Analytical Study on the Issues Related to Gun Control Essay

Analytical Study on the Issues Related to Gun Control - Essay Example The issue of gun control is augmented with the present tendencies of using handguns by the civilians and students, who cause for much havoc among the people. The sniper shootings in America have made a deep threat among the civilians in America. In such circumstances it is worthwhile to redefine the American democratic system with its application in the present issue. Therefore, this essay tries to analyze the issue of gun control with the democratic features of pluralism, stratificationism and hyper pluralism. The Issues related to Gun control in America show a specialty of the democratic aspect, that is, Pluralism. There are different notions regarding gun control in America. The BBC reports, â€Å"Americans now appear equally split between urban liberals who want gun control and tough environmental controls, and country dwellers who oppose abortion on demand and support hunting with guns† (BBC News). Some of the states like California, Illinois, New York and the District of Columbia support some sort of control in gun rights. The states like Washington, Florida and Texas stand for the gun rights. In the states like Alaska and Arizona the concealed carry laws are so simple and so everyone can have guns. The gun control has been viewed differently by Democratic Party and Republican Party. The Democratic Party stands for the gun control measures whereas the Republican Party stands against the gun control (BBC News). So it can be stated that the issue of gun control is a partisan issue. Some states, some groups and some political parties support gun control whereas some, on the other side, critically object it. The gun control in the country remains to be a sharply attacked by the gun lobby prevalent in America. NRA (National Rifle Association) is the most powerful lobby arguing for the citizens’ rights of gun. It adheres to the Bill of Rights as put forward by the 2nd Amendment which ensures the citizens to possess gun. The gun lobbyists in Americ a stand as a supreme interest group in America projecting the dominance of interest groups in American democracy. The bill on gun control was presented in the different Houses of the state but was denied support by taking the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution which states that every American citizen has the right to protect his/her life from others, and therefore, the Constitution gives him the right to bear arms. This constitutional right could not be changed even in the modern scenario due to the influence of the gun lobbyists. The Second Amendment of American Constitution stands for the rights for guns. It ensures the citizens’ rights to own the firearms. The modern incidents of mass killing by the firearms have made the people to rethink about the excessive use of guns in America. The mass killing 32 innocent people on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at Virginia, and the similar incidents at various parts of the country, have put the stat es to regulate on the use of guns by the civilians. The proposal of the states to ban gun was thoroughly failed by the influence of gun lobbies in America. In America around 145 groups are arguing for the gun culture and NRA is having the most influence of these all. The Pluralistic aspect of democracy has excessively played its role on this issue. Pluralism is a

Business ethic reflective essay Essay Example for Free

Business ethic reflective essay Essay It was probably in 2010, I was an agent in an assurance company. My duties was managing and servicing our organization’s existing corporate client portfolio that has been assigned to me. One of our company product called Saving Plan what pay an amount of money monthly or yearly up to 6 years, the annual will received 6% interest and consumer can take their money back after they complete the 6 years payment. As we know, every product might have some weaknesses while it benefits us. It is commonly that company or sales man will try to minimize the weakness of product while they promote it. But what I did wrong was that I did never mention the product weakness to customer that they will only get the best return (interest) after 25 years when they completed payment for 6 years saving plan, what I thought the saving plan as a force to consumer get use to save money and whoever buy the saving plan they will always get their money back at the end if they complete the payment. My concern was close cases at that time. In fact, It was kind of ethic problem when I promoted products but did not let customers understand all about it. Once I heard complain from customer I felt so guilty of myself that I had hidden from my customers. I felt shame to face my customer. I felt that was unfair to my customers and I used customer’s belief to gain my own profit. I thought it will not have any lose for my customers even I did not tell the limitation of the product cause after customer complete the saving plan, they could take their money back at anytime, but customers will only get their return of this investment after 25 years when policy mature. As it tend to depend on the economy, the saving plan may not make profit for customers. This lesson has taught me how to be an ethic person. We could put ourselves as consumers that we will always wish to know the truth and we have the right. I will never do this again in my life, trust is very important and to build a trust will always get back our customers. I would like to explain and analysis all to my customer. I wish I can be a ethic person wherever I am and whatever I do.

Death Penalty: Capital Punishment is State Sanctioned Murder Essays

Capital Punishment is State Sanctioned Murder      Ã‚   Old Sparky and Gruesome Gertie (affectionate names for the electric chair) have taken the lives of many, even the innocent (Finnerty 18). They are prejudiced and lack compassion. However, many Americans believe that they represent justice. Capital punishment does not represent justice, but vengeance and hate. Among the 7,000 people estimated to have been killed in the United States between 1900 and 1985, at least 23 were innocent (Finnerty 18). In at least 8 of 261 executions performed since 1976, something went wrong; for example, the executioner couldn't find a good vein, or the first jolt of electricity failed to do the trick (Finnerty 18). An innocent person, let alone 23 that were wrongfully executed might seem insignificant to one. Just for a moment think if that one person was your brother or father, and they were innocent! Would you then see that the American judicial system is imperfect, and that capital punishment should be abolished? Capital punishment is wrong an d should be abolished because of its imperfections, high cost, and immoral existence. Many people argue that we should keep practicing capital punishment because it would be a waste of money to sentence someone to life in prison. Facts show that it is more expensive to give someone the death sentence than life in prison. The cost of state execution is up to three times the cost of lifetime imprisonment (Dority 37). So many people are convinced that it is cheaper to practice capital punishment, but those people are not aware of the facts to be presented. If someone is interested in saving "tax payer's dollars," it is much cheaper to sentence someone to life in prison. The reason that life imprisonment... ...dical treatment that they deserve, not death. Capital punishment is an ineffective deterrent that only demonstrates violence for society (Dority 37). We are teaching society that it is acceptable to kill. We are saying that revenge is justifiable. Racism is no stranger to capital punishment. The death penalty wants to save as many white people as it can, and kill as many black people as possible. Violence begets violence, and murder begets murder. The violent crimes that capital punishment attempts to control will only increase if we, the people, do not demand moral alternatives to state sanctioned murder. Works Cited Dority, Barbara. "Not in My Name." The Humanist March/April 1993: 36-37. Finnerty, Amy. "Sunday: Six Facts." The New York Times Magazine 5 February 1995: 18. Monagle, Katie. "The Death Penalty." Update 4 September 1992: 13-15.

