Helping Others

Helping others can be very rewarding and beneficial to both parties. After going to the Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting and Our Community Place (OCP), I have realized the benefits of helping others and I have gained new perspectives on others. While I was there I met some very interesting people that might not have the best lives but they know how to make the best of what they have. I felt like I gained some knowledge and insight on different things and it made me feel good to help them out.In my lifetime I feel as though I have overcome many obsticles and accomplished many goals and as I looked around at others that were less fortunate than me I became even more thankful and more willing to help others. It made me feel good to see others happier and to make their day and things a little better. On Sunday night my roommate and I went to the Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting in a building downtown Harrisonburg called the Club with my friend Joseph. The place did not look like a club where you party at but it looked like just a normal building with a lot of cars there.If you drove by you would not know that it was an Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting location. When I first went in I did not expect to see that there were so many normal people in there. This place seems like a place that you have to go to when you are in trouble and have nothing else to do. There was a range of people from my age to elderly people. The people that looked like they had the most trouble were the older people and the younger ones were in there because they might have been more curious of what goes on in the meetings. The open meetings are a place where anyone can go to get help or support others.I went with my friend for support and to gain knowledge about the truth behind alcoholism and to see what it’s like in real life versus the movies and television. It was very different from what I expected. I wasn’t expecting such real problems and people in the situations. I feel like in rea l life people don’t go through all these bad things due to that I see it happen so much in everyday life that everyone lives as actors and goes home to a normal life and not this sad, difficult problem. The largest part of the meeting was support orientated and sharing stories, struggles and success.I got to hear how they got there and what they are doing to stay strong. The stories that were told were confidential and very heart breaking. It made alcohol seem like such a controlling substance that can become deadly if used too much or in large amounts at one time. Alcohol is never seen as being bad or controlling until people start binge drinking and it gets out of hand and we need help. I feel that if college kids would listen to some of the situations and the real struggles of others then they would feel less obligated to get drunk all the time.Some of these people have hit rock bottom and you could see who they really were and the struggles they went through. There were m any different stories on how they got to where they were and what pushed them to go the right way. Some were their kids and families or someone who took the time to help them and show them things could get better. There were a few parents there that wanted more information about how the kids in this generation were abusing alcohol so they knew what to look for in their own children. This type of meeting for the community is very helpful due to that everything is confidential and you can get help for free.I feel like if I could change something about the meeting is making it so that you don’t have to say your name in the beginning because it makes people seem insecure about themselves. Our community Center us a place for those to go who could need help in a variety of ways. Some see it as a church or a counseling center. It is a place to go for enjoyment and help. They provide food and exercising as well as plays, activities or talent shows. The shelter is a place for homeless people in the city and a place for them to pray and seek religious insight.The leader of the OCP is Ron Copland and is a great supporter and motivator for this shelter. He wants everyone to feel closer and equal. He has had many great ideas to make this place a successful shelter and made him a respectable leader and achiever. He is extremely dedicated and spends most of his time and money into this volunteer only facility. He is a very inspirational man and has done so much in his lifetime to help others that time I was there I wanted to help and show my gratitude and respect for all he has done. He is a wonderful man and he has succeeded in life.The OCP is a group that uses caring experiences and working together to help others. Recovering alcoholics and current alcoholics come here to work together and keep busy while trying to get over their problem. They use agriculture and other jobs to show them how to move on and work together. They use a program called OCM which is our com munity works. They learn to work with each other versus doing it all alone. The center does many activities and programs to get everyone involved and help them run these programs and volunteers like my self help keep this wonderful place in the right direction.When I went to the center there was a talent show. Everyone there had a job to do for the show to be put on. They were people from little kids to older adults and they all worked together like they were best friends who know each other forever. OCP is an effective program that is steadily spreading to more individuals. It brings not only people without homes together but those people of the community. It makes us thankful for what we have and realize they are real people. We don’t see homeless people we see every day plain-Jane citizens.We see our community in new light. Each Program had its own approach to the problem at hand. The alcoholics anonymous meeting was depressing and awkward. People were sad and uncomfortabl e and no one sounded like they wanted to be there. The OCP was much more upbeat and happy. I feel that it is a much better way to get over alcoholism. It gives you activities to keep your mind off drinking and keeps you happy. I would rather forget about a drink than talk about it in an awkward group meeting. I think MR.Copland was onto something when he opened the OCP. But just like any idea it may not work for everyone. Both of these situations have shown me another side of the tracks. Both community programs help others and have me a different perspective on alcoholics and their situations. Hearing their stories was very sad and I could not imagine what they go through. Mr. Copland and his hard work made me inspired to work to help others. He has helped so many people and it felt good to show people that they are equal and can get their problems taken care of.

