Favourite Book Essay

The best book ever is German First of all I have to admit that I’m not a great book-lover, I don’t read a lot and this is a pity as I know I could improve my knowledge, my vocabulary, my ability in speaking and my fantasy too, but unfortunately I can’t find lot of free time to dedicate to books. Or, when I find it, I get tired soon and I can’t stay concentrate for a long time. Sometimes I re-discover the pleasure of reading especially when I find a book –or an article- that captures me. This has been the case of Christiane F.- Wir kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, an extraordinary book I read twice (never happened before) that I can consider my favourite book at all. Christiane is a girl who lived the crazy Seventies in Berlin; in this autobiographic book she tells her unregulated life from the difficulties of the childhood to the age of twenty, when she had just came out of the tunnel of drug. Her rough father divorced from her careless mother and Christiane, with her little sister, had to move to Gropiusstadt, where she met the degrading side of life. When she was 12 she smoke marijuana for the fist time, following with LSD, ephedrine, mandrax, until she turned 14 and took Heroine. Since then, she had been taking drugs almost everyday, earning money with prostitution and little robberies. Her mum, after having found the girl fainted in the bathroom with a syringe in a vein, tried every possible rehab but she succeeded only at the age of 17. Christiane still lives in Berlin, has a child and she has had some relapses, but she never forgets her story, also made of friends who died for overdose. I think her life is told in a super-realistic way, full of passions, feelings and emotions that the reader can sense in first person. I loved so much this book that I went to Berlin and I visited Christiane’s places trying to imagine what was the context like at her age. I have hundreds of thing to add, but I must finish here, so I recommend this book with all my heart !

How compatible is someones personality in accordance to the organizational culture Essay

Upon commencing my research on this topic, I decided to place myself in the â€Å"shoes of a worker† and having had previous work experience myself, I have explored this question in depth, on both a personal and academic level. For instance, many a times I have stopped in the middle of work and asked myself, â€Å"Why do I continue to work for this organization?† When I try to promote my ideas, do my peers frequently react with indifference? It is matters such as the above that workers all over the world question about on a daily basis, or simply, one can question, how compatible is their personality in accordance to the organizational culture of the company for which they work in. New technology creates jobs, which do not require any sort of face-to-face communication. This has undeniable consequences for the relationships that form in corporations. The increased use of technology such as the Internet and Microsoft applications means that it is harder for employees to approach their manager’s and express a problem, since their nature of work is for the most part confined to their offices. In introducing the term â€Å"culture† which simply means: an â€Å"identification badge† that distinguishes between groups of individuals and provides guidelines concerning patterns of behavior and perception of the world around. The cultural match between an individual and an organization is determined by the degree to which the individual’s personal traits fit the organizational culture, or perhaps vice versa. Cooperation between the manager and his subordinate must exist, meaning that either one would willingly lower the priority of one’s own personal needs in order to get along with others. A lower cultural match may indicate that the individual is drained of important resources by having to continuously adjust to the workplace environment. A higher cultural match suggests the potential for a more satisfying interaction for both the individual and the organization. For some people, a personal/culture fit may exist only in the functional area in which they work. For example, an adventurous and non-conformist individual could match the less risk-averse, more creative subculture of the Design department of a clothing company, even though the overall company might be rigidly structured and have a low comfort level with certain ambiguity. It is generally assumed that a successful relationship between an individual and an organization (the manager) is based on a shared foundation of beliefs and behaviors. Similar beliefs and ways of working usually encourage communication and tend to support the working relationship, allowing synergies to emerge. In contrast, a high level of dissimilarity usually requires a high consumption of adaptive energy. While a large base of similarities may enable successful and harmonious interaction, dissimilarities are also valuable. As organizations become increasingly inundated with new techniques and training programs designed to diversify their employee base, frustrations among workers increase while compromising decreases. Groups in favor of diversity feel that they are right in their call for race, sex, disability and age discrimination to be resolved by a bold corrective initiative often referred to as affirmative action. They claim that it is wrong to discriminate in any form. Diversity is a highly intense topic that, while embraced philosophically, it is quickly challenged once institutionalized. Diversity is recognized as an inevitable strategy for meeting the ever-changing demographics in society. It is then studied, is most often adapted as the solution and often the conclusion to problems of inequality in the workplace. Most organizations conclude with a formalized diversity initiative which focus is on diversity training, diversification (integration through hiring), and annual maintenance programs. Each of these initiative components becomes a part of a continuum, which is replicated annually. While this is truly deserving of much praise and support, many corporate leaders are beginning to ask probing questions†¦ Is this it? What do we do now? Therefore diversity training is necessary to assist in developing acceptance rather than tolerance. A change in attitude is necessary, and attitudes are changed when people begin to understand the â€Å"different† members of society and respect is shown towards them. A reality is that forward thinking companies have begun to realize that it is not enough for their employees to appreciate differences, but rather that the appreciation might be turned into a company benefit. They are the source of attraction, of added value and information exchange that give substance and fuel to the relationship. Many corporations have recognized that diversity contributes to the bottom line by making it easier to retain employees showing future potential, lowering costs by developing skills internally, and developing a reputation that helps attract new employees. This is especially significant in a time when the global economy is doing so well, not to mention that demand for skilled labor is at record levels. The key factors in a company’s success in managing knowledge workers will depend upon the level of a partnership existing between workers and management. It’s about support and understanding not control (The more supportive a manager is towards his/her employees, the easier their process of personal development becomes). In adopting this style of management; employees may see their managers’ taking on a dominant leadership role rather than the traditional management notion of â€Å"the Boss†. Managers must choose objectives, let people loose, to be creative. On the other hand when they make mistakes, managers should also recognize and offer counseling advice when necessary. These managerial skills (with the increasing focus on people rather than technology) are necessary in maintaining an organizational culture where people can flourish and achieve’ not only the company’s aims and objectives but furthermore, their own. In theory, working with the available staff that you (as a manager) retain, and pooling their diverse talents and skills to complete a task or assignment may be possible, but in my opinion, firms will miss out on a great opportunity to obtain more, fundamental employees, with a greater variety of skills. For instance, the company may choose to utilize and work with their existing employees, but by recruiting younger, more well-educated staff, or by diversifying and hiring different people with various ethnic backgrounds or more women they may find themselves in a more suitable, advantageous and moreover profitable position, as each of these people will bring a vast array of skills, experience and talent to their jobs. The ability of an employee to make a difference in the workplace or simply to have an influence upon his/her work is the extent to which individuals are able to influence outcomes within the organization. A high ability to influence suggests that the organization is open to input from a wide range of members and is willing to consider and react to those suggestions. A low ability to influence indicates a culture where most individuals have little chance to impact the outcomes. Decisions are made by a small group of individuals at the top who are not open to input from more than a select group of employees. The assumption is that the person with the most skill, intelligence, charm will succeed where others will fail. So that where competition is a fundamental feature of social and economic life, what you will get is competitive people and a model of the person, which is framed in terms of individual differences. So, in order to cope with the various characteristics of employees and the intense competition, managers should pinpoint the ones who get involved in many activities, have the ability to quickly establish relationships with others and lead fast-paced lives, so they can be set as group leaders. This trend in world economies has come to be coined by the popular phrase of â€Å"globalisation.† This for workers has a sense meaning of a worker that is an indeterminate, self-propelled character of world affairs. Nowadays, workplaces, in the era of high-value production in the age of services, require workers very different from those of just two decades ago- where a hierarchy structure was in place. This occurs when there is a distinct level of authority ranging from managing director, directors, managers and so on, with the managing director with the most authority over the rest of the company. The new structure in organization requires that the knowledge, information, and responsibility formerly handed down to managers is now (in theory at least) pushed down to the front-line workers. This, however, requires workers now who can learn and adapt quickly, think for themselves, take responsibility, make decisions, and communicate what they need to leaders who train, supply, and inspire them. The goal of social work is to strengthen people’s ability to cope with the task and problems they face in life and to promote improvements in the environment to more adequately meet human needs. The theory of social constructionism emphasizes that â€Å"our generation of knowledge and ideas of reality is sparked by social processes more than individual processes† (Gergen, 1994). According to constructionism, â€Å"knowledge is not something people possess somewhere in their heads, but rather, something people do together† (Gergen, 1985). Therefore, it is considered and viewed to be a collective procedure. For example, the idea that women â€Å"naturally† like to do housework is a social constructionist concept because this idea appears â€Å"natural† because of its historical repetition, rather than it being â€Å"true† in any essential sense. With regards to individualism as opposed to collectivism, one can state that the extent to which the members of the organization are encouraged or given incentives to focus primarily on personal gain (individualism) versus considering first the interests of the group as a whole (collectivism). Individualism includes a person’s values and standards being authentic, beliefs rooted in one’s spirit, embraced and put into practice as expressions of the self. According to Widdicombe, â€Å"The notion of positioning how it constructs persons has its roots in Althusser [whose] central thesis was that ideology ‘interpellates’ or ‘hails’ individuals into particular positions so that they come to have the kinds of identity which are necessary for social practices. As a result, â€Å"people are subjected and trained to recognize themselves in particular ways, and they are thereby produced as particular kinds of being predisposed to certain kinds of activity which fit with the demands of society,† which results in the â€Å"illusion that we have freely chosen our way of life†. One factor that corporations must take into consideration before recruiting an employee is the matter of â€Å"personality testing†. This method has become a routine part of corporate life. Soon it may be as universal as the employment interview or the team-building exercise. Every day, thousands of employees are asked to complete questionnaires about their likes and dislikes or probable reactions to different scenarios. Such as if you found yourself at a party, would you be more likely to linger at the edge of the room and avoid eye contact or to plunge into the crowd and mingle, making friends everywhere? Responses to questions like this may be used to answer other questions like â€Å"have you got what it takes to handle the pressure and be a trusted team-player?† Even though there are supposed to be no right answers, it’s often the case that these tests can be completed to produce a result that suggest you’re a charismatic, natural leader and all-round great person. Few people stop to question the outcome of these tests. After all, they seem to agree with thoughts we already have about ourselves. Personality tests are often believed to be scientific confirmation that you are indeed who you think you are. All though psychological analysis is very time-consuming and requires the personal involvement of experienced, highly qualified (and prohibitively expensive) professionals. There are no psychological tests that are cheap, quick and accurate all at the same time. However, anyone who is curious about their own personality has dozens of tests to choose from, all of which claim to answer some aspect of the question â€Å"who am I?† or â€Å"how will I behave and interact with other personalities†. These questions are more than essential to the employee’s self-image, role and function in the organisation as they help provide insight on matters that matter most to employees and in doing so may help them work more efficiently (if an employee is satisfied from their work and surroundings, they will strive more for excellence and approval within their jobs). Unfortunately, the outcome behind these measures of personality and aptitude tests is rather uncertain. Their theoretical foundations are rooted more in philosophy than fact and their accuracy suffers as a result. Nonetheless, this has not dissuaded thousands of people taking their results seriously. In conclusion, one’s success in the organization often goes beyond â€Å"doing a good job.† Frequently satisfaction with work comes from not only performing well, but also being comfortable with corporate values. It is essential, therefore, to examine the match between personal characteristics and organization culture. If the employee has to work utilizing his/ her ability for example (working with what you have) it does not mean that the employee cannot be better in his/her position and be productive with their current skills. Actually, my opinion is that employees need the assistance of the manager to become more relevant in the work place, in terms of achieving goals. One thing a manager could do is positively encourage the employees for the job that have accomplished, or try to explain the right way in which can they do so-providing support-if they fail. From one perspective, it is true to work with what you have, but on the other hand, this could occur at the beginning when you are a new worker, with advanced skills, starting fresh. We all us have an individual personality, but our personalities have stemmed from different environments such as: friends, parents, neighbors, etc. In my situation, when I go to work I am trying to use different personality which is not my real personality. for example, when I worked in class restaurant every time I have to smile and speak formally. It happens on numerous occasions, that when I went for work my mood was bad and also sometimes I was sad due to things I had said with my parents or from my girlfriend. This is my real personality, but when I have to go to the restaurant to work I have to change my personality and try to become exactly the opposite. This helps me in being real in the environment that matters the most to me and professional in my area of work.

