Commonly Confused Words Stake and Steak

The words stake and steak  are  homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. Definitions As a noun, stake refers to a length of wood or metal that can serve as a pole or post. The noun stake may also mean a share or interest, or something (usually money) thats bet in a wager or contest. The verb stake means to gamble, establish a claim, mark a boundary, or provide support. The noun steak refers to a slice of meat or fish thats usually cooked by broiling or frying. Examples When the early settlers came to a piece of land they liked, they pounded a stake into the ground to claim it.When you buy a companys stock, youre buying an ownership stake in that company along with a claim on its assets and future profits.(James J. Kramer with Cliff Mason, Jim Cramers Getting Back to Even. Simon Schuster, 2009)John was a desperate gambler, willing to stake everything on a roll of the dice.The only time to eat diet food is while youre waiting for the steak to cook.(Julia Child)I sat down across a glass-topped table from him. He picked at a pallid salmon steak with a cafeteria fork and smiled serenely.(Robert Charles Wilson,  Spin. Tor, 2005)The two of us and her mouthy  teenaged son opened some presents, and then we went to this steak  house near her apartment.(Raymond Carver, Where Im Calling From. Cathedral. Knopf, 1983) Idiom Alerts At StakeThe expression at stake refers to something at risk—something that can be won or lost.By giving his version of the greatest of all wars, and his own role in it, [Winston Churchill] knew he was fighting for his ultimate place in history.  What was  at stake was  his status as a hero.(Paul Johnson, Churchill. Viking, 2009)Raise the StakesThe expression raise the stakes means  to increase the amount of money risked in a game (such as poker) or, by extension, to increase the cost or risk in taking a particular action.The French had become masters of the environment, or so they liked to think. But what they had done was to  raise the stakes  in their contest with nature.(Christopher Morris,  The Big Muddy: An Environmental History of the Mississippi and Its Peoples.  Oxford University Press, 2012)   Practice (a) Developing countries in Asia have a large _____ in maintaining an open global system of trade and investment. (b)  Over our gravied Swiss _____  and potatoes wed buck each other up about the new and unexpected future as a married couple with a child and no money.(Philip Roth,  The Facts: A Novelists Autobiography.  Farrar, Straus Giroux,  1988)(c) My God, what was going to happen?  Id never be able to leave this place. A _____  had been driven down through my head and body, rooting me forever to this spot.(Maya Angelou, Gather Together in My Name. Random House, 1974) Answers to Practice Exercises: Stake and Steak (a) Developing countries in Asia have a large  stake  in maintaining an open global system of trade and investment.(b)  Over our gravied Swiss  steak  and  potatoes  wed buck each other up about the new and unexpected future as a married couple with a child and no money.(Philip Roth,  The Facts: A Novelists Autobiography.  Farrar, Straus Giroux,  1988)(c) My God, what was going to happen?  Id never be able to leave this place. A  stake  had been driven down through my head and body, rooting me forever to this spot.(Maya Angelou,  Gather Together in My Name. Random House, 1974)

The Queen Of Soul By Aretha Franklin - 1350 Words

De Ariah Hicks Music Appreciation 118 11/13/15 Essay Two Aretha Franklin: La Queen of Soul Crowned as The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin is one of the most honored female vocal artists of the last 50 years. She is an American soul singer, songwriter as well as a pianist. Her soulful, soaring voice has earned her mythic status over the years. It has been said that Aretha was a child prodigy of the golden age of gospel and was the anointed successor to gospel singers Clara Ward and Mahalia Jackson. Many idolize her and her musical intelligence to this day. She is said to be one of the most quintessential sounds of America alongside The Beetles, The Stones, and Louis Armstrong. Born into a family of religion in the thick of the civil rights movement was Aretha Louise Franklin, in Memphis, Tennessee on March 25, 1942 (The Queen Of Soul, 11). She was named after two of her father s sisters, Aretha and Louise (From These Roots, 3). Her father, Reverend Clarence LaVaughn Franklin was known as one the most legendary African American preachers in t he country. He was good friends with Martin Luther King Jr. (Wikipedia). Her mother, Barbara Franklin, was a nurse s aide, renowned gospel singer, pianist (from these roots, 3). As a toddler, Aretha s family moved to Detroit where she d spend all of her childhood. At the tender age of six, her parents separated and decided her and her siblings would stay with her father. Her mother moved to Buffalo to live with her parents. EveryShow MoreRelatedAretha Franklin974 Words   |  4 PagesAretha Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as The Queen of Soul. Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, RB and gospel. She is widely acclaimed for her passionate vocal style and powerful range. In 2008, the American music magazine Rolling Stone ranked Franklin 1 on its list of The Greatest Singers of All Time. Aretha Franklin was born March 25, 1942 in Memphis. Franklin grew up inRead MoreThe Life of Aretha Louise Franklin723 Words   |  3 PagesAretha Louise Franklin also known as the Queen of Soul was born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis Tennessee. She is known for being a solo singer, and also a very talented pianist. Soul, RB, Jazz, and Gospel are genres that she sings. Throughout her career she signed with Colombia Records and has released many popular singles that would now be considered classical. Aretha became the first female artist to be introduced into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. Up until this day Aretha is still alive livingRead MoreThe Frank Talent of Aretha Louise Franklin Essay775 Words   |  4 PagesAretha Louise Franklin was born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee (bio 1). She was one of five children born to Rev. Clarence L. Franklin and Barbara (Siggers) Franklin (Moritz 132). Aretha was born into a very musical family. Her mother, Barbara, was a gospel singer and her sisters , Erma and Carolyn, are both vocalists, too (Glickman 1, Moritz 132). Her brothers took a different, unmusical approach to their lives. Her brother, Cecil, is the Assistant Pastor at his father’s church andRead MoreSoul Music, Or Soul?1237 Words   |  5 Pages Soul music, or â€Å"Soul†,was adopted to describe African-American popular music as it evolved from the 1950s to the early 1970s. Although some people thought of â€Å"Soul† music as a new term for Rhythm and Blues, it was not. In fact, the â€Å"key ingredient in Soul music, and the element that defined it as a new style was the influence of gospel music.