United Nations Security Council Is Unsuccessful in Keeping Peace Essay

United Nations Security Council Is Unsuccessful in Keeping Peace The threat of a nuclear attack on the USA has become a common topic after terrorist attacks on September 11. A lot of people have been talking about a missile defense system for the US. With the kinds of terrorist attacks being executed today, who knows what will come next. Some people worry that next time it will be a nuke knocking on Uncle Sam's door instead of a few misguided Al-Queda pilots flying bombs. Did you know that there actually is a protection agency out there who's task is to keep peace in the world? It is hard to tell because they are not successful very often, and more times than not they come to the US for aid, instead of providing it. This agency is called the United Nations Security Council, and it isn't doing its job. The United Nations was founded on the twenty-fourth of October, 1945 by 51 countries that were tired of war and wanted peace. The UN has four major purposes: to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, to promote human rights and remedy international problems, and to be a center for nations to negotiate. At the UN, all Member States of every size, class, and political viewpoint have a say. Five of the main components of the United Nations including the Security Council are based at UN headquarters in New York. There are 15 Council members of which the five permanent members are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Security Council is primarily responsible for keeping peace. The council convenes at any time that peace is threatened. The council always tries to correct problems peacefully before it takes militant measures. It sends... ...Require the five permanent and ten temporary members of the Security Council to provide a set amount of military personnel and equipment. Be prepared to back up negotiations with force, and quickly. Use more subterfuge to take the support of the people away from those like Usama Bin Laden. If a nation will not be reasonable in negotiating peace with those it conflicts with, then move such an enormous amount of military forces into the area that military action would be suicide for them. Use funding more sparingly and to collect in extreme cases, impose light sanctions on a member nation that does not pay its dues. Extreme changes within the organization will be the only way the UN Security Council will survive the twenty-first century. An Able peacekeeping department would be a great asset to this century but there is a lot of work to do in order for this to happen.

AIDS and Needles Essay

Becton Dickinson, one of the largest manufacturers of medical supplies, dominates the US market in disposable syringes and needles. In 2005, a nurse, Maryann Rockwood (a fictional name), used a Becton Dickinson 5cc syringe and needle to draw blood from a patient known to be infected with HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus). Ms. Rockwood worked in a clinic that served AIDS patients, and she drew blood from these patients several times a day. After drawing the blood on this particular day, she transferred the HIV-contaminated blood to a sterile test tube by sticking the needle through the rubber stopper of the test tube, which she was holding with her other hand. She accidentally pricked her finger with the contaminated needle. She is now HIV positive. A few years earlier, in 2000, Becton Dickinson had acquired exclusive rights to a patent for a new syringe that had a moveable protective sleeve around it. The plastic tube around the syringe could slide down to safely cover the needle. The Becton Dickinson 5cc syringe used by Maryann Rockwood in 2005, however, did not yet have such a protective guard built into it. The AIDS epidemic has posed peculiarly acute dilemmas for health workers, including doctors and nurses. Doctors performing surgery on AIDS patients can easily prick their fingers with a scalpel, needle, sharp instrument, or even bone fragment and can become infected with the virus. The greatest risk is to nurses, who, after routinely removing an intravenous system, drawing blood, or delivering an injection to an AIDS patient, can easily stick themselves with the needle they were using. Needlestick injuries occur frequently in large hospitals and account for about 80 percent of reported occupational exposures to HIV among health care workers. It was conservatively estimated in 2005 that about 64 health care workers were then being infected with HIV each year as a result of needlestick injuries. Although the fear of HIV had heightened concerns over needlestick injuries, HIV was not the only risk posed by needlestick injuries. Hepatitis B can also be contracted through an accidental needlestick. In 2000, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) estimated, on the basis of hospital reports, that each year at least 12,000 health care workers are exposed to blood contaminated with the Hepatitis B virus, and of these 250 die as a  consequence. Due