Summer and People

India is a tropical country. Here Summer Season is felt more prominently than any other season. Ordinarily, we begin to feel the summer heat from the month of April to the second week of June. This season is remarkable for the heat. People suffer from terrible heat right from the morning till the midnight. In the morning people feel a gentle breeze. Then the sun rises and the horror of the heat commences. All the activities of the people are done with a little comfort only in the morning time. As the sun rises heat is felt.People are afraid to go out. Due to terrible heat, streets and roads become lonely. Those who take up some journey in day time get tired very soon. Very often they are affected by the sun-stroke. Dehydration occurs as body sweats heavily. If we do not take plenty of water, we break down. The mid-day is the most horrible and unbearable part of the day. Birds and other animals take rest. Sometimes wind blows carrying hot particles of dust. Sometimes there is no wind. There is only radiation and heat. They sit under the shade of trees.Still there is no relief from the heat. They frequently feel thirsty. People keep their cattle confined to the shed. This hot condition prevails up to four o'clock in the afternoon. Although the sun comes down in the sky the blazing heat does not decrease. When people come out, the skin of their body feels burning. Ponds and pools dry up. The water level in wells also goes down. People often walk miles and miles to fetch water. If there is scanty water in a pond, people use that water for all purposes. Thus, the unhygienic situation is created.Of course, the development of science has given us coolers and fans to fight heat. This is possible only on the part of the rich. In Summer Season, violent thunderstorms arise in afternoon. They bring showers very often. People get relief from the painful heat. Schools and Colleges remain closed for Summer Vacation. Government offices function in the morning only. Cold drinks , lasi and sharbat are sold in specific stalls. Children run for ice-creams. In this season we get several fruits such as mango and jackfruit, etc.

The Four Essential Elements of Teams

In this age of rapidly changing technology, market-driven decision making, customer sophistication, and employee restlessness, leaders and managers are faced with new challenges. Organizations must build new structures and master new skills in order to compete and survive. As work settings become more complex and involve increased numbers of interpersonal interactions, individual effort has less impact. In order to increase efficiency and effectiveness, a group effort is required. The creation of teams has become a key strategy in many organizations. Team building is an essential element in supporting and improving the effectiveness of small groups and task forces and must be a key part of a total program of organizational change. Hellriegel, Slocum, & Woodman (1986) state that team building is used to improve the effectiveness of work groups by focusing on any of the following four purposes: setting goals and priorities, deciding on means an methods, examining the way in which the group works, and exploring the quality of working relationships. A cycle then develops; it begins with the awareness or perception of a problem and is followed sequentially by data collection, data sharing diagnosis, action planning, action implementation, and behavioral evaluation. This style is repeated as new problems are identified. Not all work groups are teams. Reilly and Jones (1974) list four essential elements of teams: goals, interdependence, commitment, and accountability. The members must have mutual goals or a reason to work together; there must be an interdependent working relationship; individuals must be committed to the group effort; and the group must be accountable to a higher level within the organization. A good example is an athletic team, whose members share goals and an overall purpose. Individual players have specific assignments they are responsible for, but each depends on the other team members to complete their assignments. Lack of commitment to the team effort reduces overall effectiveness. Finally, the team usually operates within the framework of a higher organization such a league. The overall objective of a work team is to exercise control over organizational change (functionally, this involves increased decision-making and problem-solving efforts), although a side effect may be to increase the productivity of individual members. A primary objective of team building is to increase awareness of group process. In essence, the group members will learn how to control change externally by experimenting internally. The team-building effort will concentrate on barriers to effective functioning and the selection of strategies to overcome these barriers. Organizational failures often are not a result of poor leadership but of poor followership. Few training programs teach how to be an effective member of a democratic group. A team member is one of a group of mutual followers. Observation of individuals functioning within teams leads to the following list of characteristics of an effect team member. Such a person: Understands and is committed to group goals; Is friendly, concerned, and interested in others; Acknowledges and confronts conflict openly; Listens to others with understanding; Includes others in the decision-making process; Recognizes and respects individual differences; Contributes ideas and solutions; Values the ideas and contributions of others; Recognizes and rewards team efforts; and Encourages and appreciates comments about team performance. These characteristics are in sequential pattern, alternating task and relationship behaviors. This pattern of behaviors is the starting point for the development of effective team building. Team Building is a planned change intervention that focuses on the dynamics of a team†s functioning. The purpose of team building is to improve the team†s capacity to adapt, allow members to function at their most productive resourceful levels, and to achieve the teams goals. In developing teams there are four different stages that must be fully accomplished in order to reach its mission through achieving higher quality in the workplace. These stages in sequence are: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. The first three stages of team development must be completed in order to achieve stage four. In each stage there are distinct behaviors, feelings and questions which team members can experience. In stage one, Forming, personal relations are peculiar by strength. Team members depend on considerate and imitated behavior and look to the team leader for standpoint and guidance. The conjoint or mutual feelings that are used in forming are: Excitement, expectancy, and uniformed optimism. Happy to be selected as being part of the team. Showing conditional attachment to the team. Having doubts, concerns and uncertainty about the job or the task ahead. The team members also have questions and remarks that they expect to be answered by team developers, they are: â€Å"Who are all these people?† â€Å"Everyone is being so polite.† â€Å"This might be kind of exciting.† An effective and efficient behavior is expected from the team leader. A leader should answer all the questions the team members have. A leader should also guide them through each step and verify the expected need of each member. A team will be formed efficiently. All of the teams ideas and goals will have a positive effect in the organization. The second stage, Norming, is characterized by cohesion within the team. Team members recognize each other†s positions and benefits and are willing to change their preconceived ideas to achieve common consent. The common feelings that are used in Norming are: Team members have the ability to communicate without being afraid of retaliation. Team members accept their membership to the team. Feeling comfort that certain things will go the way they were planned. Team members are friendlier and they share more revealing feelings with each other. The questions and comments that are stated in Norming are: â€Å"How are we going to get along with each other?† â€Å"What are the rules of membership?† â€Å"Seems like we are all on the same track finally.† â€Å"We seem to be operating more unified, and we try to avoid conflict, when possible.† In Norming, the team members finally put the fear of failure behind them. They are willing to work out any conflict that may occur. Positive and negative feedback becomes more accepting within the team. As feedback increase, members have a better understanding of where they stand and become more involved in decision making.

Female desire in literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Female desire in literature - Essay Example The translucence of the veil that shrouds female sexuality in fiction today derives its quality from the courage of these pioneer ‘feminists.’ Many first works—especially when they are works of great power—have an autobiographical quality. Charlotte Brontà « appears to have recorded the truth of her own body and soul in Jane Eyre, her first published work. Jane Eyre is clear from the very beginning about one important thing—she will tell only the truth, whatever be the consequences. Given this, there is no way in which she can be selective about details such as which truths she will mention and which others she will conveniently forget or evade. Telling the truth means telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth about everything that needs to be told. Before she leaves her aunt’s house, Jane’s heart almost bursts with the desire to tell her aunt the truth of what she thought of her, and with exemplary courage for a ten-year-old girl she does exactly that. To her aunt’s indignant question of how she dared to speak thus, she replies: â€Å"How dare I, Mrs. Reed? How dare I? Because it is the TRUTH. . . . I will tell anybody who asks me questions, this exact tale. People think you a good woman, but you are bad, hard- hearted. YOU are deceitful!† The most significant thing about this episode relates to the feeling that overwhelmed Jane immediately after making this speech: â€Å"Ere I had finished this reply, my soul began to expand, to exult, with the strangest sense of freedom, of triumph, I ever felt.† She realized that the truth had set her free, and having once experienced this supremely beneficent consequence of the act, she can be counted on to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about whatever she may need to tell. In this spirit Jane continues as a votary of the truth all her life. She tells the truth always, to every one: to Rochester in answer to his questions, and to the reader,

The Aztec Empire history research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Aztec Empire history - Research Paper Example The primary source of their lifestyle and history about the Aztec civilization is gathered from the archaeological evidences which are found from the excavations of the famous Temple Mayor, situated in the Mexico City. Many other evidences are also gathered from the codices of indigenous bark papers and record of the direct eyewitness of people who came as Spanish conquistadors such as Hernan Cortes and Bernal Diaz del Castillo. Apart from this, the account recorded by the Spanish clergymen pertaining to the description of the Aztec culture and civilization during the 16th and the 17th century forms a valuable document in this regard. The literate Aztecs who received enlightenment in Spanish and Nahuatl language also contributed much to the formation of Aztec history through their valuable documentation of their knowledge with the help of indigenous Aztec informants. The renowned book named Florentine Codex, which is a well documented compilation done by the Franciscan monk Bernardin o de Sahagun and was formatted with the help of the indigenous Aztec informants stands out to be the most valuable text captivating the history of the Aztec empire (Berdan 1982). The Aztec Empire: Origin, Formation and the Rise to Power The word ‘Aztec’ originated from the Nahuatl word â€Å"people from Aztlan†, which means a mythological place for the Nahuatl speaking contemporary people, belonging to the culture of that time. The Aztec empire originated as a tribute empire which is based in Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan had an extension of its power throughout the vast region of Mesoamerica during the latter half of the post-classic period (Smith 2001, pp. 250-252). Aztec Empire was formed in the year 1427 and it was formed as an alliance between three ‘city – states’ of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan. These three ‘city – states’ actually formed an alliance between them to defeat the Tepanec state of  Azcapotzalco whic h dominated the region within the Basin of Mexico for a long time. Within a very short span of time, the ‘city-states’ of Texcoco and Tlacopan were subverted as junior partners in the alliance which was headed by the Mexica of Tenochtitlan (Smith 1997, pp. 49-58). Through a great combination of trade and military annexation, the empire never exercised its control through military quest and aggression rather it took a very subtle strategy under which it tried to control the client states by implementing marital alliance with them by extending imperial ideology between the ruling dynasties and the client states of the empire (Smith 1997, pp. 174-175). Client states paid homage to the Aztec state through an economic strategy bearing the name Huey Tlatoani which limits the communication and trade amid the outlying polities who became dependent on the imperial central for the accumulation and quest of luxury goods (Smith 1997, pp.  176–182) The political clout of th e triple alliance extended to the far south into Mesoamerica thereby conquering the cities situated in far south like Chiapas and Guatemala. The highest extent of prosperity and annexation by the empire took place during 1519 which is chronologically marked as the year just before the

