Biography of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Tanzanian Leader

Biography of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Tanzanian Leader Julius Kambarage Nyerere  (March 1922 - October 14, 1999) was one of Africas leading independence heroes and leading light behind the creation of the Organization of African Unity. He was the architect of ujamaa,  an African socialist philosophy which revolutionized Tanzanias agricultural system. He was the prime minister of an independent Tanganyika and the first president of Tanzania. Fast Facts: Julius Kambarage Nyerere Known For: First president of Tanzania, architect of  ujamaa,  an African socialist philosophy which revolutionized Tanzanias agricultural system and one of the leaders of the Organization of African UnityBorn: March 1922, Butiama, TanganyikaDied: October 14, 1999, London, UKSpouse: Maria Gabriel Majige (m. 1953-1999)Children: Andrew Burito, Anna Watiku, Anselm Magige, John Guido, Charles Makongoro, Godfrey Madaraka, Rosemary Huria, Pauleta NyabananeNotable Quote: If a door is shut, attempts should be made to open it; if it is ajar, it should be pushed until it is wide open. In neither case should the door be blown up at the expense of those inside. Early Life Kambarage (the spirit which gives rain) Nyerere was born to Chief Burito Nyerere of the Zanaki (a small ethnic group in northern Tanganyika) and his fifth (out of 22) wife Mgaya Wanyangombe. Nyerere attended a local primary mission school, transferring in 1937 to Tabora Secondary School, a Roman Catholic mission and one of the few secondary schools open to Africans at that time. He was baptized a Catholic on December 23, 1943, and took the baptismal name Julius. Nationalistic Awareness Between 1943 and 1945 Nyerere attended Makerere University, in Ugandas capital Kampala, obtaining a teaching certificate. It was around this time that he took his first steps towards a political career. In 1945 he formed Tanganyikas first student group, an offshoot of the African Association, AA, (a pan-African group first formed by Tanganyikas educated elite in Dar es Salaam, in 1929). Nyerere and his colleagues began the process of converting the AA towards a nationalistic political group. Once he had gained his teaching certificate, Nyerere returned to Tanganyika to take up a teaching post at Saint Marys, a Catholic mission school in Tabora. He opened a local branch of the AA and was instrumental in converting the AA from its pan-African idealism to the pursuit of Tanganyikan independence. To this end, the AA restyled itself in 1948 as the Tanganyika African Association, TAA. Gaining a Wider Perspective In 1949 Nyerere left Tanganyika to study for an MA in economics and history at the University of Edinburgh. He was the first African from Tanganyika to study at a British university and, in 1952, was the first Tanganyikan to gain a degree. At Edinburgh, Nyerere became involved with the Fabian Colonial Bureau (a non-Marxist, anti-colonial socialist movement based in London). He watched intently Ghanas path to self-government  and was aware of the debates in Britain on the development of a Central African Federation (to be formed from a union of North and South Rhodesia and Nyasaland). Three years of study in the UK gave Nyerere an opportunity to vastly widen his perspective of pan-African issues. Graduating in 1952, he returned to teach at a Catholic school near Dar es Salaam. On January 24, 1953, he married primary school teacher Maria Gabriel Majige. Developing the Independence Struggle in Tanganyika This was a period of upheaval in west and south Africa. In neighboring Kenya the Mau Mau uprising was fighting against white settler rule, and a  nationalistic reaction was rising against the creation of the Central African Federation. But political awareness in Tanganyika was nowhere near as advanced as with its neighbors. Nyerere, who had become president of the TAA in April 1953, realized that a focus for African nationalism amongst the population was needed. To that end, in July 1954, Nyerere converted the TAA into Tanganyikas first political party, the Tanganyikan African National Union, or TANU. Nyerere was careful to promote nationalistic ideals without encouraging the kind of violence that was erupting in Kenya under the Mau Mau uprising. TANU manifesto was for independence on the basis of non-violent, multi-ethnic politics, and the promotion of social and political harmony. Nyerere was appointed to Tanganyikas Legislative Council (the Legco) in 1954. He gave up teaching the following year to pursue his career in politics. International Statesman Nyerere testified on behalf of TANU to the UN Trusteeship Council (committee on trusts and non-self-governing territories), in both 1955 and 1956. He presented the case for setting a timetable for Tanganyikan independence (this being one of the specified aims set down for a UN trust territory). The publicity he gained back in Tanganyika established him as the countrys leading nationalist. In 1957 he resigned from the Tanganyikan Legislative Council in protest over the slow progress independence. TANU contested the 1958 elections, winning 28 of 30 elected positions in the Legco. This was countered, however, by 34 posts which were appointed by the British authorities - there was no way for TANU to gain a majority. But TANU was making headway, and Nyerere told his people that Independence will follow as surely as the tickbirds follow the rhino. Finally with the election in August 1960, after changes to the Legislative Assembly were passed, TANU gained the majority it sought, 70 out of 71 seats. Nyerere became chief minister on September 2, 1960, and Tanganyika gained limited self-government. Independence In May 1961 Nyerere became prime minister, and on December 9, Tanganyika gained its independence. On January 22, 1962, Nyerere resigned from the premiership to concentrate on drawing up a republican constitution and to prepare TANU for government rather than liberation. On December 9, 1962, Nyerere was elected president of the new Republic of Tanganyika. Nyereres Approach to Government #1 Nyerere approached his presidency with a particularly African stance. First, he attempted to integrate into African politics the traditional style of African decision making (what is known as indaba in Southern Africa). A consensus is gained through a series of meetings in which everyone has an opportunity to say their piece. To help build