Write an editorial-style article on the role of economic strength in Essay

Write an editorial-style article on the role of economic strength in natural disasters - Essay Example But in more modern economies, a natural disaster actually appears to have the potential to improve the economy of a nation. Bennett (2) points to the Sichuan, China earthquake that killed nearly 80,000 people in 2008. Official governmental records show that the economy actually grew at a faster than normal rate for the area affected by the earthquake. While economic statistics from the central government in China are notoriously inaccurate, there is little doubt that the economy did actually grow in the short and the long term during the months after the earthquake. With long-term economic growth in mind, how should wealthy nations use this information when considering how to provide aid in the aftermath of a natural disaster? A study of the economics of recovery has revealed that there is a dark side to international aid. Klein (3) represents the more radical edge of this belief. She claims that free markets do not spread capitalism. Rather, NGO’s and governments taking advantage of societies shocked by the ravages of a natural disaster spread capitalism. Natural disasters are actually seen as growth opportunities by these organizations. Perhaps a less cynical and more powerful article focuses on a recent study by Hideki and Skidmore (4) that attempts to quantify the long-term economic benefits of post-disaster relief. What these researchers found is that of 89 countries experiencing natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes, the countries that had the most natural disasters actually had the greatest economic growth over several decades. The reason for this may lie in the fact that the improved economic conditions come from replacing outdated factories and infrastructure with newer, more efficient and productive infrastructure. So, in a way, natural disasters can be a sort of economic boon if some of the aid money is directed and used with an eye to the economic future

Negative Impacts of Oil Exploration on Nigerias Biodiversity Essay

Negative Impacts of Oil Exploration on Nigerias Biodiversity - Essay Example It is Africa’s largest wetland, which consists of flat and low lying swamps that are a result of sediment deposition beautifully arranged in a terrain. The area has four different ecological zones which include coastal barrier islands, mangrove swamp forests, fresh water swamps and lowland rainforests. Due to this diverse ecosystem, the delta is one of the world’s most concentrated regions in biodiversity. Not only does it have the potential of supporting abundant fauna and flora, it has the potential of sustaining agricultural production. The freshness of the water gives it the ability of harbouring fresh water fish as well as a water catchment area for domestic consumption. However, the biodiversity has been destroyed by oil exploration activities around the area, and is proving to be a threat to the environment of the place. This paper will look at the various negative impacts of oil exploration in Nigeria has had on the biodiversity. Statistically according to Kadaf a (2012, p. 18) Nigeria ranks at first position in the world with flare gas, constituting 46% of Africa’s total flared gas per tonne of oil produced. This accounted for 19.79 per cent of the total global figure in the 1990s. During the period between 1970 and 1979, the average rate of gas flaring in Nigeria stood at 97%. In the period between 1980 and 1989 saw 97% of gas being flared while the years between 1990 and 1999 saw a total of 97% of gas be flared in Nigeria. Most of the gas extracted in the delta is immediately flared into the environment at a rate of 70 million/m3 per day. Gas flaring is the biggest contributor of air pollution in the Niger delta (Edino, et a., 2010, p. 67). Gas flaring emits greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere which include methane and carbon dioxide, the major contributors of global warming. Environmentalists argue that air pollutants are highly concentrated in the Niger Delta than in the rest parts of Nigeria as a result of oil extraction. Gas flare sites produce a lot of heat, which is as high as 1,600 Celsius, making it a major contributor of thermo pollution. Moreover, areas as far as 43.8 metres away from the sites experience temperatures of close to 400 Celsius, which negatively affect the vegetation and animal life and affects ecological equilibrium (Emoyan, 2008, p. 30-34). Global warming is potentially dangerous to the sea level of the low laying coastal areas as it potentially raises the sea level. Evidence of environmental degradation of the delta include inundation on large scale, increased coastal erosion, modification of habitats as wildlife are redistributed in the area, increased intensity of high rainfall events which is associated with increased run off. Soil erosion is a major occurrence as flash floods are common in the region while ocean storm surges have been a frequent occurrence (Kadafa, p. 2012, p. 20). Combined, these effects on the environment potentially jeopardize the survival of communities l iving in the region. Gas flares have been responsible for rain water and ground water acidification, research has indicated. Evidence shows that the Niger delta has high levels concentration of volatile oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur oxide which exceeding normal standards of federal environmental protection agency. Due to the increased pollution levels, water from shallowly dug wells has indicated the presence of low pH levels, a cause of acid rain. The effects of acid rain cannot be underestimated. Not only does it corrode roofing sheets of houses and commercial buildings, it also damages vegetation as well as contaminate pools, lakes and rivers which are home for fish and other marine life (Akpomuvie, 2011, p. 206). Oil mining in the Niger delta