Leadership Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership Management - Assignment Example One time I managed to collect the most medical bills for the company that was, in fact, a record. No one had exceeded receiving over $10,000 in a month for the company. I broke the barrier and collected over $12,000 of medical bills (bad debts). It was my supervisor who recognized and rewarded me for my effort. I used to report directly to this person. Any discrepancy or a problem in the workflow was reported directly to him. I did not receive any extra monetary recognition for my efforts. My direct supervisor was usually a reticent person. He never verbally praised anyone before. When he praised me, it made it unique to me and for my peers. On the day when we got our reports he walked into the room. All the employees were sitting at their workstations busy with work. Suddenly he announced my name and asked me to stand up. Then he read the report of my performance. With a smile, he announced my collections for the month. All the other employees started cheering and clapping. I have chosen to cite this experience here because it was unique and therefore memorable. In our medical bill collection company, such recognition or reward system was unknown before. Employees would just work get their paychecks and go back to their homes. But this was the first time when they realized that they were adding value to the company. We felt like we were an essential part of the organization. My efforts also made my supe rvisor happy because our department received additional funds for better performance than the other departments. When I received the recognition, it made me feel proud of myself. Ironically, the things that do not cost money are usually the most effective (Nelson, page I). I started believing in myself. Before this occurrence, I never considered myself worthy of such a competition. There were more experienced professionals and peers working in the same department. I was of the mind that I could never beat them at their game. But I did not only beat them

The development of corporate governance code in UK since 1992 Essay

The development of corporate governance code in UK since 1992 - Essay Example The essay discusses that corporate failures such Maxwell Publishing Group, BCCI, Poly Peck and Coloroll in 1980s and early 1990s in UK brought the issue of corporate governance practices by publicly listed organizations. There is no set definition of corporate governance and mostly depends upon the specific country’s view and oversight of the issue. Generally, it is known as a system of rules and principles as to how an organization should be governed and controlled. The roots of corporate governance lie in ‘Agency Theory’, which explains the problem of principal-agent. The managers or agents are bestowed with the responsibility of managing the company on behalf of the company’s owners or principals. While these agents have informational advantage, the principals have to rely on the board appointed by them to oversee the agents’ management. Therefore, agency theory has had a deep influence in shaping the characteristics and reforms of corporate gover nance. A proper governance mechanism in organization was required in order to facilitate a prudent and effective entrepreneurial management to deliver the long-term success of the organization underlying assumption of corporate governance is that the board of directors is responsible for the management of business and control of risks faced by it. While the framework of an effective corporate governance is still is in development stage in most of the developed economies, the recent economic downturn has raised the doubt over the effectiveness of corporate governance can ever be achieved.... These two Codes are based on the Walker Review Committee being set up to review the corporate governance practices in banking sector. U.S. has addressed the issue of corporate governance and auditor’s independence through Sarbanes Oxley Act in 2002 in response to Enron collapse and other corporate scandals, and Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reforms along with Consumer Protection Act in 2010 (Copeland, 2010, p.1). These reforms and developments indicate that the importance of having an effective corporate governance framework in order to protect not just the shareholders’ interests but also the other stakeholders’ interests. Considering this, the development of corporate governance framework in UK and practices of the Code through the analysis of two UK-based firms Burberry and BP have been provided. Burberry is a manufacturer of luxury fashion clothing, fragrance and accessories in UK and was established in 1856 (Burberry, n.d.).Burberry is listed on London Stock Exchan ge. BP was established in 1908 through a discovery of oil well in Persia. The company is listed on London Stock Exchange and NYSE (BP, 2012). Both the firms follow the provisions of corporate governance practices in the new Code on Corporate Governance 2010 and the Company Act 2006. Corporate Governance Development The process by which the stakeholders of a company get assured that the board of directors of the company is performing their duties efficiently, which assigned to them. The board members of the company should design the process, so that the interest of the stakeholders maintained properly by the operations done by the company management. The company management should also look after that whether the company properly maintains the ethics, corporate social responsibility or not. In

Plant Genome Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Plant Genome Comparison - Essay Example ecause of its relevance to biosecurity as its seeds contain high levels of highly toxic ricin protein which acts as a ribosome inactivator (Chan et al. 1). For the purpose of the genomic comparison, three studies (The Arabidopsis Genome Initiative, Ming et al. and Chan et al.) exploring the genome content of these plants have been used in the succeeding sections. The Carica papaya genome is three times larger than the Arabidopsis thaliana genome but has fewer genes. In fact, Carica papaya has lesser genes than any angiosperm so far sequenced. Its genome size is 372 Mbp while that of Arabidopsis thaliana is 125 Mbp. The genome of Ricinus communis is also fairly larger compared to Arabidopsis thaliana but smaller than Carica papaya, having a size of 350 Mbp. Compared to the Arabidopsis thaliana genome, Carica papaya genome has lesser disease resistance gene analogues. It also has minimal angiosperm gene set and lacks a recent genome duplication, which is unusual for other angiosperm genomes so far sequenced. The genome of Carica papaya is largely euchromatic but also has highly condensed heterochromatin knobs that represent 30–35% of its genomic DNA. In Arabidopsis thaliana genome too, there are euchromatic and heterochromatic regions. Most protein coding genes in Arabidopsis thaliana reside in the euchromatic regions while heterochromatin regions around the centromere have transposons and other repetitive sequences. In fact, in Arabidopsis thaliana account for around 10% of the genome, almost one-fifth of the intergenic DNA. The genome assembly of Ricinus communis is fairly fragmented with several megabase-sized scaffolds. Fifty percent of the Ricinus communis genome is found to be repetitive DNA, one-third of which is retrotranposons and less than 2% DNA transposons. BLASTZ alignment studies of chromosomal segments of Carica papaya with syntenic regions in Arabidopsis thaliana have shown that 34.8% of Arabidopsis thaliana genes in any one segment correspond

Business Formal report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Formal report - Essay Example Memo of Transmittal DATE: October XX, XXXX. TO: FROM: XXXX SUBJECT: Business In response to the request made by you on October XX, 2012, I have completed writing the project report after undergoing a detailed research using both primary and secondary sources regarding the various factors related to intercultural communication. I am pleased to present you the project report as asked by you. Please find the report attached herewith. The problem statement in this research study is to develop best practices of intercultural communication for the assigned company. The study has selected United Kingdom as target market for the company. The study used case study of a Polish manufacturer in order to understand existing best practices in the business environment. Based on the findings and analysis of the research study, it is recommended that the company needs to adopt British culture and recruit local people to overcome linguistics barrier in the United Kingdom. Detailed recommendations are illustrated in last section of the study. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions associated with the project report or if you need any kind of additional information. I will try to assist you in every possible way. Enc. Project Report Table of Contents Table of Contents 4 Scenario 3 6 PESTLE of UK 6 Political 6 Economical 6 Social 6 Technological 7 Environmental 7 Legal 7 Porter’s Diamond Model 8 Chance Factor 8 Factor Condition 8 Firm’s Strategy 8 Demand 8 Supporting Facility 9 Government 9 PIMLICO 9 Strategic Initiative 9 Phases of PIMLICO 10 Case Study on Industry Best Practices 11 Recommendation 12 Conclusion 14 Works Cited 15 Scenario 3 United Kingdom has been selected for the company to open their first international division. A macro environment auditing is needed to be done in order to understand business opportunities present in the country (Henry 52-58). PESTLE of UK Political The political issues represent the ongoing political situation of the country. It indicates the factors such as tax policies, political changes and issues regarding trade restriction, tariffs and the constancy of the government. The political design of United Kingdom is a legal monarchy and also a parliamentary system. The country is very much politically stable. Economical The economic contributors include gross domestic product, interest rates, unemployment rates, inflation rate and growth rate of the economy. The economy of UK is one of the strongest economies around the globe. UK is regards as highly manufacturing country. The other significant sectors of UK include fishing, tourism, agricultural and finance. The official currency of United Kingdom is British pound sterling. Social The social issues include patterns in demographics such as size, population, cultural factors and consumer behavior. The culture of UK regards the idiosyncratic cultural inheritance. British people generally speak English as the local language. It is classified by the existence of dissimilar types of consumers in the market. Technological Factors comprise rate of new product development, increase in process automation and other technical infrastructures such as technology transfer, technology inducements, internet application and research & development. In United Kingdom technology plays central parts of any business.