national unity he adopted Kiswahili as the national language, making it the only medium of instruction and education. Tanganyika became one of the few African countries with an indigenous official national language. Nyerere also expressed a fear that multiple parties, as seen in Europe and the US, would lead to ethnic conflict in Tanganyika. Political Tensions In 1963 tensions on the neighboring island of Zanzibar started to impact on Tanganyika. Zanzibar had been a British protectorate, but on 10 December 1963, independence was gained as a Sultanate  (under Jamshid ibn Abd Allah) within the Commonwealth of Nations. A  coup on  January 12, 1964, overthrew the sultanate and established a new republic. Africans and Arabs were in conflict, and the aggression spread to the mainland - the Tanganyikan army mutinied. Nyerere went into hiding and was forced to ask Britain for military assistance. He set about strengthening his political control of both TANU and the country. In 1963 he established a  one-party state  which lasted until July 1, 1992, outlawed strikes, and created a centralized administration. A one-party state would allow collaboration and unity without any suppression of opposing views he stated. TANU was now the only legal political party in Tanganyika. Once order was restored Nyerere announced the merger of Zanzibar with Tanganyika as a new nation; the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar came into being on April 26, 1964, with Nyerere as president. The country was renamed the Republic of Tanzania on October 29, 1964. Nyereres Approach to Government #2 Nyerere was reelected president of Tanzania in 1965 (and would be returned for another three successive  five-year  terms before resigning as president in 1985. His next step was to promote his system of African socialism, and on February 5, 1967, he presented the Arusha Declaration which set out his political and economic agenda. The Arusha Declaration was incorporated  into  TANUs constitution later that year. The central core of the Arusha Declaration was  ujamma, Nyereres take on an egalitarian socialist society based on cooperative agriculture. The policy was influential throughout the continent, but it ultimately proved to be flawed.  Ujamaa  is a Swahili word which means community or  family-hood. Nyereres  ujamaa  was a program of independent self-help which supposedly would keep Tanzania from becoming  dependant  on foreign aid. It emphasized economic cooperation, racial/tribal, and moralistic self-sacrifice. By the early  1970s, a program of villagization was slowly organizing rural life into village collectives. Initially voluntary, the process met with increasing resistance, and in 1975 Nyerere introduced forced villagization. Almost 80 percent of the population ended up organized into 7,700 villages. Ujamaa  emphasized the countrys need to be self-sufficient economically rather than being dependent on  foreign aid  and  foreign investment. Nyerere also set up mass literacy  campaigns  and provided free and universal education. In 1971, he introduced state ownership for banks, nationalized plantations and property. In January 1977 he merged TANU and Zanzibars Afro-Shirazi Party into a new national party - the  Chama Cha Mapinduzi  (CCM, Revolutionary State Party). Despite a great deal of planning and organization, agricultural production declined over the 70s, and by the 1980s, with falling world commodity prices (especially for coffee and sisal), its meager export base disappeared and Tanzania became the largest per-capita recipient of foreign aid in Africa. Nyerere on the International Stage Nyerere was a leading force behind the modern Pan-African movement, a leading figure in African politics in the 1970s, and was one of the founders of the Organization of African Unity, OAU, (now the  African Union). He was committed to supporting liberation movements in Southern Africa and was a forceful critic of the apartheid regime of South Africa, chairing a group of five frontline presidents who advocated the overthrow of white supremacists in South Africa, South-West Africa, and Zimbabwe. Tanzania became a favored venue for liberation army training camps and political offices. Sanctuary was given to members of South Africas  African National Congress, as well as similar groups from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, and Uganda. As a strong supporter of the  Commonwealth of Nations, Nyerere helped engineer South Africas exclusion on the basis of its  apartheid  policies. When President  Idi Amin  of Uganda announced the deportation of all Asians, Nyerere denounced his administration. When Ugandan troops occupied a small border area of Tanzania in 1978 Nyerere pledged to bring the downfall of Amin. In 1979 20,000 troops from the Tanzanian army invaded Uganda to aid Ugandan rebels under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni. Amin fled into exile, and Milton Obote, a good friend of Nyerere, and the president Idi Amin had deposed back in 1971, was placed back in power. The economic cost to Tanzania of the incursion into Uganda was devastating, and Tanzania was unable to recover. Death Julius Kambarage Nyerere died on October 14, 1999, in London, UK, of  leukemia. Despite his failed policies, Nyerere remains a  deeply  respected figure both in Tanzania and Africa as a whole. He is referred to by his honorific title  mwalimu  (a Swahili word meaning teacher). Legacy and End of an Influential Presidency In 1985 Nyerere stepped down from the presidency in favor of Ali Hassan Mwinyi. But he refused to give up power completely, remaining leader of the CCM. When Mwinyi started to dismantle  ujamaa  and to privatize the economy, Nyerere ran interference. He spoke out against what he saw as too much reliance on international trade and the use of  gross  domestic product as the main measure of Tanzanias success. At the time of his departure, Tanzania was one of the worlds poorest countries. Agriculture has reduced to subsistence levels, transportation networks were fractured, and industry was crippled. At least  one-third  of the national budget was provided by foreign aid. On the positive side, Tanzania had Africas highest literacy rate (90 percent), had halved infant mortality, and was politically stable. In 1990 Nyerere gave up leadership of the CCM, finally admitting that some of his policies hadnt been successful. Tanzania held multiparty elections for the first time in 1995.