The Future of British Sign Language

The Future of British Sign Language The future of British sign language: Towards one variety or a variety of languages. When discussing the future of British Sign Language we must first define sign language and British Sign Language (BSL). Sign language is a visually based language that uses signs to represent specific words or phrases. There are numerous different types and varieties of sign language based around the world, some are rudimentary while others are have developed into advanced languages. British Sign Language is the most developed and widely used form of sign language used in Britain. It is estimated that 50, 000 people within the UK use BSL. BSL is the natural language of signs that has developed in Britain over centuries. It is the language used by the British Deaf community. (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 13). Similar to spoken and written languages BSL has grown and evolved since its inception, but unlike many spoken or written languages is not universal. BSL users are restricted to communicating within Britain, or with other signers familiar with BSL, as BSL does not extend beyond Britain’s borders, even to other English speaking populations. Indeed BSL, American Sign Language (ASL), Irish Sign Language (ISL), have all developed different signs for different words and have different structures, thus, someone signing with ASL will not be able to communicate clearly with someone signing with BSL. In addition to variations from country to country, there are dialect variations within each form of sign language. BSL, like spoken language, has evolved through the needs of its users in spontaneous and natural ways. There are wide regional differences in some signs numbers and colours are notoriously variable, however most signs are the same. Many of the variations stem from the schools Deaf people attended; new signs are being coined, and more established signs changing with time and use. Hearing learners may find this a problem in the early stages, but it doesn’t present a problem to native signers. Variations are largely in the vocabulary of signs the words of the language; the grammatical structures that hold it together and give meaning, vary very little. Language has a life of its own, and most attempts to interfere or control it tend to fail. (DeafSign.Com, 2000) Admittedly, it is the nature of language to grow and change, and many dialects and variations have emerged within Standard English. But while dialects in Standard English sometimes lead to confusion if two speakers of different dialects communicate, these differences seldom make it impossible for English speakers, or writers, to communicate with one another. Where as, without a universal form of sign language it makes it difficult for the signing population to communicate with people signing with different variations. This mutual unintelligibly within variations and dialects of sign language leads to deaf populations being not only removed from hearing populations, but also from one another. Because deaf communities tend to be smaller and more contained than other minorities within the hearing community the differences that emerge in sign language are more defined. Where as dialects in spoken English tend to emerge in areas or social communities, there are many more factors that influence dialects in sign language. Sutton-Spence Woll (2004, p. 13) explain that a signer’s age, class, gender, ethnicity, religion, and locale can all effect the way in which they sign. This leads to many different variations within one variety of sign language alone. Thus, even a concerted effort to unify sign language, whether it be the unification of BSL from the current number of dialects and variations within BSL, to a uniform use of the language, or an even greater attempt to unify the varieties within countries, or even worldwide will be an extremely difficult task. There are so many external forces on the development of sign language that it is difficult to control its use and development. The age at which a person learns to sign and whom they learn it from effects the way in which they sign. This is especially notable when comparing the differences between the children of deaf and hearing parents. Exposure to sign language at an early age is different to the children of deaf parents and the children of hearing parents. Those born to deaf parents are more likely to have had early exposure to a fluent model of adult BSL. Those born to hearing parents often†¦ only begin to learn BSL when they start school†¦. Research comparing adult signers from deaf and hearing families has shown that their signing differs significantly. (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 23-24). One of the reasons that signing in BSL differs so dramatically from one person to another is that BSL is a complex, fully developed language, which is extremely different from Standard English. BSL has it’s own grammar, syntax, lexicon, and has many other unique features. BSL evolved naturally, as all languages do. It uses both manual and non-manual components – handshapes and movements, facial expression, and shoulder movement. BSL is structured in a completely different way to English, and like any language it has its own grammar. Linguists generally agree that BSL is a topic comment language. For example, the question in English ‘What is your name?’ becomes the sequence ‘Your name what?’ in BSL. (RNID 2004, p. 4). Anyone already fluent in Standard English, or any other language, that wishes to learn BSL must learn a completely new language structure and way of communicating to be able to sign in BSL. Like with Standard English there is a dictionary and many other texts to assist BSL users. The British Deaf Association’s Dictionary of British Sign Language (1992) is 1084 pages long and includes both pictures of each sign in the language, as well as, English word definitions. Yet people wishing to learn BSL cannot do so from text book alone as there are many features of BSL which must be seen or described to understand, such as, nods of the head, shoulder shrugs, facial expressions and lip patterns. â€Å"There are many mouth patterns that convey grammatical and phonological information in BSL.† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 81). In addition, to knowing the intricacies of each sign, as well as, the structure and vocabulary of BSL, signers must also become familiar with other unique features of BSL. Features include the ability to express metaphors, poetry and humour using signs. Signers must also become familiar with BSL idioms, euphemisms, expletives / insults, as with any language BSL contains exceptions to the language rules and certain taboo words, such as, â€Å"ORAL-SIGNER† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 245). This insult, which is unique to the signing community, reveals the effect of the divide between different varieties and dialects of sign language on the signing community and signing individuals’ opinions of other signers.   Furthermore, because signing languages are completely visual and do not have a written component, like Standard English, this forces people who wish to communicate through both BSL, or other forms of sign language, and also written English to learn two completely different languages. While BSL is currently the most commonly used variety of sign language in Britain, with the internet and email becoming more dominant communication tools by the day. Younger users of sign language may start to tend towards a variety of sign language that incorporates Standard English into its overall format. Currently there are a number of varieties of sign language used in Britain that use Standard English sentence construction and grammar, but these varieties have long been second to BSL. While the reason for the construction of BSL is quite simple and logical, this does not make the language any easier to use. BSL uses signs that often encompass a few words or a phrase, while the grammar and sentence structure work to create shortened sentences. All of these features serve to shorten BSL sentences, and are necessary to ensure timely communication, as it takes longer to form signs than to speak words. There are a number of other forms of sign language and signing used in Britain, these include Cued Speech, the Paget-Gorman Sign System (PGSS), Signed English, Sign Supported English (SSE), and Fingerspelling. All of these visual languages are largely dependent on Standard English. Some users of sign language use BSL in conjunction with these other forms, while others may choose to stick with one variety. Sign Supported English (SSE) is probably the most popular alternate variety of sign language currently used in Britian. This variety of sign language uses BSL vocabulary and Standard English sentence structure and grammar. â€Å"In Sign Supported English (SSE), the key words of a sentence are signed while the person speaks.† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 14). SSE is an advanced variation of Signed English, which uses BSL to sign all of the words in a sentence, using Standard English sentence structure and grammar. There are problems with the use of Signed English. It is very slow, and a message takes longer in Signed English than in either BSL or [Standard] English. This means that spoken English accompanying Signed English becomes unnaturally slow, and many English speakers let speech take over and drop some signs. Many BSL signers using Signed English insert features of BSL grammar so that the grammar is not ‘pure English’ any more. (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 16). Just as SSE and Signed English depend on Standard English so too does the Paget-Gorman Sign System (PGSS). But whereas SSE and Signed English use BSL signs and incorporate Standard English form, PGSS uses â€Å"signs [that] do not come from any sign language, but have been created to represent English words and English grammar† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 14). Because of its focus on Standard English PGSS is easy for native English speakers to learn, but it is not a language used by the deaf community. Similarly, cued speech, which is a system that does not use signs at all, rather â€Å"hand cues are made near the mouth to identify different speech sounds.† (Sutton-Spence Woll 2004, p. 13). Cued speech is a verbally dominated form of visual language and is thus not commonly used within the deaf community. One of the most basic and widely used forms of signing if fingerspelling, which has one sign for every letter of the alphabet and requires users to spell out the letters in a word or sentence. Fingerspelling is not a language in itself but is often incorporated into sign languages. Most commonly fingerspelling is used to spell words for which there is no sign, such as, names of people or places. Alternately, fingerspelling can be used to draw attention to a word in a sentence or phrase. Although fingerspelling may be the most simple and basic form of signing, it fails to be universal because different countries have different signs for each letter in the fingerspelling alphabet, making it impossible for signers from different countries to understand the words that are being spelt. Edward Finegan (2004, p. 19-20) identifies three modes of linguistic communication in Language: Its Structure Use. He defines these as speaking, writing and signing, yet signing at this point is not a fully developed universal mode of communication as a result of the restrictions the different varieties of sign language put upon their users. Because sign languages have developed and evolved naturally within the relatively small communities within which they are used around they have developed independently and created mutually exclusive varieties. There have been attempts in the past to create or nominate one universal sign language, but up until this point no one variety of sign language has succeeded in dominating the international signing community. In Britain because BSL is the official language of the deaf community, with approximately 50, 000 people within the UK using BSL, it will continue to be the dominant sign language in Britain. Although, with the rise of internet technology and written electronic communication the younger signing community may start to tend towards a Standard English based form of sign language, such as, SSP. The use of SSP would enable signers to communicate in the same language in person and in writing, rather than communicating with BSL sign language in person and Standard English in writing. The current dominance of British Sign Language can be attributed to the same factor which has led to the formation of the so many different varieties of sign language, in Britain and around the world, because signing communities tend to be quite small and isolated from one another, adult signers pass on the language they are familiar with ti younger signers. As a result, younger signers may not be aware of other sign languages available to them. But with the influence email, and the rise of written communication as a result, younger singers will beging to seek out a variety of sign language that incorporates the Standard English conventions they will become more familiar with as they become more familiar with writing. Indeed this may simply lead to the transformation of the current BSL variety into a variety of sign language, which incorporates rather than excludes Standard English conventions. Alternately, the language we currently know as BSL could be replaced by another variety of sign language, such as Sign Supported English (SSE), or another variety altogether. In a world dominated by travel and technology signing communities, both within Britain and around the world, need a language through which they can successfully, and clearly, communicate with one another. The first step towards universal communication between signing communities is to ensure that the sign languages used are simple for hearing people to learn, and that there is as little variation (and as a result confusion) within the varieties. By encouraging hearing people to learn sign language the signing community would broaden the language base and thus provide stability to the language. And although it is difficult to control the growth and evolution of any language, by adopting a sign language which follows Standard English conventions, the language would have to adhere to Standard English and thus evolve with it, creating a more universal and less confusing language. By adopting or creating a sign language based on Standard English, the variations of that sign language would tend be restricted to the variations of Standard English. The evolution of language is a gradual process, therefore the future of British Sign Language will most likely see the continuation of BSL as the dominant language, with the growth of a Standard English based language. The two languages will coincide for a period before the modern Standard English based language gains control. BIBLIOGRAPHY BRITISH DEAF ASSOCIATION, Brien, D. (ed.), 1992. Dictionary of British Sign Language. London: Faber and Faber. CRYSTAL, D., 2003. The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language. 2nd edition. Cambridge:   Cambridge University Press. (p. 222-227) DEAFSIGN.COM, 2000. Is British Sign Language standardised? [online]. Available from: http://www.deafsign.com/ds/index.cfm?scn=articlearticleID=6 [Accessed 25 June 2005] FINEGAN, E., 2004. Language: Its Structure and Use. 4th ed. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth. RNID, April 2004. Introducing British Sign Language. London: RNID SUTTON-SPENCE, R., WOLL, B., 2004. The Linguistics of British Sign Language: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Run Like the Wind: A Geographical Look at Kenyan Supremacy in Long Di :: essays research papers fc

Run Like the Wind: A Geographical Look At Kenyan Supremacy in Long Distance Running In East Africa, there is an area know as the Great Rift Valley. It is in this Great Rift Valley, where the world’s most dominant long distance runners come from, Kenya. In the past three decades, runners from Kenya have simply dominated the sport of long distance running in all facets including cross-country, track, and the marathon. In the world rankings for marathon running, Kenyans hold 8 of the top 10 spots for the men and 6 of the top ten spots in women’s rankings. (Entine, Par. 2) But how can one country be so overpowering in a sport that anyone can participate in? There are a number of factors that all work together to make Kenyan runners the best of the best. Rigorous training regimens, the physical geography of Kenya, country and world support of the athletes, genetics and early participation of children are all factors in the study of why Kenyan runners are by far the best long distance runners in the world. To start off, you must look at the physical geograph y in which the Kenyans train.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kenya is located in East Africa and is dominated by the Great Rift Valley. A rift valley developed from faulting caused by tension in the earth’s crust. The sides of the valley are usually steep and can be up to 2,000 meters high. The Great Rift Valley gives Kenya areas of great elevation. This elevation equals thinning of the air as you get to higher and higher altitudes, which makes it more difficult to breath, especially when running. This altitude plus the equatorial latitudes creates and ideal climate for sustained outdoor activity – comfortably warm days, cool nights, low humidity. That with the altitude’s aerobic benefits, show how Kenya’s highlands are ideal for distance running. It should also be noted that every one of the country’s world-class runners is a highlander. â€Å"In an hour and 40 minutes they run more than 15 miles over uneven red clay, dodging small herds of cattle and donkeys laden with sacks of potatoes†¦The route climbs more that 3,000 feet, from and elevation of slightly more than 6,500 feet at the river to nearly 10,000 at the peak, where oxygen is precious and a cruel wind slices across the face of the hill.† (Layden, par. 2) It is in this environment that the Kenyan runners perform their grueling training regimens.