Discourse on the Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Discourse on the Method - Essay Example Rene Descartes was a Frenchman who was born to a wealthy family in Touraine in 1596 CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . Faithful to the characteristics of a true Renaissance man, Descartes was knowledgeable and able in the academic fields of mathematics and philosophy, and in the worldly caprices of gambling and adventure. His financial stability afforded him the opportunity to fully concentrate on philosophical meditation and mathematical quest. In 1637, he published â€Å"Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason, and Seeking Truth in the Sciences,† or more concisely known as â€Å"Discourse on the Method,† a philosophical and autobiographical treatise CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . From a first person point of view and providing personal experiences from his own ventures, Rene Descartes provides a self-proclaimed effective method of intellectual development in â€Å"Discourse on the Method.† The lengthy treatise is divided into six parts, each focusing on a particular aspect of Descartes’s philosophical path. In Descartes’s own words, the Discourse is divided as such CITATION Des08 \l 1033 : â€Å"in the first, will be found various considerations touching the Sciences; in the second, the principal rules of the Method which the Author has discovered, in the third, certain of the rules of Morals which he has deduced from this Method; in the fourth, the reasonings by which he establishes the existence of God and of the Human Soul, which are the foundations of his Metaphysic; in the fifth, the order of the Physical questions which he has investigated, and, in particular, the explication of the motion of the heart and of some other difficulties pertaining to Medicine, as also the difference between the soul of man and that of the brutes; and, in the last, what the Author believes to be required in order to greater advancement in the investigation of Nature than has yet been made, with the reasons that have

Gulf Oil Spill Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Gulf Oil Spill - Case Study Example These kinds of natural disasters damage property, displace lives, as well as, harm and kill. These events are bad enough, but there are other disasters have nothing to do with nature. They are the product of man-made structures, facilities, or endeavors. Human error or mechanical failures have resulted in devastating disaster with unbelievable immediate and long term effects and consequences. Chernobyl in Russian, for example, which leaked nuclear radiation for miles and miles. Plants operated in multiple industries all over the world have had failings that have resulted in dangerous toxins, chemicals, or substances to be released into the environment and human society. The British Petroleum oil spill is one such example. History On April 20, 2010 the Transocean Deepwater Horizon rig, owned by the British Petroleum company, exploded where it stood. Spreading smoke and burning chemicals into the air. As can be seen in the pictures above, the fire was massive. Worse the oil being relea sed was spreading across the water, blackened ooze. Located 250 miles south of Houston, Texas, in the Gulf of Mexico, it, also, threatened coastal Louisiana and Florida. As it spread the malfunctioning, damaged machinery, was forcing gallons upon gallons of oil directly into the ocean waters. Below is an example of the what it looked like under the waves and on the surface when this disaster occurred (The Daily Green, 2013). As it spread, it began to cling to and hinder the marine life and birds, as can be seen in the images shown below. These animals are hardly recognizable, coated in thick goo that renders them, essentially, helpless. The first initial explosion took the lives of 11 workers and seriously injured, nearly, twice as many (British Petroleum, 2013). However, the damage of the BP oil spill would have far more reaching ramifications than most people would have ever expected. Oil is made up of carbon and hydrogen molecules. Their states allows it easily to â€Å"goopâ₠¬  together and stick to anything that it comes in contact with. This is dangerous enough, but because the incident occurred in the mid-ocean it allowed it to move farther and faster than spills in the past. The effects of the spill could be felt immediately by the neighboring environments; be it plant life, animals or human beings. It, also, nearly economically crippled the populations living and working in and around the Gulf, which lead to serious economic hardships (Tiffany, 2013).The entire ordeal continued for weeks, but the ramification may be felt for some time. Discussion The ecological ramifications are, essentially, obvious. The number of animals trapped in the sludge and coated in thick, blackish-brown goo is not acceptable. This exposure prevents the animals from functioning, but, also, it can be incredibly damaging to their internal health as well. However what could be seen was only the beginning. Underwater plant life and animals, like fish and shellfish, were, also , suffering. Approximately, 8,000 animals died as a result of the spill, many of which were species already considered endangered. Human beings were, also, having serious immediate responses. People were experiencing respiratory issues, skin rashes, serious headaches, and confusion or disorientation. They, also, were quickly starting to get sick from eating the fish procured from the Gulf (Tiffany, 2013). This is how the spill represented a

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass Essay

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass - Essay Example It was Douglas’ firm belief in his abilities that empowered him to act as a revolutionary activist, who then played a key role in the abolitionist movement. The hard earned self-education also enabled Douglass to write his remarkable autobiography ‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave’, which details various aspects of his life as a slave and immorality of slavery itself. His escape from slavery was a major event narrated in his book that further determined the course of his life. In order to understand Douglas fight against slavery, it is important to identify the key motivations behind his struggle that will probably address how the slave became a citizen. Earlier in the story, Douglas describes a series of events in which he witnessed some acts of cruel brutality against fellow slaves in his early age. His mother passed away when he was seven but felt nothing difficult due to their forced separation a lot earlier. He saw Aunt Hesterâ₠¬â„¢s being cruelly whipped by his master till she was covered with blood. This event introduced him to the real and horrible character of slavery. In his own words, "it was the first of a long series of such outrages, of which I was doomed to be a witness and a participant. It struck me with awful force. It was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass. It was a most terrible spectacle" (Douglas, 1996). Douglas later describes of himself as being deeply affected by the singing of slaves in detail. He also narrates several events that left him with an immense hatred of slavery, including the brutal murder of Demby at the hands of Gore. Such brutal and inhumane occurrences motivated in him the utmost desire to escape from slavery. The prime event that helped him to determine his pathway and provoked in him the desire to gain knowledge occurred after he was removed from Colonel Lloyd's plantation to Baltimore, for serving the son of Hugh and Sophia Auld. It was here that he discovered the joy of learning when Sophia Auld taught him how to read a word using alphabets. However, Hugh Auld disliked his wife's efforts and forbade her by saying that, "If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master - to do as he is told to do. Learning will spoil the best nigger in the world. Now if you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him" (Douglas, 1996). These words deeply convinced Douglas that learning was the pathway leading to ultimate freedom of a slave. After being sent back to the country from Baltimore, Douglas was eventually lent to Edward Covey for a year. Mr. Covey fed him enough food to eat but often whipped him for his awkwardness. Covey was known to be a slave-breaker and his cruel treatment crushed his strong spirit. One day, when Covey tried to tie him up, he strongly resisted and fought back. Douglas regards his fight with Covey and hi s surprising cowardly response as one of the major turning points in his slave career. According to him, "it rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a sense of my own manhood. It recalled the departed self-confidence, and inspired me again with a determination to be free" (Douglas, 1996). He became confident in his belief that no matter how long he remains a slave, he will get freedom eventually. He also planned to escape with some fellow

Some historians feel that James VI was a successful king of Scots Essay

Some historians feel that James VI was a successful king of Scots before 1603 but that he sqandered that success after he became king of England. Do you agree - Essay Example His father Henry Stewart but widely known as Lord Darnley. Darnley, he lost his life in a mysterious explosion at his residence. Just seven months after this Mary Queen of Scots was forced to surrender her throne as she was beaten by rebels. Mary went away and James was left alone. James was given the throne of Scotland at the age of fifteen months this is when he became King James VI of Scotland (Harris& McDonald 2006 ). Today, James I of England also known as James VI of Scotland has addressed to Parliament on the divine right of kings. This was very disappointing to Parliament after many conflicts between it and King James. King James made a horrible statement to all religious eyes that kings are a figure like God himself. "Kings are fairly known as Gods, for that they use a manner of likeness of divine power upon this planet." This surprised the listeners as he spoke regarding the similarity of kings and God. This sent awe throughout the square where the speech was made. Many have said that this will send the king straight to hell with no judgment what so ever. The king made some over the edge of the earth similarities between the power of God and the power of kings. This is an exert from his speech showing the similarities: "God has the power to create, or destroy, make, or unmake at his pleasure, to give life, or send death, to judge all, raise low things, and to make high things low at his pleasure, and to God are both soul and body due. And the like power have Kings; they make and unmake their subjects: they have the power of raising and casting down: of life, and of death: judges over all their subjects, and in all causes, and yet accountable to none but God only." (www.thedukeofyork.org/files/pdf/jamesi) This statement surprised a lot of church officials at the time and numerous protesters were there in opposition to the King. One protester held up a sign

My son, the fanatic by Hanif Kureishi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My son, the fanatic by Hanif Kureishi - Essay Example The author hints at this,†His dreams of doing well in England†¦.† Here ‘Parvez’ the father in the story has his vision of perfectness only in a place like Britain. The story can only be viewed as the clash between a father and a son and not as the clash between two different culture and religion because the father and son both belong to the same culture and religion. According to Patricia Pisters â€Å"In My Son the Fanatic however the generational conflict is complicated culturally, most particularly by Parvez, who doesn’t belong to the old British tradition and doesn’t fit into his own newly found home in religious fundamentalism either†. The difference of opinion arises when Ali begins to turn away from his father’s wishes by breaking with the â€Å"British girlfriend† and throwing away his possessions saying that â€Å"there are more important things to be done†. Later he abandons his studies in accounting also. An understanding of the Muslim religion is essential to unravel the inconsistency between father and son. Parvez fails to stick to the strict rules followed by a Muslim throughout his life. This is evident from his childhood studies. Being a Muslim is not easy especially in British culture. He was taught ‘Koran’ in Lahore but his faith in the Holy Script is shallow unlike that of his son Ali. The ‘father’ is an admirer of British culture. His eager efforts to assimilate himself to the British culture do not always please his college going son. Parvez exhibits some non Islamic qualities like alcoholism and fondness for pork. It is obvious from the words of Parvez â€Å" You are not in the village now, this is England ,we have to fit in â€Å". The ‘fanatic ‘Ali fuses to the olden traditional ways of his religion and mocks his father for worshipping the alien culture. Ali slowly grows to a perfect Muslim but that was misunderstood by his son as behavioral problem. The

