A Film Review On The Film Thunderheart

A Film Review On The Film Thunderheart In this film review Im going to discuss how the Native Indians and white Americans are presented in the film Thunderheart and the stereotypes within the film and in which extent it meets the overall purpose. Thunderheart is about an quarter Native Indian FBI agent called Ray Levoi that wont except his Native Indian background and considers himself to be a white American. However things changed when he was assigned to investigate murders that have taken place in the Badland South Dakota. Purely because of his background he was given this task, Ray wasnt keen on doing the task, his body langue said it all four minutes into the film he was very stiff all the way through the interview, small pauses when I was asked questions as well as denying that he knew his biological father who was half Sioux saying he died when he was a baby. Beside how he felt, to please the white man he thanks him and got on with it. Already made his mind up that these murders were done by the Sioux Indians, he go es to reservation area and looking for the prime suspect Jimmy who he believes is responsible for the murders because Frank Coutelle also an FBI agent who he admires told him so. However series of events that take place Ray starts to doubt that Jimmy is responsible, but Frank sidetracks him and makes him believe that the Native Indian police planed the evidence. The change doesnt come quickly 40 minutes into the movie Ray is still denying his heritage when he was asked by Maggie about his nationality he replied The United States this just shows the audience that he is willing to lie to everyone even to those that already know about it. But at some stage in the course of the story, Ray is freed from his stuck-up attitude to Indian culture with the help of spiritual journey that he experience, made to understand the many problems of the violence torn Indian community and forced to accept his own past (the film is set in the late 1970s). Inspired by real events that have took place on several American Indian reservations during the early 1970s, particularly the Wounded Knee incident in South Dakota. The aim of this film was to create a different version of the Wild West and not the Hollywood type where the American Indians are portrait to be savages, indigence and violent people that arent civilised. This film is trying to get away from that entirely and want to show what the American government has treated native Americans The opening scene of the film shows the Native Indians doing a Pow-wow dance, in the early hours of the morning just as the sun is rising. It is a beautiful setting with a blue sky and a tinted shade of light orange at the bottom of the horizon by the waking sun. This portraits them to be spiritual people that are connected to their culture and that they live a very simple life compare to the way the white Americans live. Pow-wow dance is about renewing thoughts of the old ways and to preserve a rich heritage and also that the community bond stays tight because without that they wont have much left. The Native Indians are shot in medium-close-up given them a sense of power and importance and not the outsider that isnt not part of the American dream. As it gets lighter the camera moves away giving a long shot of the whole ceremony that is surrounded by mounts which shows that they coexist with nature and that over the years nothing has changed in terms of the landscape. However this a lso shows how isolated they really are from the outside world and from the number of people that come to the ceremony it indicates that there arent many Native Indians left because normally large number of people would attend it. As the sun light gets stronger the Native Indian fade way, this is symbolic because it shows that the invasion of the white people happened so fast that feels like the change occurred over night and that the Native American become invisible as if they werent there anymore, just part of the history now. The background music that is played in this scene which consists of Shamanic drums, traditional Native American flute and people singing, is very peaceful, relaxing, makes you feel closer to natural life and gives the audience a flavour of what the native culture is like. Two minutes into the film the Extreme Long Shot, gives the audience the perfect view of the Badlands landscape, which shows that over the years there hasnt been any dramatic change, which in dicates that the Native Indians respect the natural habitat that they live in. In the next shot is depressing and mostly shocking to the audience because that last thing they expected. In this scene a Native Indian man is running from the distance, with windswept hair, clear sky, and the sun giving a warm feel and being in the middle of the screen enhances his beauty even more, giving the audience the impression that he is free as the wind, but the closer he gets you can hear that he is breathing heavily, tired and things arent what they seem. The audience were set to believe that everything was good like that American government tells them and all of sudden they witness someone being shot in cold blood. This just show that the white Americans are ruthless killers that have no remorse to what they are doing and are treating these people like animals, in which makes that white man the hunters and the Native Americans the prey. This shows that even the FBI agents that meant to restore order and peace are the same people that are committing these horrendous crimes . Even the people at the very top believe that the indigenous people dont fit into their society therefore they need to help these people that are caught in the illusion of the past to come to terms of the reality of the present. This just shows that the white man are there to change the indigenous people way of life, culture because they are burdening the image they are trying to sell to the rest of world, which consists of being on the move consistently and that hard labour pays. Indigenous This sense of place helps the movie with its weakest story element, the supposition that because the Kilmer character is a quarter Indian, he will somehow summon up his roots to help him decide between good and evil. An FBI agent at the time this film was shot would probably have had little difficulty in choosing between his roots and the rule book, and the rules would have won. Still, this is a movie, after all, and at the end there is a sense of rightness in the way everything turns out. There is also the sense that we have seen superior acting, especially by Kilmer.