Dawdaw

5- 10 songs When I’m inlove.. STEPHEN SPEAKS â€Å"Out Of My League† it's her hair and her eyes today that just simply take me away and the feeling that i'm falling further in love makes me shiver but in a good way all the times i have sat and stared as she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair and she purses her lips, bats her eyes as she plays, with me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say coz i love her with all that i am and my voice shakes along with my hands coz she’s all that I see and she’s all that I need and i'm out of my league once again it's a masterful melody when she calls out my name to me s the world spins around her she laughs, rolls her eyes and i feel like i'm falling but it's no surprise coz i love her with all that i am and my voice shakes along with my hands cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea but i'd rather be here than on land yes she's all that i see and she's all that i need and i'm out of my league on ce again it's her hair and her eyes today that just simply take me away and the feeling that i'm falling further in love makes me shiver but in a good way all the times i have sat and stared as she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair nd she purses her lips, bats her eyes as she plays, with me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say coz i love her with all that i am and my voice shakes along with my hands cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea but i'd rather be here than on land yes she's all that i see and she's all that i need and i'm out of my league once again Bryan adams – HEAVEN Oh, thinkin' about all our younger years There was only you and me We were young and wild and free Now nothin' can take you away from me We've been down that road before But that's over now You keep me comin' back for more Chorus] Baby you're all that I want When you're lyin' here in my arms I'm findin' it hard to believe We're in heaven And love is all that I need And I found it there in your heart It isn't too hard to see We're in heaven Oh, once in your life you find someone Who will turn your world around Bring you up when you're feelin' down Yeah, nothin' could change what you mean to me Oh, there's lots that I could say But just hold me now ‘Cause our love will light the way [Chorus] I've been waitin' for so long For somethin' to arrive For love to come along Now our dreams are comin' trueThrough the good times and the bad Yeah, I'll be standin' there by you [Chorus] When I’m sad.. Coldplay â€Å"Fix You† When you try your best, but you don't succeed When you get what you want, but not what you need When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep Stuck in reverse And the tears come streaming down your face When you lose something you can't replace When you love someone, but it goes to waste Could it be worse? Lights will guide you home And ignite your bones And I will try to fix you And high up above or down below When you're t oo in love to let it go But if you never try you'll never knowJust what you're worth Lights will guide you home And ignite your bones And I will try to fix you Tears stream down on your face When you lose something you cannot replace Tears stream down on your face And I†¦ Tears stream down on your face I promise you I will learn from my mistakes Tears stream down on your face And I†¦ Lights will guide you home And ignite your bones And I will try to fix you The fray How To Save A Life† Step one you say we need to talk He walks you say sit down it's just a talk He smiles politely back at you You stare politely right on throughSome sort of window to your right As he goes left and you stay right Between the lines of fear and blame And you begin to wonder why you came Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend Somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life Let him know that you know best Cause after all you do kn ow best Try to slip past his defense Without granting innocence Lay down a list of what is wrong The things you've told him all along And pray to God, he hears you And pray to God, he hears you Where did I go wrong, I lost a friendSomewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life As he begins to raise his voice You lower yours and grant him one last choice Drive until you lose the road Or break with the ones you've followed He will do one of two things He will admit to everything Or he'll say he's just not the same And you begin to wonder why you came Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend Somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life Where did I go wrong, I lost a friendSomewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life When I’m hyper or energetic.. â€Å"Where Them Girls At† (feat. Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj) [Chorus:] So many girls in here, where do I begin? I seen this one, I'm about to go in Then she said, I'm here with my friends She got me thinking and that's when I said Where them girls at, girls at? Where them girls at, girls at? Where them girls at, girls at? So go get them, we can all be friends [Verse 1: Flo Rida] Hey, bring it on baby, all your friends You're the shit and I love that bodyYou wanna ball, let's mix it, I swear you're good, I won't tell nobody You got a BFF, I wanna see that girl, it's all women invited Hair do's and nails, that Louis, Chanel all up in the body President's in my wallet, no rules I'm about it Blow the whistle for the hotties I got it, shawty, it's never too much, can't be doing too much 10 to one of me, I can handle that love Outta of my reach, we can all get buzz Holla cause I'm free, to whatever it's no rush [Chorus:] So many boys in here where do I begin? I see this one, I'm about to go in Than he said I'm here with my fr iends He got to thinking, then that's when he saidWhere them girls at, girls at? Where them girls at, girls at? Where them girls at, girls at? So go get them, we can all be friends [Verse 2: Nicki Minaj] Peebe, peebe, who's Peabo Bryson? Two years ago I renewed my license Anyway, why'd I start my verse like that? You can suck on a dick, or you can suck on a ballsack No no, I don't endorse that Pause that, abort that Just the other day mi go London, saw that Kissing down the street, paparazzi, all that Hey hey what can I say? Day day day da-day day Coming through the club, all the girls in the back of me This ain't football, why the fuck they tryna tackle me? Really?I pick dude at the bar like really? Looking like he wanna good time like really? Said he had a friend for my home girl Lilly Lilly, Lilly, Lilly [Chorus:] LMFAO Sexy And I Know It† Yeah, yeah When I walk on by, girls be looking like damn he fly I pimp to the beat, walking on the street in my new lafreak, yeah This i s how I roll, animal print, pants outta control, It's Redfoo with the big afro And like Bruce Leroy I got the glow [a reference to the 80's martial arts classic â€Å"The Last Dragon†, where martial artists, having attained master status, start to glow when practicing their moves, and also get some special powers. Ah†¦ Girl look at that body  [x3] Ah†¦ I work out Ah†¦ Girl look at that body  [x3] Ah†¦ I work out When I walk in the spot (yeah), this is what I see (ok) Everybody stops and they staring at me I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it, show it, show it, show it I'm sexy and I know it  [x2] Yeah When I'm at the mall, security just can't fight them off And when I'm at the beach, I'm in a Speedo trying to tan my cheeks (what) This is how I roll, come on ladies it's time to go We headed to the bar, baby don't be nervousNo shoes, no shirt, and I still get serviced (watch) Ah†¦ Girl look at that body  [x3] Ah†¦ I work out Ah†¦ Girl look at that body  [x3] I work out When I walk in the spot (yeah), this is what I see (ok) Everybody stops and they staring at me I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it, show it, show it, show it I'm sexy and I know it  [x2] I'm sexy and I know it†¦ Check it out  [x2] Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle yeah  [x3] Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle yeah, yeah Do the wiggle man I do the wiggle man Yeah I'm sexy and I know it

Gender Equality Essay

As a female working in a professional environment and living in a society that promotes economic, social and cultural rights I often find myself concerned with gender equality. Sometimes I feel that gender equality is just a myth, because, I have yet to see women promoted or granted the same salaries as their male counterparts in the workplace, or treated equally in society. Gender equality is the measurable equal representation of women and men; however, it does not imply that women and men are the same, but that they have equal value and should be accorded equal treatment. Women desire to live and work in a world where the equal dignity and worth of every individual is respected and valued. Women desire equal pay for equal work. This is one of the areas where gender equality is rarely seen. All too often women are paid less than men for doing the same work. Even though women hold some of the same job titles as men in their field of work, salaries are usually not equal. Another area of gender equality is suffrage (the right to vote). This area of gender equality does not extend to all the women in the world. Women in Saudi Arabia does not have the right t to vote; in the USA right wing commentators say that women should never have been given the right to vote(IPPF.Org). Other discrimination against women and girls includes gender-based violence, economic discrimination, and reproductive health inequities. A key topic has been women’s rights affording the ability to control their own fertility. This is absolutely fundamental to women’s empowerment and equality. When a woman can plan her family, she can plan the rest of her life. When she is healthy, she can be more productive. And when her reproductive right, which includes the right to decide the number, timing and spacing of her children, and to make decisions regarding reproduction free of discrimination, coercion, or violence. Despite many international agreements affirming their human rights, women are likely to be poor and illiterate, compared to men. . They usually have less access than men to medical care, property ownership, credit, training and employment. They are far less likely than men to be  politically active and far more likely to be victims of domestic violence(UNFPA.Org). It’s also about political will. Until each nation embrace policies to integrate women into leadership like their counterparts, women will not be viewed as equal throughout the world. Therefore, gender equality implies a society in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities, outcomes, rights and obligations in all aspects of life. Gender equality includes sharing equally in the distribution of power, influence, opportunities, financial independence, and access to education and jobs. A critical aspect of promoting gender equality is the empowerment of women to manage their own lives and personal ambitions. The roles that men and women play in society are not biologically determined — they are socially determined, changing and changeable. Some see them as being justified or required by culture or religion, however, these roles vary widely by locality and change over time(UNFPA.Org). References IPPF.Org (N.D) What is gender equality? Retrieved from http://ippf.org/our-work/what-we-do/gender/what-gender-equality Zahidi, Saadia(2014, January 22) How women will dominate the workplace BRIC by BRIC Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/22/opinion/how-women-will-dominate-the-workplace-bric/index.html UNFPA.Org(N.d.) Empowering Women Retrieved from http://www.unfpa.org/gender/empowerment.htm