Fun French Number Practice for the Classroom

Fun French Number Practice for the Classroom Do you find teaching numbers boring, figuring that once youve taught your students to count in French, theres not much else you can do? If so, I have good news for you (and your students). Here are some great ideas for practicing numbers, including several games. Simple French Number Practice Ideas Use flash cards with the digit written on one side and the French spelling of the number on the other. Ask students to count by twos, fives, tens, etc.Count different objects in the classroom: number of desks, chairs, windows, doors, students, etc.Practice numbers with math operations: adding, subtracting, etc.Print out some paper money or use pennies and practice numbers by counting money.Talk about the time and date.Depending on the age of your students and your concerns about privacy, you could ask students about various personal details in French: birthdayagenumber and ages of brothers, sisters, cousin(e)sphone numberaddress You or your students can bring in pictures of food, clothing, dishes, office supplies, etc. and then discuss how much each item might cost - Ça coà »te 152,25 euros, for example. Good for combining number practice with other vocabulary words.One teacher found that students forgot to use the word ans when describing someones age, so now at the beginning of class, she writes the names of one or two celebrities or notable French people on the chalkboard and students guess his/her age. You can find birthdays in Today in Francophone history. Fun French Numbers Practice, Games and Activities British Bulldog / Dog and Bone A game for outdoors or a gymnasium: Divide the class in half, and have each side stand in a long line facing the other half, with a large gap for running between the two teams. Give each member a number: each team should have the same set of numbers but in a different order so that the students with the same number are not facing each other. An article, such as a scarf, skittle, or baton, is placed in the space between the two teams. Then the teacher calls a number and the student from each team with that number races to retrieve the article. Whoever gets it earns a point for his/her team. Number Toss Have the students stand in a circle and throw a nerf ball to another student (not adjacent). Upon catching the ball the student must say the next number. If s/he doesnt know what number youre on, says the wrong number, or pronounces it incorrectly, s/he is out of the game. Phone Numbers Have students write their actual phone numbers on a small piece of paper with no names. You can play too, by writing a phone number that you know well (such as the schools if you dont want to use your own). Collect the slips of paper and pass them back out randomly, making sure that no one has his/her own number. Everyone stands up. Start the game by reading the number on the paper you have. The person whose number it is sits down and reads the number s/he has, and so on until everyone is seated. Works well for listening, but they have to be able to say the numbers accurately enough for their classmates to understand them. I do this once theyve learned 0 to 9. Le Prix est Juste / The Price Is Right Teacher thinks of a number and gives students a range to guess from. Students respond and if incorrect, the teacher responds with plus or moins. When a student finally guesses the correct answer, s/he can be rewarded with a sticker, piece of candy, or a point for the team. Then the teacher thinks of a new number and gives a range and students begin guessing again. TPR with Numbers Write numbers on large cards, then call out instructions to the students: Mettez trente sur la table, Mettez sept sous la chaise (if they know prepositions and classroom vocabulary for example). You can mix it up with other vocabulary to catch them off guard and keep their attention: Donnez vingt Paul, Mettez la prof sur huit, Tournez vingt, Marchez vite avec onze. Or you can put the cards on the chalk tray and practice with avant, aprà ¨s, and cà ´tà © de: Mettez trente avant seize, Mettez zà ©ro aprà ¨s dix, etc. You might want to start with just five or so numbers at first; when they get good at those, add a couple more and so on. Zut Go around the room and count. Each time there is a 7 - a number with 7 in it (like 17, 27) or a multiple of 7 (14, 21) - the student must say zut instead of the number. They are knocked out of the game if they mispronounce the number, say the wrong number, or say the number when they should say zut. So the game should sound like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, zut, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, zut, 15, 16, zut, 18, 19, 20.... You can change the zut number periodically to keep them on their toes.

Management concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management concepts - Essay Example Traditionally organisations were designed keeping bureaucratic structure in mind. Bureaucratic structure can be defined as a kind of organisation structure which is based on judgment, order and reasonable use of proper authority. This type of organisational structure is destined to be organised, reasonable and highly efficient. The bureaucratic structure consists of clear allotment of job, ‘strict hierarchy of authority’, strict rules and actions and capability based promotions (Cliffnotes, n.d.). Bureaucratic organisational structure is based on official structure of authority which is formed cautiously and followed strictly. The features of bureaucratic organisation structure are: Clear job specialisation Departmentalisation by job Formal model of allocation High extent of centralisation ‘Narrow span of management’ Clearly described line and staff manager position Strict relationship between manager and subordinates Source: (Pride & Et. Al., 2009) Bureaucr atic Structure In Contrast To Matrix Organizational Structure In contrast to bureaucratic structure, matrix structure is based on vertical and horizontal form of authority. The delegation of authority in this type of organisation can flow in both ways down and across, however in bureaucratic structure the authority flows only from upward to downward. In each department there are cross functional groups. The groups consist of individual employees with varying specialty, proficiency and capability which are brought together to accomplish a mutual objective. For example, in the Matrix Structure, the less recognizable team is known as Project A, B, C team. The managers of these teams are known as project managers. The projects might be temporary; when the project is completed the teams will be separated. These teams have the authority to make major decisions. Any individual employee who is performing in the team can directly communicate with project manager as well as individual superio r manager (Fontaine, 2007). Contrary to matrix organizational structure, the bureaucratic organisational structure has strict control over their employees. The organisation is tall in nature. Max Weber, a German sociologist had introduced the bureaucratic theory. He had highlighted the requirement for hierarchical structure in organisations. The theory acknowledged the significance of allotment of labour and specialisation. A formal set of regulation is bound into the structure which ensures managerial constancy and regularity. Unlike matrix structure, the information in this organisation must pass through each layer of the structures which result in deliberate decision making. There is no authority of team with respect to decision making in this type of structure (Advameg, 2011) & (Walonick, 1993). Fig 1: Contrast of Bureaucratic and Matrix Organisational Structure Bureaucratic Organisational Structure Matrix Organisational Structure High Degree of standardisation Regular working m ethod are pursued in bureaucratic structure Low level of discrimination The organisation structure is mainly tall in

Rhetoric of Apple Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rhetoric of Apple Marketing - Essay Example The positioning of the products is based on Apple’s differentiation and innovation which in turn lead to the creation of a loyal customer base. Furthermore the use of the ‘halo’ effect which initiated from the sale of the iPod has resulted in Apple being able to increase its overall market share and better position its products which enable it to take away its competitors market share. Another advantage that Apple has over its competitors is the fact that it invests a higher percentage of its sales to Research and Development, which In turns aids Apple to better position itself and benefit from the first movers advantage when it brings forth new products in the market, effectively capturing consumer preference and attention. There are many other key success factors which formulate to the core strengths of the brand which in turn become an important reason for consumers showing a preference for Apple products. These can be attributed to the fact that Apple has very dominant footing in the personal computer market because of its differentiated and innovative products as well as the ease of use. Apple develops its own operating system, which enables it to be free from the complexities of the dependence on Microsoft operating systems. This gives Apple a lot of flexibility and control when it comes to its products physical appearance, specification and their overall usability. Apple does all this and at the same time is able to keep its Macintosh computers well-matched with their existing PC computers. Furthermore the perception of Apple products being closely associated with fashion and the latest current trends make it a product that is high in consumer demand as well as preference. Apple manages to constantly release products that are in line with the latest trends and styles, like the latest iPod and Mac mini, due to its research intensive office environment. This effectively makes Apple one of the biggest innovators in the market and keeps i ts consumers interested by maintaining its reputation of introducing new and creative products and ideas into the market first (Ireland, Duane, Hoskisson, Robert, Hitt and Michael, 2011). Apple’s broad target market also serves to be of an advantage in the way it aids Apple to position itself and viewed as a full-fledged digital convergence company that aims to facilitate and reinvent a consumer’s digital life. Building on this uniqueness, developing a strong brand name and culture, is a main asset when it comes to Apple standing out among its competition. This can be seen in the introduction of all of its products from the iPod all the way to the multi-touch screen of its iPhone. Consumers today are a lot more engaged in a variety of technology based activities. A core understanding of this changing trend and the needs of the consumers which are entrenched in the digital lifestyle, whether it is a PC or a smartphone, is major strength of Apple. Apple analyzes such tre nds that are a part of the consumers’ lifestyle and then correlates it to the increasing consumer electronics demand in the market. Furthermore Apple strategizes to focus on increasing connectivity between its various products which helps it fulfill the multiple needs of its tech-savvy customers. This in turn benefits Apple to pursue the additional opportunities of the expanding consumer electronics market (Hogan and Kurt, 2011). When you talk about the popularity and success of