Case Study: Impact of Mining

PFII/2007/WS. 3/7 Original: English UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS Division for Social Policy and Development Co-organizers Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Government of Khabarovsk Krai and the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) INTERNATIONAL EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT KHABAROVSK, RUSSIAN FEDERATION AUGUST 27. -29, 2007 Case Study on the Impacts of Mining and Dams on theEnvironment and Indigenous Peoples in Benguet, Cordillera, Philippines Paper by CORDILLERA PEOPLES ALLIANCE I. Background Land and People of Benguet The Cordillera region in Northern Luzon, Philippines, is homeland to more than 1 million indigenous peoples belonging to at least 8 distinct ethnic groups collectively known as Igorots. Two of these ethnic groups, the Ibaloy and the Kankanaey, are found in the province of Benguet, which occupies 265,538 hectares of the Cordillera r egion’s total land area of 1. million hectares. The Ibaloy people live in the southeastern portion, occupying 8 of the province’s 13 towns. The Kankanaey, meanwhile dominate the northeast areas of Benguet. Benguet’s fertile land along the rivers and gold ore in the mountains saw the emergence of distinct villages engaged in various economic activities. Gold mining communities rose in the gold-rich areas in Itogon, while gold-trading villages were established along strategic mountain passes and trails. Rice-growing villages emerged in the river valleys.Swidden farming combined with gold panning in the streams and rivers. Land ownership among the Ibaloy and Kankanaey is traditionally recognized by prior occupation, investment of labor and permanent improvements on the land, specifically irrigation systems and retaining stonewalls of the ricefields. The community shares access rights to the forests, rivers, and creeks, and the fruits of these lands and waters are o pen to those who gathered them. [1] Entry of mining, construction of dams Mining has a long history in the Philippines.Small scale mining has been practiced by Philippine peoples for at least ten centuries, and large scale mining by foreign as well as Filipino firms for about a century. Little is known, though, about mining prior to the coming of the Spanish colonialists in the 16th century. [2] Corporate mining in Benguet started during the Spanish colonial period when Spanish businessmen secured a mining concession from the Igorots in Mancayan and launched the operations of the Sociedad Minero-Metalurgica Cantabro-Filipina de Mancayan in 1856. This mine eventually closed down.When the Americans arrived in the 1900s, they entered into contracts with local families to file legal claims to mineral-bearing land. These claims were later used by American prospectors to create the mining companies that would dominate the mining industry in Benguet. These were Benguet Corporation, Atok Bi g Wedge, Itogon-Suyoc Mines and Lepanto Consolidated. [3] In the 1950s, the Agno River in Benguet was tapped as a source of hydropower. The first dam to be built along the Agno River was the Ambuklao Dam, followed by the Binga Dam.Twelve (12) other run-of-river mini-hydros, all privately operated, were also built in other parts of Benguet. In the 1980s, widespread people’s resistance forced the Marcos government and the World Bank to give up its plans for major dam projects in the region. However, the Ramos government took advantage of the energy crisis in the 1990s and initiated with Japanese funding, the construction of the San Roque Multipurpose Project. The San Roque dam is the third dam to be built along the Agno River, located in the boundary between Benguet and Pangasinan province of Central Luzon. 4] II. Mining Operations, Dams and Impacts on the Indigenous Peoples of Benguet Mines and Dams Present in Benguet The province of Benguet has hosted 14 mining companies sinc e corporate mining started in 1903. Some of these mines have closed down while others have continued. Presently operating in Benguet are two large mines using high technology for large-scale mineral extraction. These are the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (operating for 70 years) and the Philex Mining Corporation (operating since 1955).Benguet Corporation, the oldest mining company in the country, abandoned its operations in 1997 after mining for almost a century. The abandoned open pit mine site, underground tunnels, waste dump sites, mill, diversion tunnels and tailings dams in Itogon still remain today. The company now has ongoing contract mining arrangements with small scale miners. Itogon-Suyoc mines closed down in 1997, but is now negotiating with foreign investors to reopen its mines. In addition, new mining explorations and applications are now coming into other parts of Benguet with renewed efforts by the government to invite foreign investments.These applications of v arious kinds, numbering 138, are found in all 13 municipalities of the province covering 147,618. 9 hectares or 55. 7% of the province’s total land area. This figure is aside from the area already covered by past and existing mines. Thus we have a situation where most of the total land area of Benguet is covered by past, ongoing and future mining operations. Accompanying mining operations is the construction of tailings dams needed to contain the mine wastes. These tailings dams were built across the river beds in various parts of Benguet.However, most tailings dams are not leak proof and have not been strong enough to withstand torrential currents during the typhoon season, and the major earthquake that rocked Northern Luzon in 1990. Through the years, tailings dams in Benguet have proved incapable of containing the volume of tailings that came from the mills. Time and again, these tailings have breached their dams. Benguet Corporation constructed 5 tailings dams. Lepanto ha s 5 tailings dams, 2 of which collapsed. Philex has 3 tailings dams, 2 of which collapsed in 1992 and 1994. In 2001, tailings breached another Philex dam.Itogon-Suyoc has 1 tailings dam that collapsed in 1994. Thus we have a situation where burst, broken, weak and leaking tailings dams dot the major river systems of the province – the Abra River, Agno River, Antamok River and Bued River. Another concern is the series of three mega hydroelectric dams built along the Agno River – the Ambuklao, Binga and San Roque dams – that block the river flow to generate electricity. The power generated by these dams has gone to supply the power needs of the mining companies as well as the overall power demand of the Luzon Grid.However, Ambuklao and Binga dams are dying and no longer fully operational, crippled by the voluminous silt that has accumulated in the reservoirs, upstream and beyond. The San Roque dam, which has the generating capacity of 345 megawatts, is now generat ing only 18 megawatts. Impacts of Mines and Dams The combination of mines and dams in Benguet has had devastating impacts on the environment and on the Kankanaey and Ibaloy people in the province. These impacts have not only caused serious environmental destruction and suffering for the affected communities, but have also violated the collective rights of the indigenous peoples.As proven by the experience of the Benguet indigenous peoples, large-scale corporate mining and dams destroy, pollute, disrupt agricultural economies, and displace indigenous peoples. 1. Land destruction, subsidence and water loss Corporate mining in Benguet is done by surface mining as well as underground tunneling and block caving. Also significant are other surface excavations by the mining companies for the installation of facilities, such as portals for deep mining, lumber yards, ore trains, mills, tailings ponds, power houses, mine administration offices, and employee housing. 5] Open pit mining is the most destructive as it requires removing whole mountains and excavation of deep pits. Generally, open pits need to be very big – sometimes more than 2. 5 kilometres long. In order to dig these giant holes, huge amounts of earth need to be moved, forests cleared, drainage systems diverted, and large amounts of dust let loose. According to the Benguet Corporation, â€Å"Any open-pit mining operation, by the very nature of its method, would necessarily strip away the top soil and vegetation of the land. [6] Sure enough, open-pit mining in Itogon by Benguet Corporation has removed whole mountains and entire villages from the land surface. After exhausting the gold ore, the open pit in Itogon is now abandoned as the company has shifted to other economic ventures like water privatization. Not known to many, Philex also practices open pit mining in Camp 3, Tuba, Benguet, presently affecting 98 hectares of land. The affected area is continuously expanding as the open pit mine operat ions of Philex continue. The land damage has displaced homes and communities and caused the people to lose their lands.Meanwhile, underground block-caving operations by Philex and Lepanto have induced surface subsidence and ground collapse. In Mankayan, where Lepanto is operating, the land surface in populated areas is sinking, causing damage to buildings, farms and property. In July 1999, Pablo Gomez, a villager in Mankayan, was killed when he was suddenly swept away in a landslide along with the Colalo Primary School building. 71 million cubic feet of earth gave way beneath him, covering and destroying 14 hectares of farming land. [7]Aside from land subsidence, the water tables have also subsided as deep mining tunnels and drainage tunnels disrupt groundwater paths. Tunneling often leads to a long-term lowering of the water table. In 1937, a disaster hit Gumatdang, Itogon’s oldest rice-producing village. Atok-Big Wedge drove in two gigantic tunnels on opposite sides of the village, immediately draining the water from its most abundant irrigation sources. In 1962, Benguet Corporation drove in another drainage tunnel that stretched between its Kelly mine in Gumatdang and its mines in Antamok.Instead of just draining water from the mines, the tunnel drained the water from a major irrigation source, drying up ricefields. Ventilation shafts have also drawn water away from surface streams, irrigation canals, and pondfields. In addition, the felling of timber to shore up underground tunnels has denuded surrounding watersheds, aggravating water loss. [8] Not only does mining cause water subsidence, it also deprives farming communities of much-needed water. The industry requires large volumes of water for mining, milling and waste disposal.Mining companies have privatized numerous natural water sources in Itogon and Mankayan for the purpose. Now, the people in many mining-affected communities have to buy water for drinking and domestic use from outside sources through water delivery trucks, or by lining up for hours in the few remaining water sources to fill up a gallon of water. 2. Pollution of Water and Soil Open-pit and underground bulk mining by Philex in Tuba and Lepanto in Mankayan generate ore and tailings at a rate of up to 2,500 metric tons per mine per day. 9] Toxic mine tailings are usually impounded in tailings dams. However, when pressure in the tailings dams builds up, especially during times of heavy rainfall, the mining companies drain their tailings dams of water or face the risk of having the dams burst or collapse. In either case, the tailings eventually find their way out, polluting the water and silting up the rivers and adjacent lands. People of Mankayan remember the Abra River before the mine. It was deep and narrow, just 5 meters wide, full of fish and surrounded by verdant rice paddies.Now there is a wide gorge of barren land on either side of the polluted river. Fruit trees and animals have died from the poisone d water and rice crops are stunted. [10] When Lepanto started operations in 1936, the company dumped mine tailings and waste straight into the river. It was only in the 1960’s that the first tailings dam was built. The dam was abandoned after less than 10 years and the land became unsuitable for agriculture. Tailings dam 2 was constructed in the 1970s. Its collapse caused the contamination of nearby ricefields.Tailings Dam 3 and a diversion tunnel gave way in 1986 during a strong typhoon. Another spillway collapsed after a typhoon in 1993. The spilled tailings encroached on riverbanks and destroyed ricefields downstream. They also caused the riverbed to rise and the polluted water to backflow into other tributaries of the Abra River. [11] An Environmental Investigative Mission (EIM) in September 2002 indictaed that heavy metal content (lead, cadmium and copper) was elevated in the soil and waters downstream from the Lepanto mine.Water samples from the Abra River were found to have low level pH (acidic) capable of solubilizing heavy metals. One resident who used gravel taken from the Mankayan River for construction of his house reported that the steel bar reinforcements were corroded after a few months. The same EIM report revealed dissolved oxygen readings at the CIP Mill Outlet and at Tailings Dam 5A to be below 2 mg/L. Aquatic life cannot survive in conditions where dissolved oxygen is below 2 mg/L.Sulfuric acid is also believed to be the cause of the â€Å"rotten eggs† smell that residents report when mine tailings are released into the Mankayan River during heavy rainfall. Another concern is the high amount of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) found at various points of the Mankayan River downstream from Tailings Dam 5A. [12] Abandoned mine sites like Benguet Corporation and Itogon-Suyoc Mines in Itogon have long-term damaging impacts on rivers and their surrounding fields because of the build up of acidic mine wat er.Acid mine drainage comes from both surface and underground mine workings, waste rock, tailings piles and tailings ponds. [13] Pollution of this kind can continue long after a mine is closed or abandoned, and the water that leaches into the ecosystem is frequently acidic, killing rivers and posing health risks to local communities. [14] 3. Siltation Siltation of rivers is a serious problem in Benguet resulting from mining operations and dam construction. The Ambuklao and Binga dams are stark examples of the detrimental impacts of siltation and megadams on rivers.The steadily rising level of silt in the dam reservoirs and along the Agno River upstream of the dams is covering a wider and wider area around the dams and continues to destroy more and more rice fields. In the case of the Ambuklao dam, the communities of Bangao and Balacbac were located far above the predicted water level of the dam and 17 kilometers away from the predicted edge of the reservoir. These two communities ar e now inundated because of the rising water level and accumulation of silt upstream along the Agno River. Government authorities dismiss the increasing siltation as a natural phenomenon.However, the Ibaloy people know that the dams are the real culprit. The farmlands and communities were never affected by silt before the dams were built despite storms and earthquakes. The dams blocked the free flow of water and silt down to the lowlands. Silt deposits built up in the dam reservoir and blocked oncoming silt that receded backwards upstream, swamping and inundating all farmlands and communities within reach. [15] In the case of the Philex, a tailings dam collapsed in 1992, releasing some 80 million tons of tailings and causing heavy siltation in the irrigation system downstream.The company paid Php5 million to the affected farmers. Again, during a typhoon in 2001, another tailings dam of Philex collapsed. Ricefields in San Manuel and Binalonan, Pangasinan, were buried in toxic silt a m eter deep. This time, Philex refused to admit responsibility for the disaster putting the blame on nature. [16] In the case of Lepanto, the downstream impact of tailings disposal is that along a 25-kilometer stretch of the Abra River, some 465 hectares of riceland have been washed out. [17] Further, Lepanto’s claim that Tailings Dam 5A is actually helping to contain siltation is deceiving.The high level of TDS and TSS from the CIP Mill Outlet up to Tailings Dam 5A indicates that the silt originates from company operations and is not due to natural siltation. [18] 4. Serious health problems due to water, soil and air pollution Contamination of water, soil and air contributes to increased toxic build-up in people’s bodies. Asthma and other respiratory problems often affect local communities as well as mine workers. When people’s health deteriorates, their ability to work and earn money is reduced even further. The old and the young are particularly vulnerable. [19 ]In 1985, a copper ore dryer was installed by Lepanto. The copper dryer affected the 3 barangays of Paco, Colalo and Cabiten in Mankayan. Local residents complained of abnormal withering of crops, sickness and death of domestic animals and high incidence of respiratory ailments. The company was forced to close down the dryer in the face of people’s opposition. [20] The most common symptoms felt by residents of Mankayan who have inhaled chemical fumes emanating from the mine are: headache, dizziness, cough, chest pain, nasal and eye irritation. Other symptoms reported are itching of the skin, rashes and diarrhea.Some residents report that wounds take longer to heal when exposed to the water of the Abra River. Because of past adverse reactions, people avoid contact with the river water. They do not allow children to bathe in the river. Nor do they let their animals drink from it. Incidence of cancer is a cause for further study as it is among the top 3 causes of mortality in so me affected communities. [21] Women are primarily responsible for maintaining the health of the family and the community. As such, women have to carry the burden of ill health arising from environmental destruction and pollution due to mining operations.At the height of the open pit mine and mill in Itogon, some pregnant women suffered miscarriage, while others experienced diseases of the skin, respiratory tract and blood when exposed to toxic fumes emanating from the mill. The drying up of natural water sources in another contributory factor in the poor health and sanitation in the community. [22] 5. Loss of Flora, Fauna, Biodiversity, and food insecurity The drainage area of the Abra River is home to about 1689 species of plants belonging to 144 families, including 177 species of orchids in 47 genera. More than half (51. %) of the plants found within the area are classified as endemics with 60. 7% of all the orchids classified as such. Benguet has the highest plant species diversi ty within the river basin area compared to other provinces. The EIM conducted in September 2002 noted gross differences between the waterways located directly below the Lepanto mining operations and tributaries originating from sources elsewhere. When the company started a fishpond in March 2001, all the fingerlings died after only 4 days. Aquatic organisms like udang (shrimp) and igat (eel) are reportedly becoming rare.Residents observed fish disease and deformities, aside from a drop in the fish catch. Fishkills occur every rainy season, attributed to the release of water from the tailings dams by the company. The loss in aquatic life is a major change in the life support system of the communities who rely on the river for daily food. Not only are livelihood sources affected, but so is the general biodiversity damaged, causing breakdowns in the food web. Once-common birds and tree species have disappeared. Among the bird species reported now to be rarely seen are: pagaw, tuklaw an d kannaway.Trees such as the kamantires and burbala were also identified to be no longer in significant quantities. [23] 6. Dislocation of Indigenous People from Ancestral Land and Traditional Livelihoods Large-scale corporate mining and dams have dislocated the indigenous Kankanaey and Ibaloy people from their ancestral lands and traditional livelihoods. Dams have caused the loss of ancestral lands to inundation and siltation. Descendants of families displaced by dams have been reduced to illegal occupants in the dam’s watershed areas or settlers in land owned by others.Mining patents granted by the government to mining companies have denied indigenous communities of their rights to ownership and control over their ancestral lands and resources. In terms of livelihood, mining concessions have taken over lands used by indigenous peoples for their traditional livelihoods – ricefields, vegetable gardens, swiddens, hunting and grazing livestock. Rice fields along riverban ks have been damaged by siltation. Garden cultivators have lost their crops to surface subsidence. Traditional small scale miners have lost their pocket mines and gold panning sites to the big mines and dams.Some communities have lost entire mountainsides, burial sites and hunting grounds to ground collapse and deep open pits. Traditional fishing is no longer possible in polluted rivers, replaced by commercial fishponds in dam reservoirs. An additional impact is the violation of the collective rights of the indigenous Kankanaey and Ibaloy people of their collective rights to self-determination and cultural integrity as they are displaced from the land and community that is the basis of their continued existence and identity.III. People’s Alternatives People’s alternatives to corporate mining and dams and indigenous systems of sustainable resource utilization and management can be found in indigenous communities in the Cordillera. The Ibaloy and Kankanaey people of Beng uet continue to practice traditional small-scale mining till today. Traditional methods of pocket-mining and gold panning are crude but environment-friendly and have been passed down through generations since the 16th century.Small-scale mining is a community affair and access to resources is defined by customary laws, characterized by equitable sharing, cooperation and community solidarity. Men, women, children and the elderly each have a role to play in the extraction and processing of the ore. They extract only enough gold to meet their basic necessities and receive their share of the gold based on an equitable sharing system. However, as communities are deprived of their land and resources, these traditional small-scale mining methods and positive values are now under threat of vanishing.An alternative source of energy are microhydro dams as opposed to megadams. The experience of the micro-hydro project (MHP) of the Chapyusen Mangum-uma Organization (CMO) in the Cordillera prove s the viability of a community-based and community-owned power system to provide energy for lighting, rice milling, sugar pressing, blacksmithing and carpentry. The MHP has built up the people’s capacity to develop their own local resources while ensuring affordable access of poor households to electricity.It also became an opportunity for the people to improve their organization by participating in all phases of project implementation. The observance of ubfo or the traditional system of labor exchange in community mobilization has had a positive outcome by restoring traditional cooperative practices and the free utilization and exchange of individual skills towards a common objective. [24] IV. Recommendations The experience of the Kankanaey and Ibaloy people brings to a fore the need for changes in the development paradigm and policies affecting indigenous peoples.The following recommendations, arising from various reports and fact-finding missions, are forwarded for conside ration by the United Nations, by international financial institutions, mining and dam companies and national governments: 1. The international community should develop minimum standards for the protection of the environment and human rights that are binding on all countries and companies, based on the highest existing standards, and with effective monitoring and sanctions imposed on the offending parties, be it the national government, funding institutions, or the companies. . There exists the Akwe:Kon voluntary guidelines, developed under the Convention of Biological Diversity, for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact assessments regarding developments proposed to take place on, or which are likely to impact on sacred sites and on lands and waters traditionally occupied or used by indigenous and local communities.These guidelines should be made binding rather than voluntary and could be adopted as a minimum standard by international financial institutions and na tional governments when implementing development projects affecting indigenous peoples. 3. Countries that are home to transnational companies should enact legislation that will require those companies to operate using the same standards wherever they operate in the world.Home countries whose nationals and corporate entities inflict damage in developing countries, particularly on indigenous peoples, should impose some form of penalty on the offending parties. 4. An international system should be created to allow complaints to be filed by affected indigenous communities against companies, governments and financial institutions whose development programs and interventions violate the rights of ownership and control by indigenous peoples over their ancestral land, territories and resources and cause serious destruction of the environment. . In the case of Benguet where the indigenous people have already suffered and will continue to suffer enormous damage to their lands and environment due to the long-term impacts of mining and dams, proper and immediate compensation and reparation should be provided to all affected people to include adequate monetary compensation, sustainable livelihood, alternative land, employment and other sources of regular income. A program for the restoration and rehabilitation of lands and waters destroyed by mines and dams should also be implemented. . Past experience has shown that no monetary compensation nor livelihood project could replace or surpass the destroyed ancestral land and traditional livelihoods of affected indigenous peoples. The solution to restoring the living quality and to stop the permanent destruction of the environment is to stop destructive large-scale corporate mining and decommission unviable tailings dams and megadams. Alternatives such as chemical-free traditional small scale mining methods and community-based microhydros need to be promoted and supported. . National legislation and policy on the liberalization of mining and the energy industry need to be reviewed and revised as these have proven detrimental to indigenous peoples in different parts of the country. A new mining policy should support the Filipino people’s efforts towards nationalist industrialization and ensure the creation of jobs, food security, a stable economy, mitigation of environmental degradation, and environmental rehabilitation. ———————– [1] Jacqueline K. Carino. Case Study. WCD. 2000 [2] APIT Tako.Mining in Philippine History [3] APIT Tako. Mining in Philippine History [4] Cordillera Peoples Alliance. December 2002. Cordillera Hydropower Projects and the Indigenous Peoples [5] APITTAKO [6] Christian Aid and PIPLinks. Breaking Promises, making profits. Mining in the Philippines. UK. Dec. 2004 [7] CA and PIPLinks [8] APIT TAKO. Mining In Philippine History: Focus On The Cordillera Experience. Paper presented to the United Nations Economic and Social Cou ncil’s Commission on Human Rights during its Transnational Extractive Industries Review.December 2001 and revised March 2002. [9] APIT Tako. [10] CA and PIPLinks. [11] Save the Abra River Movement (STARM). What is Happening to the Abra River? A Primer on the Effects of Corporate Mining on the Abra River System. September 2003. [12] STARM [13] STARM [14] CA and PIPLinks [15] Jacqueline K. Carino. A case Study of the Ibaloy People and the Agno River Basin, Province of Benguet, Philippines. Presented during the Consultation on Dams, Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Minorities. Geneva, Switzerland. August 1999) [16] Croft 17] APIT TAKO. [18] STARM [19] CA and PIPILinks [20] STARM [21] STARM [22] Jill K. Carino and Cornelia Ag-agwa. The Situation of Mining in the Cordillera Region, Philippines and its Impact on Land Rights and Indigenous Women. Paper presented during the Second International Conference on Women and Mining. Bolivia. 2000 [23] STARM. [24] Hapit, The Official Publicatio n of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance. 3rd Quarter 2005. A basic Service to the People: The Chapyusen Micro-Hydro Project ———————– [pic]

