in order for recipient countries to receive this aid. Followed by this is the secularization and polarization of the aid industry where organizations are constantly in competition for finite resources. Lastly the 21st century has seen foreign militaries carry out humanitarian aid missions which jeopardizes the neutrality and impartiality which is so essential in carrying out aid to anyone who is in need. Secondly this essay will look at how humanitarian aid has changed over time.For the purpose of this short essay I will look at the 1998 famine in North Korea whereby humanitarian aid was given, only under political concessions. Disguised as aid, the humanitarian assistance given to North Korea was used as a political tool that undermines the fundamental ideas of humanitarian aid. The basic theorizations of humanitarianism put a deep emphasis on adherence to principles of impartiality and neutrality and assistance based solely on need. Adherence to these principles has been the biggest problems of humanitarian aid over its history, but never more so than in the 21st century.Aid in recent years has been based on conditionality which essentially means that in order for nations to receive aid, these nations have to adopt conditions that that the donor nation imposes. This means that aid is not offered on the basis of those who need it, but is based on policy that supports the donors giving aid. Therefore critics see these policies, although framed as humanitarian in principle, as very far removed from humanitarian. In essence it is foreign policy that is advantageous to the donor. Some such policies that come from conditionality are trade liberalization, that can ruin domestic economies and increase unemployment, and capital account liberalization that would open less developed economies to investments from multi-national corporations. Such investments have little impact on the majority of people in these countries and generally only benefit the corporations themselves and a small group of elites in the recipient countries. This supply of aid, especially in the events of crisis is in complete contrast to the fundamental principles of humanitarian aid. One of the most problematic concerns of aid in the last ten years has been the politi cization and secularization of the aid industry. Over the last twenty five years humanitarian aid has become heavily institutionalized. This has led to more effective logistics and delivery systems. However it has also created institutions that are perhaps not so concerned with providing aid to those in need, but acting in the interests of governments or big businesses that are the donors of the resources. Humanitarian organizations such as NGO’s and now foreign military forces are often in competition with local organizations which has led to valuable resources being wasted because of constant competition for aid . 5Because of this, NGO’s neutrality (one of the most fundamental principles of humanitarian aid) is severely compromised because the boundaries between relief and development, war and peace and political objectives are not easily defined.Thus, NGO’s in these most recent years have struggled to adhere to the basic humanitarian principles of providing t o those most in need because their ideals are compromised by the secularization and politicization of aid organizations. 6 Perhaps one of the most fundamental problems of humanitarian aid in the 21st century is the fact that it is often no longer carried out by NGO’s, but is in fact coordinated by foreign military forces. In cases such as Iraq and Afghanistan the United States military assumed a huge role for the distribution of disaster and humanitarian assistance alongside their military objectives.If foreign militaries are carrying out humanitarian aid alongside military objectives, then there is no way that aid can be supplied to whoever is in need in ways that are impartial, neutral and independent. This new system whereby foreign militaries are responsible for supplying aid has created huge security problems for not only the military, but for the people who are receiving aid. Opposing factions to foreign military time and time again in Afghanistan and Iraq have targeted civilians receiving aid to further their own agenda. These are the problems that exist in the humanitarian aid industry today, but these problems have developed over a course of many years and responses to famine and humanitarian disasters have evolved over time. Thirty years ago disaster relief and humanitarian aid were not considered to be of huge significance on a geopolitical scale. During the 70’s and 80’s although humanitarian crisis existed, the geopolitics was more focused on the cold war and respecting the sovereignty of nation states.Although crisis in Africa, East Pakistan and Guatemala (to name a few) were made aware to the international community , they were sidelined by the real political concerns defined by the cold war. Throughout the 1970’s, 1980’s and even the 1990’s international opinion and more importantly international law, respected the fact that governments, even of highly prone man-made and natural disasters had the respon sibility, will, interest and ability to protect their own citizens.Any humanitarian aid that was given in these years was seen as assistance to these governments to look after their own citizens. Essentially 25 years ago, the concept of ‘humanitarian intervention’ without the concurrence of the affected state would not have been considered and certainly would not have been sanctioned by the United Nations or the International Community. 8 Since the 1980’s humanitarian aid and responses to famine have changed not only in thought, but institutionally.In the mid 1980’s there were approximately 280 governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental aid organizations. Today that number is over 1000. As well as this huge expansion of organizations there has been a dramatic increase in aid expenditure. In the last two decades humanitarian assistance has tripled from approximately two billion to six billion dollars. 9 Because of this huge increase in the funding of aid the competition between organizations can sometimes have disastrous consequences because the organizations are competing for finite resources.This is increased by for profit organizations that are competing for lucrative humanitarian and development contracts. Many donors of aid motives are not for the needs of the people that are in need of these resources but are aligned with domestic considerations or international interests that are a world apart from the specific needs of those people affected by disaster or emergency. 