Reparations: African Americans Justice Essay

The United States government should pay reparations to African Americans as a means of admitting their wrong-doing and making amends. The damages African Americans have sustained from White America’s policy of slavery have been agonizing and inhumane. Therefore, I am in favor of reparations for African Americans. The effect of slavery has been an enduring issue within the African American community. Many of us are cognizant of the harm racism brought to the African American race, conveyed through slavery, racial segregation and discrimination. African Americans suffered many atrocities, but the greatest damage done to them was the destruction of they’re original identity. African Americans no longer have a native language or any African customs to connect them to Africa. Today, African Americans are connected together because they all share a common foundation-the horrendous experience of slavery-and the great effort to conquer its lingering result. (www. AcedemicLibrary. com) Americans should realize the magnitude of slavery’s consequences on African Americans as a whole. Blacks were brainwashed and stripped of self-esteem and taught to be ashamed of dark color of their skin. Many African Americans have effortlessly tried to advocate â€Å"Black Pride†, trying to re-instill self-worth and being proud of our distinct facial and body features, and darker complexions. African Americans had zilch to begin with after the abolishment of slavery in 1865. Slaves were promised a â€Å"mule/ and 40 acres† and they didn’t live to receive it nor did generations to follow; because the American government has yet to live up to its word. The fruit of the slaves’ labor was stolen from the â€Å"land of the free†. The victims of the White people’s African slave trade never experienced such freedom. This race deserves compensation for the mistreatment Pongee Bryant it has suffered and continues to endure. Paying reparations to the descendants of African American slaves would bring about a tremendous improvement for the advancement of Black America. (Douglass, Fredrick, 1845, Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass). White Americans have profited from education, life experiences, riches that were handed down by their ancestors. As well, African Americans have been handed down the hardship of race-related issues, poverty, and the unknown history of their past. African Americans have constantly been inflicted with the social status of their low-income level in contrast with that of White Americans. America should be ashamed for their mistreatment of a race that did not ask or even desire to reside in this country. Yet, they still wear their ugly face of racism, and discrimination, and only seek to segregate African Americans, as if they were at fault. Americans may argue Blacks shouldn’t be complaining, whining, and to pull themselves up by their boot straps. Well, Martin Luther King once said â€Å"White America wants us to pull ourselves up from our boot straps, but we don’t have any boots†. (Shuttlesworth, Fred, 1999, A Fire You Can’t Put Out). The U. S. government has a moral responsibility to this race of people to compensate, African American’s because they were denied their heritage, religion, family, and culture. America alleges it is a religious-based country and their faith resides in God. The bible says: â€Å"If a man steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. † This country consistently contradicts itself in the way it wants to be perceived. If America has any belief in God, they should feel an obligation to compensate the African American descendants of slave ancestors. (Exodus 22, Bible). Pongee Bryant White Americans may argue that the country did enough when it passed the Civil Rights Act in 1960. They may also state America has enough resources and equal opportunity for each individual of every race to succeed. However, there is a huge wealth gap in social status among blacks and whites mostly because of oppression, discrimination and racism toward the modern day contemporary black. Whether anybody wants to admit it, there is still a glass ceiling (i. e. ,a status barrier) against African Americans. Reparations would bring African Americans justice and economic power in this country. There are numerous black reparation organizations which could receive the money and distribute it evenly among African Americans, to incorporate black-owned businesses, home ownership, and better education selective for young and old blacks. These reparation organizations could also invest money into smaller black-owned businesses, and other industries that would further the African American race, and ensure a rapid growth of African American middle-class and beyond. (Robert J. Brym/ John Lie, Sociology) The exploitation of African Americans in this country took on many forms through decades. The centuries of slavery in this country laid the foundation of our current relationship to America. From cotton fields to building America’s most significant buildings African Americans have helped build the wealth in this country. Yet, the African American race has endured the most terrorism from the Ku Klux Klan, lynchings, plantation jails, police torture and murder, and poverty. Slavery was a crime against humanity; and it still is in existence in many other ways and forms. America has created a system with, voter discrimination, drugs, and drug sentences to keep the African Pongee Bryant American man enslaved. The government should compensate the African American race and put an end to a never-ending oppression cycle. The government of the United States of America was instrumental in having pressured the German and Japanese governments into the payments of reparations to the people who suffered and survived the crimes and legacy of slavery endured during World War II. The government of the United States has also already paid reparations to the Japanese-Americans who were detained in concentration camps during World War II. America calls herself a fair nation: a civilized country which respects civil and human rights, encourages opportunity for and well-being of all her people, and can be trusted by other nations as a county whom honors her word. Well, America promised African Americans 40 acres and a mule and didn’t live up to her promise. America’s attitude and silence on reparations reeks of hypocrisy. (X, Malcolm, Biography of Malcolm X). America should also pay reparations to African Americans because they consistently want us to labor for their work and take all the credit. For instance America is at fault for African American dead and injured men who served and were drafted in the Vietnam War. America put young black men on the front-line of a war they had nothing to do with nor helped contribute to. America wanted a race that was not yet â€Å"capable† of voting but was competent enough to fight in a war. A race that did not have the option of drinking from any fountain, sitting anywhere on a bus, using any bathroom, however we were fit for fighting. The point is America constantly benefits from African Americans, but refuses to compensate African Americans for their contributions to this country. (www. AcedemicLibrary. com).

Piano Concerto in a Major, K. 488

Mozart completed the Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488, in March 1786 and it is a graceful piece in three movements. It used a small orchestra with two flutes, two clarinets in A, two bassoons, and two horns in A, along with the usual string orchestra. The first movement embodies the form called a â€Å"sonata form with double exposition. † This form is common in concerti and one feature of this form is that the first exposition does not end with a double bar and repeat sign indicating a literal repeat of the exposition.Instead the first exposition is for the orchestra without the soloist, and does not modulate to and conclude in the dominant, but stays in the tonic key throughout. When the soloist enters a second exposition begins which does modulate to the dominant key (or relative major if the work is in a minor key), and the second exposition does indeed cadence in the dominant. The only other variance from a standard (non-concerto) sonata form is the traditional cadenza, which occurs near the end of the recapitulation of the movement. The second theme is presented following a transitional section.In the first exposition it is in the key of A, but in the second exposition it is heard in the dominant key of E Major. This phrase ends with a half cadence, and the following phrase ends with a PAC, creating a double parallel period. The closing theme is more intense in character and features interplay between the winds and strings as well as frequent use of the borrowed subdominant chord. It includes a number of different melodic ideas and concludes with a strong beat PAC in A Major in measure 62. The second exposition begins in measure 67 with the first theme stated by the solo pianist.The major difference in this exposition is the modulation to the dominant key of E Major, which takes place in the Transition section in measures 82-98. This second exposition ends in a surprising way in measure 142 with the half cadence falling on the fourth beat of the m easure and the music abruptly ceasing, creating a dramatic pause that is followed by an entirely new theme, which begins the development section. This new theme is in E Major and provides virtually all of the melodic harmony heard throughout the development section.Following this embellished theme in E Major, the music begins to fragment this new theme and moves into key areas associated with the key of A minor as opposed to A Major. The keys touched on include E minor, C Major, F Major, and D minor. An especially nice passage is found in mm. 170-178. It features the clarinet and flute in a canon based on the ‘new’ theme, while the soloist maintains a running sixteenth note figure. Harmonically it begins in the key of D minor and traces the circle of fifths to a cadence on an E major chord in measure 178.Since E Major is the dominant chord of A Major this initiates a prolongation of the dominant of A Major in measures 178-189. A sort of â€Å"mini-cadenza† occurr ed in 189-198, which leads to the Recapitulation beginning in measure 198. The Recapitulation restates all of the themes heard in the exposition, now all in the key of A Major, with the soloist and orchestra interacting, unlike the first exposition. A particularly long Coda section begins in measure 261 with the reintroduction of the development section’s ‘New’ theme, presented now by the soloist alone, and in the key of A Major for the first time.Like the beginning of the development section, including the dramatic pause, it is followed by the placid restatement of the ‘New’ theme by the orchestra (290). This breaks off though and leads through a series of forte chords to the traditional tonic 6/4 chord paving the way for the cadenza. The cadenza is fundamentally a greatly expanded prolongation of the V chord. Following the cadenza the orchestra enters in a forte tutti statement with material drawn from the closing theme first presented in measure 4 9. A decisive PAC in A Major occurs in m. 309 followed by a prolongation of the tonic chord to the movement’s end.

University bookstore Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

University bookstore - Research Paper Example The university bookstore has been in operations for the past fourteen years, the presence of the book store has been of significance for the university as well as the students due to the fact that it has been providing academic material as well as computer supplier.Due to the fact that the computer supplies are in more sdemand during he intake season usually during the fall season or the proceeding summers. The demand arising due to the usual intake of students as well as the accumulating demand over the previous intake, causes the operations of the bookstore are affected unusually. Arising primarily from the scenario that the orders for he computer comes through out the summers aside from that of that of the sophomores or the newly admitted, the competitive advantage maintained by he book store has been due to the bottom-line prices charged by he sore. Hence, considering the fact that the book sore is charging such low prices, as the profit base and keeping in view that if the store orders to many supplies, the cash reserves become very low, besides that storage concerns have to be accounted for as well. The quantity demanded by the students for the computers also determines the number of employees to be hired for the installation to take place.It would be most appropriate to mention that the forecasting models despite the comparison of relative accuracies remain models to forecast. Hence, their accuracies remain subject to the actual outcome of the event they forecast. As a consequence, whether it is through the means of Linear Equation, Seasonal Indexes or Smoothing Techniques such as Averages, they remain subject to the risk involved from the aspect of actual outcome. University Bookstore Computer Sale Data Table 1: The Sales for University Bookstore Student Computer Purchase Program Year 1 Computer Sold 518 2 651 3 708 4 921 5 775 6 810 7 856 8 792 9 877 10 693 11 841 12 1009 13 902 14 1103 The above data has been provided in the form of a diagram on the next page, since the raw data in itself would prove to be discerning. A graphic representation is a more appropriate alternative to examine the trends in the quantity of the computers sold. The diagram

Commitment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Commitment - Essay Example Unless one have commitment, a particular vision, strong zeal and a passion to create something in ones life he cannot reach his goals and he remains failure one in the society. The strongly committed sports persons will definitely achieve gold medals in the contests and the students get good results in their exams and in their life also. One more thing is only the commitment itself cannot make us a champion when we don't have a proper vision and correct approach. So we can say the commitment is a weapon which we should use in proper way to get the fruits of success. Even though one failed in achieving the goal, the commitment in his soul awakes him and works like a panacea and pats his shoulder and leads him towards his goal. We can understand that the word commitment is not a group of letters, its magazine of bullets, which we can shoot the target with using the arm. Hence, commitment is the rule that is important in an individual's life as well as in the policy of an organisation. 1