Nepotism in American Business

In the article â€Å"Nepotism in American Business† by Adam Bellow in the book Honest Work, Bellow makes the case that nepotism if practiced carelessly it is humiliating for everyone involved – especially the under qualified beneficiary – but if nepotism is performed successfully it fulfills a deep desire to care for our families while contributing to society at the same time. The roots of nepotism were initially developed in the fourteenth or fifteenth century in Italy to describe the dishonest custom of selecting papal relatives to office – generally illegitimate sons who were often depicted as their â€Å"nephews†. Today nepotism can be defined as â€Å"a favoritism based on kinship† and from a business aspect many see it as hiring a relative who is incredibly inept and unskilled. Many see hiring a relative – qualified or not – as nepotism, while in reality there are many practices today that can technically fall under the category as nepotism. Like most areas of life, some see these practices as acceptable and ordinary while others view them as full-blown nepotism in practice. Critics see nepotism as a way to promote and hire family members or close friends over more qualified applicants. These actions betray our innate sense of justice and seem to provoke strong feelings of disdain for the acts of nepotism and those who seem to be benefiting from it. Nepotism is often seen in family businesses and these practices are generally accepted as â€Å"the way things are† by the other employees involved. These opportunities are a large problem if the person is highly under qualified. Many economists see nepotism as an obstruction to change in business firms while others see it as â€Å"networking†. These views reflect the negative view of old nepotism. New nepotism has become more competitive and the world has become an international marketplace – if you are hired with connections you still have to prove your value and gain merit or consequences will follow. It is much less blatantly offensive to others around the beneficiary. Many seem to have the viewpoint that there really is no problem with hiring a close friend or relative as long as they have the qualifications that are necessary to fill the position that is available. This is an incredibly inconsistent way to judge if nepotism is really okay – if performance is high then nepotism is justifiably okay. There is a difference between old and new nepotism and culture has helped shape the positive and negative views of nepotism. The encouragement of governmental corruption in Asia, Africa and Latin America has Nepotism has had both positive and negative affects on the world and society as a whole and has helped shape our view of these practices.

American culture race and representation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

American culture race and representation - Essay Example However, the country is also commonly referred to as a ‘melting pot’ because of its habit of mixing people together who are of all nationalities and races. This concept is usually thought of when one is thinking of people from other nations who have come to America voluntarily, seeking a better lifestyle for themselves and their children. This mixing of people and cultures has not always been as easy or as smooth as it sounds, though. The blending of cultures implied in the phrase melting pot has often not been complete as immigrants of a given nation tended to settle in communities of their own kind and the best properties always seemed to go to the whites. It many instances, the mixing has involved a great deal of violence as these various communities battled for their rights to live the way they saw fit. Mixing has also often not been voluntary on either side. An investigation into the history of African Americans on this continent reveals some of heat that has occasi onally caused America’s ‘melting pot’ to boil and ultimately bring about a more even blending. In the initial phase of slavery in the New World (1519-1580), colonies were being formed on both the North and South American continents and the trade of slaves was somewhat limited. From 1580 to 1650, the slave trade from Africa soared because of massive Native American deaths due to disease, the growth of the economy in the colonies and the unification of the Portuguese and Spanish governments (Palmer, 1976). The early era of colonization in the New World was a time of enormous changes as â€Å"the native Indian populations were decimated by disease and increasingly dominated by the Spanish social and economic structure† (Meyer, 2003). However, slavery declined steadily during the years between 1650 and 1827. â€Å"From New England to Virginia to Jamaica, the English planters in seventeenth-century America developed the habit of

Essential of forensic investigation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Essential of forensic investigation - Case Study Example The humanity has been served by the forensic science for decades, yet there are major flaws which influence the court decisions in criminal cases and the case of ‘Murder of Marilyn Sheppard in 1954’ underlines how fatal can be the forensic science investigations. On the pretext of the case, the study analyzes the ways of recovering evidence, the ways of analyzing them and the way they were presented at court. The paper also examines the details of the police investigation and the sort of evidence used in the investigation. It also focuses on the techniques used in the examination and the relevance of the techniques in the current forensic examination. Further, the paper examines the types of evidence, number of evidence taken into consideration or overlooked. The evidence taken into consideration was the only prime evidence or it was part of a bigger picture is also discussed in this study along with analyzing the fact that whether they were given due importance by the court and the police investigation or not. If yes, how was the evidence used used at trial, and, if not, why? It also speculates the possible conclusion, if the case is tried now. The case study also examines the factors that went wrong as well as the factors that can be consi dered as good practices. It also identifies the desirable or necessary changes that would have affected the outcome of the case. For examining the crime scenes the only scientific process is the forensic science and its investigation reports are quite important for influencing court decisions. In the selected case the decision made once was reversed in the second trial of the case and the second trial of the case was accepted by the court on the basis of new forensic investigation and it proved how important the evidence collected by the forensic scientists and their investigation are for the legal purposes. Often, forensic

Compensation and Training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compensation and Training - Essay Example America, the world’s largest economy, where the past decade a continuing bubble growing with continuous spending fueled by debts that suddenly burst when financial institutions that were supposed to generate money ended up producing even more debt (U.S. Treasury Department, 2009). The US government responded immediately to the threat of a global financial meltdown, gathering governments abroad and at the same time, was at the forefront of a Keynesian tactic of responding to impending depressions – increasing government spending. Hence, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was born. The idea behind this program is to empower government to use federal funds to directly inject financial support to institutions to keep the financial sector afloat. It aims to purchase troubled assets, consisting mainly of the products of the subprime mortgage crisis. To manage this program, the Office of Financial Stability under the Treasury Department was born. It has seven components namely: (1) mortgage-backed securities purchase program; (2) whole loan purchase program; (3) insurance program; (4) equity purchase program; (5) homeownership preservation; (6) executive compensation; and (7) compliance (Treasury Public Affairs, 2009). The law specifically defines important requirements for firms that apply for the TARP. Executive compensation has been one of the thorniest issues that have struck public outrage when troubled companies continue to allow for astronomical compensations for its chief officers (Treasury Public Affairs, 2009). Executive compensation is a corporate term that describes how the management of big corporations is paid. Over the past thirty years, there has been a dramatic increase in the compensation of CEOs and other officers, far beyond the levels of an average worker. Five basic tools for compensation include a base salary, short-term incentives and bonuses, long-term incentive plans, employee benefits and perquisites. The typical salary for CEOs