Kenya education Essay

An Overview of the Kenyan Education System: Issues and Obstacles to Learning Posted by Lee-Anne Benoit on April 27th 2013 I’m back again with an outline of what I’ve learned about the Kenyan Education system from the diverse experiences that I’ve had. You’ll notice this blog is slightly more academic in nature, but I felt that it was important to find research to back up my own observations. Education is perceived as one of the principal motivating factors behind national economic development and it is one of the most effective ways in which individuals can ever hope to achieve better opportunities and a higher standard of living in Kenya. For these reasons Kenya has invested heavily into its education system over the past twenty years. It is my primary objective in this blog to express all that I have learned about the primary and secondary education systems in Kenya in the short 12 weeks that I have been here. I discuss the structure of primary and secondary schools, the implementation of universal free primary education (FPE), limited and equitable access to education, obstacles to learning within the classroom, special needs education and inclusion. My understanding is derived from my experiences visiting and working at eleven different public and private schools in Kenya, two Masters courses in Special Needs Education that I audited, academic journal articles as well as several discussions and conversations that I have had with various individuals related to the field of education. Structure of Primary and Secondary Education To begin, I’d like to outline what I have learned about the structure of primary and secondary schooling in Kenya. I have gained most of my insight from visiting nine different public and private schools in Nairobi and Mombasa. During these visits I was able to tour each school, observe classes, and interact with administrators, teachers, and students. What follows is an account of some of the pertinent information that I have gathered. Children begin primary classes around the age of three years old. They enter a nursery program for roughly two years before commencing Standard 1. Depending on their final KCPE (Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education) examination marks at the end of Standard 8, students may or may not qualify to attend a secondary high school. Secondary school in Kenya has four levels, forms 1 – 4 and is completed only when students finish their KCSE (Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations. Again, student grades play a key role in determining whether or not students are able to attend university. Due to the ethnic diversity in Kenya (42 different tribes), children begin school speaking a variety of languages. Because of this, all students study their subject material predominantly in Kiswahili up until Standard 3 in a homeroom classroom. It is not until Standard 4 students are immersed in English and must follow a strict timetable of up to 10 lessons a day. The subjects taught in the primary grades include Math, English, Kiswahili, Science, Social Studies and Christian Religious Studies. Depending on the location of the school, students may study Islam. Looking through the Kenyan Primary Education curriculum documents, I noticed that art and music were indeed included in the syllabus. However, after inquiring after this, I discovered that art and music have been cut from the timetable due of the cost and perceived unimportance of the subject material. From the little experience I have, it seems as though the degree to which children are allowed to express themselves creatively through art and music depends largely on the school and classroom teachers. From personal observation I can say with confidence that the approach to education in Kenya is largely teacher centered and by the book. Teachers strictly adhere to the Kenyan syllabus for both primary and secondary students and textbooks are a teacher’s primary resource during lessons. Standardized examinations are the sole assessment techniques that I have noted being used in regular classrooms thus far to report student progress. Students in every grade level must complete these standardized examinations at the end of each term, including students in preprimary programs. Grades are critical indicators of success and failure in the lives of students for they ultimately determine whether or not one is able to advance to secondary school. As I mentioned earlier, students must complete their KCP examinations at the end of standard 8. These are national, standardized exams in all subject areas and are worth a total of 400 marks. Students must achieve a minimum of 250 marks if they wish to enter secondary school. In order to graduate High School students must complete their KCSE examinations, and achieve high grades if they wish to enter university. I would like to point out that Kenyan teachers have excellent classroom management. Most of the students that I have observed are incredibly well behaved and show a level of focus and respect that I have not seen on such a large scale before. I am impressed by teacher’s classroom control especially considering the large class sizes that they handle on a daily basis. I attribute this classroom control to the use of corporal punishment, which is considered to be the norm in Kenya. It has also been argued that students’ passivity in the classroom dates back to British colonial days and has been an aid and a challenge in encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning (Ackers and Hardman, 2001). Universal Free Primary Education Another key point that warrants discussion is the implementation of FPE, Universal Free Primary Education, in Kenya. Many of the challenges that the Education system currently faces are directly linked to the implementation of FPE. G. J. Cheserek and V. K.  