to underreporting, however, the actual numbers may be higher. In addition to Hepatitis B, needlestick injuries can also transmit numerous other viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections, as well as toxic drugs or other agents that are delivered through a syringe and needle. The total statistics on needlestick injuries in 2005 are disturbing, although the exact incidence of contamination is unclear. It was estimated that each year, in the United States alone, between 800,000 and 1 million needlestick injuries occurred in hospitals – of these, between 60,000 and 300,000 resulted in Hepatitis B infection. By one estimate, the risk of contracting HIV from a known contaminated needle could be as high as 1 in 1000, and the risk of contracting Hepatitis B, a serious and often life-threatening condition, could be as high as 1 in 6. These estimates would imply that as many as 600 to 1000 health care workers were at risk of contracting HIV and as many as 100,000 were at risk of contracting Hepatitis B. Several agencies stepped in to set guidelines for nurses, including the American Nursing Association, the CDC, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FAD), who all developed such guidelines. The most comprehensive guidelines were issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), who on December 6, 2001, required hospitals and other employers of health workers to (a) make sharps containers (safe needle containers) accessible to workers, (b) prohibit the practice of recapping needles by holding the cap in one hand and inserting the needle with  the other, and (c) provide information and training on needlestick prevention to employees.  The usefulness of these guidelines was controversial. Nurses work in high-stress emergency situations requiring quick action, and they are often pressed for time both because of the large number of patients they must care for and the highly variable needs and demands of these patients. In s uch workplace environments, it is difficult to adhere to the guidelines recommended by the agencies. For example, a high-risk source of needle sticks is the technique of replacing the cap on a needle (after it has been  used) by holding the cap in one hand and inserting the needle into the cap with the other hand. OSHA guidelines specifically warned against this two-handed technique of recapping and instead required that the cap be placed on a stable surface and the nurse use a one-handed spearing technique to replace the cap. (Note that recapping the needles in this more time consuming way presented no risk of needlestick injury to the user). As noted above however, nurses are often pressed for time (and are keenly aware of the added danger of walking around with an uncapped needles) and tend to take the ‘two-handed recapping shortcut’ when no suitable surface is readily available for the safer one-handed capping technique. This fact is known to Hospital administrators, who regularly warn against such practices, and offer ongoing training and retraining opportunities to their nursing staff. Several analysts suggested that the peculiar features of the nurse’s work environment made it unlikely that needlesticks would be prevented through mere guidelines alone: The problem was not the worker, but the design of the needle and syringe. Experts on needlestick injuries argued that, rather than trying to teach health care workers to use a hazardous device safely, the focus should be on the hazardous product design and that a whole new array of devices in which safety is an integral part of the design was required. Regulators also urged manufacturers to provide the health care worker with devices in which safety was built into the design. The risks of contracting life-threatening diseases by the use of needles and syringes in health care settings had been well documented since the early 1980s. Well over half of all the needles and syringes used by U.S. health care workers since 1980 were being manufactured by Becton Dickinson. Despite the emerging crisis, however, Becton Dickinson decided not to modify its syringes, although it did include in each box of needled syringes an insert warning of the danger of needlesticks and of the dangers of two-handed recapping. On December 23, 2000, the U.S. Patent office issued patent number 4,631,057 to Charles B. Mitchell for a syringe with a tube surrounding the body of the syringe that could be pulled down to cover and protect the needle on the syringe. At the time, at least four other patents for needle-shielding devices existed. As Mitchell noted in his patent application, those devices all suffered from serious drawbacks. One of them  would not lock the protective cover over the exposed needle, one was extremely complex, another was much longer than a standard syringe and difficult to use, and a fourth was designed primarily for use on animals. It was Mitchell’s assessment that his invention was the only effective, easily usable, and easily manufactured device capable of protecting users from