Answer these questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer these questions - Essay Example In the campaigning groups, for instance, Protestants who are morally upright will discourage rivalry. This creates political sanity in the country, enabling smooth flow of the political realm. It also develops convenient answers to complicated questions, therefore cubing fears while guaranteeing reassurance for the future. According to Islamic religion, the Muslims need to, not only do good to the public, but also influence and impact the public to do good. This is stated in the holy quran 12:55-56. The Muslims join the politics in order to influence the governments to do good. They believe they may not be heard while they are outside the political arena. In an example, Prophet Yusuf, living in a non Muslim country, was asked to be appointed to head the national treasury, he said â€Å"Set me over the store-houses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge† This is according to the Qur’an. Muslims also believe that they are known to revenge on any any offence against them. The implication of this is that they will always cause chaos wherever they go. To change this perspective in the minds of people, they have to be elected to the national dockets so as to reach the public and change the negative image they have in the public. Practices associated with religion, for example, Literature, arts, music, and traditions are obvious for they have brought many people together enhancing unity among people of different interests. They develop a specific culture, in which the common people have shared practices. The stories within the Bible, like the story of King David and how he became a leader of Israel, have teachings that can be drawn by the modern leaders to shape their moral behavior. An example is when King David became remorseful when he killed Uriah and lay with his wife. From this context, men can always reconcile with people they have wronged while they are in

Close Reading of a Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Close Reading of a Poem - Essay Example You can almost see the speaker in the poem throwing tantrums at "daddy" blaming him for all her misfortunes. At best, the speaker in the poem did not attempt to hide her anger towards her father and her husband nor did she attempt to conceal her love for both men who tormented her and ruled her life for years. All throughout the poem, the speaker struggles to deal with her loss, her love and her hatred of her father. The speaker has unresolved issues against her father which she believed to be the root of all her sufferings and pain as an adult. Note that the speakers father died when she was ten so she never really had the chance to outgrow her fathers influence on her as most children do. In line 6 and 7 of the poem, the speaker said â€Å"Daddy, I have had to kill you / You died before I had time†. Her fathers death left a big hollow in the life of the speaker and she felt that even in death, her father still have influence over her. Actually, the idea of killing in the poem is more like a figure of speech. The speaker had always been scared of her father as a child and she wanted to get rid of the influence that her father had over her by "killing" her father. The idea of "killing" can be interpreted as "outgrowing" the influence of her father over her. Since her father died be fore she had the chance to breakaway from his domination, the speaker felt that she was trapped and unable to "kill" the feeling of being dominated. As the speaker in the poem reached adulthood, her feelings for her father remains almost childlike. If you take a closer look at the lyrics of the poem you will notice that the tone of the poem is purposely made childlike. Instead of addressing her father in a more formal tone that adults use, the speaker insistently called her father "daddy". At the time when this poem was written, adults usually refer to their fathers using the formal word "Father" and only little children venture to call their parents "mommy and daddy". What

Wal-Mart.com Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wal-Mart.com Case Study - Essay Example Given that a large number of Wal-Mart’s regular customers would get used purchasing various items online, the number of customers who will be dropping by Wal-Mart store outlets would eventually decrease. The shift from traditional shopping to online shopping will enable the company to cut down the number of its employee which will reduce its customer-borne transaction costs. Yes. In general, the use of web-site services and Wal-Mart’s decision to close a deal with Fingerhut Business Services and Books-a-Million enables the company to reduce its operational costs. (Zellner, 1999) Given that Fingerhut Business Services and Books-a-Million has the expertise on distributing the customers’ orders directly to their home (Zellner, 1999), there is a lesser chance for Wal-Mart to have serious problems related with the transportation of goods from the warehouse straight to its customer’s home. Aside from the huge reduction on the cost of operations, the fact that Wal-Mart announced its plan to expand its online store service will enable the company to have take advantage of economies-of-scale. Since the company has already invested on Wal-Mart.com, expansion of its online store offerings is expected to open new business opportunities for Wal-Mart. Since Wal-Mart will be able to save a lot of money from operational costs, the company will have the competitive advantage of being able to offer consumer products at a discounted price. Yes. It is most likely that Wal-Mart will capture the value created by Wal-Mart.com. Since the website is accessible 24/7, the use of Wal-Mart.com can reach millions of people around the world. For this reason, more people in other countries will be able to acknowledge the brand Wal-Mart. As soon as Wal-Mart has already dominated the domestic market, the management behind Wal-Mart will have to start expanding its business in the international market. This can be done by establishing several

Book report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Book report - Essay Example HeLa succeeded where all other human samples failed. The cells were continuously multiplying and Gey gave away the laboratory grown cells to his colleagues. Soon Henreitta Lacks died of aggressive cervical cancer. However, her cells taken without knowledge multiplied onto a scale, they would weight more than 50 million metric tons. HeLa cells were used for developing vaccines, to understand the behavior cancer cells, viruses and used in the research of gene mapping and to find and the effects of nuclear bombs on human cells. The Hela cells were commercialized and built multimillion dollar industries. Thousands of careers were built on the Hela cells. The Henriatha Lacks's family did not know about all these things until 1970. While Lacks's world changing cells were minting money on commercial scale, Henreitha Lacks's children and their children lived in poverty and could not afford medicare and health insurance, Instead they were also unethically recruited into HeLa research without their informed consent. In the words of Lacks's youngest daughter Deborah "If my mother's cells done so much for medicine, how come her family can't afford to see no doctors?" The story's main theme is about bad medical ethics and social wrong committed by medical establishment. The main theme raises question about racism and accessibility to health care. It also raises important question about medical compensation to patients and their families. Henreitta Lacks, the 31 years old African- American woman who had once been a tobacco farmer is the main character of the story. She comes fully alive in the pages of book. According to Gey's lab assistant Mary Kubicek when "I saw those toenails, I nearly fainted. I thought, of jeez, she is a real person" The story deals with the complex emotional, scientific and legal issues the main character's family faced. The other primary character is Deborah, Henreitta Lack's youngest daughter. She is the main driving force of the story. She travelle d to many places with Skloot in pursuit of her mother's legacy, which led her to believe that her mother was eternally suffering from all the research conducted on her cells. She is a spiritual person believing in the immortality of her mother both literally and spiritually. George Gay plays on important role in the story. Without him the world would not have known about Henreitta Lack's immortal life. Without him the science and medical care would not have found care for many diseases and without him the questions about bioethics would not have been raised. Rebekka Skloot, the science journalist is also a primary character whose decade of research took her to Lacks's family. Her vivid account about the life of Henritta Lacks's family unravels the story behind the cell research. She narrates lucidly the racial politics of medicine, poverty and science behind the important medical discoveries. The book is entwined with the implications of ethical leadership. The ethical leadership in medicare is involved in a manner that respects the right and dignity of others. Leaders who are ethical are people oriented and responsive to the needs of people If the leaders are ethical, they can ensure that ethical practices are carried out throughout the organization. Henreitta Lacks was never asked for her consent for removing her tissues. At present, the dignity is an important issue for medical researchers. It has been invoked in bioethics of human genetic engineering. The Declaration

Budgets and Budgeting Process Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Budgets and Budgeting Process - Math Problem Example For this it is important that the company take an initiative to put in place proper systems for tracing costs and allocation of budget. By installing these systems, we will be in a stronger position to generate true financial statements. And as you must be aware that strong systems of a company play a vital role in determine the share price of the initial public offering and the future share performance when the company shares are traded in the secondary market, therefore, it is important that we as a company, focused on growth, should concentrate on developing strong systems for our company. Recent researches conduct on the importance of setting up a budget for a company has revealed new and intriguing utility or a budget document. A budget of a company enables it to limit its expenditures, predict future income, profits and potential return on investment. Company budget has become a mean by which a company can exert control over its processes, and decide form of bonuses for its emp loyees. However, in order to have an accurate budget, it is important that the company’s management takes input from every process owner. It is of utmost importance that every process owner understands the corporate goals and objectives, and aligns their activities in accordance with these goals and objectives. By setting up benchmarks in place by means of a budget, we would be in a better position to assess the performance of a process owner and set his reward for his job accordingly. Moreover, by forming a budget, we would be in a better position to set future goals for our company and tailor our current business model in accordance with the dynamics of our business environment. This utility of a budget will help us to ensure that our company is in... From this study it is clear that a budget of a company enables it to limit its expenditures, predict future income, profits and potential return on investment. Company budget has become a mean by which a company can exert control over its processes, and decide form of bonuses for its employees. However, in order to have an accurate budget, it is important that the company’s management takes input from every process owner. It is of utmost importance that every process owner understands the corporate goals and objectives, and aligns their activities in accordance with these goals and objectives. By setting up benchmarks in place by means of a budget, we would be in a better position to assess the performance of a process owner and set his reward for his job accordingly. We need to be sure that every penny that we are investing in our operations is producing a substantial return, therefore, it is important that we take an initiative to generate an internal company budget.As the d iscussion highlights by forming a budget, we would be in a better position to set future goals for our company and tailor our current business model in accordance with the dynamics of our business environment. This utility of a budget will help us to ensure that our company is in a position to face unprecedented business circumstances. And since our current environment is extremely volatile, therefore, it would be a good idea to take precautionary measures that will ensure the survival this enterprise.

Hot and Cold Essay Example for Free

Hot and Cold Essay Since time immemorial, Indians have been bombarded with snacks-to-go by street vendors; fastfood is neither a modern phenomenon, nor a western innovation. But as increasing numbers of international players enter the domestic market, there are bitter lessons to learn about what local consumers will and will not welcome. just-food.coms Debasish Ganguly reports from India on the evolving sector and the challenges facing new entrants into the fastfood market. Fastfood is not an alien concept to Indians; roadside shops have offered snacks-to-go since time immemorial and the country has a long tradition of indigenous fastfood served by a variety of street vendors. Whether the southern Dosas or the Phulkas in the north, the Vada, Samosas or Bhelpuri, this inexpensive cuisine is still going strong, and street selling is a low-cost method of food distribution. However, since the arrival of established fastfood chains such as McDonalds, marketing savvy and dollar power have given fastfood a very western orientation. The weekend stampedes outside any McDonalds restaurant are standing testimony to this fact. But the burger behemoths still have a long way to go. Local fastfood is not easily undermined by these interlopers, since methods of mass production have not been perfected and, in any case, they would have to compete with low cost artisan production. On the other hand, the reality is that established local fastfood chains, like Nirulas, Wimpys or Haldiram, are sensing competition by the growing popularity of McDonalds and other international chains. Though Nirulas does not admit to any drop in sales overtly, industry sources reveal that they have lost 18% of their original market share. So far, the fastfood chains have gained their popularity among the major metropolitan cities of India and some smaller cities, such as Pune or Baroda. Before the arrival of these fastfood chains, Nirulas was the market leaderin Delhi. In fact, Nirulas taught Delhi-dwellers what pizzas and burgers were all about. Nirulas was commanding a monopoly until western chains arrived in India.