Critical Appraisal of Contemporary Urban Housing Problems Essay

Critical Appraisal of Contemporary Urban Housing Problems - Essay Example This trend has been exhibited through a data of 464 tenants of the market for council housing (Nevin et al. 2001: p. 59). As per the social and economic features of tenants for the council housing, it seems that the customer-base is getting economically weaker as only 16% tenants are working full time, 37.4% are in search of employment and 86.4% are getting help from the state. In comparison to private rented sector where 64% tenants are working, only 31% of council’s ates the weaker economic graph of the tenants of city council houses. Tenants give top priority to such tenancies which are of their preferred size, are situated in the right localities, family and friends are easily reachable and environment is healthy (ibid: p. 60). Trends are similar in geographical diverse areas such as Knowsley, Wigan and Stockport. As per the 1999 housing investment data, the social rented housing in Knowlsey was high with a population of 154,562 (38%), out of which local authority possessed 19,187 units (31%) and housing association owned 4,344 (7.1%). In Wigan the difference between the local authority and the housing association in the social housing segment was 24%. It was quite vast with local authority houses 21% and housing association houses just 2%. In Stockport the percentage of social housing was 16 while council share was 11% (ibid: p. 63). Comparatively, council housing is easily available than housing association. In Knowsley, most of the housing stock of housing association is outside the borough, in Liverpool. In Stockport and Wigan, housing association accommodations are found to be in good numbers but even then insufficient (ibid: p. 73). In comparison to council houses, private rented houses are in good numbers, are easily traceable and offer better locality alternatives than council houses. Private properties are widely advertised through the local print media. The only hindrance in renting of private property

The Spreading Disease of Diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Spreading Disease of Diabetes - Essay Example 186,300, or 0.22% of population below 20 years of age suffers from diabetes. 0.25% children and adolescents possess type 1 diabetes. Prediabetic individuals in the age range of 12-19 years are around 2 million adolescents (5% obese adolescents). After the age of 20 years, 23.5 million, or 10.7% of all population experience diabetes. 12.2 million, or 23.1% elderly population having age greater than or equal to 60 years suffers from diabetes. 12.0 million, or 11.2% of all men and 11.5 million, or 10.2% of all women aged 20 years or older have diabetes (National Diabetes Statistics, 2007). The certain populations have a higher prevalence of diabetes due to specific genetic traits leading to race and ethnic differences in diabetic rates such as 6.6% of non-Hispanic whites, 7.5% of Asian Americans, 11.8% of non-Hispanic blacks, and 10.4% of Hispanics (among Hispanics: 8.2% Cubans, 11.9% Mexican Americans, and 12.6% Puerto Ricans). Diabetic rates mentioned are after the age of 20 years (Na tional Diabetes Statistics, 2007). Diabetes is broadly classified into two types: Type I Diabetes and Type II Diabetes. Type I diabetes is juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and almost 10% of all diabetic cases are dependent on insulin for their survival. Other 90% cases display type II diabetes caused due to decreased insulin levels and/or insulin resistance (American Diabetes Association, 2002). Type II diabetes is mainly caused by passive still stressed lifestyle leading to onset of diabetes in obese children and middle aged individuals and also called as and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (World Health Organisation, 1999). The genetic as well as environmental factors causes malfunctioning of the insulin functioning or secretion. Normal blood glucose levels are dependent on circulating insulin levels, counterregulatory

Halleys Comet arrives Essay Example for Free

Halleys Comet arrives Essay The poem begins with Good evening, little visitor, in this first line two things are brought to our attention. First, Good evening is a very formal greeting, it implies a great deal of respect and shows us the poets opinion of the comet as a thing that should be revered and appreciated. Second, the words little visitor present a slightly different opinion of the comet, one of smallness and insignificance, in fact, its almost diminishing, but still retaining the same fondness we found in the first half of the line. These contrasting ideas of importance and insignificance are maintained throughout the remainder of the poem. Still very near the beginning of the poem another significant line can be found: But whod have thought youd be so shy, the significance of this line lies partly in the beginning But whod have thought this establishes the idea that the shyness is unexpected, the world was expecting a fantastic display but have yet to see it. Also with the introduction of contracted words whod and yould which are the beginning of a far less formal and more relaxed style of writing. The informality is associated with the theme of insignificance, almost as if the comet, being nothing more than, a dirty undense snowball is not deserving of such respect. Also, the subject of shyness, also an important theme, is first brought to light in this line. Furthermore, here it becomes noticeable that the poem is divided into a few distinguishable parts the first of which is Abrahams physical description of the comet in the sky. Continuing from the theme of modesty and the comets description is a statement of the worlds presumption of the comets behaviour; that it would streak through, flashing that famous double tail, / autographing the prophetic sky. These actions are not dissimilar to the behaviour you would expect from a celebrity, because to the people of the world the comet is a celebrity, it has been on the news, theyve heard of its awesome mysteries and, above all, they have been expecting its return for years. However, this is not what they actually discover. Instead, they find it has done an elusive Garbo act the use of Garbo is strikingly apt as she was an incredibly famous and beautiful actress who was widely known and held in great regard by most of the world at the time, but she also shunned the spotlight and the attention she gained from her career, she rarely made public appearances and therefore developed a great air of mystery, rather like Halleys Comet. Equally, the use of prophetic is meaningful as the notion of prophecy becomes very important it the latter parts of the poem. The second section of the poem deals with the effect of modern science on the comet. It returns to notion of shyness, and, more specifically, the reason for it. The reason being that people know too much, that modern technology and science have stripped the comet of its ancient awesome mysteries and revealed that it is, in fact, nothing more than a dirty undense snowball () that only shines because the sun / lends it a bit of common light during this phrase Halleys Comet is no-longer personified, it is no-longer directly addressed as you but, instead, is referred to as it, this implies that that the poet is paraphrasing somebody elses opinion of the comet and, while these facts are true, they do not, in Abrahams opinion, retract from the importance he gives the comet in the opening line, he feels that these revelations combined with the comets new subtlety, as it hides among our city lights, only serve to make it more moving. This transition between the worlds opinion of the comet and Abrahams opinion of the comet is marked by the line I like it, in a way. What is also significant about this line is that it marks a definitive change in the style of writing Abrahams is now using very informal language which not only serves to re-engage the reader but also allows for a clear division between his own point of view and the rest of the worlds. Essentially, Abrahams is saying that the comet has lost its majesty due to our technological advancements, such as the city lights which make the comet seem inconspicuous. However, this leaves the reader curious as Abrahams has not explained why this makes the comet important. During the next part of the poem Abrahams discusses how he believes the comets journey to be one that requires a heroic effort, how it is only barely making its orbit by the skin of its momentum. We should applaud like mad he writes that you make it again on time. This sentence reiterates that the comet is barely managing to arrive at Earth, and as the poet believes we should be applauding the comet for this achievement shows that, in his opinion, the fact that the comet returns is incredible when the vast distances it crosses on its long, lonely orbit are taken into account. Youve shed the scary Nostradamus mask says Abrahams, meaning that through our scientific discoveries the comet is no-longer a symbol of anything as it used to be, can no-longer move the likes of the old Wise Men, King Harold and Mark Twain as we do not believe it to be prophetic anymore. Instead, he likens the comet to some private rare Aunt Maud, the generic distant relative that nobody really knows but will occaisionally drop by merely to show herself and check our face. The casual dropping by in this sentence continues the theme of insignificance surrounding the comet, that its visits are no more important than those of a friend we see every day. This idea is re-enforced in the line No more fortune-teller, dearest Aunt, though the word dearest shows that this guise of the comet is far more friendly than scary Nostradamus. However the use of the word private is also noteworthy, it demonstrates that while the comet is not important to the world at large it is still important on a personal level, this is the clear message of the poem, because as Aunt Maud arrives she gives she gives us her gift, allowing that we achieve a stroke of prophecy. Meaning that the comet is prophetic of itself returning and it is one of the few things that we can predict. Continuing with this idea he closes the poem by saying We thank you, little comforter: / that the dark potent emptiness ahead / contains one probable smear of light firstly, in this sentence Abrahams returns to the use of we showing that he speaks for the entire globe as he says this giving a lot of weight to the next lines of the poem. Secondly, use of little comforter mirrors the little visitor at the beginning of the poem, drawing more attention to these lines but also mirroring the feeling on fondness that we saw at the beginning of the poem. The comet is not seen as a foreteller of great events as it used to be. It has shed its scary Nostradamus mask and is not prophetic of human events anymore, but it is prophetic of its own return and in doing so fulfils its own prophecy, an this is the important message of the poem; that despite all we have done to damage the comets image, it is, perhaps, more important than ever as because of our advances in technology we cannot possibly conceive what the world will be like the next time Halleys Comet arrives, but the one thing we can be sure of is that it will.