needlesticks, particularly in emergency periods or other times of high stress. Unlike other syringe designs, Mitchell’s was shaped and sized like a standard syringe so nurses already familiar with standard syringe design would have no difficulty adapting to it. Shortly after Mitchell patented his syringe, Becton Dickinson purchased from him an exclusive license to manufacture it. A few months later, Becton Dickinson began field tests of early models of the syringe using a 3cc model. Nurses and hospital personnel were enthusiastic when shown the product. However, they warned that if the company priced the product too high, hospitals, with pressures on their budgets rising, could not buy the safety syringes. With concerns about HIV rising fast, the company decided to market the product. In 2001, with the field tests completed, Becton Dickinson had to decide which syringes would be marketed with the protective sleeves. Sleeves could be put on all of the major syringe sizes, including 1cc, 3cc, 5cc, and 10cc syringes. However, the company decided to market only a 3cc version of the protective sleeve. The 3cc syringes account for about half of all syringes used, although the larger sizes-5cc and 10cc syringes-are preferred by nurses when drawing blood. This 3cc syringe was marketed in 2002 under the trademarked name Safety-Lok Syringe. It was promoted as a device that â€Å"virtually eliminates needlesticks.† The 3cc safety syringe with the protective sleeve was sold in 2001 to hospitals and doctors’ offices for between 50 and 75 cents. By 2003, the company had dropped the price to 26 cents per unit. At the time, a regular syringe without any protective device was priced at 8 cents per unit and cost 4 cents to make. Information about the cost of manufactu ring the new safety syringe is unavailable but is estimated at between 13 and 20 cents each. The difference between the price  of a standard syringe and the price of the safety syringe was an obstacle for customers. To switch to the new safety syringe would increase the hospital’s costs for 3cc syringes by a factor of three. An equally important impediment to adoption was the fact that the syringe was available in only one 3cc size, and it was perceived to be of limited application. Hospitals are reluctant to adopt and adapt to a product that is not available for the whole range of applications the hospital must confront. In particular, hospitals often needed the larger 5cc and 10cc sizes to draw blood, and Becton Dickinson had not made these available with a sleeve. For 5 years, Becton Dickinson manufactured only 3cc safety syringes. During that period, Becton Dickinson did not license its new safety syringe technology to another manufacturer that might have produced a full range of syringe sizes. Most hospitals and clinics, including the medical facility where Maryann Rockwood worked at drawing blood from many patients with Hepatitis B or HIV, did not stock the Becton Dickinson safety syringe. Most nurses in the United States continued to use unprotected syringes. Maryann Rockwood sued Becton Dickinson, alleging that, because it alone had an exclusive right to Mitchell’s patented design, the company had a duty to provide the safety syringe in all its sizes, and that by withholding other sizes from the market it had contributed to her injury. The case was settled out of court.

Body – Traffic Jam

Chapter 1: Introduction 1. 1Origin of the report This report has been prepared following the instruction of our course teacher Pro. Ali Akkas as a part of our course â€Å"Business Communication† under the EMBA program of Dhaka University. 1. 2 Objective of the report 1. Broad objective To discuss traffic jam, it’s causes and remedies 2. Specific objective -To discuss the effects of traffic jam on environment and social life, -To be introduced with the way of relief from traffic jam. – To find the way of upgrading the traffic systems . 3 Scope and Limitations of the report This report could have even more wealth and information. But, due to limited time, few information could be collected. More budgeting on this report could have given it a aristocratic look. In spite of these limitations, it has been tried to enrich this report by proper and authentic information. It has been tried to be rational with the real figure of traffic jam. It is believed that this repo rt will help the follower to go for further analysis. Chapter 02: Methodology 2. Population Parameters A parameter is a numerical summary of a population; because populations have so many members, these can never be known except if a census is taken. 2. 2 Sampling Design In the theory of finite population sampling a sampling design specifies for every possible sample its probability of being drawn. Mathematically a sampling design is denoted by the function P(S) which gives the probability of drawing a sample. 2. 3 Variables Covered Here we have included -urban traffic problems -suburban traffic problems high way traffic problems 2. 