Saturday, August 31, 2019

Impact on Environment by Mining Essay

Overview Rainforests are the biggest source of oxygen, wood and medicines on this earth. Amazon rainforest is known for alluvial gold deposits. Gold is found both in river channels and at the banks of the river after floods (floodplains). Hydraulic mining techniques are used for mining gold. The method involves blasting at the banks of the river. This has caused irreversible damage to trees, birds and animals. While separating the sediment and mercury from the gold-yielding gravel deposits, small-scale miners who are less equipped than industrial miners, may ignore release of some mercury into the river. This mercury enters the food chain through aquatic animals and their predators. Highly poisonous compound ‘cyanide’ is also used to separate gold from sediment and rock. In spite of all precautionary measures, it sometimes escapes into the surrounding environment. Those who eat fish are at greater risk of ingesting such toxins. Read more:  Bad Effects of Festivals on Environment Effect on Land Deforestation: Mining requires large areas of land to be cleared so that the earth could be dug into by the miners. For this reason, large-scale deforestation is required to be carried out in the areas where mining has to be done. Besides clearing the mining area, vegetation in the adjoining areas also needs to be cut in order to construct roads and residential facilities for the mine workers. The human population brings along with it other activities that harm the environment. For example, various activities at coal mines release dust and gas into the air. Thus, mining is one of the major causes of deforestation and pollution. Loss of Biodiversity: The forests that are cleared for mining purposes are home to a large number of organisms. Indiscriminate clearing of the forests leads to loss of habitat of a large number of animals. This puts the survival of a large number of animal species at stake. The cutting down of trees in itself is a big threat to a number of plants, trees, birds and animals growing in the forests. Pollution: Despite measures being taken to release the chemical waste into the nearby rivers through pipes, a large amount of chemicals still leak out onto the land. This changes the chemical composition of the land. Besides  this, since the chemicals are poisonous, they make the soil unsuitable for plants to grow. Also, the organisms that live in the soil find the polluted environment hostile for their survival. Effect on Water Pollution: Chemicals like mercury, cyanide, sulfuric acid, arsenic and methyl mercury are used in various stages of mining. Most of the chemicals are released into nearby water bodies, and are responsible for water pollution. In spite of tailings (pipes) being used to dispose these chemicals into the water bodies, possibilities of leakage are always there. When the leaked chemicals slowly percolate through the layers of the earth, they reach the groundwater and pollute it. Surface run-off of just soil and rock debris, although non-toxic, can be harmful for vegetation of the surrounding areas. Loss of Aquatic Life: Release of toxic chemicals into the water is obviously harmful for the flora and fauna of the water bodies. Besides the pollution, mining processes require water from nearby water sources. For example, water is used to wash impurities from the coal. The result is that the water content of the river or lake from which water is being used gets reduced. Organisms in these wate r bodies do not have enough water for their survival. River dredging is a method adopted in case of gold mining. In this method, gravel and mud is suctioned from a particular area of the river. After the gold fragments are filtered out, the remaining mud and gravel is released back into the river, although, at a location different from where they had been taken. This disrupts the natural flow of the river that may cause fish and other organisms to die. Previously buried metal sulfides are exposed during mining activities. When they come in contact with the atmospheric oxygen, they get converted into strong sulfuric acid and metal oxides. Such compounds get mixed up in the local waterways and contaminate local rivers with heavy metals. Spread of Diseases Sometimes the liquid waste that is generated after the metals or minerals have been extracted is disposed in a mining pit. As the pit gets filled up by the mine tailings, they become a stagnant pool of water. This becomes the  breeding ground for water-borne diseases causing insects and organisms like mosquitoes to flourish. Examples of the Environmental Impact of Mining 1. Environmental Impact of Mining In Guyana In 1995, in Guyana, more than four billion liters of waste water that contained cyanide, slipped into a tributary of the Essequibo; when the tailings dam, which was filled with cyanide waste, collapsed. All the fish in the river died, plant and animal life was completely destroyed, and floodplain soils were heavily poisoned, making the land useless for agriculture. The main source of drinking water for the local people was also polluted. This was a major set-back for the eco-tourism industry on the river. When trees are cut (forest clearing for the construction of roads and mines, wood for the immigrated people, workers, etc.) and water sources are contaminated, animal populations migrate or die. Moreover, hunters are hired to feed the people working at the mining sites. 2. Mining in Goa Illegal mining in Goa is being projected as a bigger scam than Bellary. While revenue losses from illegal mining has been estimated at about Rs 3,000 crore, the loss by way of damage to the environment and loss of livelihood has not been estimated. | | Take the instance of Caurem village in Quepem taluka in south Goa. It has 2,000 families whose farms have been destroyed by illegal mines operating in the area. The silt from mining has entered the fields which now resemble a large quagmire. Tukaram Velip, a resident says that the perennial stream that irrigated the village fields is polluted and agriculture has been completely destroyed. People are left with no means of earning their living, he says.Most of the mines in the state are concentrated in four talukas—Bicholim in north Goa, and Sattari, Sanguem and Quepem talukas in south Goa. Activists say that an estimated 100,000 people living in the villages in these four talukas are affected. Besides loss of livelihood, they are also suffering from the adverse effects of air noise and water  pollution. â€Å"Mining has caused irreversible damage to forests, agriculture, fisheries and water aquifers,† says Abhijit Prabhudesai, member of Goyencha Xetkarancho Ekvott (GXE), a non-profit in Margaon city. He says the government has allowed mining even in forest areas despite the presence of wildlife. The mining has also affected the Salaulim dam on the Salaulim river in Sangeum taluka, which supplies drinking water to half the state’s population, besides providing water for irrigation and to industries. Over 20 mines are operating in the vicinity of the dam. Heavy silt has settled in the dam reservoir because of mining. An official in the state water resources department admits that mining has damaged the state’s water resources and says the department is now reassessing the life span of the Salaulim dam. The dam was commissioned in the 1970s with an expected life span of 100 years. A study conducted by The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) in 1994 showed excess iron and manganese levels in the Salaulim reservoir water. â€Å"This was when mining was at a much lower scale as compared to present level of mining. We have repeatedly asked the government to conduct a study on water availability and quality, but nothing has been done till date,† says Prabhudesai. 3. Environmental Impacts Of Mining On Bundelkhand Region In the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, mining has had a huge negative impact on the environment. A Study was done to quantitatively evaluate the extent of the impact and the results were disappointing. The desirable limit of Fe is 0.3 mg/l and maximum permissible limit is 1.0 mg/l as per Indian standards. If water content more than these limit gives brackish color and bitter or metallic taste, therefore may not be use for drinking purposes. Concentrations of Cu in GW and SW samples varies from 0.029 to 0.088 mg/l and 0.039 to 0.062 in all the three seasons indicates that samples have more than permissible limit of Cu (