Increasing Female Participation in XYZ Sports Club Research Paper

Increasing Female Participation in XYZ Sports Club - Research Paper Example The social system tends to relate all benefits associated with sports to men. This setting has discouraged many women from engaging in sportive activities especially in male dominated societies. However, the recent trend indicates that women are increasingly participating in sports even those that were solely preserved for men. With this new promise, the purpose of this paper is to present the barriers preventing women from participating in sports and recommend the best ways reduce them in order to increase their participation in XYZ club activities. Barriers to women participating in sports Essentially, women are barred from participating in sports due to practical barriers such as lack of enough time, money, transport, as well as personal safety, funding, and access to facilities. Women have less time for leisure than men due to the greater burden of family roles such as housework and childcare. In fact, many American women are trying to balance family and worker roles, and thus ha ve no space for leisure time (Klein, 2004). Many women argue that the lack of money is a barrier to sport activities as they earn less than men. Sport is often seen as a luxury, or reward for paid work. Although many women are paid workers, the perception that men deserve such reward is still evident. Nonetheless, poor families may be unable to afford to pay sporting attire or equipment as well as investing in cub membership. Transport is also a major problem especially for mothers with children and women living in rural areas. These individuals rely on public transport which is sometimes unsafe, inconvenient, unreliable, and expensive. Safety within the sports venues is also a barrier to women as they fear sexual harassment as well as unwanted attention. Accessibility to sports is also a practical barrier for women to engage in sports as the system prioritize male sports and women cannot access the facility at their preferred times. Women also find it difficult to engage in sports due to individual or personal barriers such as body image, lack of confidence, clothing and equipment. According to Lynn (2002) the issue of body image affects all features of the society and research indicates that women report greater dissatisfaction in their body image than men. It is also noted that women are more self-conscious when participating in sports than men. Therefore, the more self-conscious the women feel about their body image, the lower the chances of participating in sports. While some sports equipment might be quite expensive, some sports clothing are pretty revealing to the disadvantage of the body image. There is enough evidence that women have less self-confidence when compared to men (Birch, 2005, p. 245). Societal expectations are for the man to show confidence while confidence in a woman would be seen as a deviation from the normal. Finally are discouraged from sportive activities due to social and cultural barriers such as the male-dominated culture of spor t, sexual abuse and harassment, as well attitudes and prejudices about sexuality, disability, and ethnicity. Male domination in sports has been a factor that turns women off sports as it feels strange with being feminine. The same domination has made sports women to be associated with uncouthly acts such as lesbianism refraining others from certain sports. Disabled women

Propose a Research Method and Design - Propose and Justify Research Paper

Propose a Method and Design - Propose and Justify Method and Design - Research Paper Example More broadly will be based on three key motivations: 1. To study the impacts of high energy costs in the information and technology sector as well as the significance of adopting cloud computing technologies in the management of data centers. 2. To investigate the underlying concept behind cloud computing and the relations between various data virtualization techniques and other emerging technologies. 3. To determine the potential benefits of moving data centers to the cloud both in small and large organizations. The research will also seek to explore the potential use of cloud computing in the reduction of carbon emissions. Lastly, the research will also involve investigate the associated risks of adopting the use of cloud data centers as well as some of the available remedies to such risks. Research questions Generally the three main research questions are designed to bring light on some of the greater issues associated with the adopting of cloud data centers. 1. What are the curre nt implications of high energy costs in the information sector and what is the potential significance of using cloud computing technologies to lower energy consumption? 2. What is the concept behind cloud computing and data virtualization? 3. ... For example, the selection of the respondents will be achieved by mapping out individuals who are either directly or indirectly engaged in the information and communication technology sector. For example, the chosen respondents who will participate in the research will primarily be selected from social groups and individuals who are working or participating in the ICT industry and are therefore well informed of the recent technological developments such as cloud computing. Interviews and questionnaires will then be conducted to determine their individual experiences with both the traditional data centers and the emerging virtual private cloud servers. Before administering interviews or questionnaires for the research, pilot tests will first be carried out, validated and checked to determine the reliability of the research methodology and design (Creswell, 43). Lastly, the questionnaires and interview questions will be developed based on the how the collected data and responses will b e analyzed as well as how they are related to the main research questions. Interviews A purposeful sampling strategy will be used to select 20 respondents are required to participate in the research. Some of the potential individuals that will be selected to participate in the research include computer entrepreneurs, business managers and members of private data centers as well as their friends and families. The selected participants will then be divided into four groups of five respondents each. This will make it easier to compare the experiences of various respondents in relation to the topic of study. To minimize potential research biasness, both structured and semi structured interviews will

The Amazonia Tribal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Amazonia Tribal - Essay Example They are totally unaware of the modern developments and the fast track life. The Yanomami tribe is the largest tribe among the known Amazonian tribes. Other tribes encompass Caboclos, Witoto, Manioc, Kayapo and many more.  They have varied culture and traditions. Caboclos are known to be skilled hunters as well as cooks. They are known to be highly intelligent as well as wise to reach to the solution to any problem.  Another tribe, Witoto, is known to eat the meat of people they kill in the battle and use the bones as souvenirs and to construct possessions. Witoto lives towards northwest basin of Amazon.  They are known to use various medicinal plants and build communal houses (Tribes).  The tribe members are very skilled and are capable of re-enacting animal sound. They use bows and arrows for hunting as well as for protection and war (Amazonian Tribe). Yanomami tribe does not possess immunity against most of the common diseases. The tribal community lives in Amazon basin at Venezuela and Brazil. The tribe is assumed to be the most primeval and also culturally intact community. They resemble the stone age tribes that dates around 8,000 years, this community is not known to discover wheel or metal. The tribe possess numbering system as well as perform a peculiar cremation of the dead. They cremate their dead, crush and drink their bones thinking that their dear ones are with them eternally. The tribe is known to be the most successful amongst the Amazon tribes. They form a culturo-linguistic group with the population of around 26,000 (Hands Around the World). They reside in a multifamily house and marriages take place inside the community between cross cousin as it is believed to have a strong family bonding. They build house in the form of concentric circle (Hands Around the World). Each tribal community follow their own culture and religion, their beliefs, social gatherings and religious rituals differ. The tribal women of Amazon Basin are not ashamed of themselves and do not wear clothes and cool themselves by bathing and swimming to escape the intense heat of Amazon rainforest. They maintain their personal hygiene (Women). In Kalapalo tribe, after childbirth the mother is secluded inside a wall keeping mother and child from the other family members and the outside world. Some Northwest Amazonian tribes are known to endow tough life for women. Men were given privilege of working from time to time while women are expected to work all the time, as a mother, as a house keeper and also to perform agricultural duties. According to Wiffen, men had leisure to relax when the job is over while on the other hand women do not enjoy the liberty. Women carry their child at their back and work. In many sense according to Wiffen, women come into view to be disobedient and defiant, they were respected and also hold influence (Amazonian Tribe). In Canela tribe, young girl is propelled into distinct relationships till she gets her first child an d then she is allowed to move with her enduring husband. The girls are trained to be very obedient to men, not only to the family or husband but to all the male community, moreover males have many wives and it is his wish whom he chooses to live with for that moment. Women are solely responsible for their children's upbringing, while father play little role in rearing of child. The children possess little childhood years and then they are set into the relationship to keep the cycle going (Amazonian Tribe).

Impact of the Internet on a Small Business Research Paper

Impact of the Internet on a Small Business - Research Paper Example Today a business without the use of the computing power of a computer, or the use of the internet, is sure to be left behind and age very quickly. Competition in the business world is fierce and business is all about marketing and who can reach the consumer first. Today’s computers and internet play a vital role in accomplishing this task. It is impossible for modern business groups to think about a world without internet at present. This was not the case a mere twenty years ago when the internet was in its infancy. Irrespective of large scale, medium scale or small scale, all types of businesses are highly dependent on internet related technologies in today’s perspectives. Through the internet, a business of any size can compete in the global marketplace. In fact, on the internet, the size of an organization's operation makes little difference because the internet is an open environment. Similar companies compete against one another while being only a click of the mous e away. In other words, a buyer can locate numerous sellers offering similar merchandise, similar prices and similar offers in a very short time period. As more people and businesses become comfortable with the internet, the marketing landscape will continue to evolve quickly in the coming years (The Influence of Internet on Modern Business, 2009). The arrival of internet related technologies helped small scale industries immensely. The internet lent a hand in small companies competing on a global level. This also factored in a small business growing into great proportions at incredible speeds never experienced in history ever before. Many of the traditional business concepts were given way for internet related business strategies because of the arrival of computers and internet. For example, internet helped the business world to convert many of the offline market spaces into online market spaces. Moreover, outsourcing, off shoring like modern business principles were evolved out be cause of the developments in internet related technologies. Since a company could outsource, so easy is it to have its down fall, on many Americans who loose there job to overseas areas that had cheaper labour and less taxes. We can see this with a majority of companies at a minimum outsourcing their phone tech support. Many of these companies have tech support online twenty four hours a day and three hundred sixty five days a year. Advertising is another in which internet helps small scale industries immensely. Social networks are used extensively by the businesses for marketing and advertising purposes. This can be seen by looking at any internet search engine today from Google, Yahoo, or any other of the one hundred and seventy search engines available. If you go to any search engine like Google or MSN you will see advertisements on the right hand side, or on top of the page. These are seen by millions of people today. These ads are cheap and easy to acquire to the point where an y person or business can advertise for pennies on the click. At the same time, internet has the potential to affect small businesses in a negative way too. For example, internet helped globalization in many ways, but it also lent way to sites like Angie’s list to see if the business is reputable or garbage. It should be noted that globalization helped corporate companies to expand their business all over the world. The intrusion of corporate compani

Air Pollution Short Essay Essay Example for Free

Air Pollution Short Essay Essay There are several disadvantages of living in urban areas The first drawback is the high cost of living. Urban citizens have to spend a lot of their income paying their bills of electricity, water and other basic services. Secondly is traffic congestion which is a serious problem. During rush hour, vehicles get stuck in a traffic jam, this makes most road users feel uncomfortable and time-consuming. The latter point is air pollution actually the addition of any harmful substances to the atmosphere. The more vehicles move in the road, the more air pollution These substances include various gases and tiny particles that may be harmful to human health and the environment. The greenhouse effect keeps a portion of the heat received from the sun which leave the atmosphere and go back into space. If you are at ground level, the ultraviolet rays from the sun become a very powerful pollutant, in other words it makes damage not only to humans but also plants and animals are affected, too. Increases in air pollution have been linked to breakdowns in lung function and increases in heart attacks. The most vulnerable people that are harmed are people with asthma and other lung or heart disease because their problems will increase faster than other kind of problem.What is Air Pollution? Air pollution is actually the addition of any harmful substances to the atmosphere, which causes the damaging of the environment, human health and the quality of life. With the development in industry, came along the increase in air pollution, which occurs inside homes, schools, offices even in the countryside. Consequently there has been an increase in the death rates resulting from various diseases caused by air pollution varying from breathing problem to lung cancer. Air pollution does not only affect people but it also damages the whole ecological system in which plants and animals are harmed as well. Air pollution has reached such a critical stage where it affects the earths atmosphere as it lets in more harmful radiation from the sun. Consequently, our polluted atmosphere is becoming a bet ter insulator, thus, preventing heat from escaping back into space. That is why there is a global rise in temperature which scientists refer to as global warming. As a result of this rise in temperature the world food supply and sea level will be affected, also there is the probability of increase in the tropical disease. Sources of Air Pollution I_ Human sources: If we try to investigate the major sour