† (1)This style of music was a blend gospel music with the dance grooves of that era. However, Soul music during its heyday did more than simply entertain.Read MoreBlack Women in Music Essay examples1474 Words   |  6 Pagescommunity through thier music past and present. Each era of change in the African American community has brought about a African American female revoluntionary. Examples of this can be seen through the blues and jazz singers of the Harlem Renaissance, soul singers of the civil rights movement, and the Ryhem and Blues, Hip Hop vocalist of the present day. In the early 1900’s, America was a place of racial division and inequality. The early 1900’s was a time when African American men and women, althoughRead MoreThe Critically Acclaimed Muscle Shoals Documentary and Music Lovers990 Words   |  4 Pagesdocumentary, music lovers are finding their way to the small town in northwest Alabama where some of the world’s greatest hits were recorded. This was the very town where, at Rick Hall’s FAME Studios and the rival Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Aretha Franklin found her groove, Paul Simon developed â€Å"Kodachrome† and Wilson Pickett cranked up â€Å"Mustang Sally.† In the documentary, Mick Jagger, Steve Winwood, Percy Sledge and Etta James, among others, recount tales of cutting some of their iconic hitsRead MoreImpact of Rhythm and Blues on African-American Culture Essay905 Words   |  4 Pagesof the most popular black singers of the last fifty years, including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, LaVern Baker, and Ruth Brown. Wexler was much more than a top executive — he was a national tastemaker and a prophet of roots and rhythm. The impact of his deeds matched his larger-than-life personality. Because of him, we use the term rhythm and blues and we hail Ray Charles as Genius and Aretha Franklin as Queen. We came to know of a record label called Stax and a small town calledRead MoreMusic s Influence On Music1490 Words   |  6 Pagesto my family that there were only two reasons that you were allowed not to go, either you were dying from a cold or you had an extremely important event – there was no in-between. One s ong that I was so used to hearing was â€Å"Amazing Grace† by Aretha Franklin – this was one of my mom’s favorite gospel songs. Listening to Aretha’s amazing vocal talents with her rifts and soulful tone, gave me a true appreciation for real music. Hearing â€Å"Amazing Grace† and its calm but effective identity would help toRead MoreWarhol And The Pop Art Movement2609 Words   |  11 Pages28 minutes looped), and â€Å"Empire† is an eight-hour movie of the Empire State Building at night. In January 1964 Warhol moved his studio to the commercial loft on East 47th Street that soon became known as the Factory. Its floating population of drag queens, speed freaks, hustlers and exhibitionists became Warhol’s new repertory company — known as Superstars — for his next phase of movie-making. â€Å"Horse,† â€Å"Blow Job,† â€Å"Vinyl† and â€Å"Kitchen† were deliberately provocative films involving gay sex, S-and-MRead MoreInsight to Coach Carter Film7710 Words   |  31 Pagesreally delved into the lives of these people and made you care about each and every one of them,† says Ashanti. â€Å"I think this movie is going to touch a lot of people because it’s based on 4 the real story of Ken Carter who is genuinely a good soul and truly cared about the futures of these boys.† As to how she felt about making the transition from music to film, Ashanti says â€Å"it was a beautiful thing,† adding that she was lucky to be working with such industry professionals. â€Å"Thomas Carter is

Climate Change and Small Island Tourism free essay sample

It was just perfected here† (Barbados Tourism Authority, 2010). This report is based on the article â€Å"Climate Change and Small Island Tourism: Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados†. The purpose of the report is to introduce policies concerning the Barbados Island, to compare them to theories in order to outline the similarities and connection. Therefore, it was necessary to find an article which deals with the topic tourism policy, discuss the content of it with special focus on the mentioned policies which will be related to the literature. First of all, the chosen article â€Å"Climate Change and Small Island Tourism: Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados† will be summarized to get a better overview about its content. The next point is a discussion of the policies mentioned in the article. Therefore, it will be explained if the article is written in a prescriptive or descriptive way, followed by mentioning the policies that are named in the article including a short description of them. Furthermore, an own opinion about the policies of all three group members will be given and supported by relevant arguments. In addition, the policies will be connected to the provided literature and corresponding lecture, as well as the theories are going to be connected to the theories. Finally, a conclusion will be drawn that summarizes the most important points and outlines the priorities of the policies mentioned in the article and the concepts and theories of the literature. Summary of the article The article â€Å"Climate Change and Small Island Tourism: Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados† was written by Nicole Belle and Bill Bramwell, published in the â€Å"Journal of Travel Research† in the year 2005. The article analyses the different views of policy makers and tourism managers on the possible impacts of climate change on the tourism industry of the island Barbados. Furthermore, it deals with the possible reactions and preferred policies by those two parties. First of all, the authors describe the general problems of climate change in small island developing states which can have an impact on the economic activity. The warnings about potential effects, like a rise of the frequency of extreme climatic phenomena, a rise of temperature and the sea level, by scientific communities are already so important that they demand a coordination