Education Philosophy Outline

Philosophy of Education Outline I. Introduction a. Ever since I was in elementary school, I wanted to become a teacher. I have had some outstanding teachers in my lifetime and I would love to carry on the legacy. I want to inspire the future generation to make the world a better place. b. Every teacher has their own personal views on teaching, learning, goals, and professional development. c. Teaching is not just a job. Teachers mold their students’ futures every day. I believe it is highly important that each teacher strives to make a difference in each student’s life.II. Teaching d. Tools are a necessary part of learning. I plan to use a variety of tools, including SmartBoard technology, books, videos, props, etc. I believe students learn the best by participating in hands-on activities as opposed to only lectures. e. I believe that a teacher should play many roles, not just one. This includes being the motivator, facilitator, challenger, and supporter. f. The School of Thought I agree with is Democratic. This stresses the process of learning, not just the product. It also promotes outside-the-box thinking. g.My preferred educational philosophy is progressivism. I favor an open classroom where students often work together and learn to deal with social problems as well as material from the curriculum. III. Learning h. Learning is something we do every minute of every day. When someone learns, they are broadening their horizons and gaining new experiences. i. Learning is an adventure and a voyage. j. In my classroom, I plan to incorporate a variety of strategies. This includes discussion, but will also include hands-on activities, group work, and presentations. IV. Teaching Goals k.To incorporate out-of-the-box thinking and new ideas. l. To make sure every student understands the subject matter. m. To be open to change and spontaneity. V. Personal or Professional Development n. To make each student truly feel that they are a vital part of the clas sroom, and that they have the power to make a difference. o. To be just as passionate about my work and the subjects studied as I expect my students to be. VI. Conclusion p. When I become a teacher, I hope to change the lives of each and every student. q. Making a difference is inspiring our future generation to change the world.

Mother and Mom

Though I admit the title of this essay is a bit generic and you have the right to assume â€Å"oh the author must be a mother’s boy† or â€Å"another essay for the mother’s day propaganda†. In this case my reminisce of my mother in the actual body of the text is not filled with only meager sentimentality or a message that we should all love our mothers, it is based on two convictions that are based off of thousands of years of painful human evolution.My first conviction is that the discovery of new knowledge can only come from the re-discovery of pre-existing knowledge- thus anything that you knew or already knew about the importance of our mothers that happens to be in the text will become new to you. My second conviction is that we take for granted what helps us, hurts us, and originates us. And since I brought up the word sentimentality I will bring my third conviction!We can’t always look at life from a purely philosophical basis, though the phi losophical basis is important for thinking, we must not forget those precious moments and experiences we share with our mothers when we were kids (that is if you had a loving mother- which unfortunately my mother didn’t). Thinking too much in a purely rigid philosophical-scientific basis causes us to be antisocial. From my experiences thinking too much in a purely sentimental way only makes us miss the past and scorn the future. Where on earth is that which makes me credible to state these convictions?Where can these convictions, be even discovered? They originate from most privileged people’s domain, only made possible by man’s discovery of fire- it is a place that comes alive when used and to the living acts as a double polarizable monism, its shape being a spiral- the kitchen. Every morning I would wake up completely focused and hell-bent on my tasks. I would ravage my somewhat clean but slightly disorganized room for clothes to wear. I would in haste make my simple but sometimes incomplete breakfast as I think of G-d, homework deadlines, and delude myself with my dreams and aspirations.As I am eating on the squeaky clean glass kitchen table, sitting on a chair covered in plastic, in the periphery of my eye I would see my mom or I would hear the sound of her flippers distinctly pattering on the granite tile in the kitchen. Sometimes I am quite nervous when I am around her, especially if I forget to clean some forgettable part of the kitchen. When the kitchen is dirty, or a section of the kitchen is dirty, in the morning, she can be either calm about it and tell us to clean what we missed, but sometimes she can explode on me and my younger sister.She would yell at us as if we have done some sort of criminal act. By habit my younger sister and I would make sure that the kitchen is clean before we go to bed to prevent our mom from being angry at us. But when my mom comes in the kitchen- as I feel the anticipation of her approval of the kit chen- and she accepts our work in the kitchen- the exact opposite of her authoritarian spirit comes out and it can be the most beautiful thing I can ever experience.This is how I live every day in my home- studying and cleaning the kitchen. The moment after I finish this essay†¦. Just guess it- I will be cleaning the kitchen. If I clean the kitchen every day how is it that I can forget to clean some forgettable part of the kitchen a rank more than occasionally? Is this the nature of man? He forgets and gets punished by Mother Nature herself. I forget to clean some part of the kitchen and I get punished by my mother.To be yelled at by my mother is humbling- it arrests my large as life ego, and renders my philosophy and view of life as meaningless. No philosophy can save me, all it does is make me live in my own world- not to the tasks and betterment of other people. This is the law of the re-education of cleaning the kitchen. Just as religious people re-educate themselves of the laws of the bible every Saturday or Sunday- the law of the re-education of cleaning the kitchen holds true- but instead of once a week it is every day.As Mother Nature has been punishing to mankind (if you read the news you know what I mean) it has been equally loving and forgiving, to enable us to experience life and allow us to even violate it’s laws- intentionally or not- only to realize what we have done, and to come back tearfully to our true pure selves. After being rattled by my mom, yelling at me to clean the kitchen, it is hard to remember that she had a loving side to her- if she had a loving side at all. After cleaning that pesky, forgettable part of the  kitchen- forgiveness, love, and kindness came.Thus is the love that encounters and embraces everything. My mommy can give the kindest, most real, greeting I have ever known. Even though she gives us kind greetings and positive connotations almost regularly it still has a powerful impact on my spirit every time she gives positive reinforcement. When I was a baby my mom would call me â€Å"Love† so she could cope with not getting angry with me as a baby and toddler- even as a teenager she still gives me the nicknameâ€Å"Love.† I was the only child she had that screamed at sonically high frequencies, regressed back to potty training when my younger sister was born, wanted to be tended to every waking minute, and escaped the house via garage(when I was three years old) to be found in a construction site with a red hat on top of my head. As a result my mom lost her health along with her temper, but she always made it her mission to be as kind to me, my older and younger sister, and allow us to pursue any path we want to take in life without interceding.I would compare my mom’s pattern of communication and mine to a spiral. I can tell that my mom tries to give us as much positive feedback as possible and to reduce or eliminate all negative feedback. She would theatrically lecture us on the use of positive feedback. As a pattern in the morning or as she is taking me to school she would be extremely kind by calling me by my nickname and telling me how happy she is to see me in college- in return I would tell her how happy I am to be in college and other endless miscellaneous subject matter that I can’t remember well enough to put on paper.Then when evening approaches some anxiety trickles in like a leaky faucet. My mom, though not going Mrs. Commando on us, would remind us to make sure to clean the kitchen, but she would make sure we listen very well, when we are doing homework or trying to make ourselves busy (I find that interruption terribly annoying). However, for my mom to tell us to clean the kitchen like a disciplinarian is absolutely necessary- because truthfully we wouldn’t have done the task if she didn’t remind us to do it- leading us back to the law of the re-education of cleaning the kitchen.I would even find this patt ern when I communicate to my mom, dad, younger, and older sister. When I communicate to my dad for example I am very sociable with him. We would have a positive exchange by showing or talking about our findings on music, movies, and other goofy things. But when I get busy with homework I have to tell him in haste, â€Å"Sorry, I have to get to work†. Only recently did I find out that my father felt it to be slightly negative and antisocial.This made me discover that we can only be slightly one way, or extremely different, turn into our opposite, and never find a true, absolute, and perfect balance in communication and other things in life in general. This statement seems even more apparent when I am around my family members 24/7. Nobody is perfect. We see what is opposite to ourselves and what enables our existence all the time. Kids at a young age imitate their parents- we are all a product of our environment. Then we look in the mirror to see what the environment has made o ut of us- beautiful, different, and unique individuals.To find the perfect balance is to erase ourselves from existence- we would not be seen in the mirror- only the background environment. I always thought the struggle was to become permanently perfect forever- make your plan and you will achieve your goals. It is actually to constantly rebuild yourself after failure throughout life- this is what my mom showed me-like a spiral. This helped me find internal peace. Why can’t the kitchen stay clean? We use kitchen. Kitchen gets dirty. We clean kitchen again. We use kitchen. Kitchen gets dirty. We clean kitchen again†¦