Castle Rock Essay Essays

Castle Rock Essay Essays Castle Rock Essay Essay Castle Rock Essay Essay How is an Atmosphere of Fear and Evil Created in the Chapter ‘Castle Rock’ ? The ill-famed ‘Lord of the Flies’ chapter ‘Castle Rock’ : By the clip you reach the chapter â€Å"Castle Rock† . the children’s behavior is deteriorating. as they turn into barbarians. and get down attacking and stealing from each other to last in the ghastly wilderness. It is here that they expect that cipher will go to deliver and protect them from the malevolence from the dismaying island. The writer tries to pull strings and act upon the reader. He portrays an image that every dweller on the island has turned barbarian ; nevertheless this is non the instance. In fact ‘Piggy’ and Ralph are still sane. although it wholly destroys Ralph’s bosom. that Roger massacred ‘Piggy’ with the up-most aggression. Hence everybody chased him with repulsion to slay him with slug crisp wooden lances. All of this puts the readers’ head into overdrive. and makes the reader petrified. Cleverly by composing. ‘Ralph protested out of the bosom of civilisation’ Makes the reader feel sorry for Ralph in his despair. for all that he desires. which is peace. Furthermore. the reader even feels a small guilty. due to the fact that the reader can non make anything to assist Ralph in his ventures. The writer says. ‘Awful things have been done on this island’ . This insinuates that cryptic and violent transpirences occur twenty-four hours and dark. Some are noticed. and some are left unmarked. about as if it is the norm. or because it is top secret neer to be whispered to any other human psyche. This makes most of the kids want to utilize its unknown panic to do pandemonium. One illustration of linguistic communication and punctuation used in the chapter ‘Castle Rock’ is devised to make an ambiance of fright and immorality is. ‘The chill. silvern unreal laughter of the barbarians sprayed out and repeat off. A blast of fury shook Ralph! ’ When the writer says ‘unreal laughter’ it hints at something sinister and the fact that something immorality is in the ambiance around them. The writer makes it sound as if it is a normal and acceptable happening. because he doesn’t add any particular punctuation to it to do it sound more bloodcurdling than the mean twenty-four hours in ‘Castle Rock’ . Furthermore. the punctuation used in this quotation mark. ‘A blast of fury shook Ralph! ’ shows how ferocious Ralph is. by adding an exclaiming grade for accent. This makes the reader experience the fright of what Ralph might make. In other parts of the chapter. the writer creates confusion. which makes the reader think of the multiple waies that a specific portion of the chapter can take to. The writer uses his mastermind accomplishment to pull strings his description to hold more than one significance. One of the significances is to motivate fright. and the other is to convey hope into the Black Marias of the readers. Another illustration of linguistic communication and punctuation used is the quotation mark. ‘Then there was. there was†¦ that’s his mistake excessively. ’ When the writer writes ‘There was. there was’ . the words ‘there was’ are repeated to demo the anxiousness of the kids who are stating these words. Equally good as that. the writer says ‘†¦ that was his mistake too’ the eclipsiss used shows that what the kids had to state was excessively ghastly to articulate. The linguistic communication used shows that person has committed something so dismaying that it can non be mentioned and that it is something that terrifies the life daytimes out of them. In due class. I think that the fright and immorality has consumed the island. because it makes most of the kids resort to butchering hogs merely for merriment. because they have lost their artlessness and scruples. This is chiefly down to the fact that there is no jurisprudence. there is cipher to state them right from incorrect ; they think that they have the right to make anything that they desire. there is no construct of offense and penalty. This makes it about impossible for anybody to populate in peace or harmoniousness. Another ground is because in secret they are all frightened stiff of Jack. because he is the eldest and biggest. physically. and he has a powerful ally to contend for him and to protect him. known as Roger. nevertheless his biggest ally of all is fear itself. Ultimately. Jack wants to hold all of his enemies to populate in fright. so they slowly turn to him. because when they are fearful of him. they know that the longer they stay with Jacks figure one enemy. the worse their penalty would be if he were to capture them. So they finally turn to him for counsel and protection. Therefore. this makes him the ‘king’ of the island in a violent and barbarous manner.