Mugalavai argue that the main problems facing the education system are, â€Å"issues of access, equity, quality, relevance and efficiency in the management of educational resources,† (2012, 473). The following discussion will elaborate on such issues. As of January 2003, the NARC government established the FPE program to satisfy the pledge it made during the 2002 general elections in order to provide opportunities to disadvantaged children (Makori). This project was a great success in terms of the increased enrollment of disadvantaged children. More than 1.5 million children enrolled in public schools across the country, (Makori). However, the country was not yet prepared to accommodate such a large increase as can be seen by such drastic consequences. Few primary schools were built to accommodate the influx of students, which led to over crowding and congested classrooms. There was a shortage of teachers at the time, which led to the employment of unqualified teachers (Makori). Schools lost revenue from the lack of tuition fees, which led to a strain on teaching materials and resources as well as limited physical facilities (Makori). Lastly, teachers’ challenges increased as their class sizes grew. Although Primary School tuition fees have been abolished, several factors continue to impede access to education in Kenya. Many parents still cannot afford to pay for school uniforms, textbooks, transport, meals and supplies, without which students cannot attend school (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). These fees are especially difficult for marginalized children such as females, orphans, and the financially underprivileged. Poor health and the inability to seek medical attention also impede many children’s access to education and negatively affect their academic performance, (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Many children cannot attend school due to intestinal worms, malaria, and other health concerns such as malnutrition, which can seriously affect their cognitive development. A teacher at the Kiambui Primary School informed me that many of the students arrived at school without having eaten breakfast and who did not bring lunches. Many teachers, despite their low salaries, felt obligated to bring food for the most needy. Lastly, there is an issue of distance and transportation. For some, transportation is unaffordable and the distance to school is too great to walk, which renders the possibility of attending school impossible (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Despite advancements in accessing primary education, access to secondary education has remained quite low in comparison. There are a number of reasons that account for this. For instance, secondary schools still require tuition payments. Although these fees have been reduced, it is still quite expensive for many. Distance also plays a major role for some in accessing education. As of 2011 there were approximately 26, 000 primary schools and 6, 500 secondary schools spread across the country, which meant that many communities did not have a nearby high school (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Poor KCPE examinations scores at the end of Standard 8 also create a barrier in accessing Secondary School. 2004 KCPE results show that a much higher percentage of students from private schools qualify for secondary school than public school, which has led to an overrepresentation of private school graduates attending top Kenyan Secondary Schools (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). The quality of primary education, so it seems, acts as a serious barrier to obtaining secondary education. Finally, there is limited space in secondary school so parents and students alike must compete for placement in one if not one of the elite National schools. Yet another interesting point to note is that FPE does not enable all children equitable access to quality education; the key word here being ‘quality. ’ There is an alarming difference between the quality of education that public schools offer vs. that of private schools as noted earlier. After visiting both private and public schools I can attest to the difference. The five private schools that I visited had a low teacher to student ratio, more resources and materials for students, an adequate amount of desks for their student body, as well as electricity and running water. On the contrary, some of the public schools that I visited had class sizes of 60 to 80 students, limited electricity, insufficient textbooks and desks for students. There is much speculation that the poor performance of public school graduates on the KCPE examinations is due to a number of specific factors. For example, because of the increased enrollment in primary schools in 2003, teachers had to contend with extraordinarily large class sizes made up of a diverse range of students whose preparedness varied. Circumstances such as these diminish a teacher’s ability to differentiate their instruction and give individualized attention. Resources and materials are spread thin and mobility within classrooms becomes limited. It is thought that this large influx of â€Å"first generation learners† has contributed to declining test scores in the public school system (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). It is also thought that poor performance in primary schools is perpetuated by an increasing stratification between public and private schools. This disparity becomes all the more clear when considering the disparity between the KCPE scores of public and private school graduates (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Under qualified teachers has also been stated as a factor as well as corruption. Obstacles to Learning Within the Classroom â€Å"For Kenya to be internationally competitive and economically viable, the Republic of Kenya requires an education system that will produce citizens who are able to engage in lifelong learning, learn new skills quickly, perform more non – routine tasks, capable of more complex problem-solving, take more decisions, understand more about what they are working on, require less supervision, assume more responsibility, have more vital tools, have better reading culture, quantitative analysis, reasoning and expository  skills† (Cheserek and Mugalavai, 2012, 472). As this statement explains, Kenya needs a strong education system that will train individuals to meet the growing economic needs of society. However, as discussed previously, evidence shows that students in public primary schools are achieving significantly lower their private school counterparts. There are a number of factors that can account for this disparity, which directly relate to the quality