Public Policy Essay Example for Free

Public Policy Essay Public policies are tools of governments used satisfy certain wants and needs of the citizenry that they cannot effectively satisfy individually or that are better served through collective action. Public Policy is governmental laws, rules and regulation, funding and courses of actions that are measured by the government. Public policies can be complex and can rapidly change under most circumstances. According to Medical University of South Carolina, Individuals and groups often attempt to shape public policy through education, advocacy, or mobilization of interest groups ( MUSC, 2012). The study of public policies is the examination of the creation, by the government, of the rules, laws, and goals, and standards that determine what government does or does not do to create resources, benefits, costs, and burdens. There are many different areas related to Public policy that affect every one individual by way of education, economic development, health care, housing, employment income, and immigration just to name a few. There are also international policies as well that affect the US such as importing and exporting goods that go out into the economy, weapons, and terrorism. any level of government, whether federal, state, or local may be involved in a particular policy effort because social problems, and the public demand for action on them, manifest themselves from the local to the national level. All areas of public policies are important and should be addressed as top priority because some policies such as education are just not a top priority. Schools, recreational centers, and teachers are being closed and laid off daily due to public policies and politicians trying to figured out ways to cut cost and meet budget requirements. Without parks and recreational centers for our children, crime is more likely to increase among our youth as well as the unemployment rate increasing among our teachers and without teachers, how are our youth going to grow and learn what is needed to become tax paying cit izens in society? Public policy is defined by Websters as the The basic policy or set of policies forming the foundation of public laws, especially such policy not yet formally enunciated. The United States Government has many policies in the area of the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in 1970 to help identify environmental problems in our nation, and to set policy on how to deal with those problems. Yet, with so much money spent by the government to deal with problems with the environment, it must be noted that problems still exist, even within the bureaucracy that was meant to help in the first place. During the presidential campaign of the last election, an issue arose concerning the energy crisis that was driving gasoline and oil prices up throughout our country. Vice President Al Gore supported President Clintons ideology of waiting for the proper legislative initiatives to pass through Congress, and when the situation merited, provide some limited releases of oil from the national oil reserve. Candidate George W. Bush, on the other had, favored drilling in the government protected lands of Alaska to find future oil reserves so that America would no longer be so dependent on foreign oil. The problem with Bushs plan, according to Gore, was that this could be devastating to the environment of the scarcely populated Alaskan wilderness. Regardless of the political, legal or moral implications of such drilling, there are problems dealing with multiple types of rationality in this issue. Others have noted the growing evidence that the increase in recent years in the frequency of such mega-hurricanes as Katrina is a result of global warming. A checklist of environmental policy failures must also include the administrations head-in-the-sand approach to global warming. The Bush administration has aggressively undermined international efforts to forcefully address such potentially catastrophic changes in the worlds climate as a result of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States and other industrialized nations. It is impossible to say whether even a responsible approach to climate change would have lessened Katrinas fury. But the fact remains that scientists believe global warming will make future hurricanes more severe. The presidents policy of blocking meaningful efforts to reduce global warming emissions no doubt means that future storms will do greater damage than they would otherwise. Huffington Post reported that Bush was heavily criticized at the time for the governments response to Katrina, a storm that caused 1,833 fatalities, damaged an estimated $81 billion in property, and ranks among the five deadliest hurricanes in United States history. He remained on vacation in Texas as the hurricane rocked the Gulf Coast, before belatedly cutting his trip short and returning to Washington (Huffington Post, 2013). References A Third Of Louisiana Republicans Blame Obama For Hurricane Katrina Response Under Bush. (2013). Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/21/obama-hurricane-katrina_n_3790612.html Definitions of Public Policy and the Law. (2012). Welcome to the Medical University of South Carolina. Retrieved from http://www.musc.edu/vawprevention/policy http://www.musc.edu/vawprevention/policy/definition.shtml Dictionary and Thesaurus Merriam-Webster Online. (2013). Dictionary and Thesaurus Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/

Cinema and Religion Essay -- Religious Religion Culture Essays

Cinema and Religion Entertainment media are contributing to the emergence of new and novel forms of spiritual and religious phenomena in our contemporary (and past) culture. The essays in this issue explore diverse facets of the morphing relationship between entertainment, spirituality and culture. Over the last century, the cinema has played a vital role in the expression and representation of Judeo-Christian religious practices and beliefs. Early cinema told the life of Christ in the Passion Play and Cecil B DeMille produced two spectacular versions of The Ten Commandments in 1923 and 1956. While cinema represented religious themes and figures, religious institutions also shaped the emergence of this moving image technology and its role within Western society; the wondrous moving image provided by the cinematrographe could open the viewer’s eyes to the work of God or, somewhat paradoxically, do the Devil's work by deceiving them with its illusionary spectacles. Two significant changes in this relationship between cinema and religion are occurring in our Post-millennial era. Firstly, the cinema is now participant in a complex audio-visual and textual culture that includes both established and emerging media – a Multiverse created from computer games, comic books, television programs, theme parks, virtual reality technologies and other new media. Secondly, traditional forms of religious practices and spiritual beliefs are shifting from their familiar locations in the church and community. Once, the cinema was seen as analogous to the Church because it provided a sacred space of worship. Now, however, the theme park, the computer game and cyberspace are the realms for an emerging Post-Millennial spirituality. We need to... ...rent media that shape and inform the fantastic and the spiritual in Western culture: from Francis I, C16th King of France who, reflecting a nascent version of the media star, constructed himself as a figure of worship; to the landscapes of Stephen King story worlds that present the reader with uncanny, Gothic spaces and narrative scenarios that question the ‘normality’ of everyday reality; to the transcendental pursuits of the magician and magic lantern technology; or the worship-like experiences inherent to fan cultures. We are living in an era where cultural identities, beliefs, forms of religious community, models of consciousness and what it means to be human are being transfigured. In the light of this transfiguration this issue of Refractory considers the relationship between media, religion, and the fantastic; and the every day and the sacred and the uncanny.