What Is NATO A Short Introduction

What Is NATO A Short Introduction SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re thinking about taking the AP U.S. History or AP World History exams, it’s important that you have a good understanding of the major events and organizations that have shaped the nation- and the world. One critical topic that you should know about is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. If you’ve watched the news (or listened in history class!), you’ve probably heard the term NATO mentioned quite a bit. But what is NATO, exactly? And why is NATO important? In this short but sweet guide, we’ll give you all the need-to-know information about NATO, like NATO’s definition, an overview of NATO history, and a look into how NATO works today. We’ll also give you a short list of additional resources that you can check out for evenmoreinformation. So let’s get started! What Is NATO: Definition and Overview So what is NATO, exactly? The general purpose of NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, starts with NATO’s definition: NATO a multi-national political and military alliance dedicated to the collective security and defense of its member nations. NATO operates on the belief that a strong international alliance is critical to maintaining peace. Beyond helping member nations with issues of security and stability, NATO also provides support to the United Nations help with international peacekeeping operations, including missions that combat terrorism, protect civilians, and promote world peace. Originally founded on April 4th, 1949 when its 12 founding members signed the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO is now comprised of 29 members from around the world and has political partnerships with 21 other nations. Together, all of the NATO countries work together to â€Å"guarantee the freedom and security† of its member nations through a combination of international diplomacy, conflict prevention, and- if necessary- military intervention. This picture was taken outside of NATO's second headquarters in Paris, France in the 1950s A Glimpse Into NATO History: NATO’s Formation To fully answer the question â€Å"What is NATO?†, it’s important to understand the historical and political context behind NATO’s formation. The End of World War II and the Rise of the American Superpower World War II was perhaps the most defining moment of the 20th century. The Second World War pitted the world’s greatest powers against one another through two opposing military alliances: the Axis and the Allies. The United States- along with France, Poland, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and 21 other nations- banded together to fight against the Axis powers and Hitler’s plan to create a new world order. The war, which started on September 1, 1939, would rage for six long and bloody years before its conclusion on September 2, 1945. Historians estimate that the war resulted in 85 million casualties, including the 6 million Jews who were killed during the Holocaust. The end of World War II caused the global political winds to shift overnight. Most of Europe, which was already struggling after World War I, ended World War II economically devastated. Not only was the population decimated, 70 percent of Europe’s industrial infrastructure had been destroyed during the conflict. This caused Europe’s economy- including the economies of the world’s biggest political empires- to collapse. As a result, the United States suddenly found itself positioned as one of the world’s leading economic and political superpowers for three major reasons. First, the country’s late entry into the theater limited World War II’s economic toll. In fact, quite the opposite happened. Because the United States supplied the Allied forces with food, weapons, and military equipment, World War II created a booming wartime economy for the States. The Second World War was such a boon to the American economy that it actually ended the Great Depression! Second, the United States saw almost no action on its own soil (with the exception of the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941). That meant that America didn’t have to undertake the massive, and expensive, rebuilding effort of its Western European allies. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the United States bankrolled the reconstruction of Europe...for a profit, of course. American Corporations involved in the war effort saw ballooning profits because of the reconstruction efforts, which were bolstered by The 1946 Marshall Plan, which pledged an additional $13 billion dollars to Europe in aid. So while the United States was committed to helping their fellow Allied powers rebuild, it wasn’t afraid to build its own economy at the same time. The Soviet Union, the Cold War, and Communism But the United States wasn’t the only emerging world power after the Second World War. Despite fighting alongside one another during World War II, the alliance between the Soviet Union (or USSR) and the United States started to deteriorate during the post-war reconstruction period. As World War II began winding down, the communist Soviet Union- led by Joseph Stalin- began its own imperialist expansion. The Soviet Union had managed the eastern front of the World War II battle theater, and as the Red Army beat back Germany, set up its own occupation of formerly German-occupied states like Poland and Czechoslovakia. And rather than relinquish these nations at the close of the war, the Soviet Union maintained control and installed pro-communist regimes. The Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, along with the USSR’s blockade of West Berlin in an attempt to gain political control of post-war Germany, convinced the United States that the Soviet Union had become a threat to democracy on par with the now-defeated Nazi Germany. Thus, the U.S. government adopted a policy of containment in order to halt the spread of communism into Western Europe. Additionally, the U.S. revealed the Truman Doctrine in 1947, which was a foreign policy that promised American aid to any democratic country that was threatened by outside totalitarian regimes. While the United States and its allies started to view the Soviet Union as an emerging communist threat, the Soviets had also soured on their alliance with the West. The USSR had suffered catastrophic casualties during World War II. The country had lost 11 million soldiers and suffered between 7 million and 20 million civilian casualties. The Soviet economy was also struggling. Beyond spending $125 billion on wartime efforts, the USSR’s economy had simultaneously shrunk by 20 percent between 1941 and 1945. The USSR had sacrificed both manpower and resources to defeat Nazi Germany, and it was sorely in need of financial assistance during post-war reconstruction. The United States was willing to offer the Soviets financial aid under The Marshall Plan, but the USSR wasn’t happy with the stipulations. First, the plan offered aid to Germany, which Russia disagreed with. The USSR, which now occupied Eastern Germany, wanted total control over whatever funds Germany received as part of The Marshall Plan. Second, The Marshall Plan required countries that accepted aid to adopt elements of democratic governance, including instituting principles of a free market economy. Stalin suspected- and rightly so- that The Marshall Plan was designed to weaken the USSR’s hold on the newly-acquired Eastern Bloc countries and, in turn, stymie communist expansion. As a consequence, Stalin required the Eastern Bloc nations, which were devastated by the war, to reject The Marshall Plan and instead instituted The Molotov Plan, which pledged to rebuild Eastern Europe. This tension led to both sides drawing a line in the sand. The Soviets and the United States positioned themselves on opposite sides of an ideological battle between communism and democracy, which marked the beginning of The Cold War. This is the NATO Authentication certificate that allsignatoriesreceivedafter signing the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949.Archive/U.S. Diplomacy Center Signing the North Atlantic Treaty The writing was on the wall: the Allied powers had defeated one totalitarian enemy only to suspect that another in the form of Soviet Russia was waiting on their doorstep. The United States feared the outbreak of another major war as tensions with the USSR escalated, and President Harry S. Truman believed that a strong political alliance was critical in containing the Soviet threat. As a result, Truman called for the formation of a defensive alliance of countries bordering the North Atlantic. The foundational idea behind this alliance was to serve as a deterrent against the USSR’s expansion into Western Europe. To do this, the signing nations agreed to a system of mutual defense. If one country was attacked by an outside power (like the USSR), it would be perceived as an attack against all of the alliance’s member nations. That would allow the United States to step in and help its democratic allies beat back a Soviet incursion, which in turn would prevent the encroachment of communism into Western Europe. This alliance was formalized with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington D.C. on April 4, 1949. These 12 originating countries, all of which were part of the Allied forces during World War II, created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. Master Sgt. Scott Wagers/Defense Department NATO’s Requirements for Membership In 1949, NATO limited its membership to 12 allied nations that shared a border with the Atlantic Ocean. But as the world became more connected politically and economically, NATO recognized the need to expand its membership. As of today, NATO membership is now open â€Å"any other European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.† As a result, NATO membership as more than doubled since the alliance’s inception and now includes 29 member nations. (You can find a complete list of member countries a little later in this article!) NATO has expanded over the past 70 years, but membership criteria remains strict. Admission into NATO is outlined in Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Here’s what it says: The Parties may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area to accede to this Treaty. Any State so invited may become a Party to the Treaty by depositing its instrument of accession with the Government of the United States of America. The Government of the United States of America will inform each of the Parties of the deposit of each such instrument of accession. Article 10 puts three stipulations on aspiring member states. First, new members must agree to all the elements of the North Atlantic Treaty, including its commitment to democracy and collective defense. Second, only European states can become members. And third, in order to join an aspiring nation must meet all the criteria set forth by current member states, which is summarized in a Membership Action Plan (MAP). NATO’s Membership Action Plan The MAP is the backbone of NATO’s admissions process and while it’s customized to fit each potential country, the MAP also requires each applying nation to report on its progress in each of five areas each year (until admission is granted or denied). These five areas are: Democracy: Willingness to settle international, ethnic or external territorial disputes by peaceful means, commitment to the rule of law and human rights, and democratic control of armed forces Finances: Ability to contribute to the organization's defense and missions Cooperation: Devotion of sufficient resources to armed forces to be able to meet the commitments of membership Security: Security of sensitive information, and safeguards ensuring it Compatibility: Compatibility of domestic legislation with NATO cooperation In addition to these general areas, each member nation is allowed to present additional criteria member nations must meet to gain admission. That means that each MAP is tailor-fit to each applying country; no two membership plans are alike! When a country receives a MAP, NATO provides feedback and advice to petitioning countries and evaluates their progress after their annual presentation. Once a country has met all the admissions criteria outlined in its MAP, NATO gives it an invitation to begin accession talks. NATO is selective about countries it gives a MAP to; in fact, countries must be nominated for admission into NATO by a current member nation before a MAP is ever considered! As of 2019, two countries- Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia- have a Membership Action Plan in place. Beyond being selective, NATO’s admissions process is a long one. How long, exactly? The three countries most recently admitted into NATO (Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro) took seven to eight years to complete their Membership Action Plans! Colin Watts/Unsplash Funding NATO Since NATO is a collective, each member nation is expected to contribute to the alliance financially. There are two ways member nations do this: through indirect and direct contributions. Indirect Contributions These are the largest pool of contributions and come when member countries volunteer resources to help NATO enact a policy or support a mission. For example, an indirect contribution would be a country contributing troops, equipment, or supplies to support one of NATO’s crisis management missions. Additionally, the country- not NATO- bears the cost for this donation. (In other words, countries donate these things at their own expense!) Direct Contributions Unlike indirect contributions, direct contributions are made financially. In other words, these are liquid funds that are used to support projects that benefit all member nations collectively. Each member nation is required to meet some form of its funding requirements through direct contributions. This is because there are some missions, like diplomatic or aid endeavors, that are best handled through immediate spending. How Much Do Countries Donate? So, how much is each country expected to pay into the collective NATO pool? Well, that depends. NATO uses a cost-sharing formula that accounts for each nation’s Gross Domestic Product, or GDP. This is calculated by percentage. In 2014, in an effort to increase NATO’s defense efforts, the NAC agreed to require each country to donate two percent of their GDP to NATO’s operating budget through indirect and direct contributions. This helps keep things fair. If NATO set a specific dollar amount that each country had to meet, smaller countries might struggle to meet their financial obligations. This way, each country can contribute based on how their economy is performing, which helps keep the financial burden of NATO membership equal. European NATO member nations are in navy blue Current NATO Member Nations NATO was originally founded by twelve nations that shared borders with the Atlantic Ocean, NATO membership has grown to include 29 nations from all around the world. Here’s a list of every nation currently in NATO along with their entrance date. (We’ve bolded the names of the founding 12 nations for easy reference, too.) Albania (2009) Greece (1952) Poland (1999) Belgium (1949) Hungary (1999) Portugal (1949) Bulgaria (2004) Iceland (1949) Romania (2004) Canada (1949) Italy (1949) Slovakia (2004) Croatia (1949) Latvia (2004) Slovenia (2004) Czech Republic (1999) Lithuania (2004) Spain (1982) Denmark (1949) Luxembourg (1949) Turkey (1952) Estonia (2004) Montenegro (2017) The United Kingdom (1949) France (1949) Netherlands (1949) The United States (1949) Germany (1955) Norway (1949) NATO's official flag NATO’s Purpose Today Although NATO was formed as a deterrent for the USSR’s expansion and the spread of communism, NATO didn’t disband when the USSR collapsed in 1991. Instead, NATO continues to fulfill the NATO definition of defending its members and supporting democracy to this day. In a 2010 Strategic Concept agreement, NATO states its three core tasks as collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security. These three goals form the backbone of NATO and steer its decisions. In the next section, we’ll take a look at each of these three pillars more closely. Collective Defense First and foremost, NATO serves as a defensive alliance founded on upholding democratic values and principles. Its primary purpose is creating a network of collective defense, which means that member nations work together to ensure that all countries in the alliance are secure from outside threats. NATO does this by sharing knowledge, financial, and personnel resources with member nations. This includes sharing intelligence, but it also involves more practical tactics like bringing countries’ military technology up to date. While NATO’s first goal is to resolve international conflicts diplomatically, the alliance is also set up to use military force to defend allied nations when necessary. This aspect of collective defense (also known as NATO’s Article 5) and was the major reason NATO was founded in 1949. This principle states that if one nation is attacked by an outside force, the alliance will view it as an attack on every member nation. In other words, attacking one member of NATO means that all the countries in the alliance will respond. This allows bigger, more powerful countries in the alliance to protect its smaller NATO allies. In turn, smaller nations give NATO better tactical positioning in relationship to potentially adversarial global powers (like Russia and China). By essentially surrounding potential adversaries with allied nations, NATO disincentivises territorial expansion. Crisis Management Because NATO is committed to maintaining global peace by promoting security, the organization is also committed to responding to global crises before, during, and after they arise. This includes a mix of military and non-military tactics which are tailored to each crisis, which in turn dictates the scope and scale of NATO’s response. NATO is also positioned to help other political allies, like the United Nations, in their responses to global crises. Most recently, NATO implemented the UN’s resolution to protect civilians in Libya during its civil war. Finally, because crisis management supports NATO’s commitment to security, NATO helps its member nations and political allies train in crisis management techniques. This ensures that NATO can respond quickly with an international effort whenever an international crisis arises. Cooperative Security NATO’s last, and newest, core task is cooperative security. Introduced in 2010, this task focuses on creating an extended network of cooperation between member and non-member countries to tackle global problems quickly and efficiently. To do this, NATO focuses on strengthening its relationships with partner nations. These are countries who aren’t part of NATO but work with NATO to tackle security problems in their region and across the world. As of 2019, NATO works with 40 other nations in some capacity. The goal of these partnerships is to share information, knowledge, and other resources in order to create more stability and security across the globe. Additionally, NATO makes sure that all of its member nations have fairly equal military and technological capabilities. This also includes training: all member nations have access to NATO trainers to make sure countries have the knowledge and skills they need to respond to security threats. By making sure all member nations are capable partners, NATO as a whole becomes stronger. A meeting of the North Atlantic Council in 2010Wikimedia NATO’s Command Structure NATO nations are committed to working together as part of the alliance and work together on a daily basis. In terms of the alliance’s operational structure, NATO is split into two major categories: the NATO diplomatic delegations and the military representatives. Let’s take a closer look at both to see how NATO nations work together to make decisions and work together toward their common goals. NATO Diplomatic Delegations and the North Atlantic Council The diplomatic delegations represent the political arm of NATO. Each NATO member nation sends a delegation to represent their country to NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. These representatives attend around 6,000 meetings a year! The most important element of NATO’s political arm is the North Atlantic Council, or the NAC. This council oversees the political and military processes that affect the alliance. To this end, the NAC serves as the political decision-making body of NATO. In other words, any NATO decision- whether that’s an initiative, resolution, or military action- is voted on by the NAC. To keep representation equal, each member nation has one seat on the NAC, which meets once a week. And just like collective defense, the NAC operates through collective decision making. Unlike the U.S. legislature, where decisions are approved by majority vote, the NAC only implements policies that are â€Å"agreed upon on the basis of unanimity and common accord.† In other words, the NAC makes decisions through consensus, and those decisions represent the will of every member country on the council. The diplomatic branch of NATO has one other notable subcommittee called the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG). Like the NAC, every NATO member nation (with the exception of France, which decided not to participate) has representation within the committee whether they have nuclear capabilities or not. The group’s goal is to monitor nuclear forces around the globe while shaping NATO’s own nuclear policies in regards to arms control and nuclear proliferation. Thus, the NPG deals specifically with nuclear issues and reports to the NAC, who makes the final decision on anything the Nuclear Planning Group puts forward. The NATO Military Committee delivers remarks to the press Dominique A. Piniero/U.S. Department of Defense Military Representatives and the Military Committee Because NATO is a defense alliance, NATO has a military branch of operation, too. This branch is comprised of three operational groups: the Military Committee (MC), Allied Command Operations (ACO), and Allied Command Transformation (ACT). Let’s take a look at all three groups and their unique responsibilities. The Military Committee This committee advises the NAC on military policy and strategy and is charged with enacting all of NAC’s military-based decisions. Its main job is to oversee NATO’s military operations and translate the NAC’s decisions into military direction. Similar to the NAC, each nation has one representative that sits on the Military Committee. These seats are held by each member state’s Chief of Defense (or their proxy) and meet at least once a week to discuss ongoing operations and ongoing security concerns. Additionally, the Military Committee oversees the other two groups of the military branch: Allied Command Operations and Allied Command Transformation. Allied Command Operations NATO’s ACO is headquartered in Mons, Belgium at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), and it’s run by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The ACO is responsible for the planning and execution of all Alliance operations and reports to the Military Committee. So once the NAC decides to use military force for crisis management, the control of the operation is turned over to the ACO, which runs the operation from beginning to end. To do this, ACO has three overlapping operational levels: strategic, operational, and tactical. This allows ACO to run complete military operations, including the command of both NATO and joint military forces (which are military forces â€Å"donated† to NATO by member nations for use in NATO-sanctioned operations). But as the world changes, so has the ACO’s role in NATO. The newest responsibility of ACO was assigned by the North Atlantic Council in 2018. After their meeting in Brussels, the NAC decided to establish a Cyberspace Operations Centre dedicated to defending member nations against cyber attacks from outside forces, too. Allied Command Transformation NATO’s ACT is the second branch of military command in NATO and was formed in 2003 to help NATO address future threats. It is located in Norfolk, Virginia and is run by the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, or SACT. Like the ACO, the SACT reports to the Military Committee and is responsible for making sure that ACT and NATO are preparing for modern and future threats to the security of its member nations. Put another way, the goal of ACT is to plan for the future. Its job is to lay the groundwork for NATO’s military forces to adapt quickly to changing threats and prepare for security issues looming on the horizon. This includes reporting to the Military Committee and advising them on current tactics and future problems. Additionally,ACT is charged with bringing all member nations up to speed in terms of their military capabilities. Not only do they provide training to member nations’ military forces, they serve as a sort of lobby group to persuade member nations’ governments to invest in security and military preparedness, too. A Spanish F-18 takes off on aNATO bombing run during the Bosnian War Dixie Trawick/U.S. National Archives Key Moments in NATO History Ever since its founding in 1949, NATO has been a key actor in global political, military, and peacekeeping efforts. Here are some of the most pivotal moments in NATO’s seventy-year history. 1991: Collapse of the USSR In 1991, the USSR officially disbanded, granting each of its formerly-sovereign nations back their independence. This brought NATO’s original operating mission (and The Cold War) to an end; after all, NATO was originally created to stop the USSR and the spread of communism. Instead of disbanding, NATO nations decided to continue NATO’s mission of promoting peace, freedom, and collective security. 1995: The Bosnian War The Bosnian War began in 1992 with the breakup of Yugoslavia. As the situation deteriorated, the United Nations called for a no-fly zone to be set up over Bosnia and Herzegovina. NATO stepped in to manage the operation on behalf of the UN and took its first military action when NATO shot down four Bosnian Serb aircraft that were violating the no-fly zone. 1999: Kosovo Intervention The Kosovo War began in 1998, and soon after the fighting began, reports began to trickle in about the displacement of more than 250,000 Albanians. The United Nations responded with a resolution calling for a ceasefire. When the resolution failed to stop the conflict, NATO issued an â€Å"activation warning,† which meant NATO was prepared to use military force to mitigate the conflict. When peace talks deteriorated, NATO launched an air campaign that included bombing of key targets. NATO also played a key role in negotiating the end of the war and helping restore stability by stationing 30,000 troops in Kosovo. 2001: September 11th, 2001 The terrorist attacks that brought down the Twin Towers in New York were the first foreign attack on U.S. soil since the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II. The attacks led NATO to invoke Article 5- which states that an attack on one ally is an attack on all- within 24 hours. In doing so, â€Å"NATO members showed their solidarity toward the United States and condemned, in the strongest possible way, the terrorist attacks against the United States.† 2003: War in Afghanistan As a result of Article 5, NATO nations rallied to support the United States’ conflict in Afghanistan. NATO agreed to eight official actions/missions, which included the deployment of troops, military support, and supplies to the region. In 2003, NATO also agrees to take command of the ISAF, or International Security Assistance Force, in Afghanistan, which marks the first NATO crisis management mission outside of the North Atlantic region. 2011: Libya Intervention The Libyan Civil War begins when Libyan protests against their totalitarian government bubble over into a full-blown revolution. The United Nations called for a ceasefire and authorized military measures to protect Libyan civilians. NATO began enforcing the UN’s resolution in March 2011, which included creating a no-fly zone over the country and 9,500 air strikes. After the rebel’s victory, NATO agreed to provide training for the new Libyan government and consult on security issues. Mahendra Kumar/Unsplash Resources for Further Reading Want to learn even more about the Cold War and NATO history? We’ve found four super helpful resources just for you! NATO’s Official Website NATO’s official website offers a thorough overview of NATO’s history along with its current policies, operations, and strategic missions. This is a great place to start if you want up-to-the-minute news about NATO’s current actions and international positions. (Don’t forget to check out NATO’s official Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter accounts, too.) It also has a fantastic chart that explains NATO’s operating structure! The U.S. State Department’s NATO Overview The U.S State Department’s overview of America’s involvement with NATO offers a more U.S. centered view on NATO’s formation, including the signing of the North American Treaty. For a short NATO history overview with a more American focus, this is a good place to start! Defense of the West by Stanley Sloan If you’re wanting a more comprehensive, in-depth look at the history of NATO from its formation to modern day, Stanley Sloan’s book should be your first stop. Sloan, a Senior Fellow in the Scowcroft Center at the Atlantic Council of the United States, dives into NATO’s definition, founding principles, and continued role on the world stage. He also discusses NATO’s future, especially as its member nations face new and complicated challenges to their security. Understanding NATO in the 21st Century edited by Graeme P. Herd and John Kriendler If you really want to dig deeper into NATO’s role in the 21st century, look no further than Graeme P. Herd and John Kriendler’s book. This book compilesessays from many different academics and historians to give readers a better, more thorough sense of NATO’s current role in global politics and the current challenges facing the organization. This is definitely an academic book, but the essays offer interesting new insights into NATO’s evolving role on the global stage. What’s Next? NATO is just one pivotal part of modern history...and it’s just one topic you might find on an AP History exam. To get a better understanding of U.S. history, check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. Of course, one of the best ways to learn more about U.S. history is to make sure you’re taking history classes. Most high schools offer a variety of history classes, so make sure you’re taking the right ones for you. AP exams aren’t the only specialized tests available for college-bound high school students hoping to earn some college credit. Did you know that the SAT offers subject exams, too? This article will teach you more about the SAT subject tests and help you decide whether you should take them.