Friday, August 30, 2019

A Literary Analysis of Still Alice Essay

Still Alice (Genova, 2009) is a captivating debut novel about a 50-year-old woman’s sudden decline into early onset Alzheimer’s disease. The book is written by first time author Lisa Genova, who holds a PH.D in neuroscience from Harvard University. She’s also an online columnist for the national Alzheimer’s association. Her other books include Left Neglected and Love Anthony. She lives with her husband and two children in Cape Cod. The theme of the book is related to the early onset Alzheimer’s disease and how the main character, Alice Howland’s quality of life or in other words her lifestyle is affected due to the disease she is diagnosed with (Genova, 2009). The novel sheds light on the lives of those struggling with this horrendous disease of the mind and how their lives and people in them are affected and disturbed because of it. The life and daily activities of an early on-set Alzheimer’s disease patient worsens with time, if prop er counseling sessions and treatment are not conducted; their situation will get worse and result in severe damage to their mental health. As the story begins, everyday quarrels reside in the Howland household. From their youngest daughter Lydia’s ongoing dispute about her future, to Alice and John’s own relationship, all while their busy lives ensue. Why couldn’t Lydia be like the rest of her family? Her brother Tom and sister Anna followed in their parent’s footsteps. Going to college and having successful careers was their way of life. John is a biologist and Alice a professor of linguistics, both of them work at Harvard University. Lydia is the outcast of the family. She travels the world, is worry free, and aspires to be an actress. The hectic lives of both Alice and John weigh on their relationship. Tension increases with the story as Alice is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. The coping skills of Alice and her family with her diagnosis set the tone for the story. Alice’s internal conflict consumes her, although she tries to never let Alzheimer’s disease define her. She is upset with herself for forgetting things, yet trie s to come up with reasons as to why she is forgetting. Her father takes the brunt of all Alice’s anger. Her hatred for him grows. Why did he have to take the lives of her mother and sister? Is it his fault Alice has Alzheimer’s? Alice continues with a strong desire to contribute to society. The once estranged relationship between Alice and her daughter Lydia gradually improves, and a  daughter finds solace in a mother she never knew. A husband, who at one time stood by his wife through everything, surprises his family and leaves his ailing wife behind for a new job opportunity. Still Alice is told in the third person point of view with limited omniscience. The narrator is Alice Howland, the main character of the story. Through the book we are able to read the way Alice is feeling, looking through her eyes as the story unfolds. However, in the final chapter of this novel the point of view changes to her husband, John Howland. Readers are able to look on as John lives his life away from Alice in New York. The primary settin g for still Alice (Genova, 2009) is in Cambridge Massachusetts were the main character Dr. Alice Howland lives with her husband, John Howland, and teaches cognitive psychology at Harvard University. Other settings include their home in Chatham Massachusetts where Alice and John go to vacation. The main character is Dr. Alice Howland a modern middle aged professional woman. She’s a brilliant professor experiencing mental glitches like forgetting a word while giving a lecture, misplacing keys, etc. Alice thinks this is due to impending menopause, middle age or possibly stress. But she hasn’t gone through menopause and she’s not feeling stressed. The defining moment is when Alice forgets her way home while jogging in Harvard square (p. 21). Suspecting that something is wrong and without telling her husband, Alice chooses to see Dr. Davis a neurologist who diagnoses her with early onset Alzheimer’s disease (p. 70). The diagnosis hits Alice and her family like a death sentence. Alice realizes that she doesn’t have enough time left and decides that it should be spent with her family. Her two older children Anna and Tom decide to undergo genetic testing for the Alzheimer’s gene. Her oldest daughter Anna tests positive for the gene (p. 108). Alice becomes completely reliant on her blackberry to get through her day and becomes a great list maker though she can’t always make sense of her lists. As the disease progresses Alice resigns her teaching position at Harvard University and gives up jogging because she has lost her sense of depth perception. Although the disease robs Alice of her memories, she retains her sense of humor e.g. when she tries to wear her underwear as a sports bra, â€Å"she laughs at her own absurd madness† (P. 199). Alice’s character is very compelling, engaging, and holds your attention throughout the book. John Howland is Alice’s husband; he is a professor of biochemistry at Harvard University.  When John finds out about Alice’s diagnosis, he thinks that she has been misdiagnosed. He insists on genetic testing, which would show that Alice has the Alzheimer’s gene. John struggles to deal with Alice’s diagnosis. He becomes her primary caretaker, but refuses to look at Alice when she takes out her pill box. He manages to continue working by leaving Alice large reminder notes on the refrigerator not to go running alone (p. 196). John is obviously grieving the loss of his wife but is unable to express his emotions in a positive way. A breakthrough finally happens when John is able to comfort his wife when she experiences an incontinence episode (p. 150). Anna is Alice’s oldest daughter; she’s a successful lawyer and is married to Charles, also a lawyer. Anna is strong and fiercely independent just like her mother. Anna deals with her mother’s disease by suggesting that if her mom â€Å"thinks for a second† then maybe she’ll be able to remember things (p. 173). Anna, however still makes time to care for her mom when her dad is away. Alice’s only son Tom is a minor character in the book. He is present during family gatherings and important moments e.g. when Alice discloses that she has Alzheimer’s disease (p. 103). He deals with his mom‘s diagnosis by being distant. The main antagonist in the book is Alice’s youngest daughter Lydia Howland. She defies the family’s educational tradition and chooses to take acting classes in Los Angeles in hopes of becoming an actor. Lydia’s decision causes a lot of conflict between her parents. She’s the only one that refuses to participate in the Alzheimer’s genetic testing. However, as Alice’s condition deteriorates, Lydia becomes the most valuable player of the family; she becomes Alice’s number one advocate. She doesn’t try to â€Å"test† Alice’s memory but is there for her when she needs her (p. 162). The relationship between Alice and Lydia improves. Lydia eventually listens to her mother’s advice and enrolls at Brandies University to study theater (p. 258). The imagery in Still Alice is captivating. It keeps the reader on their toes, wondering what will happen next in the story. The story is so moving that the reader can essentially picture the characters and endure their experiences through all five senses. One model of imagery that is intriguing is when Alice is a guest speaker at Stanford. Her confidence and love for her career is enticing. She had talked about the particular subject numerous times and every time she had done this, she felt respected. Alice had always talked without reading her  notes with ease. Well into her discussion she suddenly becomes puzzled. â€Å"The data reveal that irregular verbs require access to the mental†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 10). The word was lost even though she understood fully what she had intended to say. As the scene is described, the reader can get a sense of panic that Alice is experiencing (pp. 8-11). An unforgettable illustration of imagery is when Alice goes for a run through Harvard Square, blocks from her home and cannot remember her way back. The description of her surroundings is etched in the reader’s mind. â€Å"Steady stream of joggers, dogs and their owners, walkers, rollerbladers, cyclists, and women pushing babies in jogger strollers, like an experienced driver on a regularly traveled stretch of road† (pp. 20-21). â€Å"The sounds of her Nikes hitting t he pavement in syncopated rhythm with the pace of her breath† (p. 20). â€Å"She knew she was in Harvard Square, but she didn’t know which way was home† (p.21). â€Å"People, cars, buses, and all kinds of unbearable noise rushed and wove past her† (p. 22). The reader can sense Alice’s state of fright during this scene. A memorable instance of imagery is when Alice visits her primary care physician. At one point and time Dr. Moyer’s office held no negative links for Alice. â€Å"I don’t think your memory problems are due to menopause† (p.41). â€Å"She fought the impulses growing louder inside her, begging her to either lie down or get the hell out of that examining room immediately.† The reader can perceive the state of anxiety Alice is in (p.41). Other doctor visits were just as interesting. â€Å"Alzheimer’s disease†¦.The words knocked the wind out of her†¦The sound of her name penetrated her every cell and seemed to scatter her molecules beyond the boundaries of her own skin† (pp. 70-71). The visit to Mount Auburn Manor Nursing Center was striking. â€Å"Walkers crowded the spaces between the tables†¦There was no socializing, no conversation†¦The only sounds other than eating came from a woman who sang while she ate† (p. 113). The reader gets the impression that Alice feels she doesn’t belong there. Another prominent illustration of imagery is when Alice gets lost in her own home. â€Å"She hastened back down the hall and opened the door to the bathroom†¦Only, to her utter disbelief it wasn’t the bathroom† (p. 149). The reader understands that Alice’s disease is progressing, especially when she doesn’t recognize her own daughter or her own family. â€Å"Leave me alone! Get out of my house! I hate you! I don’t want you here† (p. 211). Alice couldn’t understand that it was her family having a dispute about her, nor did she understand why. â€Å"She  wasn’t sad or angry or defeated or scared†¦she was hungry† (p. 264). The most remarkable moment in the novel that captures the audience is when Carole returns Alice to her home after their walk. As Carole and Anna converse about Alice, Alice smiles and nods her head as to concur, not knowing that they are speaking of her. Shortly after, Lydia and Anna converse about their father coming to visit. â€Å"Is Dad coming this weekend? asked the act ress† (p. 291) The reader comprehends that John has decided to take the new job offer, instead of fulfilling Alice’s wish for them to stay together. There are many symbols within the story of Alice Howland: objects, actions, or characters that hint a meaning beyond themselves. Clocks play a role throughout the entire book. For Alice clocks are guidelines to what she should be doing at each moment of the day. In the start of her story, the clocks are more of a reference, but as her disease progresses they are much more than that. Alice becomes dependent on the clocks to tell her the things she is supposed to do according to time. Alice’s Blackberry device is probably one of the most significant symbols in Still Alice. The Blackberry becomes a part of her as Alzheimer’s takes over; Alice refers to her Blackberry for everything. To Alice, if something was not recorded in her device, it never existed. Within the Blackberry, she had an alert asking her five questions every day. These five questions became a reflection of her cognitive level, testing herself to see if her disease has progressed. The questions she quizzes herself include a P.S. â€Å"if you have trouble answering any of these, go to the file named â€Å"Butterfly† on your computer and follow the instructions there immediately† (p.119). The file named â€Å"Butterfly† signifies dignity to Alice; the file instructs her to commit suicide when she can no longer remember her family. This would have become the last thing she could do for herself. Alice also has a butterfly necklace that had been passed down from her mother. This butterfly necklace seems to calm Alice and to give her hope, clarity, and strength. Genova’s use of figures of speech brings the reader into the world of a person with Alzheimer’s disease. When Alice first suspects that there is something wrong with her, she is referred to a specialist for testing. Having completed various tests, Alice begins to feel overwhelmed, comparing her thoughts to a roller coaster that she was riding with her eyes shut, unable to know when the next turn would be (p.40). Later, in the same doctor’s office, Alice learns of her official  diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and is stunned. With the use of language, Alice and the r eader are brought back to the harsh reality of losing herself. â€Å"The sound of her name penetrated her every cell and seemed to scatter her molecules beyond the boundaries of her own skin (p.71). Genova relates Alzheimer’s disease to a beast that is unable to be slayed, giving the reader the knowledge that this disease cannot be beat. In reference to the medications Alice is taking to try to prevent the further decline in her mental state she compares them to aiming squirt guns at a blazing fire (p. 117). Throughout the book, Alice feels embarrassed and like a burden to those around her. The use of personification of her disease tells the reader exactly how embarrassed she is â€Å"there it was, her Alzheimer’s, stripped and naked under the fluorescent lighting† (p.129). It is further conveyed to the reader when Alice thinks her husband looks at her the same way he looks at his labs rats (p. 135). In a later scene when Alice refuses to go to dinner with friends the use of simile brings the disease to colorful life in Alice’s world. â€Å"I’m a cotton candy pink elephant in the room. I make everyone uncomfortable. I turn dinner into a crazy circus act, everyone juggling their nervous pity and forced smiles with their cocktail glasses, forks, and knives† (p.218). To keep the book from not being completely negative, there is humor to Alice’s Alzheimer’s symptoms. When she was unable to recall which door in her house lead to the bathroom, Genova’s use of humor is exactly what the reader needs to get through the scenes. â€Å"She swung the door open like an illusionist revealing her most mystifying trick, but the bathroom didn’t magically appear† (p.150). Nearing the end of the novel, Genova leaves the reader with one last insight into Alice’s cognitive decline. In a moment of clarity Alice reads the cover of the book she wrote with her husband â€Å"The words she read seemed to push past the choking weeds and sludge in her mind to a place that was pristine and still intact, hanging on† (p. 284). The story of Sti ll Alice is based on an ironic situation. Dr. Alice Howland is a psychology professor at Harvard University and an expert in linguistics (the study of language and its structure). She finds herself at a crossroads when she is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease at the age of fifty. Dr. Howland also keeps remarkable care of her well-being by eating healthy, running Harvard square each day, keeping her mind active between teaching classes, and attending  conferences. While talking over her new diagnosis Alice comes to realize she may have misjudged her father, assuming he was a belligerent alcoholic, in reality she realizes he was likely suffering from undiagnosed Alzheimer’s disease (p.76). To top off the ironic chain of events Alice receives her diagnosis of Early Onset Alzheimer’s on January 19 (p. 67) which happens to be the date of her mother and sister’s deaths. Towards the end of Alice Howland’s story, her disease process has taken its toll on Alice’s mind and she c an no longer care for herself independently. Dr. Howland becomes dependent on her daughters and son, whom she can no longer identify as such, for her care while her husband choses to take a job in New York (p.286-292). In conclusion, Still Alice is the story of a happily married professor with three grown children at the peak of her career who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. As the story unravels, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle, independence, and to live in the moment. The book not only brings to light the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease on its victims, but also on the lives of their friends, families, and relationships. Tension increases within the story from the time Alice is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease until her husband leaves. It was heartbreaking that Alice’s husband chose to abandon his beloved wife for a new job opportunity in another city. He failed to stay by her side as this disease robbed her of herself. Still Alice is a strong and engaging fiction work which brings truth to the average reader about the onset and the impact of Alzheimer’s. However, it fails to address those families who are not as equipped as the Howland’s to care for their loved ones at home, and are forced to institutionalize them. As Alice’s condition deteriorates, her children begin to worry about their futures, fight amongst themselves, and ultimately change their lives as a result of their mother’s disease. This story teaches the valuable lesson that no matter how strong relationship or family ties are, the failing health of a love one could have a devastating impact on everyone.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system is a complex system with many components all of which operate with a process that allows for equitability for all citizens. It is a system that allows for crime reporting procedures and gives everyone the opportunity to seek justice through a proven, honest system rather than vigilantly justice. It is not a perfect system, but it does work more often than not. It is a system with numerous checks and balances at varying levels of government. It is formulated on the principles and beliefs of the founders of this country and has endured the test of time.To ensure a flexible and fair system that will grow with an ever changing country, the system modifies as needed through constitutional amendments Components of the Criminal Justice System Within our modern and sophisticated government are intricate components of the criminal justice system. Within this system, at every level is a specific and deliberate process governed by law established by our forefathers. There are elements within this system incorporating major crime reporting procedures.There are varying criteria for crime reporting; some are better than others, but all reporting procedures are designed to bring criminals to justice The criminal justice system essentially has three main components consisting of law enforcement, the court system, and the correctional system. Law enforcement consists of police at many varying tiers of a complex system. Some of these police are your local or county police, sheriffs, state and federal law enforcement officers. The court system is a system that supports law enforcement, but it is designed to assist the defendant’s or alleged criminals also.This system has to be impartial in order to maintain its credibility on both sides of the law with prosecutors and defendants both represented equally within the system and its laws. The corrections system is designed to punish criminals and keep dangerous people separate from the rest of socie ty. It is a system with a life cycle which follows a convicted criminal from verdict to release from an institution. The criminal justice process, which takes place within the system, is very methodical and organized.According to Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt (2013), â€Å"Criminal justice is a process, involving a series of steps beginning with a criminal investigation and ending with the release of a convicted offender from correctional supervision. Rules and decision making are at the center of this process†. Most importantly in this process are the rules and decisions which are governed through documents as old as our county. These documents provide the guidelines which prosecutors and defendants use and governs law enforcement, court system and the penal systems at all levels.