British Poetry

Restraint, whether in diction, image, theme, or meter can be used as expressively in poetry as bombastic meter or jarring images and complex diction. In some cases, a muted approach toward the formal expression of a poetic theme allows a poet to convey a sense of magnitude and urgency which one might not expect from a subdued or highly-controlled technique. However, British poets of the post-war generation such as Ted Hughes, Philip Larkin, and Derek Walcott exemplify the use of an aesthetic which makes effective use of a subdued and muted idiom.Their example is illustrative if not definitive of this tendency as applies to much of British poetry composed after the world wars. One interesting questions as pertains to these four poets is whether the impulse behind each of the poets' delving into muted understatement is similar or whether each poet sought for disparate reasons a similar style. For Hughes, a quality of stillness and contemplative quietness pervades most of his work, from his first published title â€Å"Hawk in the Rain† through his famous cycle of myth-driven poems â€Å"Crow† and beyond.In â€Å"Crow's First Lesson,† Hughes drives a complex theme (the cosmic nature of love and its role in the creation of the universe) against a linguistic pallette of utter simplicity. The words are delivered in the cadence of a children's story or a school primer:†God tried to teach Crow how to talk. /'Love,' said God. ‘Say, Love. ‘/Crow gaped, and the white shark crashed into the sea/And went rolling downwards, discovering its own depth. † Here there is a conspicuous absence of complex word-construction or even complex thought associations.In addition to the sing-song cadence and the child-like sentence structure, the images of the poem are those of simple construction: a god, a crow, a shark, a sea. No specific qualities are probed or explored for any of the poem's elements; there is no subjective reaction to the inne r-elements of the poem by the poet, there is no overt confessional element. The muted, simplified construction persists throughout the poem, even through the poem's most complex (penultimate) stanza:And Crow retched again, before God could stop him. And woman's vulva dropped over man's neck and tightened. The two struggled together on the grass. God struggled to part them, cursed, wept– At this point the poem can be said to have progressed out of its childlike facade and into its more difficultly explicated themes regarding cosmic creation, sex, love, and the relationship between men and women, and also men and women and God.The most obvious reason for Hughes' use of a muted, simplified construction in â€Å"Crow's First Lesson† is to forward the sense of new-beginnings. As though the reader is being instructed in the fundamentals of creation and (Creation) as he or she encounters the poems in â€Å"Crow. † The secondary reason for Hughes' use of poetic restrain t in â€Å"Crow† is to convey a sense of sacred respect and grief. These latter qualities may emanate form his personal experience as Hughes' biography, as is well known, is one which contains much personal suffering and grief.Hughes attains a nobility in the surface of the poem which masks the faces of the grotesque which lie just beneath and are most accessible in the poem's closing stanzas. In this way, the construction of the poem expresses Hughes cosmic vision of a universe of â€Å"laws† and â€Å"logic† which masks, just beneath, a procession of myth and archetypal realities which to human conscious perception are often terrifying and grotesque. Similarly, in Derek Walcott's â€Å"The Sea is History† a muted and highly controlled technique lends the poem a dignified and sacred air.Walcott's desire in this poem is to present the reader with a poem which offers as many shifting images as the sea itself while simultaneously preserving the rhythmic eas e of the sea's sounds and motion and also preserving a feeling of entering greater and greater depth as if the reader is being led into the sea and its pacific, hypnotic procession of images. Unlike Hughes, whose main emotive impulse in â€Å"Crow's First Lesson† is one of cathartic grief, Walcott's poem flows with a sense of grandeur and history.It is a far less personal poem than Hughes' in some ways, but in a many ways it is also more deeply personal as a confession of personal vision. Like Hughes, Walcott is ultimately concerned in this poem with a Creation myth: and in the salt chuckle of rocks with their sea pools, there was the sound like a rumour without any echo of History, really beginning. However, Walcott's poem traces back from the modern to the ancient past of time's beginning (leading the reader â€Å"deeper and deeper†) with little sense of grief or catastrophe. Instead, the pervading impulse of the poem is one of embracement.And it is necessary for the poem to mimic in sound and form its central image, the sea, in order for the thematic ideas of the poem, that history binds all times in a single flowing â€Å"sea† of being, to be expressed. Again, both Hughes and Walcott have nurtured a quiet and contemplative idiom in many ways as an homage to and symbol of their hoped-for connection with nature. The muted, contemplative qualities of these poems is an indication of the poets' desire to enter into the same quiet creativity that is often displayed in nature, and also to show reverence for the restraint and contemplativeness in nature:fireflies with bright ideas and bats like jetting ambassadors and the mantis, like khaki police, and the furred caterpillars of judges examining each case closely, and then in the dark ears of ferns It is worth mentioning that Walcott, in the closing lines of â€Å"The Sea is History† momentarily steps out side of the pervading feeling of contemplative discovery and descent into the paci fic depths. In the following passage, the poem modulates to a much more complex and verbally agitated state: â€Å"the plangent harp of the Babylonian bondage,/ as the white cowries clustered like manacles/on the drowned women†.It is likely that Walcott intended this change in diction and pace to indicate an urgency in its historical and Biblical references. While Hughes and Walcott attain mythic stature by way of a restrained and muted poetic technique, Philip Larkin's â€Å"Faith Healing† seems to lament the absence of a working, living myth in the everyday lives of the people of the poem. His vision is one of sadness and lost love: By now, all's wrong. In everyone there sleeps A sense of life lived according to love. To some it means the difference they could make By loving others, but across most it sweeps As all they might have done had they been loved.That nothing cures. An immense slackening ache, Larkins' emotional impetus seems to be one of empathy, providing in the poem what the faith-healer cannot rightly provide in the context of the poem's narrative. The muted and restrained diction, rhyme and meter in this poems helps to impart to the poem a sense of the pedestrian, everyday setting that is the poem's central concern. It is ordinary people with ordinary problems all who suffer who may be redeemed by love. So, Larkin's quietude is in reverence for the redeeming quality of love and nature, but is also a respectful lament for the people who have been left out of love's redemption.This â€Å"quiet† poem masks a deep and rebellious sentiment which lies at the heart of the poem's themes. Larkin in lamenting the lack of redemptive love and tying this observation to a â€Å"weak† religious impulse is, in effect, criticizing the spiritual sincerity of his own society and questioning the value of religious faith as affectation, when the authentic redemptive quality is love, not religion. In conclusion, each of the poets examines made use of a restrained and contemplative voice for the expression of deeply emotional and spiritually profound themes.For Hughes and Walcott, the accessing of myth by way of a restrained and tempered idiom which drew from nature its tone of creative quiet, led to the expression of mythically charged Creation stories. The expression of abiding grief and the identification with elemental nature is also present in each of these poets. For Larkin, the muted and restrained idiom found effective use as a method for conveying his bitter observations of spiritual and religious hypocrisy. In each of the poems discussed both similar and dissimilar motivations for the poets' use of a restrained technique were found.The connecting energy between these poets is one of grief and of identification with nature. The dissimilar aspects are those regarding personal versus collective expression, with Hughes closer to the at the end of subjective confession and Larkin moving toward the universal, and Walcott somewhere in between. The poets' uses of a similar compositional technique and philosophy seems not to have occasioned a similar emotive and thematic range. Each poet chooses to use the muted and restrained idiom for a different purpose,, united in style if not in purpose.