Food Conflict in the World Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Food Conflict in the World - Research Paper Example In addition, intensive subdivision of land has made it very hard for these people to produce enough food to support their family (Runge, 2003). The subdivision of land has created more conflicts as there are no documents that were used during land adjudication. Family wrangles have therefore slowed the production process. This is affecting the level of food security in the society. With the increasing levels of globalization resulting from liberalization of markets, efficient flow of information, and integration of economies, the conflicts of interest in the global market has increased tremendously. The multinational companies have shifted their attention towards the agricultural sector as a way of diversifying their source of revenues. This is to reduce the risks and uncertainties associated with focusing on a single product. However, majority of these firms have no interest of the people at hand. Instead, they venture in agriculture in order to make immense profits at the expense of poor farmers. They have therefore leased large tracks of land which have the potential to produce enough foods for the population. They then plant cash crops such as flowers which fetch high prices in the global market. They go ahead and hire a lot of employees who have the necessary skills and experience to produce food for the population (Labonte, 2009). This aspect is negativel y affecting the agricultural sector. Globalization has led to the liberalization of market, an aspect that has a major impact on food security in the world.

Economic conditions Essay Example for Free

Economic conditions Essay In this essay I’m going to argue that social, political, or economic conditions cannot alter the nature and meaning of art, with specific reference to works of art from Baroque and Rococo epochs. Evaluating a work of art is always a complicated task. Since the perception of art and beauty is highly subjective, it’s hard to think of universal criteria to measure artistic qualities of a certain piece. However, there is a broad consensus among the critics that there are certain criteria they apply when judging an art work. It’s possible to focus on four main criteria to judge an art work. First and foremost, the piece should be aesthetically pleasing, i. e. correspond to the all-common notion of beauty. It should be harmonious and evoking positive, elevated feelings. While there is a trend among some contemporary artists to make their pieces arouse indignation and disgust with a view to delivering a certain message or merely astonishing the public, I strongly deem that art and aesthetics are inherently linked. For instance, a typical example of baroque sculpture St. Theresa in Ecstasy of the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome created by Bernini is perfect in its form, since it captures the beauty and harmony together with motion and energy. Same is true about Rococo sculpture: looking at ‘Amour menacant’ created by Etienne Maurice Falconet, it’s impossible not to admire the high degree of sophistication and perfection the statue of the little angel embodies. The second criterion I’m going to use is quality of workmanship, i. e. the mastery of artists’ skills. Another criterion which is very important is the uniqueness of artists’ manner. Great artists stand out for the peculiarity of their individual style. Some of them prefer to pioneer new forms and techniques, yet this is not a prerequisite for creating a style of your own. Many talented artists don’t break away from the tradition but simply find their own niche within the existing patterns of expression. While some artists of the Baroque and Rococo epoch were considered rebellious, e. g. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, they didn’t violate basic rules of harmonious and aesthetically pleasing artistic expression. Jean-Honore Fragonard’s manner was also innovative in many instances, sine he introduced a delicate interplay of light and shadow as well as implicit eroticism into mainstream French painting, however he adhered to the generally accepted notion of what beauty and art are. Finally, the forth criterion is the message the piece is trying to send. Here it’s necessary to take into account the importance and relevance of the message as well as how successful the piece is in delivering it. Baroque and Rococo painters mainly focused on the depiction of mythological and religious scenes as well as the scenes from the daily life of the upper circles of society. While both themes that dominated the artistic discourse might seem to be detached from the real life, they served an important goal of educating the public about mythological and religious narratives or captured the spirit of their times through the portrayal of the privileged members of society The most persuasive proof of the thesis that social, political, or economic conditions cannot alter the nature and meaning of art is the fact that nowadays we still admire great works of art irrespective of the epoch they belong to.

Is it appropriate to describe Virgil Aeneid Essay Example for Free

Is it appropriate to describe Virgil Aeneid Essay The Aeneid as written by Virgil is the great epic of one man who followed his destiny. He was both aided and hindered in his travels by the gods who watched his movements with great interest. But Aeneas was a hero, he understood what he was fated to do, what destiny needed fulfilling and despite great set backs, of war and loss, Aeneas forges on to complete his task of founding Rome. The Aeneid is in certain respects a poem of tragedy, of what must be lost to regain anything more and in the first books of the poem this loss is focused on. The destruction of Troy, the ruin of a city and of the honorable men within, a city that held against the sons of Atreus for ten years but finally was brought down. Aeneas personal losses in his wife and father, necessary though the former may have been, to allow Aeneas to begin a new family line, it was a painful loss. The death of a parent is not to be taken lightly and Aeneas is distraught over his fathers passing, but regardless of this all he pushes onwards, showing a sense of duty, reaching forever outwards to the goal of Rome, nudged on by the gods who champion him. His piety is unquestionable and proven again and again, this obligation to the gods, his family, and his city. Book four is the episode that encounters Dido, Queen of Carthage, who has suffered tragedy in her own forms, my husband was murdered and our home broken up by my brothers murderous act. Dido whose city and person offer Aeneas what he so longs for. He has craved settlement, to be still in a city he can make his own, to find peace. There seems little other reason for Aeneas to linger in Carthage save that therein he finds a much-needed calm to prepare himself. An audience waits also for Aeneas to gather himself together and set sail, as the gods do, but there is a steady calm in the everyday life of Carthage that is as lethargic and enjoyable to an audience as to Aeneas. The introduction of a romance is a way for Virgil to return Aeneas to the reality of a man and not yet a great hero who is still swayed by temptation. This episode in Carthage exposes a greater view of Aeneas, he is shown as a man but also his understanding of his mission his made obvious and his devotion to his destiny overrides his demands as a man and he is able to remove himself from the comfortable life in Carthage, true commitment to the task set out before him. Book four follows Dido and Aeneas as they experience this relationship and the hiatus in Aeneas plans. They are encouraged from many sides, Didos sister suggests, With the Trojans as our comrades in arms, what heights of glory will not we Carthaginians soar to! , and Juno, growing aware of the love Dido harbors for Aeneas goes to Venus and together they too conspire to bring the two together. How Dido and Aeneas later perceive their connection comes into question as to whether Aeneas was justified in his leaving but also in the tragedy of the story. They were brought together in a cave and Dido began to see her relations with Aeneas as a marriage, though he was not of the same mind. He seems to feel little by the way of obligation towards her, theirs was a political connection, one that allows him power over Carthage and fame throughout Africa. She perceives their bond as a permanent one, the beauteous Dido deigns to have her name linked with his. Perhaps it is in this self deception that lies tragedy, a woman who refuses to see what has been laid before her, to understand the prophecies recited to her by Aeneas that prove he must push on to Italy and that she does not lie in this destiny. By not acknowledging this information she leads herself to her own demise. Virgil had a good understanding of the need for great passion in his poem, the scenes with Nisus and Euryalus are paid long attention by the poet, he draws out their pain as well as their joy for the audience, using the tragic death of the characters to swing the emotions of an audience to and fro, to give a rest between the search of a hero for his destiny and show a level of more personal pain and feeling. The culture Virgil wrote from respect emotion and was enthralled by it, with other great authors producing love poetry, Propertius, Ovid, All his works fully shared the romantic ethos of his culture. (S. Farron. ) Virgil joined the ranks of these poets with The Aeneid, the romantic and destructive love characters possess fascinated Virgil and these episodes appeal to audiences, the culture and Virgil himself. Enabling the poet to include in his poem a contemporary understanding of romance and to allow his audience to exercise a need for cathartic explosion of emotion, swinging between great joy and great hurt. The emotions of Dido and Aeneas in book four are felt by the audience as well as their positions and backgrounds are known to the audience. There is an understanding between Virgil and his spectators, that he will tell a good tale and bring to an audience all emotions and display to them a range of characters. He constructs a situation for Aeneas to display his dedication, simultaneously forming a set of circumstances that make way for tragedy, for drama in the early parts of the poem. Virgil has been required in his epic to draw out Aeneas journey so that he may grow into a hero who was great enough to found Rome, along this journey he must be tested by grief and prove his capabilities as a leader. The first few books of the Aeneid have covered the excitement of war and constant movement, Aeneas cannot linger too long, and audience would weary of him and Virgil thus generates a commotion, the death of Dido, a tragedy that has been formed for these purposes. The nature of tragedy is called into question with the Dido-Aeneas affair. What troubles brought Aeneas to Dido, what caused him to leave, the culture of the ancient Romans, the misunderstanding of the characters, what each has encountered in their lives previous to their meeting and what their parting does to each of them. These subjects all lead to the end of the affair between Dido and Aeneas and to later conflicts but therein lies the tragedy and whether this particular chapter in the Aeneid qualifies as a tragedy. For tragedy has many formats but doubtless the end is the cruel and undeserved death of a character who perhaps merited more from a life, a poet or an audience. The nature of tragedy, as laid out by the Greek tragedies, is one that was used by Virgil. He understood Aristotle in his suggestion that tragedy consists of two emotions, By means of pity and fear effecting a catharsis of such emotions. Virgil builds for the listener the emotions of Dido, her lament takes precedence through thee final pages of the book and fear for her, her own fear, and great pity is created in the audience. These elements of the story aid the idea of tragedy in the book, tragedy that is a disastrous event ending in loss and distress. The Greek plays by Euripides and Aeschylus lay down an example of what tragedy is, what was perceived by the ancient peoples as terrible loss, and these ideas carried through into the Roman era. Tragedy cannot be easily defined, whether a situation is or is not a tragedy by definition cannot be determined through by examination but through emotion, what is felt by the audience, the characters who surround the tragic character. It is difficult to say what is tragic as there are no clear divisions in the understanding of the genre and emotions except what is experienced by the audience. Tragedy is a mood, that lights on an audience hearing of a characters unfortunate fate, though it does not belong to the listener is felt by him regardless. Upon reading the incident between Dido and her lover there is great shock left in the mind of the audience, how can Aeneas have allowed this, how can Dido who was so staid have done this to herself? It is the shock that remains as the an audience encounters the following books, not quite able to get Dido out of mind as Aeneas carries on with his journey that suggests tragedy, it lingers around the poem and in an understanding of Aeneas, for his character and behavior played such a role herein. There are in the Greek plays elements that define a tragedy. The emotions of a tragic play include pity, compassion between characters, grief, pain-at a destructive incident occurring to one who does not deserve it, fear, anger, stress, confusion. A list of emotions that are laid before an audience experienced by both audience and characters, but not positive emotions, deep felt sorrow, but passionately felt. If the Greek tragedies help characterize tragedy and all of its meaning better then Dido and her position in book four can indeed be classified as a tragedy, a short one in regards to a play but heartrending nonetheless. With regards to the physical structure and meaning of tragedy, the odes and chorus that occur in the template plays of the Attic Greeks. These do not exist in this book; it was not designed to mimic a tragedy in its forms but in its emotions. Virgil chose to focus on Dido and play for his audience a scene of great pain, not long and drawn out but a scene of sorrow slotted in between so many others but more poignant and personal to an audience, the loss of love being accessible in the minds of a romantic culture. The tragedy of the piece remains without the traditional structure. Death has a key role in tragedy, most tragedies contain death, if not of the protagonist then of the supporting characters. Oedipus is the focus of his own horror story but it is his wife/mother Jocasta who dies first though the tragedy lies more in Oedipus fate than hers, in the Orestia the deaths of Agamemnon and later Clytemnestra are as much tragedy as the dismal lives of their children. This suggests that perhaps it is not the death or the deceased that is tragic but the misery in the lives of those who live. This would note then that the gory death of Dido is not quite tragedy, for she most likely mourned by those close to her but not by Aeneas. The tragedy of this character is not in those around her but in the life she lived that was not always easy and a death that was public, without glory, and a terribly sad end for a queen, a life cut short that could have been lived longer and successfully. There are to tragedy many pieces, from the structure to the emotions; the same lies in the Aeneid book four. It is the story of the end of a good woman who loved deeply a man out of her reach, fated to greater things than her. Virgil drew from the Greeks before him and fashioned a poem into tragedy drawing on the emotional pieces of conventional tragedy to enhance his own tragic heroine. Her ending is terribly tragic due to the futility of her passing. She was a young woman, a queen, who would have found suitors elsewhere. She was a victim of the gods whim, her own fate and Aeneas, but she was to die at her own will, for whatever reasons, be they Virgils literary desires, the whim of a god or fate. Book four becomes tragic because it finishes with death. Any love that does not happen for any reason is a tragedy. Tragedy is defined by the audience who witness the events, to me, book four of the Aeneid is tragic for its loss of hope and a life. Bibliography Brasher, W. R. The Gorgons Head University of Georgia 1977 Farron, S. Virgils Aeneid a Poem of Grief and Love E. J. Brill 1993 Frye, P. Romance and Tragedy University of Nebraska Press 1908 Kitto, H. D. F. Greek Tragedy Routledge 1939 Monti, R. The Dido Episode and the Aeneid E. J. Brill 1981 Stanford, W. B. Greek Tragedy and the Emotions Routledge 1983 Valency, M. Tragedy New Amsterdam, 1991 Virgil, C. Day Lewis Translation The Aeneid Oxford University Press 1952.