of international actions by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Even almost everybody will suffer under these and other consequences of the climate change, the small island states might be most seriously affected. They are highly vulnerable, especially their long beaches, but also their economy, as there is no alternative to the high importance of tourism, and they have a low adaptive capacity to the consequences. The next paragraph deals with the policy responses to climate change. It is important not to simply accept a problem but to try to reduce the impacts that could follow. Scientists are uncertain about the future climate changes and their impacts; it is not easy to predict them what is not positive for the authority of science. This leads to the problem that individuals and public policies do not see the climate change or corresponding costs as a priority. The individual responses depends on own interests and beliefs as well as they are impacted by media. To react successfully on climate change, the integration of knowledge and the many different actors being affected is needed. Motives, behavior and values of them need to be understood. There are many different opinions about what causes the climate change but it is important to care about the environment to protect resources. This is, nevertheless, still a big problem for underdeveloped countries because they are more interested to first of all fulfill their own basic needs. After having explained the problem in general the article focuses on the tourism development in Barbados as an example for small island tourism. The national economy of Barbados is highly depended on tourism. Many environmental and social problems came up due to the fact that there was not used a strong tourism planning framework when the development of tourism started. One example is the development of hotels near the sandy beaches, which is the main attraction. A first report on the impacts of greenhouse effects on Barbados was published in 2001 and highlights the three main consequences sea level rise, rise of air and sea temperature and changes in weather patterns. The research done by the authors to find out about the views on climate change impacts and possible policies is based on interviews and questionnaires addressed to policy makers and tourism industry managers. Furthermore, reports and studies by the Barbados government and a Caribbean organization have been taken into account. The results show that climate change is already taking place and the impacts whether positive or negative will affect the local tourism industry. It is compared to other affecting issues already very important. There will be high risks and impacts for the industry most of them connected to the marine environment especially the beach through alteration, erosion and inundation and the nearby coastal land which could get lost and end in a damage of the present tourism facilities. Moreover, an intensity of hurricanes could become a problem. Follow up challenges could be for example troubles with a sufficient fresh water supply as salt-water could get into the groundwater or wells and it is known that tourists consume a lot of it. A damage of the vulnerable island reefs could result in a further damage of the beach as well as a loss of tourists interested in diving. The milder winter in Europe and America could also hold back tourists as they do not see the need to escape anymore. To summaries, the responses of policy makers and tourism industry managers it can be said that their answers concerning the climate change impacts have been quite similar with only some slight differences. Next step was to find out about the different views on policy responses for the climate change. Required actions are to raise the awareness about the impacts by starting educational campaigns as well as to devise and apply appropriate policies. Moreover, a suggestion is to place new tourism facilities outside of the vulnerable coastal area. To get a future perspective, a diversification of product offerings seems to be necessary. To get more public awareness it is proposed to formulate policies which can also help to get the required political support. In addition it is advised to use strategies and policies to adjust and reduce impacts. Those could mean to build accommodation above flood levels and seawalls as protection. In particular it is necessary to give the beach more space to move naturally. Finally it needs to be said that next to the sustainable use of the coast line it is very important that the needs of all members of the society need to be taken into account as well as all of them should be open to some compromises. Discussion of the policies Is the article prescriptive or descriptive? Before stating whether the article is mainly prescriptive or descriptive, firstly the two terms should be defined. According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2010), prescriptive is defined as, â€Å"saying exactly what must happen, especially by giving an instruction or making a rule†, while descriptive definition is, â€Å"describing something, especially in a detailed, interesting way†( Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2010). Further, in regard to an area of a study, it indicates the subject rather than developing theories about it. The article mainly seems to be descriptive as the authors describe how the situation on the small island Barbados is in regard to its development and climate change including its impacts on the tourism industry. Additionally, the research methods include the interviews and questionnaires as well as the policy makers` and industry managers’ perspectives concerning their opinion of the impacts/ policy responses for climate change are explained very detailed. For instance, it is stated who exactly belongs to the surveyed policy makers and industry managers, their view on the likelihood of the six discussed impacts and the explanation of the policy makers` and tourism industry managers’ views on the appropriateness of different policy responses. The tables which can be found in the article serve to provide an overview (see p. 6, 37 and 38) reflecting the given answers. In the whole article it is not stated exactly what must happen in regard to the policies as the policies are rather suggestions than compulsory. What are the policies developed, described or evaluated? The policies that are named in the article in connection with managing climate change, are the five following: 1. Mi tigation strategies 2. Adaption strategies 