Black Feminism

Black Feminism â€Å"Feminism in general  is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending  equal  political, economic, and social rights for women. † Black Feminism is a strand of feminist thought, which highlights the manifold disadvantages of gender, class and race that shape the experiences of nonwhite women. Black feminist organizations emerged during the 1970s and they had to face manifold difficulties from both the white feminist and Black Nationalist political organizations they were confronting with.Black feminists had rejected the idea of a single unified gender oppression that faced evenly by all women, and argued that early feminist analysis reflected the specific concerns of white, middle-class women. One of the theories that evolved out of the Black feminist movement was Alice Walker's Womanism. Alice Walker and other womanists pointed out that black woman experienced a different and more intense kind of oppression from that of white women. They point out the emergence black feminism after earlier movements led by white middle-class women which they regard as having largely ignored oppression based on race and class.Patricia Hill Collins defined Black feminism, in Black Feminist Thought (1991), as including â€Å"women who theorize the experiences and ideas shared by ordinary black women that provide a unique angle of vision on self, community, and society†. Different critics gave their opinion regarding â€Å"Black Feminism† , some of them tried to justify their stand as the â€Å"Black Feminists†, some elaborated the purposes of this movement, some discussed the themes that work in this theory. They stated such as;Women of color have never been placed on a pedestal and protected the way white women are, and although women of color are thought of as a voiceless people, the stereotypes used to oppress them, â€Å"black matriarch†, â€Å"bitch† and â€Å"sapp hire†, contradict that notion (Hudson-Weems 211-213). In establishing why Black Feminism is relevant, it must be established that women of color have been thrice victimized: by racism, sexism and economic exploitation. These three oppressive forces affect women of color simultaneously and equally relentlessly (Gordon 166).Black Feminism is the acknowledgement that women of color have been oppressed by sexism and racism, that there was a failure to recognize and address these issues in the Feminist Movement and the Black Liberation Movement, and that women of color have their own agenda that neither movement can take on. Black Feminism focuses on the experiences needs and desires of women of color (Aldridge 193). The goal of Black Feminism is to create a criterion by which women of color can assess their realities, both in thought and in action (Hudson-Weems 210).Although it is contested that all struggles are the same, placing all women under feminism is the epitome of racist arrogance and domination, suggesting that white women’s experience is the standard and authority above any other experience (Hudson-Weems 209). Basically three characteristic themes are found in Black Feminist thought: †¢ Black women's self-definition and self-valuation; †¢ The interlocking nature of oppression; and †¢ The importance of Afro-American women's culture.We find the themes of Black Feminism like repression of women, self actualization, self-definition, self-valuation, political suppression and kind of racial, class and gender biases towards the women of Black race, in the stories of â€Å"Lice†, â€Å"Veil† and â€Å"Independence Day†. â€Å"Lice† is really a true illustration of deprivation of women because of their gender, kind of gender oppression and the stereotypical view of women in Black community that women are only to get married, have sex, and to devote their whole life for the family. There is a woman in the st ory, named â€Å"Sissie† a â€Å"voiceless creature†, as stereotypical view of Black Feminism is.In the Black community it is considered that if you are a woman you just have to perform certain roles other than that you have no identity of your own, as in the story the condition of sissie in Black community truly explained this stereotype â€Å"an ordinary wife with a normal marriage, ignored, double-timed, a harassed mother, a low paid teacher in a rotten third world education system. Black women have no personal identity without the male entity, as the words of sisse’s mother when sissie is going to married â€Å"Now our daughter has become a proper lady†. ith marriage comes a lot of responsibilities and she is left with no self-identity and have to behave like a Lady and then her mother thinks like a typical mother that she must stop calling her daughter ‘baby’ now because ‘†¦she was a grand old lady of five years’. In h er autobiography â€Å"Anne Moody†, brings the idea of black feminism into account, stating, â€Å"We were told in the same breath to be quiet both for the sake of being ‘ladylike' and take us less objectionable in the eyes of white people. † She is deprived of her wants and needs but in this situation as well her mother advises her to ‘remember counting her blessings’.She is having a husband who is legally and fully married to her but most of the time’ she also knows without looking that her husband was not occupying his side of the bed’’. She has no right to ask her husband because she is supposed to handle the households, not to look into the doings of her husband. As it is against the norms of patriarchal society, in which she is living. The depravity of the Black women also proves in the fact that their marriages are dependent on their pregnancies â€Å"Their marriages depended on it. Their feminity. Their humanity. † Third phase which depicts the darker aspect of black feminism is that of sexual oppression. Women are sexually harassed by male, as in the story Sissie is representative of the working women community, that how her Boss demanded sexual favor as a substitute for her promotion. Another blessing is mentioned that it is Saturday, which means no school but this Saturday means nothing for her as she has much to do at home on the free day, because there is no concept of rest for a woman even on the holiday. There is a car in her house which is her husband’s.She has no right regarding the car in spite of having investment in the car. Here again comes one of the major themes of Black Feminist thought that is of self valuation that a woman has no self possession. The very title of the story â€Å"Lice† is symbolic in the sense that apparently lice are in her daughter’s hair but symbolically these are the parasites that Black women have in their life in the form of biases, gender subjugation and typical concept about women as small creatures. â€Å"The Veil† refers to the theme of realization, self actualization in the Black feminism theory.It is the realization of woman after the real experience of having sex. The story is based on relationships and is being told by a woman that how a woman presuppose about having sex as an enjoyable activity but later on she realizes the truth that this enjoyment doesn’t last for long and at the end there remains nothing. Basically this story embodies the objectification of women and glorification of sex but sudden realization of the true fact, which is an important concept in Black Feminism that women of Black race starting realizing or identifying the things.As â€Å"His eyes are the only part of his body with which I have real contact. They dispel strangeness and ugliness and make my relationship with him real in the midst of numerous unreal ones† it is because in the beginning they used to spend time talking and sharing their interests and wants and this communication was carried out through eye contact as well as it was ‘a sort of meeting of minds, and gratifying’ but this relationship now lacks communication that’s what makes them feel strangers to each other and a number of questions arise in her mind that ‘whether it was the body’s desire for contact with another body? And this idea gives vent to ‘a violent desire’ to find out how ‘the meeting of my body with his could be like’. This lust for the fulfillment of bodily desires ‘draws me into loveless contacts simply in order to satisfy that curiosity’ and she experiences a kind of repulsion between their bodies except ‘in one situation – that of love. ’Then she thinks about the cause behind this repulsion and comes to know that ‘man worships his masculinity, so woman repulses him’ and the only way to get rid of this repulsion is ‘the victory of love over the male deity’ but she has no idea what it is and once again she is encountered by certain thoughts such as ‘Is the relationship between us love? ’ and ‘s love simply a fairy tale,†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ but suddenly a bitter realization stuck in her mind that ‘All the fairy tales come to an end and the veil fell from each of them. and ‘each time a veil fell,†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ she cries for ‘the beautiful illusion which was lost. ’ Then there comes a time when they both are having sex she notices that his body reveals ‘strength, youthfulness, cleanliness and good eating’ but later on when he is dressed and getting ready to leave ‘his face looks tired, as though he’s suddenly grown old and weary. ’ She experiences mixed ‘feelings of joy mingle with strange feelings of sadness’ as the man has left her alone once again.When ‘the effect of wine h as gone and the veil has lifted from my eyes’, she looks into the mirror as â€Å"I am about to walk away from the mirror, like every other time, to trample on the fallen veil at my feet and stamp on it with new found strength. But this time I do not leave my place. I bend down, pick up the veil from the ground and replace it once again on my face†. The story is all about the feelings of a woman that how she feels when the fantasy world or the glorified picture of having sexual pleasure turned into the reality. A veil of illusion is now dropped away from her eyes.But at the end of the day, she has to put up that veil over her face and pretend to be like as usual, because she is anticipated to behave like this. The story ‘Independence Day’ written by â€Å"Yvonne Vera† is a representation of political suppression of women of Black Color. This story refers to the variations in definition of independence according to men and women. In the story there i s a man who is watching Independence celebrations on television and he decides that ‘he was going to celebrate Independence properly; with cold beer and a woman. On the other hand, the celebrations are going on ‘the Prince and the new Prime Minister walked to the large flag pole in the middle of the stadium. ’ it is midnight and on one hand it is ‘the magic time of change’ whereas on the other side, the man is busy having sex with that prostitute. The whole country got independence but what about the woman who is still the slave of others and has to live her life the way she is told to. Although they were going to enter in a new era but it makes no difference for the women because there are specific boundaries settled by men for her, which is not allowed by the society to cross anyway.In short, we see that the black feminist movement had to contend with civil rights movements that wanted women in a lesser role. Men  believed the black women would or ganize around their own needs and minimize their own efforts, losing reliable allies in the struggle for civil rights. The black feminist movement not only had to compete with racial prejudice but also the structure of our patriarchal society, making their struggle much harder.

Math in Early Childhood Article Review Essay

Math Journal Review The purpose of this article was to explain the use and importance of programs such as the, â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† program instituted at the Bennington Library in Vermont. The â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† program aims to provide librarians with techniques and tools for introducing preschool and kindergarten students to science and math through literature. Picture books and stories are used a lot because stores are great conveyors to memorable messages about since and math. It also gives children the tools they need to be able to look at books and seek out math and science concepts and connections within the text. The program focuses on child directed and hands on explorations rather that adult directed instruction allowing the children to gain personal acts of discovery through play. â€Å"What’s the Big Idea† focuses on four main math and science concepts; numbers and operations, patterns and relationships, changes over time, and geometry and special sense. For each topic there are activities, projects, and books that correspond with the chosen topic. There are different activity centers that are also set up. Some are set up for large group and small group and some are set up for independent exploration. They offer things such as interactive graphs, geoboards, jars with small objects for sorting, blocks, and other manipulatives. Something new that I learned was that I didn’t know that libraries offered programs like that. I knew that had reading groups and programs but I didn’t realizes that there were also libraries that offered programs to also promote math and science concepts as well. I like how they use books first to gain an idea and then tie it into math and science by exploring the concepts in the story a little further to better their understanding not only of the story but of the math and/or science behind it. A way that I can see this information being useful in the future is to have programs like this available to all libraries nationwide. In the article it said that it started out in Vermont and spread to libraries in New York, Delaware, and Texas. With children having access to programs like this from the preschool level they will then enter kindergarten with a greater knowledge base and with deeper understanding of the math and science concepts that they will need for the rest of their lives.

The Contributions to the Western Civilization Essays

The Contributions to the Western Civilization Essays The Contributions to the Western Civilization Essay The Contributions to the Western Civilization Essay The Contributions to the western civilization Ashley Stewart 5/1/11 Professor Hammond Strayer University The Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans, have made great contributions to develop the Western Civilization. The legacy that they’ve left was religion, knowledge, and government. The Hebrews contributed the religious aspect, the Greeks contributed knowledge and government, and the Romans contributed one must have an understanding of the ancient Greek culture, or else considered governing methods to Western Civilization. Its said that to understand our culture ignorant. sherer44). The Hebrews shaped the very core of Western Civilization. Author Thomas Cahill has recently produced a historical account, The Gifts of the Jews, which explores in depth the contributions of early Judaism to the thought patterns and social structure of present-day orders. A review of his work states that Within the matrix of ancient religions and philosophies, life was seen as part of an endless cycle of bi rth and death; time was like a wheel, spinning ceaselessly. Yet somehow the ancient Jews began to see time differently. For them, time had a beginning and an end; it was a narrative, whose triumphant conclusion would come in the future. From this insight came a new conception, that of men and women as individuals with unique destinies a conception that would inform the Declaration of Independence and our hopeful belief in progress and the sense that tomorrow can be better than today. ( The West would not have been the same without Jewish contributions that celebrated concepts such as absolute morality, self-improvement, and the striving to comprehend the forces that shape ones existence. These innovative notions permitted the Hebrews to endure throughout millennia of oppression and foreign dominance and reform their state into todays Israel, one of the top ten nations in the world in terms of military might and economic sophistication. The Greeks was creating colonies around the coast of Greece. /Instead of constructing the columns to be straight, they built them using gentle curves making everything appear more symmetrical. The two different architectural styles in ancient Greece were the Doric and Ionic. The earliest of the buildings were designed in the Doric style, such as the Parthenon. The Doric columns are rather sturdy yet plain. The ionic Columns were built thinner and more elegant. The tops of them had a scroll like structure, unlike the flat Doric style. Buildings such as the Erechtheum and the small temple of Athena were built in the Ionic style. Its to the Greeks we owe for their architectural innovations to western civilization The Greeks were very passionate about athletics. They took pride in the perfect human physique: strong, fit, cut, graceful human bodies.