Charlemagnes Imperial Coronation

Charlemagnes Imperial Coronation Charlemagne, the son of Pepin, was born in 742 A. D. He was king of the Franks and part of the Carolingian line until 768. On Christmas Day of the year 800 A.D. Charles was crowned by Pope Leo III as the Holy Roman Emperor and he remained emperor for fourteen years. The coronation took place at the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome and since then Charlemagne was called emperor and augustus  [1]  . Charlemagnes coronation marked the beginning of the creation of the Holy Roman Empire. Bryce argues that, apart from the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire, his coronation marked also the importance of the Middle Ages; furthermore supports that if the ceremony had not taken place the history of the world would have been different.  [2]  Pope Leo took the decision to crown Charles because: a) Charlemagne rescued him, b) Roman rebels could only be encountered by an Emperor; c) the throne of the empire was empty and in the East the throne was encroached by Irene. Charlemagne, from his side , saw his coronation as the only solution given to the problem of protecting the papacy from the Eastern Empire. Moreover, it was his opportunity to become equal in prominence with the East emperor. There are several accounts concerning the background of the coronation of Charlemagne. Going first, Einhard, was the Frankish court scholar and advisor, as well as Charless friend. His account of the events was written after Charlemagne died. According to Einhard, King Charles felt responsible to keep the church of St. Peterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ safe and protected as well as to restore the Church after the inhabitants of Rome had violently attacked Pope Leo, putting out his eyes and cutting off his tongue, and had forced him to flee to the King for help.  [3]  Moreover, Einhard supports that the king was unaware of the coronation and that the events that took place were arranged only by the Pope. What Einhard in particularly says is that not only had the Pope planned the coronation all by himself, but also that Charlemagne did not desired to be an Imperial Emperor. However, it should be taken into consideration that Einhards work is modeled upon biographies of other imperial writers, e specially Suetonius. Thus, he may have been trying to present Charlemagne as the great person who did have the qualifications to be an Emperor but did not want to be one. When a person did not want the power, but deserved it, he would take it anyway. Bearing in mind that Einhard wanted to be a Roman imperial writer, his work and what he supports have to viewed with caution and not taken into account as completely accurate. In addition, Einhard had a great respect for King Charles, so much, that it has possibly affected his writing. The second account is the biography of Pope Leo III (Liber pontificalis) that provides a different presentation of the coronation in 800 A.D. This biography argues that Pope Leo arranged the coronation of Charles as an Imperial Emperor to reward him for the defense that he gave and the love that he bore for the holy Roman Church and her Vicarà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [4]  The problem that has to do with this source is the point of view it presents: The events presented in the bibliography are in favour of Pope Leo and that is possibly because clergymen involved with the papal court were responsible of collecting papal bibliographies. The third source is a monastic chronicle, named the Lorsch Annals, supporting that the coronation was planned not only by the Pope, but the holy fathers as well. In addition, it is argued that there was an agreement between the Pope, the holy fathers and the people of Rome that Charlemagne should be crowned as Emperor. Finally, the third source is the account from the Frankish Royal Annals, written by people connected to the Frankish court. In contrast with the other three sources, the Frankish Royal Annals are focusing on Charles and present Leos role as minimal. The source refers to how Charlemagne was admired and loved by all of the population and how much all wanted him to be an Imperial Emperor. According to the historiography of this period, there are three possibilities: the coronation was desired and planned either by a) Pope Leo alone, b) by Charlemagne alone or c) by both Pope Leo and Charlemagne. Pope Leo III was not that much wanted in the Church and from the start of his papacy he had to encounter several issues. In addition his relationship with nobility was nearly terrible. He definitely needed protection an emperor-provided protection. Inside Leos head things were simple: the Frankish King Charles had to be crowned as Imperial Emperor in order to protect and restore the popes position and prestige in Rome. Moreover, the Pope saw in Charles personality a strong believer of Christianity, who could protect and defend Christianity  [5]  . The Popes decision of crowing Charlemagne was also influenced by the fact that Irene encroached the Eastern throne in 797. In addition to that, Leo desired to gain freedom from the restraints of the Eastern Empire, and therefore, freedom to achieve his political goals. An emperor-provided protection in the West would possibly make the Church keep its secular authority. Most of Latin Christendom was outside imperial control and, also, b y the middle of the eighth century, Rome and the lands of central Italy that were controlled by the Roman Church were no longer part of the Byzantine Empire.  [6]  Moreover, the Lombard kingdom seemed to be a threat for papacy and the East seemed unable to protect it. Thus, a different relationship was formed between the Carolingian rulers of the Franks and the papacy. The Carolingians were needed for military reasons and to prevent the Byzantines from intervening in Italy. The coronation initiated the process of liberation from the Byzantines. Thus, Leos need for safety, in addition to the personality of Charles, and Irenes usurpation of the throne, may have made the Pope crown Charles as the Imperial Emperor. The Lorsch Annals give us a description of Charlemagnes assembly of December 800. The discussion here is not the settling of the problems of Pope Leo. It is discussion about the problems in Rome and how the empire should be restored. Therefore it can be said that Pope Leo hid himself behind the problems of the Empires restoration, when, in fact, it was himself he was trying to protect. The Lorsh Annals description is as follows: Since there was no longer an emperor in the land of the Greeks and they all were under the domination of a woman, it seemed to Pope Leo and to all the fathers who sat in the assembly, as well as to the whole Christian people, that they should give the name of emperor to king of the Franks, to Charles, who occupied Rome, where the Caesars had customarily resided, and also Italy, Gaul, and Germany. Because Almighty God had consented to place these lands under his authority, it seemed right, according to the desire of the whole Christian people, that Charles sho uld also bear the imperial title.  [7]   Despite the fact that Charlemagne had imperial objectives, the coronations organisation seems to have been arranged mainly by the Pope. Einhard supports that King Charles expressed unwillingness upon this decision of Leo. Charlemagne reacted negatively not because he did not want the Imperial title, but because he believed that he should not be crowded as emperor by a humiliated Pope. It was more of a prestige issue. However, little doubt remains that he was not aware of the coronation. Evidence can be found in Richà ©s book, where a court poet mentions King Charles as head of the world and summit of Europe, the new Augustus who reigns in a New Rome.  [8]   The last thing to be mentioned is the tension between the West and the East caused by the coronation. Einhard describes this tension: Once he (Charlemagne) had accepted the title, he endured with great patience the jealousy of the so-called Roman Emperors, who were most indignant at what had happened. He overcame their hostility only by the sheer strength of his personality, which was much more forceful than theirs. He was forever sending messengers to them, and in his dispatches he called them his brothers.  [9]  Charlemagne always tried to have a balanced relationship with the East, since he believed in the equality between the former and the West. His attempts, however, had no response. In conclusion, the three reasons mentioned for the coronation of Charlemagne by Leo are all true in a way. The papacy was certainly reluctant to lose its power to the East and therefore saw Charlemagne as its protector. Therefore, the relationship that was formed between the Carolingians and the Pope marked the collapse of partnership between the East and the West Empire. Einhard describes the tension that the coronation caused between the East and Charlemagne: Once he had accepted the title, he endured with great patience the jealousy of the so-called Roman Emperors, who were most indignant at what had happened. He overcame their hostility only by the sheer strength of his personality, which was much more forceful than theirs. He was forever sending messengers to them, and in his dispatches he called them his brothers.  [10]  There is little doubt that Charlemagne did not look forward to his coronation and the Imperial title. He, however, tried to support the idea of equality be tween the West and the East. The most significant aspect, though, of the coronation of Charlemagne comes from the restoration of the Roman Church. On the one hand the restoration strengthened the relationship between Church and secular power in the West. On the other hand, it made worse the relationship between the East and West Empire. Monica Fleener  [11]  argues that the coronation of Charlemagne in 800 A.D. marked the formation of Western Unity. She supports that this is because when Pope Leo sought help from Charlemagne, in order to cope with the problems he had in Italy, Charlemagne responded positively. In addition, that respond, meant the separation of the West and the East, the Roman and the Byzantium Empire. And it was exactly the separation of the West and the North that led to the construction of Europe. The coronation of Charles thus indicated the beginning of Europe.

How the United States Must Handle China and Its Military in the 21st C

There is a delicate balancing act a country must be aware of when it is a military superpower. A superpower must exercise extreme care to protect their economic superiority, advance their foreign policies, and project their military might all while working to advance the global system. Enticing China to become a responsible pillar of the global system will be one of the greatest challenges of coming decades for the United States and the Western world-particularly since it appears for the moment China is uninterested in playing such a role. This is the unique situation the United States and China find themselves in, with so many mutual interests, and as the global economy begins to slow, challenges such as: China’s increase in military spending and foreign tension which is rising throughout the Pacific region, highlight the importance of the U.S./China political and military cooperation. However, China’s economic agreements with neighboring countries, the U.S. and Chi nese trade deficit, Chinese foreign policies and military growth, and current U.S. Presidential relations with Beijing all play a decisive role in shaping these two military superpowers. China’s continued refusal to contribute positively to international trade negotiations and constant challenge to their current World Trade Organization (WTO) status places these agencies in a serious state of jeopardy. China is also hurting the global trading system by supporting the creation of a loose but potent Asian trading block. China has difficulties in accepting the terms of membership into organizations which already exist such as the WTO and International Monetary Fund (IMF). They’ve continually challenged the WTO’s rules by exploiting loopholes and the lack of regula... ...007): 26-30. Scobell, Andrew and Wortzel Larry M., Shaping China’s Security Environment: The Role of the People’s Liberation Army. Carlisle: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 2009. The White House. National Security Strategy of the United States 2010 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2010): 1-60. Tucker, Nancy. Strait talk: United States-Taiwan relations and the crisis with China. Massachusetts : Harvard University Press, 2009. Tzu Sun. The Art of War. Translated by Samuel B. Griffith. New York: Oxford University Press, 1971. Walt, Victor. "China bets on Iran." Fortune 160, no. 8 (2009): 90. Yanhua, Li. "President Hu Jintao and US President-elect Barack Obama Discuss over Telephone 2008-11-09." September 15, 2009. http://www.enghunan.gov.cn/wwwHome/200811/t20081109146216.htm Internet; accessed 9 Aug 2010.