African Moral Values Can Complement Christian Moral Values Religion Essay

African Moral Values Can Complement Christian Moral Values Religion Essay Moral values can be said to be the ideals of good and evil, which oversees a persons deeds and choices. Individuals morals can be drawn from society and government, from religious conviction, or self. Moral values can also be defined as generally accepted, empathetic, caring, Christ-like philosophy. The bible states that good moral values can be observed in the ideology and manner of behavior taught by Jesus. It seems just to tie the definition of moral values to what is right and what is wrong conduct held by individuals. II. Morality Morality denotes a coordination of behavior that distinguishes intent, choices, and events between those that are right or wrong. Immorality is the reverse of morality. III. African Moral Values According to Mbiti (1990), the African is notoriously and incurably religious. Hence a conclusion can be drawn that African morals are elaborately entwined with culture (African) which is greatly dosed with spiritual beliefs. Consequently in order to comprehend the African moral values, an outline of African religion and culture is necessary. IV. African culture overview Culture refers to the following ways of life, including but not limited to: Language; Art and Sciences Thought Spirituality Social activity Interaction a) Religion African Traditional Religion (ATR) has proved to be extremely complex to define. There is no single easy and accurate definition to explain it. Sadly, many writers have misunderstood ATR by attempting to define it under deceptive terms such as magic, superstitions, primitive religion, paganism etc. The struggle to describe ATR seems to come from the fact that its propagation is carried out by living it other than preaching it. Its supporters are more preoccupied with its practice than with its theory. ATR influence wraps all aspects of life, from before the birth of a person to long after s/he has passed away. It is a way of life and life is at its core. Thus comments such as: For the African, religion is factually life and life is religion. Mbiti offers a summary of where to search for and locate ATR: belief and customs; rituals, ceremonies and festivals; shrines, sacred places and religious objects; art and symbols; names of people and places; music and dance; myths and legends; pr overbs, riddles and wise sayings. The beliefs and practices of ATR are based upon the faith of the old native people (Ancestors). This is the reason why it is said to be traditional in contrast to other religions, e.g. Christianity and Islam, which are considered as foreign since their dogma and practices came from outside of Africa. There has been considerable awareness of the dialogue between Christian and African Religion. This has been made possible through ways such as bible translation. African moral values can complement Christian moral values through the spirit of interreligious tolerance, dialogue and mutual respect. Also, Christian spirituality is greatly shaped by spirituality of African religion. Praying unites Africans and Europeans (West) at a spiritual level. b) The Supernatural in Indigenous African Religions Intellectuals who study religion in Africa inform us that every African society have a belief in God. Some African religions have faith in one supreme God who formed the world and all that is in the world. Other African religions have faith in more than one God; nevertheless even in these religions, typically one of the Gods is said to be the supreme God who created the world. The way God is seen in most African religions is both alike and dissimilar than the way monotheistic religions characterize God for example Christianity. It teaches that there exists only one God. African religion can complement Christian moral values by sharing concepts about God for example; God maintains creation, God is the creator of everything, God provides for and guards creation, God is omnipotent and omniscient, God supports fairness. The supernatural is also significant to African religious belief. Spirits exists between an all- powerful God and humans. Spirits in African religious traditions share a number of characteristics with angels in the Christian traditions. Good spirits assist in shielding against ill health and misfortune and aid humans by offering rain required for crops as well as animals used for food. On the other hand, not all spirits are good. Some are viewed as evil and are thought to be the responsible for illness, and other. c) Sense of community One African proverb puts across the African sense of community. It says Go the way that many people go; if you go alone, you will have reason to lament. The African thought of security and its value depends on personal identification with and inside the community. For that reason, the authentic African is identified and known, by and through his community. The community is the guardian of the individual; therefore we must go where the community goes. In another meaning, the community offers the African the psychological and decisive security as it gives its members both physical and ideological identity. It must be mentioned that in the African way of thinking, the community as an entity remains, while persons, come and go. As a result, the Africans stress community life and communalism as a living principle of which the fundamental ideology is community-identity. Its goal is to produce and present an individual as a community-culture bearer. Culture is a community asset and must the refore be community-protected. In addition, the individual in an African community is under the clans care. His individuality is not given emphasis at the expense of his community identity. This is the reason why individualism, as a dogma and code of life, is not encouraged in Africa. The social principles spelt out above are expression of African humanism. According to Lambo (127), the African man is first and foremost a member of his family, the extended family, the community and his society in that order before being an individual. Compared to the Wests individualism, the African man has a social and communal nature. The African culture can complement with the Western culture by integrating individualism with the communal nature of life. d) Sense of Hospitality Sense of hospitality is innately crucial in the present survival of African values. At all times, there is always unprompted welcome and accommodation to unfamiliar persons and visitors. Africans effortlessly incorporate strangers and offer them lands to settle hoping that they would leave one day, and the land would be returned to the owner. This is usually carried out with the conviction that one will never opt out of his own community. Unlike the West, no appointment and special invitation are required for one to call on a distant family member or neighbor. On arrival, when there is food the visitor is invited to dine. He is handled kindly, just as one would want to be treated when visiting another home. Africans possess a symbolic way of showing welcome. This is done in a variety of ways for example; in forms of presentation of coconuts, kola nuts, traditional brew, groundnuts etc. in different communities. These are offered to demonstrate that he is welcome and safe. Onwubiko ha s observed that a guest must not harm his host and that when he departs, he should not develop a hunch back on the way home. (Onwubiko, 23). This social value can complement Christian moral values to enhance integrity among Africans. The bible says that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. By integrating these values into Christianity, uprightness is enhanced among Africans. V. Conclusion For there to be growth and development, African value system must be promoted by the leadership. Falling into or imitating Wstern values will only wreck humanity as they are strange to the philosophy of humanism which is the basis of the African value system.