Eye Contact with Japanese Businessmen Essay

In Japan, the businessmen avoid eye contact. The businessmen would rather not waste their time and distract other men, especially their senior officers. Distractions may be embarrassing, especially when one should be focusing on the task at hand. In this research paper, comparisons among America and its culture will be displayed to accumulate ideas on why the Japanese avoid eye contact. There is more than one factor playing in Japanese customs on avoiding eye contact. This paper generates ideas from animalistic behavior, to parental control, to busy cities, to friends, to professional NBA players, and to a religion that began in the United States. Not only is eye contact distracting, but also unnecessary while the notion of withdrawing oneself can be seen as helpful to cope with certain conditions in the environment. As we study cultures we can determine the differences between countless etiquettes and mannerisms across the world. Looking at two separate countries, we can compare what is considered acceptable and unacceptable. Because we live in the Unites States, it is easy to know what we, as Americans, should do and not do in a business meeting. If American businessmen, especially ones who are uninformed, meet with Japanese businessmen, the possibility of embarrassing or offending the Japanese culture is likely when conducting business at an absolute or selfish angle. The Japanese culture maintains a business that is great on group effort and loyalty. With these certain characteristics, the Japanese take on many roles to support their ways of humility. This is why we can see the Japanese businessmen intentionally avoiding eye-contact with other businessmen during a meeting to preserve modesty. Business is a consolidation within man to form an agreement at peace. We learn from studies of history and animals that staring is a sign of aggression. When eye contact is made, a mutual reflection of a challenge (or fight) occurs. Both parties may not want to partake or antagonize a fight, but when the eyes of humans and animals alike connect, the brain will induce a chemical reaction that triggers responses in the body to take action in order to defend itself. Now in a business setting, the Japanese aren’t ones to create a fight when a disagreement occurs. This is a way to respect senior decisions to avoid acting naive. If we take a look at the American culture, we can see how American parents confront their children when the children are misbehaving. Young children will naturally want to stop all eye-contact and maybe even run away. To correct this behavior, parents are told to maintain eye contact while communicating with their child. This is a way to build trust in a hea lthy relationship. When we think of the word â€Å"business,† its easy for Americans to think of New York City, a place of a heavily, dense population of business trafficking. The place can be described as busy because everyone is running around while trying to get to their next business meeting. It wouldn’t be considered rude if someone bumped into you by accident if they were rushing into a taxi cab. A newcomer to the city might, at first, be outraged, but in time city dwellers are accustomed to it. In Japan, perhaps eye-contact avoidance is another practice due to high population. The Japanese is one culture to like their privacy. A great way to ruin one’s privacy is to intentionally engage in eye-contact, especially with a prolonged engagement. Imagine coming home from work everyday in public transportation and running into an unknown interval. One thing a person might do is make eye-contact with a stranger to see if the stranger is aware of this interval. Now imagine you are conducting a meeting and you come across some interval in your way. An instinctive reaction is to seek help. However, in an important business meeting, this is a devastating episode in which you may bring down a friend if he is unaware of this interval as well. The best thing to do, in Japanese customs, is to own up and not throw your best friend under the bus with you. How should you do it? Perhaps avoid eye contact and stay calm with your best manners at hand. The Japanese are known to close their eyes when they are listening intently. This is a reaction to block out from sensing other things that are going on in the room. In America, we can find many distracting things that are meant to distract you. If you go to an NBA playoff game and watch a professional basketball player attempt a free-throw at an away game, you will see almost everyone in the audience do their best to distract the player, in order for him to miss the free-throw. You will hear loud noises, see shirts waving, and even see fan memorabilia made, bought, and obtained for that sole purpose during a free-throw shooting. One American religion, called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints shows reverence similar to the Japanese eye contact phenomenon. During a sacrament meeting at the LDS church, many people will give talks or performances such as singing or violin playing. In one, hour long meeting, there may be up to 5 or more people conducting a session. After each person concludes their talk or performance, it is in the Mormon practice to show gratitude with reverence. The LDS members will keep quiet during the session without gossip or clapping to maintain the spirit. Comparing the Japanese to an LDS sacrament session, closing the eyes and being reverent is a way to block out an unnecessary force. As we can determine in an NBA playoff game, there is no room for respect. Players will have to play hard and with whatever comes in their way. Eye contact is a method to show people â€Å"I am here.† People have an ambition, or sometimes a reaction, to make one’s presence known. We do it for attention, for work, or to make new friends. However, the Japanese have grown accustomed in a practice of avoiding eye-contact when things are busy and sometimes serious. In the business place, respecting senior officers is important to maintain one’s own status while progressing in rank. It is important for the Japanese not to discourage other businessmen or to bother them during a stressful time. How else can one show respect than to maintain a personal boundary?

Class work Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Class work - Assignment Example ividuals also have a good social support network that they feel comfortable leaning on in times of difficulty† (Towson University: Relational Wellness, 2010, par. 1). One strongly believes that there is eminent strength and wellness through relationships with family and friends. They current provide the needed boost to pursue diverse endeavors and also encourage one to express personal feelings and emotions which is needed to support and sustain various activities in life. On the other hand, exemplifying the weakest dimension is in the financial wellness area. As disclosed in the resources page, â€Å"people with high financial well-being may have a lot of money or a little, but either way they are able to live within their means, not spending more money than they have. They are aware of where their money goes, and they have a budget that they stick to, as well as a long-range financial plan. They are aware of and meet their financial obligations and generally have a comfortable relationship with money† (Towson University: Financial Wellness, 2012, par. 1). Therefore, since one is lowest in this dimension, the traits indicated herein are oppositely applied to one’s personal experience. The current economic and financial difficulties contribute to this weakness as one needs to support various activities that could be be fully sustained by one’s level of income. From among the strategies revealed from the resources page, as could be applied to people found to have weaknesses in this dimension, the following were worth noting: (1) planning for future financial independence; (2) reducing one’s credit card debt, if any; (3) making a game of saving money; (4) read about strategies for increasing one’s financial wellness; and (5) talking with a parent, counselor, or advisor about how to improve one’s financial situation (Towson University: Financial Wellness, 2012). The resources page provide ample strategies where one could improve financial wellness, as

Can technology replace classroom teachers Essay

Can technology replace classroom teachers - Essay Example With the use of technology, people can obtain information very easily. Social media allows people to stay in contact with each other virtually and exchange information. However, there are many people who believe that development of technology can destroy social life of people. Traditional classroom teachers are very important in the life of children as they are role model for children. Classroom teachers help students understand about a subject in detail. Textbooks and traditional blackboard education helps students understand and learn subjective matters in an appropriate manner. Teachers believe that modern schools install projectors in class room that makes education process simple and teachers need to work less however there are some students, who pay less attention and are unable to cope-up with the teachings. This essay will discuss about the positive and negative impacts of technology and discuss whether they are a threat to classroom teachings. According to the present education system, the influx of technology means that there would be a greater need for teachers. Technology has various positive implications in the society. It is believed that with the advancement of technology people will have a comfortable and safe life whereas some people dispute the fact and imagine growth of technology can lead to extinction of human life. In the modern classrooms, teachers are expected to use technology while teaching. Almost a decade back, classroom education was mandatory and students were taught about subjective facts via textbooks only. Teachers used blackboards to explain students about subjective knowledge. In the modern classrooms most of the knowledge providing equipment is digitalized. Usage of projector instead of blackboard is one of the most common examples that students experience while they are taught in classes (Clemmitt 14). Moreover, introduction of social media

The Management of The Hotel Olympia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Management of The Hotel Olympia - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the management in the hotel will improve on the existing accounting systems as well as be coming up with a work breakdown structure (WBS) in order to define the employees discrete work elements in such a way that it will help organize as well as define the total work scope of the project. The management as part of the project will also apply the top-down strategic planning to ensure that the hotel can compete effectively in the global market. The hotels back office accounting systems had been computerized years ago for the effective functioning of the business and this needs a number of improvements. The front desk functions like the reservations check in and check outs are a mixture of word processor template to produce bills as well as spreadsheets for room bookings and they are usually printed manually every day. The management, therefore, feels important to integrate more systems to avoid manual work and increase efficiency. When ord ering food from the restaurant and drinks from the bar and restaurant, it becomes quite unreliable. With advanced knowledge of bookings would try to ease ordering and booking and with a computerized ordering system which would allow stocks of food to be minimized would reduce food wastage and allow for considerable savings. The Olympia games will be held in the region in three months time and we should take advantage of this great opportunity to expand the ordering and bookings systems since most of the customers would like to book for our services online. The hotel will triple its residency for the period of the games and for several months afterward. Extensive marketing will also be done and the following include the marketing strategies the management will apply.

Social Engineering and the Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Engineering and the Law - Essay Example But for every good example there are likely to be bad ones. In Canada, the government used to take away Native children from their families and educate them in residential schools. The idea was to try to acculturate the children by teaching them better English and making it easier for them to be absorbed into the White population. Instead of working, this example of social engineering created a lot of unhappiness and misery. The government has since apologized for its policy which is widely seen as a failure. Part of the problem is that a law is a very broad thing and it is hard to account for individual differences when you plan to change people’s behavior. It is a bit like trying to perform surgery with a sledge hammer. Nevertheless politicians continue to push for social engineering because the idea is often popular at first blush. Currently one of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid’s big ideas is to introduce a Fairness Doctrine as law.1 This would make it legally necessary for radio stations to have an equal amount of political time for each side of the political spectrum—instead of just putting on shows that people or the market want. If this law comes into effect it may make people more left-wing (as a lot of talk radio is now conservative). This might be a smart political move: socially engineering more Democratic voters would result in larger majorities in the House and Senate! Usually politics is at the heart of plans to change people’s behavior en masse. Although I do not generally like the idea of social engineering, as you may observe from my above statements, if I were told I could socially engineer anything I would think long and hard. One of the ways many politicians try to alter behavior is by changing the tax rates. If I could do anything I would implement a law creating a flat tax. The current tax system is called a â€Å"progressive† system. The more money that you make the more tax you must pay. On the face of it

Research critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research critique - Essay Example The aim of the study is to establish the connection of changing electrodes on the functioning of cardiac monitors. The study intends to check the effect of daily electrode change on the number of technical monitor alarms. The study has an aim of identifying and implementing best practice for electrode change and to observe their daily change on technical monitor alarms. Review of literature The article has an organized literature as the topic does reflect the subject matter of the journal. The journal has a brief abstract which specifies about the nature of the study of the journal. The introduction part is concise and defined the nature of the subject and the aim of the study conducted. The body of the literature is informative and has headings and sub heading in a correct order. Even the conclusion is informative and compact. The rationale of the study looks much worthy as it is all about understand the technical functioning of cardiac monitors. This study has high significance in medical field and has an intention on improving the quality of service provided by hospitals to its patients. The direction of the study was practical and safe to the participants of the study. Conceptual framework and Map The conceptual frame work of the article is evident based practice approach regarding electrode change in cardiac monitor alarms. The concept of the study is centered on the effect of electrode change on the functionality of cardiac monitor alarms. The theoretical study and the research question are identical with the conceptual framework. Here the theory is concentrating on the relationship between electrode change and decrease in cardiac monitor alarms efficiency. The research question is about electrode change and cardiac alarm efficiency and the theory directly links with it. There no maps or models logically presented except for some tables with calculations. Research Question /Hypothesis The research question is addressed correctly and appropriately in the j ournal. The research question is rightly indicating the purpose of the study and what the study specifically wants to achieve the research question gives the readers all the information regarding the nature of the journal. There is no confusion or misleading in the research question and it highly simple and clear. The question is precise and does not involve unwanted message or implications. The research question is an important part of any research article and should be short and precise which is seen in this journal. In case of the logical relation to the aim of the theory, it could be said that it is rightly connected. The research purpose is to understand the role of electrode change on the efficiency of cardiac monitor alarms and this clearly reflects in the research question. Variables The concepts identified within the theory are alarm functioning, cardiac monitors, ECG process, electrodes, quality improvement and noise. The variables identified in the study are dependent and independent variables. Here the independent variable is the electrode and cardiac monitor while the dependent variable is alarm noise. The variables are not extensively defined in the article as sometimes things are vague. Research Design The research design is not apt and should have been a more close examination of the functionality of electrodes on cardiac monitor