Colonial Fiction: Mister Johnson Essay -- Essays Papers

Colonial Fiction: Mister Johnson The relationship between Rudbeck and Mister Johnson is extremely revealing with regards to the experience of the European administrators and the co-operation of the Nigerians in the colonial endeavour. Johnson is keenly aware that superiority for natives directly depends upon being on good terms with the coloniser. He consistently emphasises his belief that Rudbeck is his ''good friend'', and how he is ''mos' indispensable to ... His Majesty's service'' (85). It could be argued that this should not be passed off as simple native fantasy, put in for the amusement of the European reader. In many cases, Johnson is ''indispensable'' to the inexperienced Rudbeck, and throughout the novel, Johnson is constantly seen as the innovator in the relationship. In two important and inextricably linked areas, finances and roadbuilding, it is not the colonial government which responds to the needs of Rudbeck, but Johnson. As if to push this European dependence on the native a little further, Cary suggests that Rudbeck relies on Johnson in his personal life as well. For example, while Rudbeck is working on the road, Johnson is left to entertain his wife, Celia, an act of trust that both shocks and impresses the natives. We are told that ''this greatly increases [Johnson's] prestige in Fada, where the Emir does not even trust his chief eunuch with his wives'' (87). Concern over finances is a predominant theme throughout the novel, both for Johnson who constantly seems to be in debt, and Rudbeck who, due to the stringency of the Treasury, never has sufficient money or resources to carry out developments to the extent he would like. The reader is given the impression that, if he could , Rudbeck would be doing much more with Fada. He is a man of action, who longs to get out on the roads, working hard physically. Yet his ambitions are constantly frustrated, and he is left ''suffering'' (57) in his office, itching to get out again. On many levels - financial constraints, inexperience, communication difficult - his hands are tied. Johnson's personal finances never seem to pose the same extent of problems to him as do Rudbeck's. When dealing with finances, Rudbeck's ''many sudden depressions'' (77) often climax, and he simply concedes that everything is ''all damn nonsense, anyhow'' (53). Rudbeck knows only too well that he can expec... ... basics of what he expected from them. However, they are intelligent enough to let Rudbeck do ''most of the work himself'' (55) in the blistering African sun. Cary is hinting that the natives are not as gullible as the coloniser would like to believe. In reality, they are much more subversive. Indeed native subversion and resistance could be seen as one the key themes throughout the novel. In other cases, for example, Cary is not so subtle. He openly portrays Waziri offering Johnson favours and bribes to keep him informed about the contents of Rudbeck's safe, which contains all the papers and information sent from Britain, communications which were essential for indirect rule - a role Johnson carries out without a second thought concerning any moral loyalty to Rudbeck. As Cary sees it, in the colonial project, personalities and individuals are of no concern. In the imperialist longing for supremacy and the natives' response to this, people are used and discarded at will. Cary gives every indication that the problems faced by Rudbeck are universal throughout the colonial project. The plight of the colonial administrator seems doomed to a life of confusion and disillusionment.

A Look into Ernest Hemingways Childhood Essay examples -- Biography B

A Look into Ernest Hemingway's Childhood Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on the morning of July 21, 1899. He was born in the house of his grandfather, Ernest Hall, on his mother's side. Both of his grandfathers influenced the character of Ernest Hemingway as it developed. Ernest Hall, at the time of little Ernest's birth, was widowed and living in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb about ten miles from Chicago. Hall was a veteran of the Civil War, in which he fought valiantly before he was shot in the leg, but, out of respect and hatred of killing, did not allow anyone to speak of it in his presence. He later tried to commit suicide with a gun he kept under his pillow but was thwarted by Ernest's father who had removed the bullets. According to Jeffrey Meyers, "Ernest, who was six at the time, thought it was a cruel thing for his father to have done." Ernest's other grandfather was Anson Hemingway, who had also fought in the War, and also lived in Oak Park, where Ernest's parents met. The very nature of Ernest Hemingway can be cleanly divided into the often conflicting influences of his mother and father. Grace Hall Hemingway lived a charmed life and almost achieved success as an opera star, being a fairly gifted vocalist, but quit both because she was proposed to and because the lights of stage bothered her eyes (she had sensitive eyes due to a several month period of blindness set on by scarlet fever). Clarence Edmond Hemingway was a collector of coins, stamps, preserved snakes, and Native-American arrowheads, as well as an avid outdoorsman. He also went to college at Oberlin and became a practicing physician. However, his real passion and a good deal of talent lay in hunting, fishing, and outdoor cooking, and liv... ...e offers a brief and to-the-point biography of Ernest Hemingway. It has a list of his published pieces in chronological order, and highlights his life effectively while offering the author's personal commentaries on a number of more pertinent incidents. Meyers, Jeffrey. Hemingway: A Biography. New York: Harper & Row, 1985. Jeffrey Meyers writes an full biography of Hemingway. The text includes a number of stories to compliment the factual information. The Hemingway Resource Center. "Ernest Hemingway Biography > Childhood." 1993- 2003. <http://www.lostgeneration.com/childhood.htm>. This was the best online resource I found. It offers a good biography as well as giving a comprehensive bibliography (the above books included). It also harbors photos, and other interesting material from Hemingway's life including links to his works. A Look into Ernest Hemingway's Childhood Essay examples -- Biography B A Look into Ernest Hemingway's Childhood Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on the morning of July 21, 1899. He was born in the house of his grandfather, Ernest Hall, on his mother's side. Both of his grandfathers influenced the character of Ernest Hemingway as it developed. Ernest Hall, at the time of little Ernest's birth, was widowed and living in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb about ten miles from Chicago. Hall was a veteran of the Civil War, in which he fought valiantly before he was shot in the leg, but, out of respect and hatred of killing, did not allow anyone to speak of it in his presence. He later tried to commit suicide with a gun he kept under his pillow but was thwarted by Ernest's father who had removed the bullets. According to Jeffrey Meyers, "Ernest, who was six at the time, thought it was a cruel thing for his father to have done." Ernest's other grandfather was Anson Hemingway, who had also fought in the War, and also lived in Oak Park, where Ernest's parents met. The very nature of Ernest Hemingway can be cleanly divided into the often conflicting influences of his mother and father. Grace Hall Hemingway lived a charmed life and almost achieved success as an opera star, being a fairly gifted vocalist, but quit both because she was proposed to and because the lights of stage bothered her eyes (she had sensitive eyes due to a several month period of blindness set on by scarlet fever). Clarence Edmond Hemingway was a collector of coins, stamps, preserved snakes, and Native-American arrowheads, as well as an avid outdoorsman. He also went to college at Oberlin and became a practicing physician. However, his real passion and a good deal of talent lay in hunting, fishing, and outdoor cooking, and liv... ...e offers a brief and to-the-point biography of Ernest Hemingway. It has a list of his published pieces in chronological order, and highlights his life effectively while offering the author's personal commentaries on a number of more pertinent incidents. Meyers, Jeffrey. Hemingway: A Biography. New York: Harper & Row, 1985. Jeffrey Meyers writes an full biography of Hemingway. The text includes a number of stories to compliment the factual information. The Hemingway Resource Center. "Ernest Hemingway Biography > Childhood." 1993- 2003. <http://www.lostgeneration.com/childhood.htm>. This was the best online resource I found. It offers a good biography as well as giving a comprehensive bibliography (the above books included). It also harbors photos, and other interesting material from Hemingway's life including links to his works.

Brigadier General Muhammad Siddiq Salik: Biography

Brigadier General Muhammad Siddiq Salik (1935) (September 6, 1935 – August 17, 1988), was a 1 star general in the Pakistan Army and former director-general of the Inter Services Public Relations who headed ISPR from August 1985 till his death. Brigadier-General Salik is most known as a close associate of former Pakistani President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Siddique Salik was born in village Manglia Kharian, Gujrat District, Punjab. He belongs to a noble Jat family. Salik schooled in Lahore and graduated from Punjab University earning a degree in English literature and international relations. Before receiving his commission in the Pakistan Army, Salik had taught English literature in few colleges in Lahore. Salik fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. In 1971, Salik, as Major, was stationed in East Pakistan, when the 1971 Pakistan-India (fought between 26 March-16 December) and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 (fought between 3 December-16 December) took place. Captured by Indian troops on December 19, 1971, Salik was initially incarcerated in Agra jail before being shifted to various other prisons as a Prisoner of War. He was eventually handed over to Pakistan under the Simla Agreement which vouched for exchange of prisoners. Salik was a celebrated writer. He wrote an insightful book titled Witness to Surrender (Urdu version: â€Å"Meinay Dhaka Doobtay Dekha†) based on his recollection of the war. In 1977, General Zia became President of Pakistan following a bloodless coup. Zia-ul-Haq removed civilian officers from top posts and appointed a new military junta, which included Salik amongst its members. On August 17, 1988, Salik was traveling with President Zia in his plane as his press secretary and director general inter services public relations, alongwith U. S. ambassador Arnold Raphel, when the plane crashed under mysterious circumstances killing all on board. Salik authored six Urdu and 3 English books. Among these, the â€Å"Witness to Surrender† (ISBN 81-7062-108-9) recounts the 1971 Pakistan-India war, as seen by Salik who was posted there as the Public Relations Officer. His other books include humaa yaran dozak(a recollection of his years as a risoner of war after the fall of Dacca, East Pakistan), ta damay tehreer (Urdu), emergency, pressure cooker (both novels in Urdu), Salute (biography of his years in army), State vs Politics, A Case study of Pakistan. All his books became best sellers. Brigaidier Siddique Salik is survived by his widow,three daughters and a son. His son Sarmad Salik is a known Islamabad based journalist. He has been director news of state run TV channel Ptv and director current affairs of Ary news besides having worked for national and international newspapers and TV networks.