Coach Carter Review

Coach Carter Review Coach Carter is a 2005 film directed by Thomas Carter. It is based on a true story, after the Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter portrayed by (Samuel L. Jackson) made headlines in for benching his undefeated team the Richmond Oilers due to poor academic results. In this essay I will be explaining how the film Coach Carter presents one or more key characters in a positive light. Many of the characters are seen in a negative light at the beginning of the film however as the film progresses many of the characters change and are seen in a positive light. I have analysed the character of Timo Cruz. I have done this by focusing on film codes and conventions such as Camera Angles and lighting. The character of Timo Cruz is portrayed in the film by Rick Gonzalez .His character is portrayed in a negative light at the beginning of the film. He is very rude to many of his fellow players and Coach Carter. He is very stubborn and short temped. A good example of his attitude would be on coach carters first day. After five minutes of Ken Carter being coach he gets in a fight with him. He verbally abuses the Coach and even attempts to hurt him. The coach responds by getting him in a headlock and slamming him against wall and asks him to leave his gym one more time. Timo angrily walks out of the gym screaming This Aint Over! and vows never to return back to basketball. He goes back on the street trafficking and selling drugs with his cousin Renny. Film codes and conventions help the audience to gain an understanding of Timo Cruz. The Film director has used the film codes and conventions such as Camera Angles and lighting. In the beginning of the film the director has used intense lighting. Intense lighting creates both harsh light and harsh shadow. It is used to create a harsh mood, to conceal someones face or emotions or to indicate that something or someone is bad. Whenever Timo is in shot Timos Face is usually half hidden and not always showing making him making him look dark and hidden. The producer has used this to show his dark and hidden personality from view. This type of lighting gives an idea to the audience that there is more to Timo then meets the eye and it might not be all that nice. Also during the beginning of the film the director has used the low angle is a camera angle that looks up at a character. This is the opposite of a high angle and makes a character look more powerful. Timo Cruz likes to believe that is he scared of nobody and he is the most valued player in the basket ball team he believes he is powerful and strong and everyone is afraid of him. That is why the producer as used that shot to show that Timo believes that he is strong and powerful. This can make the audience feel vulnerable and small by looking up at the character giving him the impression that he is intimidating person. The character of Timo Cruz begins to change during the film. In the beginning of the film Timo left the team because of a dispute between the coach and himself. However as the film progresses Timo becomes aware of what he has done and asks to join back on the team. The coach is firm on his Decision however the coach gives in and gives Cruz a chance to come back on the team. Carter challenges him with the impossible task of 1000 suicides and 2500 pushups to be completed in less than a week. Cruz tortures himself to do it, and with the help of his teammates also doing suicides and pushups, he is able to complete them and Coach Carter allows him back on the team. This shows that instead of Cruz just quitting he pushes himself to do it. This is a major character change not to give up and do things to your best ability.When Coach Carter stops basketball practice because of the teams bad academic performance, Cruz Quits the team for a second time, eventually going back to work for Renny. L ate one night, Renny (Timos Cousin) is shot and killed on the sidewalk while Cruz is walking back to him after greeting his friends from the team. Cruz ends up at Carters house that night, apologizing for his behaviour and begging him to allow him back on the team. So Carter lets Cruz back on the team, saving him from a future like his cousins. The actions Timo has done shows that he now realises that his Actions can heavily result on his future and this is a major sign of change. Film codes and conventions again help the audience to gain an understanding of Timo Cruz as he changes during the course of the film. Firstly the main film code that has changed to show Timo in a positive light is that there is a bit more lighting. Whenever Timo is in shot we can now see a bit more of his face. Showing his expressions and feelings towards Coach Carter and his team mates, the director has done this to show that Timo is beginning to show himself and his real personality. Also now whenever Timo Cruz is with Coach Carter there are high shots of Timo Cruz. High shots are used to make the subject of the shot small and un-powerful. This is a huge change from the low shots from the beginning of the film. The director has used this shot to show the audience that Timo is now beginning to realise that he is no-longer in power and Coach Carter is. He is no-longer the mean intimidating person he once was .He now looks venerable to Coach Carter and his school and teammates. By the end of the film the character of Timo Cruz is now shown in a positive light. As Coach Carter Leaves to team Timo decides to tell him what his deepest fear is (throughout the film the Coach has been asking Timo what is his deepest fear) Timo Cruz replies: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people dont feel insecure around most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the you. We are all meant to shine as children do. Its not just in some of us; its in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Sir I just wanna say thank youyou saved my life. This quote means that his own fear is to not fulfil his true potential quoting Marianne Williamson in her book, R eturn to Love. From Timo calling everyone Niger to resighting poetry is a huge positive jump .Since returning on the team he has left the drugs trade for good. At the end of the movie it states he was successful of getting a scholarship. He now attends Humboldt State University where he plays basketball as a starting guard The Final film codes and conventions help the audience to gain an understanding of Timo Cruz and how he is now successful and is shown in a positive light. Firstly Timo can be fully seen in every shot there is no more intense lighting to show that he is a bad person, but the audience can completely see him in every shot. When can see all the expressions on his face, also there are no longer any high or low shots to make him look powerful or venerable there is only one shot the medium shot. This shot shows all of Timos expressions on his face. The director has used this shot to show that he is very happy and feels successful. It may be argued that the character of Timo Cruz motivates viewers .This is because despite Timos low odds of becoming successful or in case going to college he comes from the bad side of Richmond; He doesnt have a loving and supporting family, He goes to a school which has horrible academic standards and low morale, he with his cousin Renny are in the drug trafficking business. So with all of his problems stacked against him he still manages to become successful at the end of the movie it states Timo now attends Humboldt State University where he is a starting guard and also studding subjects. This motivates People including me that anyone with the attitude to can be successful no matter where youre from or who you are you can shine. Overall I have analysed how the character of Timo Cruz has succeeded despite adversity. I have shown how The director Thomas Carter has cleverly used film codes to show how Timo Cruz has been portrayed in both a negative and positive lights through lighting and Camera Shots. To show that however you are raised or where ever you are that anyone can succeeded and be successful.

The Paper Of Great Things -- essays research papers

THE PAPER OF GREAT THINGS In the novel The God of Small Things by Arudhati Roy a relationship between a family is shown and the painful past comes through several memories and the presence of the caste system in India is used to juxtapose right vs. wrong. A very powerful closeness is observed between the two main characters and through their relationship one of the main themes of love through obscurity is showcased by the symbolism and diction used by Roy. Several other themes are shown in the novel and highlight the journey the human soul goes through in such trauma and desperation. The bond that the twins share and the manner in which they relate to others directly portray how humans can communicate on a deeper level. The lack of emotions or apathy that is expressed through this twins as a result of their past shows the pain that some endure as a result of other’s severe actions. The symbolism of emotions shone only through remembrance of the past and the repercussions that those reflections have on the present lives of those involved is illustrated through the story of the twins as well. This novel showcases a family struggling to overcome the tragic events of the past and how they are forced to heal with hurtful emotions and express pain through distinct bonds, apathy, and frequent flashbacks to a carefree time that was so full of opportunity and endless faith.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bond that the twin’s share shows the severity of pain that some can experience and how close people, who have needs and desires, can become as a result. â€Å"When life was full of beginnings and no ends and everything was forever, Esthappen and Rahel thought of themselves together as me and separately as we or us† (Roy, 4). The twins are closer than most families and share a connection that bonds them emotionally as well as mentally and allows them to feel each other on another level. â€Å"Rahel and Estha are fraternal twins whose emotional connection to one another is stronger than that of most siblings† (Gale research). The events that have occurred to both of them throughout their lives have allowed them to mold nearly into one being for fear of the pain that could affect them both. â€Å"Their childhood household hummed with hidden antagonisms and pains that only a family member could have given one another†(Gale research). Bl ood is thicker than water, the feelings that... ...). The duality of their personalities blends to create one soul intensifying the emotions they individually experience but then re-create and experience all over again. â€Å"She has other memories too that she has no right to have†(Roy,8). They are so connected mentally that any thought that enters his head will echo through hers. The same is true of the feelings they intensify by sharing and manifesting inside one another.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The three different symbol that surface throughout the novel mean so much more than they are described as and all represent the challenges that one much overcome to endure and cope with extreme pain. Whether a person find sanctuary in another person or inside his or her own soul there is always hope for the soul you can save, your own. â€Å"The God of Small Things is a demanding novel that provokes many questions regarding the conflict between human desire and deep rooted emotions†(Gale research). The view of this family is highly aimed at everyone in some way and the pain they endure and how they learn to deal with tumultuous emotions that threaten every shred of dignity, ray of hope, and heart beat of love that lies inside every person.