4 Methods of Data Collection There are four main methods of data collection. †¢ Census. A census is a study that obtains data from every member of a population. In most studies, a census is not practical, because of the cost and/or time required. †¢ Sample survey. A sample survey is a study that obtains data from a subset of a population, in or der to estimate population attributes. †¢ Experiment. An experiment is a controlled study in which the researcher attempts to understand cause-and-effect relationships.The study is â€Å"controlled† in the sense that the researcher controls (1) how subjects are assigned to groups and (2) which treatments each group receives. †¢ Observational study. Like experiments, observational studies attempt to understand cause-and-effect relationships. However, unlike experiments, the researcher is not able to control (1) how subjects are assigned to groups and/or (2) which treatments each group receives. 2. 5 Data Analysis Plan The appropriate methods of data analysis are determined by data types and variables of interest, the actual distribution of the variables, and the number of cases.Different analyses of the same data set may reflect or represent different aspects of the underlying data structure. Once a plan has been established, it could contain any combination of the f ollowing types of data analysis strategies: †¢ Exploratory: This type of data analysis often occurs when a program is new, and it is unclear what to expect from the data. †¢ Descriptive: The most common type of data analysis, this approach will summarize your findings and describe the sample. †¢ Inferential: Inferential statistics allow us to draw conclusions about the larger population from which the sample is drawn.These powerful techniques may be able demonstrate if a change has occurred as a result of your program. PDA's Statistics Division specializes in many sophisticated data analysis techniques. Chapter 3: Traffic Jam, It’s Causes, Effects and Remedies 3. 1 Causes of Traffic Jam â€Å"During experiment, it has been found that human error is a major cause of most frustrating kinds of traffic jams†. ( Annexes – I) In generally the traffic jams are causes by following reasons- -Dishonesty of traffic polices -Insufficient roads and highways. P oor communication system. -Too many vehicles -Low price fuel ( CNG) and available motor cars. -Traffic jams are usually caused because there must be an accident. -Most often, traffic jam are caused by – those who drive too slow always end up compacting the faster drivers behind them -In rush hours when too many people start for destination. -Free parking here and there causes hindrance on traffic way -Some drivers tries to drive faster than the flow of traffic. -Some times drivers stop on the highway and causes a traffic jam. . 2 Traffic Jam Affects Society and Environment Traffic jam affects the society in some of the ways below: †¢ creates mental stress in the motorists †¢ paves way for wastage of fuel and wear & tear of vehicle parts which ultimately waste the money of the motorists †¢ becomes a cause for rash driving and road accidents involving loss of lives †¢ makes the motorists to inhale lot of vehicular smoke emissions in a short period of time ca using many diseases †¢ wasting time of motorists and passengersTraffic jam affects the environment in some of the ways below: †¢ efficiency of fuel usage by idle running of vehicle engines in low speed is very low leading to wastage of fuel which ultimately results in over exploitation of fossil fuel reserves †¢ vehicles at low speed emit lot amount of carbon monoxide, unburnt fuel particles, suspended particulate matters and other pollutants into atmosphere causing air pollution more grave †¢ when vehicles start to move slowly, noise pollution is created by blowing horns by the motorists. 3. 3 Remedies to Traffic JamIncreased regulation would not work in practice. Regulation either requires more cops, which are an expensive kind of work force, or automated systems, which are sketchy from a legal point of view. Technological solutions aren’t the way to go, either. They are predicated on the assumption that all (or enough) drivers would adopt this technolog y, which will be expensive and error-prone, and possibly encourage risky behavior. Traffic jams are a symptom of more vehicles than the planned carrying capacity of the roads. In order to prevent traffic jams: -one method is to reduce the number of vehicles. Imposing disincentives (taxation, congestion fees) is one way, but offering sensible alternatives (mass transit, a functional passenger rail system, telecommuting) is smarter. -no hand held cell phones while driving. -controlling Speed of traffic more efficiently during rush hours (points to one idea, the classic â€Å"slow down and keep a constant speed† method). Chapter 4 : Conclusion and Recommendation 4. 