Teenage pregnancy in Lagos Island

Teenage pregnancy in Lagos Island Although, teenage pregnancy could be unplanned as well as accidental. It usually occurs within the context of early marriage and also as a result of societal change of which the value system and virginity at marriage are no longer upheld. Certain problems are associated with teenage pregnancy such as economic, psychological, socio-cultural and others. It is no longer a diplomatic statement that young people in the last decade, especially within the age group of 10-18 years, are living beyond the yard sticks of adventures compared to the youths of the 90s. A blend of unpredictable, news breaking activities and issues of topmost concern has risen in the last few years. One of the most striking facts is the rising number of teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is a result of sexual intercourse between young girls and boys who are in their growing years, exploring the changes happening in their bodies by having unsafe sex with each other. Health organizations across the world are still in the frontlines of reducing maternal deaths due to complications and diseases. But even now, however, they have more to do with the increasing number of teenage pregnancy. (Femi A. A. Sofia Krauss, 2009) Bearing a child while still in childhood themselves, these young mothers under the age of 20 are prone to birth injuries and maternal death. It also affects their emotional well being: Teenage mothers are 3 times more likely to suffer from post-natal depression and experience poor mental health for up to 3 years after the birth. Children born to teenage mothers have 60% higher rates of infant mortality and are at increased risk of low birth-weight which impacts on the childs long-term health. Further more, they are at increased risk to be brought up in poverty. (Femi A. A. Sofia Krauss, 2009) Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenaged or underaged girl (usually within the ages of 13-19) becoming pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to women who have not reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, who become pregnant. Pregnant teenagers face many of the same obstetrics issues as women in their 20s and 30s. However, there are additional medical concerns for younger mothers, particularly those under 15 and those living in developing countries.( Mayor S 2004) For mothers between 15 and 19, age in itself is not a risk factor, but additional risks may be associated with socioeconomic factors.( Makinson C. 1985) Data supporting teenage pregnancy as a social issue in developed countries include lower educational levels, higher rates of poverty, and other poorer life outcomes in children of teenage mothers. Teenage pregnancy in developed countries is usually outside of marriage, and carries a social stigma in many communities and cultures. For these reasons, there have been many studies and campaigns which attempt to uncover the causes and limit the numbers of teenage pregnancies.(The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 2002). In other countries and cultures, particularly in the developing world, teenage pregnancy is usually within marriage and does not involve a social stigma. (Population Council 2006) 1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM It is very rampant in our society where there is an increase in the reported cases of teenager pregnancy. This ugly incident has created huge concern for the society especially to determine if the concern would have good future as well as their children. Again, the health implications of these children is another issue of worry. Causes of Teenage Pregnancy In the developed world, the causes of teenage pregnancy is different in the sense that it is mostly outside marriage and carries lots of social stigma. Thus, adolescent sexual behaviour is one of the causes of teenage pregnancy. In our world today, having sex before 20yrs is the in thing, it is even the normal all over the world and this brought about high levels of adolescent pregnancy which creates sexual relationship among teenagers without the provision of comprehensive information about sex. (Chinwe Chibuzo, P. 2007) The in-take of drugs, alcohol etc contributes a lot to teenage pregnancy meanwhile as a teenager you may not be ready for sexual intercourse at that moment but being intoxicated with drugs and alcohol makes you to be involved in unintended sexual activity just because sex at that time is less emotionally painful and embarrassing. To avoid this, eradicate anything alcohol or drugs. Furthermore, sexual abuse is also one of the causes of teenage pregnancy. Rape as a sexual abuse has more effect in the life of our teenage girls causing unwanted sex and teenage pregnancy. Age discrepancies also causes teenage pregnancy in the sense that a teenage girl with a partner much older than herself is more likely to get pregnant more often than a girl that have a partner of a close age, as she prefers having the children than abortion since she is not educated enough to use contraceptives. (Chinwe Chibuzo, P. 2007) Childhood environment Women exposed to abuse, domestic violence, and family strife in childhood are more likely to become pregnant as teenagers, and the risk of becoming pregnant as a teenager increases with the number of adverse childhood experiences. According to a 2004 study, one-third of teenage pregnancies could be prevented by eliminating exposure to abuse, violence, and family strife. The researchers note that family dysfunction has enduring and unfavorable health consequences for women during the adolescent years, the childbearing years, and beyond. When the family environment does not include adverse childhood experiences, becoming pregnant as an adolescent does not appear to raise the likelihood of long-term, negative psychosocial consequences.( Tamkins, T. 2004) Effect of Teenage Pregnancy on Educational Teenage pregnancies have become a public health issue because of their observed negative effects on perinatal outcomes and long-term morbidity. The association of young maternal age and long-term morbidity is usually confounded, however, by the high prevalence of poverty, low level of education, and single marital status among teenage mothers. Assessing the independent effect of teenage pregnancy on educational disabilities and educational problems in a total population of children who entered kindergarten in Florida in 1992-1994 and investigate how controlling for potentially confounding factors affects the relation between teenage pregnancies and poor outcome. When no other factors are taken into account, children of teenage mothers have significantly higher odds of placement in certain special education classes and significantly higher occurrence of milder education problems, but when maternal education, marital status, poverty level, and race are controlled, the detrimental effec ts disappear and even some protective effects are observed. Hence, the increased risk for educational problems and disabilities among children of teenage mothers is attributed not to the effect of young age but to the confounding influences of associated socio-demographic factors. In contrast to teen age, older maternal age has an adverse effect on a childs educational outcome regardless of whether other factors are controlled for or not. (Ralitza V. Gueorguieva 2001) Preventing Teen Pregnancy It has been found that teens who have a good relationship with their parents are less likely to experience a pregnancy. Good communication between parents and their children is the key to ensuring children make the right decisions when it comes to their sexual activity. (Pregnancy info 2009) Evidence from areas with the largest reductions has identified a range of factors that need to be in place to successfully reduce teenage pregnancy rates. These factors include a well-publicised contraceptive and sexual health advice service which is centred on young people. The service needs to have a strong remit to undertake health promotion work, as well as delivering reactive services. It is key to prioritize sexual and reproductive health education at schools, supported from the local authority to develop comprehensive programmes of sex and relationships education (SRE) in all schools. (Femi A. A. Sofia Krauss, 2009) Education is also vitally important in helping youth know about their options when it comes to sex. Teaching teens about using contraception each and every time they have sex is imperative to healthy sexual relationships. Abstinence should also be taught along with contraception so that youth understand they have the right to choose. Teaching teens that it is okay to say no to sex until they are ready will help to curb the numbers of teen pregnancies. (Pregnancy info 2009) The Challenges of Early Motherhood Facing an unplanned teen pregnancy can be hard. The effects of teenage pregnancy are not limited to having to decide whether or not to keep the baby, how to cope with motherhood or whether to make an adoption plan. One of the most immediate effects of teen pregnancy is how the growing baby changes a teenagers body as well as their lifestyle. Because a teens body immediately begins the process of carrying a child and preparing for childbirth, a teenager needs to consider the effect that her physical activities may have on her developing baby. A variety of activities common to teens may have a negative effect on a developing baby: Drinking alcoholic beverages, Smoking cigarettes or marijuana, Lack of sleep and Unhealthy eating patterns. (Pregnancy center.orgOther physical changes that take place as her uterus expands may impact things as simple as clothing choices or her ability to safely participate in sports. This means that an average teenage girl will need to speak with her doctor about what activities need to be limited during her pregnancy as well as what changes she might need to make to her diet. Emotional Effects of Teen Pregnancy (Pregnancy center.org) Dealing with an unplanned pregnancy can be scary and confusing. Some of the emotions that teen may encounter when facing an unplanned pregnancy are: Initial excitement, Confusion, Fear, Resentment and Frustration. Its a natural response for you to think about and want to protect the baby that is growing inside you. It is also natural for you to be scared and confused about how to deal with this unplanned pregnancy. (Pregnancy center.org) Teenage mothers in industrialized countries mostly lack a proper social network consisting of family, friends and elder women which is usually present in developing countries. Besides, there are many social pressures on them. The main pressure on young pregnant women is, of course, to come to a decision about the unborn child, considering the options of keeping the child, adoption and abortion. Other pressures are education and money. For one, young teenage women in industrialized countries are generally expected to get educated and find work. This becomes almost impossible when having a baby without a strong social network. Then, there often are financial pressures, since the lack of education often leads to unemployment or the dependency on low paid jobs or welfare. (Martin Bohn 2009); Risks for Teenage Mothers and their Child As a result, teenage pregnancy may lead to various problems for both the mother and the child. According to a student fact sheet of the Australian organization Womens Health Queensland Wide, teenage mothers and their children may face some of the following risks: There are significantly higher complication rates both during pregnancy and delivery for teenage mothers and their babies, such as an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, having a baby of low birth weight, birth defects and other complications. Children born to teenage mothers are statistically more vulnerable to neglect and abuse. This is due to a range of factors including poverty, parenting inexperience and being in an unhealthy relationship (for example when there is a situation of domestic violence). Teenage Pregnancies and the Disintegration of Families (Martin Bohn (2009); Teenage pregnancies contribute to the disintegration of the family as a social institution. Most teen mothers are single mums. This is either because the child was conceived outside of a relationship or because the pregnancy places a great deal of strain on young relationships which are usually not as stable and enduring as adult relationships. Consequently, 60% of young Australian mothers do not have a male partner when their baby is born, as mentioned in a student fact sheet on teenage pregnancy by the Australian based Womens Health Queensland Wide Inc. A crucial question relates to whether the adverse outcomes experienced by (some) mothers and children of teenage pregnancies are causally related to the age of the mother, or whether there are other factors which lead to the adverse outcomes experienced by teenage mothers and their children. Several studies have found that teenage pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes for both mother and baby. These include low birthweight, prematurity, increased perinatal and infant mortality and poorer long-term cognitive development and educational achievement for both mother and child. (Fraser AM, Brockert JE and Fergusson DM, 1995) However, studies which have aimed to address the underlying causes of these adverse outcomes-by controlling for additional factors-have produced conflicting results. Some suggest that adverse outcomes remain even after controlling for maternal socioeconomic position and other confounding factors, (Fraser AM, Brockert JE 1995) some find that age has no effect, (Gueorguieva RV, Lee MC 2001) whereas other studies report that once maternal socioeconomic position and smoking are taken into account young age is actually associated with better outcomes. (Reichman NE and Geronimus AT 1997) These contradictory findings probably reflect the small size of some studies, residual confounding, and the difficulty of separating effects that may be related to maternal age from effects that are appropriately regarded as confounding. For example, poor parenting skills may reflect the ignorance of young age but may also occur at any age among women who have restricted access to information and education. Larger studies and those employing methods specifically designed to adequately control for confounding factors (for example using sibling comparisons) (Geronimus AT 1992) suggest that young age is not an important determinant of pregnancy outcome or of the future health of the mother. (Gueorguieva RV, Scholl TO 2001) A recent systematic review of the medical consequences of teenage pregnancy concluded that Critical appraisal suggested that increased risks of these outcomes (anaemia, pregnancy-induced hypertension, low birthweight, prematurity, intra-uterine growth retardation and neonatal mortality) were predominantly caused by the social, economic, and behavioural factors that predispose some young women to pregnancy.'(Cunnington A. 2001) Moreover, Cunnington asserts from this review that most teenage pregnancies are low risk-a point which is omitted from much research and from policy documents and statements Teenage Mothers and Education Teenage mothers are often unwilling or unable to complete their education. This lack of education can result in long term unemployment or low paid, insecure jobs. Being dependent on welfare or on a poorly paid job can place teenage mothers under greater financial pressure, even more so when they are single mums and have no supporting network of family and friends. Finally, teenage mothers are often alienated from their peers and family because their new life is either disapproved of or cannot be related to by family and friends. In developing country like Nigeria teenage mothers are sometimes married and have a broad support system. However, malnutrition, poor health care and complications of childbirth significantly increase the mortality rate of these young women. Lagos State Government Intervention The Lagos State has also set up youth friendly centers to provide adolescents accurate and confidential counseling on sex related matters. These include youth development programmes to educate youths both male and female on the danger involve in premarital sexual and early sexual intercourse (VOA News). In addition, efforts is from the youth counselor of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Christiana Ladapo, who leads candid after-school discussions about sex, peer pressure, abstinence and contraceptives. She says teenage pregnancy has been on the rise because society has ignored the problem. However, Pinkdove in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Education recently organized an enlightenment campaign with the theme The Effects of Early Sex, Teen Pregnancy for Senior Secondary School Female Students in Lagos state HISTORY OF LAGOS Lagos State is an administrative region of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest of Nigerias states, Lagos State is the second most populous state after Kano State, (wikipedia) and arguably the most economically important state of the country,(Answer dictionary) containing Lagos, the nations largest urban area. Lagos State was created on May 27, 1967 by virtue of State (Creation and Transitional Provisions) Decree No. 14 of 1967, which restructured Nigerias Federation into 12 states. Prior to this, Lagos Municipality had been administered by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs as the regional authority, while the Lagos City Council (LCC) governed the City of Lagos. Equally, the metropolitan areas (Colony Province) of Ikeja, Agege, Mushin, Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry were administered by the Western Region. The State took off as an administrative entity on April 11, 1968 with Lagos Island serving the dual role of being the State and Federal Capital. However, with the creation of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja in 1976, Lagos ceased to be the capital of the State which was moved to Ikeja. Equally, with the formal relocation of the seat of the Federal Government to Abuja on 12 December 1991, Lagos Island ceased to be Nigerias political capital. Nevertheless , Lagos remains the center of commerce for the country. HISTORY OF LAGOS ISLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT Lagos Island is the principal and central local government area of the Metropolitan Lagos in Nigeria. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian census, the LGA had a population of 209,437 in an area of 8.7 km ². The LGA only covers the western half of Lagos Island; the eastern half is under the jurisdiction of the LGA of Eti-Osa. Lying in Lagos Lagoon, a large protected harbour on the coast of Africa, the island was home to the Yoruba fishing village of Eko, which grew into the modern city of Lagos. The city has now spread out to cover the neighbouring islands as well as the adjoining mainland. Lagos Island is connected to the mainland by three large bridges which cross Lagos Lagoon to the district of Ebute Metta. It is also linked to the neighbouring island of Ikoyi and to Victoria Island. The Lagos harbour district of Apapa faces the western side of the island. Forming the main commercial district of Lagos, Lagos Island plays host to the main government buildings, shops and offices. The Catholic and Anglican Cathedrals as well as the Central Mosque are located here. Historically, Lagos Island (Isaleko) was home to the Brazilian Quarter of Lagos where the majority of the slave trade returnees from Brazil settled. Many families lived on Broad Street in the Marina. It also revealed that majority (83.8%) and (70%) of the respondents were staying with their parents and there parents were staying together. This is in contradiction (Ellis, Bruce J. et al) Studies that girls whose fathers left the family early in their lives had the highest rates of early sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy From the study it was also revealed that many of the respondents parents who were working are in the low class status about (25%) were unemployed. This is in accordance with a study by (Besharov, Douglas J. Gardiner) Poverty is associated with increased rates of teenage pregnancy. It was obvious from the study that majority were not aware of any form of contraceptives, but this was in disagreement with the study made in the United States in 2002 by National Surveys of Family Growth, sexually active adolescent women wishing to avoid pregnancy were less likely than those of other ages to use contraceptives. Revelation from this research shows that (35.7%) were impregnated by boy friends while (13.3%) were raped. This flows with some studies that between 11 and 20 percent of pregnancies in teenagers are a direct result of rape, while about 60 percent of teenage mothers had unwanted sexual experiences preceding their pregnancy. One in five teenage fathers admitted to forcing girls to have sex with them Majority of the respondents had their sex experience before the age of 15. This supports Guttmacher Institute findings that 60 percent of girls who had sex before age 15 were coerced by males who on average were six years their senior. CONCLUSION It is quite glaring that teenage pregnancy have many consequences on the society. Teenage pregnancies have become a public health issue because of their observed negative effects on perinatal outcomes and long-term morbidity. The association of young maternal age and long-term morbidity is usually confounded, however, by the high prevalence of poverty, low level of education, and single marital status among teenage mothers the impact on youth development in our society is negative

