Free Essays on Christabel

In the poem Christabel, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Colerdige’s use of mysteriuos imagery and magic is present throughout the entire poem. In Christabel he continues in a dark path of unknowingness and despair. Many of his later poems, including Christabel, came from his being subject to continues nightmares of guilt and despair, and also from feelings of remorse( Norton 417 ). These feelings were major prose in his poetry. Coleridge often priviledges weird tales and bizarre imagery over the commonplace. Taking a look at this specific poem one might be able to see how this poem follows his use of bizarre and detailed imagery. In the beginning the poem seems to go in one direction; as if, it were to be a love story, but near what is suppose to be the end because Christabel is unfinished, the reader is left feeling as if they have been subject to some mystical spell, quite like the character Christabel. The setting takes place in the forest outside of a castle. It is here that the reader is first introduced to Coleridge’s brilliant use of imagery, through the way he describes the setting. He sets the setting as followed, Is the night chilly and dark? The night is chilly, but not dark. The thin gray cloud is spread on high, It covers but not hides the sky. The moon is behind, and at full; And yet she looks both small and dull. The night is chill, the cloud is gray: ‘Tis a month before the month of May, And the Spring comes slowly up this way( 14-22 ). Looking closely one can see that the lines are set in ryhming couplets.... Free Essays on Christabel Free Essays on Christabel In the poem Christabel, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Colerdige’s use of mysteriuos imagery and magic is present throughout the entire poem. In Christabel he continues in a dark path of unknowingness and despair. Many of his later poems, including Christabel, came from his being subject to continues nightmares of guilt and despair, and also from feelings of remorse( Norton 417 ). These feelings were major prose in his poetry. Coleridge often priviledges weird tales and bizarre imagery over the commonplace. Taking a look at this specific poem one might be able to see how this poem follows his use of bizarre and detailed imagery. In the beginning the poem seems to go in one direction; as if, it were to be a love story, but near what is suppose to be the end because Christabel is unfinished, the reader is left feeling as if they have been subject to some mystical spell, quite like the character Christabel. The setting takes place in the forest outside of a castle. It is here that the reader is first introduced to Coleridge’s brilliant use of imagery, through the way he describes the setting. He sets the setting as followed, Is the night chilly and dark? The night is chilly, but not dark. The thin gray cloud is spread on high, It covers but not hides the sky. The moon is behind, and at full; And yet she looks both small and dull. The night is chill, the cloud is gray: ‘Tis a month before the month of May, And the Spring comes slowly up this way( 14-22 ). Looking closely one can see that the lines are set in ryhming couplets.... Free Essays on Christabel I think the two transgressions that Christabel performed was that of shame and jealousy. In the first part’s conclusion Coleridge describes Christabel as she comes out of the orgasmic gaze. He describes her as crying and smiling at the same time and then finally resting like a playful kid. In the second part of the poem, Sir Leoline is presented to Geraldine and he finds out that she is his once best friend’s daughter. Sir Leoline is so excited to see her that he embrace’s her and Christabel gets extremely jealous, the second transgression. She’s so jealous that she hisses like a snake. She now becomes the snake and Geraldine becomes the dove. Sir leoline orders Barcy the Bard to take Geraldine home and he vows that he will kill the traitor that harmed Geraldine. Both ladies are startled by this revelation, but continue on with Barcy the Bard. As they continue the journey, Sir Leoline listens to the dream and finally realizes that his daughter and Christabel have had intimate relations and he becomes furious and sorrowful at the same time. I wonder if Sir Leoline’s old friend set this whole thing up just to get back at Sir Leoline for something he did. The poem never tells us what happened that broke the two of them up, only that the relationship ceased. Also, during this incident of discovery, Coleridge describes both women as reptiles. Coleridge’s constant description of the reptile, the dog at the front door, the supernatural being is Gothic but not scary. It’s dark, but not gory. I like how he chooses the right animal or description of buildings, like the castle. The feel of the poem is mysterious and mystical. They both became snakes when they noticed Sir Leoline looking at them with disgust. And they showed no shame or guilt of their encounter. It appeared that they were just amazed and astonishe d at being caught. Maybe they wanted to continue the affair. Or take the secret to their grave. Sir Leoline, impulsive...

How a Penny Can Make Wine Smell and Taste Better

How a Penny Can Make Wine Smell and Taste Better Before you throw out that bottle of funky-smelling wine, try a simple chemistry life hack to fix it. Its super easy and all you need is a penny! How to Fix Smelly Wine With a Penny First, find a penny. Clean it up by rinsing it off and polishing off any grime.Pour yourself a glass of wine.Drop in the clean penny and swirl it around in the glass.Remove the penny. You dont want to accidentally swallow it!Now, inhale the improved aroma and drink the wine.Drink more wine. Youre so clever, youve earned it. How the Penny Trick Works Wine can smell stinky because it contains sulfur compounds called thiols. A burnt rubber odor comes from a thiol called ethyl mercaptan. Eau de rotten eggs comes from hydrogen sulfide. If your wine smells like someone put out a match in it, thats from a thiol named methyl mercaptan. The thiols are in the wine as a natural consequence of  grape fermentation. During fermentation, the sugars from the fruit juice undergo reduction, which involves the loss of oxygen. In stale, old wine or some cheap wine, the process kicks into overdrive, resulting in so much thiol the wine becomes unpalatable. Heres where the penny comes to the rescue. While pennies are mostly zinc, the outer shell contains copper. The copper reacts with thiols to produce copper sulfide, which is odorless. Since the senses of smell and taste are connected, removing the stench dramatically improves both the aroma and perceived flavor of the wine. Save Your Wine With Silver Looking for a classier way to fix your wine? You can get the same deodorizing effect by stirring your wine with a silver spoon. If you dont have a silver spoon, try a sterling silver ring. Just remember to remove it before imbibing.