Two Kinds Essay Example for Free

Two Kinds Essay â€Å"Two Kinds† is set in modern United States and basically involves two main characters of Chinese descent Jing-mei and her mother.   In the story, Jing-mei, a young Chinese-American portrayed her mother as an overbearing and demanding woman who constantly tried to groom her daughter to pursue a life destined for fame- either as a talented young actress, a genius in geography, or a musical prodigy (Your Faxed Readings, p. 180-182). Jing-mei did not quite understand at first how her mother could persistently force upon her a future she did not want to have any part of.    She struggled against her mother’s will, not fully comprehending the reasons why her mother wanted her to be more than what she thought she was. As it was later on revealed in the story, her mother’s ways and beliefs rooted from the tragedies she encountered in her life before she came to America. Jing-meis mother went through terrible times in China. She lost her babies and had to struggle to be able to reach the â€Å"land of milk and honey. Reaching a new and prosperous land enabled her to start over, and she acquired a renewed sense of hope, along with the belief that in America, you can be all you want to be:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America. You could open a restaurant. You could work for the government and get good retirement. You could buy a house with almost no money down. You could become rich. You could become instantly famous.Of course, you can be a prodigy, too,; my mother told me when I was nine.† (p. 180) The story goes on to expound on the mother’s past and her subsequent actions that affected her American-raised daughter. The story shows that after hurdling through obstacles in life, Jing Mei’s mother probably realized that anything was possible. Hers was a character who believed that if she went through hell in China but still made it to America then anything was possible, especially for a child raised in this land abounding in prosperity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Looking at it from this perspective, one could surmise that this explained why, as portrayed in the story, she was overbearing and appeared to expect a lot from her daughter.   Her expectations stemmed from what she had acquired from her surviving her misfortunes. As a mother who went through great adversity in life, she could not help but have high expectations for a daughter to whom she had afforded countless opportunities by raising her in America. With her daughter’s resistance to obey, she felt that Jing-mei was not taking full advantage of the opportunities that were made available to her: â€Å"My mother slapped me.†Who ask you to be genius? she shouted. Only ask you be your best. For you sake. You think I want you to be genius? Hnnh! What for! Who ask you! So ungrateful, I heard her mutter in Chinese, If she had as much talent as she has temper, shed be famous now.† (p. 183) It is evident in these lines that the mother was disappointed with Jing-mei. It seemed to her that her daughter was being unappreciative of everything that had been made available for her. On the other hand, the character of Jing-mei was portrayed as a stubborn and willful child. Jing-meis determination not to be what her mother wants her to be stems from her resolve not to let her mother change her. â€Å"And then I saw what seemed to be the prodigy side of me a face I had never seen before. I looked at my reflection, blinking so that I could see more clearly. The girl staring back at me was angry, powerful. She and I were the same. I had new thoughts, willful thoughts or rather, thoughts filled with lots of wonts. I wont let her change me, I promised myself. I wont be what Im not.† (p. 181-182) From these lines Jing-mei’s character is reflected as someone who often stated that she wanted to be who she is and who vehemently refused to be someone she was not. Although   later on she recognized that she could have been great if she did try to be,   the story further showed that till the end of that part of her childhood, she was determined not to (p. 183). â€Å"Two Kinds† is one of the multitudes of stories from Amy Tan’s â€Å"The Joy Luck Club†. Essentially, it deals with the dynamics of  Ã‚   the relationship between mothers and daughters. It gives a fresh perspective about the complexities of such kinship in the eyes of Chinese immigrants in an American Society. It deals with cultural differences and generation gaps, as well as the issue of establishing identity. This short story can be dissected into several areas of interest, all rich in symbolism. It reflects society in various levels of human interaction. While the plot of the story circles around the struggle between Jing-mei and her mother, a one may derive a deeper conflict, aside from the prima facie squabble between the mother and the daughter, that exists within it, comparable to one that is in society. If one looks closely, the mothers character represents individuals who believe that the past can be buried and forgotten once success is achieved. She represents the people who struggle everyday to overcome the ghosts of the past in order to provide for the future. The mother also stands for the people who are trying to compensate for things left undone or mistakes committed. Though their intentions may be good, there is a point where their zealousness in making up for the past becomes a burden that shackles them to what they are trying to escape. Meanwhile, Jing-meis character represents individuals who are in constant journey to find their identities amidst influential forces. It alludes to people caught between two cultures in two different time zones. Jing Mei also represents the young who, at a trying stage in their life, have to cope with the added responsibility of bridging the cultural gap between immigrant parents in modern-day America. On the other hand, the dynamics of the relationship between Jing-Mei and her mother represent the perennial and unavoidable conflicts between parents and their children. It speaks of expectations, of disappointment, of pride, of hurt and of differences and of finding one’s own identity. It reminds readers   how one can never pick his kin and though it may become an uphill battle, what matters is that one learns to accept the family he is given, for who they are. Furthermore, in a very subtle but compelling way, â€Å"Two Kinds†   also urges its readers to think about their past and where they are heading .This story prompts one to look at things in perspective find a way to come to terms with the past, be thankful of the present and look forward to the future with optimism. That being said, â€Å"Two Kinds†, with the infusion of literary brilliance, creativity and true-to-life experiences† has proved to be a true testament of Amy Tans artistic brilliance- both for its literary content and social reflection. This story is but, one of a kind. Works Cited Tan, Amy. â€Å"Two Kinds.† Title of the book of your faxed readings. Location: Publisher, Year Published. pages 180-187.

Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival Tourism Essay

Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival Tourism Essay Introduction Sydney is the capital of the New South Wale of Australia, and it is best known as a vivid, charming and lively city and with its famous icons, such as Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. In addition, Sydney has started to build a new image of gay capital of the South Pacific (Kates, 2003). Since the late 1970s, Sydney has begun to hold Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras every year during end of February and early March and has also become a holiday destination for lesbian and gay tourists. There are various cultural activities and entertainments that allow participants to have fun and allow visitors to have a better understanding of gay and lesbian culture while they are celebrating the liberty of homosexual behaviour. Activities included film festival, community events, a fair day of local merchants, sporting events, art exhibits, dance parties, theatre productions and parade (Kates, 2003). The parade is hold in the CBD of Sydney; the festival normally goes for three and a half week. In this paper, the issues on social and economic impacts that have occurred by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival will be discussed in detail. Social Impact Social impact of Sydney Mardi Gras can be divided into positive impact and negative impact. For the positive impacts are community cohesion identity, entertainment socialisation opportunities and community growth and development. In opposition, negative impacts are inconvenience and crime or bad behaviour. According to the research information, which is done by the University of Melbourne (Kelley, H, 2001), the data has shown that back in 1984, homosexual behaviour is not yet be accepted morally. However, Australians attitude toward homosexual started changed dramatically after 1984. The survey it has been done in the middle 1980s, 64 per cent of Australian believe that homosexual behaviour is always wrong, however, in the 21th century (the survey was done in 2001, data might change after years), the per cent drop from 64 to 48, and the percentage for the answer Not wrong at all rise from 16 per cent to 28 per cent. Even though there are still a group of people who against toward homosexual behaviour, however, one thing can be pleased is that Australians attitude toward homosexual become friendlier each year, this can be proof by the number of participants in The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival. The number of participants and visitors increase rapidly from hundreds of people to hundred thousand and more and more people start to pay attention on the event. When the people in Sydney start to celebrate homosexual behaviour in 1978, and the size of the event become bigger each year, this witness the transformation of people in Sydneys attitude on homosexual behaviour, which representing the people of Sydney possess a positive attitude toward homosexual behaviour, and will assist the city of Sydney to build a positive image for gay and lesbian tourists, since the tourist believe that Sydney does not have any discrimination on homosexual behaviour, instead of that Sydney community is welcome and willing to celebrate it (Markwell, 2001). Additionally, the festive give individuals a chance to embrace their identity as gay or lesbian, likewise, the local community also embrace their open thought on homosexual behaviour. Every year, not only the people in Sydney, but also with people coming from all Australia, they gather together to celebrate what they believe in and offering gays and lesbians an opportunity to speak out to other societies (Tourism Australia, 2009). One of the marchers who is interviewed by ABC News (2009) said But tonight were just coming out and having a bit of fun in showing everyone the gay and lesbian community is part of the Australian community. The Sydney Mardi Gras Festival is a popular and successful event that has an ability to attract people from other city or even other country to come to Sydney to join the event, it all has to give the credit to the local community, the people of local community provide a great support of the event. Every year, there are thousands of volunteers and local community group to assist organising the event. In order to create a fascinating event, volunteers and community group members has to be fully prepared; therefore, they have to develop special skills in order to be qualified to do jobs. According to the office website of the Sydney Mardi Gras (2010), it says that specific skills are needed for the event such as RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol), a heavy vehicle or forklift drivers license and experience in communications. Furthermore, the Sydney Mardi Gras is not only celebrating and entertaining, but also it also takes charity seriously. Sleaze Ball is one of Sydney Mardi Gras eve nts; it is specially design for fundraising, the money donated from people who join the event will goes to the charity. Since Sydney Mardi Gras has been a successful event, it attracts many tourists from other states and countries (tourism will be discussed in more detail on economic impact section). Even though, people who come to join Mardi Gras are all from different culture backgrounds and religion, however, they are all passion on the same thing and believe. It is a great opportunity for them to meet new people from different culture background, and they can share they thought, experience and believe, and also allows them to look homosexual behaviour from different cultures perspective view. For all of events, there are always some positive and negative impacts; one of the negative social impacts is inconvenience. During the event, especially larger scales event, several issues need to be considered such as traffic, road closures, noise and crowding. Since the number of people participates in Sydney Mardi Gras festival is huge, which means that if the crow management and parade route is not well design, this will be a serious issue on the day of the event. Since majority of the event venue and the parades routine are in the CBD, and the road closures will influence the traffic in the event surrounding area. As a result, traffic jam will occur and since several roads are close for the event, this will make the people detour to avoid the event. In addition, the main Parade Route is in Oxford Street and Flinder Street, and there are residential apartment within this area. (Sydney Traffic Committee, 2009)The field notes that are taken by Steven M. Kates (2003), he states tha t 20 gay men and lesbian celebrants in the hotel room as they watched the parade from the two balconies, drank alcohol, talked, laughed, and consumed illegal drugs during the evening. During the parade, the noise population will be local residents temporary issues. Another negative social impact is crime or bad behaviour. There are many entertainments and activities in the Mardi Gras Festival; one of the highlight of the festival is Mardi Gras party. According to a field note that are taken by Steven M. Kates (2003), in his journal, he mentions that Drugs such as speed, cocaine, and Ecstasy provide the energy for dancing to rhythmic techno music until the early hours of the moming at the Mardi Gras party and connecting with the bare-chested, sweating men there. According to John p. Walters (2000) paper, it states that drugs and alcohol is often related to crime, but drugs and alcohol always used by people who is seeking for more excitement. However, drugs abuse and alcohol will lead to behaviour disorder; people losing their ability to control themselves, this will result in rise in the crime rate, such as generating violence, steal, sexual assault and robbery. HIV is another serious issues derive from drugs and alcohol, unprotect sexual act wi ll increase the risk for transmitting HIV, and the people who participate in the party, their health will be treated and this will become secret worry for the society. Economic Impact Every year on February, large amount of tourism come to Sydney for the Mardi Gras, ever since Sydney has created an image of international gay and lesbian capital, Sydney has become one of the most popular places for homosexual tourists. Even if the worlds economic may be is facing recession, but the event scale for Sydney Mardi Gras is getting larger each year, start from thousand of visitor to most recent one, hundreds of thousands of people come to join the 2010 Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. ABC News has made a comment on 2009 Sydney Mardi Gras, it saidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras provided the perfect antidote to economic doom and gloom. The Sydney Mardi Gras not only is not affected by the economic, conversely, the event is beneficial for the local economy. The major economic impact for Sydney Mardi Gras is increase income due to the growth of tourism market, other impact such as operating cost for event preparation. Firstly, each year, the Australia government estimated the Sydney Mardi Gras will contribute on nation economy net income approximate tens of millions of dollars (Marsh and Levy 1998). Even though the Sydney Mardi Gras itself may not make any profit, however, it certainly affecting the local economy by attracting domestic and international tourists to come to Sydney. Markwell (2001) stated that during the end of February, domestic and international tourists are attract to Sydney for Mari Gras; the peak period for this season is days around the parade and parties at the end of festival. The majority target market for Sydney Mardi Gras are tourists from United States, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Moreover, this market is also growing in the Southeast Asia, the number of the tourist from Southeast Asia region is increasing recently. Tourism Australia (2010) provide the information on the number of tourists for the first Sydney Mardi Gras was approximately 1,500 people, in the most recent Mardi Gras 2010, from the New Mardi Gras Annual Report(2010) states that, total visitors was 21,779 and 8,700 were from overseas. There is no doubt that tourist is good for local economic, according to the annual report for Travel to Sydney (2009), it states that in 2009, visitor spends average $236 per night when they are in Sydney, it is only include accommodation, transportation and activities such as eat out at restaurants, sightseeing or shopping. Markwell (2001) also mentions some examples of expenditure that tourists will be spend on the Sydney Mardi Gras festival. He states that there are 80 events at the festival and about 15 percent of it is free, some popular events require tickets to entry. The event such as dance party, it cost AU$114.00 in 2001. It is quite expensive if a person wants to attend all of events of Sydney Mardi Gras, especially, some events require special outfits, therefore if a couple want to attend the event, the expense on buying outfit, waxing, tanning, gym training, hairstyling, and party drugs will cost a lot of money. Attending all events already costed fortune, for tourists, there are extra costs for them, such as accommodation and transportation. Markwell (2001) also states that homosexual tourists are willing to spend all those money; because of Mardi Gras events can assist them to define their gay and lesbian identity. In 2010 Sydney Mardi Gras, there were 8,700 people from overseas, the Sydney local government would at least earn 2 million per a day just from the Mardi Gras visitor. C. Michael Hall (1996) believes that in order to promote an event or a place to tourists as their destination for vocation, it is very important to leave a good impression and unforgettable experience. To achieve that, event has to be fully prepared and organised. Since the scale of Sydney Mardi Gras is huge, to produce a memorable, fantastic event require a huge amount of fund, therefore, government support and sponsor are essential. According to New Mardi Gras Annual Report (2010), it states that for 2010 Sydney Mardi Gras sponsorship income was over $800,000 and government supporting fund was $300,000. That money will flow to the local community eventually that can stimulate the local economic growth. Additionally, an huge scale event such like Sydney Mardi Gras need a certain amount of workforce, even though there are thousands of volunteers each year, however, there are always job vacancy, which can improve the local unemployment rate. As the paper has mentioned earlier, the local government cannot expect to make profit out of the Sydney Mardi Gras Festival. The revenue for 2010 Sydney Mardi Gras is 4,241,283 and expense is 4,826,910, apparently, the outcome for this year is deficit, the event organisation does not make any profit out of this event. However, looking in long-term, the Sydney Mardi Gras has assist Sydney to build an image global gay-friendly destinations (Markwell, 2001), this result in expansion on homosexual tourism market. Conclusion In conclusion, this paper has discussed how the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has become an important role in the Sydney major event. As it have a strong impact on Sydneys social and economics dimensions and it is recently referred as tourism icon by Tourism New South Wales. Nowadays, Sydney is known as homosexual friendly city. The Sydney Mardi Gras has impact on social and economic on both positive and negative ways. It is excellent that people in Sydney is open-mind with homosexual behaviour, they are not only possess positive attitude toward it, but also willing to embrace them and celebrate it with wonderful events. However, social issues such as inconvenience and crime or bad behaviour are happen every year which may harm the local communitys life quality. Moreover, economic impacts mostly are positive; the Sydney Mardi Gras assist Sydney to expand its tourism market, and in the event period, thousands of people come to Sydney for Mardi Gras, it is beneficial for local econ omy. Even though, it is difficult to make profit out of the event, however, in long term, Mardi Gras has already assist Sydney to built its reputation in tourism market. Overall, Sydney Mardi Gras