The Crimes of Florida Death Row Inmate Emilia Carr

The Crimes of Florida Death Row Inmate Emilia Carr Emilia Carr, 26, was sentenced to death for her role in the murder of Heather Strong in what authorities described as a deadly love triangle. Case Summary Josh Fulgham and Heather Strong started dating when Strong was 15 years old. Their relationship was tumultuous from the beginning, but despite it they had two children together. In 2003 the family moved from Mississippi to Marion County, Florida. Their fighting continued and over the next several years the couple fought, broke up, and then reunited several times. In June 2008, during one of their separations, Strong decided she and the children would move in with the couples friend, Benjamin McCollum. The plan was that she would be the live-in nanny for McCollums two children, but after about three weeks their relationship became intimate. Fulgham did not like that Strong lived with McCollum, even though he engaged to Emilia Carr, who had three children and was pregnant with his child. Over the next six months Fulgham stalked and  harassed both Strong and McCollum repeatedly and threatened them both with a gun. According to friends, Strong seemed very happy with McCollum and with her new life. They found it surprising when she decided to leave McCollum and return to Fulgham in December 2008. Carr was also surprised by the couples reunion. A few weeks into December, she was told by Fulgham that their relationship was over and that she had to move out. She told friends that she loved Fulgham and did not know how she would live without him, especially since she was pregnant with his child. By December 26, Fulgham and Strong got married; however their honeymoon was a short one. Six days into the marriage, Strong had Fulgham arrested after he threatened her with a shotgun during a heated argument. Fulgham   was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and remained in jail for several weeks. During that time Carr visited Fulgham and they rekindled their relationship. His mother and Carr, both who were on friendly terms with Strong, tried to get her to write a letter on Fulghams behalf, but she refused. During one such attempt, witnesses said Carr became so enraged by Strongs refusal to help get Fulgham released from jail, that she pulled her hair and held a knife to her neck. She only relinquished the knife after being held in a choke-hold by a mutual friend, James Acome. Hiring a Hit Man James Acome once dated Carr and she believed he was the father of her youngest child, although he never acknowledged it. He was also friends with Strong and Fulgham. In early January, while visiting Carr who was in the advanced stage of pregnancy with Fulghams child, she asked Acome and his friend, Jason  Lotshaw, if they would kill Strong for $500. They rejected her proposal. She told another friend to help her put the word out that she would pay someone $500 to kill Strong. She said that she planned to use her income tax refund to pay for the job. No one applied for the job. Acome and Strong In mid-January, Acome and Strong began dating and moved into an apartment together on January 26, 2009.  A week later Fulgham was released from jail and he moved in with his mother. Strong Disappears On February 15, Fulgham asked his mother to help him compose a letter for Strong to sign, giving him custody of their two children. This was motivated by Carr, who informed Fulgham while he was still in jail that Strong was planning on leaving the state with the children.   On that same day Strong left work after receiving an emergency phone call about her children. Around mid-day on the same day, Fulghams mother saw her son and Strong driving away from her home. Later that evening Acome returned home from work and found that Strong and her children had moved out. He then received a call from Fulgham who told him that he and Strong were back together. Reported as Missing On February 24, 2009, Misty Strong contacted the Marion County Sheriffs office and reported that her cousin Heather Strong had disappeared. The investigation led to Carr and Fulgham who were brought in for questioning. Over the course of several days and multiple interviews, both Carr and Fulgham blamed each other for the murder of Heather Strong. The Murder According to investigators, Fulgham and Carr plotted together to kill Strong because of his earlier arrest and because she had refused Fulghams request for custody of their children and was planning to move them to another state. On February 15, Fulgham lured Strong to a mobile home that was being used for storage and that was located on the property where Carrs family lived. Fulgham told Strong that Carr had hidden money inside the storage trailer. Once the two were inside, Carr, who was seven months pregnant, entered the trailer as planned. Seeing Carr frightened Strong and she attempted to leave the trailer, but Fulgham wrestled her back inside. Fulgham then tied Strong to a chair from which she managed to escape. Then Carr used duct tape to tape her body and hands to the chair while Fulgham held her down. Strong began crying and begging to be released. Instead, Fulgham forced her to sign the custody letter that his mother had helped him prepare. Carr said Fulgham broke the flashlight that she was carrying, when he used it to hit Strong over the head. He then placed a garbage bag over her head while Carr pulled off enough duct tape to wind around Strongs neck, which tightened the bag. Carr then made two failed attempts to break Strongs neck. When that did not work, Fulgham covered Strongs nose and mouth with his hand and suffocated her to death. Two days later, Fulgham returned to the trailer and buried Strongs body in a shallow grave nearby. Fulgham ended up disclosing the location of Strongs body to the detectives while he was being interviewed about her disappearance. He also told them that Carr was responsible for his estranged wifes death. Carr was being questioned at the same time and told detectives that Fulgham was the killer, but her story changed several times. Physical and forensic evidence found at the trailer, in the shallow grave and on Strongs body gave investigators enough to arrest both Carr and Fulgham and charge them with first-degree murder and kidnapping. Take Your Pick Unknown to Carr, Fulghams sister agreed to cooperate with the police. Carr trusted her and would often cry on her shoulder, not knowing her conversations were being recorded. What she told Fulgmans sister about the murder was completely different than what she told the police. At first she said she had not seen Strong since January 2009. Next she said she had information about Fulgham who she said told her that he killed Strong. That changed to discovering Strongs body inside the trailer a day after Fulgham committed the murder. She then admitted to seeing Fulgham kill Strong, which led to her final confession that she helped Fulgham carry out the plan to murder Strong. In her final admission before her trial, she provided investigators with information that proved her involvement; including an accurate description of a blanket and suitcase that she and Fulgham used when burying Strong, as well as a description of the clothing Strong was wearing when she was murdered. She also led police to Strongs shoes that had not been found on the body or in the grave. The Trial At her arraignment in April 2009 Carr waived her right to a speedy trial. Immediately afterwards, lead prosecutor Rock Hooker filed notice of his intent to pursue the death penalty. The trial began on December 1, 2010. State Attorney Brad King, the lead prosecutor, had built the case on circumstantial evidence. There was no real physical evidence found that proved Carr had anything to do with Strongs murder. However, several witnesses lined up to give testimony that they were asked by Carr to kill, or help her find someone to kill, her boyfriends estranged wife, Heather Strong. There was also testimony given about the time Carr held a knife to Strongs throat when she refused to drop charges against Fulgham after he threatened her with a shotgun. However, the most damaging evidence the prosecution presented were videos of Carr telling the police different versions of what happened the night of the murder.   He also presented the tape recordings of Carr talking to Fulgmans sister Michele Gustafson, who was working with the police. Carr supplied a detailed account of what inside the trailer, which contradicted her previous statements to police that she never entered the trailer on the night Strong was murdered. On the tape jurors clearly heard Carr talking about her attempts to break Strongs neck and how she thought it would be quick and painless. She also admitted to Gustafson that Strong fought off Fulgham, but that she helped him restrain her and that they duct taped her to a chair. She also said that she intended to tell authorities that Jamie Acome and Jason Lotshaw were responsible for the murder; although she left out that she had already implicated Fulgham. Carr described how Fulgham hit Strong hard on her head with the flashlight each time she said something that he did not like and finally how she placed the garbage bag over Strongs head and how Fulgham suffocated her to death. The jury deliberated for two and a half hours and found Carr guilty of kidnapping and first-degree murder. Penalty Phase During the penalty phase of the trial, defense attorney Candace Hawthorne spoke about the abuse Carr experienced as a child.  Members of Carrs family testified that she was traumatized as young child after being sexually abused by her father and grandfather. It had little impact on the jury who, in a slim 7-5 vote, recommended that Carr, age 26, receive the death penalty. Having remained silent since her arrest, Carr spoke out to the press after the jury voted for death. In yet another version of what happened, she said that she had never gone into the trailer and in fact did not even know that Fulgham and Strong were there. In reference to the secret tape recording that police had of her admitting her involvement to Fulgmans sister, she said that she was trying to get details about the murder to give to the State Attorney so that she could get immunity and get her children back. She needed details, so she made up stories. She said she felt pressure to make up things after the police threatened her with her children. In February 22, 2011, Circuit Judge Willard Pope formally sentenced Carr to life imprisonment on the kidnapping charges and death for the murder charges.  On February 23, 2011, Carr was moved to death row at Lowell Correctional Institution in Marion County, Florida. Fulgham Gets Off Easy Joshua Fulgham went on trial a year later. He was also found guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping. His defense lawyer asked the jury to consider a life sentence because he suffered from mental and sexual abuse. The jury returned an 8-4 vote for a life sentence. Circuit Judge Brian Lambert upheld the jurys decision and Fulgham was given a life sentence with the possibility of parole.