Assignment #7 PKG 381 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

#7 PKG 381 - Assignment Example st part of sustainability is based on reducing the wastes that a company produces to the environment and at the same time changing the company to become completely sustainable in the future. Industries that would have the most positive environmental impact when they are engaged into sustainable practices include oil and gas industries, fertilizer, paper, motor vehicle and other industries that uses chemicals and release chemical wastes to the environment. These industries would have the most positive impact to the environment in case they engage on sustainable practices since through such practices, they will reduce lot of pollution they cause to the environment. At the same time, such industries are known for releasing some of the most harmful gases as well as minerals to the atmosphere. Such gases like carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and others are very harmful when inhaled by humans. At the same time, they form part of the ozone gases that cause the greenhouse effect to our environment, leading to global warming. Heavy metal such as Lead are also released by industries such as fertilizer industries, to the nearby drainages that empty their waters to the water stream s used by humans. Such metals are harmful to human lie as they cause cancerous conditions in

Question set 4-6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Question set 4-6 - Assignment Example The project management system enables users to easily see that resources are applied to the right tasks at the right time. It assists managers to make sure that they have allocated ample time to the employees for the success of the project (R.Drew 2009). Project management system enables assigning of tasks which can be declined or accepted by the managers depending on whether they have the time and resources to perform the tasks. This in turn provides team work since one is not assigned tasks they cannot or do not what to perform. It also ensures that there is no overlap in resource assignment (R.Drew 2009). A project sponsor is the link between the project team and the organisation executive team. They own the project and have the ultimate responsibility for seeing that the intended benefits are realized to create the value of forecast in the business case (L. Bourne 2012). An escalation process ensures that the next level of management is informed periodically, if an issue cannot be resolved by the project manager. Examples of some of the issues that are usually escalated are resource conflicts; this is where during projects people are pulled out to go and assist resolve problems in their day to day work areas threatening the projects ability to meet its schedule. Another example is when the project team realizes that late in the project, there are issues with the project’s main deliverables and the team believes that the issue cannot be corrected within the original time (efor_blog 2009). The escalation process should be defined at the beginning of the project by setting expectations as to how certain issues will be raised to the project sponsor during the project to avoid conflict between the project team and the project sponsor. The project team should keep track of the issues, regularly reviewing them and determining their significance, so that teams see which should be escalated. This can