3. Collaborative work across sectors 4. Policy formulation 5. Increase public awareness. The first strategy involves strategies to lessen the severity of the impacts while the second one refers to adjusting to the impacts. The fact that the adaptation strategies related to the issue of rising sea levels are likely to be of a huge significance as the majority of the tourism provision is predominately to be found at the coast, these strategies will be examined more detailed. The policy makers suggested for instance, the diversification of the tourism product in Barbados in order to remove the dominance of tropical beach tourism and as a result re-invent it to establish a softer form of tourism. The diversification also entails the development of the natural, historic and cultural attractions to strengthen the tourism industry. Possible adaptation strategies in the Caribbean involve three options in connection with accommodation, protection and a planned retreat. The accommodation option involves that new buildings could be built on pilings above flood level and the protection option that seawalls are built to protect natural areas. The planned retreat indicates the optimal way to conserve the beaches which are exposed to hurricanes by allowing them (the hurricanes) more space to move naturally. This given space provides a safe distance which refers to the so called â€Å"coastal development setback†. Till now, the setback has been 30 meters from the high tide mark what is considered to be too low so it has to be extended. It could contribute, for instance, to the reduction of beach erosions by allowing the beach zone to expand. Moreover, the assistance of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) can serve as a plan for adaptation. This Integrated Costal Management approach taken in Barbados is managed by the following legislative acts: the Town and Country Planning Act, The Marina Pollution Control Act and the Costal Zone Management Act of 1998. According to the policy makers and tourism industry managers, increasing public awareness of the climate issues including educational campaigns is considered as one of the most crucial policy response to the impacts of climate change in Barbados. It can be said that it is advisable for Barbados, to work in the future on the development of policies, not only in regard to the climate change but also for a general positive tourism development, and if possible implement them to prevent or temper the impacts of climate change in order to conserve Barbados as an attractive tourism destination. Opinion about these policies Own opinion student one: All the policies mentioned in the article and explained before are very important for Barbados and necessary to deal with the impacts of climate change in my opinion. Generally I think it is not possible for a small island like Barbados to do a lot against the climate change itself but still there are many measures that can and should be taken to reduce its impacts and hence resulting problems. I think formulating policies to protect the environment is most important especially to use Integrated Coastal Management. The most sufficient example in the text is to protect hotels and other tourist facilities against sea level rising and storms by placing them away from the coast. This would also help the beaches to have natural space to move so they do not get destroyed. The beach is the main tourist attraction of Barbados so it is absolutely necessary to protect it even if it means to build the facilities away and accept therefore longer distances. Another attraction for tourists is the coral reef. If Barbados does not protect these natural resources by policies it could happen that they lose many important customers. This would be a big problem because they do not have any other resources they could build on which means the whole economy is dependent on tourism and therefore the protection of the environment by policies. The problem is that the locals do not all see these connections yet and do not sense it as a priority. Therefore the increase of public awareness mentioned before needs to be implemented as soon as possible I think. This entails especially education so people know what is going on and why it is important to react as well as telling them what they can do themselves in specific. As soon as there is awareness about the possible impacts among all the stakeholders it will be much easier to fight together against the problems that could come up soon. Own opinion student two: In my opinion the discussed policies are all very important to manage the climate change’s impacts on Barbados. Especially, the adaptation strategies in regard to the rising sea level are vital to prevent the destruction of locations and accommodations near the coast. If they are ruined, a significant part of the tourism provision would be lacking and result a considerable loss of money would follow. In regard to environmental aspects, without costal development setbacks, beach erosions would lead to the loss of land and destroy not only Barbados’ beaches but also the existence of the whole island. All this indicates the necessity of using Integrated Coastal Management. Policies should be formulated and implemented as soon as possible. To my mind, to increase public awareness of the climate change and its impacts surely plays a major role in the whole process of developing policies. Through public awareness, all stakeholders should be alert how important this issue really is and that everybody should be aware of it and fight against it. For me it is obscure that still so many people working in the tourism sector as well as in other industry sectors do overlook or ignore the climate change issue as measures to cope with it probably increase the costs and lead to the decline of profit. Own opinion student three: In my point of view, the approach of the five policies is a good start to make people aware of the climate change and to prepare the stakeholder for upcoming changes by introducing a diversification plan of the tourism product. I embrace the survey instruments used to determine the opinion of the stakeholders, because it gives a detailed overview of the current awareness of climate change and the priorities of policies. I also welcome the improvement points through education of locals about the climate change and involvement of all stakeholders to decide on an official policy. However, since the financial opportunities are limited, the government and private sectors should rather look for foreign investors in order