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Influence of Hollywood - Research Paper Example as the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission got together to conduct a thorough study of how â€Å"entertainment firms market violence to children† (Cain, p1, 1999). But more importantly, it is an unequivocal acknowledgement of the negative influence of Hollywood on society in general and teenage boys in particular. Violence and anti-social behavior shown in Hollywood movies had even united the usually bipolar American polity, as both Republicans and Democrats hoped to â€Å"hold Hollywood accountable for its gratuitous violence in movies, television shows, video games and recordings†. (Cain, p1, 1999) Douglas Lowenstein, former head of the Interactive Digital Software Association put the core issue succinctly, when he said â€Å"What kind of values are we promoting when a child can walk into a store and find video games where you win based on how many people you can kill or how many places you can blow up? The nation should not lose sight of the fact that parents, not kids, buy most games. And therefore, keeping games not appropriate for children out of their hands starts and ends at home". (Cain, p1, 1999) Hence, while Hollywood is the instigator of this unsavory tendency among teenage boys, skillful parenting can keep a check on their children. The concerns raised by the country’s leaders are not without merit. For example, several studies have shown a positive correlation between violent programs (including movies, television and digital media) and violent behavior among children. Furthermore, â€Å"children under the age of 18 were the victims in nearly 20 percent of the violent crimes committed by criminals now in state prison, and that more than half of the juvenile victims were 12 or younger† (Smith,, 2001, p.321). Children who come from a dysfunctional family environment or have been abused physically or sexually are particularly prone to be affected. The gravity of the situation can be learnt from the fact that the Office of Juvenile

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Foundations of Business Knowledge - Essay Example In any working environment, the implementation of management as well as the establishment of communication and relationships becomes more effective if there is a complete understanding of each individual’s traits and capabilities so every working person can be further managed, motivated and developed. Understanding one’s personality and becoming familiar with his or her learning style is an effective means of determining ambivalent qualities that are hard to pin down (Spender & Scherer, 2007). Through the use of self-assessment tests, learning styles indicators and personality tests, individuals are helped in developing self-awareness that is extremely essential when working with any organization (Atherton, 2003). Consequently, companies will be able to support others in achieving self-awareness and working further towards development. They will also be able to improve their level of knowledge of how they can understand and motivate their employees, which will eventuall y aid them to function better in the workplace and even within their personal lives. In turn, these organizations may attain benefits from the improved performance and effectiveness of their employees; desirable outcomes for the organization include increased productivity, enhanced sense of collaboration, and sustained efforts towards self-development. To understand various personality types has been proven valuable for any company as they are able to appreciate their value, strengths and qualities in relation to their contribution to the organization’s goals (Malone, Crowstone & Herman, 2003). Organizational members develop an understanding that their differences are primarily based on their personalities and thus have to find ways of leveraging on such differences rather than allowing these to deter them from reaching organizational goals. Furthermore, aside from managing

Biological Factors and Feeding Behaviors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biological Factors and Feeding Behaviors - Essay Example They serve as both motivations and coercive forces that affect judgment, decision-making and the series of actions they trigger. A specific example, which this paper will investigate, is the feeding behavior. For this purpose, an explanation of behavior will be provided and an outline of several evidences that will support the claim that biological factors control feeding behaviors. Anatomy of Behavior In order to better outline the relationship of biological factors to feeding behavior, it is important to understand what behavior is. Cohn and MacPhail (1996) stressed that in order to do this; one must be able to answer four questions involving: 1. Causation, which refers the internal and external stimuli, processes, and contingencies that precede the behavior of interest; 2. Ontogeny, which is the development of behavior over the lifetime of an individual and mediated by the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors; 3. Evolution or the changes in behavioral proc esses across generations; and, 4. Function, which is all about questions of adaptation. (p. 299) Now, the first two questions are considered proximate and ultimate questions that are tied to the biological factors' role in behavior. These two are almost universal because they are true to almost all animals. The occurrence and types of behavior, wrote Cohn and MacPhail, are generally species specific but that there are commonalities in the areas of basic activities such as survival and feeding behavior. (p. 299) A research by Legendre et al. (1994) revealed that the evolutionary characteristic of behavior and the human brain could be depicted or predicted through a model that involves diet or eating patterns along with variables such as sociability and locomotion. (p. 1487) Behavior, hence, is characterized by numerous and diverse causes and a number of which are biological factors. Feeding is particularly important in this area because it is primarily biologically driven. Crucial to this point is the role played by the hypothalamus, the brain organ responsible for biological motivation. If a person suffers an injury and then began to eat voraciously, then his hypothalamus might be affected, particularly the ventromedial section, which functions as the satiety center. (Hakala, 2009, p. 85) If it were damaged, the brain would be incapable to tell the person that he is full because no signal is being transmitted and, thus, he will continue to eat. If an injury affects the lateral hypothalamus, it will result in a sharp downturn in the individual’s motivation to eat and he will not feel the motivated to eat or motivated to eat. (Hakala, p. 85) This point is explained further in the following section. Feeding Behaviors Feeding is an action that involves an array of variables. First, there is the concept of need as food is necessary for survival. The fundamental fact is that it is required by a living body to function and continue living. Most activities need energy and health that can only be gained through food intake. (Snooks, 2009, p. 122) Hunger is a simple example about how the body can command an individual to take action, more specifically to eat. As the energy is depleted and used up by daily activities, the need to eat emerges. This process works within the so-called biological control systems. According to Bloom these operate by allowing a gradual change of state to occur until a critical level is reached, the point wherein a behavioral or psychological correction mechanism is initiated. (p. 21) So when someone used up all his energy, then feeding or the need to eat becomes apparent. A study undertaken by Elliot and Treat back in 1935 is one of the earliest studies to demonstrate this. In their findings, the

Cash Flow Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cash Flow Statement - Essay Example The secondary objective is to disclose information about the operating financing and investing activities of a company during an accounting period. The statement of cash flow gives an indication about the relationship between profitability and cash generating ability and thus the quality of profit earned. In brief, cash flow serves the following purposes: Under this method cash flow from operating activities is calculated on the basis of net profit as reported in the profit and loss account or balance sheet and is especially used when amount of sales is not given in the question. Few adjustments made under this method are as follows: For calculating operating profit before working capital changes, non cash and non operating items (such as depreciation, doubtful debts, dividend, and interest) are added back. The non operating incomes and gains are deducted from the net profit for the year. Decrease in current assets and increase in current liabilities is added back and increase in current assets and Decrease in current liabilities is deducted from the operating profit before working capital changes to arrive at cash generated from operations.

Global study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global study - Essay Example The whole issue of minors’ crossing the boarders into the US has led to an important question of who should be responsible for these children (Savage, 2013). The issue is such a serious one the governor for Texas Rick Perry has threatened to deploy the National Gourd so as to beef up controls on the porous borders and force immigrants to detention. President Obama held a meeting with the leaders of the three nations in which his take home message was that the countries have to share with Washington in the responsibility of curtailing the escalation of minors crossing the Mexico-U.S.A boarder point. Obama prevailed on the leader to curb the immigration of minors and warned that those children that did not have a proper claim of staying will be sent back home (Neuman, 2014). According to Reuters, the President has proposed that there will be instances where the immigrants can apply to be given refugee status but such would be very few. The President reiterated the need for a shared responsibility with the concerned countries in addressing the problem of immigration as well as that of trafficking drugs. In a Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted in Washington DC, Honduras President Juan Hernandez appealed on Americans to approach the issue as a humanitarian one and that of their neighbors. Guatemala’s Molina on his part opined that immigration situation was a real tragedy requiring the reflection of all humanity. He said through Plan Columbia as well as the Merida Initiative, America assisted Columbia & Mexico push out organized crime but this squeezed the same towards Central America. A unanimous position taken by the leaders is that fresh regional approaches anchored on the Merida Initiative and Plan Columbia which saw billions invested in the fight against organized crime be embraced. The leaders from Central America argue that

Cash Flow Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cash Flow Statement - Essay Example The secondary objective is to disclose information about the operating financing and investing activities of a company during an accounting period. The statement of cash flow gives an indication about the relationship between profitability and cash generating ability and thus the quality of profit earned. In brief, cash flow serves the following purposes: Under this method cash flow from operating activities is calculated on the basis of net profit as reported in the profit and loss account or balance sheet and is especially used when amount of sales is not given in the question. Few adjustments made under this method are as follows: For calculating operating profit before working capital changes, non cash and non operating items (such as depreciation, doubtful debts, dividend, and interest) are added back. The non operating incomes and gains are deducted from the net profit for the year. Decrease in current assets and increase in current liabilities is added back and increase in current assets and Decrease in current liabilities is deducted from the operating profit before working capital changes to arrive at cash generated from operations.