Corruption in Colombia Essay Example for Free

Corruption in Colombia Essay There has been a four-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government groups, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) who are funded by the drug trade, has escalated over the years. Since about 2002 the violence has decreased a slit amount because of the lack of the military and popular support necessary to overthrow the government. However these groups of insurgents have continued to attack civilians. Large areas around Columbia are under the revolutionary influence. By the end of 2006, more than 31,000 former governments’ officials had ceased to function as long as the formal organization the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). When this occurred criminal groups arose and members included former government officials. The Colombia Government has made efforts to advance government control throughout the country. In order to understand how corruption is affecting Colombia, we must first examine concrete economical statistics. The Colombian Peso exchange rate depreciated 6. 64 percent against the US Dollar during the last 12 months. The Colombian Peso spot exchange rate specifies how much one currency, the USD, is currently worth in terms of the other, the COP. While the Colombian Peso spot exchange rate is quoted and exchanged in the same day, the Colombian Peso forward rate is quoted today but for delivery and payment on a specific future date. Colombian pesos (COP) per US dollar: 1,869. 9 (2010) 2,157. 6 (2009) 2,243. 6 (2008) 2,013. 8 (2007) 2,358. 6 (2006) According to the CIA World Factbook, Colombia is ranked 59th in exports and 54th in imports. In May of 2011 Colombia exports were worth 4704 Million USD and imports were worth 4931 Million USD. Their major exports are petroleum, coffee, coal, nickel, gold and, nontraditional exports. Their major imports are industrial and transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, and electricity. The total population in Colombia was last reported at 45. 9 million people in 2010 from 16. 0 million in 1960, changing 187 percent during the last 50 years. Colombia has 0. 67 percent of the world? s total population which means that one person in every 150 people on the planet is a resident of Colombia. The unemployment rate in Columbia from 2000 until 2010 averaged at 14. 7 percent. The highest percentage was in January of 2001 when it was 20. 99 percent. The lowest percentage was in November of 2007 when it was 8. 91 percent. Labor force is the number of people employed plus the number unemployed but seeking work. The non-labor force is those who are not looking for work, those who are institutionalized, and those serving in the military. According to the World Bank, the Colombia Gross Domestic Product is worth 288 billion dollars or 0. 46% of the world economy. Colombias average GDP was 60. 55 billion dollars and reached the highest dollars in December of 2010. Colombia is a free market economy with major commercial and investment ties to The United States. Transition from a highly regulated economy has been underway for more than 15 years. Colombias average annual economic growth rate was of over 5% from 2002 to 2007. The inflation rate in Colombia was last reported at 3. 3 percent in August of 2011. Inflation rate refers to a general rise in prices measured against a standard level of purchasing power. The most well-known measures of Inflation are the CPI which measures consumer prices, and the GDP deflator, which measures inflation in the whole of the domestic economy. Corruption’s negative impact on Colombian Foreign Direct Investment is reflected by the poor image of Colombian government by its citizens. The Colombian government, although less developed and more corrupt, is structured similarly to the United States’ government. However unstable it may be, it is a republic and consists of three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. Also like the United States, Colombia is dominated by two major political parties, the Colombian Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party. Because of the natural radicalism of the two parties, two major civil wars have resulted from their existence, The Thousand Days War and La Violencia. The Thousand Days War is a prime example of how the corruption of the Colombian government has made Foreign Direct Investment a very difficult achievement for Colombia. The Thousand Days War was a civil war fought between the Conservative Party of Colombia and the Liberal Party of Colombia, sparked by corruption. In 1898, Conservative Party member Manuel Antonio Sanclement, was elected president of Colombia. This was very controversial because it was believed that significant election fraud had made this possible. As Sanclement was an adamant Liberal Party oppose, the Colombian Liberal Party waged war. The war, which lasted 4 years, claimed an estimated 100,000 lives. As devastating of a loss as 100,000 people is, the worst outcome of The Thousand Days War may be that it did little to resolve the extreme differences between the Liberal and Conservative Parties of Colombia. The Thousand Days War was soon followed by a second civil war more commonly known as La Violencia. La Violencia was also a war founded on corruption. It was sparked by the assassination of the Liberal Party leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. After the assassination in 1948, Conservative Party leader Laureano Gomez, was the uncontested elected president in 1950. Under Gomez’s power, there was an increased rate of violence, specifically by the liberals of Colombia who were very upset about Gomez’s rise to power. Gomez was overthrown by a military coup led by General Gustavo Rojas Pinilpla in 1953. However, Rojas proved to be just as corrupt his predecessor and was soon overthrown by the Colombian military, with the support of both the Conservative and Liberal parties. La Violencia, a time properly named after and extreme period of violence and conflict, lasted from 1946 to 1957. Within that timespan it claimed an estimated 300,000 Colombian lives. The following chart shows the number of Colombian citizens who are murdered per 100,000 people by year. What is more concerning than its high rates, is that it continued to increase even after La Violencia. These extreme rates of murder and frequent conflicts are heavily dependent on the poor image citizens have of the Colombian government. There is a lack of trust in the Colombian government. Historically, governmental corruption is common practice in Colombia, just as it is a frequent occurrence that violent rebellions and civil wars take place in order to transfer power between the two political parties. This poor government infrastructure and lack of control allows corruption to run wild in Colombia making it a very difficult place for Foreign Direct Investment. This poor image of government in Colombia did not see much improvement after La Violencia. Another violent problem emerged with narco-terrorism. Colombia has become notorious for its cocaine production. In 2008, Colombia was the sources of 50% of the world’s cocaine. It is an industry which is very frequently held out violently, leading to what is known as narco-terrorism. In 1990, three presidential candidates were killed by narco-terrorists. With the rise of drug trafficking in Colombia, it appears that narco-terrorists have more control than the Colombian government. Although Colombian government has always struggled with corruption, there have recently been many signs of improvement towards a better country for Foreign Direct Investment. Within the past decade, several laws have been passed to weaken drug cartels and strengthen governmental control. From 2002 to 2008 Colombia has seen a decrease in many historically struggling areas. Its homicide rate dropped 44%, its kidnapping rates dropped 88%, its terrorist attacks dropped 79% and its attacks on country’s infrastructure dropped 60%. These tremendous improvements show an increase in governmental authority in Colombia. If Colombia can continue to improve in these areas and demonstrate that its government can have more control over its people, without corruption, it will become a much better candidate for Foreign Direct Investment. In August 2010, President Santos, introduced a legislation that would distribute industry incomes to Columbians who have lost their land due to violence. He also is trying to make improvements through domestic security. Columbia is third largest exporter of oil to the United States. Foreign direct investment from 2008 to 2009 went from $10 billion to $7. 2 billion. Even though records show that it has dropped $2. 8 billion, in 2010 it began to recover their losses through the oil sector. Because of their financial crisis the economy didn’t grow significant amount till 2010 then it grew 4. %. Before that the growth was a low percentage. With the challenges that Colombia’s faces it requires major improvement to sustain economic expansion. The outrageous amount of corruption in Colombia is hindering its economy and stopping it from becoming a safe and stable country. Although it is one of the oldest democracies in Latin America, Colombia has some of the most corrupt elections. An estimated 130,000 candidates are running for election at the local, regional, and national levels. 10% of these candidates have proven criminal records. About a third of their senate is currently under investigation for parapolitics and many of which are already in jail. The corrupt election are stopping Colombia from having a stable government which is stopping foreign investors from taking the risk of putting money into Columbia, meaning less jobs and poorer quality of life for the average Colombian. In 2005 the parapolitics scandal was uncovered and left the Colombian senate in chaos. The Colombian senate seats 102, and with 51 senators now being investigated and 29 in jail, they are virtually paralyzed. As each senator is arrested, it delays the agenda for legislation even more. Paramilitary leaders have confessed to hundreds of thousands of crimes including murders, abductions, rapes, narcotics, and extortion. They have also confessed to backing many politicians in an attempt to be protected outside of the law. Many members of the former president of Colombia, President Alvaro Uribe’s party were arrested for parapolitics showing the world how unstable the Colombian government is. One of the arrested politicians includes the president’s cousin Mario Uribe who has had very close ties to the president both family-wise and politically. This influenced the United States greatly and in 2007 a package of military aid destined for Colombia from the United States was blocked in the U. S. senate because of fear of election corruption. Colombia depends on the U. S. greatly, as it is number 3 in the world for U. S. military aid. The aid is used to assist in fighting the drug war and without it; more violence and corruption will take place. Paramilitary has a huge effect on the elections conducted in Columbia. There are around 20,000 paramilitary fighters in the country all growing from their creation in the 1980’s. In 2010 armed groups killed over two dozen candidates running for election and at the same time they invested large sums of money to fund their own candidates’ campaigns. Along with bribing people to run for them, these armed groups will also pay the public for individual votes. This can be as much as $40 per person in some places. Other times they will also use sheer military force to intimidate the public into voting for them. Many of the jailed parapoliticians have others running in their place as puppets while they are still in jail. Caracol news agency reported that 18 of the candidates in 2010 were â€Å"political front men† for ex-senators. There was an increase in the amount of women running for election which usually is considered a good thing. The truth is that the ones with the best chance for election were being backed by paramilitary families in an attempt to keep seats lost by jailed parapoliticians. The other big problem in Colombia its enormous drug trade and the negative effect it has on the economy. Columbia is the world’s largest cocaine producer and accounts for 43% of coca cultivation (the crop used to make cocaine). 0% of the cocaine found in the United States is Colombian. Combined, Colombian and Mexican drug cartels make an estimated $4. 