Welfare Reform Affects Us All Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Welfare Reform Affects Us All - Essay Example Roosevelt signed into law the Social Security Act. This provided for many social programs aimed at helping people recover and get back on their feet. Within this legislation was provision for the unemployed, affordable housing, medical insurance, food assistance, as well as Aid to Families with Dependent Children. There were also many management agencies created to monitor the situation and ensure that the benefits were actually performing to their maximum potential; however, somewhere along the way, something went terribly wrong. What started out as a stopgap measure to help the nation get back on its feet again quickly blossomed into an aid-dependency mentality that has spanned three generations. It’s a well known fact that anytime a person is given rights without being held accountable for those rights, respect for those rights falls. This is part of what has happened in our country with regards to social programs. Many people have developed not only a dependency, but also an entitlement concept that produces antisocial behavior and beliefs. So much so that in 1994, the Welfare, Food Stamps, and Medicaid programs comprised 20% of the national budget. On August 22, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Initially many politicians were afraid that there would be horrible results with families and children going hungry and becoming homeless. They felt that forcing Welfare recipients to go to work would jeopardize their children who would be left at home to fend for themselves while their primary care taker was at work. Seriously ill people, especially children, would not be able to receive treatment for their conditions and could possibly die. The Leftists Liberals painted a stunning picture of how America would become the scene of another Third World country with abject poverty and lack of basic human needs being met. Parents would be forced to get a divorce in order to get the amount of money needed by a family to actually survive on government assistance. Actually, it was never intended that a family could live happily ever after on government assistance with no need to do anything more than stand in line and reproduce yearly. What actually happened during the Welfare reform was simply amazing. Not only did the doomsday prophets prove to be totally incorrect, but also there was not part of the system that didn’t flourish under the new rules. It was discovered that the main contributors to a badly flawed system were intergenerational poverty, out-of-wedlock births, and system dependency. The very problems that the social programs had sought to eradicate were actually made larger through the programs. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act had these components that made it one of the strongest pieces of legislation aimed at fighting poverty in the late 20th century. It’s goals were to:1) end Welfare as an entitlement pr ogram, 2) require recipients to secure employment after two years on the system, 3) place a lifetime limit of five years on government assistance programs, 4) support two-parent families and discourage illegitimate births, and 5) enhance child support enforcement. The actual strength of this legislation was the back-to-work ethic for everyone to increase their self-esteem and confidence and decrease their dependency on handouts. People learned that they could become productive members of society again and become part of the solution not only for the economy, but also for their own families. Through increased child support enforcement, fathers could once again take pride in providing for their offspring. Back-to-work training programs gave people the necessary skills needed to enter the

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Significant Others and Art Partnerships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Significant Others and Art Partnerships - Essay Example However, Diego Rivera’s work would be more open and fantastic while Frida Kahlos was more intimate and personal in scale. According to Herrera (1993, p.208), their ways to deal with fine art takes after male and female stereotypes that prevailed in most parts of the world, particularly in Mexico. Interestingly, Kahlos and Diegos perspective of each others piece of work demonstrated a strong bond between the two artists. Both Diego and Frida accepted the fact that their need to paint was an unconstrained desire with a biological point of view. For example, Diego tirelessly encouraged his wife to continue creating artwork despite the numerous surgical operations that never healed her legs and back due to an accident. In similar fashion, Frida thought that her husband was the greatest artist in the entire world. In fact, she used to refer to him as "the architect of life" (Herrera, 1993, p.209). Furthermore, Frida’s engagement with her husband intensified her political ideologies. Before his suspension, Diego was a member of the Mexican Communist Party and played a significant role in the politics of Mexico. Although Frida’s work never portrayed any political messages, her complex Mexicanism prompted the utilization of prehispanic and popular sources of art in Mexico. Several artists and intellectuals who embraced the native Mexican culture admired the couple’s artwork. Without any doubt, Diego’s artwork composed of prehispanic sculptures and numerous ex-votos (Herrera, p.211). In spite of the fact that Diego Rivera had an accomplishment as a cubist painter in Europe, his artwork significantly changed throughout his career. Both the Mexican and Russian revolutions, government overthrows which took place in 1914 and 1917 respectively, strongly influenced

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Crtical apprisal 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Crtical apprisal 2 - Essay Example LTRA is the main subject of this paper by Currie, et al. This study is focused because it clearly states its target population of concern which is patients with persistent asthma. Secondly it addresses the issue of what physicians turn to when asthma is persistent. Specifically, these are LTRA and LABA. These two play a very important role as they are legally administered and known second line therapy. In the UK, their guidelines state that in the first instance, LABA should be administered as a therapeutic trial. If this is unsuccessful, then this is the time to administer LTRA. Third, outcomes are clearly defined. Physicians give inhaled corticosteroids when a patient is diagnosed with asthma. For persistent symptoms, they choose to introduce LABA. This is known to be more effective than an increase in dosage of the inhaled corticosteroids. Additional therapy with LTRA is presented to be more effective than LABA in its overall efficacy. Only appropriate, related and relevant papers and journals were included in this review article. In fact, in the material and methods section of this paper, the researchers pointed out that they searched for suitable trials with its relevance evident in the title and abstract. This therefore implies that no literature included used LTRA or LABA as a secondary topic. Researchers focusing on these were included and not those that just merely mentioned the two. The data base used MEDLINE Clinical Evidence, Cochrane Library and EMBASE database, are supported by reputable organizations. The research for significant literature also had key guidelines limiting searches to about 11 words. This definitely narrowed down the search and only produced crucial and relevant journals that are directly related to the research topic. A statistical analysis was not used. Certain data from the studies were taken and reviewed. This included the study design,