Tourism in Antarctica

Tourism in Antarctica Antarctica has become one of the worlds most popular tourist destinations. Since 1969, the average number of visitors to the continent has increased from several hundred to over 34,000 today. All activities in Antarctica are heavily regulated by the Antarctic Treaty for environmental protection purposes and the industry is largely managed by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). History of Tourism in Antarctica The first expedition to Antarctica with travelers was in 1966, led by Swedish explorer Lars Eric Lindblad. Lindblad wanted to give tourists a first-hand experience on the ecological sensitivity of the Antarctic environment, in order to educate them and promote a greater understanding of the continents role in the world. The modern expedition cruise industry was born shortly after, in 1969, when Lindblad built the worlds first expedition ship, the MS Lindblad Explorer, which was specifically designed to transport tourists to Antarctica. In 1977, both Australia and New Zealand started to offer scenic flights to Antarctica through Qantas and Air New Zealand. The flights often flew to the continent without landing and returned to the departure airport. The experience was an average 12 to 14 hours with up to 4 hours flying directly over the continent. The flights from Australia and New Zealand stopped in 1980. It was due in large part to the Air New Zealand Flight 901 accident on November 28, 1979, in which a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 aircraft carrying 237 passengers and 20 crew members collided into Mount Erebus on Ross Island, Antarctica, killing all onboard. Flights to Antarctica did not resume again until 1994. Despite the potential hazards and risks, tourism to Antarctica continued to grow. According to IAATO, 34,354 travelers visited the continent between 2012 and 2013. Americans contributed to the largest share with 10,677 visitors, or 31.1%, followed by Germans (3,830/11.1%), Australians (3,724/10.7%), and the British (3,492/10.2%). The remainder of the visitors were from China, Canada, Switzerland, France, and elsewhere. IAATO The IAATOs original visitor and tour operator guidelines served as the basis in the development of the Antarctic Treaty Recommendation XVIII-1, which includes guidance for Antarctic visitors and for non-government tour organizers. Some of the mandated guidelines include: Do not disturb wildlife either at sea or on landDo not feed or touch animals or photograph in a way that will disturbDo not damage plants or bring invasive speciesDo not damage, destroy, or remove artifacts from historic sites. This includes rocks, bones, fossils, and content of buildingsDo not interfere with scientific equipment, study sites, or field campsDo not walk onto glaciers or large snowfields unless properly trainedDo not litter There are currently over 58 vessels registered with the IAATO. Seventeen of the vessels are categorized as yachts, which can transport up to 12 passengers, 28 are considered category 1 (up to 200 passengers), 7 are category 2 (up to 500), and 6 are cruise ships, capable of housing anywhere from 500 to 3,000 visitors. Tourism in Antarctica Today Most ships depart from South America, particularly Ushuaia in Argentina, Hobart in Australia, and Christchurch or Auckland, New Zealand. The principal destination is the Antarctic Peninsula region, which includes the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Certain private expeditions may include visits to inland sites, including Mt .Vinson (Antarcticas highest mountain) and the geographic South Pole. An expedition can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Yachts and category 1 ships generally land on the continent with a duration lasting approximately 1 - 3 hours. There can be between 1-3 landings per day using inflatable crafts or helicopters to transfer visitors. Category 2 ships typically sail the waters with or without landing and cruise ships carrying more than 500 passengers are no longer operational as of 2009 due to concerns of oil or fuel spills. Most of the activities while on land include visits to operational scientific stations and wildlife sties, hiking, kayaking, mountaineering, camping, and scuba-diving. Excursions are always accompanied by seasoned staff members, which often includes an ornithologist, marine biologist, geologist, naturalist, historian, general biologist, and/or glaciologist. A trip to Antarctica can range anywhere from as little as $3,000-$4,000 to over $40,000, depending on the scope of transportation, housing, and activity needs. The higher end packages typically involve air transport, on-site camping, and a visit to the South Pole. References British Antarctic Survey (2013, September 25). Antarctic Tourism. Retrieved from: antarctica.ac.uk/about_antarctica/tourism/faq.php International Association of Antarctica Tour Operations (2013, September 25). Tourism Overview. Retrieved from: http://iaato.org/tourism-overview

6 Steps to Solve Math Problems

6 Steps to Solve Math Problems The ability to solve math problems not only boosts ones abstract thinking, it is also a marketable skill in the workplace as many employers require that their employees have taken several math courses in college. Problem solving is a process of finding the solutions to difficult issues. Whether or not a student major in math, either at the college or university level, being able to solve math problems is very beneficial. The ability to solve math problems not only boosts ones abstract thinking, it is also a marketable skill in the workplace as many employers require that their employees have taken several math courses in college. THE ART OF EFFECTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING Though solving math problems seems awfully tedious in nature or even overly difficult to the novice, the practice is essentially solving a problem. And whenever a problem emerges, there is at least one solution to that problem. There is a multitude of ways to solve a math problem. It involves visualizing, approaching and solving math problems in a detailed set of instructions the student should refer to in the event a math problem seems insurmountable. These Are the Best Steps to Follow: STEP 1. Determine the kind of math the problem is calling for. Does this particular math problem call for multiplying fractions? Solving algebraic equations? Solving quadratic equations? Knowing where to start and what school of math is being incorporated is key in helping the student solve their problem. STEP 2. Review what has already been covered in the math course for which this particular assignment, or math problem, has been given. If it’s a specific formula, or set of formulas, that the problem calls for, more than likely the student can find the formula in the chapters or sections their professor has already covered over the course of the term or semester. Most academic institutions offer numerous resources for students struggling with math problems. STEP 3. Begin to solve the problem, apply knowledge and skills already learned in the course. Identify what the problem is calling for and read the directions, if they are present, very carefully. At times, the system of â€Å"guess and check† may help; in other cases, use objects and other such tools to model the problem – sometimes a visual illustration of the problem may serve the student best. Look for patterns, use logical reasoning, and work backward, if possible. STEP 4. Write down and show each step. Sometimes, by writing down their work, the student who may be a visual learner may best solve their problem – or this may overcome a set of obstacles standing in their way of solving the problem. This tactic allows the student to track and even double-check their approach to the problem as well as their mental process of getting the needed results. The student who is struggling with a math assignment must never attempt to solve the entire problem in their head. STEP 5. Verify that the answer is correct and makes sense to the student if they are in the future tested on solving such math problems.  Often in most textbooks, in math courses, especially, the answer is in the back of the book – that is if an assignment is taken directly from the textbook. STEP 6. The student must always remember that their professor’s job is to help them understand the math that the course calls for. So, the student should approach their professor in the event a math problem presents difficulties. Most academic institutions employ the student body’s most skilled math students as tutors for students whose strengths are not math-oriented. This kind of service is often incorporated in the student’s tuition, so they should certainly take advantage of it. PROBLEM SOLVING  SKILLS PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES If you are unable to cope with a math problem or have not been able to get a proper explanation of the material, send us your assignment instructions and attach relevant files. Our support staff will review your instructions and will recommend a writer with a suitable background, who will ensure that the paper is properly written and that your math problem is solved correctly. Just place an order and get your professionally written paper on time.

Intervie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intervie - Essay Example The main misconception about the Arabic culture is concerned with the Arabic women, and I sought to understand their behaviors both in their homes and in public life. From the interview, I understood that the ideas that I had about Arabic women are mostly wrong, for example, the idea that all Arabic women are always veiled, or that all women are oppressed by their male counterparts are false, in fact, the women are accorded all they respect that they deserve. My interview with Amina revealed that not all Arabic women have to wear veils, for example, in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, the habit of wearing veils is not imposed on the women, on the contrary, it is a choice that is taken out of respect for the culture. However, in some countries, it is a law that all women are supposed to cover their hair and faces from the prying eyes of men. This is done so that the woman remains mysterious and has no chance of infidelity. The Arabic woman is also surprisingly industrious, contrary from the misconception that they are always lazy and uneducated. From my interview, I learnt that the average Arabic woman would always take care of her family, ensuring that the family is well fed and taken care of. I understood this after asking Amina whether all women are stay-at-home moms who wait for their husbands to provide for their families. Amina informed me that, even though some women are in big families, where the husband has up to four wives, all women strive to ensure that their families are well taken care of. The average woman will always be found in the market place looking for fresh food products for their families, and in the case of peasants, they look for food for their children in the best ways possible. The women will usually spend their days chatting with their neighbors, cleaning up, looking for food, and ensuring that their children get the education that they deserve. However, Amina also

Career Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Career Response - Essay Example The talk was very short but had very detailed information. It talked about the culture of welcoming visitors. It only took 16.19 minutes to provide a wealth of information that had an intuitive influence on choosing the career on hotel management. The information given on the Tedtalk was very objective. The culture of welcoming was the main message based on her experience she went through. It started with how Smith got herself in a small home where she was given a very warm and hospitable welcome. Then the way she developed interest in the hospitality industry is very endearing and full of inspiration. In her explanation, she was very captivating on explaining how to be warm to visitors and being happy even when frustrated. Happiness is the culture that employee in hospitality should pass down to the customer. The presentation was well inculcated with a brief history of the industry of hospitality. Another interesting aspect of the talk was the use of statistics. It increased the believability of the talk. A very endearing statistic used was that 70% of American workers are not unhappy disengaged or disinterested with their jobs. It made the entire talk very appealing and invoked the interest of joining the field since I felt I will be joining the 70% of the happy American work force in the hotel management. The Tedtalk had power of igniting dormant ambitions of anyone to the field of hospitality. I have personally learned a lot from the talk. First how the culture of care has a profound effect on the industry of hospitality. The hotel management take more of caring and being happy to the customer and every chance to be endearing to customers. Secondly, I have learned being kind in every one because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. As an aspiring manager, I will be kind to any employee even if he or she is misbehaving because they could be