6 billion exporting to the United States per year. Overall Columbia’s drug trade is about $10 billion / year which is equivalent to 25% of the countries legal exports. In 2008 81,000 hectares of land were being used for illegal coca cultivation. These are staggering numbers and makes you wonder, how is all of this being allowed to happen? If Colombia was not as corrupt as it is, this wouldn’t happen. Many of the drug lords use their influence and resources to pay off politicians, police, and military to turn a blind eye to their drug trade. Attempts have been made to stop this massive drug trafficking but so far it has only slowed it down. Colombia’s defense spending is now at $12 billion per year which is triple the average defense budget of other South American countries. Along with an increased defense budget, the United States has also committed an additional $6 billion since 2001 to help crackdown on the coca production. These are large sums of money that could be spent in other more productive ways. Such as, creating a better national infrastructure and creating jobs. $18 billion is a lot of money to invest in an economy, and currently they are losing all of that potential production because drugs are such a big problem. Drug trafficking and election corruption are both hurting the Colombian economy. Billions of dollars are being spent to stop the corruption but to this point there is still a great deal going on. In order for Colombia to have better production in a global economy, they must prove to the world they have a stable government, and reduce the risks associated with investing in them. Over the past few years, foreign direct investment in Colombia has been gradually increasing as their country has been fighting the corruption and violence that had been prominent. Some of the most advantageous areas for FDI are technology, fuels – such as coal, oil and natural gas and infrastructure. One reason that fuel is a wise choice for FDI is because Colombia has much more oil than is being used by its population: This excess would allow foreign companies access to enough oil to run more plants at a cheaper cost. Infrastructure is also important because Colombia’s current ease of transportation leaves much to be desired. If a company decided to invest in Colombia’s transportation, it would draw more investors in as said transportation costs decreased. The Colombian government has been actively working to encourage local companies to develop the roadway systems across the country to attempt to make Colombia more attractive to foreign investors. While several countries are investing in Colombia, the United States is the lead investor by over 30%. It is certainly beneficial to have a strong investor, however it can be problematic for one country to control so much of Colombia’s foreign direct investment. Having investments in Colombia is helpful for the United States because Colombia is a relatively close population of cheap labor without many of the highly-regulated working conditions that are found in more developed, less corrupt countries. As a surprisingly strong investor, Anguilla contributes 20% of Colombia’s foreign direct investment. For a country whose economy is largely based on tourism, it is interesting to see their commitment to a local country that has very little tourism because of its reputation for violence, drugs and corruption. Foreign direct investment has been increasing in the recent years due to Colombia’s higher regulation of corruption and desire to control the violence in the streets. Many businesses are beginning to trust Colombia to protect their product rights and property, although Colombia is still far from stable and dependable. While crime rates are slowly decreasing in Colombia, most businesses still avoid investing in Colombia because of its reputation for extensive riots and drug wars. If Colombia can decrease their reputation for instability and corruption, they have every opportunity to successfully draw in investment and provide a safer, better future for their citizens. As stated throughout this extensive research paper, corruption can cause a country many problems. One aspect that it affects the most is trade. Countries and corporations are less attracted to corrupt governments opposed to more stable governments. According to Mauro, who analyzed 94 corrupt countries, GDP increased by four percent with a decrease of 2. 38 on his teen point scale; GDP per capita increased by . percent. Mauro contributed to the book, The State in a Changing World, World Development Report 1997. Columbia has had corruption problems for an extended period of time now. Parts of the government have tried to stop such corruption but cooperation from all parts is needed to progress. In order for Columbia to progress they must start at the root. They must analyze what causes corruption and approaches other countries took to successfully start eliminating corruption. A few of the reasons corruption is practiced are to avoid penalties for illegal actions or to get around legal regulations. One overwhelming problem in Columbia, that is no secret to most, is drug trade. Drug cultivating and trade in Columbia is evident due to its geological location and ideal climate. In order to transport these drugs and have farms some drug lords may need to pay off government officials so they can â€Å"turn their eyes† on such activities. In this case both the drug lords and government officials benefit. Corruption will be hard to fight in Columbia due to the fact that the drug industry is estimated to be valued in the billions and whenever there is such a significant amount of money on the line, people are willing to do anything. Regardless of the reason, usually it is for an individual’s personal gain, companies included. Institutional corruption usually arises when government officials have a significant amount of power but little accountability. Most of the time, the officials must have their own financial incentives in order to partake in the corruption. The more control government officials have to regulate corporations the more corruption is likely to occur. If the probability of being caught or punished is low, people will tend to risk dealing with corruption. There are two approaches that must be taken to fight corruption, the first approach must be an institutional approach and the other must be a social approach. To begin an institutional reform towards corruption, Columbia must limit authority. Columbia has a questionable democratic government. With all the corruption going on, the polls could be altered. This is where the social approach comes into play later on. There most prominent branch is the executive branch. This supports the fact that Columbia’s authorities may have too much power. Privatization is believed to be able to reduce corruption by limiting the amount of government interaction with companies. In order to be successful there must be certain regulation put into place. The only problem with this approach is that it has already been taken by Columbia, and while it did improve corruption, it was not notable enough. Columbia has gone as far as privatizing its water supply and while it had many critics at first, it turned out to be a good decision by their part due to the correct regulations put into place. Other suggestions are to increase liberalization by reducing tariffs. This will lead to officials having less access to 1bribes. Competition among public services can also reduce corruption by eliminating monopoly type organizations. By increasing accountability, corruption can be decreased. Accountability includes stricter enforcement and easier detection mechanisms. Accountability can be increased through many ways. Freedom of information legislation can help. To better explain freedom of information legislation, and example would be the Ugandan government began posting prices for services and activities such as registering a car or starting a small business. This eliminates questionable pricing and increases transparency. Another tactic to increase transparency is to implement financial disclosure among government officials. This tactic makes government officials income and assets public. Some South American countries have already began this practice; countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Government expenditures and income can also be made public for transparency purposes. This way money won’t go missing and if it does the people will know; this is known as an open budget process. Legislative oversight can benefit Columbia greatly in terms of eliminating corruption. Since Columbia must give more power to its legislative branch rather than its executive branch. A recent example has been one of Columbia’s neighbors, Brazil. The congressional impeachment of President Fernando Collor de Mello demonstrated the strength of the legislative branch. The Brazilian senate has also set up a special committee to investigate potential fraud in selling government bonds. Columbia’s senate should take initiative and also set up some sort of committee to investigate corruption charges. These methods won’t completely eliminate corruption and none will come close to even making an impact if it’s the only method used but if they are combined corruption and decrease considerably. An incentive to avoid corruption would be stricter sanction. By increasing the severity of the punishments people face a higher risk factor when participating in corrupt actions, thus leading them to think twice about their actions. Sanctions may include but are not limited to minimum sentences for taking part in corrupt activities or denying public services for any entity offering bribes, this includes people or companies. Columbia was already on somewhat of a right track when it comes to strengthening their judicial branch’s power. In 1991 Alfonso Valdivieso was appointed attorney general. In Colombia the Attorney General cannot be dismissed or reappointed and he is given investigatory powers. Valdivieso gained world recognition for prosecuting high ranking drug lords and government officials. I would recommend Columbia to ask Valdivieso for help, knowing that he is a reliable source when it comes to corruption. He can’t be Attorney General again but if special unit is formed to combat corruption, he is definitely a guy that should be taken in mind. This concludes possible ways to avoid and reduce corruption from an institutional view point, reducing corruption from a social approach is rather different. The way people are raised and their surroundings affect their views on many things including corruption. If children are raised in a corrupt environment, they will view it not only acceptable but almost necessary. It’s a top down effect where government officials and corporation leaders are at the top. They must set an example for the public to look down on corruption and not endorse it. Public Relations Campaigns can be put into effect to better inform people on the consequences and harm done by corruption that is not too clear. Campaigns can be executed through mass media, community activities or school programs. A few key points that should be emphasized are the effect that corruption has on things such as public services, investments, and inequality. All of these aspects are affected in a negative way. Columbia’s unemployment rate is 11. 8% and its Gini index is 58. 5. These numbers could improve with by decreasing corruption but this fact isn’t evident to most of the population. If people feel like they have a say in the situation and can make a change, they will be more actively supportive. These campaigns should aim towards making people feel as if every little bit of help counts. In Argentina a non-government organization was formed to inform the public about corruption. The organization consists of television and radio ads. Another positive use of media to combat corruption is investigative journalism. Investigative journalism increase transparency greatly. It helps uncover corrupt officials and acts. The truth is what drives investigative journalism rather than just a story. Investigative journalism poses a threat of being exposed towards anyone that is participating in corrupt acts. It is a risky job due to the fact that people being uncovered may have a lot of power. Workshops should be set up to train such journalist. Countries such as Uganda and Tanzania have just that. In a country like Colombia with all the guerilla forces and drug cartels, this is a very important part to investigative journalism. Journalist run the risk of being targeted, so they must be careful and smart in the ways they go about reporting and accessing their findings. Lastly Columbia could search for outside help. Help can come from individual countries or organizations. Organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank could offer guidelines to help. Both organizations are pretty much powerless but they can help establish treaties that could improve anti-corruption efforts. Individual countries that wish to invest in Columbia could also take initiative and further influence Columbian anti-corruption movements. To recap corruption is mostly if not solely negative towards Columbia’s economic development. It makes Columbia look risky to outside investors hoping to make a Federal Direct Investment. Investors prefer stability rather than turmoil. Due to its geological position, Columbia has faced drug problems for a few decades now. In order to transport these drugs and grow them, bribery and corruption is needed. Columbian citizens and officials should notice that corruptions cons outweigh the pros when it comes to the Columbian economy as a whole. Officials must lead by example and the power of the executive branch should be reduced.