1 Conclusion The present problem of traffic jam has not created by one day. For long unawareness and long time plan and booming number of traffic cause this.As Bangladesh is a developing country, it should be more aware of time and money. Not only this, as Bangladesh is a low land country, so it should be aware of gre en house gas. Traffic jam is killing time, wasting money, causing more green house gas. If we can’t reduce traffic jam significantly we will be great looser. Our development may slow down due to traffic jam. 4. 2 Recommendation: -We will have to go for long time plan to improve our roods and high way communication system. -Withdraw of old and slow vehicles. -Trained driver -Maintain LAN during driving -Use of dividerAnnexes-I |Bottlenecks (traffic demand   exceeds roadway capacity) |50% of total traffic jam | |Traffic incidents |25% of total traffic jam | |Work zones |15% of total traffic jam | |Bad weather |10% of total traffic jam | |Poor signal timing |  5% of total traffic jam | Fig :- On an average major causes of traffic jam References: 1.Text books: Giltow, C. & Oppenhein, R. (1995). Management: Tools and methods for improvement. Boston: Irwin-Mcgraw-Hill. 2. Websites: -HYPERLINK http://statisticssolutions. blogspot. com/2008/09/what-is-included-in-data-analysis-p lan. html -http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_causes_traffic_jams -http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_are_some_ways_a_traffic_jam_affects_the_society_and_environment – http://freakonomics. blogs. nytimes. com/2008/03/10/what-causes-traffic-jams-you/ http://www. infoplease. com/ipa/A0931283. html#axzz0wBBDMA5L

Boeing 777 Finance Case Study Essay

Boeing is currently operating with the majority market share of the commercial sector of aircraft manufacturing. Frank Shrontz, our CEO, has recently stated his goal to increase the company’s return on equity from its current average of 12%. The following summary will delve into the most appealing project for the future of this firm: the 777 aircraft. The purpose of this new product is to maintain our competitive advantage in commercial airline production by completing a family of Boeing airplanes. The following net present value analysis will be used to determine the potential profitability of the 777 project. Our analysts concluded that a levered equity beta of 1.2939 was appropriate for the commercial division of Boeing. The levered equity beta was important to use due to its representation of the capital structure of Boeing and its value to the WACC calculation. This equity beta was calculated by removing the financial risk of four similar defense-oriented benchmark companies (over half of all revenues from their respective defense divisions). The Value Line betas of Lockheed, Northrop, Grumman, and McDonnell-Douglas were unlevered using the following formula U = (L) / (1+(1-t)(D/E)). The betas of these firms are important because by using the pure play approach, we can calculate an accurate equity beta for Boeing. Several adjustments must be made however, and those are discussed in the remainder of this paragraph. Once averaged, the Value Line betas equaled 0.4758. The next step required unlevering the total Boeing beta, which was found at 1.00. The formula used to unlever Boeing’s beta U = (1.00) / (1+(.66*.018)) = 0.9883. With the two betas we have calculated, Boeing’s unlevered commercial beta could be found. We found that the percentage of revenues derived from the defense division was 26%. The following formula provided the answer to Boeing’s commercial beta: U = (U-Boeing – (% defense)(U-Defense)) / (%commercial) = (0.9883 – (.26*.4758))/(.74) = 1.1683. After obtaining the unlevered commercial beta, our analysts then levered it by using the debt to equity ratio of 14%. The D/E ratio of 14% was chosen over the current 4% D/E ratio due to the additional financing needs in the future if the project were accepted. This yielded a levered equity commercial beta of 1.2939. The cost of equity of the project was then found using the equation: RE = rf + (market risk premium). Our team of analysts chose to use the long-term yield on treasury bonds in 1990 (8.82%) because it was similar to our investment horizon. The market risk premium is 5.4%. When these values are plugged into the previously stated SML equation, the cost of equity is (0.0882 + 1.2939*(.054)) = 15.81%. The return on equity for all-equity financing would be 15.13%. The only difference in the formula would be the use of the unlevered commercial beta 1.1683 instead of the levered commercial beta of 1.2939. This discrepancy between the two RE calculations makes sense because levering up increases the cost of equity. The weighted average cost of capital is then calculated with this equation: WACC = [RD * (1-t) * WD] + (RE * WE). The only new unknown is the cost of debt, which was 9.73%. The average yield to maturity of a AA-rated debt with 5 years to maturity is 9.73%–the cost of debt used in our analysts’ WACC calculation. Furthermore, a 34% tax rate and 14% weight of debt were used. WACC = [9.73% * 0.66 * 0.14] + (15.81% * 0.86) = 14.49% With all of the pieces of information our analysts gathered, the net present value (NPV) of all future cash flows could be found. Boeing has estimated the selling price of