A Cultural Studies Approach to Understanding Islam Essay -- Interpret

In today’s world, given the turmoil that sometimes seems to be caused by religious differences, it is easy to see each religion as a monolithic entity existing separate from other religions, and thus representing starkly polar worldviews. Often, such notions arise as a result of not utilizing a cultural studies approach towards studying religion, which is arguably the best approach for understanding the role of religion in one’s daily life. The cultural studies approach, which examines the particular context in which one interprets his or her religion, is particularly important when it comes to understanding religions like Islam, whose adherents come from vastly different backgrounds. Through the cultural studies approach, which is arguably much more interdisciplinary than the textual approach, we see that one’s interpretation of religion is strongly influenced by factors including social, political, educational, and economic aspects of life, as well as one’s particular historical backdrop; this then makes the arts and literature a unique window by which we can observe a particular culture’s comprehension of the religion (Infidel of Love 10). These creative responses thus are my own response to my understanding of Islam, and intertwined in these works, then, are not only lessons from the classroom, but my own personal experiences, which have themselves been shaped by the economic, social and cultural backdrop in which I have grown up. Asides from the different cultural backdrops in which one can interpret Islam, it is also crucial to understand the fundamental divisions that have persisted in Islam, from Sufism, Shi’a, to Sunni groups. Understanding these different communities of interpretation is thus cruci... ...m Understandings of Islam. Harvard University Press, 2013. Asani, Ali. â€Å"In Praise of Muhammad: Sindhi and Urdu Poems.† Religions of India in Practice. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995. Asani, Ali. Lecture: Gender and Islam. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54. Asani, Ali. Lecture: Pillars of Islam. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54. Asani, Ali. Lecture: Reform Revival Iran. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54. Chelkowski, Peter. Ta’ziyeh: Ritual and Drama in Iran. New York University Press, 1979. Handout Week 4: The Qur’an on the Attributes of Muhammad and the Names of God. Hussain, Rokeya Shakhawat. Sultana’s Dream and Selections from The Secluded Ones. New York: Feminist Press, 1998. Iqbal, Mohammad. â€Å"Complaint and Answer.† Trans. By A.J. Arberry. Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York: Pantheon, 2003. A Cultural Studies Approach to Understanding Islam Essay -- Interpret In today’s world, given the turmoil that sometimes seems to be caused by religious differences, it is easy to see each religion as a monolithic entity existing separate from other religions, and thus representing starkly polar worldviews. Often, such notions arise as a result of not utilizing a cultural studies approach towards studying religion, which is arguably the best approach for understanding the role of religion in one’s daily life. The cultural studies approach, which examines the particular context in which one interprets his or her religion, is particularly important when it comes to understanding religions like Islam, whose adherents come from vastly different backgrounds. Through the cultural studies approach, which is arguably much more interdisciplinary than the textual approach, we see that one’s interpretation of religion is strongly influenced by factors including social, political, educational, and economic aspects of life, as well as one’s particular historical backdrop; this then makes the arts and literature a unique window by which we can observe a particular culture’s comprehension of the religion (Infidel of Love 10). These creative responses thus are my own response to my understanding of Islam, and intertwined in these works, then, are not only lessons from the classroom, but my own personal experiences, which have themselves been shaped by the economic, social and cultural backdrop in which I have grown up. Asides from the different cultural backdrops in which one can interpret Islam, it is also crucial to understand the fundamental divisions that have persisted in Islam, from Sufism, Shi’a, to Sunni groups. Understanding these different communities of interpretation is thus cruci... ...m Understandings of Islam. Harvard University Press, 2013. Asani, Ali. â€Å"In Praise of Muhammad: Sindhi and Urdu Poems.† Religions of India in Practice. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995. Asani, Ali. Lecture: Gender and Islam. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54. Asani, Ali. Lecture: Pillars of Islam. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54. Asani, Ali. Lecture: Reform Revival Iran. Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 54. Chelkowski, Peter. Ta’ziyeh: Ritual and Drama in Iran. New York University Press, 1979. Handout Week 4: The Qur’an on the Attributes of Muhammad and the Names of God. Hussain, Rokeya Shakhawat. Sultana’s Dream and Selections from The Secluded Ones. New York: Feminist Press, 1998. Iqbal, Mohammad. â€Å"Complaint and Answer.† Trans. By A.J. Arberry. Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York: Pantheon, 2003.

Fracking: Carbon Dioxide and Natural Gas

April 8, 2012 Dear Senator Greg Ball, The current practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) began in America in the late 1990‘s and has been wreaking havoc on the land and the lives of the American people since. In case you are unaware, fracking is the process well diggers use to extract natural gas and oil from the earth. They use pressurized mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to form veins (or fractures) in the rock in order for the natural gas or oil to escape.Although this process is an affective way to produce the natural resources from the earth, there are repercussions that are being ignored by the well companies. For instance, there were several private wells in Dimock, Pennsylvania contaminated with methane caused by the fracking done by Cabot Oil and Gas. The people living off these wells were not able to use their water. Although the gas company denied any kind of fault, they compensated the residents financially and built a new pipeline to bring clean water in. In December, 2011 the EPA sent out letters to the residents telling them their water was safe to drink. But in January of 2012 the EPA retracted its position and told the gas company to immediately take care of the problem. Another problem that has developed due to fracking is pollution around the dig sites. Emissions associated with combustion include nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Another emission problem is the emission produced from the natural gas.Gasses such as methane, ethane and liquid condensate and volatile organic compounds (VOC). VOC’s have been proven to cause birth defects, neurological problems, and cancer. Most recently, in March of 2012, officials in Ohio are blaming the wastewater produced from fracking for a series of recent earthquakes. What my goal would be from you Mr. Ball, is that you would introduce a bill to the senate that would encourage regulation on fracking from the federal level.If the federal government woul d regulate the way fracking is done in America, it could save many lives and help save the environment. Bad drilling techniques, design and execution are some of the reasons the drilling wreaks so much havoc. This is something that could very easily be regulated by inspections of the wells. I also believe that the number of wells being drilled needs to be regulated. In Pennsylvania alone, there are 3,500 wells. This number is too high. Having that number of wells in such s small area, is inviting problems.If the federal government would make some regulations on how many wells per square mile are aloud, it would cut down of a lot of the damage being done. It may also be possible to regulate how far from civilian dwellings a well should be drilled. If the wells were drilled several miles from any home, the chances of it endangering people and animals would decrease. Mr. Ball I appreciate you taking time to read this letter and listening to my concerns. I am confident that you love thi s country as much as I do and will try to put an end to hydraulic fracturing as we know it today. Sincerely,

Luxury Brand Marketing Essay

While the word ‘luxury’ is used in daily lives to refer to certain lifestyle, the underlying construct’s definition is consumer and situation specific. If you earn less than 15000 a month, a pair of reebok shoes would be a really big luxury item for you. On the other hand, if you are going to a party with some big-wigs a $100,000 car may not be a luxury. The word luxury originates from the Latin term â€Å"luxus† signifying, â€Å"soft or extravagant living, indulgence, sumptuousness or opulence† The meaning of luxury is extremely subjective and multidimensional in nature. It depends on dimension such as high price, high quality, uniqueness, exclusivity etc. What is a luxury product? In economic terms, luxury products are those who can consistently command and justify a higher price than products with comparable functions and similar quality. In marketing term, luxury products are those who can deliver emotional benefits which is hard to match by comparable products. The luxury sector targets its products and services at consumers on the top-end of the wealth spectrum. These self-selected elite are more or less price insensitive and choose to spend their time and money on objects that are plainly opulence rather than necessities. For these reasons, luxury and prestige brands have for centuries commanded an unwavering and often illogical customer loyalty. Luxury and prestige brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Cartier represent the highest form of craftsmanship and command a staunch consumer loyalty that is not affected by trends. These brands create and set the seasonal trends and are also capable to pulling all of their consumers with them wherever they go. Premium brands are those brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger that aspire to be luxury and prestige brands but their marketing mix strategies are more attuned to a mass market, albeit a luxury mass market. They are also termed as mass-premium brands or mass-luxury brands. Fashion brands on the other hand are those that address the masses. Strategies for Luxury Marketing There are conventional foundations for ensuring success of a brand and they are listed below in brief : 1. The brand must be â€Å"expansive†. Which means it should be full of innovation opportunities for the marketer and in terms of satisfying the divergent needs of the luxury consumer 2. The brand must tell a story It is this story, of either heritage or performance or other aspects that goes on to build the aura of a brand over time. The story always accentuates the identity of the brand. 3. The brand must be relevant to the consumers’ needs Depending upon the mindset of the luxury class, it is imperative for a brand to satisfy those needs, whether they be for recognition or functional use etc. 4. The brand must align with consumers’ values A brand that does not concur with the basic values of a consumer’s society has a small chance of succeeding because luxury items are forms of expression or identification for a luxury consumer. This makes it difficult for the consumer to adopt the brand in such cases. 5. The brand must perform Irrespective of which category the brand belongs to, a performance assurance is a must for the brand if it wishes to be in the evoked set of luxury consumers, considering the price being paid for luxury. LUXURY brand marketing CONCEPTS: Socialite as a Conductor In 2006, when Christian Dior chose Chawla as its spokesperson, everyone was shocked – some secretly jealous. Chawla’s association: to be the face of the brand, be seen in Dior in the right circles, host events attended by the right people and generally hobnob with the circle that she already moves in. The money details are not clear – people in the circuit and in the luxury industry say its part financial, part goodies. But it might be working. Chawla says, â€Å"Dior has done incredibly well with a consistent rise in sales. It is the most visible brand in India with the highest recall value in terms of marketing strategies implemented. † â€Å"Socialites being signed up for a fashion brand is not new, at least not in the West,† says former fashion editor and luxury specialist Sujata Assomull-Sippy. She mentions Armani’s 19-year-old association with British semi-royal and socialite Lady Helen Taylor that started when he designed her wedding gown in 1992. The association ended in 2009. Taylor, who was also the face for Bulgari, gave a sigh of relief and was glad to give up â€Å"her uniform†. Six years hence, Chawla is nowhere close to hanging up her Dior couture. The ‘Mohan for Gucci’ buzz has engendered new aspirations in the circuit that goes beyond the ‘hostess’ or the grander-sounding luxury consultant tags. â€Å"The socialite is becoming more important in a luxury brand’s marketing strategy as she pulls in the ‘right kind of crowd,† says Priya Sachdev, creative director for TSG International Marketing that has brought brands like YSL, Diane von Furstenberg to India. Nichevertising Brand consultant and strategist Harish Bijoor of Harish Bijoor Consults loftily terms it â€Å"nichevertise vs massvertise†. According to him the luxury brands are not for mass consumption and shouldn’t be mass advertised. The social circuit gives them a fresh channel to reach out to their target audience without any noise. â€Å"The socialite model of marketing targets the guest lists minus the hard sell,† he says. Personal voice- distinct style Every luxury brand needs to develop a marketing strategy that not only helps them achieve their marketing goals, but is also in line with their brand. For example, while it makes sense for Christopher Bailey from Burberry to update the Burberry Facebook page with short videos he makes or music he supports, the same type of strategy might not work for someone like Bentley or Rolex. Bijoor says that for luxury brands, sell is a four-letter word – and not just literally and that’s why they aim at buy. â€Å"Luxury brands like to be bought, not sold,† he says. â€Å"Sell is a top-down strategy which involves an element of ‘shout’ – you asking consumers to consider you. Buy, instead, is a pull-oriented strategy. Luxury brands love pull not push,† he explains. This is ideal for the socialite marketing where the conversation with the brand is more visual and not aural.