Against His Will :: Homosexuality Short Story Essays

Against His Will Imagine waking up every morning and looking in the mirror knowing that the reflection is only an illusion of one’s inner being. As soon as eighteen-year-old Brian Clark’s alarm clock goes off, prepping and primping will take place for the next hour-and-a-half. Regardless of school, work, rain, or shine, Brian always has to â€Å"dress to impress.† With his red tight shirt, blue fit jeans, black star belt, red shades, and perfectly gelled hair, Brian can now be seen in public. As a daily routine, Brian must do his â€Å"therapy† by looking in the mirror and chanting against his will, â€Å"I love you Brian. You are beautiful.† â€Å"Having to admit to yourself and your family that you are gay is the hardest thing you will ever have to do in your life.† When one enters Brian’s room the soothing aroma of men’s cologne, â€Å"cool water† fills the air. The immaculate, perfectly ordered room will catch a person’s eye. Neatly tacked to the wall, posters of Aaliyah, Josh Hartnet, and I Love Lucy draw one’s attention. Beautifully stacked and organized, fashion design magazines lie in the shelf by month and year. Picture frames sit proportioned next to each other on top of the dust-free desk. Brian’s closet is full of freshly pressed shirts and pants with the label â€Å"dry cleaning† on the bag. Although Brian shares a room with his little sister, Sarah, she chooses to live out of their closet and sleep in the living room. â€Å"After fighting over who gets the closet space and bathroom time, my sister decided to let me have the room to myself,† Brian states casually. â€Å"I feel bad at times, but I guess she realizes how tough it is for me to grow up gay. Let the best man win!† he declares with a great chuckle. For Brian, growing up and having to live a lie was painful, furthermore humiliating. â€Å"I have always known that I’m gay,† Brian states nonchalantly. â€Å"The moment I could logically think, I knew I was different.† Brian strokes the side of his hair with his fingers while stating, â€Å"All of my life I’ve felt like a girl inside. When I was little, if a person closed their eyes and listened to my voice they would have mistaken me for a girl.