Women and Sports Essay -- Womens Softball

It has taken many years for women to gain a semblance of equality in sports. Throughout history, women have been both excluded from playing sports and discriminated against in sports. Men’s sports have always dominated the college athletic field, but women were finally given a fighting chance after Title IX was passed. Title IX, among other things, requires scholarships to be equally proportioned between men and women’s sports. Although this was a huge gain for women, gender inequality still exists in sports today. An example of this persisting inequality can be seen when looking at men’s baseball and women’s softball. In college, baseball and softball are both major NCAA sports. It is widely accepted throughout today’s society that baseball is a man’s sport, and softball is a woman’s sport. Very few people question why the two sexes are separated into two different sports, or wonder why women play softball instead of baseball . Fewer people know that women have been essentially excluded from playing baseball for a long time. This paper will focus on why softball has not changed the way women’s basketball has, why women continue to play softball, the possibilities and dynamics of women playing baseball with and without men, and the most discriminating aspect of women being banned from playing professional baseball. Basketball was created as a sport in 1891 by James Naismith, and it quickly became popular among both men and women. It initially started with the same rules for each gender, but according to Patricia Cain in her article, â€Å"Women, Race, and Sports: Life Before Title IX,† the rules quickly changed for women. Cain (2001) states that, â€Å"Almost immediately, however, some educators began changing the rules of basket... ...New York: A. S. Barnes and Company. Ring, Jennifer (2012). American women play hardball in venezuela: Team USA battles invisibility at home, is celebrated abroad, and faces gunfire at the Women’s World Cup. Spring 2012 Baseball Research Journal, 41(1). Retrieved from http://sabr.org/research/american-women-play-hardball-venezuela Ring, Jennifer (2009). Stolen bases: Why american girls don’t play baseball. Chicago Il: University of Illinois Press. Shattuck, Debra (2011). â€Å"Women’s baseball in the 1860s: Reestablishing a historical memory.† Nine,19(2), 1-26. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/nine/vo19 /19.2.shattuck.html Women’s Sports Foundation (2011). Baseball and softball: Should girls and women have to choose? Retrieved from http://www.womenandsportsfoundation.org/en/home/advocate/foundation-positions/equity-issues/baseball_and_softball

Assassination of John Fitzgerald Kemmedy :: John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Assassination of JFK On Friday, November 22nd 1963 at 12:30 P.M. the 35th president of the United States of America, John Fitzgerald Kennedy assassinated while he rode in an open limousine though the streets of Dallas. This event, which abruptly and severely altered the course of history, has created more controversy than any other single event. Some haunting questions still remain. "Who did it?" "Why did they do it?" "How was it done?" "Was there a cover up" The official answers complied by the Warren Commission have never satisfied the majority of the world's population. In this following essay I will try to show who was responsible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy. I believe the only way to prove that there was a cover up, is to firstly prove that Lee Harvey Oswald is not the killer. The Warren Commission consisting of "various outstanding citizens" was created to "ascertain, evaluate and report upon the facts relating to the assassination ... and the subsequent violent death of the man charged with the assassination Lee Harvey Oswald. The purpose of the Commission was to examine the evidence developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and any additional evidence that may hereafter come to light ... to make such further investigation, as the Commission finds desirable. In less than one week they found that a 'lone nut' killed JKF. At no time did the Warren Commission seem to consider the basic legal rights of Oswald - innocence until proven guilty, the right to legal representation, or the right to cross-examine witnesses and evidence against him. There is no way that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin. Firstly the paraffin test of Oswald's hands and his right cheek conducted on November 23, 1963, has been positive for his hands but negative for his cheek. Generally, this is evidence in Oswald's favor, but the Commission asserted that the test "is completely unreliable in determining either whether a person has recently fired a weapon or whether he has not." Nobody saw Oswald on the 6th floor window after 11:55 on November 22nd. 90 seconds after the assassination, Roy Truly and Police officer M. L. Baker saw Oswald on the second floor. Oswald had to take the stairs down. But he had just 90 seconds to hide the rifle in the opposite corner of the sixth floor, run downstairs 4 floors passing Victoria Adams who never saw him and reach the second floor where he was encountered to be "calm and collected". The Warren Commission claimed that Oswald fired three shots Assassination of John Fitzgerald Kemmedy :: John Fitzgerald Kennedy Assassination of JFK On Friday, November 22nd 1963 at 12:30 P.M. the 35th president of the United States of America, John Fitzgerald Kennedy assassinated while he rode in an open limousine though the streets of Dallas. This event, which abruptly and severely altered the course of history, has created more controversy than any other single event. Some haunting questions still remain. "Who did it?" "Why did they do it?" "How was it done?" "Was there a cover up" The official answers complied by the Warren Commission have never satisfied the majority of the world's population. In this following essay I will try to show who was responsible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy. I believe the only way to prove that there was a cover up, is to firstly prove that Lee Harvey Oswald is not the killer. The Warren Commission consisting of "various outstanding citizens" was created to "ascertain, evaluate and report upon the facts relating to the assassination ... and the subsequent violent death of the man charged with the assassination Lee Harvey Oswald. The purpose of the Commission was to examine the evidence developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and any additional evidence that may hereafter come to light ... to make such further investigation, as the Commission finds desirable. In less than one week they found that a 'lone nut' killed JKF. At no time did the Warren Commission seem to consider the basic legal rights of Oswald - innocence until proven guilty, the right to legal representation, or the right to cross-examine witnesses and evidence against him. There is no way that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin. Firstly the paraffin test of Oswald's hands and his right cheek conducted on November 23, 1963, has been positive for his hands but negative for his cheek. Generally, this is evidence in Oswald's favor, but the Commission asserted that the test "is completely unreliable in determining either whether a person has recently fired a weapon or whether he has not." Nobody saw Oswald on the 6th floor window after 11:55 on November 22nd. 90 seconds after the assassination, Roy Truly and Police officer M. L. Baker saw Oswald on the second floor. Oswald had to take the stairs down. But he had just 90 seconds to hide the rifle in the opposite corner of the sixth floor, run downstairs 4 floors passing Victoria Adams who never saw him and reach the second floor where he was encountered to be "calm and collected". The Warren Commission claimed that Oswald fired three shots

Essay --

As early as 2010, 35.7% of adult Americans are obese, which is the highest level of obesity in the history of the United States. There are a number of environmental factors that contribute to obesity, the majority being the number of fast food restaurants and the recent outbreak of binge eating. Evidence shows that bingeing on sugary, tasty foods increases dopamine in the brain and in doing so possesses addictive habits. Apparently there have been several psychological and biological similarities between food addiction and drug dependence including loss of control and craving. One of the articles will look at environmental factors that might contribute to the obesity epidemic, and it will also compare the medical similarities and differences of drug dependence and food addiction. Growing rates of overweight adults and obesity have prompted the comparison between the uncontrolled intake of food and drugs. It has been smart to follow biological concepts from addiction to explore obsessive food seeking; a model is needed to understand how food and drugs differ in their ability to control behavior. Another article will look at the difference and commonalities in the behavioral responses to food and to drugs of abuse, with the goal to identify and new treatments for drug addiction or obesity. One of the articles also focuses on eating disorder behaviors and posttraumatic stress. It states that this article was the first to reveal the relationship between PTSD and the occurrence of eating types of food such as sugar sodas and fast food. It mentions that the study had articulated mechanisms and behavioral pathways of how trauma and post traumatic stress can cause an increase in the causes of death in the United Sta... ...ect the impact of food addiction understandings on obesity and obese peoples. Studies found that seemingly strong public acceptance of neurobiological clarifications of obesity and overeating can co-exist with the view that individual choice is the major cause of obesity. Obese people were more likely to support the opinion that obesity characterizes an addiction to certain foods. The apparent disappointment of neurobiological explanations of overeating and obesity to change public views toward obese people and the treatment of obesity advises that these descriptions have not yet had the beneficial influences assumed by their supporters. As the idea of food addiction is established, its supporters need to pay greater attention to its effects on shame, treatment and policy and to assessing whether its net influence on public health is likely to be harmful or helpful.