WTO Members - TRAMONTANA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

WTO Members - TRAMONTANA - Essay Example PATRIA, XENIA and MOLVANIA are WTO Members producing and exporting of cars to TRAMONTANA and some companies within these countries have no plans to move towards the production of recyclable cars. However the industry in MOLVANIA, produces mainly recyclable cars and plans to phase out production of non-recyclable cars shortly and MOLVANIA is considering introducing legislation modeled on TRAMONTANA's recyclable car programme. As a WTO member, TRAMONTANA has breached the obligation of the national treatment where a member should treat foreigners and local equally: Imported and locally-produced goods should be treated equally — at least after the foreign goods have entered the market. The same should apply to foreign and domestic services, and to foreign and local trademarks, copyrights and patents. This principle of â€Å"national treatment† (giving others the same treatment as one’s own nationals) is also found in all the three main WTO agreements (Article 3 of GA TT, Article 17 of GATS and Article 3 of TRIPS), although once again the principle is handled slightly differently in each of these.National treatment only applies once a product, service or item of intellectual property has entered the market. Therefore, charging customs duty on an import is not a violation of national treatment even if locally-produced products are not charged an equivalent tax. TRAMONTANA will pay $300 per recyclable car produced to any domestic car manufacturer. This first measure of its programme is against the WTO obligation of National treatment. - According to the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT): "This agreement will extend and clarify the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade reached in the Tokyo Round. It seeks to ensure that technical negotiations and standards, as well as testing and certification procedures, do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade. However, it recognizes that countries have the right to establish protection, at levels they consider appropriate, for example for human, animal or plant life or health or the environment, and should not be prevented from taking measures necessary to ensure those levels of protection are met. The agreement therefore encourages countries to use international standards where these are appropriate, but it does not require them to change their levels of protection as a result of standardization." As the agreement states, TRAMONTANA does not have to change its level of protection as a result of standardization. In this case, it forbids non recyclable cars and recyclable cars from countries where non recyclable cars are produced to be imported. 2. As a response to these accusations TRAMONTANA could argue that on the opposite, they want to comply with the objectives of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade like the "Protection of Human safety and Health: The largest number of technical regulations and standards are adopted to aim at protecting human safety or health" and the "Protection of the Environment" which let to adopt this measures. TRAMONTANA can also offer a defense in explaining the set of measures is not to be adopted ate the same moment but gradually, leaving other countries the sufficient time to adapt to the new standards. 3. According to the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes article 10: Third parties Any Member having a substantial interest in a matter before a panel and having notified its interest to the DSB (referred to in this Understanding as a "third party") shall have an opportunity to be heard by the panel and to make written submissions to the panel. These submissions shall also be given to the parties to the dispute and shall be reflected in the panel

IT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT - Essay Example According to Mintzberg (1999), they are â€Å"functional strategy, operational strategy, business strategy, dynamic strategy and corporative strategy. Strategic business unit is also included† (Mintzberg, 1999). Functional strategy in its turn includes strategic development of new products, marketing strategies, economic strategies, lawful principles, human resources and information technologies. Information technology can not only assist in reducing the number of mistakes usually made during the work with papers, it can also let workers save the time they spend on communication with customers (Schoemaker, 1993). This extra time appears because the procedures are held more effectively and professionally. Work with papers includes making corrections and some mistakes are usually left uncorrected that can cost much (Porter, 1996). The correct information technologies implementation is not an easy task in terms of the involvement of all company’s employees. Moreover, this process should be considered as a long- period leaning, where progress is made gradually, because in order to make the process effective all the employees should learn how to apply new methods. Furthermore, the appropriate use of the system needs understandable instructions and regular testing. Today more and more companies with different kinds of activity apply information technologies and face the task of its implementation. Some of them are already successfully using new opportunities these technologies provide, while in some areas, for example, healthcare area, information technology has not been fully implemented yet. We should hope that soon all the industries will use this opportunity to improve their activity, because information technology is valuable both for employees and the clients. According to Huber (1990), ‘information technologies should reduce centralization in decision making in centralized organizations and increase

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

Community Assessment Paper - Essay Example y identifying the goals along with the behavioural objectives to justify strategies that should be used in order to provide best prevention to the problem. Tobacco is a major cause of death observed in the worldwide context and in East Rutherford as well, where 6.8% of the people of the community are noted to be under the poverty line. This has adversely affected the development of social as well as economic conditions of the community at large. Due to growing use of tobacco in the city, healthcare issues have also aroused as a serious concern for the authority, wherein the major diseases include Cancer, Stillbirth, Premature birth, Heart disease, Low birth weight, Lung diseases, and Infant death. Data reveals that during the year 2012 to 2013 in New Jersey, correspondingly in East Rutherford, smoking increased by 3% from 16.8% to 17.3% respectively (United Health Foundation, 2014). In the major city of USA, use of tobacco can be observed in almost every segment of the society. As per the governmental reports, every one out of five adults is identified to have smoking habit. Making the issue a more serious concern, approximately 38.9% of high school students (i.e. teenagers) and 18.9% middle school students (adolescents) constituted the segment having high rate of smoking habits. Data further concluded that four out of five adults who take tobacco had started smoking before the age of 18, making the minors of the society vulnerable to the negative effects of the issue (New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, 2001). According to the report of US Surgeon General’s (2013), smoking remains one of the major courses of death in the nation with more than 43 million American’s continuing with their habit, which has further been projected to cause 4 lakhs death every year increasing heath related diseases in manifolds. Cessation in the tobacco consuming will have following benefits to the community: If the problem is not resolved, the community at large

A Cosi Fan Tutte Opera Theatre Report Research Paper

A Cosi Fan Tutte Opera Theatre Report - Research Paper Example The performances were divided into a series of acts with each act being as intriguing as the next. The first act began with the officer’s confidence in their fiancà ©es faithfulness being challenged by their confidant Alfonso, who is played by Daniel Ewart and Aaron Petrovitch. This act involves the fake departure of the officers, the morning of their lovers and the arrival of the Albanians. It comprises deception by the Albanians, Don Alfonso and the housemaid, Despina who is played by Leah Brzyski and Alina Tamborini. Personally, I found the singing much more captivating than the acting, more so for the first two acts. The harmonics brought the audience in the mood and kept them attentive. The attempts of the gentlemen to seduce their lovers were quite hilarious especially having them pretend to be dying. However, it was a bit disappointing as some of the songs sang did not match the personalities of the characters performing it. It did not make sense how Fiordiligi, her si ster and Alfonso could present such a lovely song as the soldiers went off for war yet there are supposed to be self-centered. As the performance continued into the second and third days, it became less about the music for me but more about seeing what would happen next. The actors did not utilize the stage well during the succeeding acts so the only way to continue with the flow of the story was to listen to the music. This was quite disappointing especially because the first act ended in a lot of suspense.

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

Community Assessment Paper - Essay Example y identifying the goals along with the behavioural objectives to justify strategies that should be used in order to provide best prevention to the problem. Tobacco is a major cause of death observed in the worldwide context and in East Rutherford as well, where 6.8% of the people of the community are noted to be under the poverty line. This has adversely affected the development of social as well as economic conditions of the community at large. Due to growing use of tobacco in the city, healthcare issues have also aroused as a serious concern for the authority, wherein the major diseases include Cancer, Stillbirth, Premature birth, Heart disease, Low birth weight, Lung diseases, and Infant death. Data reveals that during the year 2012 to 2013 in New Jersey, correspondingly in East Rutherford, smoking increased by 3% from 16.8% to 17.3% respectively (United Health Foundation, 2014). In the major city of USA, use of tobacco can be observed in almost every segment of the society. As per the governmental reports, every one out of five adults is identified to have smoking habit. Making the issue a more serious concern, approximately 38.9% of high school students (i.e. teenagers) and 18.9% middle school students (adolescents) constituted the segment having high rate of smoking habits. Data further concluded that four out of five adults who take tobacco had started smoking before the age of 18, making the minors of the society vulnerable to the negative effects of the issue (New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, 2001). According to the report of US Surgeon General’s (2013), smoking remains one of the major courses of death in the nation with more than 43 million American’s continuing with their habit, which has further been projected to cause 4 lakhs death every year increasing heath related diseases in manifolds. Cessation in the tobacco consuming will have following benefits to the community: If the problem is not resolved, the community at large

Understanding Personality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Understanding Personality - Essay Example Personality can be described as the combination of attributes such as behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental traits that make a person an unique individual. Ones personality typically derives from a combination of externalities such as environment, and educational level combined with internalaties such as gender, and ethnicity. Ones personality made up of their various characteristics operate to influence ones overall behavior which can be described as personality dynamics. An individuals personality dynamics are also molded by cognitive processes and culture. Ones cognitive processes describes how one interpret situations and their concluded answer to their interpretation of the thought process. This can vary by culture as culture is a sense of connection to a social group and since thought process is a variable, culture influences on ones thought process may create that variable as attitudes and feelings of a group may differ from culture to culture. For instance, the police beating Rodney King which incited a riot in Los Angeles, California in 1991. The police officers were acquitted of the usage of excessive force by a predominantly white jury that consisted of only 2 minorities which neither were from Black descent. The jury found that Rodney King resisted arrest inspite of the visual and physical evidence that insinuated excessive force. The outrage from the verdict infused folks from the Black culture as their cognitive perception of the interpretation of the visual evidence differed greatly from the jury. The cognitive process of the Blacks in that area had preconceived ideologies about police brutality that differed from other cultures which in turn incited a riot. The preconceived belief about police brutality had an influence on the personality dynamics of the Blacks that participated in the riots.