Human Trafficking and the Tvpa

Falling in a Gray Area: Human Trafficking Victims and When to Treat Them as Human Beings Though slavery has continuously existed in some form throughout history, it has only been in the past century and a half or so that humanity has legally acknowledged that the idea of owning another person is unjust. This relatively new legal conscience has become apparent in the various laws banning the validity that a person can be property, an object.However, these laws have not eradicated slavery, as is seen by the scores of young men and women rescued from this particular brand of evil each year. In 2000, Congress attempted to address a modernized version of slavery, human trafficking, by creating a new act, called the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, also known as the TVPA. â€Å"Unfortunately, there is almost universal consensus that the Trafficking Act, while well-intentioned, has thus far failed to make sufficient strides in addressing the problem of human trafficking, either internat ionally or domestically† (Chacon: 2006, 2978).Though catching the perpetrators responsible for creating completely broken trafficking victims is of the highest importance, that justice should not come at the cost of further punishing those victims, as happens sometimes as a result of the TVPA. This paper examines the TVPA, highlighting which groups are left unacknowledged, how victims are left unprotected, and offers possible solutions for changes so these young men and women have a chance to make a better life than that which has been given them. In this realm of international organized crime, perception is everything, and that is emphasized throughout these explanations.Before delving into laws dealing with human trafficking, effective or ineffective, and the issues surrounding it, one must first get an overview of sex trafficking, and how this is related to immigration. Human trafficking is the â€Å"recruitment and transportation of a person for the purpose of exploitatio n† (Raffaelli), any kind of movement of people where there is a victim who feels helpless and is manipulated, and an offender profits from the victim feeling this way, to a degree that the victim feels going to authorities will not solve anything.A subset of human trafficking is sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is human trafficking, with the added component that the victim is â€Å"trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation,† (Raffaelli) overwhelmingly against the victim’s will. Another subset of human trafficking is slave labor, where the victim is used as a slave to makes goods or to provide services not of a sexual nature. â€Å"In each case [of human trafficking] the victim perceives himself or herself as defenseless, perceives a lack of support from U. S. uthorities and, thus, never attempts to report the abuse to law enforcement† (McCabe 2). Perception is already important because the victim perceives that law enforcement will not help them, a nd that resistance is useless. The TVPA of 2000 focuses mainly on sex trafficking rather than human trafficking as a whole, due to the fact that this form of trafficking leaves a victim completely broken because of the tactics used by traffickers. Traffickers promise their victims, usually young women, a good life in America.Once in America, all forms, papers, and visas to show a legal presence are taken away from the victims, and the traffickers begin the slow process of breaking the victims down by a vicious cycle of rape, threats, and physical and verbal abuse. Before the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, most US Legislation dealing with human and sex trafficking focused on curtailing immigration, and punishing trafficking victims as prostitutes. Trafficking victims had no protection, only fear, persecution, dislocation, and the high chance of criminal charges and deportation.Because traffickers take away all forms of identification, papers, and visas, victims would be viewed as illegal immigrants, and treated as such. At that time, the only legislative body fighting for the victims was the United Nations (UN). The UN was the driving force behind global reform for trafficking, acknowledging that human trafficking was and is a global problem, and a country like the United States viewing trafficking as a domestic problem would only create loopholes for the traffickers. Within the first couple pages, the TVPA has already, despite how unknowing, excluded a portion of the victims of sex trafficking.The act has a second, smaller bill written in, called the Violence Against Women Act of 2000. Portraying only women as victims is not only sexist and simple minded, but dangerous as well. â€Å"Traffickers primarily target women and girls† (22 USC Sec. 102(b)(1)). If young men do not entertain the possibility that they themselves could become victims, their arrogance could be what ensures their victimization. â€Å"Men and boys who are sexually explo ited must come to terms with not only the physical and emotional trauma of repeated rape and abuse, but their own conflicted sexuality and masculinity afterwards.Amanda Kloer, anti-trafficking activist, writes that this added stigma prevents them from coming forward and seeking assistance, which further compounds the problem of a lack of information regarding the exploitation of men† (Clymer). Though going into the stigma of lacking masculinity is off topic, it is worth stating that these ideals have only perpetuated the violence, and therefore victimization, against both men and women. Certain men believe that to be masculine, he must show strength, which sometimes includes beating his wife.If a man’s strength, aka that which makes him masculine, is seemingly stripped from him, he is to be shunned and his failure is to be made an example to others who would attempt to ignore this rule of society. Perception is highly important when it comes to stopping human traffickin g. When the TVPA starts compounding with U. S. immigration law to mess with the mind picture the average American has of human trafficking, criminal activity that could be stopped is completely missed, with many Americans not realizing what has happened.Another group of victims not acknowledged under the TVPA are those that entered the country willingly, maybe even legally. This is usually considered human smuggling, and is therefore not seen as equivalent with human trafficking. â€Å"The journey may begin in the same way. Some trafficking victims begin their journey in an act of smuggling, as they freely undertake a decision to pay someone to assist them in crossing the border into the United States†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chacon: 2006, 2986).These people are voluntary migrants who usually, after entering the United States, find themselves in a situation, working under certain conditions for which their consent was never given. Dealing with consent in the TVPA is more like a dance than an outright statement: â€Å"†¦the TVPA makes no specific provisions concerning the role of victim consent. It is an open question under the TVPA whether the consent of the individual to some element of the act of trafficking obviates the conclusion that the individual is a victim of a ‘severe form of trafficking’† (Chacon: 2006, 2984-2985).It would seem as though much of this act would depend upon whether consent was given, but upon closer inspection, that is a ridiculous statement. No one, except possibly a person who is drastically mentally ill, would willingly consent to being a victim of sex trafficking. If you are acknowledged as a victim by the TVPA, the act will then attempt to extend protection to you. If the victims of human trafficking feel safe and cared for, those victims are more likely to become witnesses that have the potential to send away their victimizers for life, or at least the next twenty years.Foreign victims that qualify for this prote ction are eligible to ‘special services’ under the Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance, 2005. Article IX deals with the extra care and assistance granted to victims of human trafficking. They are usually given necessary medical care, measures to protect them from their victimizers, direction to legal services, translation services, and immigration benefits. The immigration benefits usually end in multiple-year visas, such and the T and U visas.Of course, just because a victim is officially recognized as such does not mean that person is inherently due protection and relief. â€Å"Much of the literature diagnosing the domestic shortcomings of the TVPA focuses upon the legal barriers to relief that are encountered by trafficking victims in the United States. The proposed solutions focus on improving the identification and assistance of trafficking victims†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chacon: 2006, 2979). One of the greatest shortcomings of the TVPA is that as sistance to trafficking victims is greatly limited.There are three basic contingencies as to whether an adult trafficking victim will receive aid from the United States government. These three contingencies apply to foreign adult victims of trafficking. The first is if the victim has been subject to the TVPA’s definition of a severe form of trafficking. â€Å"The services are available to a person who meets the definition of a victim of a severe form of trafficking, without regard to whether an indictment is eventually filed, or whether any indictment that is filed includes trafficking statutes† (Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center 9).Understanding that requires a look back at the law’s definition of â€Å"severe trafficking. † Severe trafficking is a form of sex trafficking in which â€Å"a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not yet attained 18 years of age†¦through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery† (22 USC Sec. 103(8)(A-B)). Debt bondage is the most common of these, as it is the easiest to commit.A smuggler agrees to smuggle a family or individual to America, but once in America, the smuggler explains that the price unexpectedly went up, and the family or individual must now work off their debt. This degree of human trafficking â€Å"automatically includes all persons under eighteen who are forced into sex acts, but the blanket protection of children extends no further† (Chacon: 2006, 2985). The second is connected to the victim’s immigration status, which is a reference to the fact that the vast majority of human trafficking victims in the United States are foreigners that were either brought to the U.S. against their will, or came willingly under a completely different pretext. If the latter is true, it’s more than likely that all the victim’s papers are in the hands of the perpetrators, and their visa probably expired. The third contingency is the victim’s willingness to assist law enforcement to ensure that human traffickers are properly and swiftly brought to justice. If an adult victim complies with all three criteria, then that person qualifies for the protections previously mentioned. Dealing directly with perception, â€Å"†¦U. S. aw and policy actually facilitate the trafficking of human beings into and within the United States† (Misery and Myopia 2979). U. S. immigration policy not only allows this to happen, but compliments human trafficking in such a way that the evil perfection is eerie. Most of the U. S. Immigration policy is based upon the perception that foreigners are bad and evil, while native United States citizens are good and just. Vast oversimplifications such as this are more dangerous than anything else, and will only perpetuate a cycle of violence.Mos t Americans do not realize that human and sex trafficking is not just a foreign thing that happens in the red light district of Cambodia, or India, or in Eastern European nations. Though human trafficking does happen in those places, it also is taking place in the United States everyday. â€Å"The image of trafficking as a foreign evil perpetrated by minorities and migrants has at least two collateral effects that actually complicate rather than complement antitrafficking efforts† (Chacon: 2010, 1631). One of the many possible solutions to help better these laws is to not only focus on the end result of sex trafficking, i. . a satisfied client and the traffickers being paid, but on how the situation has evolved to that point, i. e. the manipulation and coercion of young men and women into a lifestyle of being victimized. â€Å"To truly address all forms of human trafficking, state criminal laws must shift the focus from what type of labor or services trafficking victims are forced to perform and the relative merits of that work and exploitation to the exploitative actions traffickers use to gain and maintain control over their victims† (Barnhart 130).Domestically speaking, many perpetrators, or ‘pimps,’ go through a process of grooming their victims to become unwilling prostitutes. This usually takes several months, and involves emotional manipulation. Though this process is nigh on impossible to catch when dealing with international human trafficking, it is nonetheless an important process. Many human traffickers have specific areas from which they pick their victims. These areas are usually at or below the poverty line, as young men and women with tall dreams and no money are easy to manipulate, and most in the neighborhood would assume the victim ran away.If local law enforcement officials in those areas are trained to recognize this process of grooming, international human trafficking will suffer. This specifically has been somew hat addressed in an amendment from 2007, where the U. S. Department of State spoke to the other countries of the world to set forth minimum standards to properly eliminate human trafficking around the globe. Though these standards are not nearly as high as they ought to be, the standards are a step in the right direction.These standards give hope that this paper will be completely proven wrong within the next few years. Though it is interesting that the U. S. Department of State require of other countries something which it has not yet achieved: â€Å"†¦whether the government of the country protects victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons†¦and ensures that victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined, or otherwise penalized solely for unlawful acts as a direct result of being trafficked† (Trafficking in Persons Report).Another solution is not law-based, but anthropologically based. Most Americans stubbornly refuse to believe that sex trafficking is happening within America, domestic or internationally. If the average American were to look at the average busy street corner in a large city, the average American would not be looking for victims, but instead would be looking for reasons to judge the women parading their bodies. Some of those women, on that street corner, would be trafficking victims.The more aware the average American is on this issue that immigrants are very likely victims of human and sex trafficking, the faster perceptions will change as to who is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in the issue of immigration. Criminalization of immigrants, handled spectacularly by current immigration policy, will only serve to further exacerbate the problem with mistreating victims of human trafficking. The problem seems to be not thinking of immigrants as humans. Treatment of migrants is†¦increasingly dichotomous: either a noncitizen qualifies as a trafficking victim†¦or the noncitizen is a smuggled migrantâ € ¦If the individual falls in a gray area—between an outright victim of â€Å"severe† trafficking and a smuggled migrant who is subject of everyday forms of labor exploitation—the government’s approach has been to treat the gray-area case as one involving a voluntary migrant who is not eligible for the protections available to trafficking victims† (Chacon: 2010, 1635).This is simply untrue, and these victims do not deserve such treatment. The vast majority of victimized immigrants fall in this grey area, causing further victimization by a legal system that was designed to protect the innocent, and bring their oppressors to justice. Further legislation must properly provide for the victims in the gray areas, and deliver appropriate protection to ensure the victim’s future well being.Though the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 has had improvements in the past twelve years, at its foundation lies an act that fails to adequately ackno wledge and protect the victims of sex trafficking. There have been alterations and additions to the TVPA since 2000 which has addressed a few of the issues outlined in this paper. Progress has been made, continues to be made, and there is definite hope that after a short time, human and sex trafficking will no longer be able to hide in the shadows that so greatly inhibits its detection.However, this act, as well as most law enforcement and legislators, fails to acknowledge that perception is everything when dealing with human trafficking. The right perception is important to keep as many people from becoming victims as possible and to ensure that an anti-immigrant sentiment is not perpetuated unnecessarily. Works Cited Barnhart, Melynda H. â€Å"Sex and Slavery: An Analysis of Three Models of State Human Trafficking Legislations. † 16 Wm. & Mary J. Women & L. 83 (2009).Web. 6 Mar. 2012. . Clymer, Beth. â€Å"Why Human Trafficking Is a Men's Issue. †Ã‚  Meet Justice. Me etjustice. org, 25 May 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. . Chacon, Jennifer M. â€Å"Misery and Myopia: Understanding the Failures of U. S. Efforts to Stop Human Trafficking. † Fordham Law Review. 74 Fordham L. Rev. 2977 (2006), 1 Jan. 2006.Web. 6 Mar. 2012. . Chacon, Jennifer M. â€Å"Tensions and Trade-offs: Protecting Trafficking Victims in the Era of Immigration Enforcement. †Ã‚  University of Pennsylvania Law Review  158. 6 (2010): 1609-653. University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. . Human Smuggling and