Monday, August 26, 2019

Service Quality in Marriott Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service Quality in Marriott Corporation - Essay Example the tangible and intangible aspects of the service quality) observed during interactions with the service firm (Wakefield, 2001). Tangible aspects of service quality include all that the client can see, touch, hear, and smell upon the delivery of the services, thus, it basically involves physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of employees (Wakefield, 2001; Duffy & Kenchand, 1998). Meanwhile, the intangible aspects of service quality comprise the manner by which services are delivered (Wakefield, 2001). An example of an intangible aspect of service quality is the service performance, which describes all aspects of the delivery of services that include: reliability (i.e. the ability to perform the required service dependably, accurately, and consistently, e.g. solving customer's problems, accurate billing and record keeping); responsiveness (i.e. the willingness of staff to provide prompt and attentive service; accordingly, it is important to make customers feel the immediacy of the management or the service employee in responding to what the customers need to know); assurance (i.e. ensuring that clients feel secure and safe when they provide confidential and/or personal information and winning their trust); and, empathy (i.e., the management or the service employee must see things from the vantage point of the client, e.g. being available to the client when ne eded, providing convenient hours, understanding specific client needs, giving personal attention, and keeping the client's best interests at heart) (Wakefield, 2001). According to Kotler and Armstrong (1998) service intangibility means that services cannot be seen, tasted, felt, heard, or smelled before they are bought. Meanwhile, service variability is the quality of services depends on whom provides them as well as when, where, and how they are provided. Lastly, service perishability constitutes the services that cannot be stored for later sale or use. The perishability of services is not a problem when the demand is steady. However, when demand fluctuates, service firms often have difficult problems (Kotler & Armstrong, 1998). Service quality tends to focus more on the intangible aspects, and because intangible aspects don't involve any product, the quality of services is measured through the way it is being delivered by the service employee, which may either create satisfaction or disappointment on the part of the customer. Total Guest Satisfaction In high-contact systems customers can influence the time of demand, the exact nature of the service, and the quality of service (Lovelock & Young, 1979). If consumers somehow become better customers -- that is, more knowledgeable, participative, or productive -- the quality of the service experience will likely be enhanced for the customer and the organization (Bowers, Martin & Luker, 1990). Organizations that capitalize on customers' active participation in organizational activities can gain competitive advantage through greater sales volume, enhanced operating efficiencies, positive word-of-mouth publicity, reduced marketing expenses, and enhanced customer loyalty (Lovelock & Young, 1979; Reichheld & Sasser, 1990). Customers who actively participate in organizational activities can directly increase their personal satisfaction and perceptions of service quality (Bowers,

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Million American Jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Million American Jobs - Essay Example Therefore, the parents and educators could do a much better job of guiding kids into fields where the jobs are, which would raise the payback for getting a college degree and encourage more to attend. Colleges could help by offering more three-year programs and other ways to cut costs.† (Newman, 2011) III. Help small businesses find foreign customers.Ordinarily, small business can go global by finding foreign markets for theirproducts.However this is usually hard for the small businesses who usually target the local market. With the advancement of technology small business can reach global markets by the use of digital marketing. There are now more business connection networks that help in advertising. Therefore this breakthrough of sales makes many to have trust in the business and thus venture upon it creating employment. IV. The state should welcome more immigrants and investors.†Foreigners who want to come to America get an undeserved bad rap. Immigrants create businesses at a higher rate than home-grown Americans and make an important contribution to the economy. To address concerns about low-wage illegals, new policies could allow well-educated foreigners to stay in the country after earning a degree, or offer citizenship in exchange for a commitment to start a business or buy a house. â€Å" (Newman,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Critically Assess the Development Potential of the 'Green Economy' For Essay

Critically Assess the Development Potential of the 'Green Economy' For Localities and Regions - Essay Example A green economy can be defined as an economic model that improves the welfare of human beings while at the same time reducing any negative impacts on the environment. A green economy is consistent with sustainable development. In the past, countries have focused on economic growth and development as a way of eliminating poverty and raise the level of income for their citizens. Some of the strategies of economic development have resulted in environmental degradation and some of the negative effects on the environment are irreversible. The main objective of traditional economic models is increasing the level of gross domestic product. Many governments are now appreciating the fact that their economies have exceeded acceptable limits in terms of emission of greenhouse gases and exploitations of natural resources. Global recessions and financial crisis have caused many governments in both developed and developing countries to shift their focus to sustainable development (Ocampo 2010, p. 2; UNEP 2011). Sustainable development is a major concern in advanced economies. This is because these economies are responsible for the highest proportion of greenhouse gas emissions (Parker 2011). A green economy provides a channel through which many people can improve their standards of living while the planet becomes healthier. Local and regional development is a concern for many governments across the world. However, local and regional development is now more challenging, competitive, globalised and knowledge intensive. There is a shift in focus by many governments concerning local and regional development. Governments are now more concerned how sustainable their current level of development is as opposed to the magnitude of development. Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of economic development in nations on the environment following the increasing trend in global warming and sudden climatic changes (Christopherson 2011, p. 4). The long term prospects of sustainable local and regi onal development are uncertain. There are many contentions on whether a green economy is achievable or not. Those who support a green economy argue that it would result to social justice to individuals who have not benefited from globalization. The lives of such individuals will be improved if the planet is healthier. Supporters of a green economy are not concerned about how new jobs are distributed across regions but instead, they are concerned about saving the global climate. Critics of a green economy argue that it is unrealistic and unachievable with current economic structures and institutions (Pike & Tomaney 2010, p. 3). This paper critically analyses the development potential of a green economy in localities and regions. The Potential to Develop a Green Economy for Localities and Regions Gibbs (2002, p. 93) explores some of the guiding principles that would help localities and regions to shift towards sustainability. A sustainable society values unpaid work and gives its memb ers access to work without causing harm to the local, national and global environment. A sustainable society also considers the environment in its provision of goods and services as well as other facilities such as sanitation and health care. Developing a green economy involves balancing between economic development and the environment. To achieve this balance, localities and regions must focus on conserving natural resources and control the flow of commodities. The local and regional governments should invest sufficient resources in improving the state of the environment (Gibbs 2002, p. 93) Gibbs (2002, p. 94) indicates that for regions and localities to develop green economies, they should apply some of the concepts of sustainable development including emphasizing on the environment, participation, futurity, and equity. Emphasizing on the environment involves considering the full and actual environmental costs

Friday, August 23, 2019

Raising the Ante Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Raising the Ante - Case Study Example The cost of reimbursement of women within the firm needs be analysed in relation to the financial situation of the firm. The suffering of these women in relation to gender discrimination is important to be evaluated (Shaw, 419). As a board member within the firm accommodating the views of Ms. Warren would impact on the performance of the firm. Additionally, is considered as being wise for the firm to compensate the employees in terms of salaries for the present discriminations since the board is not accountable for the past discriminations that were levelled to women by a different board. Hence as a board member my decision would be for the firm to make compensations in terms of salaries for the present discrimination of women in the firm (Shaw, 419). In relation to the case study the board members are facing an ethical dilemma. The ethical dilemma involves a conflict between the mental ethics and moral obligations. Discrimination in terms of gender is morally wrong and not accepted globally. Discrimination within the workplace leads to demotivation thereby affecting the productivity of the firm. The ethical issues in the case study relates to unequal treat of workers within the firm. The theory of egoism by Adam Smith is based upon the premise that the goodness or badness of something is founded upon the satisfaction of the needs of individuals. In this case the actions of Ms. Warren can be considered as being right due to the fact that it would bring benefits to herself and other employees in the firm (Shaw, 420). Ms. Warren presentation to the board was based on the impression that the other employees in the firm supported her proposal. However, in real sense that was not the case as other employees in the firm were of the opinion that the readjustment of salaries was unfair and were willing to forget the past and concentrate on the present. Therefore through her false impression that Ms. Warren presented

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Drug Trafficking in the United States Essay Example for Free