An Evaluation of the Teacher Certification Process Research Paper

An Evaluation of the Teacher Certification Process - Research Paper Example In this paper, I will endeavor to discuss the traditional route for attaining a teaching certificate, and the alternative routes available to becoming a teacher. Certification, from the very essence of the word, pertains to the process wherein students receive a professional credit from their colleges or universities for completing all the requirements of their curriculum and for being a graduate of their program. Normally, students receive a professional certification through engaging in a four-year college or university degree, which is basically the same for the standard teacher certification route. In the standard route, also called traditional certification process, students have to take a four-year college or university bachelor’s degree (for instance education courses), complete all the requirements from different subjects, serve as a student teacher for a certain number of months under the guidance of a certified classroom teacher, and take the state mandated teaching certification test to obtain a teaching license (Steeley, 2010). The standard certification route requires students to complete a bachelor’s degree with a carefully planned coursework, which means that there are obligatory subjects that students have to take each year of their studies (Teachers Support, 2011). For example, during the first year of their studies students are required to take fundamental courses in English, science, math, and history, or sometimes categorized as the general education courses. In the second year, the students have to take major courses in education, or courses which are more centered on the subject of education, for instance theories in teaching, psychology of teaching, and others. Teaching methods will then be the focus of the students’ third and fourth years, and two of the most critical parts of these teaching methods are the teacher training program and the supervised student teaching. After the completion of all the bachelor degreeâ €™s requirements, the students are expected to take and pass the state mandated standard teaching certification examination. The traditional route for obtaining a teaching certificate is perceived to be most suitable for students who just graduated high school and are pursuing a college education in teaching (Watts, 2008). Since this type of teacher certification sets the highest requirements for teachers, this route is basically appropriate for those students who have the time and financial capabilities to support their studies. On the other hand, the alternative, or non-traditional, routes for obtaining a teacher certification is designed for those individuals who have not completed a four-year bachelor’s degree in education through a university or college but are interested in attaining a certificate in teaching. It might be that these individuals who are seeking for alternative route teaching certificate have already completed a bachelor’s or master’s de gree in a different field, or career changers (Teachers Support, 2011). Furthermore, the alternative routes to certification suit those people who lack the time and money to go through the traditional certification process. The various alternative routes for obtaining a teaching certificate have surfaced due to the alleged shortage of teachers (Steeley, 2010). Due to the highly competitive standards set

Physical Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Physical Environment - Essay Example A child being in his early stage of life and mostly in learning phase is affected by the kind of environment where he spends most of his time, if the physical environment is attractive and nicely presentable then it helps the child in building his confidence and develop a taste for neatness and a systematic approach towards any thing that he comes across. If the physical environment is shabby and not presentable enough, it can have negative impact on child's psychology and can thus invoke negative thoughts in him. It can hinder his overall growth as an individual. So the physical environment in the classroom should be designed appropriately so as to cater to needs of teachers as well as students and should have a fruitful impact on the student's mentality and overall growth. Through observation, description, and reflection on their own and P-12 students' prior experience, learning styles, strengths, and needs, the preliminary candidate recognizes that students differ in their approaches to learning. It was a kindergarten class of 10 studen... Do you think that the physical environment is important to student success Why or why not. Definitely the physical environment is one of the basic ingredients of student's success; it is this physical environment only which helps a student To develop his psychology negative or positive, depending upon the type of physical environment he is having in his class. A child being in his early stage of life and mostly in learning phase is affected by the kind of environment where he spends most of his time, if the physical environment is attractive and nicely presentable then it helps the child in building his confidence and develop a taste for neatness and a systematic approach towards any thing that he comes across. If the physical environment is shabby and not presentable enough, it can have negative impact on child's psychology and can thus invoke negative thoughts in him. It can hinder his overall growth as an individual. So the physical environment in the classroom should be designed appropriately so as to cater to needs of teachers as well as students and should have a fruitful impact on the student's mentality and overall growth. Step 3: Learners Mid-Preparation Benchmark 1.2.2 Human Development Mid-Preparation Benchmark 1.2.3 Through observation, description, and reflection on their own and P-12 students' prior experience, learning styles, strengths, and needs, the preliminary candidate recognizes that students differ in their approaches to learning. Objective Description Give an over-all description of the students in the classroom: number, gender, diversity, culture, race, exceptionalities, special needs, socio-economic status, etc. It was a kindergarten class

Costa Rica Essay Example for Free

Costa Rica Essay Costa Rica is a very beautiful country and very independent. Costa Rica gained its independence from the Spanish in 1821 but still was mooched off of by Agustin de Iturbide in his Mexican Empire. Easter in Costa Rica is known as Semana Santa. On July 25th they have Guanacaste day, which is the celebration of the annexation of Guanacaste to Costa Rica in 1824. August 2nd they have Virgen de Los Angeles Day. Which celebrates the Patron saint of Costa Rica. This is one of the most important religious celebrations. On September 15th they celebrate Independence Day in Costa Rica. On October 12th they celebrate Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day). Lastly on December 25th they celebrate Christmas Day, which are Family-oriented celebrations. Costa Rica’s flag has tons of symbolism involved stating with the colors. The white stripe represents peace and honesty, the blue stripe represents vigilance, truth and loyalty while the red stripe represent hardiness, bravery, and strength. The emblem on the flag contains the volcanoes and their coat of arms. Costa Rica’s number one economic resource is coffee and bananas. Costa Ricans live just like we do in the U. S. A. Costa Rica and the United States of America get along quite well. Of course there has been a few bump in the road but nothing bad enough to make us hostile. We are good friends because we help each other out by buying each others products and such. Costa Rica and its relations with other countries are exquisite right now. They have been apart of the international community and have been neutral to most countries for quite some time. Of course it may be hostile to a few countries but everyone seems to have enemies. This country is said to be very beautiful so if I had the time I would gladly visit it and spend a few days on the beach. Things are cheap there and I can be cheap so it would work out great. This country is a very beautiful country that makes its money off of very natural things and I think that is very good. I think the people are nice and the amount of festivals and holidays they have is very cool.

Cosmetic Surgery Essay Example for Free

Cosmetic Surgery Essay Introduction The development of plastic surgery in recent years has opened larger opportunities for health care professionals to offer a wide range of services to its customers, while the growing popularity and high demand on the services of plastic surgeons stimulated the rapid development of this field of medicine worldwide. according to Thompson (2011). In fact, he continued nowadays, plastic surgery becomes accessible to a larger number of people and, instead of the elitist surgery available to only a limited number of people, plastic surgery become accessible to large number of patients. This means that cosmetic surgery becomes more popular and available for people in developing and developed countries to be able to have those kind of services for their desires. On the one hand, cosmetic surgery brings happiness to people who have the right cosmetic surgery. On the other hand, it also influences many negative results from those actions. Many people take the advantages from this to satisfy their demand but they are totally wrong decisions to do that. Negative results to teenagers Teenagers are not allowed to do cosmetic surgery as they are not growing up properly. There were 174,851 cosmetic surgeries done on teenagers that were 18 years old or younger in 2005 a study from Harvard University wrote about Teenagers with Cosmetic Surgery in 2010. This number shows that teenagers trend to get a beautiful body. Parents should pay more attention to their children and be their consultant for them before they have operation. The writer also claimed that: I believe that cosmetic surgery should not be the ultimate answer for teenagers. I agree with the critics of cosmetic surgery that say teenagers are not old enough to make such a mature decision and that there needs to be more guidelines that will help stop most of them from making a wrong decision.(Teens and Cosmetic Surgery). Health Risks People who have cosmetic surgery, may die if they go with wrong doctors or lack of information before their operations. According to Alpert (2006), People have risked and lost their lives and limbs, and suffered devastating disfigurement and scarring as a result of plastic surgery gone wrong. The worst outcomes are rare, but risk is nonetheless a reality. After the cosmetic surgery, patientss healths will be affected. Moreover they may have risks to get some disease of blood, heart attacks Psychology issues How do you feel if your friends or neighbors keep gossip about your comestic surgery? And what do you think if your boyfriend or girlfriend get jealous or upset with the attraction from you to people? John, an psychologist expert from University of Washington indicated that: Depression, increased stress, feelings of disappointment, shame, or embarrassment can become issues when a cosmetic procedure fails to resolve the issues that motivated the individual to have the procedure. It is important to understand that while cosmetic surgery can bring you some rewards, it will not change your life, your problem or your relationship. There is nothing called physical perfection. Unsatisfactory Results Based on the research from Stanford University in 2008, not every surgery is successful. The unsuccessful surgery is very subjective. Unsatisfactory results may leave pain or patients may think about the next cosmetic surgery operation. Conclusion In conclusion, cosmetic surgery leads to many problems in the future that could affect you physically and mentally. Let think very carefully and consider about the negative results you may have before you get the cosmetic surgery. In my opinion, a happy life can not come from the cosmetic surgery. People will respect you from your inner beauty. Be you are and be yourself. Let try to have a healthy life by improving yourself, learn how to treat people well, do exercises and enrich your knowledge about society and the world. For sure you will have a wonderful life then