Commentary on John Keats’s Poems Essay

O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute! Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away! Leave melodizing on this wintry day, Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute: Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute, Betwixt damnation and impassion’d clay Must I burn through; once more humbly assay The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit. Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion, Begetters of our deep eternal theme, When through the old oak forest I am gone, Let me not wander in a barren dream, But when I am consumed in the fire, Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire. COMMENTARY : The poem under study was written in 1818 after the completion of John Keats’s 4,000-line poem Endymion. We are facing a traditional and fixed form of poem as â€Å"Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again† is an Elizabethan sonnet  composed of fourteen lines which are divided up into three quatrains, that is four-line stanzas, and a final couplet -or two lines of verse. The rhyming pattern is abba, cddc, efef, gg as, notably â€Å"Lute† (l.1) rhymes with â€Å"mute† (l.4), â€Å"far-away† (l.2) with â€Å"day† (l.3) and â€Å"dispute† (l.5) with â€Å"fruit† (l.8). Moreover, the lines are iambic pentameters since they contain five iambic feet for instance : _ / _ / _ / _ / _ / â€Å"O Gol/den-tongued /Romance, /with se/rene Lute!† Like most of Keats’s poems, this text deals with the speaker’s encounter with something which incites him to meditate and alters significantly his vision of life. It is the perusal of King Lear written by William Shakespeare in 1605 which affects him this time and this is not a first reading judging by the presence of â€Å"Once Again† in the title. Keats was a great admirer of Shakespeare. The theme of death, which is one of Keats’s main concerns, is latent in the poem. This sonnet’s thought can be divided into four parts. Firstly, chivalric romances are praised and put aside. Secondly, the effects they provoke are contrasted with those engendered by the reading of King Lear. Thirdly, the speaker begs Shakespeare and heaven , his sources of inspiration, to help him. Finally, he compares himself to the Phoenix, which has the power to be immortal. To begin with, the first quatrain opens with the interjection â€Å"O† which is by definition used to express strong feelings. Indeed, the poem is charged with lyricism, the two exclamation marks contributing to it among other things. In this way, we are conscious from the beginning that the speaker ‘s rereading of Shakespeare’s tragedy makes him profoundly react. Then, the term â€Å"Romance† refers to medieval romance, a form of narrative which developed in the 12th century and related tales of chivalry and courtly love. Its heroes were idealized and the plot often contained  miraculous or supernatural elements such as dragons or monsters fighting for the sake of the heroine. The adjective which qualifies this genre of literature, that is â€Å"Golden-tongued†, means that it is wonderfully narrated. Besides, it can be paralleled with â€Å"the realms of gold† Keats refers to in the same first line of the sonnet â€Å"Upon First Looking into Chapman’s Homer†, the phrase being there a metaphor for books he highly values. Next, the lute is a stringed instrument, whose music acts as an enchantment on readers and leads them to sweet thoughts. This first line is basically an apostrophe since the speaker directly addresses â€Å"Golden-tongued Romance† thus personifying it. The â€Å"Fair plumed Syren† is praised as well, the poet considering her a royal person -a â€Å"Queen†- who â€Å"melodiz[es]† (l.3). She is also present in the romance in question. A siren, in Greek mythology, is one of the three sea nymphs, usually represented with the head of a woman and the body of a bird. They inhabited an island surrounded by dangerous rocks and sang so enchantingly that all who heard were drawn near or shipwrecked. The tune produced by the lute can be compared to the bewitching one sang by the siren which irresistibly attracts the poet to like this kind of literature. But, the lexical field of pleasure including â€Å"serene Lute†, â€Å"Fair plumed Syren† and â€Å"melodizing† among other things is contrasted with more negative phrases such as â€Å"wintry day†, â€Å"Shut up† and â€Å"mute†. This indicates that the poet is willing to wander from the sweet thoughts these readings generate, the â€Å"Golden-tongued Romance† being a synecdote for chivalric romances in general. Moreover, the personification process is extended on line 4 since â€Å"Golden-tongued Romance† is addressed as though it was endowed with life and speech. Indeed, â€Å"thine (†¦) Pages† are the book’s. Moreover, the siren is used as a metonymy for the narrative insofar as the poet combines the two on line 4, the predicates â€Å"Shut up† and â€Å"be mute† referring to the nymph. Finally, the adjective â€Å"olden† alludes to this literature’s ancient existence. In short, this first quatrain deals with the poet’s liking for medieval romances insisting on their enchanting power. Nevertheless, the latter wishes to dismiss them from his mind. And prosopopeia is aimed at showing that he is deeply affected by his rereading of King Lear. The second stanza is going to contrast images of beauty with what Shakespeare’s tragedy displays. Next, the second quatrain begins with the poet bidding farewell to pleasant meditations. But, we should first and foremost put this sonnet back in its context. We can easily presume that it is autobiographic, thus that Keats reveals us his own worries. In 1818, he is aware that he has short time left to live due to the fatal illness he is suffering from, that is tuberculosis. Moreover, we have already realized that he is scared of death, particularly in his â€Å"When I have fears that I may cease to be†. In the second stanza, the lexical field of hell is present through â€Å"fierce†, â€Å"damnation† and â€Å"burn through†. And the predicate â€Å"burn through† must be taken both literally and figuratively. On the one hand, it hints at Keats’s future death. On the other, it indicates his agitation facing antagonistic directions as he is torn between hellish visions and sweeter meditations, designated by â€Å"damnation† versus â€Å"impassion’d clay†. So, â€Å"damnation† is a metaphor for the thoughts the reading of King Lear provokes while â€Å"impassion’d clay† refers to those generated by chivalric romances. The word â€Å"clay† probably makes reference to the Bible as the sacred book states that God made the human body with this material. So, it symbolizes fecundity and regeneration in other words life. Thus, it is tempting to infer that romances allow the poet to escape from reality whereas King Lear’s tragic fate reminds him of his bad condition. The second part of the quatrain deals with the poet’s will to concentrate on  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Shaksperean fruit† in other words on King Lear itself. While the first stanza introduced his liking for romances, this one gradually leads us to the subject of the poem – i.e. the feelings and thoughts the reading of the tragedy trigger. King Lear is quite a sad story as it deals among other things with consequences of the fatal mistake the eponymous character makes at retirement as he divides his kingdom between two of his daughters Goneril and Regan thinking that the youngest Cordelia is the one who loves him the least. Once he realizes that his trusted girls intend to drive him away, he leaves them. Cordelia, disowned, became Queen of France. She is informed of the situation and lands on her father’s old kingdom with an army to fight the other girls’. The play ends in a disaster since Goneril, ashamed because unmasked by her husband, who had not known how wicked his wife was, suicides herself after having poisoned her sister Regan, out of a spirit of jealousy. And Cordelia, defeated by her sisters, is hung in prison. Lear dies last, his dear daughter in his arms. The adjective â€Å"bitter-sweet† (l.8) hints at both the pleasure the speaker takes rereading the story and aforementioned sad thoughts. The death of the characters actually reminds him he is to die soon. To summarize, literature acts as a catalyst on Keats since it makes him meditate. And between the images of beauty romances trigger and the unhappy thoughts King Lear provokes, he finally chooses to concentrate on Shakespeare. The reasons of this choice are going to be given in the third stanza. The third quatrain begins in the same way as the second, with an exclamation. â€Å"Chief Poet!† is a characteristic attributed to Shakespeare. In fact, the speaker aims at emphasizing his admiration for the playwright. Then, Albion is the name given by elders to Great Britain because of its white cliffs -in Latin albus means white. This is also where King Lear takes place. And a theme, in a work of literature is an idea that the writer develops or  repeats. If we take into account this definition, â€Å"Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion, Begetters of our deep eternal theme!† may mean that Shakespeare and Great Britain are the poet’s inexhaustible inspiration. Next, the speaker identifies with Lear on line 11. When the latter realizes that what Goneril and Regan really want is to chase him away, he leaves. It is a wild and stormy night and he wanders about the fields half mad with misery. So, lines 11 and 12 allude to that very episode in the tragedy. This is an instance of intertextuality. In addition, we can perceive the presence of heaven in this stanza. First, the phrase â€Å"clouds of Albion† reminds us of that biblical place which is usually imagined as being high up in the sky. And spirits walking on clouds are often pictured. Moreover, the fact that Great Britain is named Albion because of its white cliffs conveys the idea of a bridge between earth and heaven or life and death. Next, the â€Å"old oak forest† is highly symbolical. In many traditions, the oak is a sacred tree which is vested with privileges of heaven’s supreme divinity. It is also considered as an intermediary between earth where it puts its roots and the vault of the sky that it touches with its top. That is probably due to its majestic appearance and because it attracts lightning. So, the â€Å"oak forest† can be regarded as a sacred and secluded place, in other words as a kind of sanctuary in which the poet roams waiting for his impending death. Personification is also used as the subject of the predicate â€Å"Let me not wander in a barren dream† is not only â€Å"Chief Poet† but also â€Å"clouds of Albion†. Keats’s fear to die is perceived in that line and begging the deceased playwright to save him is a way of highlighting his sacredness. Let us remind of Keats’s admiration for Shakespeare. Therefore, the Elizabethan writer and heaven’s importance are dealt with. They are the source of the speaker’s inspiration and his saviour. The final couplet is about the poet’s yearning to be reincarnated. Lastly, the legend of the Phoenix is introduced. In ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, it is a bird. When it felt its death approaching -every 500 or 1461 years-, it would build a nest of aromatic wood, set it on fire and was consumed by the flames. When it was burned, a new phoenix sprang forth from the pyre. In these two lines, the poet compares himself to the mythical bird endowing himself with the same powers as its own, that is those of resurrection and immortality. Indeed, he is tormented by his impending death and yearns to be immortal, what he achieves in a way since 175 years after his death, he is still much read, valued and studied in universities. To conclude, it is pensive introspection in the form of lyric poetry on a young man’s impending death. We are made aware of Keats’s visionary experience rereading King Lear. His liking for romances is highlighted nevertheless he chooses to concentrate on Shakespeare’s masterpiece as it makes him think about his worries. Indeed, literature acts as a catalyst for meditation. Finally, we focus on the poet’s fear of death and yearning for immortality.