Drug Trafficking in the United States Essay Drug trafficking has become an even bigger problem than ever before in the world today. Now days, more people are buying, selling and using drugs. To people who do it, it is just a fast and easy way to get money, not knowing all the risks. Some drug dealers are even aware of the risk that comes with the action and they still do it anyways. There are many risks when dealing drugs and the risks are all different depending on what kind of drug it is and how addictive it is. Drugs are not only spreading fast through the streets, but today drugs and dealers have found their way into high school systems. The most common drug in high school is marijuana, more commonly known as pot or weed, and hashish or hash. Although this drug is said to be harmless or not addicting, it can still be dangerous in many ways. This is the reason drug trafficking in the USA must be stopped. Illegal drug trafficking from Mexico into the United States is and has been killing our society for many years. For decades, the border of the United States with Mexico has been used to smuggle illegal drugs into the country with the intention to sell it for illegal usage. Many of the drugs come from Mexico or other South American countries where drugs are easily grown. Once the drugs are grown and packed, they are then smuggled across the borders of Mexico and the United States. When the illegal drugs reach the United States, they are then distributed to many drug dealers around the country. These substances are then sold in our neighborhoods, our cities and states to those corrupted enough to purchase them. Sometimes the people that buy these large quantities of drugs have drug addictions, but a lot of the time it’s people that are addicted to money that sell to the addicts for a price of good profit. Customs Agents and x-ray devices that are at the borders are the only factors that need to be bypassed in order to successfully smuggle drugs into the United States. A lot of the times, illegal substances are stopped and confiscated at our borders. However, the effort to prevent the smuggling of drugs has not reached a one hundred percent success rate. Organized crime groups from Mexico have been smuggling marijuana into the United States since the early 1970s. Which may be surprising to some, being that president Richard Nixon declared a â€Å"war on drugs† in 1971. These groups maintain a wide range of associates, often related through family or regional ties to associates living in the United States. In my opinion this makes drug trafficking seem even more dangerous than it already is. It’s scary enough that people are sneaking drugs into our country, but knowing that they live here and not knowing where or who is even scarier. According to Mark Kleiman, â€Å"Most of the illicit drugs consumed in the United States come through or from Mexico, and virtually all the revenue of Mexican drug-trafficking organizations comes from sales to the United States†. What this says to me is that the United States has got to be at the top of the charts for the largest illegal drug trafficking market. This also means that not only are other countries at fault for bringing illegal drugs into our country, but the drug dealers and drug users that live in our country are making the United States seem at fault as well for keeping the system going. If you ask me, the president of Mexico should worry about the amount of legal drugs leaving his country and declare somewhat of a â€Å"war on drugs† like president Richard Nixon did in 1971. Although the war on drugs still continues, it at least makes it known that there is a solution in progress and sooner or later it will be in effect. â€Å"Mexico is the highway of the drug trade, not the destination-or so goes the conventional wisdom†, says Malcolm Beith. (Newsweek. New York: August 17, 2009 Vol. 154, Iss. 7) The United States has been fighting a losing war against drugs for decades. Budgets have increased dramatically over the last two decades and drug-related incarcerations consistently reach new records yet drug problems worsen: adolescent drug abuse is increasing, overdose deaths are at record levels, heroin and cocaine are cheaper, more pure and more available than ever before, and health problems related to drugs, especially the spread of HIV/AIDS are peaking. Meanwhile an expensive and ineffective policy is failing to work at a rate of speed that is sufficient enough. Drug problems can be reduced at less cost if we change course and start thinking and using strategies that actually work. At a time like this when the federal budget is limited programs need to be re-evaluated. Funding needs to go to programs that work. We need new ideas to save lives; we cant afford to continue to be wrong. Police have done their jobs with record arrests, drug seizures and record incarceration of drug offenders yet drug problems continue to worsen. Something different must happen soon before this growing problem becomes too out of hand. According to the National Coalition for Effective Drug Policies, there are a number of different things that may have to happen to ensure a change. These are, shift resources into programs that work, make treatment available on request like any other health service, prevent drug abuse by investing in American youth and providing them with accurate information, focus law enforcement resources on the most dangerous and violent criminals, international drug control efforts should be demilitarized and focus on economic development, restore justice to the US justice system, respect states rights and allow new approaches to be tried, and make prevention of HIV and other blood borne diseases a top priority. This may seem like a lot on paper but in exchange for a better society it is no question that whatever needs to happen must happen quick. The war on drugs has now been going on for over forty years and our government still continues to fight hard to end it. As long as our government stays strong and continues to pursue this problem, I believe that it will one day happen. And possibly even more important than that, as long as we citizens of the United States stay strong and say no to drugs or drug activity, we will continue to grow as a country and make for a better place to grow and raise our children.

Legal Implicaiotn of human resource management Essay Example for Free

Legal Implicaiotn of human resource management Essay A union is an organization of workers, acting collectively, seeking to promote and protect its mutual interests through collective bargaining. However, before we can examine the activities surrounding the collective bargaining process, it is important to understand the laws that govern the labor-management process, what unions are and how employees unionize. Although the current percentage of the workforce that is unionized has declined steadily, there are still many employees who feel that the workforce is primed for a positive response by employees to a new effort in organizing. The main reasons for union organizing are: higher wages and benefits, greater job security, influence over work rules, compulsory membership and being upset with management. Among various reasons why employees join a union, we see one common factor: management, specially the first-line supervisor. If employees are upset with the way their supervisor handles problems, upset over how a coworker has been disciplines, and so on, they are likely to seek help from a union. In fact, it is reasonable to believe that when employees vote to unionize, it’s often a vote against their immediate supervisor rather than a vote in support of particular union. CASE: In the provided case, the employees are upset with company since employer rolled out its plan to organize employees into teams, change job titles, work assignments and the pay structure. Beside that employees were told â€Å"this is how it will be. † I am working as the top HR Manager and have to deal with this situation. First of all I would learn some basic legal implications of union organizing. The legal framework for labor-management relationships has played a crucial role in its development. There are two important laws that have shaped much of the labor relations process. Wagner Act: Also knows as the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, this act gave employees that right to form and join unions and to engage in collective bargaining. The Wagner Act is cited a shifting the pendulum of power to favor unions for the first time in U. S labor history. This was achieved, in part, through the establishment of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The Wager Act provided the legal recognition of unions as legitimate interest groups in American society, but many employers opposed its purposes. Some employers, too, failed to live up to the requirements of its provisions. Thus, the belief that the balance of power had swung too far to labor’s side, and the public outcry stemming from post-World War II strikes, led to passage of the Taft-Hartley Act (Labor- Management Relations Act) in 1947. The Taft-Hartley Act: Amended the Wagner Act by addressing employers’ concerns in terms of specifying unfair union labor practices. Realizing that unions and employers might not reach agreement and that work stoppages might occur, Taft-Hartley also created the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) as an independent agency separate from the Department of Labor. FMCS is a government agency that assists Labor and management in settling disputes. The Wagner and Taft-Hartley Acts were the most important laws influencing labor-management relationships in the United States, but there are other laws that influence the labor organizing. Specifically, these are the Railway Labor Act; the Land rum Griffin Act; Executive Orders 10988 and 11491; the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970; and the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (discussed in previous module) is as relevant to labor organizations as it is to management. Title VII of the act is focused on this subject. In the provided case, it seems like there is already union getting into shape. The labor laws do permit us as HR Manager to defend ourselves against the union campaign, but we must do it properly. I would follow the following guidelines of what to do and what not to do during the organizing drive. * If your employees ask for your opinion on unionization (as my supervisor is asking me this question), should respond in a natural manner. For example, â€Å"I really have no position on the issue. Do what you think is best. * You can prohibit union-organizing activates in your workplace during work hours only if they interfere with work operation. This may apply to the organization’s e-mail, too. * You can prohibit outside union organizers from distributing union information in the workplace. * Employees have the right to distribute union information to other employees during breaks and lunch periods. * Don’t question employees publicly or privately about union-organizing activities- for example, â€Å"Are you planning to go to that union rally this weekend? but if an employee freely tells you about the activities, you may listen. * Don’t spy on employees’ union activities, for example, by standing in the cafeteria to see who is distributing pro-union literature. * Don’t make any threats or promises related to the possibility of unionization. For example, â€Å"If this union effort succeeds, upper management is seriously thinking about closing down this plant, but if it’s defeated, they may push through an immediate wage increase. * Don’t discriminate against any employee who is involved in the unionization effort. Be on eh lookout for efforts by the union to coerce employees to join its ranks. This activity by unions is an unfair labor practice. If you see this occurring, report to your boss or to HR. Company might slow want to consider filing a complaint against the union with NLRB. Keeping all the above points checked, I will also keep in mind that union organizing drives may or may not be successful, but when they do achieve their goal to become the exclusive bargaining age, the next step is to negotiate the contract or demands. Now, I’ll get myself ready along with my first line supervisors, for the next expected step: collective bargaining. This typically refers to the negotiation, administration, and interpretation of a written agreement between two parties that covers a specific period of time. This agreement, or contract, lays out in specific terms the conditions of employment that is, what is expected of employees and any limits to management’s authority. Although collective bargaining is mostly used in public sectors, however it is also common in private sector. My employees are upset because of three months old change; based on my supervisor’s comments I assume that union has been certified; I might come up with a new set of interpretation of this change between my management and employees. I will make sure that my management and the union must negotiate in good faith over these issues. I would follow the following collective bargaining process outline in order to resolve these issues: Preparing to Negotiate: Once a union has been certified as the bargaining unit, both union and management begin the ongoing activity of preparing for negotiations. We can consider the preparation for negotiation as composed of three activities: fact gathering, goal setting, and strategy development. Information is acquired from both internal and external sources. With all the collection of this background information in hand, and tentative goals established both union and management must put together the most difficult part of the bargaining preparation activities, a strategy for negotiations. This includes assessing the other side’s power and specific tactics. Negotiating at the Bargaining Table: Negotiation customarily begins with the union delivering to management a list of â€Å"demands. † By presenting many demands, the union creates significant room for trading in later stages of the negotiation; it also disguises the union’s real position, leaving management to determine which demands are adamantly sought, which are moderately sought, and which the union is prepared to quickly abandon. Real negotiations typically go on behind closed doors, each party tries to assess the relative priorities of the other’s demands, and each begins to combine proposals into viable packages. Next comes the attempt to make management’s highest offer approximate the lowest demands that the union is willing to accept. Contract Administration: Once a contract is agreed upon and ratified, it must be administered. Contract administration involves four stages: (1) dissemination the agreements to all union members and mangers; (2) implementing the contract: (3) interpreting the contract and grievance resolution: and (4) monitoring activities during the contract period. Providing information to all concerned requires both parties to ensure that changes in contract language are spelled out. The stage of contract administration is ensuring that the agreement is implemented. All communicated changes now take effect, and both sides are expected to comply with the contract terms. The most important element of contract administration relates to spelling out a procedure for handling contractual disputes. These contracts have provisions for resolving specific, formally initiated grievances by employees concerning dissatisfaction with job-related issues. As an HR Manager for a company with 1500 employees, who are quite upset with our management and are unionizing, I have tried to come up with a plan to resolve this issue. First of all, I gathered the legal data in this respect, I proposed some guidelines to avoid unionizing and last, I have discussed the plan in detail to resolve the issue in provided case. I would like to comment that although historically, the relationship between labor and management was built on conflict and the nterests of labor and management were seen as basically at odds-each treating the other as the opposition. But times have somewhat changes. Management has become increasingly aware that successful efforts to increase productivity, improve quality, and lower costs require employee involvement and commitment. Similarly, some labor unions have recognized that they can help their members more by cooperating with management rather than fighting them which is quite positive for both management and employees.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Literature On Solid Waste Management