to realize their ideas. Since the island wants to implement a scientific research in fields such as climatology, oceanography and geomorphology in order to preview the climate change, a lot of experts need to be employed and a lot of equipment needs to be provided, which costs a lot of money. The political commitment to the Maldive Islands and the spectacular underwater policy agreement shown on TV for the whole world is a good example how to attract foreign investors in order to protect the environment and to develop tourism in a sustainable way. Concepts/theories Having a look on the study objectives for Barbados (Climate Change and Small Island Tourism: Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados, 2005), five steps of the policy making process can be distinguished: 1. Examination of the potential impact of climate change 2. Study about the views of stakeholders working in the public and private sector 3. Assessment of the opinions of these two groups 4. Preferences of these groups for different policy responses 5. Suggestions for future research directions In regard to the first step, the negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts of climate change such as the sea-level rise, erosion of beaches and salt water intrusion in ground water pipes are determined through investigations. Overall, these threats point out the main problem statement: Which policies need to be implemented to reduce the potential damages of climate change? Since the general motive of implementing a policy is clear, the opinions of stakeholders concerning climate change need to be considered in order to formulate a â€Å"official† policy statement (Figure 2: Policy formulation). In order to get all stakeholder of the island involved, both policy makers in government and tourism industry managers are interviewed and given a questionnaire. In total 14 policy makers and 50 tourism industry managers from various tourism sectors are surveyed with several identical questions and others unique to their situation. The quite equal involvement of public and private sectors represents the social-democratic ideology of Barbados, which is an effective way to involve all interests and to form a policy. As can be seen in Figure 1, the representatives of the government as well as interest groups influence the policy, which is again a product of their connection and compromise between objectives, goals, vision, mission, values, philosophy and tradition. After the outcomes of both views on the likelihood of climate change impacts are listed (see table 1 2 in the article), a first analysis can take place in order to limit the policy opportunities. In the second chapter, five different policies were named. Here the opinions of stakeholders are requested again (see table 3 4 in the article). After undertaking the research, an analysis of the policies can be made (Figure 2: Policy analysis). The most important policy on which both parties mainly agreed on, is an increase of public awareness. Especially the government has a strong interest to encourage actions for tourism and has a direct impact on the economy due to their presence in the public sector (Barbados- Politics, government and taxation, 2009). This leads to a closer look at the role of the state with regard to tourism. According to Veal, eight types of market failure can be considered to the tourism sector. Especially the point about merit goods is reflected in the article. Those goods can be services that need time, experience and even education in order to come to appreciate them (Module book Destination Marketing Management, reader, 2009/2010). Written in the conclusion of the article, the stakeholder evaluate the policy making process (Figure 2: Policy monitoring and evaluation) and look for improvements of their system. Here the state can get involved and implement education campaigns or in this case to encourage a joint learning between all tourism segments. Moreover, to cover most interests efficiently, all stakeholders should be informed and involved in a decision discussion for an official policy. On this way, it can be made sure that all people have the right to co-decide. All in all, a trustworthy relationship between researcher and people being studied can induce to better results of the survey. Since this article is only based on the theory of policy making, the practical implementation is still unknown. This might be a hint that the reality of policy making needs a couple of startups and improvements until it will be finally realized. [pic] [pic] Conclusion After summarizing the article, â€Å"Climate Change and Small Island Tourism: Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados†, discussing the policies, expressing our opinion about them and connecting them to the literature and lecture, it can be said that the article is mainly written in a descriptive manner as it explains a wide range of issues very detailed. Further, in the article five possible policies are mentioned including mitigation strategies, adaption strategies, collaborative work across sectors, policy formulation and increase of public awareness. Referring to the opinions of the policies mentioned in the article, the group consistently agreed on the importance of these approaches to handle the climate change and its impacts. Special emphasize was given to the protection of the coral reefs, the education of locals in the tourism sector about the climate change and further attraction of foreign investors. At last, the content of the article was connected to figures and theories which can be found in the module book. It became clear that a policy making process consists of several steps including a detailed research, an analysis of the outcomes and a evaluation of the system to approach a official policy statement. Moreover, it is recognizable that both in the theory and in the article, the involvement of the government and the interest groups are important in order to implement an effective policy plan. Overall, it can be said that policies are essential to support sustainable tourism actions and the cooperation of all stakeholders are necessary in order to achieve their goals. Appendix Climate Change and Small Island Tourism: Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados References Barbados Tourism Authorities (2010). Long Live Life. Retrieved at February 17, 2010, from http://www. visitbarbados. org/long-live-life. aspx Belle, N. Bramwell, B. (2005). Climate Change and Small Island Tourism: Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados†.