Agricultural science and practice

Agricultural science and practice REVIEW OF LITERATURE INTERCROPPING Intercropping of cereals and grain legumes is a neglected theme in agricultural science and practice in both conventional and organic farming systems (Dahlmann, and Von Fragstein2006). The fast rising population in many tropical countries is one of the reasons for enormous growing demand for food. The increasing urbanization due to world growing population has affected food production leading to irrevocable loss of arable land. Opening up new land for cultivation can enhance the decrease of agriculture. Farmers and researchers should be conscious that cost-benefit ratio bringing new land under cultivation is smaller than that of increasing production of already cultivated land, which may lead to increase in production per unit area. Intercropping tenders farmers the opportunity to engage natures principle of diversity on their farms. Spatial arrangements of plants, planting rates, and maturity dates must be considered when planning intercrops. Intercrops can be more fruitful than growing monocropping. Many different intercrop systems have been studied, including mixed intercropping, strip cropping, and customary intercropping provisions. Pest management benefits can also be realized from intercropping due to augmented diversity. Harvesting options for intercrops include hand harvest, machine harvest for on-farm feed, and animal harvest of the standing crop. Most grain-crop mixtures with similar ripening times cannot be machine-harvested to produce a marketable commodity since few buyers purchase mixed grains. Dispite its advantages intercropping is neglected due to complex nature of intercropping systems. In intercropping systems an LER measures 1.0, it tells us that the amount of land required for crops grown together is the same as that for these grown in pure stand (i.e., neither loss nor loss due to intercropping over pure stands). LERs above 1.0 demonstrate an advantage to intercropping, while numbers below 1.0 diplay a disadvantage to intercropping. For example, an LER of 1.25 tells us that the yield produced in the total intercrop system would have required 25% more land if planted in pure stands. If the LER was 0.75, we know the intercrop yield was only 75% of that of the same amount of land that grew pure stands. Pakistan is a subtropical country having sufficient resources with high intensity of sunlight required for plant growth. Therefore, possibility of intercropping of different crops on the same piece of land in a year needs to be explored for effective and efficient utilization of these natural resources. Intercropping is being looked as an efficient utilization of these natural resources and economical production system as it increases the production per unit area and time. Presently, interest in intercropping is increasing among the small growers because of their diversified needs and meagre farm returns from the monocropping system. Planning of cropping system should be done yearly on entire catchment basis. The type of planning should lead to a proper balance between food, fiber and fodder crops. When the rainfall is between 500-700 mm with a distinct period of moisture surplus, intercropping system should be adopted for improved crop production. Even in higher rainfall areas (750- 1100 mm) intercropping facilitates growing either cereal-legume or legume-legume system of different maturity patterns. Intercropping minimize risk of crop failure in drylands. Mixed cropping (mixing seeds of two or more crops and broad casting the mixture) should be avoided as it hinders post-sowing operations. Choice of varieties with in the crops is very important to harness total intercropping advantage. Cereal-legume intercropping systems should be advocated to minimize fertilizer use,.? reduce pest and disease incidence, produce balance foods, ?provide protein rich legume fodder for cattle,? take full advantage of growing seaso n. Cereal-legume intercropping plays an important role in subsistence food production in both developed and developing countries, especially in situations of inadequate water resources (Tsubo et al., 2005). Intercropping cereals and grain legumes can be very potential for both organic and conservative farmers. The use of land equivalent ratio (LER) as a measure for calculating the cropping advantage of intercrops over sole crops is simple, ignoring weed inhibition, yield reliability, grain quality, and minimum advantageous yield are all relevant factors for farmers perspective (Prins and de Wit 2005). Intercropped legumes secure most of their nitrogen from the atmosphere and not compete with maize nitrogen resources (Adu-Gyamfi et al. ,2007). Increased diversity of the physical structure of plants and increased leaf cover in an intercropping system facilitates to reduce weed infestations once crop are established (Beet1990). Having a variety of root system in the soil reduces water loss, enhances water uptake and reduce transpiration. The increased transpiration may make the microclimate cooler, which cools the soil and decrease evaporation (Innis 1997). In this way during times of water stress, intercropped plants utilize a larger percentage of available water from the field than monocropped plants. Creating windbreaks may also modify the microclimate. Rows of maize in a field with a short stature crop would reduce wind speed above the shorter crop and thus deceasechance of desiccation (Beet1990). Intercropped legumes fix most of their nitrogen from the atmosphere and not compete with maize for nitrogen resources (Adu-Gyamfi et al. ,2007; Vesterager et al.,2008). Diversification of cropping systems, i.e. smaller fields and mixtures of crop species (intercropping) was much more in vouge Pre World War II. Intercropping, the simultaneously cultivation of more than one species in the same field, is a cropping method, which often result in a more efficient use of resources, cause more stable yields in problematic environments and a method to reduce problems with weeds, plant pathogens and nitrogen losses post grain legume harvest.In this context a greater introduction of longterm rotations, intercrops and grain legumes play an important role (Jensen 1997; Karlen1994). Intercropping of cereal and legume crops facilitates to maintain and improve soil fertility (Andrew, 1979). Intercropping of legumes with cereals has been popular in tropics (Hauggaard-Nielsen et al.,, 2001; Tsubo et al.,,2005) and rain-fed tracts of the globe (Banik et al.,, 2000; Ghosh, 2004; Agegnehu et al.,, 2006; Dhima et al.,,2007) due to its benefits for soil conservation (Anil et al., 1998), weed control (Poggio, 2005; Banik et al.,,2006), lodging resistance (Anil et al.,, 1998), yield enhancemnent (Anil et al.,, 1998; Chen et al.,, 2004), hay curing, forage preservation over pure legumes, more crude protein percentage and protein yield (Qamar et al.,, 1999; Karadag and Buyukburc, 2004), and contols legume root parasite infections (Fenandez-Aparicio et al.,,2007). Different seeding ratios or planting patterns for cereal-legume intercropping have been accomplished by many researchers (Tsubo et al.,, 2001; Karadag and Buyukburc, 2004; Banik et al.,, 2006; Dhima et al.,, 2007). Competition among mixtures is thought to be the major characteristic affecting yield as compared with monocropping of cereals. Species or cultivar selections, seeding ratios, and inter and intra specific competition among mixtures may influence the growth of the species grown in intercropping systems in rain-fed areas (Santalla et al.,, 2001; Karadag and Buyukburc, 2004; Carr et al.,, 2004; Agegnehu et al.,, 2006; Banik et al.,, 2006; Dhima et al.,, 2007). Various competition indices such as land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coefficient (RCC), competitive ratio (CR), actual yield loss (AYL), monetary advantage(MI) and intercropping advantage(IA) have been anticipated to portray competition within and economic advantages of intercropping systems (Banik et al.,, 2000; Ghosh, 2004; Agegnehu et al.,, 2006; Banik et al.,, 2006; Dhima et al.,, 2007). However, such indices have not been used for maize and common bean intercropping to determine the competition among species and also economic advantages of each intercropping system in the East Mediterranean region. Higher monetary returns were obtained compared to sole cropping when bush beans intercropped with sweet maize (Santalla et al.,, 2001). Higher seed yield and net income under planting pattern with changing mix-proportions may be explained in higher total productivity under intercropping with relatively less input investment (Banik et al.,, 2006). Tsubo et al., (2005) formed a simulation model to find out the best planting methods for maize and bean intercrops in sub-arid South Africa. Based on 52 years of weather data, they compared the best planting time, optimal water saturation at planting, maize plant density, and bean plant density to receive the highest LER, energy value (EV), and monetary value (MV) from the intercropped field. For every combination of factors, a LER greater than 1.0 was found, indicating that intercropping of maize and beans increases total yield. The simulations show that initial soil water content has the greatest influence on intercropping productivity. Bean plant density had no influence on maize or bean yields, indicating that maize yield is not affected by bean intercropping, although bean yields were decreased in the intercropped system (Tsubo et al., 2005). High densities of maize maximized maize yield and calorie production, but high densities of beans maximized financial return. Decline of e xternal inputs and increases of homegrown feed together with a more efficient nutrient use from leguminous symbiotic dinitrogen (N2) fixation (SNF) can result in a decrease of nitrogen and mineral losses. Maize-legume intercropping systems are able to lessen amount of nutrients taken from the soil in comparasion to a maize monocrop. Organizing the complication of exchanges that are possible due to the physical constraints of diversity are present in the farm system is vital part of reducing the need for external inputs and moving toward sustainability (Herrera, 1974). Increasing diversity often allows better resources use efficiency in agro ecosystem because with higher diversity, there is larger microhabitat differentiation, allowing the components species and varieties of the system to grow in an environment ideally fitting to its unique requirements (Mazaheri and Oveysi, 2004; Willey and Reddy1981; and Yancey, 1994). A key and straight way of rising diversity of an agro ecosystem is intercropping system that allows interaction between the individuals of the different crops and varieties (Mazaheri, 2004; Willey, 1981 and Venkatswarlu1981). Intercropping can add temporal diversity through the sequential planting of different crops during the same season (Yancey, 1994). Importance of multiple cropping is increasing world food supplies. An LER value of 1.0, indicating no difference in yield between the intercrop and the collection of monocultures (Mazaheri and Oveysi, 2004 and Kurata 1986). Any Value greater than 1.0 indicates a yield advantage for intercrop. A LER of 1.2 for example, indicates that the area planted to monocultures would need to be 20% greater than the area planted to intercrop for the two to produce the same combined yields (Laster and Furr,1972). Intercropping in cassava was beneficial in increasing the biological yield, tuber equivalent yield and land use efficiency. Cassava tuber equivalent yield, LER, ATER and AHER were higher in cassava + cowpea combinations.(Amanullah et al., 2006). Mixed culture (or intercropping) of legumes and cereals is an old practice in tropical agriculture that dates back to ancient civilization. The main objective of intercropping has been to maximum utilization of resources such as space, light and nutrients (Willey, 1990; Morris and Garrity, 1993; Li et al.,, 2003b), as well as to improve crop quality and quantity (Nel, 1975; Izaurralde et al.,, 1990; Mpairwe et al.,, 2002). Other benefits include water quality control through least use of inorganic nitrogen fertilisers that pollute the environment (Crew and Peoples, 2004). The contemporary drift in global agriculture is to search for highly productive, sustainable and environmentally safe cropping systems (Crew and Peoples, 2004). This has resulted into renewed interest in cropping systems research (Vandermeer, 1989). When two crops are grown in association, interspecific competition or facilitation between plants may take place (Vandermeer, 1989; Zhang et al.,, 2003).Different studies have shown that mixtures of cereals and legumes produce higher grain yields than either crop grown unaccompanied (Mead and Willey, 1980; Horwith, 1984; Tariah and Wahua, 1985; Ofori and Stern, 1987a; Lawson and Kang, 1990; Watiki et al.,, 1993; Peter and Runge-Metzger, 1994; Skovgard and Pats, 1999; Rao and Mathuva, 2000; Olufemi et al.,, 2001; Mpairwe et al.,, 2002; Dapaah et al.,, 2003). In such crop mixtures, the yield increases were not only due to enhanced nitrogen nourishment of the cereal component, but also to other unexplored causes (Nel, 1975; Connolly et al.,, 2001). Many of the unknown and less research processes occur in the rhizosphere of mixtures (Connolly et al.,, 2001; Zhang et al.,, 2003, 2004). The rhizosphere soil is the narrow zone of soil neighboring the roots where soil, micro-organisms and roots jointly play key roles in the soil ecosystem. Compared with the bulk soil, the rhizosphere has diverse biological, physical and chemical soil properties. It is rich in root exudates, and, therefore, play a major role in nutrient mobilisation and microbial activities (Dakora and Phillips, 2002; Dakora, 2003). So far however, little attention has been paid to rhizosphere effects on crops grown in mixtures (Connolly et al.,, 2001; Zhang et al.,, 2003; 2004), where interaction between different organisms is high. The major management practices employed in mixed cultures to attain good yield includes the enhancement of microclimatic conditions, improved utilisation and recycling of soil nutrients, improved soil quality, provision of favourable hab itats for plants and stabilisation of soil, among others (Juma et al.,, 1997). Most of intercropping systems are intentionally made and manipulated to optimise the use of spatial, temporal, and physical resources both above-and belowground, by maximising positive interactions (facilitation) and minimizing negative ones (competition) among the components (Willey and Osiru, 1972; Willey, 1979; Mead and Willey, 1980; Horwith, 1985; Ofori and Stern, 1986, 1987a, b; Jose et al.,, 2000; Silwana and Lucas, 2002). An understanding of the biological and chemical processes and mechanisms involved in the distribution of resources in such systems is indispensable. The complex interactions in legume/cereal cropping systems such as those used by traditional farmers have received little research attention (Connolly et al.,, 2001; Zhang et al.,, 2004) because quantitative rhizosphere studies in the field involving complex mixtures are notoriously complex and cumbersome. These conditions are achieved by manipulating management practices such as planting patterns of the mixtures with the selection of appropriate cropping systems. Interactions will occur in the growth process, especially when the component species are exploiting the resources above-and below-ground (Vandermer, 1989; Willey, 1990; Ong et al.,, 1996) from the same niche or at the same time. In crop mixtures, any species utilizing the same combination of resources will be in direct competition. However, based on differences in phenological characteristics of species in asocition, the interaction among them may lead to an increased capture of a limiting growth resource (Willey and Osiru, 1972; Willey, 1979; Mead and Willey, 1980; Horwith, 1985; Ofori and Stern, 1986, 1987a,b; Silwana and Lucas, 2002) and then amassing larger total yield than the