Literature On Solid Waste Management There is not much literature available on Harar Municipal Solid Waste Management sector although such studies were conducted at Addis Ababa and Jimma. Therefore, this section borrows liberally from studies conducted elsewhere. While poor management of solid waste is a general problem in Ethiopia, it is probably conspicuous in Harar city considering its historical and regional importance. It is a government organization that motivates the public towards SWM. Pubic and government are inseparable from the welfare point of view. The question is how do we get local municipality in Harar as an organ of the state government to be innovative in providing solid waste services? Despite the wide use of the term, innovation systems are yet to be clearly defined, characterized and evaluated in a systematic and quantifiable manner. With the selection of solid waste services in local municipality the following experience in Sri Lanka may of interest and guidance to us. The innovation systems theory in the 1980s in Sri Lanka invoked the notion of national innovation systems which are made up of institutions that create, store and transfer knowledge. It is now becoming increasingly clear that the creators of knowledge are not limited to those in institutions dedicated to such. Instead now it is widely accepted that knowledge is created in application as opposed to formal knowledge institutions (Gibbons et al., 1994) Moreover, emerging importance of knowledge underpins the conceptual basis for the project. A change in the nature of the knowledge landscape was predicted by Gibbons and others as early as the 1990s in what they termed as the changing modes of knowledge production. They designated knowledge produced in formal settings such as Universities and research institutes as institution influenced knowledge and knowledge gained in work places and other settings as formal practical knowledge which will gradually supersede institutional knowledge. Although the concept is widely used in the literature, empirical work supporting it is lacking. Yet, any training that Harar municipality would offer to its employees involved in SWM would make a breakthrough in SWM system. Knowledge for innovation in solid waste services will be generated from within the practitioners, with the formal knowledge community playing a supporting role. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to separate creation of knowledge from the sharing or the application. An emerging literature such as Bartone (1995) on Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) supports the newer notion of knowledge creation and application is not two separate things. Innovation in services is now understood to be an ongoing process where the producers of the service continually learn from customers, suppliers and recruits. 2.2 Social Assessment 2.2.1 Introduction to SA Moreover, as this study looked into social factors assessment, the following literature reviews were felt suitable for discussion. Although the researcher applied only some the following views for this project, the SA views for SWM gains prominence in that any participatory approach needs a strong social assessment. According to the World Bank, (2003) a social assessment refers to the analysis that a borrower undertakes during project design to assess social feasibility of a project. It also incorporates a range of instruments that can be used not only to obtain the necessary social input and identify appropriate mechanisms for community participation in the design and implementation of these systems, but also to ensure that vulnerable social groups are not excluded from the benefits of investments and system improvements. Equally important is the need to ensure that social groups and communities are not adversely affected by relevant decisions whether they relate to factors such as changes in service fees, expansion of service boundaries, and/or inclusion/exclusion of activities of the informal sector with regard to SWM. Further, World Bank (2003) is of the opinion that the ideal SA facilitates the process through which the Borrower better understands social organization and cultural systems, as well as institutional, historical, and political contexts in order to ensure the quality of investment design and success during implementation; provides means to enhance equality, strengthen social inclusion and cohesion, promote transparent governance and empower the poor and the vulnerable in project design and/or implementation. It further says that it constitutes a mechanism to identify the opportunities, constraints, impacts, and social risks associated with policy and project design; provides a framework for dialogue on development priorities among social groups, civil society, government and other stakeholders; and uses an approach to identify and mitigate the potential social risks, including adverse social impacts. According to Social Assessment for Tehran City Solid Waste Management Project (2004) Community and institutional characteristics are as important as household characteristics in determining the role of stakeholders in MSWM. Often the poorest communities, such as those that are of low caste or ethnic status, and those that are new immigrants of urban peripheries, are either excluded from MSWM services or may be adversely impacted. Dump sites may be located near the most vulnerable communities, thus subjecting them to health problems. This is quite true to Harar city. Their voices may not be strong enough within the urban political structure to affect positive changes in their environmental status. The said project of Tehran further demonstrated that a thorough assessment of socio-economic, demographic and migratory characteristics of the project population was an important analytical tool that helped formulate recommendations for the improvement of the MSWS in the city. These improvem ents were directly derived from the findings of the SA. 2.2.2 Gender Perspectives Gender and MSWM are closely related. Although this study does not delve deep into gender dimension with regard SWM of Harar city, it is true that SWM is gendered to some extent in the city. According to Scheinberg et al. (1999) many aspects of solid waste management are gendered. Looking at gender dimensions of MSWM also enables the planners to note the differences in the behavior, needs, and the roles played by other social groups. Women and men play different roles in the MSWM at all levels. At the household level, for example, they have different responsibilities. At workplaces dealing with waste sorting, collection, transportation, and planning, there are other key differences. Although the differences are largely culture specific, it is not common to see women among the high level managers of solid waste within municipal or formal private sector institutions Women may take responsibility for community cleanliness as long as the work is voluntary, but when it becomes paid and leg itimized, it frequently, if not always goes to men. In planning improvements to the MSWM system, therefore, the implications are that there is a need to preserve womens role in cleaning activities (UWEP 1999). Womens ability to contribute to environmental cleaning or even carrying their household waste to bins placed in public places may be hindered in certain cultural settings where womens presence in public is discouraged, as is documented for Yemens secondary cities (Bernstein 1998). Although it may not be fully true to Harar city, elderly and middle aged women do not get involved in these activities frequently 2.2.3 Poverty and Low Income Many studies were conducted on poverty and low income. These studies proved that they were closely related to SWM. The following are some excerpts from literature in this regard that go hand in hand with the existing social and economic condition that prevails in the study area affecting the MSWM. Among other issues that are important in analyzing social diversity, understanding poverty dimensions is critical. Urban poverty and poor environmental conditions in most parts of the world are inextricably linked. In many cities, the poor do not have access to the formal solid waste collection service, or live in unsafe, marginal, and environmentally hazardous areas such as polluted land-sites near solid waste dumps. These conditions lead to poor environmental health which aggravates poverty and leads to impacts such as loss of income due to sickness and disease, inadequate medical treatment, and increased spending on health care which depletes household savings. Lowered incomes and aggravated poverty divest the poor of their capability either to live in safer environments or to improve the environment where they live. Hence, it is essential to improve environmental conditions that surround the urban poor in order to enhance the latters capability to fight poverty (Bartone, 2000). In the context of an investment in MSWM, project planners should ensure that the poor are among the beneficiaries of service improvements. Waste pickers at dumpsites and on the streets commonly are socially marginalized. They work under conditions which are extremely hazardous to health and detrimental to family, social, and educational development and live without basic economic or social security. Often children and the elderly are involved in this type of work. Waste pickers live and work under socially precarious conditions and are subject to serious health risks. Support should aim to improve their working conditions, earnings, and access to social services. In three Turkish cities (Diyarbakir, Mardin, Urfa), large numbers of school age children walk around the city streets in small groups, sorting for a wide range of items. These are the children of families that have been displaced from their villages for security reasons. The little that they are able to earn from scavenging meets a significant percentage of the food needs of their families (Bernstein, 1999). Improving environmental conditions in cities and towns helps in reducing poverty directly as well as indirectly (Bartone, 2000). As a direct impact, improvement in solid waste conditions can lead to better health which in turn, can help to improve productivity and increased incomes. An indirect impact of improved solid waste conditions can lead to decreased health problems and hence, savings from spending on health. The savings and better living environment per se would provide the poor with resources, time, and most importantly a better quality of life to enrich their skills (and thereby increase their capabilities) to earn higher incomes, and fight poverty. Further, an increase in income would also enable the poor to pay for the basic environmental services they need. Many other aspects of MSWM are closely related to poverty. Poverty is closely associated with low level of garbage generation and waste collection as well as high levels of waste sorting, re-use, and recycling. Poverty is also associated with residential proximity to dump sites as well as exclusion from municipal services. Poverty influences pe oples perception on SWM. 2.2. 4 Garbage Pickers and Environment Many people both young and old make a living from the SW dumps in the outskirts of the city. This poses a great danger to the community in general and the collectors in particular. Aging is also emerging as a critical problem in MSWM (Bernstein, 1999). In many nations of Eastern Europe and most countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU) population aging is rising. In some cases, over a quarter of the population are older than 60 years (Kudat and Youssef 1999). Even when they generate low volume of solid waste, elderly people face special problems. For example, they often do not have easy access to a waste collection bins or have difficulties paying for the waste collection services. According to World Bank (2004) in some countries, the poorest segments of the elderly population (mainly abandoned single elderly) collect food from waste bins, thus facing serious health risks. In others situations (e.g., in Mongolia) there are many elderly individuals who collect recyclable items (cans and bottles) for cash. For many of them, collecting waste is the main source of income. The livelihoods of solid waste collectors at Harar city depend on the cash they generate through the collection. There are, however, important environmentally sound lessons that can be learnt from the poor with respect to both the reduction of waste and its re-use. In poor communities of Mardin, for example, most upper income groups do not engage in any sorting whereas all lower income residents make use of plastic materials, paper, cardboard and tin cans. Among the poor, for example, paper waste is used as a fire starter for stoves, leftover bread is given to milk sellers or to bran manufacturers and plastic bags are used for carrying food or storing bread (Bernstein, 1999). Levels of economic development and household income are important determinants of the volume and composition of wastes generated by residential and other users, as well as the willingness and ability to pay for a particular level of service. Similarly, the characteristics of other waste generators (for example, artisan shops, schools, government offices, bars) determine their ability and willingness to pay for MSWM service s. It is often assumed that the poor would both be unable and unwilling to pay for improved MSWM services. The evidence from the water and sanitation sector strongly points in the opposite direction (Cernea, and Kudat 1977). Indeed, the poor are often unable to have regular access to municipal services and, and must pay a disproportionately higher share of their income to pay for alternative service arrangements. The garbage collectors indeed face huge risk both for their own health and the health of the community they live with. The following are literature reviews in this regard. Most of the information available from these secondary sources is true to the solid waste collectors of Harar. All activities in solid waste management involve risk, either to the workers directly involved, or to the nearby residents. Risks occur at every step in the process, from the point where residents source segregate wastes into different components for collection and recycling, to the point of ultimate disposal (Cointreau 2000) Health and safety risks from waste are caused by many factors and may include the following: The nature of raw waste, its composition (that is, toxic, allergic and infectious substances), and its components (that is, gases, dusts, leachate, sharps). The nature of waste as it decomposes (that is., gases, dusts, leachate, particle sizes) and their change in ability to cause a toxic, allergic or infectious health response · The handling of waste (that is, working in traffic, shoveling, lifting, equipment vibrations, accidents) The processing of wastes (that is, odor, noise, vibration, accidents, air and water emissions, residuals, explosions, fires); The disposal of wastes (that is, odor, noise, vibration, stability of waste piles, air and water emissions, explosions, fires). It is not always possible to quantify health impacts associated with exposure to solid waste; poorly managed municipal solid waste can impose significant risks to the following groups: Refuse collection workers and waste pickers (including children) Garbage pickers who work and often live under socially precarious conditions and are subject to serious health risks, and Municipal workers also are affected by high rates of worker illness and absenteeism 2.2.5 Solid Waste Disposal The public at large is affected by poor MSWM practices that are responsible for drinking water mix-up with sewerage. Similarly, while the exposure of communities closer to the dump sites is higher, there are broader public risks associated with air pollution as well. SAs that clearly show the relationship of residential proximity to landfills and health problems have yet to be produced. Nonetheless, a study in Southeastern Turkey indicates that there may be a close relationship (Bernstein 1999), particularly for the poor. The residents say that there are a lot of diseases because they have to live close to the landfill. Our children are playing with syringes and bottles. They are dirty. Our children are sick, and there is no doctor. We dont have money. We suffer from the waste. The State must solve our problem, the residents cry. Residents of communities also add: The wind spreads plastic bags from the landfill. Our cattle are ill because they eat these plastic bags. This is very important for us because these are not only our animals but our income and our food. The SA carried out in Turkey also shows that the health impact of picking waste is often severe. Most pickers use their hands for sorting waste and are exposed to medical waste and hazardous objects. One of the children collecting waste in the landfill said I cut my hands several times. We suffer from various diseases. One of my friends and I got typhoid, and these two boys got hepatitis. Other boys cut their hands with broken glass. (Bernstein 1999). Finally, the SA undertaken in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2002) demonstrated that external factors like civil war put additional pressure on the environment and health of the local communities by contributing to the mismanagement of existing landfills and emergence of new areas for waste disposal, including those in and around abandoned home and public buildings. 2.3 Information Dissemination Dissemination of information plays a key factor in MSWM. Several literature such as Gunn, Susan E., and Zenaida Ostos (1992); Bartone, C.L, Bernstein, J.D, (1993); Olley, J and, Olbina R. (1999); Medina, Martin (2000); World Bank. 1982 recommends that taking the MSWM policies and issues to the public in the following manner plays a key role in solving several key problems in MSWM. Every good public involvement program includes a good public information campaign. In particular, the public needs to know why a solid waste facility is needed and what the consequences will be if no facility is on place. People need information about the alternatives to choose between them, and they need to know the facts about a proposed decision to decide whether they support it. Some techniques for communicating to the public are: Briefings: Briefings keep key elected officials or agencies informed of the progress with regard to MSWM. Briefings consist of a personal visit or even a phone call to inform people before an action is taken. Briefings often lead to two-way communication, because you may receive valuable information in response to your announcement. Briefing elected officials or agencies is particularly important if your actions might result in political controversy that may affect them. This was possible but not widely practiced in the study area. Feature Stories: A feature story is a full-blown news story, written by a reporter, not just an announcement based on a news release. Sending a news release to a newspaper is one way to get the media interested in your story. But often you are more likely to get someone interested if you make a personal contact with an editor or reporter who has an interest in the issue. As the study area is inhabited by basically literate people to University graduates besides some illiterate population, this could spread information on MSWM in the city. Yet, this is not practiced in the study area except for occasional publications. Mailing out Key Technical Reports or Environmental Documents: Simply making technical reports available at libraries or other public places has not proven effective for getting the level of knowledge about these documents that you need for credibility. Instead, send key documents can be mailed directly to leaders of the organized groups and interests, including business, environmental, or neighborhood associations. Although mailing documents is impractical to individuals and organizations, keeping them in public libraries could be done. However, the public libraries in the study area did not contain such documents. Paid Advertisements: Paid advertisements are one way to make an announcement or present information to the public in newspapers or on radio or television. One major consideration in paid advertising is public reaction against the spending of public funds. Occasionally, people criticize large advertisements, even if they are providing information. Paid advertisements are useful when announcing public meetings. However, this is not the case in the study area. Information on the Mass Media: This is very effective as many people could afford to own a radio and have the opportunity to watch television programs in public places and community information centers. Any program explaining the MSWM and the problems that it faces in the nation can easily be telecasted and broadcasted using experienced television and radio artists and showing live on television the sanitation degradation due to problems in MSWM. Although, the study area has a huge television screen for public at the center of the city and many people in the city own radio and have access to watch television programs, due to the absence of regular programs on SWM on mass media, information on MSWM could not reach the public at large. Willingness to Pay Another important aspect of MSWM is the WTP (Willingness To Pay) of the beneficiaries. This idea has been discussed at length in several literature related to SWM. The following points are the most important ones found in this regard. Household Income ( as discussed in Chapter One) The belief of households that it is the government and not the citizens are responsible for SWM ( this is also discussed in Chapter One) The degree of realization of the importance of proper SWM towards healthy living The Importance of PPP (Public -Private Partnership) in SWM Stringent law with regard to SWS Thus, WTP by the beneficiaries was considered for this project with regard to SWM in Harar city.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Shocking the Sensibilities in A Modest Proposal Essay -- Swift Modest