The Poverty-stricken Youth of America

America has been described as a â€Å"melting pot†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a land full of diversity. With that diversity comes a full range of income levels and statuses of its inhabitants, from the very, very rich to the destitute. Ronald Taylor†s article entitled â€Å"African-American Youth: Their Social and Economic Status in the United States† focuses on the issue of polarization. Polarization occurs when an increase of the percentage of people in poverty coincides with an increase of the percentage of people with higher incomes. Fewer people are considered ‘middle class†, but are either rich or poor. This paper will focus on the poverty-stricken youth of America. How are today†s poor white and poor non-white youth alike? How do they differ? Sociologists and researchers have found evidence to justify both, and I hope to focus on major points for both issues. Whether you†re white, African-American, or Hispanic, poverty for today†s youth has many recurring themes. A recent article by Duncan and Brooks for The Education Digest points out some very discerning facts that face today†s poor youth. â€Å"Low Income is linked with a variety of poor outcomes for children, from low birth weight and poor nutrition in infancy to increased chances of academic failure, emotional distress, and unwed childbirth in adolescence.† (Duncan& Brooks, pg. 1). They also claim that low-income preschoolers show poorer cognitive and verbal skills because they are exposed to fewer toys, books, and other brain-stimulating items at home than their higher-income classmates. Low-income adolescents, in later years, will experience conflict between their economically stressed parents, as well as lower self-esteem than other teenaged children. An article from the Ojibwe News, a Native American Magazine, gives a startling statistic discovered by research analysts for the Minnesota Private College Research Foundation. They found that a child from a family earning $25,000 or less annually is only one-half as likely to enroll in college as a child from a family with an annual income of $50,000 or more. Both white and non-white youth in poverty experience a higher rate of teenage pregnancy, AIDS, and tend to live in single-parent homes. There are several differences that exist between white and non-white youth that live in poverty. Recent research for low-income youth has shown that the most important factor that contributes to the gap between employment rates of minority and white youth can be attributed to their social network. Three reasons were cited in lecture as to what lead to the declination of life chances among African-American youth in poverty. They are as follows: 1. â€Å"Affirmative Action† primarily helped better-educated, especially professional workers. 2. Relocation of industry to suburbs or abroad reduces â€Å"living wage† jobs for non-college educated. Lack of network contacts, plus continuing discrimination, puts minorities last in line. 3. Concentration of poverty in center cities. Higher income black families go to the suburbs for jobs. Therefore, loss of network contacts, community organizations, and the like. These reasons attribute to the starling fact that Black poverty rates and unemployment rates remain at approximately 3 times the white rate. Israel and Seeborg in their article entitled â€Å"The Impact of Youth Characteristics and Experiences on Transitions out of Poverty† state that â€Å"†¦being black increases the probability of exposure to adverse social and economic conditions (i.e. underclass environment)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which, in turn, reduces the chance that new generations can get out of poverty. This leads us to another point-if African-Americans experience the highest rates of teenage pregnancy, which perpetuates continuing generational poverty, will there ever be a time when African-American adolescents get out of poverty? It is not only African-Americans that feel a more pronounced state of poverty. The Ojibwe News, a native American newspaper, focuses on the plights of Native American youth in Minnesota, as well as statistical evidence of other minority students. â€Å"Divided We Fall: The Declining Chance for College Among Minnesota Youth From Low-Income Families and Communities of Color† is based upon information from the Census Bureau, the Minnesota Department of Education and other sources, and examined high school dropout and college participation rates and how they are affected by such socioeconomic factors as race, family income, and parental education (Laird, pg. 2). The Ojibwe News showed a strong correlation between education and earnings. Considering that the present funding system for public schools usually provides from two to five times as much money for wealthy school districts as for the poorest, and that whites are twice as likely to have good access to computers, it is no surprise that this correlation exists. According to projections by the Minnesota Department of Education, 62% of all black students and 56% of all Native American students who entered public high school in the fall of 1991 will drop out by 1995. Nearly 50% of Hispanic students and 21% of Asian students were projected to drop out as well. The rate for white students? Only 16%. The article also explains how those 18 to 24 year-old dependents with at least one parent who had completed four years of college were twice as likely to enroll in college than those peers who parents had no post-secondary education (Laird, pg. 1). In summary, there exist many similarities and differences between white youth and non-white youth in American cities. A recurring solution emphasized by researches and in lecture is the idea of socialization. By integrating poor minority and poor white students with their wealthier peers, as done in the Gautreaux program, the continuation of poverty can be decreased.

Did the Arabs Injustice Huntington?