each 777 will be $130 million and includes adjustments for inflation over the time horizon of the project. After calculating the NPV over the 35-year project horizon, our analysts found it to be $1,736.34 million. Against our hurdle rate, the Boeing 777 project is very attractive. The key to this project being economically attractive is that the return outperforms inflation to provide real value to the firm. The sensitivity analysis provided reveals several gambles made by Boeing. They include the use of the highest estimated selling price per plane, units per year, rate of price increases, and market size among others. Even with all of the risks and estimations, Boeing should launch the 777 in October 1990 because the firm must not only stay competitive but keep their market share in the future. While the 777 project represents a huge risk with high levels of capital, it is a necessary risk since other firms are also completing their full product lines of airplanes. Also, the introduction of a derivative after 10 years and reduction in R&D costs could provide additional sales revenue and further affect the NPV of the project. While this project was certainly a gamble for Boeing in 1990, hindsight shows they made the right decision in creating the new 777. In October of 1990, right after the project was implemented, United Airlines placed a $28 billion order therefore â€Å"cementing the program Boeing was close to scrapping.† By March of 1994 they were already loaded down with 147 firm orders and 108 options with expectations of quickly increasing numbers. In June of 2008 it became evident that this aircraft had the differentiating ability to beat out its competitors. Headlines read â€Å"Boeing under intense pressure to increase production of top-selling fuel thrifty 777-300 ER†¦as airlines struggle with the soaring price of fuel.† In November of 2007 production of the 777 was sold out through 2012 and just 6 months later all remaining 2012 and 2013 slots were filled; the next available date for a new order was in 2014. Boeing officials stated they were â€Å"experiencing unprecedented demand† and were â€Å"producing at a rate of 7 [aircraft] monthly.† In November of 2011 the 777 became one of Boeing’s best-selling models, and on March 5, 2012 United Arab Emirates, the largest operator of the 777 with a fleet of 102, purchased Boeing’s 1000th 777, surpassing the numbers they forecast back in 1990.

Ethnic Literature Essay

The term â€Å"ethnic† when in conjunction with the word â€Å"literature† in the academic discourse community of students, often brings out mixed feelings of excitement and dread. On the one hand, students understand that they will be getting away from the canonical American literature – which can equal boring in their eyes; on the other hand, students interpret the term â€Å"ethnic literature† to mean distinctive – which can equal confusing or ambiguous – and perhaps at times not relatable because it is outside their scope of experiences. Perhaps before jumping into why it matters, the term â€Å"ethnic literature† should be defined first and because I am still learning how to interpret this term myself, I searched for a suitable one I could agree with. I found one in an article entitled â€Å"Assessing Teachers’ Knowledge of Multi-Ethnic Literature†, and the article actually used another source themselves to come up with a workable, layman’s definition. Ethnic literature as defined by D. E. Norton (as the article’s source) is, â€Å"Literature about racial or ethnic minority groups that are culturally and socially different from the white Anglo-Saxon majority in the United States, whose largely middle-class values and customs are most represented in American literature† (qtd. in Hager & Thompson 22). I think this definition works well to define what ethnic literature is on a surface level, but the more I dig in, I feel that this idea goes much deeper. I asked myself, who can write about ethnic literature? Can anyone just pick up a pen so to speak and tell a story about a young Japanese boy, or a Hispanic family? Can an African-American writer write about Hispanic or Chinese people and claim it is ethnic literature? And the answer to myself is no. Why? Because unless that African-American has been submersed in the Hispanic or Japanese culture from the time of childhood, how are they going to capture the very essence of being, thinking, and living day-to-day in that culture? And even if that African-American had, they would still most likely have a different perspective from the average Hispanic or Chinese person because of being different themselves (i. e black) and perhaps are treated different by the community at large which corrupts the â€Å"normal† cultural thinking. At this deeper level I am trying to get at, I find John M. Reilly’s article â€Å"Criticism of Ethnic Literature: Seeing the Whole Story† helpful in acquiring this. He states that, â€Å"the assertion of ethnicity in literature can be made only through a procedure by which the writer resolves formal problems†¦ what moves