collective production of those species if they were grown separately on an equivalent land area (Mead and Ndakidemi 2527 Willey, 1980; Horwith, 1984; Tariah and Wahua, 1985; Ofori and Stern, 1987a; Lawson and Kang, 1990; Watiki et al.,, 1993; Peter and Runge-Metzger, 1994; Myaka, 1995; Asafu-Agyei et al.,, 1997; Skovgard and Pats, 1999; Rao and Mathuva, 2000; Olufemi et al.,, 2001; Dapaah et al.,, 2003). Thus, mixed cropping systems between cereals and legumes may face a complex series of inter- and intra-specific interaction (Izaurralde et al.,, 1990; Giller and Cadisch, 1995; Evans et al.,, 2001; Li et al.,, 2003c) geared by modifications and utilisation of light, water, nutrients and enzymes. Most annual crop mixtures such as those involving cereals and legumes are grown almost at the same time, and develop root systems that acquire the same soil zone for resources (Horwith, 1984; Chang and Shibles, 1985a,b; Reddy et al.,, 1994; Jensen et al.,, 2003). Under such circumstances, below-ground competition for resources such as nutrients is most likely to take place. For example, research has shown that activities in maize + cowpea intercropping take place between the top 30-45 cm of soil, and their intensity decreased with depth (Maurya and Lal, 1981; McIntyre et al.,, 1997). Because of these interactions, cowpea yields can be reduced significantly in relationto that of maize (Watiki et al.,, 1993). In contrast to some negative effects on yield, root systems in mixtures may provide some of the major favorable effects on soil and plants. These include, amongst others, carbon enrichment through higher carbon return (Ridder et al.,, 1990; Vanlauwe et al.,, 1997), discharge of phenolics, phytosiderophores and carboxylic acids as root exudates by companion plants (Dakora and Phillips, 2002; Dakora, 2003). These compounds play a major role in the mineral nutrition of plants. For instance, some studies have displayed that, in P-deficient soils, pigeon pea roots utilize piscidic, malonic, and oxalic acids to solubilise Fe-, Ca- and Al-bound P (Ae et al.,, 1990). Once mobilised, P and Fe then become available for uptake by the pigeon pea plant as well as by plant species grown in association and micro flora in the cropping system.This is due to the fact that, thus far, research efforts on mixed cultures has centered on the intra- and inter-specific competition for light and water, and re search reports on competition for nutrients in legumes and cereal mixtures (Connolly et al.,, 2001; Zhang et al.,, 2003, 2004). It is, therefore, imperative to discover how the rhizosphere systems of the associated plant species in mixtures interact under different legume-cereal cropping systems. Rhizospheric pH changes in different management systems in legume/cereal mixtures Many plants have the ability to alter the pH of their rhizosphere (Hoffland et al.,, 1989, 1992; Raven et al.,, 1990; Degenhardt et al.,, 1998; Muofhe and Dakora, 2000; Dakora and Phillips, 2002) and improve nutrient availability such as P, K, Ca, and Mg, which are otherwise fixed and not available to plants (Vandermeer, 1989; Hauggaard- Nielson and Jensen, 2005). For instance, legumes induce numerous reactions that modify the rhizosphere pH (Jarvis and Robson, 1983; McLay et al.,, 1997; Tang et al.,, 1998, 2001) and influence nutrient uptake (Brady, 1990; Vizzatto et al.,, 1999). For example, Dakora et al., (2000) have shown that due to pH changes in the rhizosphere, Cyclopia genistoides, a tea-producing legume native to South Africa, increased nutrient availability in its rhizosphere by 45 120% for P, 108 161% for K, 120 148% for Ca, 127 225% for Mg and 117 250% for boron (B) compared to bulk non-rhizosphere soil. Hence, legumes may take up higher amounts of base cations, and in the process of balancing internal charge, release H+ ions into the rhizosphere that results in soil acidification (Jarvis and Robson, 1983; McLay et al.,, 1997; Tang et al.,, 1998, 2001; Sas et al.,, 2001; Dakora and Phillips, 2002; Cheng et al.,, 2004). Other legumes such as alfalfa, chickpea, lupines, and cowpea can release considerable amounts of organic anions and lower their rhizospere pH (Liptone et al.,, 1987; Dinkelaker et al.,, 1989, 1995; Braum and Helmke, 1995; Gilbert et al.,, 1999; Neumann et al.,, 1999; Rao et al.,, 2002; Li et al.,, 2004b), a condition favorable for the hydrolysis of organic P and hence improving P2O5 nutrition for plants and micro organism in the soil. In the same context, white lupine (Lupinus albus) exuded organic acids anions and protons that lowered rhizosphere pH and recovered substantial amount of P2O5 from the soil and made them more available to wheat than when it was grown in solitary cropping system (Horst and Waschkies, 1987; Kamh et al.,, 1999). Similarly, pigeon pea increased P2O5 uptake of the intercropped sorghum by exuding piscidic acid anions that chelated Fe3+ and subsequently released P2O5 from FePO4 (Ae et al.,, 1990). In a field trial, faba bean facilitated P2O5 uptake by maize (Z hang et al.,, 2001; Li et al.,, 1999, 2003b; Zhang and Li, 2003). In another comparative study, the ability of chickpea to mobilise organic P2O5 was shown to be greater than that of maize due to greater exudation of protons and organic acids by chickpea in relation to maize (Li et al.,, 2004a). Thus, in mixed cultures, plants such as cereals, which do not have strong rhizosphere acidification capacity can benefit directly from nutrients solubilised by legume root exudates. What is, however, not clearly known is the extent of rhizosphere pH changes in mixed cultures involving nodulated legumes and cereals and their influence on other biological and chemical processes in the soil. N2 FIXATION IN LEGUMES AND THE ASSOCIATED BENEFITS TO THE CEREAL COMPONENT Biological nitrogen fixation by grain legume crops has received a lot of attention (Eaglesham et al.,, 1981; Giller et al.,, 1991; Izaurralde et al.,, 1992; Giller and Cadisch, 1995; Peoples et al.,, 2002) because it is a considerable N source in agricultural ecosystems (Heichel, 1987; Dakora and Keya, 1997). However, studies on N2 fixation in complex cereal-legume mixtures are few (Stern, 1993; Peoples et al.,, 2002). Intercropping usually includes a legume which fixes N2 that benefits the system, and a cereal component that depends heavily on nitrogen for higher yield (Ofori and Stern, 1986; Cochran and Schlentner, 1995). Controlled studies have shown a significant direct transfer of fixed-N to the associated non-legume species (Eaglesham et al.,, 1981; Giller et al.,, 1991; Frey and Schà ¼epp, 1993; Stern, 1993; Elgersma et al.,, 2000; Hà ¸gh-Jensen and Schjoerring, 2000; Chu et al.,, 2004). There was evidence that the mineralisation of decomposing legume roots in the soil can b oost N availability to the allied crop (Dubach and Russelle, 1994; Schroth et al.,, 1995; Evans et al.,, 2001). In mixed cultures, where row arrangements and the distance of the legume from the cereal are far, nitrogen transfer could decrease. Research has shown that competition between cereals and legumes for nitrogen may in turn kindle N2 fixation activity in the legumes (Fujita et al.,, 1990; Hardarson and Atkins, 2003). The cereal component effectively drains the soil of N, forcing the legume to fix more N2. Therefore it is important to manipulate and establish how the management practice in legume-cereal mixtures may influence N2 fixation and nutrition in cropping systems. The microbial biomass is influenced by biological, chemical, and physical properties of the plant-soil system. Generally, soil and plant management practices may have greater impact on the level of soil microbial C (Gupta and Germida, 1988; Dick et al.,, 1994; Dick, 1997; Alvey et al.,, 2003). For instance, soil microbial C tend to show the highest values in cropland and grassland soils and the lowest in bare cultivated soils (Brookes et al.,, 1984; Gupta and Germida, 1988).Monoculture systems are expected to contain less amounts of microbial biomass and activities in comparison to those in mixed cultures (Moore et al.,, 2000). Studies have indicated that legumes accumulated larger amounts of soil microbial C in the soil than cereals (Walker et al.,, 2003). This is attributed to lower C : N ratio of legume than that of cereal (Uriyo et al.,, 1979; Brady, 1990). Microbial biomass activities could increase after the addition of an energy source. The stimulation of soil microbial biomas s activity by organic amendments is elevated than that induced by organic fertilisers (Bolton et al.,, 1985; Goyal et al.,, 1993; Hà ¶flich et al.,, 2000). Soil organic matter content and soil microbial activities, vital for the nutrient turnover and long term productivity of soil, are enhanced by the balanced application of nutrient and/or organic matter/manure (Bolton et al.,, 1985; Guan, 1989; Goyal et al.,, 1993; Hà ¶flich et al.,, 2000; Kanchikerimath and Singh, 2001). Under conditions of adequate nutrient supply such as P2O5, the microbial biomass C will be increased due to improved plant growth and increased turnover of organic matter in the soil (Bolton et al.,, 1985). Whether the management practices in mixed cultures involving legumes and cereals may favour the stimulation of biological soil activity and, thus, result in a higher turnover of organic substrates in the soil that are utilized by micro-organisms is a good subject to be investigated. Although there is a lot o f information that show the relationship between soil management and soil microbial activity, little is known about these effects under mixed cropping systems as practised by farmers in the tropical/ subtropical environments (Dick, 1984; Dick et al.,, 1988; Deng and Tabatabai, 1996). In this context, the measurement of their activities could provide useful information concerning soil health, and also serve as a good index of biological status in different crop production systems. PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN LEGUME/CEREAL MIXTURES Plants have evolved many morphological and enzymatic adaptations to bear low phosphate availability. This includes transcription activity of acid phosphatases, which tends to increase under P2O5 starvation (Tarafdar and Jungk, 1987; Goldstein, 1992; Duff et al.,, 1994; del Pozo et al.,, 1999; Haran et al.,, 2000; Baldwin et al.,, 2001; Miller et al.,, 2001; Li et al.,, 2002). Phosphatase enzymes in the soil serve several important functions, and are good indicators of soil fertility (Dick and Tabatai, 1992; Eivazi and Tabatabai, 1997; Dick et al.,, 2000). Under conditions of P2O5 deficiency, acid phosphatase secreted from roots is greater than before (Nakas et al.,, 1987; Chrost, 1991;Hayes et al.,, 1999; Li et al.,, 1997). Gilbert et al., (1999) found that white lupin roots from P-deficient plants had significantly superior acid phosphatase activity in both the root extracts and the root exudates than comparable samples from P-sufficient plants. At various starvation levels, these e nzymes release phosphate from both cellular (Bariola et al.,, 1994) and extra cellular (Duff et al.,, Ndakidemi 2529 1994) organic compounds. The transcripts and activity of phosphate transporters are increased to optimise uptake and remobilisation of phosphate in P-deficient plants (Muchhal et al.,, 1996; Daram et al.,, 1999; Kai et al.,, 2002; Karthikeyan et al.,, 2002; Mudge et al.,, 2002; Versaw and Harrison, 2002). It is thought that these morphological and enzymatic responses to P starvation are coordinated by both general stress-related and P-specific signaling systems. The amount of acid phosphatase secreted by plants is genetically controlled, and differs with crop species and varieties (Izaguirre-Mayoral and Carballo, 2002) as well as crop management practices (Patra et al.,, 1990; Staddon et al.,, 1998; Wright and Reddy, 2001). Some studies have shown that the amount of enzymes secreted by legumes were 72 % higher than those from cereals (Yadav and Tarafdar, 2001). Li et al., (2004a) found that, chickpea roots were also able to secrete greater amounts of acid phosphatase than maize. The activity of acid phosphatases is expected to be higher in biologically managed systems because of higher quantity of organic C content found in those systems. In fact, the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatase was found to correlate with organic matter in various studies (Guan, 1989; Jordan and Kremer, 1994; Aon and Colaneri, 2001). It is, therefore, anticipated that management practices in mixed cultures that induce P stress in the rhizosphere, may also affect the secretion of these enzymes. To date, there have been few studies examining the influence of cropping system on the phosphatase activity in the rhizosphere of most legumes and cereals grown in Pakistan. Understanding the dynamics of enzyme activities in these systems is crucial for their assessment their interactions as in turn their activities may regulate nutrient uptake and plant growth in the ecosystem. EFFECT OF ORGANIC, BIOLOGICAL ANDCHEIMCAL FERTLIZERS ON CROPS AND SOIL Application of organic manures has various advantages such as increasing soil physical properties, water holding capacity, and organic carbon content apart from supplying good quality of nutrients. The addition of organic sources could increase the yield through improving soil productivity and higher fertilizer use efficiency (Santhi, and Selvakumari, 2000). High and sustained yield could be obtained with judicious and balanced fertilization combined with organic manures (Kang, B.T. and V. Balasubramanian, 1990). Protecting long-term soil fertility by maintaining soil organic matter levels to certain extent, sustaining soil biological activity and careful mechanical intervention, providing crop nutrient directly by using relatively insoluble nutrient sources which are made available to the plants by the action of soil micro-organisms, nitrogen self sufficiency through the biological nitrogen fixation (Hossain et al.,,2004) as well as effective recycling of organic materials including livestock wastes organic manuring (Safdar, 2002).Soil degradation which is brought about by loss of organic matter accompanying continuous cropping becomes aggravated when inorganic fertilizers are applied repeatedly. This is because crop response to applied fertilizer depends on soil organic matter (Agboola and Omueti, 1982). Among differnret manues poultry manure is highly nutrient enriched organic manure since solid and liquid excreta are excreted simultaneously resulting in no urine loss. In fresh poultry excreta uric acid or urate is the most plentiful nitrogen compound (40-70 % of total N) while urea and ammonium are present in petite amounts (Krogdahl, and Dahlsgard. 1981). Cooperband et al., (2002) assessed phosphorus value of different- age poultry litter composts and raw poultry litter. Available soil P was the highest in plots amended with 15-month old compost, followed by raw poultry litter amended plots. Poultry manure is an excellent organic fertilizer, as it contains high nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other essential nutrients. In contrast to mineral fertilizer, it adds organic matter to soil which improves soil structures, nutrient retention, aeration, soil moisture holding capacity, and water infiltration (Deksissa et al.,, 2008). It was also indicated that poultry manure more readil y supplies P to plants than other organic manure sources (Garg and Bahla, 2008). As the use of poultry manure becomes an integral part of sustainable agriculture, demand for poultry products increases and pasturelands as well as croplands become nutrient saturated, which has ultimately increased water quality and public health concerns. In addition to high N and P content, raw poultry manure has a potential source of pathogen or E .coli (Jamieson et al.,, 2002; Bustamante et al.,, 2007) and endocrine disruptors (Deksissa et al.,, 2007). High and sustained crop yield can be obtained with judicious and balanced NPK fertilization combined with organic matter amendment (Kang and Balasubramanian, 1990).The benefits