Samuel Huntington is the author of the article entitled â€Å"The Clash of Civilizations? † which discusses or narrates concepts that explicates world politics. According to Huntington, international conflicts that concerns politics may be justified by rational arguments or issues that are left unresolved. However, Huntington reiterates that these particular conflicts are founded on underlying issues or matters that naturally lead to political conflicts – that is culture.According to Huntington, culture is threatening to divide nations instead of leading the way to support unity and oneness in handling international problems or issues, since culture is the primary source of irreconcilable differences and conflicts that do not provide opportunities for nations to meet in middle ground. As a means of representing concrete structures of culture, Huntingon has labeled seven civilizations being the Confucian, Hindu, Islamic, Japanese, Latin American, Slavic-Orthodox, and Wes tern. One may notice that Huntington left out the African populace as one of the identified civilizations.This is because Huntington was unsure about the state of the African nation, that is, whether it meets the standards and guidelines of development that is attributed to a mindful and responsive civilization. The classification of Huntington of the world population into civilizations was primary influenced by prominent religious affiliations that are a major identifier of culture. Personally, I would have to agree with Huntington on this matter, since I sincerely believe that cultural affiliations among individuals are largely influenced by the religious beliefs that they share.Huntington believes that the strong ties of individuals to their culture and religion which grants them a sense of self or identity as an individual and as a nation, is difficult to break apart when it comes to promoting rational politics and relations that necessitates the disregard of personal worldviews as directed by a civilization’s culture. However, Huntington’s establishment of seven civilizations has also been a source of contradicting information that he has presented in his article since the classification of civilizations is complicated and inconsistent.Moreover, Huntington mentioned that differences between people, as supported by his theory of the seven civilizations in the world, do not necessarily mean that there will be conflict, and conflict does not necessarily mean that it will lead to violence. However, the gist of Huntington’s article clearly displays how differences, particularly in culture and religion, is the primary cause of conflict and violence around the world as he studied the Cold War and the succeeding world events after it.These contradicting thoughts that Huntington shared in his work, he also contradicted by stating how culture and religion are two important factors in promoting unity. In this case, Huntington mentioned how non-A rab Muslims were able to unite as one despite differences of culture and religion and through shared culture and religion. Upon the establishment of the seven civilizations, Huntington continued to discuss various historical evidences that support his claim. This particular issue led to the discussion of the politics between the Arabs and the West which raised violent reactions from the former.Huntington wrote that at present time, the major players in world politics are the West and the Arab nation. Despite internal clashes between different factions or minority groups within the Arab nations, Huntington believes that in the end, it will still find a way to reconcile differences among them and be counter-reactive to the West. Although the statements of Huntington caused a stir within the Arab nation, I believe that Huntington was not pressing violent, hateful, derogatory, or discriminatory issues against the Arab nation.Huntington magnified his discussion on the issue between the A rabs and the West since it is the current international issue or problem – the power struggle between the two civilizations which people often hear in the news. Although majority of Huntington’s arguments were based on theories, I believe that everything he said were reflective of the current situations, straying away from the assumption that he wrote the article to present his prejudiced or biased sentiments against the Arab nation.His article was based on decades of historical evidences that created an obvious pattern relaying motivations of war in the past, which was further supported by the 9/11 incident that led to the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York. Huntington was simply observant and articulates enough to present a logical explanation of countless conflicts between nations, which may or may not have some truth to it. Frankly, I believe that major truths are embedded within theories, especially those that lend themselves to conspiratorial issues.Setti ng my personal opinions aside, Huntington’s criticisms of other civilization validates the fact that he was not anti-Arab, but simple a man who wanted to illustrate world politics under a cultural context. Huntington criticized the immorality and hypocrisy of the West, stating how the Western civilization has achieved its superiority over other civilizations due to its mindful submission to organized violence in order to achieve its goals and objectives. Moreover, Huntington reiterates that the West does not promote universalism but rather act for world domination.Moreover, Huntington believes that Christian views which originated from the West could not have influenced numerous people around the world if Christians had not come into contact with individuals from the East. Huntington then criticized Western Christianity; and then continued to criticize Western Europe. According to Huntington, some of the concepts of politics and economics claimed by the Western Civilization, particularly Western Europe, did not actually originate from it but from non-Western civilizations in other parts of the world.In general, Huntington’s article was a seemingly balanced representation of his theories on how international conflicts, then and now, were products of cultural and religious differences. The criticisms he posed were not one-sided, attacking the Middle East or the West, or any other civilization for that matter, solely. In fact, Huntington’s theories were open discussions and arguments about the Arab and Western perspectives. Huntington acknowledged how the West is trying to portray a super power estate that works to promote unity, solidarity, democracy, diplomacy, peace, and such.This, he identified as the Western perspective. However, Huntington argued that the West’s interests are politically motivated, geared toward staying in power and obtaining control of the majority populations. On one hand, Huntington discussed how the Arab popu lations are trying to overthrow the influence of the West in their land, moving them to resort to threats and violence toward non-Arab and Western nations. For Huntington, the Arab perspective is just patterned after the â€Å"us-versus-them† mentality.

What Beauty Means to Me Essay Example

What Beauty Means to Me Essay Example What Beauty Means to Me Essay What Beauty Means to Me Essay People today base too much emphasis on looks. If someone doesn’t fit the criteria for what we believe should be the â€Å"perfect† man or woman then they are not fully accepted. Appearances can very easily help someone get a job, out of a ticket, special treatment at restaurants, and many more things. A lot of people have mistaken beauty for what is accepted by the â€Å"celebrity† world. For many women what society sees as acceptable and pleasing influences their everyday lives. So many women result to changing how they look through surgery and other procedures. If our society as a whole could change how they view woman and what is socially acceptable I think many woman would be healthier, happier, and overall better. Our media for the most part has an extreme affect on how women look at themselves. In magazines, television, and books there is always the images or words referring to the â€Å"perfect† woman. The â€Å"perfect† woman in today’s society is thin and has no flaws; she probably has a plastic, Barbie doll face, and the perfect measurements. It seems that if you don’t fit these criteria you aren’t as easily accepted as someone who does. When it comes to a new job, a woman may be rejected because of a â€Å"better† looking woman who may not even have the qualifications as the other woman. Personally, I have seen this first-hand. My current workplace is searching for a new manager. They refuse to hire a single man or even one who is very good-looking because they are afraid that they will mix business with pleasure. In the past they have had a couple different managers who have dated or had sexual contact with their employees. Once incident even included breaking up a marriage that brought some unnecessary negativity in the restaurant. So to avoid all of this they opted to hire a married man who has is not quite as attractive and seems to be very loyal to his wife, being married for twelve years. So many women today are changing how they look to more socially accepted. Bigger breasts, smaller noses, flatter stomachs, and many other things. Paglia states in her essay, â€Å"Good surgery discovers and reveals personality; ad surgery obscures or distorts it. † This has been proven to be very true. There are a few celebrities out there with good plastic surgery, for example, Ashlee Simpson. Simpson had a nose job which turned out to define her face better making her appear happier with herself. Then there is bad surgery, like Tara Reid, who had a bad breast augmentation leaving horrible scars and also having lumpy liposuction. For a woman, like Reid, in their early thirties, there is no reason to surgic ally change one’s self so much. She did however make herself look worse trying to conform to society’s preference. There is such a thing as good plastic surgery, but only to enhance what is already yours and brings out your personality, not make you someone completely different. If we, society as a whole, could grasp the concept that beauty is different for all women; it comes in every shape, form, and color. If more celebrities could make peace with themselves then maybe normal everyday women could learn to also respect who they are and love themselves for what they have been given. Not every woman can be a size four, large breasts, tall, tan, perfect face or whatever the case may be. Each woman should look at themselves and know they are beautiful, not what is beautiful to some individuals. It’s so unhealthy to do such drastic things to their bodies, like repeatedly plastic surgery, yo-yo dieting, and trying â€Å"new† things doctors come up. I think if the media could help us change then more woman could be happy with who they naturally are.