Grace And Sin :: essays research papers

Grace In order to completely understand the theology of grace you have to take a look at Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Rahner, Segundo, and Boff, and how they understood what grace was. Their theories on grace have some valid points and yet they also have some invalid points. Augustine took a personal approach to grace and he believed in the massa damnata, which basically means that on the whole people are damned. He said before the original sin, you had a choice to be good or evil. Also, Augustine said that there is a double predestination, which means only some people are chosen before they are born if they are going to go to heaven. I don’t agree with this because it is basically saying that there is no salvation for all people. Aquinas thought that grace was added to nature and it elevates nature. He wrote the Summa, which demonstrates the beatific vision. The beatific vision is when the mind is unified to God. Aquinas’ theology is dualistic which displays natural and supernatural as separate entities. I don’t believe in his beatific vision because I believe that God allows us to make our own choices out of free will so our mind cannot be unified with Him. Unless I am wrong, this is saying God knows what is going to happen before it happens. If this is the case why do we have suffering; because God gave us free will. Luther viewed grace through his own view of himself as a sinner. He was so obsessed that he confessed his sins seven times a day. He said that grace is a favor of God and it heals a person’s sinfulness. He said that Jesus’ word was a vehicle of grace and that grace cannot be merited. I think his views on grace are not very good only because he views God as an active member and humans as a passive one. In order to be truly graced I believe that both parties need to be active and involved. Rahner believes that grace is intrinsic to nature and he also believes in Anonymous Christianity. This theory is that every person on this Earth is a Christian even if you do not know it. I don’t agree with this theory because, once again God gives everyone free will and this allows people to believe the way they want to. Boff says grace is a relationship with the trinity. I agree with this because it consists of showing love and devotion to all three persons of our one God. He also said that liberation is the key to grace. I some what agree with

Newari Social and Cultural Connections to the Weather and Climate :: Nepal Religion Culture Essays Papers

Newari Social and Cultural Connections to the Weather and Climate The Newari people incorporate different aspects of the weather and climate of Kathmandu Valley into their daily lives. One of the most prevalent ways the weather and climate affects their lives is through religious practices and beliefs. The Newari people, who practice Buddhism and Hinduism, are very religious and traditional people, and not a month goes by that there isn't some special festival that is being celebrated by them. Three of these important festivals revolve around the role climate and weather play in the lives of the people. Gunla Dharma, which is celebrated during a month from the middle of August to the middle of September, is a holy Buddhist month. During Gunla Dharma, the people are required to visit a number of monasteries, shrines and other prayer courtyards. This festival takes place during the monsoon season, which would generally be a hindrance to the people, but they are mandated to make these pilgrimages no matter what the weather is and how hard it might be raining. Gathan Mugah is another festival that takes place in August, and is based off of Nepal's monsoon season. Since the farmers are very busy working the fields and tending crops during the rainy season, they often donÕt have the time to clean their homes or even bathe. During Gathan Mugah, which is known as the festival of cleaning, everyone in Kathmandu Valley cleans out their homes from corner to corner, fumigates the houses by burning incense to get rid of insects, does their laundry, bathes, and throws out the old toys of children. The most important festival of the year is also one that deals mainly with the weather and climate of Kathmandu Valley. Yanya Punhi is the festival of Indra, who is the god of rain and heaven. He is worshipped for bearing good weather on Kathmandu Valley and, subsequently, providing a good crop for the people. Each of these festivals is attributed to the weather of Nepal, and is extremely important to the culture of t he Newari people. The Newari peopleÕs adaptation to the weather and climate of Nepal is also obvious in their food and clothing choices.

Discussing Bresslers definition of Marxism as a literary theory :: essays papers

Discussing Bresslers definition of Marxism as a literary theory Marxism is not the hot topic it once was. With the collapse of Communist U.S.S.R., mainstream North America had thought it had seen the last of Marxism and the communist party. However, with the People's Republic of China becoming a reality, those early beliefs may have proven to be premature. Defining Marxism is not difficult. Marxism is the belief that the common workingman (the proletariat) is under a rule of tyranny by the upper class owners (the bourgeois.) Someday (according to Marx) the proletariats will rise up, overthrow the bourgeois and create a society of communism. Communism is the political idea in where a society would be controlled mostly by the government. Personal property would not be allowed and therefore eliminate the bourgeois; a utopian society in which every man works for the common good. Marxists believe that (based on the works of Karl H. Marx) everything we do or think is influenced by the bourgeois. This is simple. Marxism becomes difficult when defining it as a literary theory. The original intentions of Marx were those of social and political revolution. Many of Marx's followers however, were and are scholars. Therefore the transition from a social economic theory to a school of literary criticism was inevitable. Charles Bressler is faced with this seeming difficult task of defining Marxism as a literary school of thought. Bressler attempts to define and explain Marxism as a school of literary thought by examining past Marxists, the assumptions which one must adopt and the methodology (as he does with every chapter.) He succeeds in some places and fails in others. Bressler's definition of Marxism is as follows, "[the belief] that reality itself can be can be defined and understood, society shapes our consciousness, social and economic conditions directly influence how and what we believe and value, and Marxism details a plan for changing the world from a place of bigotry, hatred and conflict due to class struggle to a classless society where wealth, opportunity, and education are accessible for all people". Bressler does a decent job here. He defines Marxism as it was originally intended: an economic and social view of culture and its influences. He provides a clear, simple definition of Marxism which is easily understandable. After this however, Bressler's chapter begins to fall apart. He succeeds in giving a brief description of Marxist events and theorists, but fails in his assumptions and methodology.