SWOT Analysis of the COCOM Structure Essay example -- Business Analysi

The Idea of the Combatant Command structure was first emerged during World War II with the establishment of the different geographical theaters of operation that was composed of militant forces from different services. A single General or Admiral was appointed the single commander nominated by the President of the United States and was supported by a joint staff. With the implementation of the Goldwater Nichols Act of 1986, COCOM Commanders attained a nontransferable command authority over different service forces directly to the Secretary of Defense. Today there are 6 Geographic commanders consisting of the newest member the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), U.S. European Command (USEUCOM), U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), and U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). There has been a significant amount of criticism and arguments over the structuring and organization of the Combatant Commanders. Arguments have been made over personnel and budget restraints to peacetime efforts and the need for continued assistance. This Essay will analyze the COCOM structure using a SWOT analysis to look at both the internal and external points of the different commands and the overall effects the COCOM has on the world. This essay will finally offer and modification of the structure that would benefit the organization. The SWOT analysis is an acronym that stands for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. The idea of this assessment was developed by a man name Albert Humphrey in 1960’s. His team of researchers at the Stanford Research Institute originally developed a long range corporate planning model called SOFT meaning Satisfactory, Opportunity, Fault,... ...N Douglas M. â€Å"SOUTHCOM Posture Statement.† Washington, DC, 6 March 2012. Andrew Feickert, â€Å"The Unified Command Plan and Combatant Commands: Background and Issues for Congress,† Congressional Research Service, Novemnber 7, 2011, 60. Kniskern and Ducey, â€Å"SWOT and Structured Assessment Methodology,† 7. GEN James N. Mattis, â€Å"Statement: Commander U.S. Central Command Before the Senate Armed Services Committee,† Washington, DC, 6 March 2012, 6. Stavridis, â€Å"EUCOM Posture Statement† 60. Ibid., 60 GEN Douglas M. â€Å"SOUTHCOM Posture Statement.† 24. Feickert, â€Å"The Unified Command Plan and Combatant Commands,† 64. U.S. Government Accountability Office. â€Å"Defense Management: U.S. Southern Command Demonstrates Interagency Collaboration, but Its Haiti Disaster Response Revealed Challenges Conducting a Large Military Operation,† GAO-10-801, July 2010, 25.