Introduction to Management Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Management Essay Panera bread Ronald Shaich, CEO and chair man of Panera bread made a phenomenal growth in revenue of the company from $350.8 million to $ 977.1 million in just 3 years from year 2000 to 2003. However the growth has continued slowing down from that year on so a strategy is being strategized to help Panera Bread survive. The objective is to make Panera a nationally dominating brand by following a corporate strategy of growth by the combination of company and franchise efforts. With a clear objective it would help the company and its staff to know their goal and what they are achieving for. The concept is to deliver against the key consumer trends; to present a fast casual dining experience but also providing varieties of new and healthier menus to cater for the market segments. Improvements are done not only the product but also improving the overall operating systems, design and real estates. For the company’s image participating in the local community charity for corporate social responsibility. See more: introduction paragraph example The policies are all franchisees are to follow the same standards for product quality, menu, site selection, and bakery cafà © construction as the company’s. The company believed that the employee was a critical part of successful product and a unique company so by entrusting the employees to the fresh dough and support center operations with skilled associates and invested in training programs to ensure the quality and its operations. Recommended strategy Panera is to adopt Growth strategy through horizontal integration and using franchising as its key component to Panera’s growth strategy. The reason for continuing the horizontal integration is because does not have the capabilities to employ full backward/ forward integration. Thus vertical integration is not suitable in this case. The horizontal integration matches with the Panera’s concept bakery-cafes and it is the way for Panera to be able to grow more rapidly. Competitive strategy used is Differentiation, employing the Differentiation strategy; Panera will be able to charge higher prices to cover the increasing fixed costs. However with higher quality products than of fast food chains’, tailored menus, upscale dà ©cor and Panera’s commitment to customer it is very possible to charge higher price. Improvements should be made in the Human Resource department in compensation benefits system. Salaried staffs get product discount, bonuses, incentive programs, training, and employee stock ownership plans however salaried worker should be rewarded too through recognition award system or giving out vouchers to the non salaried workers. Management team The management team would be lead by all the executives and presidents in the company who has and extensive experience in managing and executing the Panera business. Mainly to manage all the important sectors like the Concept, Development, Joint Venture, Franchise, Supply Chain, Operating, Financial and the Administrative. II. COMPANY BACKGROUND Panera bread has been around from 1976. Ronald Shaich, CEO and chairman of Panera bread was the person who created the company together with the master baker called Shaich who combined ingredients. The duo made the phenomenal growth of the company with the guidance of Shaich, the revenue of Panera bread rose from franchise of 419 shops, the average annualized unit volumes (AUVs) increased from 9.1% to 12% a well but in the consecutive year the increase slow down from 0.2% to 0.5%. Before it became a very successful company, there was Au Bon Pain which was purchased by Louis Kane in 1978. The bakery faced a $3 million in debt while struggling with 13 stores but 10 was shut down. Ronald Shaich came into the picture when Kane was about to declare bankrupt. Shaich who owned a bakery: Cookie Jar merged together with Au Bon Pain in 1981 these was to help the sell in the morning. The two expanded the business and decreased the debt between 1981 and 1984. In 1985 Au Bon Pain became a place for urban folk who were tired of fast food. By 1991 Kane and Shaich took the company public and had 200 stores and $183 million in sales. The duo continued expanding by buying over St. Louis Bread Company from Ken Rosenthal, which had 19-store bakery cafà © in St. Louis area. While Au Bon Pain was focusing on making St. Louis bread a national brand the expansion of the urban outlet had operational problems and had a debt of $65 million. Lacking of capital they sold Au Bon Pain and concentrated on Panera, which the name that was change to in May 16, 1999, being debt free the cash allowed expansion of the bakery cafe stores. III. CURRENT SITUATION III.A. CURRENT PERFORMANCE Panera has been experiencing rapid growth under the leadership of Ronald Shaich. Under his guidance, Panera ‘s total system wide revenue rose from $350.8 million to $ 977.1 million in just 3 years from year 2000 to 2003 respectively. This rapid growth is caused by the new unit expansion of 419 bakery-cafes from 1999 to 2003. However as the year passed by, the company’s system wide sales average annualized unit volumes began to decline. The growth rate has slows down for Panera. To continue growing, Panera will need to develop new strategies, initiatives and new unit growth. There are 2 classes of Common Stock ownership in the company: (1). Class A Stock with 28,345,754 shares outstanding and 1 vote per share. (2) Class B Stock with 1,761,521 shares outstanding and 3 votes per share. The company’s revenues were derived from company-owned bakery-cafà © sales, fresh dough sales to franchisees, and franchise royalties fees. The total company revenues rose 28.1% to $355.9million in 2003 compared to $ 277.8 million in 2002. The increase in revenue was due to the opening of 131 new bakery-cafes in 2003. From 2002 to 2003 the bakery-cafà © sales has increased by 25.1% from $212.6 million to $265.9 million. This is due to a full year’s operation of 23 company-owned bakery-cafes created in 2002, the opening of 29 company-owned bakery-cafes in 2003, and the 1.7% increase in comparable bakery-cafà © sales for 2003. III.B. STRATEGIC POSTURE †¢ Mission statement 1. To extend its franchise relationship beyond its current franchises. 2. To doing the best bread In America 3. Panera’s concept was designed around meeting the needs and desires of consumers, specially the need for efficient, time saving service and the desire for a high quality dining experience. †¢ Objectives 1. To make Panera a nationally dominant brand. †¢ Strategy 1. The concept is to deliver against the key consumer trends, to present a fast casual dining experience. 2. Following a corporate strategy of growth by the combination of company and franchise efforts. 3. Providing varieties of new and healthier menus to cater for the market segments. 4. Testing prototypes for product development. 5. Improving the overall operating systems, design and real estate. 6. Participating in the local community charity.