Tsinelas

Garcia, Kimberly G. August 24, 2012 ENG 10 – WFW5 Concept Paper (Final Draft); 1,910 words Juan Dela Cruz’s Flip Flops The capacity to think introspectively – to wonder about the world within – is one that is unique to mankind, and one that has led to age-old search for identity. Perhaps more intriguing than questions about the physical are questions about the world that cannot be seen, but that is felt in every aspect of life. This unseen world comprises things that may seem mundane, such as beliefs, principles, traditions, and culture, but those are an essential part of the fabric of human nature.This unseen world is the world of identity. Because the Filipinos are a diverse group, this question is of great interest. What is distinctly Filipino, and what does this translate to in terms of who the Filipino is? To answer this, at least in part, an artifact of culture must be found that transcends regional boundaries and socioeconomic status. This object, a lbeit in varying forms, is a quite essential part of the Filipino household. And for a people of an island nation, it has become an extension of the body itself.This paper aims to draw insights about Filipino identity from an object so familiar, so simple; yet one that has been a part of every Filipino’s life – the tsinelas. It defines the tsinelas as not only a staple footwear in the Philippines but also a reflection of what being Filipino is. In construction, basic rubber slippers are very simple. The body of these rubber shoes is nothing more than a comfortable sole; the foot rests on the sole, which is secured to the front area of the foot in one of two ways.The traditional design includes a simple band that spans the top of the foot in the area between the instep and the toes. Attached to this band is a small loop that fits neatly between the big and second toes. The heel of the slipper is left open, allowing it to flop as the individual walks (†What are Rub ber Slippers? †). This gives the tsinelas its unique oblong look with a y-shaped band. It usually comes in different sizes and colors and also in a variety of designs for those who love cartoons and for those who want the face of their favourite actor or actress on their footwear.Flip flops are a common sight in the markets of the Philippines. The reason for their popularity is because they are both cheap and convenient to wear especially in a country of wet and dry seasons, where it is too hot to wear socks and shoes and where it is too uncomfortable to have wet shoes and socks during the rainy season. The origin of the tsinelas dates back to the barter trade among other nations. This footwear was brought long ago to the Philippines by the Chinese merchants, but the name ‘tsinelas’ evolved from the word â€Å"chinela† (slippers) came from the Spaniards.Since then, it has become the staple footwear among the Filipinos despite the fact that there were other forms of footwear before the tsinelas was introduced. For instance, â€Å"bakya† and â€Å"abaca slippers† are also uniquely Filipino footwear. The ‘bakya’, which is made out of thick wood with a band of leather or some other similar material attached to each end of the sides of the body with a nail, has been deemed uncomfortable and inconvenient for everyday use compared to ‘abaca slippers’ and ‘tsinelas’.Nowadays, it seen only paired with traditional Filipino clothes or costumes. ‘Abaca slippers’, which is made out of abaca, a species of banana plant which are harvested for their strong fibre called Manila hemp (†Abaca† 1), are cheap and are highly praised for their durability and lightness, characteristics footwear should have. Why then are these not the staple footwear in the Philippines? Unfortunately, the abaca is difficult to process and most of the abaca the country produces is exported.Abaca slipp ers are also difficult to find in the markets compared to the slippers, and they are more expensive than the tsinelas. Ergo, the tsinelas got its position as the staple footwear of the Filipinos. However, these have more significance than just being a form of footwear. â€Å"Tsinelas† or rubber slippers are an integral part of Filipino culture, pervading aspects like social status and practicality, as well as, a tool of discipline and a prop in uniquely Filipino games. The tsinelas plays an integral role in every Filipino’s youth.It does not only serve as a vessel through which the youth can achieve their dreams but it also serves as two important objects in molding their characters. The tsinelas serves an object of discipline and fear for Filipino children. Much like the bamboo stick that the old Chinese man uses to threaten or spank the ‘bad’ children with in the movies, the tsinelas is also the favourite tool of the Filipino adult to discipline a child with. The tsinelas has been used by adults to spank, preferably the buttocks, of children as punishment for something that they have done wrong.When a child starts to throw a tantrum, the adult would take off his/her tsinelas and hold it in one hand. Then the child suddenly turns quiet, as if the tsinelas was a magical silencing tool. The tsinelas becomes an object of fear among the Filipino children because of such circumstances. However, the youth have managed to turn the tsinelas as something that they fear into something that they can readily play and have fun with. It becomes a prop in uniquely Filipino games.These types of games become a common sight in the streets of the Philippines, whether in the province or in the city. The most famous of these games is the Tumbang Preso or Chinelas Lata where each player brings a slipper which they use to topple a can in the middle of a circle, the objective of the player to get back to the slipper and get to the other side of the base wi thout being caught by the guard who also brings the can back into position (â€Å"Tumbang-Preso† 2). Another one is the Shakay where the circle is small and playing field is smaller in size.The rules are the same as softball. The player uses feet to play the slipper thrown toward the player and score (â€Å"Games† 2). Pinoy flip flops do not only hold significance in a Filipino’s childhood. They still continue to hold significance through adolescence and adulthood and play a role in domestic and social life as well. The tsinelas has been used by so many generations that it has become a part of social culture. For instance, the branding of flip flops has turned them into a subtle status symbol.In the past, the wearing of tsinelas was regarded as something the people of low status would wear outside the home. However, as Lauren Dado, a well know Filipino blogger, asserts: What’s incredibly interesting about this whole slipper fad is that two years ago, if y ou decided to wear tsinelas to a school like Ateneo, people would look down on you or think you were poor or something†¦my school imposed a dress code on the tricycle drivers that could go in Ateneo, and one of the no-nos was- you guessed it- wearing of slippers (â€Å"Sinelas, Tsinelas, or Chinelas? †).Moreover, the tsinelas was seen by many Filipinos as something as should not be worn in hotels or big malls because is presents a ‘street look’ of the poor to middle class Filipinos. In fact, the term ‘bakya crowd’, which is a term described as the larger population that consists of citizens of the lower class, is now referred to as the ‘tsinelas crowd’. But the term ‘tsinelas crowd’ has evolved from the term ‘bakya crowd’, in a way that the ‘tsinelas crowd’ now refers to street protesters, so called because of the cheap rubber slippers that are worn by them (Patajo-Legasto 421).Recently, the ts inelas have transformed from being a form of low status into a form of high status. The tsinelas have evolved to become a fashion trend and more are using the western term ‘flip flops’ to refer to the tsinelas. According to Smith in â€Å"The Evolution of Flip Flops†: They have since evolved from beach walks to concrete pavement and have taken on a more preppy look. Not only do men wear them at the beach but also when going to the mall or dining out with friends. The revolutionary sandals like the [Lacoste] Palison leather footwear are now [classier] and savvy (par. ). Indeed, the tsinelas has now become a fashion craze resulting to many brands that are now out in the market. A few years ago, the most common tsinelas was the Beachwalk slippers, the cheapest ones that can be bought from the stores that are usually white in body color with different rubber strap colors such as red, blue and yellow that is below a hundred pesos or even the infamous Islander ‘T ibay ng Orig’ slippers. Who would have thought many brands of tsinelas- or in this case the most proper term would be flip flops- would emerge?Who would have thought that one day there would be a tsinelas that is worth one thousand pesos or more? The emergence of expensive brands of tsinelas (flip flops), such as Havaianas and Crocs, led to the evolution of the tsinelas from a footwear unworthy of being worn to the mall to a footwear worthy of being worn in malls, at fancy beach resorts, and even in hotels. Although there are still cheap tsinelas out there, it is not looked down upon as much as before. The tsinelas remain an essential part of the most intimate Filipino things – the home.It does not only play a part in our social life. The tsinelas has been the footwear that most Filipinos seek comfort from at home after wearing shoes for a whole day. At the end of the day, the first thing that is done is to taking off the shoes and putting on the tsinelas. In a classic Filipino home setting, the tsinelas are aligned from biggest to smallest at the bottom of the staircase or near the door. As each member of the family comes home, they replace their shoes with their tsinelas, which also becomes a convenient way of finding out if a family member is already home.There are always ‘extra tsinelas’ for guests and visitors. The tsinelas is also used as way of showing hospitality to guests. The tsinelas is offered to the guest by the owners of the home, often insisting that the guest should remove his shoes to be more comfortable. It is also deemed unusual for Filipinos if a person wears his shoes all day inside the house. It is as if the Filipinos have created a rule of ‘no wearing shoes inside the house’ that it is necessary for every member of the family to have a tsinelas.The Filipinos also have created a new classification of tsinelas, the ‘tsinelas panlabas’ or tsinelas for outside the home and the ‘tsine las panloob’ or tsinelas for inside the home, which is strictly imposed in many homes in the Philippines. Pinoy flip flops have also been a way to show love and respect to the elders. Most Filipino children were taught to deliver the tsinelas to their parents and/or grandparents as soon as they get home. This is one of the most unique traditions that Filipinos have.In conclusion, Juan Dela Cruz’s flip flops, the tsinelas, is something uniquely Filipino. The tsinelas become more than a reflection of individual taste or class – they are a mirror of the Filipino people. It becomes a reflection of Filipino ingenuity and practicality. Works Cited: â€Å"ABACA (Musa textilis). † Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species. cropsforthefuture. org. Web. 4 Aug. 2012. Dado, Lauren. â€Å"Evolution of Flip Flops. † Sinelas, Tsinelas, or Chinelas?. Ang Sapatos ni Juan dela Cruz. Blogspot, 15 Jan. 2008. Web. 4 Aug. 2012. Games Played by the Native Childr en in the Philippines. † Uupcc. org. n. d. Web. 4 Aug. 2012. Patajo-Legasto, Priscelina. Philippine Studies: Have We Gone Beyond St. Louis? Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press, 2008. 421. Print. Smith, Diana. â€Å"The Evolution of Flip Flops. † Ezine Articles. Ezinearticles. com, 23 Jan. 2011. Web. 4 Aug. 2012. â€Å"Tumbang-Preso. † Tagalog Lang: Filipino Culture. n. d. Web. 4 Aug. 2012. â€Å"What are Rubber Slippers? † wiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. wisegeek. com, n. d. Web. 4 Aug. 2012.