7 Nudges to Work Into Your Query Letters

7 Nudges to Work Into Your Query Letters Nudges are psychological levers that can be used to help influence and persuade people because they work with the way our minds are wired. Here are some common nudges you can work into your query letters and project submissions Nudge Theory  is a branch of economics designed to help us all make better decisions Nudges are widely used in social policy and the corporate world now, to help people make better choices in everything from pensions to well-being.  Richard Thaler, one of the developers of nudge theory, won the Nobel Prize for Economics last year. For example, we tend to take the path of least resistance when it comes to decision-making and will, as a rule, opt for the default option. For this reason, its suggested that state pension schemes and organ donation policies should be opt-out rather than opt-in. Marketers have long used many a wide range of nudges and are finding new ways to nudge people towards sales all the time. Fear of missing out (FOMO), social proof, upselling and product placement are all examples of marketing nudges in action. Here are some nudges that you can work into your query letters when trying to sell your work to editors, agents, and publishers Authority.  We have a natural tendency to defer to people who position themselves as experts. If you have written a book about a particular country or historical period, the amount of research or subject-matter knowledge or traveling that you can bring to bear will add authority to your submission. Mentioning other titles that you have published, or writers who have recommended you, or competitions you have placed are all badges of authority too. Ease.  The easier something looks to read, the more likely it will get read. Your recipient is a busy person, so get to the point in clear, direct sentences, and dont bombard them with unnecessary information. Set out your letter in a scannable, user-friendly style, with short paragraphs and bullets and bold to highlight key points. Less is more! Social proof.  We have a natural tendency to follow the herd, which is why businesses love testimonials and case studies. Any evidence you have of the popularity of your work is worth mentioning here – perhaps you have a story that is very popular with your writers group, or you had successfully published pieces on a similar topic before, or achieved rankings in an Amazon category, or have grown a strong social media following. Mention anything that shows you have the makings of a tribe, and you will be that bit harder to ignore. Reciprocity.  Giving to get is another powerful lever. In exchange for having your work considered, you might offer a free report or access to other useful material you have published. Or you could offer to provide some sample work for free. The content agency I work for often does this – its a move that shows confidence and gives a prospect something for nothing, while also giving us an opportunity to showcase what we can do. Affinity.  Its hard to say no to people we like. An engaging letter thats respectful of your recipients time, with courtesy, a touch of humor and some personality can often go a long way to getting that first foot in the door. Objection-handling.  A subtle but often very effective nudge is to call out some of the objections that people might have to your idea and explaining why theyre wrong. Idea been done before? Yes, but not from this angle. Not a normal way to approach the theme? Well, no, but then again it worked for book x or film y. This kind of thinking inspires confidence because it shows that you have thought hard about the market context. Priming/topicality.  Look for topics related to your work that are in the news. Making connections with whats happening currently will add a sense of urgency and relevance to your work. If your work has some thematic similarities with other works coming out around the same time, make the most of that too: editors sometimes like the reassurance/excitement of feeling that they are part of a burgeoning trend Final thought:  Dont overdo it and stay yourself Nudges are an interesting and often a very effective way to pitch work more impactfully. But as with any persuasive technique, if the effect feels too forced or too overdone, it can easily backfire. No one wants to feel manipulated, after all. Its probably best to focus on one or two areas that work best for you and your work. If youd link to find out more about nudges, this is a good place to start (https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/glossary/nudges/).

Community revitalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Community revitalization - Essay Example 2008: 15-20) Additionally, renovation and conservation of old buildings have contributed to the growth of infrastructure in this town and a higher economic growth is expected in the near future. The revitalization in New York is supported by several federal agencies and the state. The state and federal agencies contributing to economic development organize service provision according to regions; examples include the federal Economic Development Administration, the Thruway Authority and Canal Corporation, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and districts defined by the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, the Governor’s Office of Small Cities, the Department of Agriculture and Markets, and the Empire State Development Corporation and its Division of Marketing, Advertising and Tourism. This is the same case in Dubai who has really invested much in the architectural structures, Dubai's recoveri ng property market is aiding to improvement of the economy once again after several years as a dead weight on growth (according to government report). The emirate's recovering property market - collective with a solid show in trade, manufacturing, transport and finance - lifted the emirate's GDP to more than 4 per cent in only one quarter of a year. Both property and construction contributed around 21% of Dubai's growth in the first quarter; this is second only to wholesale and retail trade, which accounted for 28 per cent of the expansion (this is according to a report from the Dubai Economic Council). New York has been going through widespread restructuring for nearly two decades as it transitions from dependency on traditional manufacturing to a more diversified economic base featuring strong service, tourism, and technology sectors. This has significantly attracted many tourists in the New York City and also attracted more investors. This has greatly been facilitated by the cent ral government who is willing to support. This is the same case in Dubai which because of its architectural strength has become a destination to every tourist in the world. Substantial resources and various organizations dedicated to economic development have been set up at local, county, regional, and state-wide levels, using a blend of proven and innovative strategic techniques. Definitely, any inventiveness which duplicates existing efforts risks increasing the system’s inefficiency by adding to its complexity Harness existing tourism, industrial, agricultural, and community improvement assets in the service of economic growth that reinforces the region’s sense of place. The Commission’s approach to heritage development also seek to identify and support the interests of all concerned by leveraging the Corridor’s wealth of historic, cultural, natural, and recreational resources for economic purposes without degrading these assets(." Brookings Papers on Economic Activity 22 Mar. 2008: 15-20) Brennan (Para. 1) has noted an enormous investment in new buildings in the New York City with more than 700 construction projects coming up in this city. In the year 2013, most of these projects have started and ground breaking has taken place for most of them while others are already under construction. Back in 2012, the $20.5 billion worth