Prominent Island Destinations In The World Tourism Essay

Prominent Island Destinations In The World Tourism Essay The word Island means pieces of any sub-continental land surrounded by water. Keys or cays are another word used for very small islands or islets. Eyot is the named referred to islands that are located in rivers and lakes. An archipelago is the name given for groups of geographically and geologically related islands. Island and continents differs in terms of their natural environments, natural resources, and biodiversity. It also differs in terms of the type of biological support system, response to environmental changes, and the ability to recover from natural or ecological disasters. As mentioned earlier, islands differ from mainland continents in terms of biodiversity. This can be seen from the odd collection of flora and fauna, which sometimes cannot be seen elsewhere. Islands are categorized into two types in terms of geological formation, namely Oceanic and Continental, Oceanic islands being the ones which arise from the surface of the ocean whether by volcanic activity or coralline accumulation of sand and debris, Continental Islands are in contrary a part of the continental shelf which is separated from the main continent by water, these types of islands Importance of islands as a tourism destination Many of the island destinations are economically underdeveloped, and rich from natural unspoiled attractions, therefore making it an important asset in the global tourism market. Due to their small size and limited resources, these destinations faces special challenges and obstacle in fulfilling economic benefit to the islands and its people. Sustainable management and appropriate development of these natural and environmental resources, in terms of tourism proves beneficial to the resident or host community. Tourism plays a dominant role in the economic well-being of islands. Tourism earnings account for a significant proportion in their GDP, and they have an overwhelming reliance on tourism as a source of exports. The fundamental aim of tourism development in Islands is to increase foreign exchange earnings to finance imports. The large proportion of what is being earned through tourism leaves the economy almost instantaneously. In Island, tourism facilities are mostly enclave developments, and their effects on the domestic economy can sometimes be limited. Tourism is an industry where careful planning is required so that it can be developed with the intention of sustaining it for the long term besides minimizing environmental damage. Tourism development has contributed to economic development in many of these Islands, but may not last forever. Island Mean (1980-2000) Pop. (mills) Mean 2000 Pop. (mills) Surface Area (km2) GDP per capita (000 US$) GDP per capita (000 US$) Bahamas 0.26 13.1 0.30 13.9 10,010 Cyprus 0.60 10.0 0.76 14.1 9,240 Dominican 0.07 3.4 0.07 3.4 750 Haiti 6.54 0.5 7.96 0.4 27,560 Jamaica 2.40 1.7 2.63 1.8 10,830 Malta 0.37 7.0 0.39 10.2 320 Prominent island destinations as per continental regions Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent after Asia, covering 6% of the Earths total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. The population of Africa roughly accounts to a billion people in 61 territories; it is about 14.72% of the worlds human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent has 54 sovereign states Pemba, Tanzania Score: 67 Pemba is located in the Indian Ocean where it meets the eastern coast of Africa. It is an island forming part of the Zanzibar archipelago. It lies 50 kilometers east of mainland Tanzania. It is also known as Al Jazeera Al Khadra (the green island, in Arabic. Majority of the island consist of hills and are much more fertile compared to Zanzibar. Most of the land is dominated by small scale farming by the locals, and fewer large scale farming which produce huge revenue to the locals. The most abandoned cash producing crop is cloves; there are over 3 million clove trees in Pemba. Largest portion of export earnings also comes from cloves. Besides cloves the locals also produce rice, coconut, bananas ¸ cassava and red beans. Laidback, old- fashioned island and less developed compared to Zanzibar. Pemba is a magnificent Island with naturally unspoiled environment and culturally very intact. But it has limited beaches, and has a lot of mangrove vegetation. Fine reefs for diving, but lacks fish due to dynamiting. Pemba is also well-known for its rich fishing grounds, due to high marine biodiversity. Between the island and the mainland of Tanzania, there is the deep 20 miles wide Pemba channel, which is one of the most commercial fishing grounds for game fishing on the East African coast. Pemba is growing familiar as one of the leading island destinations in Africa due to its unique dive sites, with steep drop-offs, untouched coral and very abundant marine life. As mentioned earlier the strong cultural base also provides a sole experience of old and laid back town life. The population consists of Swahili Muslim society in mostly rural small towns. There are few tourist lodges located near the beaches, mostly high-end, and generally cut off from main roads and towns. For budget travelers there are other small guest houses/hotels of very low standard. Besides the outstanding beauty and unspoiled nature of Pemba, a concern arises about management of these attractions. There should be sustainable development to preserve the unspoiled beaches and diving spots. Sà £o Tomà © and Prà ­ncipe, Score: 66 Sao Tomeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ and Principe, is officially known as Democratic Republic of Sao Tomeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ and Principe. It is a Portuguese-speaking island nation located in western equator of the coast of Africa, alongside the Gulf of Guinea. Sao Tome and Principe consists of two islands which are called, Sao Tomeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ and Principe, located about 140 kilometers apart and about 250 and 225 kilometers respectively, off the northwestern coast of Gabon. Due to the small population, Sao Tome and Principe is also known as the two smallest countries in African in term of population size. Both of the islands are a part of an extinct volcanic range, which is known as Cameroon Volcanic Mountain Range. The islands experience tropical climate at sea level, with an average yearly temperatures of about 27 degrees C and not more than 32 degrees C. With raising altitude the temperature decreased to average yearly temperature is 20 degree Celsius, with usually cooler night weather. Annual rainfall changes from southwestern slopes to in the northern lowlands of these two islands. It is recorded that the rainy season starts usually from October and continues up to May. Sao Tome and Principe has a very high-potential destination for both natural and cultural resources. They have astonishingly untouched natural environment; with a touch of interesting culture and history. Sao Tome and Principe do not have a huge array of native animals, besides the Sao Tomeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ is known for a few endemic species such as Shrew and several bat species. The two islands are habitat to a variety of endemic flora and fauns. The two islands contain the worlds largest sunbird also known as the Giant Sunbird, Fiscal and also known for several giant species of Begonia. These flora and fauna cannot be found elsewhere making it uniquely different from other mainland continents. Nevertheless there are great threats including mass tourism developments, unsustainability and very weak o r corrupt management of government policies and environmental protection that will protect the endemic species and unspoiled natural environment. Mediterranean islands The Mediterranean Sea separates Europe and Africa. The land enclosed from east to west about 4000 km. Mediterranean Sea plays very important for trading and business hub back in history and today most of the neighboring countries are tourist attractions. Most of the countries had its own uniqueness and quality of history to share to the world. Many Civilizations starts here including Greek Empire, Roman Empire and also Turkey. The tourist industry in Mediterranean is one of the highly developed in the world. Most of the income generated from Tourism industry. Resorts, Hotels, Restaurant, tourist attraction and also historical places is one of the major reason tourist visited Mediterranean countries. In Mediterranean regions, Tourism brings huge economic benefits however; increasing the number of visitors can damage the environment. The sea is part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it is usually identified as completely separate body of water. Mediterranean covers area of 2.5 million Km (970 000 sq mi) but its connected to the Atlantic is only 14 km (8.7 mi) wide. The maximum depth of Mediterranean region is 5,267 m (17,280 ft, The Mediterranean sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean at the Strait of Gibraltar, and it is linked to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean (by the Suez Canal), and the Black Sea (at the Dardanelles and Sea of Marmara). The main subdivisions of the Mediterranean Sea are the Adriatic, Aegean, Ionian, and Tyrrhenian seas which collectively form a coastline extending 46,000km, which runs through 22 countries, it is important to mention that this area is highly polluted. Countries neighboring Mediterranean, Turkey France Egypt Tunisia Spain Albania Italy Lebanon Greece Montenegro Libya Malta Monaco Syria Israel Croatia Morocco Algeria Slovenia Cyprus Bosnia Herzogovenia Ukraine Jordan Saudi Arabia Hydra Island, Greece Hydra Island is located between the Saronic and Argolis Gulf. It is in the center of town of the whole island, is built architecturally around the port. Hydra Island is a second smaller island sitting offshore on the east coast from the main island. Hydra Island is also known as cosmopolitan and magnificent island combined which offers tranquility and relaxation, in addition the island offers entertainment all day long and intensive night life. The fact that Hydra has a unique beauty in its architecture and its landscape, taken together with its proximity to Athens and its important historical interest, have gradually raised the island to the level of an international tourist center. The discovery of Hydra Island is by group of artists such as Leonard Cohen and Axel Jensen. Hydra Island also famous of its historical role during the Greek Revolution. Apart from the historical side, beach area is the most famous attraction with unique atmosphere. There is a lot of activity tourist can do in Hydra Island such as beaches activity, architecture, museums, villages shopping, churches, and festivals. A good example of a small island that preserves local heritage and fisherman activities. It appeals mainly to those who want to discover the traditional and authentic essence of the Greek way of life. Continually under the onslaught of tourists. It has weathered these pressures in a proactive manner and remains competitive. Hydra takes preservation seriously and has maintained a village scale and architectural forms that feel very authentic. Since no cars are allowed, the island has retained its original streetscape. Easy to access by ferry from Piraeus, so its tremendously popular and has a thriving nightlife. Most of the hotels are small, thankfully. South America South America is the southern continent of America. It is situated in the western hemisphere and mostly in the southern hemisphere with relatively small portion in the northern hemisphere. The geography of South America contains many diverse regions and climates. The South American continent also includes various islands, most of which belong to the countries on the continent. South America nations that border the Caribbean Sea including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Chiloe, Chile The Chiloà ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ archipelago is surrounded by a pristine seascape, which is further enhanced by preserved and protected Valdivian forests and a number of historic towns and wooden churches, in which 16 of them are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, relatively rural and unspoiled, several historic fishing villages are also present. Accommodation are also available however, they are mostly small hotels or bed-and-breakfast properties. Architectural structure and style are rich with mythological animals and spirits. The design consists its own meaning and very pure back then. Most of the tourists enjoy visiting Chiloe because of its uniqueness. Chiloe is the second largest island in South America. Local markets produces are mackerel, sardines and anchovies used to feed farmed salmon are dangerously overdrawn. Last and foremost, the Chiloe Island is proud to be its own, historical, sandy beaches and received high number of tourist every year especially for honeymooners or couples. North and Western Europe islands Although unknown for tourism, these islands provide an excellent tourism retreat, however, falling under European constitution and supervision these islands had a chance to be sustainably developed so as to meet the tourists expectations as well as provide a development opportunity for the natives of these islands, as these islands are located above 38 longitudinal degrees north of the equator, providing an ice cold weather and lower number of tourists, thus preventing it from the problem of mass tourism, however, Cruise tourists growth in some of these islands might threaten the natural habitat from the mass tourism problem, below are too examples of these islands; Azores Islands, Portugal. Consisting of nine main islands and maintaining a rate of 84 according to the National Geographic islands rating, the Azores islands are located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, 600 KM from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, the islands history involves sporadic settling of over 200 years, as each of the nine islands provide a unique example of culture, dialect, cuisine and traditions considerably varying from island to another. The main industries of the islands are: agriculture, dairy farming (for cheese and butter products primarily), minor livestock ranching, fishing and tourism, which is becoming the major service activity in the region. Apart from that, the government of the Azores is responsible for employing a large percentage of population directly or indirectly in many aspects of the service and tertiary sectors. Being it a non- beach destination as opposed to most of the islands of the world, it is not susceptible to mass tourism, the temperate climate in this island hinders the flow of the tourists, however, it offer the visitor a wonderful scenery of green volcanic mountains and picturesque towns which remain unspoiled. Cultural richness, remoteness and Whale sighting can be considered the highlights for the islands to offer for the visitor. Iceland An island nation located in the North Atlantic, this island is rated at 80 according to National Geographic islands of the world rating. The island known for its vibrant and yet extreme natural conditions has constructed to its development towards benefiting from tourism at its best, although the main economy dependency of Iceland is fishing and agriculture, tourism is highly regarded as a source of economy, the increase in ecotourism concept and the abundance of natural resources has contributed to the growth of these practices, such as whale watching and glacier tours which can be found in a few countries worldwide. Iceland can be considered as a captive of bad luck economically, as it was hardly hit by the world economic crisis in 2008-2009, an unfortunate eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland happened in March 20th 2010, causing unprecedented ash clouds extending all over Europe and causing a total halt to the airline industry in the whole of Western Europe for a whole week. Although the Island is expected to take a slower pace to recover economically, the image of this country as an eco-friendly island has yet to be enhanced, as several acts supported by the government has angried several environmentalist, these practices include; the allowing of commercial whaling in 2006 and the erection of Aluminium smelters and hydropower systems. Iceland still remains the frame in which the natural phenomenons occur in, such as glaciers, aurora , volcanoes and whale sighting, these natural occurrences can simultaneously be observed by the tourists which in return provides the basic demand for the tourism sector in the country, this offers a historic modern approach of selling the island as a tourism destination. North American Islands Mostly concentrated in two countries namely; United States of America and Canada, most of them are considered as major domestic tourism attractions than international ones, these islands are dispersed on the east and the west side of the North American continent, making its proximity to the mainland America as the main contributor in the tourism numbers, the average rating of the North American islands are 61.1 on National Geographic islands rating, which categorizes it into an island of moderate trouble, as its advantages and disadvantages are almost equal, to give a clearer picture we have chosen the below two examples; 1. Mackinac Island,  Michigan, US. Located in mainland America, in Lake Huron, and Scoring an 80 points rank in National Geographic scale, the island can be described as a seasonal destination with an ecological basis for tourism development, the summer is known to be the highest season of tourists arrivals. The island which falls under the state of Michigan, USA, has been identified as a National Historic Landmark, as it is known for various events during the year, its ban on motor vehicles, and its status as a preserved state park, these elements offer a the visitor an authentic back in time journey, as the tourists can experience the zero motorized vehicles ban since 1898 and use bicycles or horse drawn carriages as the main mode of transportation. The preservation and containing of the historical aspects of the island has provided a unique and safe haven for tourism development, as the activities are purposely slow, so as to maintain and choose the benefits sought for the preservation of the island. Although Mackinac Island is sustainably developed, it is a fragile environment, as the mass tourists arriving in the summertime stress the transportation infrastructure and causes substantial changes to the historic fiber of the destination, these weaknesses can be regulated by issuing laws so as to preserve and protect the fragile island. Santa Catalina Island, California Score: 74 Located 35 Km from off the coast of California, Catalina is rated 74 in the National geographic islands rating, is a perfect example of a sustainably developed island. The island hosts a variety of tourism infrastructure, although 70% of the total area in the island is under conservation. The limited and controlled development of the island has led it to be sustainable, as the community there which consists of about 3696 people is heavily dependent on tourism. The famous endeavors of filming industry has left a mark on the island as 8 Bisons have been left on the island in 1924, this has produced a herd of almost 200 free roaming wildebeests. The scenic landscape of the island has been used over and over in several shootings, and the world class champion golfer Tiger Woods has also won his first competition on this island, this offers a historic modern approach of selling the island as a tourism destination. Eastern and Southeast Asia Knocking out every inch of the globe particularly in economy, politics and society and located in the Eastern and northern hemisphere, primary continent that 8.6% coated out the surface with roughly 60% of the human population, a distinct island, Asia is well known for 2 of the popular regions, Southeast and Eastern Asia (Wikipedia 2010). Giving the media exposure, Asia is steadily and rapidly growing to be one of the emerging tourist destinations that provide different geography features, climates, facilities and services from tourist native background. Nowadays, due to the climate changes and rapid development in chasing up the tourist needs and satisfaction level, the growth may have threatened not only the people, but the landscape and scenery as well, following are two islands examples: Bali, Indonesia Indonesia is recognized as one of the most densely inhabited country with comprising of an approximately 17,508 islands that has been one of significant exchange business in the last century. With the diversification of natural resources, culture, ethics, language, and religion, Indonesia become center of attraction for the worlds second highest level of biodiversity. One of the countrys 33 states, Bali, is one of Indonesia prominent island (besides Java Island) that is being recognized for its arts, dance, sculpture, painting, metalworking and music (Wikipedia, 2010). Situated at the Lesser Sunda Islands, Bali or Heavens world is also known for its picturesque and magical scenery of natural resources in particular mountains, flora and fauna as well as beaches too. However, due to rampant commercialism, bali, mainly Kuta and Nusa Dua, is rapidly changes and develop to meet up and boosting up their countrys revenue which also lead to higher demand of labor. The island beautiful coral reefs and mangroves being destroyed and bleach by locals for profits. Besides that, branding of merchandize affected the lifestyle of the locals as a result, higher social ill occurs. Even though the country main attraction is being one of the sustainable tourism, the landscapes are being degraded by the mass growth. Nevertheless, the breathtaking and astonishing features and phenomena such as volcanoes, sightseeing, beaches and the culture will still mesmerized the tourist thus increasing the tourist arrival. Country such as Malaysia is supporting such event whereby the low cost airlines, Air Asia, has implemented budgeted fees to fly there. Jeju (Cheju), South Korea Korea is known for one of the region of Eastern Asia and was formally unified as one state until 1948, the nation divided into 2 region, namely South Korea (Republic of Korea) and North Korea (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea). With two different politic views and markets with South Korea review as free market and democratic while North Korea are more to industrial economy with limited intervention from outsider. Approximately 3000 islands in South Korea and some of the small and deserted islands located at the western and southern coasts (Wikipedia 2010). Made out from volcano eruptions million years ago and the largest island in Korea, Jeju is one of the attractive yet famous tourist destinations in Korea mostly to Asian country. Jeju Island went into a drastic transition from unfamiliar island to renowned due to the explosion of Korea famous drama Winter Sonata and Hallyu wave. Overwhelming setting and panoramic view of Jeju attracted the viewers thus increasing the arrivals i n Korea. In addition, Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes has being listed as one of the World heritage Site in Korea (Wikipedia, 2010). Mountain Hallasan National Park natural features uniqueness were once unspoiled are now destroyed and tainted due to the heavy commercialization. Awareness being arose to rescue and preserve remaining species as it has been recorded a number of 1, 565 plant species spreading vastly throughout the mountain (Wikipedia, 2010). Furthermore, rampant development from the government in complementing with the tourism industry by offering well known facilities and attraction such as Spa, dining, clubs and so on are being perceived negatively and misleading the tourist real attention to know local cultural. Islands of the Indian Ocean The islands of the Indian Ocean are a varied collection, including many of the smallest territories and one of the largest island nations (Madagascar).With its unique wildlife and culture, is located just off the coast of Africa. Seychelles 115 islands spread over a contract Indian Ocean, the Seychelles archipelago is more than 16000KM from the African cost. The Seychelles islands distance from the continent on the fact they are somewhat spread out have made them an isolated paradise, known as Sea of crystalline high purity, and soft white sand guarded by palm trees, overshadowed by the curved, to give the elegance and magnificence of this scene is rarely found in the world. These islands are organized in the south of the equator and is characterized by tropical climate warm all year round, making it a tourist attraction highly distinguished and all the islands of the Seychelles is a world in itself, and are distinguished from others, and left in your mind the memory of different and special flavor, but the common denominator among them, is that it offers you and invites you to experience it. The capital Victoria is located in the island of  «Mahe » the largest, it is the second largest island in terms of area and population of the Seychelles 80 000 people, and this number is less, compared with the number of turtles, which is about 150 thousand, and this country is safe and the rate of crime is almost non-existent . Mauritius The island of Mauritius Land of Smiles and sugar, known for its magical beaches and the most important tourist destination in the depth of the Indian Ocean with an area of 1865 square kilometers. First discovered the island is the Arabs in the tenth century AD, but did not settle. And then came to her Portuguese explorers in the fifteenth century, but also did not settle .And finally settled by the Dutch and opened under the name of Mauritius in the late sixteenth century .And then left for the Dutch Frenchmen in the early eighteenth century, and remained colony for 100 years and then France ceded the island to Britain in 1814.So that the island became a British colony that gained independence in 1968 Mauritius. Most of population of Indian origin came to them with the French and English for the cultivation of Indian cane. Tourism is the most important source parallel with agriculture, particularly sugar, which is famous for Mauritius. Mauritius is one of the most important tourist destinations of the World politicians, businessmen and celebrities because they provide privacy and a relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by services integrated in addition to the awareness of the integrated tourism is also promoting Mauritius itself as a keen to provide maximum facilities to the visitors, in addition to the kindness of its inhabitants and their dealings with tourists, high moral character, and this helped in my opinion most of the resorts to promote their products and provide as much as he wishes tourist, and even higher in the fact that the inherent culture of tourism in this country. Caribbean region Caribbean is enclosed by many islands, islets and offshore reefs which are from Florida, United state America to Venezuela, South America. Caribbean region became more famous because of the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean. This Caribbean region has been formerly known as the West Indies as Christopher Columbus believed that he had reached the Indies archipelago which is known today as South and Southeast Asia, , when he landed there in 1492. The climate of the Caribbean is tropical but rainfall caries with elevation, size and water currents. In addition, warm and moist trade winds blow consistently from the east creating rainforest division on mountainous islands Dominica Dominica, which is officially known as the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea, and also called the nature isle of the Caribbean. Because Dominica is not changed much after Columbus explored at first time. Dominica is a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the worlds 2nd largest boiling lake, 265 rivers rushing to the sea, national parks and lush vegetation. The islands annual temperature averages at 27C. This temperature is perfect to enjoy the beautiful and natural country as it still has largely pristine forests and haven for ornithologist as well as great scuba diving spots. In addition, this island is famous for being the `Whale watching capital of the Caribbean. The chance of seeing a whale and other animals that belong to the Cetaceans order is absolutely great, in fact greater than elsewhere. Nevis Island This island located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago. Nevis is a small and unhurried also immensely fertile and wonderfully beautiful. In addition, Nevis island is volcanic island which is a sister island to St Kitts, however, it is still very difficult to access this island. Therefore, the island is consequently uncrowded and largely unspoiled by tourists. It is an advantage for tourist who wants to seek a quiet, laid back, picturesque vacation in a friendly islanders atmosphere. The uniqueness of this island is the culture and people of this island as they are very traditional in their way of life; this could be seen in the architecture of their building and housing. Ecotourism in particular attracts people to natural sites where the mountains and valleys are found. Moreover, outdoor activities such as golf, hiking, and biking and water sports are attracting more adventurous travelers. Pacific/ Australia/ New Zealand region These regions encompasses the ancient land mass Australia, the islands of New Zealand, and the scattering of thousands of small islands that stretch out into the Pacific Ocean. They have similar culture and life style but economic situation and main industry are different. Their tourism reputation is getting higher and many are increasingly relying on their beautiful scenery and tropical climates to attract tourists and give a valuable boost to their economies. Kangaroo island, South Australia Kangaroo Island is the 3rd largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island in Australia. This island is closest from Cape Jervis, South Australia and it is 122km southwest of Adelaide. This island attracts over 140,000 visitors each year because of interesting mix of agriculture, tourism, and wilderness. Especially, this Kangaroo Island has well preserved by Australia government. Beaches and wild animals are the most uniqueness in Kangaroo Island. The name of this island is from Matthew Flinders who is the English explorer. He explored and mapped the coa