Healthy Eating Pyramid Essay

The â€Å"Healthy Eating Pyramid† is a guide to eating a healthy diet. What is a healthy diet for you depends not only on your age and sex, but also on your body condition. This article gives an insight into the Healthy Eating Pyramid. Read on†¦ Many people have a wrong notion about the concept of healthy eating. Youngsters think remaining thin by depriving themselves of all foods they love to eat is healthy eating. However, they are wrong. Healthy diet has nothing to do with remaining thin by depriving oneself of food. A healthy and nutritious diet should impart a sense of well-being and make you feel energetic. The Healthy Eating Pyramid – Tips Harvard School of Public Health developed a nutrition guide for healthy eating called â€Å"The Healthy Eating Pyramid†. The principles underlying the Healthy Eating Pyramid stress mainly two things. They are regular exercise and weight control. The Healthy Eating Pyramid lays the foundation of healthy eating in eating more of vegetables and whole grains and less of red meat and refined grains. Here are a few tips to follow â€Å"Healthy Eating Pyramid†. Regular Exercise – Regular exercise is the basic principle for any healthy diet pyramid. The reason is it helps to keep your weight in check. Focus on Food You Eat – The Healthy Eating Pyramid guides you to what kind of food you should eat, how you should eat and when you should eat. It advises you as to the number of servings you can eat. So eat your fill of healthy food and do not worry about the calories. Give Importance to Vegetables – This guide stresses on a vegetarian diet that includes plenty of fruits and green vegetables daily. You can also use whole grains and healthy fats such as canola and olive oil. Avoid Red Meat – The healthy nutritional guide advises on avoiding red meat such as beef and mutton. It would be a good idea to forgo refined grains, carbonated/sugary drinks, potatoes and salty snacks. Instead of red meat have fish or lean meat such as turkey, chicken and other poultry. Have a Multivitamin Daily – This healthy diet pyramid suggests the inclusion of multivitamins in your daily diet. The Healthy Eating Pyramid – Different Levels There are six levels in the â€Å"Healthy Eating Pyramid† and each level has a group of foods recommended in your daily diet. First Group – The food belonging to this group includes breads and cereals. You can have maximum 10 to 12 helpings a day. Grains form the basis of this level. Second and Third Groups – The food items falling in this group include vegetables and fruits. They are a source of fiber and vitamins. The health pyramid recommends at least 4 servings a day. Fourth Group – The fourth food level consists of dairy products like cheese, milk, and yogurt. The â€Å"Healthy Eating Pyramid† recommends 3 servings per day. Fifth Group – Foods that provide vitamins, minerals and protein are included in this group. Some of the foods recommended in the fifth level are meat, poultry, eggs and fish. You should also include dry fruits, nuts and beans. Have at least 2 helpings a day. Sixth Group – This is the last group in the â€Å"Healthy Eating Pyramid† and is placed at top in the food pyramid. These food items are high in sugar and fat. It is wise to consume these foods sparingly. A significant feature of this healthy pyramid is it gives importance to the quality and not the quantity of food you eat. A recent update to the â€Å"Healthy Eating Pyramid†, is the inclusion of salt to the sixth group, and recommends adding salt sparingly to your food. It also suggests including Vitamin D daily in your diet.

How Does the Bfg Function?

The BFG is a book about a little girl from an orphanage named Sophie who is lying awake in bed one night and sees a giant walking the streets. She tries to hide once she has seen him but it is too late. He takes her out of her room and runs back to his cave. At first she is worried that he is going to eat her but he is not that type of giant. He is known as the Big Friendly Giant and eats disgusting vegetables that taste like rotting frogs. His main idea of fun is catching dreams and blowing the happy ones into children’s bedrooms at night.The other nine giants however are man eating giants and they go to different countries every night to eat people. They take them from their homes while they are sleeping and eat them. Sophie thinks these other giants need to be stopped but they are a lot bigger and meaner than the BFG. In the end she does come up with a plan to mix up a dream to tell the queen of England what is going on with these giants. Sophie and the BFG create a dream t hat tells the queen all about the bad giants and what they do at night and about her and the good giant.When the queen awakes Sophie is on her windowsill to confirm the dream and to help create a plan of action. After a very interesting breakfast during which the BFG is sitting on a piano piled with other things for his chair and a ping pong table on top of four grandfather clocks for his table then the queen invites the heads of the military in to create a plan. They decide to catch the giants while they are sleeping and carry them off with helicopters.In the end the bad giants are forced to stay in a huge pit and they are fed the disgusting vegetables that the BFG was forced to eat before. The BFG gets a nice huge house next to the castle and Sophie gets a little cottage next to him and the BFG writes a book about his experiences, which as we find out in the end is the BFG, the book we just read. Personal Notes: This is a really fun and quick book. Easy to read and grabs the reade r’s attention. I really liked the parts where Dahl makes up new words for things.I think it creates a sense of wonder in the children. I remember when I used to read his books and they included words that weren’t really words that this was fun. I never mistook them for real words or used them in school, that might make me look funny, but I loved the way he used them just the same. I think that is very applicable in a book about things that don’t really exist, man eating giants, it helps the reader appreciate that these things aren’t real and adds imagination to it.

Whale Printing Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Whale Printing Company - Case Study Example The case is about a printing company that has been offered a job to print 10,000 copies of a marketing brochure within five days. The printing company has been offered a price of $700 for the job and this report analyzes the cost of the job and its benefits to the company and then suggests what decision should be taken by the President of the company, Victory Hussey. In addition to this, the report also analyzes non-accounting factors that could influence the decision of Victory Hussey while accepting or rejecting the job. Victor Hussey is the president of a printing company known as Whale Printing Company and he has been offered a job by the president of Salter Associates, Katherine Salter. The job is to print 10,000 copies of a promotional brochure but the deadline of the project is tight and it has to be completed by Friday noon. Price agreed by the Katherine Salter previously is $700 for the printing work and Hussey has to either accept the job or reject it. The following table explains the cost of this project which includes; direct labor, direct material, overheads as well as the selling and administrative expense for Whale Printing Company. As the total cost of the project is $810 whereas the revenue of the project earned would be $700, therefore by accepting the project, Whale Printing Company would have to incur a loss of $110. Therefore the job offered by the president of Salter Associates, Katherine Salter should not be accepted. Variable costs are the costs that would change with changes in the output of the company and as company produces more or increases the output, variable cost of the company would increase. Whereas, fixed costs do not vary with the changes in output of the company and as output increases, fixed cost of the company remains fixed (Khan, 1993). If the job is not completed on time, then it would hurt the image of the company and customers might not trust the wordings of Mr. Hussey in future. It is important to built long term customers for every company instead of looking for short term profits and as the deadline of the project is tight and if it is accepted and deadline is not met, then it would be a long term loss for Whale Printing Company. Plus the project itself is not acceptable in terms of profitability; therefore there is no reason why Mr. Hussey should accept the job.

The European Community Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The European Community Law - Essay Example The Maastricht Treaty transformed the EC into the EU. The total number of EU member countries is 25. The EU has a number of objectives, chief among them being to promote and expand cooperation among member states in economics, trade, social issues, foreign policy, security, defense and judicial matters. Under the Maastricht Treaty, European citizenship was granted to citizens of each member state, border controls were relaxed and suitable modifications in the customs and immigration agreements were brought about in order to allow European citizens greater freedom to live, work, and study in any of the member states2. The European Court of Justice developed constitutional principles in order to ensure the effective and uniform application of Community law within the Member States.The distinction between the EC and national legal systems and the maintenance of the supremacy of the Community law, direct and indirect effects, loyalty and subsidiarity are important factors of the European legal order. However, the development of these principles has not been uniformly well received by the Member States, because of the adverse effect that they have had on the balance of the relationship between Community law and Member States national law. In EC law the constitutional principles have been linked with the judicial review principles. Many constitutional courts, including those of Germany and Italy, refused to accept these constitutional principles in the absence of the acceptance by the ECJ of specific judicial review principles, such as human rights protection. While the judicial review principles have been developed to ensure the effective and uniform application of Community administrative law, it has been argued that the manner of their development is the clearest demonstration that the ECJ has taken on a role larger than that originally envisaged for  it in the Treaty3.

CS 1 - Strategic Review XCG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CS 1 - Strategic Review XCG - Essay Example With the help of P2P, Skype was able to operate at low cost and allow users to sign up for their accounts quickly (Jusevicius & Firantas, 2010). In other words, Skype is a software-based platform for communication that is offering top quality along with easy to use tools and features to both consumers and businesses for communication and collaboration worldwide via voice, text and video conversations. Skype has already released numerous versions after its launch so that users can make use of technologically advanced features with utmost ease and enjoy the sensation of having conversation online from anywhere. The best features offered by Skype are video calling, chat rooms, SMS messaging, voicemails and click-to-call. It also offered services especially designed for businesses that comprise of e-mail integration and conferencing which have configuration over Skype Control Panel. Skype has even announced world’s first Wi-Fi-VoIP phone in collaboration with NetGear and is even investing in wireless FON community. According to Skype (2012), the mission of the company is to be the foundation of communication on web that is real-time based. The mission statement of Skype can be defined as â€Å"We enable all users via virtually any of the Internet-connected devices to communicate with each other by using video, voice and instant messaging for free of any charges or even make low cost voice calls to numbers both fixed and mobile anywhere across the world†. As of first half of 2010, Skype had 124 million connected users who placed about 95 billion calling minutes over Skype which is approximately 40 per cent of video calls. The best aspect of Skype is that it can be downloaded on computers, mobile phones and all other connected devices for free from its website i.e. www.skype.com. According to Skype’s founders, VoIP market has a huge potential for growth that needs to be explored. It is expected that

Statement of Purpose. Doctoral program in Education Leadership, Essay

Statement of Purpose. Doctoral program in Education Leadership, Management and Policy at your school (Seton Hall University) - Essay Example The doctoral program will provide me with an opportunity to learn more about higher education and prepare me to be a senior level college administrator. I have had several educational and life fulfilling opportunities to work with many administrators to help contribute to the field. Due to the nature of this program; I believe it will provide me with an opportunity to continue to be a catalyst not only within higher education, but my community as well. In addition, this program will help me further my understanding of first generation Saudi college students’ expectations and knowledge about college prior to enrolling in their respective institutions by participating in pre-college programs. I feel that the program provides the right balance of advanced coursework and research. I believe the Ed.D. in Education Leadership, Management and Policy will combine my interests between business administration and Education Leadership, Management and Policy. I am convinced that by my research in this field, I will be able to learn in depth the concepts of Leadership techniques, Organizational Behavior and Organizational Development and would like to explore new methods in improving the present policies and procedures being used in organizations. This will be a good experience and will be very beneficial to my career. My professional goals are intellectual enrichment, an absolute understanding of the trends in this field and to put to good use my knowledge to help those in need and to effectively contribute to the profession. I would like to be a leadership consultant someday.