Inert Citizens Demoracy a Fools Paradise! free essay sample

Inert Citizens Democracy: A Fools Paradise! It is the most beautiful truth in morals that we have no such thing as a distinct or divided interest from our race In their welfare is ours; And by choosing the broadest paths to effect their happiness, We choose the surest and shortest to our own Bulwer In this era, we have witnessed the worst recession of this century. The world was reeling under immense pressure with most of the western giant financial institutes falling like a house of cards. India with no exception and felt the blow of it with mainly our western world linked highly sought after globally acclaimed intellectuality asping and bleeding! Yet, it is now believed that our very cultural upbringing has kept us ashore in these highly turbulent times. Culture, a way of life, has inculcated the habit of saving for may be tomorrows hard times and this worked like a savoir for us! Well, habits are habits; and if some worked like a savior then few others have turned us as meek and inert. We will write a custom essay sample on Inert Citizens Demoracy: a Fools Paradise! or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Our docile nature was a lifes compulsion to live under most undemocratic regimes due to continuous ruthless invasions on our motherland. Through centuries of invasions have breed habit of accepting harbingers of uppression and have turned inertness around our surroundings as a way of accepting life. It is Just as if continuous mutations on crossover in genes perpetrates new breeds, all such habits good or bad are as if genetically codoned in our life; and as Shakespeare rightly said: How use doth breed a habit in a man. Well, in Nagpur, the local government is taking an advantage of this inertness of its citizens and therefore one after the other had imposed a murderous rise in taxes. Nagpur it is the largest city in central India. With a population of around 2,420,000 it s also the third largest city by population in the state of Maharashtra. The recent survey also tells us that Maharashtra has the highest number of urban poor in India. Historically, the British East India Company took over the city in 19th century and made it the capital of Central Provinces and Berar. After first state reorganization, it lost the capital status but was made the second capital of Maharashtra. The city is the commercial and political center of the states eastern Vidarbha region. However, interestingly Nagpur will be the only city in the globe whose inhabitants will have to ay over the last year, say upto 27 times more for water consumption, double and more for property tax, about 30% more on power consumption, new additional shop license fee upto Rs1000 per annum, and retrogressive octroi collection system makes everything more expensive. Globally, Octroi is an oldest form of local levies, a local tax collected on various articles brought into a city/ district for consumption. Octroi taxes have a respectable antiquity, in 12th and 13th century being known in Roman times as vectigalia (a tax on the entry from or departure to the provinces). From an early ime the octroi was farmed out to associations or private individuals, and so great were the abuses which arose from the system that the octroi was abolished during the French Revolution. However, after resurfacing, the octroi was finally abolished in octroi is levied only in Ethopia and in 22 cities of Maharashtra state in India. The reason why the world has done away with Octroi is its very nature of discrimination. Much before the time of free India till date, many committees had been entrusted the task of determining the validity of octroi, and all committees with no exception have asked Govt. to abolish it immediately. In 1925, the committee to study octroi recommended its abolition. In 1959, the M. R. Masani committee on Road Transport Reorganization considered on the levy of Octroi a national waste and suggested its immediate abolition. The Planning commission in 1966 recommended the abolition of octroi. The Keskar committee condemned the Cancer of Octroi which had spread through the body of politics of local administration and called it a grave danger to the civic life of the community. The Lok Sabha Estimates committee in 1975 said one of the main obstacles in the way of quick and rapid moment of road transport in the ountry is the multiplicity of check post and payment of duties at the check-posts. In the conference of Chief Ministers in Sept 1980, it was resolved to abolish octroi, the then prime minister calling it a regressive and retrogressive levy. As per a survey conducted under the chairmanship of Indias eminent economist Shri. Palkhiwala said the delay at check-posts accounted for 73% of effective time of commercial vehicles. The fuel consumption at the check post resulted in a wastage of 15%. The national council for Applied Economic Research worked out that these check-posts virtually mployed the carrying capacity of 80,000 trucks being idle. Shri. Palkhiwala said that for every rupee of net revenue derived from octroi, the net burden is Rs. 6. 27 to the nation. Well, after such observations of various committees were made all states except Maharashtra dumped Octroi either sooner or later. The Octroi was levied in Punjab till September 1, 2006, Gujarat abolished it in 2008, now the only state to have more than 1000 years old form of retrogressive local taxation as octroi, is the Maharashtra state. The state has lost on many new industries due to local taxation olicies, for example on 8th Oct 1998, the Mahindra Mahindra Limited wanted to set up its Rs 800 crore automobile project in Nasik in Maharashtra, but later went to Andhra Pradesh on account ofa hike in octroi charges. The Business Daily on Friday, Aug 04, 2006 mentions that The Subodh Kant report on octroi has recommended its abolition, the traders in Maharashtra have been calling for the abolition of octroi for the last 20 years. The Maharashtra Octroi Abolition Committee (MOAC) has been spearheading a campaign for its abolition. Mr Nayan Patel, President of the