Essay on Relationships in Antony and Cleopatra -- Antony Cleopatra Ess

Destructive Power Relationships in Antony and Cleopatra  Ã‚   Antony and Cleopatra's â€Å"love† is not really about love at all.   Their interaction can only be considered a sort of immature lust-power relationship. Their relationship is shallow, self-centered, irresponsible and destructive. Their attraction for each other centers around infatuation and a sort of egoistic rush that they are more important than the world.   Just as a man or woman of today may attempt to control the desires of his or her intended, Cleopatra wants to manipulate Antony into wanting her: Cleopatra. See where he is, who's with him, what he does: I did not send you: if you find him sad, Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report That I am sudden sick. Quick, and return. Romeo and Juliet's relationship was sweet and beyond life. Cleopatra and Antony's relationship is a very worldly one (we do not even know if Cleopatra "applied the asp" because she wanted to be with Antony in death or if she simply could not stand being left with Caesar in life). G.W. Knight of the Aesthetic school of critics says of Cleopatra that she is "a metaphysical, not moral, good--a good of totality. She is good in the same large way one might say life is good, or the universe is good, not because it contains no suffering or bad times, but because from restropect even these experiences are worth having. Her perfection flowers from totality, not exclusion." You end up liking Cleopatra in this play because she is so robust and sensual and unpredicable and capable of so many strong emotions. Here she bursts out at the messager after he reported that Antony had married: Cleopatra. What say you? Hence, Horrible villain! or I'll spurn thine eyes Like balls before me; I'll ... ...and the first stone Drop in my neck: as it determines, so Dissolve my life! the next Caesarion smite! Till by degreees the memory of my womb, Together with my brave Egyptians all, By the discandying of this pelleted storm Lie graveless, till the flies and gnats of Nile Have buried them for prey! The hand of death hath raught him. . . . let Patient Octavia plough thy visage up With her preparà ©d nails. . . . fill our bowls once more: Let's mock the midnight bell. A 1759 quote about a performance of this play stated that it "did not seem to give ye Audience any great pleasure or draw any applause." I can imagine that. It is not one of the best of Shakespeare's plays, but it does give you a fair share of history, tragedy, and poetry. I think this play would be perfect for a more modern reinterpretation analyzing destructive power relationships.