Motherboard Essay

Before generation of Microprocessors i.e. in 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation computers, the computer was usually built in a card-cage case or mainframe with components connected by a backplane consisting of a set of slots themselves connected with wires; in very old designs the wires were discrete connections between card connector pins. But printed circuit boards soon became the standard practice in the late 1970s. The Central Processing Unit, memory and peripherals were housed on individual printed circuit boards which plugged into the backplane. (A backplane is a circuit board that connects several connectors in parallel to each other, so that each pin of each connector is linked to the same relative pin of all the other connectors, forming a computer bus.) During the late 1980s and 1990s, it was found that increasing the number of peripheral functions on the PCB was very economical. Hence, single Integrated Circuits (ICs), capable of supporting low-speed peripherals like serial ports, mouse, keyboards, etc., were included on the motherboards. By the late 1990s, motherboards began to have full range of audio, video, storage and networking functions on them. Higher end systems for 3D gaming and graphic cards were also included later. Micronics, Mylex, AMI, DTK, Orchid Technology, Elitegroup, etc. were few companies that were early pioneers in the field of motherboard manufacturing but, companies like Apple and IBM soon took over. Today, motherboards typically boast a wide variety of built-in features, and they directly affect a computer’s capabilities and potential for upgrades. Today Intel and Asus are the two leading companies in the field of motherboard manufacturing. A typical desktop computer has its microprocessor, main memory, and other essential components connected to the motherboard. Other components such as external storage, controllers for video display and sound, and peripheral devices may be attached to the motherboard as plug-in cards or via cables, although in modern computers it is increasingly common to integrate some of these peripherals into the motherboard itself. Few things that a motherboard nowadays include are: †¢ sockets (or slots) in which one or more microprocessors may be installed. †¢ slots into which the system’s main memory is to be installed (typically in the form of DIMM modules containing DRAM chips). †¢ a chipset which forms an interface between the CPU’s front-side bus, main memory, and peripheral buses. †¢ non-volatile memory chips (usually Flash ROM in modern motherboards) containing the system’s firmware or BIOS. †¢ a clock generator which produces the system clock signal to synchronize the various components. †¢ slots for expansion cards (these interface to the system via the buses supported by the chipset). †¢ power connectors, which receive electrical power from the computer power supply and distribute it to the CPU, chipset, main memory, and expansion cards. †¢ Additionally, nearly all motherboards include logic and connectors to support commonly used input devices, such as PS/2 connectors for a mouse and keyboard. Occasionally video interface hardware is also integrated into the motherboard. Additional peripherals such as disk controllers and serial ports are provided as expansion cards. †¢ Given the high thermal design power of high-speed computer CPUs and components, modern motherboards nearly always include heat sinks and mounting points for fans to dissipate excess heat. [pic] CPU Sockets †¢ A CPU socket or slot is an electrical component that attaches to a printed circuit board (PCB) and is designed to house a CPU (also called a microprocessor). †¢ It is a special type of integrated circuit socket designed for very high pin counts. A CPU socket provides many functions, including a physical structure to support the CPU, support for a heat sink, facilitating replacement (as well as reducing cost), and most importantly, forming an electrical interface both with the CPU and the PCB. †¢ CPU sockets can most often be found in most desktop and server computers (laptops typically use surface mount CPUs), particularly those based on the Intel x86 architecture on the motherboard. A CPU socket type and motherboard chipset must support the CPU series and speed. Integrated Peripherals †¢ It is possible to include support for many peripherals on the motherboard. By combining many functions on one PCB, the physical size and total cost of the system may be reduced; highly integrated motherboards are thus especially popular in small form factor and budget computers. Peripheral Card Slots †¢ A standard ATX motherboard will typically have one PCI-E 16x connection for a graphics card, two conventional PCI slots for various expansion cards, and one PCI-E 1x. A standard EATX motherboard will have one PCI-E 16x connection for a graphics card, and a varying number of PCI and PCI-E 1x slots. It can sometimes also have a PCI-E 4x slot. †¢ Some motherboards have two PCI-E 16x slots, to allow more than 2 monitors without special hardware, or use a special graphics technology called SLI (for Nvidia) and Crossfire (for ATI). These allow 2 graphics cards to be linked together, to allow better performance in intensive graphical computing tasks, such as gaming and video editing. †¢ Virtually all motherboards come with at least four USB ports on the rear, with at least 2 connections on the board internally for wiring additional front ports that may be built into the computer’s case. †¢ Ethernet is also included. Ethernet is a standard networking cable for connecting the computer to a network or a modem. †¢ A sound chip is always included on the motherboard, to allow sound output without the need for any extra components. This allows computers to be far more multimedia-based than before. Some motherboards contain video outputs on the back panel for integrated graphics solutions. Computer Cooling †¢ Motherboards are generally air cooled with heat sinks often mounted on larger chips, such as the Northbridge, in modern motherboards. If the motherboard is not cooled properly, it can cause the computer to crash. †¢ Passive cooling, or a single fan mounted on the power supply, was sufficient for many desktop computer CPUs until the late 1990s; since then, most have required CPU fans mounted on their heat sinks, due to rising clock speeds and power consumption. Most motherboards have connectors for additional case fans as well. †¢ Newer motherboards have integrated temperature sensors to detect motherboard and CPU temperatures, and controllable fan connectors which the BIOS or operating system can use to regulate fan speed. Some computers use a water-cooling system instead of many fans. Bus & Bus Speed †¢ A bus is simply a circuit that connects one part of the motherboard to another. The more data a bus can handle at one time, the faster it allows information to travel. The speed of the bus, measured in megahertz (MHz), refers to how much data can move across the bus simultaneously. †¢ Bus speed usually refers to the speed of the front side bus (FSB), which connects the CPU to the northbridge. FSB speeds can range from 66 MHz to over 800 MHz. Since the CPU reaches the memory controller though the northbridge, FSB speed can dramatically affect a computer’s performance. [pic] Memory †¢ The speed of the chipset and busses controls how quickly it can communicate with other parts of the computer. The speed of the RAM connection directly controls how fast the computer can access instructions and data, and therefore has a big effect on system performance. A fast processor with slow RAM is going nowhere. †¢ The amount of memory available also controls how much data the computer can have readily available. RAM makes up the bulk of a computer’s memory. The general rule of thumb is the more RAM the computer has, the better. †¢ Much of the memory available today is dual data rate (DDR) memory. This means that the memory can transmit data twice per cycle instead of once, which makes the memory faster. Also, most motherboards have space for multiple memory chips, and on newer motherboards, they often connect to the northbridge via a dual bus instead of a single bus. This further reduces the amount of time it takes for the processor to get information f rom the memory. †¢ A motherboard’s memory slots directly affect what kind and how much memory is supported. Just like other components, the memory plugs into the slot via a series of pins. The memory module must have the right number of pins to fit into the slot on the motherboard. Form factor †¢ Motherboards are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes called computer form factor, some of which are specific to individual computer manufacturers. †¢ The current desktop PC form factor of choice is ATX. A case’s motherboard and PSU form factor must all match, though some smaller form factor motherboards of the same family will fit larger cases. For example, an ATX case will usually accommodate a microATX motherboard. †¢ Laptop computers generally use highly integrated, miniaturized and customized motherboards. This is one of the reasons that laptop computers are difficult to upgrade and expensive to repair. Often the failure of one laptop component requires the replacement of the entire motherboard, which is usually more expensive than a desktop motherboard due to the large number of integrated components.

‘The Pit and The Pendulum’ by Edgar Allan Poe and ‘An Encounter’ by James Joyce Essay