Indian Merchants Chamber, said that exports are booming at 22 per ent and the shipment of goods via Mumbai port was getting affected. Octroi levy is making Indian goods non-competitive in the international market. Maharashtra annually collects Rs. 5,572 crore as octroi. Out of the 22 municipalities in the State, the cumulative collection of 15 municipalities is only about Rs 700 crore. There has been a string of commitments from Maharashtra state on octroi removal issue but all of them turned out to be farce. On Dec 1 1, 2006, Anti-octroi traders bandh in Maharashtra by various traders associations have yielded on the false commitments f its abolition from the Chief Minister (CM) of state. Maharashtra to abolish octroi soon was announced by Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh on September 07, 2007, the then CM of Maharashtra. On Jan 13, 2008, PTI reported that the Maharashtra government 21, 2008, Maharashtra Cabinet discussed octroi abolition but failed to declare it. Yet again Shri. Ashok Chavan, the present CM announced in Aug 2009, after a cabinet meeting those 15 D-class corporations of the state would abolish octroi from next financial year. Interestingly, Maharashtra went to polls in October 2009, an election stunt. However, the commitment was not kept on octroi abolition in 15 D-class corporations. After poll results they had had yet again fooled the citizens. Well it isnt be a big shock of backtracking since the Cong. has mastered the art of ditching. We are aware that even previous political opponents of present government had abolition the octroi from some corporations in the past and the current political alliance overruled it after coming to power. For politicians we are Just pawns of their political game plans. They also know that we do have a very short memory and this make them exploit us even more. An excellent example to quote is: when Shri. Shankarrao Chavan, the then chief minister of Maharashtra and the father of present CM Shri. Ashok Chavan announced in a public rally that the state would do away with octroi from next financial year, and yet his son hasnt affected his will until today, while going back on his own words. We happily pluck the fruits of legacies left by our parents and very conveniently forget our responsibilities, Shri. Ashok Chavan is no exception; he is also an ordinary man in an extraordinary post. Well the list of cheating on octroi abolition matter by politicians is endless, when VAT was introduced, the White Paper on VAT mentions that: in the Chief Ministers conference it was resolved that all local levies like octroi must be removed, then only it will be the uniform pricing concept in true sense. However, because a few states had an apprehension that due to VAT their net sales tax revenue would fall, hence they delayed the abolition of octroi. Nevertheless, soon all other states abolished octroi after they found high yields from VAT collections. Whereas, in Maharashtra state in the year 2004-05, which was the final year of state sales tax collection, it was at Rs. ,719 crores, and after VAT was introduced it has rose to Rs. 40,OOO crores in the year 2008-09; this is almost two and half times increase in last four years. The states octroi collection of Rs. 5572 crores can always be compensated if ever the state government was serious and had any regard for their people and also for their own words! More so, these statistics dismisses the demand of state to h ave alternative revenue to compensate the octroi loss. These politicians are so greedy, people have paid Rs. 24,OOO crores more in VAT, and still VAT rate was raised this financial year and octroi shamelessly persists year after year. The latest episode of strong affection for octroi in Maharashtra was glaring when in a meeting held in Sept 2009 of Chief Ministers on forthcoming Goods and Service Tax (6ST) to be adopted soon, Maharashtra Govt. has announced that it will not do away with octroi tax in the state. These state politicos should be reprimanded by the incidentally same political party at the center and more iron hand be used by stopping all central aid to state if they fail to fall in line; have they even read the phrase: Carrot or Stick policy. On the similar lines on 06th Oct 2009, Prime Minister Shri. Manmohan Singh while ddressing the ministers of Food Processing Industries of states reiterated the need for GST and abolition of all local levies to finely structure the taxation in the country. The highest ever inflation rate which is killing the common man is neither an act of ruled states increasing VAT, keeping octroi and then publically laughing it off( Delhi CM Smt. Sheela Dixit that people have lot of money to pay, a near striptease)! The PM is the captain of the Ship and CM of his own political party doesnt take the cue to relax taxations then he shouldnt be feeling shy of turning a cue as a stick. In Nagpur, in the current financial year Nagpur Municipal Corporations proposed the increased budget worth year after year. Most of the development projects announced this year were already featured in previous years budget, which means no new projects, and yet a hike of 88% in collections were proposed in year 2008-09 to 2009-10. All this is because that more than 60% of the corporation budget goes into salaries and perks of employees. However, the committee on octroi and finance had put the ceiling cap on salaries to 16%. This is when we are yet to disburse salaries as per 6th Pay commission recommendations. Another, interesting developments since last 10 years is NMC work is allotted as privatization to private operators, e. g. , for garbage collection, tax collection, bus transport service, streetlight maintenance, water billing, biological waste disposal, water supply maintenance, so on and so for, then where does NMC employees contribute to city upkeep then? In an Indian democratic setup its the Government by the people, of the people, for the people; and according to thinker Taine there are four varieties in society; the lovers, the ambitious, observers and fools. The fools are the happiest he says. However, I feel, to