Shocking the Sensibilities in A Modest Proposal Two Works Cited Three years after Gulliver's Travels was published, Jonathan Swift wrote "A Modest Proposal," a work grounded in thoughtful satire. Swift describes the destitution that characterized the life of Ireland's poor in the 18th century then renders a brazenly inhumane solution to their problems. He shocks the sensibilities of the readers then leads them to consider the inhumanity of the destitution in the first place. Although he was born in Ireland, Swift considered himself an Englishman first, and the English were his intended audience. Swift used the good reputation afforded him by previous works to expose an otherwise indifferent English public to the circumstances of Irish misery. Unfortunately, many of the English were so predisposed to hatred of the Irish that they would disregard the point of Swift's essay and might go so far as to endorse Swift's proposal. For the people of Ireland, "A Modest Proposal" built upon Swift's earlier Drapier's Letters and made Swift a national hero (Bookshelf). "A Modest Proposal" begins with a description of the state of 18th century Irish life. Ireland was a place where children too often became beggars or thieves to sustain themselves or their families, women had abortions because they could not afford to raise children, few jobs were available to the workforce, and landlords abused poor tenants. As miserable as the picture Swift painted of Irish life was, the brushstrokes of history were even harsher. Actions of the English in the previous century had thrust the Irish people into a state of diaspora; tens of thousands had been ... ...al footnote, not something that pertains to the present. Yet we need only look to poor children huddled on the streets of Brazil, or hear accounts of people who have resorted to using human flesh as sustenance to endure the North Korean famine, to realize that the misery of the world's poor has yet to be tempered by the progress of a modern age. "A Modest Proposal" could have been written yesterday; it might well be written tomorrow. Works Cited Swift, Jonathan. "A Modest Proposal: For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public." 1729. Rpt. in Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston, MA: St. Martin's 1996. 111-117. "Johathan Swift." Bookshelf 1996-1997 Edition 1996. CD-ROM. Redmond, WA: Microsoft, 1996.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Impact of the Internet on Schools :: Teaching Education Essays