The Importance of Dialect and Names in Kate Chopins The Storm :: Chopin Storm Essays

The Importance of Dialect and Names in The Storm    Kate Chopin is able to put life into her characters in her short story The Storm because she has lived a life similar to that of the people in it.   She was raised by her French Creole mother, which explains her ties to Creole in her story.   She married a wealth New Orleans cotton broker and in 1888 he died.   She was left with no money and six children so she turned to writing as a means to raise them.   The characters in her story depict life in the Cajun area of America and it shows in the nature of their ways.   She does this by giving them real characteristics that can make them seem more real.   Among these characteristics are their names and their dialect.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Chopin's use of Creole names in her story allows the reader to get a glimpse into the life of those living in French Creole areas.   Names such as Bibi and Bobinot aren t common names to most living in other parts of the country.   Because of this, readers are given a chance to read the story believing the characters to be real.   Had their names been common such at John or Eric, the story would become unreal in the sense that it would be difficult for Chopin to make the reader believe that the story takes place in a Cajun-like surrounding.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, other names in the story serve as a piece of the story setting as well.   Bibi s wife Calixta is a good example of this as is Calixta s man friend Alcee Laballiere.   Their names alone give you a sense that the story isn t set in just any area.   Though Chopin doesn t ever say where the setting of the story is, but something insignificant like the names can be used to help the reader make his or her own assumptions.   I got the sense that it was set in a Cajun area of the United States due to the French names.   Bobinot and Laballiere are unmistakably French in nature and due to the fact that Cajun areas are heavily influenced by French, Chopin made a setting without ever having to actually say it.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way Chopin sets the mood of the story and makes it feel more believable is by giving her characters a Cajun slang in their conversations. The Importance of Dialect and Names in Kate Chopin's The Storm :: Chopin Storm Essays The Importance of Dialect and Names in The Storm    Kate Chopin is able to put life into her characters in her short story The Storm because she has lived a life similar to that of the people in it.   She was raised by her French Creole mother, which explains her ties to Creole in her story.   She married a wealth New Orleans cotton broker and in 1888 he died.   She was left with no money and six children so she turned to writing as a means to raise them.   The characters in her story depict life in the Cajun area of America and it shows in the nature of their ways.   She does this by giving them real characteristics that can make them seem more real.   Among these characteristics are their names and their dialect.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Chopin's use of Creole names in her story allows the reader to get a glimpse into the life of those living in French Creole areas.   Names such as Bibi and Bobinot aren t common names to most living in other parts of the country.   Because of this, readers are given a chance to read the story believing the characters to be real.   Had their names been common such at John or Eric, the story would become unreal in the sense that it would be difficult for Chopin to make the reader believe that the story takes place in a Cajun-like surrounding.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, other names in the story serve as a piece of the story setting as well.   Bibi s wife Calixta is a good example of this as is Calixta s man friend Alcee Laballiere.   Their names alone give you a sense that the story isn t set in just any area.   Though Chopin doesn t ever say where the setting of the story is, but something insignificant like the names can be used to help the reader make his or her own assumptions.   I got the sense that it was set in a Cajun area of the United States due to the French names.   Bobinot and Laballiere are unmistakably French in nature and due to the fact that Cajun areas are heavily influenced by French, Chopin made a setting without ever having to actually say it.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way Chopin sets the mood of the story and makes it feel more believable is by giving her characters a Cajun slang in their conversations.

Romeo and Juliet: Friar Lawrence is to Blame :: Romeo and Juliet Essays

Youth and Age Should Friar Lawrence and the Nurse have been more careful about the way they encouraged Romeo and Juliet’s love? To what extent does Shakespeare present them as being to blame? Throughout the play Romeo and Juliet were aided in their love. It was according to Romeo and Juliet love at first sight and with the help of Juliet’s closest companion the nurse and Friar Lawrence it was made possible for the lovers to exchange vows and continue their relationship behind the twos houses backs. The nurse plays a role in Juliet’s life ‘when it did taste the wormwood on the nipple’ we find out that Juliet’s and the nurse have ad a close and long term friendship with Juliet even feeding off her as a baby, this close relationship is important alter on in the play when the nurse betrays Juliet’s trust. The Nurse was a go between the two lovers so therefore was helping and encouraging the relationship. The nurse however was very careful in her encouragement and made sure that it was as secretive as it could be ‘I am the drudge, and toil in your delight’ here the nurse feels that she is doing right by being Juliet’s messenger but as we learnt at the beginning of the play in the prologue the lovers will end in disaster. ‘a pair of star crossed lovers take their lives’ this provides dramatic irony as we are aware that once they in love it will end in disaster. Friar Lawrence plays a very important role in the play between Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare has presented Friar Lawrence much to blame for the horrific ending of their lives. Not only was Friar Lawrence the brains behind the plan of getting them together after his banishment he was also the man who agreed to the marriage in the first place. ‘for doting, not loving, pupil mine’ Romeo holds a lot of respect for Friar Lawrence and he is a father figure towards him in the play. Friar Lawrence’s opinions therefore are considered by Romeo so therefore he should have been more careful in his decisions of marriage. Before agreeing to marry them both Lawrence had his suspicions that Romeo did not love Rosaline it was just lust, he therefore thought that this was the same case with Juliet. Shakespeare holds him to blame by allowing him to marry Juliet which causes all the problems and betrayal by easily believing that he loves Juliet.

The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image Matthew Buckingham: a Man in the Crowd

A Mirrored Image of Reality Realism is a realm of art that focuses on an individual’s perspective of the real world through the use of varying mediums. In historical times artist have always and everywhere sought to expand the subject matter of their work as well as the media in which they work. It would be accurate to say that the history of political suppression of the arts from Egyptian times to Byzantium to Nazism and Zhdanovism is a manifestation of attempts to limit or abolish expansion of artistic subject matter or new forms or styles.The drive to break out of the boundaries of conventional representation arises from the need to express new experiences and perspectives. And as innovations in artistic media reflect parallel technical discoveries and inventions, so also does the drive to expand the horizons of subject matter reflecting fundamental changes in social relations, social needs, and social values and objectives. In the â€Å"Cinema Effect Illusions, Reality, a nd the Moving Image† exhibition the various artists seek to create works that integrate cinema into our perceived notion of reality.Amongst the artists featured in the exhibition is Matthew Buckingham. Matthew Buckingham does a twenty minute film based off of Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Man in the crowd† also the same name of his film. Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The man in the crowd† is a narrative and not an actual film. Buckingham after reading the narrative was struck with how the story could be a metaphor and paradigm for the question of nonfiction filmmaking itself, Buckingham’s film is a silent film produced in black and white.There are many parallels with Poe’s narrative and Buckingham’s film. Buckingham’s film provides the visual aspect of Poe’s narrative. But, Buckingham’s film is more contemporary, he changes the setting of the film from nineteenth century Paris to that of modern day Vienna. Poe didnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t know London and details are borrowed from Dickens, Poe’s London sounds more like New York versus nineteenth century London. The details that Poe uses come from a review that Poe did of a story by Dickens.Poe fictionalizes the story by saying, â€Å"they covered and crossed the edges of the city† which would have been impossible to do at that time, his description sounds more like modern day Vienna . With Poe’s â€Å"The man in the crowd† one man is following a complete stranger but it is unclear whether or not the follower is ever aware that he is being followed or if he ever acknowledges the man that follows him; the difference with Buckingham is that he adds another character, he introduces the camera as a character in the film.Edgar Allan Poe’s story is from one mans point of view, a man sits at a coffee shop and watches people walk by and describes them, of the people he sees walk by him he is intrigued by an elderly gentleman who walk s by him, and then the man in the coffee shop begins to follow him. A man simply becomes interested in another mans manner and then he commits himself to following him secretly for a twenty-four hour period in hopes to learn something about the man . In this time frame, the elderly gentleman goes through out London in a distorted fashion going from one place to another in no particular path or reason.Matthew Buckingham’s version begins with a young man dressed in a black t-shirt and dark colored pants in a cafe. In is the only portion of the film where there is some dialogue, which is heard. The young man sits at a table with a large window that pears into the downtown area of Vienna, there are many people that walk by him and catch his eye. While he sits an older man dressed in a suit walks by and catches his attention. From this point on the young man begins to follow the older gentleman in the suit.Throughout the duration of the film the younger man secretly follows the ol der gentleman. The older gentleman does not appear to sense that he is being followed, the man go to various places, there is no clear destination a parallel with Poe’s story but the older man of the two does not appear to be disoriented in any way whereas in Poe’s story the man is intrigued by the older man because of his distorted state. In the film most of the scenes only feature the older man, there are very few scenes where the man walks around crowed areas and spaces allowing the viewer to only focus on this man.There is one part in the film where the man being followed acknowledges his follower, the men are both walking through what appears to be a walking through a bush garden, at this point the man in the suit starts running as if he realizes that someone is following him, but he never turns around to acknowledge the man following him from this point on the man in the suit has disappeared from the film but he is then show in another scene. In the following sce ne this is the first time that the younger man is introduced in the film.Throughout the film only the back of the man in the suit is seen we never get a full view of either of the men, now, in this scene the camera is introduced as another character in the film. Before this point in the film is was ambiguous to know whether the younger man was also the camera guy but know it is clear that he is apart of the film as a character. The following scene begins to follow the man in the suit again but this time the viewer is able to get a closer view of him.Both men stand right next to each other and the angle of the camera shifts between the two men. There is a shift in the film the older man becomes a little more unaware and disoriented as the film continues. The man in the suit begins walks into a crowded area and he looks as if he is trying to find someone or something, at this point both men are close enough to each other to the point where they can physically embrace one another. The older man is preoccupied in his thoughts that he literally brushes past the other man and leaves the building they are in quickly.Transitioning in the film the older man goes to a train station and he at this point appears very disoriented and confused he walks in the station and looks as if he is going to board one of the trains but stops himself and leaves. At this point the man is back outside and the focus shifts from the older man as people walk in front of him and he seems lost within the crowd, night falls and the man is becomes the focus again and he continues to walk aimlessly. He then goes into a bar and he is amongst the many people in the bar, once he leaves it is completely dark and the film ends.This film exemplifies a type of realism because it depicts a realistic aspect of everyday life without exaggeration. The actual film is based on one man; the film follows him throughout one twenty-four hour period. The only unrealistic aspect of the film is the film itself, tha t someone is secretly following another person. The mans actions in the film follow everyday activity. Buckingham created a film that even allows the viewer to be superimposed within it. The film is displayed from two projectors. The projector is freestanding and has the appearance of a window, just like that of the window in the cafe where the film begins.So once we superimpose ourselves in front of the projector we are now apart of the film. The film becomes real and apart of the viewers reality because even the viewer can experience what is going on and be apart. The viewer now takes the role of the camera or the person following the man and experience what is going on. Also the man in the crowd is a relatable character we can all identify with the man in the crowd. The man that was followed was chosen randomly, he had no idea he was being followed and he had no distinguishable traits that would make he an obvious candidate. Buckingham’s film is similar to a performance by Vito Acconci.Vito Acconci does a performance similar to that of what Buckingham does in his film whereas Acconci follows a man around without his permission. Both artists push the boundaries of what art is and its interactions with life and its reality. Both artists with their work blur the line of artist and the perceived audience/subject. These works can be classified as avant-garde and how they move away from the considered standards and characteristics of art and what it should be art without a specific form and directed perception. In this same manner Matthew Buckingham’s film is similar to the photos of Jeff Wall.Jeff Wall uses photography to capture the different aspects of our reality and perceived real life. One of Jeff Wall’s photos is â€Å"A view from an Apartment†, in this photo Wall depicts an ordinary scene amongst two roommates, but he has altered the photo slightly to make the photo appear more realistic, he uses this image to depict two differ ent aspects of our reality. His work like that of Buckingham’s discusses our social ideas of the world. Like that of photography film is able to capture a moment as it happens, with technological advances in both there is the ability to go back and change or manipulate the imagery to something else.With both artist they are able to make their art appear as if it were natural and unchanged. Buckingham’s film appears natural and organic without any manipulation, but the characters of the film where all aware of each other and Buckingham’s concept and idea for this film thus making this reality artificial. There are interesting and informative accounts of art ranging from strict formalism to psychoanalysis, but that these had best be registered and tested against more general scientific theories of human society and culture.When this is done, the content of the work of art can be related to the means of scientific, realistic and empirical theories of culture and so ciety. This film addresses social concerns within society. The concept of the film and the film itself push the boundary of what is socially acceptable as art. Buckingham’s film does push the boundary of what is socially accepted for him to follow another person without their permission and to further document this as a film.