Fertilizers: Potassium and Compounds

Creating a liquid fertilizer Experiment Chemistry 1065 10/09/2012 Introduction The aim of this experiment was to create a liquid fertilizer containing Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus; each element had to have 8% mass percentage. We were also required to add an additional element, magnesium and it mass percentage had to be 1. 5%. At the end of the experiment, the pH of our aqueous solution had to be between 6. 0 and 7. 0.As a group we predicted that we could not successfully create the liquid fertilizer with the compounds we were provided with, because some of the compounds would create a precipitate if mixed. As a result we decided that it would be take further experimentation of trying different combination of these compounds on small scale to help us successfully create the required fertilizer. This experiment is important because it is necessary to make a plant fertilizer that is environment friendly and that provides various plants with the nutrients they need to grow.This exp eriment was interesting because gave us the chance to see get in the perspective of the scientists who constantly keep working towards making the best possible fertilizers for plants. Recent attempts by scientists of making the ‘ideal fertilizer have failed because either the fertilizer is not environment friendly or it increases the birth-rate of agricultural pests. In this lab, we created several compound combinations to try and match the compounds in the required fertilizer.Some of our combinations worked, but some failed. We made adjustments to the original information provided to us in order to meet the standards of the required liquid fertilizer, and as a group we tried our best to indicate such adjustments throughout our lab reports so that the reader can be more informed about the experiment we did. . Experimental Because our prediction was that some of the provided compounds would not for an aqueous solution, we decided to try out some combinations on small scale to s ee how they reacted.The compounds we needed for these combinations were: Potassium carbonate, trisodium phosphate, potassium nitrate, ammonium carbonate, sodium phosphate, and sodium nitrate. We also needed some water to dissolve these compounds in. In order to perform a solubility test on the provided compounds we obtained a well plate, a spatula to add the solid compounds into the well plate, a beaker full of distilled water, a pipette to add water into the well plates containing two different compounds, and a stirring rod to stir the mixture.First using a spatula we took a small amount of K2CO3 and put in one of the wells on the well plate. Then we took a small sample of Na3PO4 and put it in the same well. Using a pipette we took 3ml of distilled water from the beaker and added it into the well containing K2CO3 and Na3PO4. The using a stirring rod, we continuously stirred the solution for 1 minute and we observed. Then we took small samples of K2Co3 and NH4Co3 and put them in a s econd well on the well plate. Then we added 3ml of water using a pipette. Using a stirring rod, we mixed the solution continuously for about a minute.Next we took small samples of NaNO3 and NaPO3 and put them in a third well on the well plate. We added some water using a pipette and stirred up the solution. Then we took samples of NaPO3 and KNO3 and put them in a fourth well in the well plate. We added 3 ml of water, stirred the solution and observed. Next we took samples of Na2PO3, K2CO3 and NaNO3 and put them in a fifth well. We added 3ml of water, constantly stirred the solution and observed. We then took samples of Na2PO3, K2CO3 and NaNO3 and put them in a sixth well plate.Then we added 3ml of water and constantly stirred the solution for a minute and observed. Through eliminating solutions that formed a precipitate we chose the solution containing, Na2PO3, K2CO3 and NaNO3 as the solution that could potentially be our liquid fertilizer because it contained nitrogen, phosphorus a nd potassium ions. Because we needed nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to each have an 8% mass percentage in relation to the total solution, we calculated how much of each compound we needed so that the three required elements could have 8% mass percentage each in 10g of H2O.We calculate the amount of each compound needed by first figuring it in moles and then we converted it to grams. We replaced Na2PO3 with Na3PO4 because Na2PO3 was unavailable. After calculating how much of each compound we needed to make our fertilizer, we decided that we needed a beaker, a scale, weighing paper, pH probe, graduated cylinder, stirring rod, Magnesium and H2SO4 to neutralize our solution at the end. We started by weighing out 4. 23481g of Na3PO4, 0. 707g of K2CO3, and 5. 8221g NaNO3. Then we poured the weighed compounds into a beaker.We then measured 10ml of distilled water using a graduated cylinder. We then poured the 10ml water into the beaker containing our three compounds. Using a stirring r od we stirred the mixture for about three minutes. The compounds did not dissolve in water because the ratio of the compounds to the water could not allow the compounds to completely dissolve in the water. With instructions from our T. A we decided to divide the amount of all the compounds by 10. The new amounts of the compounds were: 0. 423481g of Na3PO4, 0. 0707g of K2CO3, and 0. 58221g NaNO3. We then weighed out these new amounts of compounds.We poured them into a new beaker and added 10 ml water. Using a stirring rod, we continuously stirred the solution until the compounds were completely dissolved. Next we got a pH probe to measure the pH of our solution. The pH of our solution needed to be between 6. 