from recognition of identity to creation of a strategy for handling reality still is not literature until the individual author sustains her or his ethnic identity through a sequence of formal choices† (4). I am interpreting this to mean that as a reader of this literature, I should see and feel throughout the story (perhaps subtlety) that in some way, the characters mindset (and perhaps actions) in the story differ from my own specifically because of the culture they have grown up in in, which has shaped that character’s thinking. There are thoughts and feelings – ideas, I don’t understand without further explanation from the author, which is sometimes provided, and sometimes not. An example of this is in Brando Skyhorse’s novel The Madonnas of Echo Park, I find myself wondering what the significance of the jacaranda trees mentioned in different parts of the book. Looking up what they are, it becomes apparent to me as jacaranda trees are native to Central America – roots back to their homeland. The blossoms from the trees fall and are scattered everywhere. Felicia in chapter 2 states that â€Å"there’s no way getting away from them† (25). Basically meaning, you cannot escape who you are and where you come from. I would not have understood this had I not explored the history of that tree to uncover the significance in the book. Another example is in Seventeen Syllables in the story â€Å"Seventeen Syllables†. The story about a Japanese family is easy to read, but is hard to connect with as I don’t share the same philosophies about a woman’s place in the Japanese culture. A specific instance in the story was when Mrs. Hayashi, Rosie’s mother received her the first place prize for her stellar Haiku. When the man from the newspaper presented her with a package, Mrs. Hayashi, stating she knew it was unorthodox, asked if she might open it because she was very curious. (Yamamoto 17). At this point, I am thinking to myself, â€Å"I don’t get it – why wouldn’t she open it? † but upon reflection, I considered the patriarchal society that is dominant in this culture, and perhaps it is the wife’s obligation to consult or have the husband open the gift, even if it is not specifically for him. Yet another example is in Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. To come specifically to the point, I do not understand this idea of why it is understood that Dominican men are supposed to be these â€Å"manly men† that women flock to and fall on their knees for. That the sexual appetite along with innate sense of charisma from Dominican men is expected, and when it’s lacking, it doesn’t go unnoticed. â€Å"Anywhere else his triple-zero batting average with the ladies might have passed without comment, but this is a Dominican kid we’re talking about, in a Dominican family: dude was supposed to have Atomic Level G, was supposed to be pulling in the bitches with both hands† (24). Why is this idea so indoctrinated in this culture according to the book? This is perhaps something I will never understand, except that it is a part of their culture. All of these examples are all good and well, but the important question is why is ethnic literature important? What can be gained from reading it? From a most basic viewpoint, it is a highly effective vehicle for helping people understand themselves and the world around them. Thompson and Hager in their article state that, â€Å"multi-ethnic literature mirrors and validates the experiences for minority groups and juxtaposes the familiar with the less familiar for mainstream children† (22). In other words, through reading ethnic literature, readers can find ways to connect with others around them that are different. The article also states that when readers are exposed to divergent thoughts, language patterns, value systems, and different ways of living, that it can open up awareness about others and create compassion and understanding towards them that might not have happened without the literary exposure (23). To sum it all up, I will never argue against the instruction of ethnic literature in the school setting. In fact, I think teaching it should begin right from the beginning in kindergarten, and perhaps one day we won’t need the designated term â€Å"ethnic literature† – perhaps one day it can just be â€Å"American Literature† and part of the regular American canon of literature. Works Cited Diaz, Junot. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. New York: Penguin, 2007. Print. Reilly, John. M. â€Å"Criticism of Ethnic Literature: Seeing the Whole Story†. Critical Approaches to Ethnic Literature. 5. 1 (1978): 2-13. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. Skyhorse, Brando. The Madonnas of Echo Park. New York: Free Press, 2010. Print. Thompson, Deborah L. and Jane Meeks Hager. â€Å"Assessing Teachers’ Knowledge of Multi-Ethnic Literature†. Yearbook of the American Reading Forum. 1990. 21-29. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. Yamamoto, Hisaye. Seventeen Syllables. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2001. Print.