Increase In Suicide And Crime Among Youth

The headlines of one of the leading newspapers often goes like, â€Å"A professor beaten to death by his own students†. Going through such headlines has become a routine affair for us. The country is plagued by many catastrophic, socio-economic issues like poverty, terrorism, illiteracy and corruption. The involvement of the youth in overcoming these problems is of great importance. The youth, in a rising nation like ours, plays a strong role in bringing reforms to restructure the nation. They protest and demand what is best for the nation.However, lately, in order to earn quick bucks and the need to fulfil their dreams and desires at the earliest, young people have resorted to unlawful means to achieve them. Is the future of the nation becoming its own destructor? According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 44 per cent of the arrested criminals belong to the age group of 10 to 30 years, which is the ‘youth’ There is a section of the youth who have been achiev ing their goals through unlawful means. Crimes ranging from thefts to kidnapping, murders, rape and sex scandals involve such people. The crime rate has been drastically increasing.Why has the youth of this nation become so pugnacious? Is it due to under-employment or the lack of law enforcement in the country? On one hand, we are fighting to reduce the minimum age of consumption of alcohol while on the other, we are consuming it, driving recklessly and killing people. We are raising our voices on women’s safety and we are the one raping them. Youngsters belonging to well-to-do families have also been caught in cases of hacking bank accounts. According to leading psychiatrists, the lack of adequate opportunities frustrates young people to an extent where they use any method possible to attain success.Many also believe that youngsters who take the path of crime are the troubled ones. This could be true in some of the cases but people in their 20s, committing a murder over who should get a prantha first is something beyond imagination, as seen in an incident that occurred at midnight in a posh area of South Delhi. Such cases are endless. Many cases like sexual assaults and minor rapes go unreported and the youngsters feel free to commit the same again. Even the judicial system shows leniency towards the accused and no stern action is taken.It is time for the country to revamp its judicial system and processes. Most of the accused are not afraid of being caught after committing the crime. The criminals know that their case will simply pile up with the rest of the cases and by the time the punishment is announced, they might not even exist. Further, the government should take appropriate measures to revive the economy so that employment opportunities are created, not just in metros but in rural areas as well. An alarming report on increasing suicides in India is calling for urgent intervention and rethinking of our system.What's wrong with Indians? Our coun try had shown the world the path to eternal happiness. And, now, Indians are an unhappy lot!†¦ If you probe further deeper into reasons, you will see many cultural, genetic and religious factors Young people in India are committing suicide at a much higher rate than in the West, says The Lancet report, entitled Suicide Mortality in India released on June 23, June 2012. The first ever national survey of deaths in India found that some 56 percent of all women who took their own lives in 2010 and 40 percent of men were aged between 15 and 29.The suicide rates are highest in the 15-29 age groups, peaking in southern states that are considered richer and more developed with better education, social welfare and health care. Opportunities that have come with two decades of economic boom and open markets have also brought more job anxiety, higher expectations and more pressure to achieve, mental health experts said. This is calling for urgent intervention and rethinking of our institut ion called India or Bharat. Added to it, many suicide cases still go unreported as people hide what is still an illegal act in India.The higher rates may come from â€Å"the greater likelihood of disappointments when aspirations that define success and happiness are distorted or unmet by the reality faced by young people in a rapidly changing society,† said Dr. Vikram Patel, one of the report's authors. He also noted online social networking was making â€Å"loneliness more common. † He admits his conclusion is conjecture, but says â€Å"I cannot think of any more plausible explanation. † People in his neighborhood remember Kunju Shivankutty as a likable youth.But the 20-year-old, from Manjeri in North Kerala, was troubled deeply by having failed three times to pass the admissions testfor a government-run engineering college. On August 15th, 2011, coinciding with India's Independence Day, Shivankutty wrote a letter to his parents. â€Å"I am sorry, Acchan-Amma (Dad-Mum), for not having been a good son. I could not fulfill your dreams for me. I let you down before the relatives. Shame is the only feeling I have at present and I can’t bear it any more. Please forget about me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then he hung himself.His father Parameswaran, a transport companyemployee, had invested heavily in his son's education, hoping the boy could lift the family's circumstances by becoming a career engineer – a sure road to middle-class prosperity. Such familial pressure, however, can push a young person to the breaking point. â€Å"The case of failing one's parents, or not succeeding in meeting targets set by the family, is one of the chief reasons for young Malayalis [a Kerala ethnic group] taking the extreme step â€Å"I was weak, I thought I could be strong but I was weak! I was so so weak, the fault is my own.Hope something good happens with my death. I have left the building† These are not words from a Chetan Bhagat best seller thou gh I wish they were. These were the last words of Nitin Kumar Reddy before he flung himself from his hostel roof at IIT Madras. As India celebrates year on year economic growth we have started putting a lot of pressure on our youth. In our rush to win we have crushed the hopes and aspirations of our youth. We have started a race to win at all costs. In 2009, almost 3000 children below the age of 14 committed suicide. If we look at the 15-25 age group the number jumps to 50,000.But the scariest statistic is that for every successful suicide there are almost 14 unsuccessful attempts. Clearly the youth of our country are in distress. But the symptoms are there to see †¢ Toddlers are made to compete in talent shows. †¢ Teenagers are entering singing and dancing competitions †¢ High school students go through a grueling schedule to balance school curriculum with preparation for entrances to elite institutions like the IITs. Who is responsible for this? Who killed Nitin? So me people might say it is the system that is responsible for this, but aren’t we responsible for creating this system.We are forever drawing comparisons between our children and the others and this is just leading to a unsustainable situation. Is this what we have been reduced to? Is that what we want? To compete and win at all costs. A recent survey showed that almost 85% of parents in urban India do not allow children to take up professions of their choice. This is probably the greatest reason for stress among India’s youth, being stuck in professions that they don’t enjoy or are not suited for. Like I said we all know what the symptoms are, but the challenge is to treat the disease and not the symptom.How can wechange the situation for our children and the youth of tomorrow? I propose these four steps. 1. Identify- The key is to listen, observe and identify activities that the kids enjoy and are attracted to. Which activity draws them more, what they enjoy do ing? 2. Analyze- based on our observations, we need to map the activities and likes of the child to sustainable careers that that activity can sustain. If we are not experts in that field, there is a high possibility that there is someone in our network that will know someone. Also councilors both in school and outside can be used for the same.3. Decide- Once the mapping has been done, we can decide on a few career choices of the child’s liking and also something where his passion lies. 4. Monitor- Once the decision has been made it is important to monitor the children. Often they grow and once they grow their preferences change, it is important to monitor those changes and incorporate that into their plan. People are usually very good at what they do, once they enjoy it. A good example is cricketer Sachin Tendulkar who enjoys cricket and has been the best for the last 20 years..A few weeks ago, I got a text from my friend saying that a guy, who had been my classmateduring hi gh school, had committed suicide. I seriously thought that this friend was playing a prank on me. Later I discovered the truth. He did commit suicide. I had always seen this guy to be one with great self-esteem and self-confidence. Then why out of nowhere should he take this decision. That was all people spoke for a couple of months. Everyone had only one question. The same question, to be exact. Why? Now thinking about this issue of suicide, I did a little research and the results I got were too shocking.Statistics show that every five minutes, someone, somewhere in India, attempts suicide. This makes suicide the third major cause of death. Also, annually more than 1,00,000 people commit suicide in India, of which one-thirds are youth. Diverse backgrounds, diverse goals and diverse opinions! But same decision! Today, the youth in India form one of the most vulnerable groups, who on the one hand are expected to be the leaders, the backbone of tomorrow’s India, while on the ot her hand, are a browbeaten and baffled cluster.There is an imbalance between the youth population and the limited opportunities for admission in schools and colleges, and specifically in professional courses. This puts the youth under great pressure. First class and second class are hardly adequate results anymore. Parents are helpless too, as both public and private institutions have caused economic burden to them. If you think getting admission is the toughest thing that youth can ever experience, rethink! Placements are another hell. You need to get everything right.And even after getting placed, the comparison in relation to the pay received, causes all the more pain. A person with the pleasure of working but with limited salary is certainly not welcome in this society. People have come to a point where they are ready to trade their work pleasure for money. Tough deadlines and hectic work atmosphere have taken the lives of many youth. Friendships and relationships have also play ed equal parts in this gamble for life. Youth are too sensitive to sort any sort of relationship problem.The problem may be anything; fight with best friends, bitter misunderstanding with girlfriend/ boyfriend followed by an even bitter break-up, family issues with parents fighting over their lives or over financial issues. But the youth are greatly affected. They bundle up all these grievances in their hearts and eventually give their hearts a complete rest so they will never have to face the same, again. I am blaming all. There are plenty of youth who have followed their heart to be what they wanted to be. But the fact that this suicide virus is taking away the lives of millions of youth is alarming.Something has to be done to cripple it. In battle between the thirst to have their dream life and the urge to fulfill the expectation of the society, many are shattered. While a very few regain their stand, the rest take the ultimate decision of ending their lives. When they have the g uts to face the pain of ending their lives for one moment, why aren’t they having the same guts for a moment longer to face the battle? If a person is disturbed, all that has to be done is just talk. Words can do wonders, even help see beyond the mist. And you will never know what marvels are awaiting you!