American Industrialization And Immigration

This song, written for the Yiddish theatre around 1900 by Hyman Prizit and Abe Schwarz, is a fairly good summation of the essay The Uprooted, written about 50 years later by Oscar Handlin. The second great wave of immigrants during the last half of the nineteenth century consisted of peasant farmers from Eastern and Southern Europe as well as Scandinavia, forced off of lands that had sustained them for generations, no longer able to extract a living from it, or fleeing persecutions and repressive, quasi-feudal governments.The had heard of â€Å"Amerika,† where the streets were paved with gold and land was there for the taking. Often spending all they had, those who survived the crossing arrived and found the streets paved not with gold, but with the blood, sweat and toil of those who were exploited to create gold for elite ruling classes that were often more oppressive than those they had fled. The difference was in the nature of the exploitation and oppression. Whereas in the â€Å"Old Country,† physical violence had most often been the tool of oppression – Cossacks, private police, etc.– in the industrial-capitalistic U. S. , the oppression was economic. Those who controlled the means of production, then as now, though only of maximizing and internalizing profits while minimizing and externalizing costs. Human life meant nothing to the industrial capitalist overlords. Had not the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery, they would have happily enslaved the newcomers in order to keep themselves in luxury. A few of the immigrants were able to escape the cities, and even fewer managed to acquire land and establish farms.Most however found themselves trapped in a system that not only cut them off from the land, entrapping them in a virtual jungle of concrete, brick and stone, but found their very lives subject to economic cycles, manipulations and machinations they could neither understand nor control. When employment was available, the demand s of the corporate leeches robbed the immigrant laborers of the comforts of family, culture and even religious faith, since workers were often required to work seven days a week.In Ethnic Enclaves and the Worker’s Saloon, Roy Rosenzweig describes how the workers of one city were able to take back some power from their corporate overlords, and how the unique character of this city made it even possible. Worcester Massachusetts was unusual in a number of ways. Unlike many industrial towns, it was not located near a navigable river nor a source of raw materials. Additionally, during the wave of corporate mergers and acquisition that took place during the first â€Å"Robber Baron† era around the turn of the 20th century, most of the factories in Worcester managed to remain under local control.â€Å"Control† was the operative word, here; the families who started Worcester’s industries virtually controlled the community. As in large port cities such as Baltimor e, New York and Boston, the immigrant workforce was a mixed lot who often could not see beyond their own ethnic and religious differences to realize that as workers, they shared many of the same problems. In addition, the control of city politics by the industrial capitalists made it difficult for working-class people to get involved in the system in any sort of active way. This, combined with â€Å"the carrot of paternalism† (i. e., â€Å"faith-based initiatives,† charity organizations, educational programs) and the â€Å"stick of repression† (threat of firings if workers were suspected of union activity, tracking of personal information and the use of company spies) helped the elite classes maintain control over the workforce (88). As the ethnic landscape grew more diverse, the individual ethnic communities began to â€Å"circle the wagons,† metaphorically speaking; the results were an â€Å"interweaving of church, fraternal lodge and family† tha t allowed built a support system for the various communities – who were, often as not, at odds with each other.This in combination with the more structured, disciplinarian and authoritarian structure in the workplace that inhibited socialization, gave rise to the saloons – literal drinking establishments as the working class began to have more leisure time. Whereas in earlier times, drinking and socializing on the job (primarily in artisan and agricultural industries) was permissible, in the more mechanized industrial workplace, it was not (more because the bosses wanted more control over their workers rather than out of any real concern for their safety, one suspects).This also had the effect of separating the male from home and family to a greater degree (89). U. S. history appears to run in cycles, with a pendulum that swings from an egalitarian, socialistic economic model in which the economy serves the people, to a quasi-feudal, hyper-capitalistic, laissez-faire s ystem in which a few ruthless individuals claw their way to the top of the socio-economic ladder and become economic leeches, literally feeding off of the blood and sweat of honest laborers while contributing little, if anything to the betterment of society (cases in point – the Walton (Wal-Mart) family, Paris Hilton and the Bush dynasty).Like today, the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was a period of capitalism run amuck, justified by a sick, twisted perversion of Christianity preached by a murderous sociopath over four hundred years before in Geneva, Switzerland. Like the medieval Catholicism, Calvinism has been used to justify authoritarianism dominance by a patriarchal, self-appointed aristocracy, whose only interests are in the accumulation of wealth and power over society.Human needs and even lives mean nothing to these predators (although their Congressional lap-dogs and lickspittles are not above moralizing about a â€Å"culture of life† – as long as it involves people who are either still in the womb, are vegetative, or anyone else for whom they themselves don’t need to take any direct responsibility). The tragedy is that the concept of the sweatshop and worker exploitation has never completely disappeared, despite the efforts of the â€Å"saloons† and the union movements that ultimately grew from them.In the 1930’s, Franklin Roosevelt literally â€Å"saved capitalism from itself† with the New Deal that among other things, strengthened worker protections and the right to form a union. For about four decades, these policies resulted in the establishment of a solid middle class – corresponding to the â€Å"yeomanry† that Thomas Jefferson himself said was the bedrock of a democracy. Like the first middle class of the U. S. , which existed between 1790 and 1840, this middle class was politically savvy and involved.When this activism forced an end to their highly profitable war in Vietnam, the politicians and their corporate backers in the war industries responded with a â€Å"new† brand of conservatism which was really the same kind of predatory, â€Å"robber baron† economics that FDR had tried to end. The ultimate goal of today’s neo-conservatism is to end democracy and replace it with feudalism by destroying the middle and working classes – something Reagan and his three successors have been doing quite effectively.Since the labor laws that would have permitted a return to child labor, sweatshops and twelve-hour, seven-day-a-week work schedules would be hard to overcome, this labor was simply shipped overseas to nations where such things were permitted. This not only allowed corporate capitalists to maximize profits to obscene levels on the backs of these workers, it also robbed American workers of their livelihoods, and has put much of the middle class in such economic insecurity, they have little time or inclination for activ ism.This was made possible by a number of things: Reagan’s intentional failure to enforce the Sherman Act, and the elimination of the tariffs that financed a great deal of the federal government for 200 years. This was followed by â€Å"Free Trade† agreements that are in fact â€Å"free† for large corporate interests, but exact a heavy price on everyone else, and the transfer of the â€Å"commons† – that which the citizens of a nation hold in ownership collectively – to private, predatory, profit-driven corporations.The results are clear, if not generally spoken of my a bought-and-paid-for corporate media: 46 million U. S. citizens with no access to health care, the destruction and continuing neglect of a major port city, the rape of a foreign country on behalf of private corporate oil interests (being protected in large part by a private, well-paid mercenary army while U. S. ground troops go without the most basic necessities), the deterior ation of public education, the sell-out of U. S.industry and infrastructure to foreign interests, the near-destruction of the middle class as wealth is stolen through regressive taxes and transferred to economic parasites such as the Walton family. Handlin paints an accurate picture of a time that not only was, but is in great danger of returning. The only hope for the U. S. is suggested by Rosenzweig, which is actually being seen today on the Internet. Today’s Progressive on-line blogs and chatrooms are the new â€Å"Saloons,† where the issues outlined above – long ignored or misunderstood by a citizenry lulled by the panen et circensem of today – are finally being discussed.While the majority of â€Å"Republicrats† and â€Å"Demopublicans† in Congress continue to thumb their noses at the citizens they claim to represent as they continue to enable a dysfunctional, sociopathic, twice-unelected â€Å"president† and his fascist-leaning cohorts, today’s technology has made it impossible to hide the corruption and decay completely. History runs in cycles. Just as the last quarter-century has seen the return of exploitive Robber Baron capitalism, so has the Internet provided â€Å"Saloons† where the working class can once again take back what is rightfully theirs and create an economy that serves people – not the other way around.