Is biological pest control better than chemical pest control?

Food is vital for humans to survive, the population of the world is immense as it approaches 6 billion and all these humans need to be fed on a continual basis. Therefore, a large quantity of food needs to be produced rapidly and on a very large scale. Generally farmers across the western world do produce food very quickly and efficiently and there tends to be a surplus of food, whereas, in less developed countries they have a shortage of food. Due to the size of the world's population and it's high levels of demand for food farmers are unable to leave crops alone and let them grow naturally. Read this  Respiratory Activity For example, one-third of the crops that are grown worldwide are spoiled by pests, animals particularly insects and many plants. Certain types of crops grow better in certain set conditions and there are many different factors which effect the crop yield. Crops grow by photosynthesis, the environmental factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis, are light intensity, concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, and the surrounding temperatures. All the requirements for photosynthesis need to be available at a good rate and supply, the light intensity which is usually supplied by the sun needs to be at suitable intensity, which means the crop will only grow certain times of the year due to the amount of light available. The same applies to the concentration of carbon dioxide, which usually does not tend to cause a problem, as there is ample supply of carbon dioxide in the surrounding air, however if it is ever to run low the crops will not grow. The temperature is another factor which has a huge effect on the growth of crops, if the temperature is to get too high this would prevent any growth of the plant as it would not be able to deal with the extreme temperature killing off the chlorophyll that the plant requires to grow. However if the temperature is decreased to a very low temperature this will restrict any growth, as the plant will not be able to function properly. Therefore, all these factors need to be at the correct rate for the crop to be able to grow sufficiently. Many different types of crops such as maize, corn, wheat, rice, fruit and vegetables are grown at different times throughout the year and most farming is usually based on monoculture. Which is where one type of crop is grown in a certain piece of land, this technique of mass production tends to cause many problems and is not as straight forward as it seems. If crops are growing extremely well and conditions are correct and all the crops have all their requirements at the right rate and intensity there is still one other factor which would still prevent a perfect yield from being produced which are known as pests. These pests still destroy all crop yields, by destroying the crop its self and restricting growth in certain ways. When crops are grown they are just like plants in that they compete for mineral ions, water from the soil and light, however when crops are grown using the monoculture method there usually isn't a problem because it's the same crop being grown and so the conditions can be controlled. However, the problems that do arise is that if there is a large concentration of the same crop in one area and they are all in close proximity to each other then there is the potential of the crop being infected by diseases, fungi, unwanted plants and insects which will then lead to the rapid destruction of large areas of the crop. There are a number of different pests, for example, insects, fungi and weeds that effect individual crops in different ways; like insects, fungi and weeds. Weeds are plants that grow in places we do not want them to grow and there optimum growth occurs in ground disturbed by human activity. They compete with cultivated plants for space, water and minerals. Worldwide, about 10% of crop yield are lost because of weed growth. Weeds tend to come in different sizes and they can be long and the same length as the crops, which means their roots are able to reach deep into the ground and take the nutrients, they require leaving many shortages for the crops. Also weeds can sometimes have broad leafs that cover the crops and so take all the sunlight and restrict the amount of sunlight reaching the crop. The competition between the crops and weed, which is organisms of different species, is known as interspecific competition. Occasionally you may come across weeds that are very small and do not do any real harm to the crops. The insect pests work in many different ways, each kind of plant has its own species of aphids, and these little creatures have small mouthparts, which they use to suck sap from plants. The loss of sap can be harmful to the plant in many ways in that, it can cause leaves to curl up and become distorted. The leaves are the place where photosynthesis takes place; the curled up leaf leaves the plant unable to photosynthesise efficiently and so can leave the plant stunted. Another way in which aphids can effect crops are, that as the aphids suck in the sap if that crop was diseased they could pick up the disease or virus and then go suck on another plant which would then pass the disease or virus on, which would spread the disease to many plants, any organism which spreads disease or viruses from host to host is known as a vector. Also if the aphids take in to much sap they tend to secrete it through their abdomens, this is usually a sticky honey dew which forms a sticky droplet which attracts ants, which then attack the crop even further. So altogether there are a number of ways in which crops are prevented from being grown. The ways in which these pests can be controlled and crops can be grown without too many problems is that we can put into the environment a chemical substance that kills the pest, which is called pesticides, or we can put into the environment another organism, which kills the pest, which is known as biological control. A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, or repelling any pests. Chemical control is the use of pesticides. Insects, which eat crops, can be killed with insecticides. Fungi, which grow on crops, are controlled with fungicides. Weeds, which compete with crop plants for water, light and minerals, can be controlled with herbicides; pesticides are usually applied as pellets, powders or sprays. Many different chemical substances are used as pesticides; there are contact pesticides, systemic pesticides and residual pesticides. The contact pesticides are used as spray as they are sprayed straight on to the crop where the pests are living and as the contact insecticides spray comes in contact with the insect, the insect tends to absorb it in through its gas-exchange pores, the spiracles, along its body. This is where it attacks the insects and poisons them. The same process occurs with contact herbicides and fungicides the surface of the plant absorbs the poison through, and so the poison then attacks it there. This method is not very expensive however they need to be reapplied continuously as there are always pests, which are missed out, and the affect of it does not last very long. Systemic pesticides work in a similar way as they are sprayed straight on to the crop where the leaves and surface of the plant absorbs it in and so it is transported all around the plant. Therefore, whenever a sap-sucking insect comes along it sucks the poison into its body, and this eventually results in the killing of the creature. This method for systemic insecticides is very effective because the spray does not have to come into contact with the insect so it only attacks the insects that attack the crops. Systemic herbicides are also quite effective in that they are able to be sprayed onto the surface of the leaf where they get absorbed and then have that poison transported all along the weed killing off the tissue and even reach the roots. Residual pesticides can also be quite effective, as they are also sprayed directly on to the soil and instead of attacking the actual insect or weed they attack any insect egg and larvae, and weed seedling as they germinate. All these methods are used for chemical pest control; chemical pest control is very effective in that this is the most popular method in the UK for farming large number of crops, to provide the large population of the UK. However even though chemical pest control is very effective and is very popular there are a number of disadvantages of using chemical pesticides. Firstly, chemical pest controls involve many chemicals that can be very dangerous if they are not monitored correctly. Therefore, chemical pest controls must be safe for farmers to use and must not damage the environment. To provide this there must be continual testing and development carried out on all pesticides. This can be very expensive and this expense will be passed onto the farmer in the form of the pesticide costing a huge amount of money. This expense is taken by the farmer on the premise that it will assist in the good growth of his crops, however, the disadvantage being that it may not work at all! It is also known that pesticides damage the environment a great deal, Pesticides can badly affect wildlife through changes in the food web, direct and indirect poisoning. And their harmful effects may show up in animals, which have no direct relationship to the original pest. In that in the 1950's many of the pesticide used did a lot of damage to the environment especially one DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). It was used to kill insects, however people didn't realise that it is a persistent insecticide, which means it doesn't break down but remains in the body of insects and the soil. So whenever a bird or other organisms ate the insects they ate the DDT too. And so the DDT stayed in their bodies and just began to accumulate. Also as well as being persistent it was also non-specific as most pesticides are. This means that it not only harms the insect it's meant to but also harms other living things. For example in the 1960s, the gannet population in Quebec began to shrink. The shells of the gannets' eggs were too thin to protect the embryos. Once the egg had been examined they realised DDT was the culprit. Because there where large concentration of DDT in the birds because of all the pests they had consumed which had been sprayed with it. Many other birds such as ospreys, eagles and peregrine falcons also had been affected greatly and populations of those birds had declined. Also all the chemical sprays that are sprayed into the air will have a great effect on the atmosphere. So many pesticides harm the environment a great deal, even though many tests are done before hand. Pesticides also change wildlife habitat, for example if a herbicide was put down on certain plants or vegetation, animals that depend on that piece of vegetation find it difficult to live any longer and so slowly will begin to die out, and so if they begin to die out then the population of their predator that relies on that particular creature, will begin to decrease. Another problem, that that may arise is if a particular pesticide is used a lot the pest may eventually become resistant to it. The pesticide no longer kills the pest and so a new one has to be developed at all times which results in more resources and cash flow being ploughed into developing and testing. Also once the pesticides are applied, they can be used up quickly and if it rains they sometimes need to be reapplied which takes much time and effort because special clothing and safety measures need to be carried out each time. The most important disadvantage of using chemical pesticides are that the crops that have been produced using pesticides are now covered with chemicals which we will now eat and which can be very harmful for us. Another major harm