The Impact of the Internet on Schools For this essay, I read an Article called: The Netgeneration: Internet as a classroom and community. After reading the article I came up with some very good points on how the internet has effected the way school are ran compared to the pre-computer and internet age. My conclusions are that the Internet has changed school classroom for the good by making information widely available and useable to even the poorest of schools. The internet has made it possible for teachers to communicate and learn what other teachers are doing in other countries by talking to colleagues in other countries and reading reports and research studies findings before they read the teaching methods books. The Internet also, gives teachers the ability to teach a class online so that their students will be able to stay on task when they are not able to come to class. The online class idea has also made it possible for the average person to get his or her degree with out having to go to a college campus physicall y. In total the Internet has not only increased the amount of learning possibilities in the classroom but it has created infinite amounts of learning opportunities for students and teachers. CLASSROOM Because of the Internet it is possible for schools to have access to books with out having them on the shelves of school libraries. New books and research studies are posted on the Internet daily for the world to read. In the past if you where from a poor school or a shelterd community that banded books from school libraries you may not be able to read some important infromantion. Making the student that had the oportunity to read and learn this new infromation better educated than a person whom did not have the same books in there school library shelves. The author of the article The internet as a classroom explains this fact when she says, "We have arrived at a new moment in history: a moment in which such terms as class, race, gender, sexuality, nationality and ideology are no longer useful" (Hendricks). This statement applies to education because information can be found on any subject on the web. If a school has a ban on reading a book a student can still find and read it online if he or she wants to. Censorship is not possible because of the technology called Internet.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Types of Learning Disabilities Essay -- essays papers

Types of Learning Disabilities There are many types of learning disabilities that can hinder a child’s scholastic performance. These include: dyscalculia; dysgraphia; dysphasia; auditory, memory, and processing disability; and dyslexia. Dyslexia is when a person has difficulty translating language to thought or thought to language. This person would have problems with expressive and/or receptive oral and written language; you would see trouble with reading, spelling, writing, speaking, listening, and mathematics. If someone was trouble with arithmetic or solving problems, you might suspect they have dyscalculia. A person with this disability has much difficulty solving basic math problems. A writing disorder called dysgraphia causes a person to have difficulty forming letters or writing in a defined space. Most of the time their handwriting is illegible. Dyspraxia interferes with a person’s ability to make controlled and/or coordinated physical reaction to a situation; their reactions may be inappropriate to the situation. Auditory, memory, and processing disabilities cause problems with a person’s ability to remember words or sounds. He or she may experience retrieval failure when trying to remember simple words or sounds; this may be because his or her brain failed to understand the language correctly (Brickley). Even though these disabilities hinder a person’s ability to learn at the same speed as his or her peers, a teacher can accommodate the needs of a person with LD. A person with LD is not stupid, he or she just learns differently. Teaching Strategies Most students diagnosed with a learning disability have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). An IEP is a document that had ... ...rent Observation.† Learning Disabilities Online. 7 May 2004 . Male, Mary (2003). Technology for Inclusion: Meeting the Special Needs of All Students. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (1993). â€Å"General Information About Learning Disabilities.† NICHCY. New Rochelle, N.Y. City School District. Learning Disability: A Book of Resources for the Classroom Teacher. New Rochelle: The Schools. Thurlow, Martha, and James Ysseldyke (2002). Including Students with Disabilities in Assessments. Washington, D.C.: National Educations Association. Wood, Judy W (2002). Adapting Instruction to Accommodate Students in Inclusive Settings. Upper Saddle River: Merrill.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Of Mice and Men †Critique Essay

Of Mice and Men, directed by Gary Sinise, is a four star movie compared to the book, written by John Steinbeck in 1937. The movie was produced 55 years later in 1992, yet still captures the faithful companionship between George and Lennie. Sinise also manages to depict Steinbeck’s main themes and develops the characters almost up to the same level. The first difference I would like to explain to prospective audiences is how director Gary Sinise adapts the movie Of Mice and Men to viewers’ preferences and excludes John Steinbeck’s literary sense and purpose. For example, Steinbeck starts the novel with a scene after they have run away from a ranch because of a mishap with Lennie accidentally harassing a woman. Sinise begins with the scene just before- when Lennie and George are actually running away from the ranch owners, equipped with horses and dogs, to save their lives. The working scenes have been lengthened to show the audience the exhausting labor of the ranch hands. It is â€Å"dumb-proofed† for the viewers in order to keep them interested and attached to the film. The aspects of filming, of course, differ from the aspects of the imagination. Gary Sinise must use his own imagination and construct those images into reality on film. He has to cast the actors according to skill and appearance, develop scenes to suit the common people’s taste, he must worry about costumes, makeup, shooting, sets, set changes, time spans†¦ and the most stressful of them all, working with other people to illustrate his view of Of Mice and Men. One can’t be too harsh in critiquing a movie when its predecessor is a novel by John Steinbeck. There can be, naturally, absolutely no comparison to the human imagination, but Sinise does it with only a few imperfections and adjustments to the plot. Let me commence with Sinise’s choice of casting. Lennie, played by John Malkovich, maintains the childlike, simple character Steinbeck creates in his novel. Other film critics might disagree with me, but I believe that Malkovich was entirely convincing thro ughout his performance. George, played by Gary Sinise himself (and I must say that he must be partially â€Å"self-satisfied† to cast himself) was a confusing actor at times, changing his relationship to Lennie on several different occasions. He is, on one hand, very harsh towards Lennie and tells him what to do and what not to do, basically being domineering. On the other hand, however, George seems to be very compassionate and caring in his relationship with Lennie. Honestly, I was confused. Does George really want Lennie around, or is he just loyal to his promise to Lennie’s aunt, Clara? Who is George? Hopefully you can comprehend this sporadic behavior, because I certainly have not. An example of this is when George cleans the blood off of Lennie’s face after a fight- his movements are gentle and kind, whereas when George forces Lennie to stay at the ranch while ‘the guys’ go out for a drink. His attitudes in these two incidents are totally opposing each other. At least in Steinbeck’s book it was clear that although George was officious, he loved him. George’s annoyance is weaker than his profound unity and one-ness with him. Curley’s wife is described as a very racist, harmful, flirtatious person, who is all too aware of her power and consequently abuses it. For example, she threatens an innocent Crooks, â€Å"‘Listen, Nigger,’ she said, ‘You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?'†1 Sinise’s depiction of her in the movie, however, is not as despicable. She holds a pitiable role and always is portrayed as the victim. The audience begins to sympathize with her, although, in the book, she was the one to initiate all the trouble. Curley’s wife, in the novel, abused Lennie’s stupidity and the fact that he was fascinated by her- Sinise shows the opposite in the movie, because he represents her attraction to Lennie as one of friendship. Sinise also had to think about the skill of his actors. It seemed as though Sinise chose the actors well, because they fundamentally illustrated the feelings of the director and how he wanted to have the characters form relationships and emotions. Although the casting and level of skill was satisfactory, Sinise sometimes made scenes too extensive and irrelevant to the topic of the book. For example, when Lennie kills the puppy in the barn, he does not throw it away as he does in the book. Another similar difference is when Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife by breaking her neck and he does not cover her in the hay, also left out from the novel. This is a mistake, because concealing the puppy and Curley’s wife shows that Lennie is remorseful of the acts he has committed, and in the movie it is not shown like that. Sinise must also consider camera shooting. Obviously camera shots are not as effective as the descriptions in the book, because you can picture what you want, and not only what the director guesses you will want to see. Sinise, as all directors, tells the audience what to imagine. Therefore it is not as interesting as reading the book yourself and letting your imagination grow. So, if I were to recommend this movie to you, I would recommend reading the novel first. Reading Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck will show you what I am talking about in the movie. Because Steinbeck’s intentions are slightly altered in the film, you can fully appreciate this piece of theater whilst valuing the literature it sprung from. Sinise changes feelings, maybe not intentionally, but however hard he tried, he didn’t succeed perfectly. I won’t be too critical- perhaps he had to make cuts which thus excluding important relationship formations or conclusions. Overall the movie was good, but the book is of no comparison. Read Steinbeck’s version first, then decide for yourself. Me? I’m only one opinion. 1 John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Penguin Books, (c)1937, London, England. Page 80.