The Critical Success Factor Report for Oriental Mart Nottingham Coursework

The Critical Success Factor Report for Oriental Mart Nottingham - Coursework Example This growth in business prompted its expansion into traditional retailing by opening its first store in 2008 locating it in the busy city centre. The reason for this move was to provide a convenience store for people at the city and for people who are visiting it on a daily basis. 1.2 `Research Objectives The significance of carrying out this Critical Success Factor Report (CSF) was to establish the factors that contributed to the success of a business. This report is aimed at researching on the factors that made orient mart to be successful in the online retail business sector. This is to be achieved through collecting feedback from customers and asking the management questions relating to the strategies and practices that make the company a success. This is in order to determine what makes the business a success in its area of specialization. The rationale of this study was to gather information regarding the company’s success in the retail sector. 1.3 Methodology In carryin g out the research process, the use of questionnaires was employed to get the required data from customers. This research process involved the printing a total of 200 questionnaires that were distributed to the public. Half of these questionnaires totalling 100 were given to regular customers who were willing to take part in this survey. The other half was distributed among the public consisting mostly of the people passing near the store. This was to ensure that the individuals participating in the study were aware of the store. This was necessary for the research to collect accurate data. The research was done for a period of one week, and the participants came from the different parts of the city. For this research, 165 of the 200 questionnaires were valid, and their feedback was relevant to the exercise. The remaining 35 were discarded since they were invalid. It was important that the customers took part in the exercise since the data will give a reflection of the customersâ₠¬â„¢ thoughts and perceptions in the subject. Out of the 165 questionnaires that were valid, the customers filled only 62. The number was relatively lower compared to the 97 forms questionnaires that were filled by the public. In addition to the data collected, the manager of the store participated in an informal interview to give added information that was useful for the research. This was to get information from the management’s perspective. This provided a balance in the data collected in that it was all inclusive of both the consumers and the convenience store. 2. The Retail Audit The retail audit is carried out to determine the target market and the factors that affect this market in relation to the business. These factors influence how the market responds to the retail business. This is essential since markets are dynamic in that their needs and preferences change over time (Bullen, 1995, p14). . 2.1 The Market The market refers to the section of the population have a d emand for the goods or services of a business. For any business to be flourishing, they require to have the capability to attract and maintain their market. If a business realizes this, it will have a profitable turnover leading to further growth and expansion of the business. Nottingham’s market consists of the city dweller and visitors that come to the city. Their market is broad since a convenience store offers products that are needed by the public in

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Assignment 2 - Essay Example cussion by Timiraos in the journal article is that people who are not credit defaulters or have fairly good credit scores below 620 will have the opportunity to own homes at reduced interest rates as well as reduced percentage required for a down payment from 3.5% to 3% in the two leading financial mortgage organizations: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The program by the federal government has ensured that this is possible but not to everybody and not in every financial institutions including banks. What the federal regulation has not shed into light and which if not properly explained might raise hopes of people for nothing is that those qualifying for the 3% down payment are required to not only have perfect credit when it comes to loan payment but are required to have mortgage insurance. Having mortgage insurance is an added cost to the people and hence they are even better off with the 3.5% down payment that was present initially. The banks also offer mortgage loans for the people but they do not do so for everybody and are even afraid to implement the federal regulation as a result of the losses they incur with mortgage defaulters. They are left at losses and in order to avoid this, they select very few people to provide the mortgages to. All is not gloomy about the regulations as is evident from the increase in housing contracts by new home buyers. The sales and contracts from the time the federal regulations were announced have increased by around 0.3% and this is very encouraging. The prices of homes have been increasing which makes buying a house on cash basis very hard for majority of the people. However, with the new regulations, people are bound to get loans to purchase their houses no matter the price. The federal government is trying its best but with the slow reaction and more negative than positive results of the regulations, they are bound to ease the conditions and make better the regulations. The mortgage is most likely to get cheaper and more

Debate on Allowing Homosexuals to Adopt Children Essay

Debate on Allowing Homosexuals to Adopt Children - Essay Example This essay highlights that  the debate, in the public view, has less gay rights sympathizers with the majority, under churches and other conservative institutions, being against the idea of gays adopting children. The judiciary, however, has, by requirement, seemingly inclining to the side of favoring the push by LGBTQ since it relies on subjectivity. It does not take into account public opinion. Since empirical data does not suggest conclusively that children raised up by gay couples disadvantages them in their development, the judiciary has made the majority of its rulings to the favor of the LGBTQ. In Legislative bodies, the majority oppose the motion. The debate is however still balanced since such matters demand constitutional changes that require big numbers. The debate will in the Parliamentary context require an overwhelming argument to sway total consensus.From this discussion it is clear that there have been judicial and legislative manifestations of the debate as well as media publicity too. Initially, the Catholic Church and the society, in general, reacted murderously to homosexuality. It was illegal under the law, and one would be convicted for merely confessing love to a person of the same sex. The clerk denied the application and the couple sued him. The trial court sided with the clerk and even after appealing, the appellate court did not find the favor of the couple.