to humans is to farmers, who are using the pesticides and are in contact with it on a continual basis and it has led to them becoming extremely ill, for example, in parts of the UK, farmers and their families are being diagnosed with illnesses, which are associated with pesticide poisoning. Such conditions as multiple sclerosis that are occurring in many of the farmers, especially in the cases where they use sheep dipping as part of their work. Also in less developed countries the farmers are effected a lot more because they do not have all the specially designed clothing which they require and so in places like Malaysia and Sri Lanka, 7 to 15 per cent of farmers experience poisoning at least once in their lives. The advantages of using pesticides are that all these chemicals do produce the maximum amount of food, which is very cheap for the consumer, because the farmers are able to produce on a mass scale, using the chemicals to make sure they have a high-quality crop yield. Also pesticides work very fast and most of the time instantaneously, once applied to the ground. With pesticides you usually have a guarantee that they will work and be extremely effective, and solve the pest problem. Chemical pest control is one way to control pests even though there are a number of disadvantages, however the other way to stop pests from destroying crops are by biological control. Biological control is not using chemicals but the use of a specially chosen living organism to control particular pests; the chosen organism may be a predator, parasite or disease, which will attack the harmful insect. It is a form of manipulating nature to increase a desired effect. Examples of this are usually A bluebird: it eats insects to prevent damage to trees and gardens. They are found throughout the United States, UK and Canada A ladybird beetle: it eats small soft insects, which prevents damage to fruit and crops. They are found throughout North America. A garden spider: consumes insects with wings by catching them in a sticky web that it spins. Usually found in America and UK. Biological control is usually done in three ways known as classical biological control, conservation and augmentation, these are three ways to use these natural enemies against unwanted insect pest population. Classical biological control is to import which involves travelling to the country or area from which a newly introduced pest originated and returning with some of the natural anomies that attacked it and kept it from being a pest there. New pests are constantly arriving accidentally or intentionally. Sometimes they survive. When they come, their enemies are left behind. If they become a pest, introducing some of their natural enemies can be an important way to reduce the amount of harm they can do. The second method is conservation; conservation of natural enemies is an important part in any biological control effort. This involves identifying any factors that limit the effectiveness of a particular natural enemy and changing them to help the beneficial species. Conservation of natural enemies involves either reducing factors, which interfere with the natural enemies, or providing needed resources that help natural enemies. The final method is augmentation; augmentation is a method of increasing the population of a natural enemy, which attacks a pest. This can be done by mass producing a pest in a laboratory and releasing it into the field at the proper time. Another method of augmentation is breeding a better natural enemy, which can attack or find its prey more effectively. Mass rearing can be released at special times when the pest is most susceptible and natural enemies are not yet present, or they can be released in such large numbers that few pests go untouched by their enemies. The augmentation method relies upon continual human management and does not provide a permanent solution unlike the importation or conservation approaches may. There is also another way in which pests can be controlled using the biological control method, which is known as Biochemical pesticides these are natural occurring substances, which are safe. This is because most plants and animals produce chemicals that can be used, as pesticides, the oils and seeds are usually the substances, which can be pesticides. For example many insects produce chemical substances called Pheromones, which attract the opposite sex. Synthesised pheromones are sometimes used to attract pest insects into traps. The traps are usually sticky which hold the insects and so enables you to get rid of them by killing off the insects. Another method of biological control is crop rotation this helps to discourage pests. Since different pests affect different crops, crop rotation can be very effective method of pest control. Using crop rotation means that there is high possibility of pests dying out before the same plant is grown on the soil again. In many cases, removing their preferred food and shelter can control pest populations. Examples of crop rotation are below. Year1: potatoes – may be affected by potato cyst eelworm Year 2: cabbage – may be affected by clubroot and brassica cyst eelworm Year3: beans – root nodule bacteria improve soil nitrate supply All these methods of biological controls can be used however they also have many disadvantages to them, just as chemical control biological control takes more intensive management and planning. It can take more time; require more record keeping, more patience, and sometimes more education or training. Because a successful use of biological control requires a greater understanding of the biology of both the pest and its enemies. Also often the result of using biological control is not as dramatic or quick as the results of pesticide use, which can react very quickly. The aim is not to wipe out the pest because this could be counter-productive. If the pest were reduced to such an extent that it no longer provided enough food for the predator, then the predator in its turn would be wiped out. The few remaining pest could then increase their population rapidly, in the absence of the controlling agent. The ideal situation is where the controlling agent and the pest exist in balance with one another, but at a level where the pest has no major affect on the crop yield. Even though biological control has disadvantages it also has many advantages. Biological control, overall is a far safer method as it reduces the environmental and public safety hazards of chemicals, as the food we are eating is not covered with poisonous sprays and the air is not being polluted by sprays which we breath in that can be quite harmful to us. Also biological control is cheaper for the farmer to use overall because like pesticides they don't have to be reapplied continuously, once they have been introduced they begin to work and consume the pest, so together its cheaper and less time consuming and easier to apply. Another advantage of biological control is that the pest are less likely to become resistant to the control organism then they are to pesticides, which means unlike pesticides a new pesticide doesn't have to be developed on a regular basis. Also unlike most insecticides biological controls are often very specific for a particular pest. The biological and chemical controls of pests work very well individually however the two can be used together, this is known as integrated control. This method can be very successful as was shown in Indonesia in 1970's, when they began to use large numbers of pesticides to control the pests to produce high yields strains of rice. There where a lot of brown planthopper pests, and so farmers found them selves spraying up to 8 times a season, to get rid of the pests however it was later discovered that the insecticide was the problem of the large number of these pests. This is because the sprays had wiped out all the natural predators of the pest, particularly the spiders and yet only had a limited effect on the pest its self. So it was here that the integrated control was introduced. With integrated control the use of pesticides is always the last resort with the minimum amount used. This then prevents pests and enables large healthy yields of crops without using too many pesticides, which have many disadvantages. However using integrated pest management is not always easy, the technique requires time, knowledge and dedication on the part of the farmer. Overall when using pest controls there are a number of factors to consider, to get maximum effect and sustain pest control. The important factors to consider are how efficient each method is at controlling the pest, the cost, damage that might be caused to the environment, and possible health hazards. When considering how efficient each method is at controlling pests I think both are quite good in their own way in that biological control is aimed at the one pest whereas chemical pesticides tend to infect all insects and plants that they are sprayed on. However at the same time chemical works a lot faster and targets the problem more efficiently whereas biological takes a lot more time to establish its self to the environment and take effect. The cost is a lot cheaper for the biological, because even though it costs a lot to research and develop to make sure everything is correct and working well, it doesn't cost the farmers a lot to get the method started, and once it has been applied it doesn't have to be re-applied continuously like chemical control. Also with chemical control there is the extra cost on top to develop and test the chemical product, also new chemical products need to be developed continuously at all times because pests become resistant to them quickly unlike biological control. Even though biological requires a lot of development, training and testing it only has to be done once and then there usually is a result, and doesn't have to be repeated over and over again to develop new pesticides like chemical control. Damage that might be caused to the environment is mostly caused by chemical control because there are a number of pollutants sprayed into the air, which infect the atmosphere, and there are a lot of chemicals going in to the soils, which also damages the soil. Also if pesticides are persistent a large concentration can be built up in different animals, which can cause problems and be dangerous to those animals. Additionally pesticides are not selective and harm creatures that don't need to be infected; also a number of habitats can be destroyed when certain plants are killed. Whereas biological don't have any environmental effects and so biological controls would be a better one to use. Possible health hazards are that chemical controls can be dangerous to the people who have to apply them to the ground and also the food we eat has absorbed the spray and so they can infect us and harm our bodies. However biological controls do not have any health hazards, therefore, are very safe and is the better one to use. In addition in the developed world we have become increasingly concerned about the long-term effects that chemical pesticides and herbicides may have on us as we eat our well-sprayed food. We have also become progressively greener over recent years, with more and more people expressing concern over the future of the earth and our effect on it. Substituting biological control for chemical intervention therefore seems like a very good idea. The developing world cannot yet afford such concerns the main struggle for many developing nations is to be able to feed all their hungry mouths. But in these countries too the cost of chemical control and the increasing resistance of pests to the expensive chemicals are adding another powerful voice to the arguments in favour of biological control as an integrated part of pest management. So overall the one I think is best and has least problems and safest to use is the biological controls.