Communication Opinion Paper Essay

Communication is the most important tool that we as human us. It is an imperative component in our daily lives. Communication begins when we greet or see another individual that we know. There are many forms of communication and they are effective communication, healthcare communication, and regular communication and many more. The time and place in which we used a type of communication depends on the context of the situation and purpose. Understanding the necessary elements of communication allows individuals to know when and how to use different forms of communication. Elements of communication or sender/receiver when you are speaking to someone they receive the message and then they will give you feedback. Encoding is when you put thought into symbols (gesture or words). Assigning meaning to symbols is called decoding. Message is the idea though, feeling or opinion. Channel is the medium in which through which message travels from sender to receiver. Feedback is the receiver response to the message and indicates how the message is seen (Cheesebro, O’Connor, Rios, 2010). The entire basic element are needed in order to communicate with other effectively the basic element help you to convey your feeling your though with an individual in order to get feedback from the person that is receiving the message. Do the basic elements and the rules of healthcare communication differ? They are the same in order for you to speak to a patient or their families you still have to us the basic element of effective communication. The ethical principles by treating patients with dignity and respect, being honest and trustworthy in their professional relationship, and maintaining patient confidentiality. We utilize the same element when we are speaking with an individual on a personal aspect. By being honest with the patient and their families they gain confide in the decision that you will make when carrying for the patient. How might a provider encourage communication to a reluctant consumer? When a consumer is reluctant to communicate you have to gain the consumer trust that you know what you are talking about. Sharing situation in a conversation that is similar to the consumer can be helpful and may break the ice. Smiling and reassuring the consumer that you are knowledgeable in can answer any question that they may have (Repetto, Gibson, Lubbers, Gritz, Reiss,). How might cultural differences influence communication? Cultural differences may affect the way you communicate. The differences may be verbal and nonverbal communication. Facial expressions like smiling can indicate that people are friendly and approachable but in other culture people who smile can be seen as inappropriate. Context whether it is high or low. High context culture explain everything that they are talking about and assume that other do not have any information on a certain topic. Low context culture assumed that people understand what is being said to them and as a result, they do not explain everything. Eye contact show interest in another person but in other cultures eye contact convey honesty. Formality speaking can be formal or in formal depending on cultural norms. Informal culture assume that everyone is equal. Formal cultures assume that there is hierarchy among people. Touching the way people touch one another may depend upon whether they are a contact culture or a noncontact culture. Contact cultures touch each other when they are speaking. Noncontact touching is inappropriate, pushy and aggressive. Even though we communicate there are still barrier that can stop us from communicating effectively with other. There are culture barrier and language barrier. We communicate with other on day to day bases; whether it is speaking to a friend or a consumer in order to communicate effectively we have to use the basic elements of communication in order to establish a relationship that is honest straight forward and respectful to whom you are speaking with. Barrier can be hard to overcome as well as cultural differences but with the basic element in place when we are communicating with other can establish a great relationship between the sender and the receiver. References: Communicating in the workplace Thomas Cheesebro, Linda O’Connor, Francisco Rios, copyright, 2010 Chapter 1 & 3 Practical Application of confidentiality rules to health lake transition instruction Repetto, Jeanne B, Gibson, Robert W, Lubbers, Joyce H., Gritz, Sheila, Reiss, John 2008 vol.29 issue 2

The Development of the Western Frontier between 1866 and 1890

The Trans-Mississipi west comprises the region that spans from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains (Client file, n. pag. ). It is estimated to be 1,000 miles long from east to west and is about 1,500 miles from north to south (Client file, n. pag. ). The Trans-Mississippi west (also known as the Great Plains, the Western Frontier or the prairie) was inhabited by more than 300,000 Native Americans, collectively referred to as the Plains Indians (Client file, n. pag. ). Prior to the Civil War, the Western Frontier was largely unpopulated by pioneers (although it was under the control of the United States government through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803) (Client file, n. pag. ). Some wagon trains did pass through the area en route to Oregon or California, but these were able to do so unmolested (in sharp contrast to Hollywood films) (Client file, n. pag. ). In return, the payment of tributes in the form of clothing, jewelry, metal utensils or other items desired by the tribes was required (Client file, n. ag. ). However, the Homestead Act of 1862 (passed during the Civil War) encouraged emigration to the Western Frontier (Client file, n. pag. ). Under the act, settlers can avail of a 160-acre parcel of land for a small filing fee worth $10 (Client file, n. pag. ). In addition, they can obtain the full title to the land within five years if they were able to make significant improvements on it (planting crops, building houses, raising livestock, etc. ) (Client file, n. pag. ). As a result, homesteaders, miners and ranchers trespassed on Indian lands and threatened the Plains Indians' hunting and way of life (Client file, n. pag. ). This left the Plains Indians with no other choice but to use armed resistance (Client file, n. pag. ). The hostilities between the Plains Indians and the US Cavalry (called on by the settlers to crush Indian opposition and to confine tribes in government-controlled reservations) that ensued were eventually called the Western Indian Wars (1866-1890) (Client file, n. ag. ). Despite the attractive terms of the Homestead Act of 1862, around 60% of emigrants gave up on their homesteads before the end of the five-year period (Client file, n. pag. ). Reasons for doing so included lack of water supply, Indian attacks, harsh winters, soil that was unfit for planting and sometimes-deadly conflicts with ranchers, who saw homesteads as a hindrance to cattle grazing (Client file, n. pag. ). On the other hand, those who remained endured extre me hardships just to survive. They worked very hard under sub-zero winters and summers that often reached more than a hundred degrees Fahrenheit (Client file, n. pag. ). Unable to afford houses made of wood, they lived in houses built of sod and dirt (Client file, n. pag. ). They also experienced infestations of locusts, which would eat their crops, as well as the drapes of their houses and their clothing (Client file, n. pag. ). Adding to their list of burdends were natural disasters such as storms and tornadoes (Client file, n. pag. ). The homesteaders' privations were so great that History professor Frederick Jackson Turner hypothesized in his thesis in 1890 that â€Å"much of America's free and democratic spirit was forged by the existence of an open frontier to the west† (Client file, n. pag. ). Another important advancement in the Western Frontier was the Transcontinental Railroad. The absence of a railway system in the region isolated Oregon and California (already states) from the rest of the US – they stood alone at the edge of the country and were accessible only by wagon train, ship or boat (Client file, n. ag. ). President Abraham Lincoln and the US Congress backed a railroad act which authorized the presence of a railroad across the continent, but it was not implemented until the end of the Civil War (Client file, n. pag. ). The construction of the railroad started in 1864 – the Union Pacific was built westward from Omaha, Nebraska, while the Central Pacific was erected eastward from Sacramento, California (Client file, n. pag. ). Even if only 40 miles of track were laid by 1865, the pace of the assembly increased at the end of war (Client file, n. ag. ). Majority of the workers that were recruited for the building of the railroad were from minority groups such as blacks, Mexicans, Asians and Irish (Client file, n. pag. ). Despite delays in construction (storms, harsh winters, occasional Indian attacks, migration of large buffalo herds, etc. ), the Transcontinental Railroad was finally completed at Promontory Point, Utah on May 10, 1869 (Client file, n. pag. ). The Transcontinental Railroad boosted commerce in the Western Frontier, particularly the cattle industry (Client file, n. pag. ). Even though the cattle industry was already a major part of the western economy, the lack of transportation hindered its expansion into the eastern part of the US (Client file, n. pag. ). Hence, the development of railroads in the Western Frontier (along with entrepreneurs such as Joseph McCoy, who promoted beef as tasty and healthy) increased the demand for beef in the east (Client file, n. pag. ). Cowboys would drive large herds of cows from Texas and New Mexico to â€Å"railheads† – towns on or near the rail line, such as Dodge City, Abilene, Wichita and Colorado Springs (Client file, n. ag. ). Once in the â€Å"railheads,† the cattle would be kept in large pens or yards, where they would be fattened for market in the east (Client file, n. pag. ). During this time, a cowboy was paid usually around $25-$30 per month (Client file, n. pag. ). â€Å"Railheads† (also known as â€Å"railhead towns† or â€Å"cow towns†) became prosperous not only because of the cattle industry, but also because of saloons or â€Å"dance halls,† where cowboys spent their money on liqour, gambling and women (Client file, n. pag. ). It is likewise the saloon that gave â€Å"railheads† their reputation for lawlessness (Client file, n. pag. ). But it must be noted that this image was largely seen only in Hollywood films (Client file, n. pag. ). For one, most â€Å"railheads† were strict when it comes to gun control (Client file, n. pag. ). Gun control laws in â€Å"railheads† were enforced by tough sheriffs or marshalls with shotgun-toting deputies – one gun control law that they strictly implemented was that cowboys should surrender their guns to them while they were in town (Client file, n. pag. ). In addition, the saloon area in a â€Å"railhead† was usually located in the opposite direction of the â€Å"respectable† side of the town to minimize the possibility of untoward incidents (Client file, n. pag. ). Lastly, contrary to Hollywood films, cowboys were not hardened criminals but â€Å"just regular and adventurous young men letting off steam after several months of hard work† (Client file, n. pag. ). Most gunfights â€Å"were spontaenous events in a saloon or in the street between angry or drunken men who had not been relieved of their guns† (Client file, n. pag. ). They usually fought over â€Å"poker-related disputes, a woman, a perceived insult or some ongoing enmity between long-time adversaries† (Client file, n. pag. ). In most â€Å"railheads,† the murder rate was â€Å"acutally lower than the murder rate of many large American cities in the latter half of the twentieth century† (Client file, n. pag. ). Furthermore, extensive research has proven that in the period between 1870-1900, only five gun duels occurred in the entire Western Frontier (Client file, n. pag. ). It is true that emigration led to the development of the Trans-Mississipi west. However, it must be kept in mind that this progress did not come without a price – the Western Indian Wars killed around 1,000 US Cavalry soldiers and led to the death and enslavement of millions of Plains Indians (McConnell, n. pag. ). It would be fair to say that the circumstances surrounding the expansion of the Trans-Mississipi west became one of the precursors for future instances of US political, economic and military aggression abroad. The strategy remains the same – plunder the country (or in this case, region) as much as you can, fill the people's minds with deceiving propaganda and chop off a few thousand heads when necessary.