0 and 7. 0. We connected the loggerpro software to a laptop and we the pH collected was 12. 43. Since our fertilizer solution was a base we decided to neutralize it using an acid. The acid we chose to use was H2SO4. Using a pipette we added drops of H2SO4 to our fertilizer soluti on as we monitored the pH of our solution.It took 2. 4ml of H2SO4 to bring the pH of our liquid fertilizer to 6. 75. To make our liquid fertilizer complete we were required to add an additional element, magnesium such that it had a 5% mass percentage. We chose to use the compound magnesium nitrate because it contains a magnesium ion. We calculated that in order for magnesium to have a 5% mass percentage in the solution we needed 3. 05g of Mg (NO3)2. But because we had divided the other compounds in the solution by ten earlier, we had to divide the amount of Mg (NO3)2 paste to keep the same ratio.So after dividing the amount of magnesium needed by 10 we resulted with 0. 305g of Mg. We then weighed 0. 305g of Mg (NO3)2 on a scale and the poured it into the beaker containing our aqueous solution. Using a stirring rod we stirred up the solution until the Mg (NO3)2 was completely dissolved. We then finished the experiment by measuring the final pH of our solution which was 6. 7. Results Data 1 Compounds added to 10ml of water| Observations| KNO3 & NaPO3| When we mixed these two compounds in water, they formed a cloudy solution which turned clear after a while.There was some compound left at the bottom of the beaker and this was due to experimental error. | K2CO3 & NH4CO3| When we mixed these two compounds, they formed a cloudy mixture. One of the compounds looked suspended which meant it did not dissolve. | NaNO3 & K2CO3| When we mixed these two compounds, they both dissolved in the water although there was some compound particles left at the bottom of the beaker which was due to experimental error. | NaNO3 & NaPO3| When we mixed these two compounds, they formed a precipitate. NaPO3 & KNO3| When we mixed these two compounds, they did not dissolve in water, they formed a precipitate| Na2PO3, K2CO3 & NaNO3| When we mixed these three compounds in water, the completely dissolved| Data 2 Substance added to 10 ml of water| Observation| 4. 234g Na3PO4, 0. 707g K2CO3, and 5. 8221g NaNO3| Did not dissolve in water. The amount ratio of compounds was too big to dissolve. | 0. 423481g Na3PO4, 0. 0707g K2CO3, and 0. 58221g NaNO3| Completely dissolved in water and the pH of the resulting solution was 12. 3| 1 ml H2SO4| pH of solution dropped to 11. 14| 2ml H2SO4| pH of solution dropped to 7. 45| 2. 4ml H2SO4| pH dropped to 6. 7| 0. 03052 g Mg(NO3)2| Completely dissolved in water and the pH stayed at 6. 7| Calculations Amount of compounds needed. Note: We divided the final amount of the compound needed by 10 so that it would dissolve in water. What we need: 10g ? 8%= 0. 8 g N, 0. 8g P, 0. 8g K Element| Calculations| Amount of compound so that element has 8% mass percentage| Amount of compound so that element has 0. 8% mass percentage| Nitrogen| 0. g N3- ? (1 mol N2 / 14. 01g/mol N2)= 0. 057mol N20. 57mol N3- ? (101. 96 g/mol NaNO3) | 5. 8221g NaNo3| 0. 5221g NaNo3 | Potassium| 0. 4g K2+ ? (1 mol K2+ / 78. 2g/mol K)= 0. 005115 mol K2+0. 005115 mol K2+ ? (138 . 21 g/mol K2CO3) | . 707 g K2CO3 | 0. 0707g K2CO3| Phosphorus| 0. 8g P3- ? (1 mol P3-/30. 97g/mol P)= 0. 02583mol P3-0. 02583mol P3- ? (163. 94g/mol Na3PO4)| 4. 23481g Na3Po4| 0. 0423481g Na3Po4| Note: We used 0. 4g of Potassium because there are 2 potassium ions in K2CO3

Scary movies essays

Scary movies essays Every time I hear a new scary movie is appearing in the theater, I get really excited and want to see it right away. When I go rent a movie, I usually run straight to the horror section. As a little girl I would always beg my mom to let me watch the scary movie on TV, or the ones rented by my aunts. Over time I have noticed that I am not the only one who is drawn to scary movies. Ive noticed my friends and classmates always talk, with excitement and enthusiasm, about the latest scary movies that will be appearing at the movie theater. I also noticed that I wasnt the only little kid who wanted to see scary movies. My little brother, niece, nephew, and cousins always want to watch scary movies too. This made me wonder, what makes people want to watch scary movies? Could it be that some scary movies make us think. Maybe many of us wonder if it is real, or if it could ever happen? Where did the writer get the idea for the movie? Could it have been from a personal experience, something he/she heard of, or just something that came out of his/her imagination? I know that Ive started to question a lot of things after watching a scary movie. For example, could there really be things in the world that just cant be explained? Maybe the idea of there being an after life, makes us think of what could happen to us after we die. The idea of something challenging the normal and scientific makes us think about what we know and have experienced our selves. Another possibility, could be that we are attracted to the way scary movies are presented to us. Most scary movies are presented to us, as only the brave will watch this movie. Maybe we all want to see how brave we are, or if were easily scared. There is something about the way the dark is presented to us, in a scary movie, that makes the dark give off an appealing eerie feeling. As children most of us have a fear of the dark, at one point or anothe ...