10 The famine of North Korea in 1998 is a perfect example of conditional humanitarian aid, and how it is driven not by humanitarian principle, but a clever tool for geopolitical gains.The North Korean famine shows how humanitarian aid today has changed to become an important political tool in contrast to two decades ago whereby any humanitarian crisis was sidelined because of the geopolitical context of the cold war. 9 In times of famine it is important t o emphasize that the likelihood of a starving nation to accept emergency aid under any condition means that conditional aid can be seen as a political tool to establish a diplomatic, political or even military presence under the disguise of humanitarian aid. 11 This was such the case in the North Korean famine.From 1995-1998 North Korea was hit by a series of national disasters that resulted in a large scale famine. Rough estimates say that by 1998 North Korea lacked about two million tones of grain needed to feed its people. According to the world food program the rate of moderate to severe malnutrition of children in North Korea was about sixty per cent by mid 1998. 12 By mid 1998 the United States and South Korea realized that it could use the famine in North Korea as a political tool to penetrate the isolated North and offer aid on terms that benefited themselves.The United States and South Korea offered food aid on terms that North Korea had to enter into reunification and peac e talks and not break out of the 1994 agreed framework designed to end the North’s nuclear program. If the North refused to adhere to these conditions, no food aid would be given. Another condition was that the shipments of aid would be covered with stickers and logos from the United States and South Korea. Although this may seem insignificant it was a huge propaganda tool for the donor powers.It could serve as an undermining of the North Korean regime that had told its people for decades that the South and the United States were undermining their nation. 13 The slow response to give aid put the US and South Korea in a strategically advantageous situation to further its political goals. If North Korea didn’t accept United States conditions the famine would continue and the possibility of an internal break down of the state increased. If the North accepted the terms on which the donors offered, the aid functioned as an important political tool.It meant North Korea had t o give concessions and that the people of North Korea could see the failure of its regime and the kindness of the western powers that they had been told for so long were there enemies. Thus, humanitarian aid was not offered to support those people starving, but was rather used as a political tool to further the donor states own political agendas under the guise of humanitarian aid. In actual fact, the aid was so far removed from what humanitarian aid in its purest sense really was. 4 So much was this aid seen as a political tool that in 1998 the South Korean government banned non governmental groups from fundraising to support those starving in the North. 15 This is undeniable proof that political aims were the underlying focus of the ‘conditional aid’ rather than aid to help the starving North Korean population that was stricken by famine. The key challenges to famine prevention today are huge and include a combination of factors that are not easily unchanged.First of all, humanitarian aid is now such a lucrative industry that competition for contracts means that organizations are in constant competition for finite resources, the resources that are needed in times when famine strikes. Secondly, as long as foreign militaries carry out some humanitarian aid then the adherence to neutrality and impartiality that is so fundamental to the aid process is essentially undermined. Military goals will always be aligned alongside objectives that are not necessarily aligned with those of starving people.And finally, as long as conditional aid is used as a political tool, then humanitarian aid faces huge challenges. In a time when people need aid, if governments are focused on geopolitical goals and furthering their own agendas rather than helping those in times of famine then humanitarian aid is essentially a guise and is merely a political tool for donor governments to use to further their own agendas. 1 Robinson, J. (2003) ‘Postcolonising geography: tactics and pitfalls' Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography p273 2 When does aid conditionally work?Gabriella R Montinola. Studies in comparative international development, vol 45, 2010, pp 358-362 3 ibid (same ref as above) 4 International Human Crisis: two decades before and two decades beyond. Randolf C Kent. International Affairs Volume 80, issie 5, 2004 p 851-870 5 Aaltola, M. – Responding to emergencies and fostering development: the dilemmas of humanitarian aid Third world planning review. – Liverpool University Press. – 0142-7849   Vol. 22(1), 2000, p. 111-112 6 International Human Crisis: two decades before and two decades beyond. Randolf C Kent.International Affairs Volume 80, issie 5, 2004 pp 851-870 7International Human Crisis: two decades before and two decades beyond. Randolf C Kent. International Affairs Volume 80, issie 5, 2004 851-870 8 Reshaping humanitarian assistance in the twenty first century. Tim O’Dempsey and Barry Munslow. Pro gress in Development Studies 2009 9:1 pp 1-2 9 Randolf C Kent. Pp 851-870 10 Aaltola, M. – Responding to emergencies and fostering development: the dilemmas of humanitarian aid Third world planning review. – Liverpool University Press. – 0142-7849   Vol. 22(1), 2000, p. 111-112 11. G.M Guess. The Politics of United States Foreign Aid, London: Croom Helm, 1987, p3 12 Lischer, Sarah Kenyon. Dangerous Sanctuaries:  Refugee Camps, Civil War, And the Dilemmas of Humanitarian Aid. Cornwell University Press. 2006. Pp 3-9 13 Emergency Food Aid as a Means of Political Persuasion in the North Korean Famine Mika Aaltola Third World Quarterly  , Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. , 1999), p 374 14 Emergency Food Aid as a Means of Political Persuasion in the North Korean Famine Mika Aaltola Third World Quarterly  , Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. , 1999), pp 372- 386 15 Korean Herald, 13 May, 1997