run the government for the welfare of its citizens there should be more lovers of the motherland, the ambitious must lead the masses to prosperity, observers shouldnt be passive, and the fools must be those perpetrators of inhuman tax tirades, who are in their fools world of indifference towards responsibility of society. Lord Shiva, the god with epitome of destroyer in Hindu Mythology, has a Trisul, thy weapon with three spearheads; let each spear be like lover, ambitious and observer, with this trishul we need to corner the fools. Each person in Nagpur has to upheld his trishul of power, and the agitation is to awake the slumbered government living in fools paradise! Dear politicos, its already late to abolish the abusive, cancer of society, octroi. This is an SOS call to all lovers of this motherland India to rescue us from going down by the head into ocean of turbulent times orchestrated by arrogance and barbarism of politicians and executives. I certainly hope that this turbulence would turn into Sagar-Manthan, i. e. , the churning out good from the bad, and like always the good shall prevail! * DR. AJAY SONI Email: [emailprotected] com cell: +919822577987

Voter Group Identification free essay sample

Theoretical empirical exploration of three ways that identification with group (religious, economic, political) increases an individuals likelihood of voting. THE ROLE OF GROUP IDENTIFICATION ON A VOTERS DECISION TO CAST A BALLOT Introduction This paper develops and defends the notion that group identification increases the likelihood that an individual will decide to vote (as opposed to deciding not to vote) in any given election. The notion is developed and defended on both theoretical and empirical grounds. The paper itself can be divided into three sections. The first section offers a brief delineation of the Rational Choice and Collective Action models of political/voting behavior, justifying their use in the development of the group identification/decision-to-vote relationship on the grounds that they have been frequently used as explanative frameworks for..

Origins1 essays

Origins1 essays Creationism vs. Evolution, the argument disputed by more scientists, more paleontologists and more everyday people than probably any other argument since the dawn of man. Who is right? Do the theories and evidence of evolutionists have the right answers or do the faith and facts of creationists hold the answers? What is creationism? Creationism is the idea that all forms of life, and particularly humans, were independently created by a willful act on the part of God or a deity. Whats wrong with creationism? That depends on what form of creationism you are referring to. There are several forms of creationism that all differ from one another. None are really scientific, though not all are unscientific to the same degree. Old earth creationism holds that the earth was created a very long time ago and populated with life more-or-less shown in fossil records. However, new species of organisms were created one-by-one over all that time, each the result of a separate creative act by the Deity. This theory is not scientific, because it cannot be falsified; any evidence can be made to fit into it. Sequential creationism says that the earth is old, and the major groups of fossils do reflect organisms living at different times in earths history. However, the major mass extinction represent t imes when all living things were destroyed, and then the earth was repopulated by a new creative act. The last extinction happened recently, after which the current animals and humans were created, but this isnt scientific either. Sequential creationism simply doesnt agree with the evidence. None of these mass extinctions wiped out all life. In many cases, we find the same species of organisms both before and after the extinctions. Day-age creationism says that the book of Genesis is accurate in describing the order of creation, but that each day in Gene...

Compare and Contrast the traditional music of India with the Research Paper

Compare and Contrast the traditional music of India with the traditional music of Korea - Research Paper Example In 12th century, influences from the Middle East made Indian music split in to two main paths. Carnatic music was not altered by Arabian culture unlike Hindustani music, which embraced evident Persian and Arab influences from the ruling Muslim kings in the Northern states of India (â€Å"Carnatic music†). In 13th century Carnatic music localized in the Southern part of India and developed there a significant music culture (Randel, ed.). Carnatic music was quite diverse, but it utilized the main elements of Indian music which were sruti, swara, tala and raga. Out of these elements, sruti was defined as a musical pitch, and swara was the repetition of the same note; raga was a specific interchange of ascending and descending parts of the melody, and tala was a fixed rhythmic scale (Randel, ed.). Carnatic music was usually composed; though, improvisation was possible as well. Instrumentation of Carnatic music included the main performer (vocalist), melodic and rhythm accompanimen t and a drone (Randel, ed.). Usually, the vocalists sat in the middle of the stage because they were main figures in the performance, other musicians circled them behind. Goryeo dynasty, which ruled in 938-1392, contributed a lot to the development of Korean traditional music. Goryeo dynasty music was represented by aak, court ceremonial music (So). Aak was derived from Chinese model and it was translated as elegant music; it was presented to Goreyo dynasty in Korea by Song Dynasty in China. However, Koreans retuned Chinese music gifted to them and developed unique tone and style, which was radically different from Chinese music. All instruments for aak were shipped from China; they were divided into two orchestras – tungga (veranda orchestra) and hon’ga (ground orchestra) (So). According to Randel ed., akk orchestras included extremely diverse instruments grouped as idiophones (wooden and stone chimes, boxes, scrappers and clappers), aerophones (octarina, various flutes,