John F. Kennedys Legacy in Education and the Space Race

John F. Kennedy's Legacy in Education and the Space Race While the last photographs of John F. Kennedy preserve him eternally in Americas collective memory  as 46 years old,  he would have been 100 years old on May 29, 2017. Education was one of the signature issues of President Kennedy, and there are a number of legislative efforts and messages to Congress that he initiated to improve education in several areas: graduation rates, science, and teacher training. On Raising High School Graduation Rates   In a  Special Message to the Congress on Education,  delivered  on  February 6, 1962, Kennedy laid out his argument that  education in this country is the right- the necessity- and the responsibility- of all.   In this message, he noted the high number of high school dropouts: Too many- an estimated one million a year- leave school before completing high school- the bare minimum for a fair start in modern-day life. Kennedy referenced the  high percentage of dropouts in 1960, two years earlier. A data study  prepared by the  Institute of Educational Studies (IES) at the  National Center for Educational Statistics, showed the high school dropout rate in 1960 was at a high 27.2%. In his message, Kennedy also spoke about the 40% of students at that time who had started but never completed their college education.   His message to Congress also laid out a plan for increasing the number of classrooms as well as increased training for teachers in their content areas.  Kennedys  message to promote education had a powerful effect. By 1967, four years after his assassination, the total number of high school dropouts was reduced by 10% to 17%. The dropout rate has been falling incrementally ever since. As of 2014, only 6.5% of students drop out of high school. This is an increase of 25% in graduation rates from when Kennedy first promoted this cause. On Teacher Training and Education In his Special Message to the Congress on Education (1962), Kennedy also outlined his plans to improve teacher training by collaborating with the  National Science Foundation and the Office of Education.   In this  message, he proposed a system where, Many elementary and secondary school teachers would profit from a full year of full-time study in their subject-matter fields, and he advocated that these opportunities be created. Initiatives like teacher training were part of Kennedys New Frontier  programs. Under the policies of the New Frontier, legislation was passed to expand scholarships and student loans with  increases in funds for libraries and school lunches. There were also funds directed to teach the deaf, children with disabilities, and children who were gifted. In addition, literacy training was authorized under Manpower Development and Training Act (1962) as well as an allocation of Presidental funds to stop dropouts and the  Vocational Education Act (1963). Kennedy saw education as critical to maintaining the economic  strength of the nation.  According to Ted Sorenson,  Kennedys speechwriter, no other domestic issue occupied Kennedy as much as education. Sorenson quotes Kennedy as saying: Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource. On Science  and Space Exploration The successful launch of  Sputnik 1,  the first artificial Earth satellite, by  the Soviet space program  on October 4, 1957, alarmed American scientists and politicians alike. President  Dwight Eisenhower appointed the first presidential science adviser, and a Science Advisory Committee asked part-time scientists to serve as advisers for their initial steps. On April 12, 1961, only four short months into Kennedys presidency, the Soviets had another stunning  success. Their Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin completed a successful mission to and from space. Despite the fact that the United States space program was still in its infancy, Kennedy responded to the Soviets with his own challenge, known as the moon shot, in which Americans would be the first to land on the moon.   In a speech  on  May 25, 1961, before a joint session of Congress, Kennedy proposed  space exploration to put astronauts on the moon, as well as other projects including nuclear rockets and weather satellites. He was quoted as saying: But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead. Again, at  Rice University on September 12, 1962, Kennedy  proclaimed that America would have a  goal to land a man on the moon and bring him back by the end of the decade, a goal that would be directed to educational institutions: The growth of our science and education will be enriched by new knowledge of our universe and environment, by new techniques of learning and mapping and observation, by new tools and computers for industry, medicine, the home as well as the school. As the American  space program known as Gemini was pulling ahead of the Soviets, Kennedy gave one of his last speeches on October 22, 1963,  before the National Academy of Sciences, which was celebrating its 100th anniversary. He expressed his overall support for the  space program and emphasized the overall importance of science to the country: â€Å" The question in all our minds today is how science can best continue its service to the Nation, to the people, to the world, in the years to come†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Six years later, on July 20, 1969,  Kennedys efforts came to fruition  when Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong took a giant step for mankind and stepped onto the Moons surface.

Marketing of Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing of Service - Essay Example In the food industry, customer satisfaction and loyalty are largely influenced by the frontline service providers. Therefore, the employees who come into first contact with customers in the Tony Roma hotel have been empowered with skills to handle multiple clients. The company has invested in professional recruiting and selection programs1. These investments are essential to the provision of world-class services at to the customers at the frontline. The company is intentional about providing quality services to both internal and external customers2. Tony Roma hotel is keen on conducting research with an aim to reinforce the brand image and facilitate marketing. The selection procedure of the frontline employees entails checking the emotional intelligence of the workers. Data mining has been an effective method of ensuring high class services are offered by the frontline employees3. Frontline services have to be scripted if professionalism is to be enforced. Studies show that the most effective organizations have structures of picking employees and a culture of excellence4. This includes the frontline services. Tony Roma has been careful to manage customer expectations. The company has used developed marketing communication to shape customer expectations. Training has significantly reduced the roles ambiguity and conflict that can affect the quality of services at the front office5. Transparency in communications has raised the morale of the frontline workers at the Tony Roma hotel. In the food industry, understanding cultural differences play a crucial role in attracting and retaining customers. The company offers training that significantly reduces ethnocentric attitudes among the workforce. The ethnic diversity among frontline employees is harnessed to become an advantage to the company. Tony Roma is heavily investing in service innovations that are unique and customer oriented. The services are aimed at giving the organization a competitive edge at the front office. In most companies, frontline employees have the least voice since they are viewed as mere front office attendants6. However, the strategic policy of Tony Roma appreciates the enormous influence of the FLEs to the mindset of the potential clients. This is the reasoning behind the empowered, competent and energized frontline employees in Tony Roma. SERVQUAL dimensions of Reliability, assurance, empathy and responsiveness The company wants the frontline office to create brand experiences and not mere services. Frontline employees are trained to engage customers in lively and professional dialogues. The frontline officers are dependable when it comes to strategic planning, liaising the necessary departments and the external environment. The employees are expected to be eloquent and courteous while dealing with clients. They are required to conduct follow up of the customer requests and services. The company emphasizes on soft skills and likable personality traits as opposed to experienced and hardened personalities7. According to the company’s management, frontline employees are the face of the hotel8. Therefore, frontline employees are supposed to have natural social skills and authenticity while dealing with customers9. The company insists that the facial expression of joy must be perceived to be authentic and