Art Essay Example for Free (#3)

Art Essay * Art is a term that describes a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities, but here refers to the visual arts, which cover the creation of images or objects in fields including paintings, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media. They are two paintings that have been drawn by Dmitry Levitzky in 1773 and by Millais in 1871. The first portrait by Dmitry levitzky is called Nelidova, Ekaterina Ivanovna who she is the daughter of Lieutenant Ivan Dmitrievich Nelidov. She was raised in the Smolny Institute for Young Ladies and was noticed there by Empress Catherine II, who made her a maid of honor to the Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, later Empress, whose husband Emperor Pavel I. She was sincerely attached to him, although their relations were never intimate. She was able to influence Pavel I, preventing some of his unwise decisions and tantrums. She was also a close friend of the Empress Maria Feodorovna. The second portrait by John Everett Millais is called The Martyr of Solway the â€Å"Margaret† depicted by Millais was Margaret Wilson, who was born in 1667 in Glenvernoch in Wigtownshire. She was a young and devout Presbyterian who was a member of the Covenanters, a Scottish Presbyterian movement of the 17th century in Scotland who signed the National Covenant in 1638 to confirm their opposition to the interference by the Stuart kings in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Stuart kings embraced the belief of the Divine Right of the Monarch. However, not only did they believe that God wished them to be the infallible rulers of their kingdom – they also believed that they were the spiritual heads of the Church of Scotland. This latter belief was anathema to the Scots. Their belief was quite simple – no man, not even a king, could be spiritual head of their church. The following piece will demonstrate the differences and similarities between the two images in a compare and a contrast manner. Analyze the fundamental differences. Point out the major mutual points. Art. (2017, Feb 05).

In the name of the Father, Death and the Maiden, The Torture Question, Movie Review

In the name of the Father, Death and the Maiden, The Torture Question, The killing Fields, or The Burning Season - Movie Review Example Later after he started to work and settled in the same area he was accused and considered to be responsible for the Guilford bombing. In this case he was not the only one to have been accused, but his family and friends were considered to be responsible either. Thus, the filmmakers began â€Å"to explore their real theme, which is the intimate emotional consequences of oppression and prejudice" (The New Yorker n. p.). The story revolved around an era known as â€Å"The troubles.’’ This era faced conflicts between two forces: the first one was the IRA, that is the Irish Republican Army, and the second one was UVF, that is Ulster Volunteer Force. The reason behind the conflicts that started in 960 was the change or the raise in the trend of bombing, terrorism and riots. The area where our protagonist dwelled was Belfast, the city in Northern Ireland, which was transformed into a battle zone and became a barrier between the two forces. It came to be known as ‘†™the barricaded city’’. The story dealt with a boy named Gerry. The IRA considered that he was the person who spread terror and was the one responsible to plant a bomb, the accident that resulted in killing five innocent people. The people who were suspected for this crime were Paddy, Gerry, Paul and Carol, were literally abused and physically tortured during their seven day interrogation. The worst part was when Gerry Conlon refused to speak up and the agency threatened to kill his father. This got him in a very weird situation when he had to confess, although he had not committed any sort of a crime. Gerry Conlon served 15 years of imprisonment and was eventually released. The Lawyer of Gerry, namely, Gareth Pierse, discovered a proof that the IRA tried to hide from the courts and the media. After these facts of evidence were brought to the authorities the "Guilford four" was released after a period of 15 years in jail. During this time Gerry Conlon lost his father , who died while he was in jail (Kenigsberg n. p.). This story revolves around the life of man, which cannot be called an ordinary one, and depicts his battle against the forces that made him go through a terrible experience. He faces the most brutal and unfair treatment by the British judiciary and casts into question the competence of the system that was being enforced back then. There were lots of people who experienced torture being innocent citizens and could not simply live in peace having become the victims of the unfair system. The protagonist of the story is the embodiment of every individual who experienced brutality and injustice of the said era. This movie has an irresistible and moving plot. The book, which was eventually transformed into a movie, was considered by critics as "thoughtful and thought provoking book that proposes suggestions for fixing society through common sense and faith" (Breckenridge-ayers 48). The movie has a unique style, which is seldom on the big screen. The way it condemns the British system is very brave in its own way. The thing about this movie is that it certainly does not intend to exaggerate the impact of the IRA. Likewise, it is not made with the purpose to promote getting out of the British Government from Northern Ireland or damage the Crown Prosecution Service in any way. The reason behind this movie was to narrate the story of the local masses that are stuck in the wrong place at wrong time and try hard to resist injustice. It also deals with