An analytical study of ‘The Pit and The Pendulum’, ‘An Encounter’ and ‘The Pedestrian’, focusing on the themes of paralysis, entrapment and isolation The texts chosen for this study are: ‘The Pit and The Pendulum’ by Edgar Allan Poe and ‘An Encounter’ by James Joyce which, I feel, are appropriate as they provide comprehensive coverage of the themes analysed whilst managing to cover a historical period of some seventy years1. Poe’s piece is a dark, Gothic work which deals, in great depth, with the notion of both mental and physical paralysis encompassed in an entrapping and isolated atmosphere. Joyce, on the other hand, takes a characteristically more diverse and subtle approach to the concept of paralysis, cunningly concealing the theme within the stagnant surroundings of his Dublin. Verbal ‘entrapment’ is furthermore offered in the form of a dubious elderly man. The story ‘An Encounter’ by James Joyce amply exhibits many stylistic features associated with the modernist author – for example the use of epiphany or writing through first person narrative, with inner monologue to highlight the consciousness of the protagonist and also subtly divulge the feelings of others to the perhaps more ‘aware’ readership. However, Poe, on the contrary, chooses to play the cards of shock and terror in a style which is far more explicit and gruesome in comparison with Joyce’s incorporation of ambiguity. The theme of paralysis is key to Joyce’s work – the notion is implicit throughout Dubliners as a whole. With this idea comes its antithesis – escape – or with respect to ‘An Encounter’ and many of the other stories, thwarted escape. It is because of the character’s desire to achieve this freedom, that when the day fails to reach its high expectations, the stagnation and restrictiveness of the surroundings are powerfully reinforced – perhaps even confirmed. From the outset of the tale, Joyce ponders the notion of escape. Characters searching for such an escape, often describe how they would wish to travel afar to achieve it. So important, it seems, is this idea that the protagonist of the initial story of Dubliners, can be quoted of aspiring to exotic, foreign fantasy: ‘I felt that I had been very far away, in some land where the customs were strange – in Persia, I thought.’ This feeling is openly exhibited in ‘An Encounter’, as Joyce’s first person narrator states; ‘Real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad.’ In the story, Joyce develops the theme in the form of an inner monologue – the thoughts of the protagonist dictating how his ‘Wild West’ adventures ‘opened doors of escape’. The method used is quite customary of the author- the thought processes of the boy (relating to escape) are ultimately what drive the tale, yet Joyce quietly conveys them through subtle, nondescript details. Joyce’s relationship with his hometown appears, like his works, slightly ambiguous. He may often be quoted of his distaste for the stagnant city2, succeeding in displaying it with an absence of enthusiasm, as a moribund, non-eventful hive. However, one feels that on reflection, after reading his work a subtle affection is undoubtedly apparent – perhaps Joyce’s time spent in exile3 incubated an innate longing for the city – Dublin’s entrapment being, perhaps, what fuelled this fascination with the petty happening of the city? Joyce’s relationship with the theme of entrapment in Dubliners is essential to the text: at times he appears intent, at others repelled. ‘An Encounter’ deals with methods of escape other than exotic foreign adventure, focusing on the attempt of two boys to ‘break out of the weariness’ of their everyday environment. Although, at first the prospect of adventure excites the young boys, there is constant undertone of anti-climax carefully intertwined into the story. Joyce writes from the first person point view, often through analepsis. It is perhaps because of this that a frequent air of frustration pursues the young schoolboys – it is as if the story is being recalled by a man embittered by the ‘restraining’ and ultimately paralysed city of Dublin. Quite often Joyce refuses to commit any fervent emotion to events, preferring to use lacklustre qualifying adverbs or adjectives; ‘†¦ We were all vaguely excited†¦ it was a mild sunny morning’ Joyce intently chooses to focus in on the most insipid details, usually choosing to focus on empirical sense experience – such as Mahoney’s grey suit or the ‘brown4 fishing fleet’- which works to suppress the buoyant atmosphere. This notion is also relative to the descriptive mood, which the author quite purposely generates through negative evocation of certain aspects: ‘†¦ The docile horses†¦ the drivers of groaning carts.’ This process of qualification through modifiers generates a subdued atmosphere parallel to that of the jaded inner-consciousness of the protagonists. The negativity which is now apparent in almost everything encountered appears to be an entrapping agent over the boys, who sulk into a resigned and somewhat resentful state, a state which is furthermore reiterated by the repetition of the adverb ‘too’: ‘It was too late and we were too tired to carry out our project of visiting the Pigeon House.’ Joyce has succeeded in presenting Dublin as an impotent city of circularity and entrapment. He is now anxious to erase the protagonist’s claim; ‘I was very happy’, from the audience’s memories, introducing words such as ‘solemn’, ‘sedulous’ and eventually even denotes the character’s thoughts as ‘jaded’. There is constant, yet suitable repetition of the adjective ‘tired’ – the day has become tedious, adventure and escape have proved elusive, and the encounter of a less than legendary sea-farer has confirmed that the protagonist will not find merriment in Dublin, forever doomed to live in the fantasies of comic book and literature. However, despite its lack of event, the day does provide the boys with one notable incident. Aspirations of escape having been superseded, Joyce begins a new paragraph focusing primarily on the silence and ‘stillness’ of the eventual situation: ‘There was nobody but ourselves in the field. [We had] lain on the bank for some time without speaking’. Through creating such an ominous, yet ‘dying’ atmosphere – sentences slowly becoming shorter, more concise (defeating imaginative possibility as displayed by the boys hitherto) and less picturesque use of vocabulary – Joyce signals the need for new themes to be introduced. He achieves this through the introduction of a curious elderly antagonist. The old man introduces the possibility of in-depth monologue and direct speech. In the conversation with the boys, he seemingly manages to entrap the young protagonist with his reference to literature – a topic of known interest to the boy – and also through cunningly incorporating a sinister ‘circular’ approach. Joyce is very keen to exploit the idea of circularity in his work and in this piece, the ‘monotonous’ voice of the antagonist and the way his voice ‘slowly circles round and round in the same orbit’, help to achieve the spellbinding quality of the man. This technique paralyses the narrator, who seemingly allows the man to give a discourse in the form of a monologue – mainly due to his apparent inability to interrupt. The politeness evident in the boy’s character is in hindsight, far from being useful. Joyce implicitly airs his personal views on the expensive Jesuit schooling that the protagonist has been subject to by placing the boy in a situation of danger. The resultant irony – learnt social skills being a hindrance – also helps highlight Joyce’s disregard for the church and its establishments. The worrying feature of the man’s discourse is the implicitly perverse way in which he speaks. He frequently refers to the ‘whipping’ of young boys, with one feels, over-excitable ardour. Joyce establishes the man’s odd approach through primarily using such adjectives as ‘magnetised’ and ‘circle’ in reference to his thought process. This creates the impression that he is intent on the subject. Secondly, a section of reported speech is introduced; ‘When a boy was rough and unruly there was nothing would do him any good but a good sound whipping†¦ what he wanted was to get a nice warm whipping.’ Joyce emphasises the mans positive outlook on the subject through the use of a positive lexical range; there is repetition of the word ‘good’ – firstly as a noun, secondly as an adjective – and also use of the adjective ‘nice’, which appears somewhat misplaced when used in conjunction with the concept of whipping. The protagonist’s isolation from sympathetic intellectuals due to young age means he is quick to warm to the old man when he talks of literature. In the epiphany, he even appears isolated from his closest friend, Mahoney, and it appears to me that the epiphany of the piece (from the young boy’s perspective) confirms that the older man has had a profound influence on his views – both intellectually and sexually. It appears that after entrapment, the isolation of the naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve child has left him susceptible to corruption and the ‘encounter’ has left the boy and the audience with the idea (with undoubted authorial intent) that the world is not such an innocent place. Such mental metamorphosis is more openly explicit in Edgar Allen Poe’s work, no epiphanies are evident, yet a first person narrative works to convey the progressively tortured thoughts of the protagonist to the reader. ‘The Pit and The Pendulum’ is a piece typical of the nineteenth century ‘gothic horror’ genre. The main area of focus is that of psychological terror and mental torture of the protagonist, brought about through natural agents and physical entrapment and isolation. The style is typical of Poe, aesthetic – as opposed to scientific – and wholly grotesque. The piece is, in its simplest form, an account of the destruction of the protagonist’s psyche. Poe begins ‘in medias res’ by describing the trial of the man, the narrator intently focusing upon his gloomy and confused mental state. Syntax used is complex and verbose, helpfully describing the characters inner consciousness and displaying his tangled, entrapping thought processes. The lexical field and imagery employed is especially exotic and indulgent – Poe uses metaphorical language peppered with adverbs and adjectives as the candles before the man alter from ‘white slender angels’ to ‘meaningless spectres, with heads of flame’. Another technique which is commonly employed by Poe is that of repetition, in this particular story, Poe often relies on the syntactical position of verbs to gradually heighten tension, and prompt his audience. A good example of repetition may be found when the protagonist is awaiting his doom at the hands of the pendulum – each new paragraph commences with the preposition ‘down’: ‘Down – steadily down it crept†¦ Down – certainly relentlessly down!.. Down – still increasingly – still inevitably down!’ This repetition works to give extra strength to the nemesis and increase the tense, anxious and bleak atmosphere. The notion of ‘down’ is the most important in the authors mind, and the layout of the word on the page vividly reflects the terrifying motion of the blades descent and, more importantly, the ever more dejected mental state of the protagonist. A technique used by Poe – and also exhibited by Joyce- is that of prolepsis. The fact that the protagonist is often left thinking of what ‘may be’ suggests a certain degree of isolation – the surrounding atmosphere offering no apparent subjects for the character to focus on in the present. In ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’, Poe incorporates a feeling of perpetual unease into the thought processes of his protagonist. There are frequent examples of this which often come about directly before the ‘ghastly’ prospects of the character are realised; as in the heightened, almost hysterical language and excited syntax of: ‘The result of the slightest struggle, how deadly! Was it likely, moreover, that the minions of the torturer had not foreseen and provided for this probability? It is characteristic of Poe to use hyperbole, a technique which creates a melancholy, theatrical feeling – often seemingly increasing the grandeur. Hyperbole also escalates the terror and entrapment suffered by the protagonist, the indulgent language used portrays a somewhat exaggerated experience to the audience. This technique is supported by extensive use of adjective and adverb, commonly negative in effect, as when the protagonist is close to death by the pendulum; ‘The odour of the sharp steel forced itself into my nostrils. I prayed – I wearied heaven with my prayer for its more speedy descent. I grew frantically mad, and struggled to force myself upward against the sweep of the fearful scimitar. And then I fell suddenly calm, and lay smiling at the glittering death†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Psychological entrapment in the story is offered in the form of ‘The Pit’. To accomplish the desired atmosphere for such a tortured fate, Poe begins to describe the physical surroundings of the protagonist in some detail. The ‘subterranean world of darkness’ to which the man is instantly subject to is stereotypically associated with Poe’s genre of writing, the gloom becoming a perfect vehicle to carry an unnerving, mystifying atmosphere. Further concern for the antagonist is drawn from the constant reference to his ‘fatigued’ state and also the dangerously ‘moist and slippery’ characteristics of the chamber. The tension generated relies heavily on Poe’s use of syntax – the protagonist encounters ‘The Pit’ through a sequence of brief sentences: ‘I proceeded for many paces; but still all was blackness and vacancy. I breathed more freely.’ The length of the sentences and the fact that Poe does not feel it necessary to justify or convolute the thoughts of the protagonist – who currently sees his punishment as ‘[not] the most hideous of fates’ – represents relatively calm and clear thought processes. As the narrator becomes evermore aware of the horrific situation, Poe mirrors his mounting terror through increasingly complex syntax: ‘The difficulty, nevertheless, was but trivial; although, in the disorder of my fancy, it seemed at first insuperable.’ Poe’s evidently excessive accentuation of punctuation, creating furthermore verbose sentences, achieves a faster movement of thought and a growing sensation of confusion. Eventually, as the protagonist gradually uncovers the secrets of his confinement, a greater fear of entrapment and danger being incubated inside him is realised. Poe displays this through every quickening pace in complex sentences which are supported with dashes – giving the effect of total bemusement and terror in the protagonist, feelings which almost lead to the making of treacherous mistakes. Quite suddenly, with a simple sentence – perceptibly out of step with the ever-increasing complexity of the syntax – the climax of the character’s investigation is revealed; ‘I stepped on it, and fell violently on my face.’ With the inclusion of this short, astute sentence, Poe signals that complex syntax hitherto has given sufficient insight to the audience and that the tensi on has peaked. The fact that the piece is written in the form of a first person narrative always suggests – in a similar style to James Joyce’s reflective, possibly older narrator – that the protagonist is reminiscing about his exploits, and that ultimately the piece will not end in his death. This is, of course, the case when General Lasalle of the French army comes to the rescue. The ending is extremely interesting as Poe chooses, unlike the other events of the story, to dramatically reduce proceedings – deciding to summarise the rescue in a short paragraph. The said paragraph uses more restrained syntax – exclamation is succeeded by a simple statement which, in the context, appears almost bathetic. ‘The fiery walls rushed back!.. The French army had entered Toledo.’ It is not entirely clear why Poe has chosen to end the piece in an almost anticlimactic manner. Perhaps he chooses to condense the singular joyful occurrence of the narrative thus maintaining its stance as a work of horror. Many sources, however, maintain that the story’s closure was dictated by demanding time restrictions implemented by Poe’s publishers5. Another reason for Poe choosing a first person narrator is perhaps that this perspective gives us a stronger feeling of entrapment due to our constant awareness of the innermost feelings of the protagonist. The narrative does not, unlike a third person perspective, allow the audience to transcend the situation, providing direct access to the horror which is occurring on the page. There is also no direct speech in the story. This fact reinforces the idea of isolation in the way that the protagonist has no need to speak due to absolute solitude. The grotesque element of Poe’s work, which quite frequently works as a perversely aesthetic or romantic catalyst for the mental entrapment of the protagonist, is usually evident in the form of a tormentor drawn from nature.6 In ‘The Pit and The Pendulum’, psychological suffering is brought on by a swarm of rats. These animals bring negative connotation, as they are associated with such horror as The Plague. They are definitely an effective device which works to supplement the physical entrapment already being suffered by the protagonist at this time. At one point, Poe also uses ‘fearful images’ of skeleton forms and such, which ‘disfigure’ the surrounding walls. It is stated that these figures have been created by monks, suggesting that this environment is some kind of medieval building – not designed specifically for torture. It is therefore interesting to observe how Poe manages to alter these innocent images into emotionally petrifying fiends – working as the author will have wished, to terrify the protagonist and therefore, the readership. By introducing entrapment in the form of the wooden framework and hideous vermin, Poe has realised the importance of including both physical and metaphysical entrapment a work of the Gothic horror genre of which he is undeniably a master.    1 ‘The Pit and The Pendulum’ was first published in 1843 for a collection named The Gift, later (revised) for the Broadway Journal in 1985. ‘An Encounter’ – taken from Dubliners – was written in 1904 yet published 1914. 2 In a letter to his English publisher, Grant Richards, he claimed that his intention was ‘to write a chapter of the moral history of my country and I chose Dublin for the scene because that city seemed to me the centre of paralysis.’ (Letters, II, 134). 3 During the summer of 1904, Joyce and his new-found love Nora Barnacle left Ireland for Europe. At ‘An Encounter’s’ time of writing, it is most likely that Joyce was living in Pola – Croatia. 4 The use of the adverb ‘brown’ is also evident to the same effect in the story ‘Araby’. Entrapment is projected through the ‘brown imperturbable faces’ of the housing. 5 SEE NOTE