Zimbabwes present economy Essay Example for Free

Zimbabwes present economy Essay Introduction: Zimbabwe is facing a huge economic crisis that is worsening living standards by the day and a decline in industrial growth. Unemployment is now one of the highest in the world, running at 50% against an annual population growth of 3%, mainly because of inadequate sustainable job creation activities in the market. The rampant unemployment has given rise to the worsening abject poverty, rising crime levels, falling quality of life and standards of living, as well as general delinquency. Close to 65% of the population is considered poor according to the latest poverty assessment. The country is facing near bankruptcy. The problem is Governments huge borrowings where much of the money is used for recurrent expenditures to meet the day to day running of Ministries. Very little is for capital investments. Since the attainment of independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has produced a number of Annual Budgets that were supposedly implemented together with the national economic plans such as the following: Zimbabwe Conference on Reconstruction and Development (ZIMCORD), On the Road to Socialism, Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) that came in volumes I and II; Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) 1991-1995, Zimbabwe Programme on Economic and Social Transformation (ZIMPREST) 1998-2000, Millennium Economic Recovery Programme (MERP) 2000-2002, Ten Point Plan and more recently the National Economic Revival Programme (NERP) February 2003. The focus of all these policies was to bring about economic development and improved quality of life for Zimbabweans. Regrettably, none of these economic policy documents together with the accompanying annual budgets have succeeded in producing real positive tangible results especially in the area of poverty reduction. A number of factors accoun t for this hence the rampant poverty that has rocked the country today. An analysis of the various economic recovery and reform programmes is done summarily done below with more emphasis and time given to the most recent one NERP. Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) In October 1990, the Zimbabwe government succumbed to Western donor pressure and grudgingly agreed to implement the five-year Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) as a response to the economic crisis which had been afflicting the country since the 1980s. The measures introduced were: Removal of price controls; Removal of wage controls; Reduction of government expenditure; A 40 per cent devaluation of the Zimbabwean dollar; Removal of subsidies on basic consumer goods; Liberalising the foreign currency allocation system; Removal of protection of non-productive import substituting industries and increased profit remittance abroad; and A radical restructuring of the various parastatals and other public enterprises. ESAPs prime mandate was to shift the style of economic management from a setup where state intervention was perverse towards a framework where market forces had more influence. Economic liberalization was expected to accommodate major fiscal reforms, aimed at trimming the budget deficit from 10% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 5%, increasing national output by 5% over the reform period, as well as reduction of inflation from over 17% to 10% by 1995. The major achievement made by ESAP was domestic deregulation, trade liberalization, foreign currency liberalization, and foreign direct investment liberalization (among other areas of deregulation). The major  challenge during the period was the issue of huge fiscal deficits that averaged 10 percent of GDP. Though inflation was an issue, it was still within manageable levels. Zimbabwe Program for Social and Economic Transformation (ZIMPREST) Beyond ESAPs phase, the Program for Social and Economic Transformation was implemented from 1998 to 2000, with focus on consolidating the gains of economic liberalization. ZIMPREST still pressed forward with economic stabilization, aiming to reduce the budget deficit from 10% of GDP to 5% and inflation to single digit levels. The major constraint ZIMPREST encountered was the fact that donors did not provide any funding, nor did budgetary provisions take note of its funding. The economy as a result subdued, and savings and investments tumbled from 18% of GDP in 1996 to 9% and 13% respectively in 1999. Millennium Economic Recovery Program (MERP) In the year 2000, the Millennium Economic Recovery Program (MERP) was launched, with a thrust towards restoring macro economic stability and therefore restore a vibrant economic growth and ridding the economy of inflation. Fiscal reforms and monetary policy measures would foster to restore price stability, while the domestic debt portfolio was to be massively restructured and industry sector revived. The program never took off due to lack of coherence on whether the economy should continue on liberalism or perhaps pursue a compromise, which places less emphasis on markets. At most MERP was marked with major policy reversals with initial and subsequent commitments to adjust the exchange rate for example remaining on ice, and the local unit maintaining a peg of Z$55 to the US$, despite widening inflation differentials with trading partner counties. It is also the time when the government reversed market economics, culminating in the institution of price controls in the third quarter of 2001. The failure to implement MERP marked the turning point on steeper falls in business confidence in Zimbabwes economic history, with business failure  rising significantly. The economy took a steeper downward trajectory in the period. Since then economic events have not helped either to build or sustain business confidence. The performance of most sectors was largely influenced by the aforementioned economic terrain; where neither ESAP nor ZIMPREST have been able to tame macro economic instability and MERP went on to accommodate it. All productive sectors have maintained a negative growth trend since the year 2000, save for estate, finance and insurance. The performance of these sectors hence mirror the persistent decline in national output. Since there is a strong correlation between agriculture and manufacturing, the ESAP era had a strong growth for all sectors, yet the ZIMPREST and MERP depict basically an erratic and downward trend. National Economic Revival Programme (NERP This is the most recent of the economic reforms and was launched in February of 2003. This was a brainchild of consultations with social partners namely Government, Business and Labour under the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF). NERP was formulated with the principal objectives of: Increasing the output across the productive sectors as a way of reducing shortages and curbing the black market; Increasing employment generation through sector specific measures and Improving exporter viability and the supply of foreign currency through an Export Support Scheme. Under NERP, sector specific measures were formulated which are: agriculture, manufacturing, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), mining, tourism and services sectors. Under agriculture, the following measures are being implemented:- Offering viable producer prices timeously Entering into contract farming to ensure adequate supply of strategic crops for exports, local consumption and seeds; Putting in place a Dairy Development Facility; Providing adequate resources to enable the productive use of the land, since the latter is a basic economic resource which must be exploited efficiently and effectively and Introducing duty free exemptions on imported agricultural equipment not locally available, amongst others. Under manufacturing, the policy thrust will be to reverse de-industrialisation and increase capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector through:- Reviewing the countrys Industrial Development Strategy; Resuscitating the business linkages programme; Introducing technology linkages programmes between manufacturing industries and institutions of higher learning and research and Availing financial support to distressed companies Under Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the Government acknowledges that an integrated policy and strategy for the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is critical for generating employment, stimulating growth and contributing to foreign exchange generation and has thus instituted the following :- Developing the enabling and regulatory environment; Investment promotion in SMEs; Improving access to markets and finance; Providing technology and infrastructure support and Undertaking entrepreneurship, management and skills development programmes In the mining sector, the measures include:- Allowing the small scale mining sector to benefit from the productive and export sector facilities where they access at 15 and 5 percent respectively; Putting in place incentives for projects that encourage value addition of exported minerals and metals in order to increase foreign currency generation and employment opportunities and Implementing a revised and consolidated fiscal regime for the sector. Under Tourism, in order for Zimbabwe to regain its reputation as a leading tourist destination, the following will be done:- Launching a public relations campaign; Intensifying marketing activities and broadening tourist source markets to realise diversification; Encouraging investment in tourism infrastructure (such as shopping malls, agro and eco-tourism development zones) and Promoting the cultural industry to realise its income potential through cultural tourism. Under the services sector, the following will be implemented amongst others:- Enhancing marketing of agricultural commodities by establishing an Agricultural Marketing Authority; and Recapitalisation of key public transport enterprises in order to improve urban transport. In addition, the Government through the Tripartite Negotiating Forum signed a Prices and Incomes Stabilisation Protocol on 30 January 2003 whose fundamental objectives are to:- Enhance viability of companies as well as sustain production; Guarantee the availability of products on the market at affordable prices; and Deal effectively with problems arising from the regime of price controls. Further, Government instituted the following measures to ensure that savers and borrowers mutually benefit from the following interest rate policy:- Narrow the current high spreads between deposits and lending rates in line with international best practices; Reviewing upwards deposit interest rates on consumption and speculative activities; and Reviewing the proliferation of service charges levied on depositors by banks. The link to the 2003 National Budget hinges upon: Development of a Macroeconomic Consistency Framework which ensures consistency between policy implementation and performance of the four sectors of the economy; A supplementary budget to accommodate additional expenditures occasioned by  the financial implications of NERP; and Development of a Medium Term Expenditure Framework to ensure the improvement of the macroeconomic environment, for the period 2003 to 2005. Assessment of the National Economic Revival Program: The best tool to asses NERP is the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats model which is outlined below: NERP Strengths: Some of the strength of NERP are as follows: It is about immediate measures to revive the economy, which gives it some urgency and focus; It draws heavily from deliberations of the TNF and was in fact sanctioned by it. This implies a high level of consensus on the policy measures contained therein; It specifically derogates responsibility to specific bodies or parties. It is therefore easy to check who has to what by looking at the implementation matrix. It is part of a comprehensive set of protocols focussing on specific areas; and It had a clear time frame. NERP Weaknesses NERP suffers from the following weaknesses: Its implementation is based on the TNF principles of trust and goodwill. Without these, it founders; Slippages in one area affect the rest; Lack of harmony and consistency of government policy creates unwarranted policy conflicts that undermine its implementation; Deteriorating political conditions and in particular increased polarisation of the Zimbabwean society undermine its implementation and therefore success; it comes after the budget: in the context of already inadequate resources, it falls on its face. It contains high expansionary measures (for instance on land), which are inflationary (yet in its own analysis it decried the fact that money supply growth reached 150% by December 2002); It lacks measures to deal with hyperinflation. No sterilisation measures are included; It is about everything, and yet it is a short term programme; there is no prioritisation of issues; It is based on representative democracy; constituencies may not be aware of what they have been bound to or may not be able to implement their obligations; It is impeded by a general lack of political will; and It has no time horizon. NERP Opportunities The opportunities to it include: What needs to be done is collectively determined and known; Given the right environment, the stakeholders are committed to implementing it; Flexible framework of the TNF based on the win-win principle; and It allows for self and collective responsibility and evaluation. NERP Threats The key threats to NERP include: Policy conflicts (stabilisation versus expansion); lack of adequate implementation capacity; Overcrowded agenda and lack of prioritisation; Unrealistic expectations; sometimes seen as a quick-fix magic; Lack of resources and continued resort to domestic borrowing; Slippages in implementation; the programme is already behind schedule; In formalisation of the economy; Political expediency may result in policy inconsistencies; Continued political polarisation; Stakeholder mistrust and misunderstanding; and Lack of political will. Conclusion: However, a combination of near-total disregard by government for all those components of the programme which were at variance with intensive state control of all major facets of the economy, or which were in conflict with failed ideologies, and two years of severe drought, saw the first three years of ESAP as an economic non-event. By 1993 government had little alternative but to implement much of that which it had up until then disregarded, although it did so reluctantly and half-heartedly. Nevertheless, belatedly ESAP began to yield positive results and therefore it was used as the basis for the next programme, intended to be implemented from 1996 the Zimbabwe Programme of Economic and Social Transformation (ZIMPREST). But governments lack of enthusiasm was such that although the programme was to be embarked upon in 1996, it was only released to the population in general and to investors, financiers, commerce and industry in particular in 1998 and never meaningfully introduced. So in 2000 government announced its Millennium Economic Recovery Programme (MERP). As with ZIMPREST, that programme proved to be only plentiful words and glossy papers but devoid of any substantive implementation and it was soon cast away into oblivion. In its stead, government announced a new programme the National Economic Recovery Programme (NERP) in February. However, with virtually the only exception being an exchange rate adjustment or export support exchange rate (both being euphemisms for devaluation), NERP was as shallow in its application as had been ESAP, ZIMPREST and MERP. The economy has continued to decline to an ever greater extent, with many believing, erroneously, that it is now beyond redemption. Not only has government shown remarkably consistency in its failure to implement any of its formal economic development or recovery programmes other than with the greatest of superficiality, but it has shown equally great consistency in devising and implementing actions diametrically opposite to those envisaged by the various programmes and plans that it had so proudly placed before Zimbabweans. In so doing, it has brought the  economy to its knees. Inflation has reached an astronomic level of more than 364,5% for the year to June with that months inflation at 21,1%, an all-time record. Never has there been such a high proportion of the population without employment. Never has there been so many suffering and facing malnutrition, if not severe starvation, at incomes far below the poverty datum line, as is now the case. Never has Zimbabwe been as short of foreign exchange, with consequential devastating shortages of fuel, energy, basic foodstuffs, industrial raw materials, agricultural and mining imports, medications, and much else. Agriculture has been virtually destroyed, the mining industrys operations heavily reduced, tourism emaciated, and the manufacturing and distributive sectors battling to survive. And never has government incurred deficits of the scale that are now the order of the day. So great are those deficits that government must now present a supplementary budget to parliament as the national budget tabled in November 2002 and the fiscal out-turn to date have no commonality. As has become a regularity, the spending of almost all ministries is way in excess of the votes approved by parliament. Compounding the problems created by governments profligacy has been the differential in governmental revenues received as against those envisaged in the national budget. With a withering economy, it is inevitable that taxation receipts must fall and with limited foreign exchange the extent of imports diminishes with a corresponding reduction in inflows of Customs duties and import taxes. But another significant non-receipt is that in contrast to expectations in the 2001, 2002, and 2003 national budgets, government has had very little by way of proceeds from the intended privatisation of state enterprises. The intention to divest itself of all but the most critically strategic businesses owned by government has been one of the major elements of ESAP,  ZIMPREST, MERP and NERP. While government repeatedly failed to pursue many of the elements of those programmes, nevertheless it did effect some privatisations between 1998 and 2002, and with some considerable success. Effectively and successfully, the Jewel Bank, Dairiboard, Rainbow Tourism Group, Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe Reinsurance Corporation were privatised. Not only did government realise significant amounts from the sale of its investments but the privatised enterprises rapidly demonstrated substantial growth and enhanced efficiency of operations. The privatisation programme has clearly ground to an ignominious halt and contrary to detaching itself from commercial and other economic production enterprise; government is increasing its involvement through some of its parastatals. Enterprises such as the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, National Railways of Zimbabwe, Cold Storage Company, Air Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, the GMB, and many others have become an ever-heavy millstone around the neck of the fiscus. Evidently, therefore, the inclusion of privatisation in NERP is yet another hollow economic plan of government one devoid of substance. Pity, therefore, the poor officials in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development required to formulate the supplementary budget. They have to find ways of exacting the funds needed by government but have great difficulty in finding any way of doing so within a derelict economy without further catastrophically afflicting that economy and without extorting yet more from a desperately impoverished population. Under the current programme (NERP), the government was supposed to have explored models of land tenure systems vis a vis property rights by March 2003. It was supposed to have reviewed maximum A2 farm sizes and rationalised and consolidated land allocation in line with an audit by the Land Task force the same month. Instead, it threw away the report without disclosing its findings to the public and setup another audit team which is still working on its audit. The government is supposed to have reviewed and topped up input schemes, finance and extension services and facilitated the setting up of commodity associations by the same month. It should have introduced a Dairy Development Programme to revive dairy farms by March 2003 and transformed Agribank into a Land Bank as well as the disbanded Agricultural Marketing Authority. Other tasks that should have been carried out by March included the review of the Industrial Review Strategy to address de-industrialisation, low capacity utilisation, increased exports and empowerment and, a review of the gold support scheme. International public relations companies should have been hired to counter negative publicity. Several measures to boost foreign currency should have been implemented in February 2003. These included an export support scheme, a review of the 50:50 export proceeds surrender every quarter, the introduction of an export revolving fund and incentives to attract remittances from non-resident Zimbabweans. A credible external payments arrears repayment programme should also have been put in place in February. The government should have put in place trigger mechanisms to adjust the prices of fuel, and tariffs for coal and electricity by February. It should also have concluded and signed the Kadoma Declaration (this focuses on addressing the mismatch between policy design and implementation) by February. As things stand, it is still groping in the dark, calling on the nation to remain steadfast Rambai makashinga Economic policy reform in Zimbabwe has not resulted in improved socio-economic welfare for the populace. Consequently, economic decline has resulted in widespread political discontent and disaffection with the present regime. As political tensions have reached a political impasse, there are concerns that Zimbabwes economy is on the brink of total collapse. As the Kadoma Declaration observes, without the assistance of  development partners, it is difficult to revive the economy. While the rest of the world may not need Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe certainly needs the rest of the world.