of primary education and the interactions between teacher and pupil. In 2001, Jim Ackers and Frank Hardman conducted a study on classroom interactions in primary schools in Kenya and found that the predominant teaching style was characterized by the ‘transmission of knowledge’ and was teacher focused in nature. Students were motivated to participate but answered preplanned, ‘closed’ questions and lessons often involved a high degree of choral response and repetition of memorized information (Ackers and Hardman, 2001). They go on to write that, â€Å"there were few examples of interaction between teacher and pupils that extended or even encouraged higher order thinking because of the domination of the recitation mode, where typically the teacher asks a series of pre-planned questions, initiates all the topics, and rarely interacts with the substance of the pupils’ answers except to evaluate them†(Ackers and Hardman, 2001, 12). Interestingly enough, this literature mirrors my own observations. I also noted the predominance of a rote learning style of teaching while visiting a number of primary schools. The teachers that I observed lectured on a topic for a large portion of a lesson and then questioned students to see what they were able to absorb. I did not observe any inter pupil interactions or discussions during class time. Rather, students spent the remainder of the class silently copying notes and answering questions from the board. I observed this pattern across multiple subjects and classrooms. Acker and Hardman point out that impediments to learning also include a lack of teaching resources and poor physical conditions of classroom spaces (2001). From what I have noted, the blackboard and student textbooks are the primary teaching aids in a lot of schools. Another obstacle to learning within primary grades is the size of the class. In many cases, teachers can have upwards to 80 students at a time in a regular sized classroom, which creates a congested environment. In such cases it is virtually impossible for a single teacher to meet the needs of every individual learner. Differentiation becomes ineffectual, as does mobility within the classroom. Resources are spread thin and many struggling learners are overlooked. In addition to overcrowded classrooms, teachers face many challenges, which in turn affect student performance. Firstly, they are under a great deal of pressure to teach all of the curriculum outcomes in order to prepare students for their examinations. Combined with a lack of funding and classroom space, teachers are at a loss when it comes to planning creative lessons. Secondly, teachers face a strong tradition of teaching practice that is both historically and culturally embedded. Attitudes towards change can be stubborn, making transformation a slow process. Thirdly, teachers lack an appropriate amount of support and assistance within the classroom as well as opportunities for professional development. As it stands, resource and literacy programs are virtually non-existent in schools, and the government cannot afford to pay for assistants within the classroom. Few primary schools can even afford a library. Fourthly, and in part due to distance, there are barriers to communication between home and school, which negatively impacts student progress. Lastly, primary school teachers work for very low wages, which can be demotivating for some, ultimately affecting their professional pedagogical practice. For many teachers and students alike, school can be a truly sink or swim endeavor. Special Needs Education and Inclusion My insight into special needs education derives from two sources. Firstly, I have audited two Masters level courses on special needs education in Kenya entitled Guidance and Counseling of Special Needs students and Issues and Problems in Special Needs Education. Secondly, I have worked for a short time at a private special needs school entitled Bright Hills. In addition to Bright Hills, I have also visited three different ‘Special Units’ in public schools: Kaimbui Primary School, Kilimani Primary School, and Muchatha Primary School. I would like to share some of the pertinent information that I have learned. According to my own personal experience and research, special needs education is predominantly segregated from general education classes. Many primary and secondary schools have classes termed ‘Special Units. ’ These classes are home to students who have a wide range of learning needs, which â€Å"cannot† be met by regular classroom teachers. I have been told that Special Units are inclusive in the sense that all students who have a disability or a special need share a common learning space. It is the role of the special education teacher to tackle the challenging task of differentiating lessons for many students who have varying degrees of learning dependency. Many of the students of Bright Hills Special Needs School are taught the regular primary school curriculum. However, other special needs students are given vocational training, which I observed at the Kiambui Special Unit and the Deaf and Blind Unit at the Kilimani Primary School. Learning skills such as beading and weaving give students the potential to earn a livelihood outside of school and become productive members of society. Although the Kenyan Minister of Education approved a policy in 2009 that supports the equitable access to quality education and training of learners with special needs, special needs education still faces many challenges. The factors that hinder the provision of education for special needs learners include vague guidelines that describe the implementation of an inclusive policy, insufficient data on children with special needs, ineffective assessment tools, curriculum, and a lack of qualified professionals, (Lynch, McCall, Douglas, McLinden, Mogesa, Mwaura, Njoroge, 2011). Many of the discussions in which I participated in my class: Issues and Problems in Special Needs Education mirrored this argument. Major issues that were discussed include the stigmatization of persons with disabilities, a lack of funding to equip teachers with the resources, materials and support required to meet learners needs, a lack of curriculum adaptations, differentiation, appropriate methodology and qualified personnel, inappropriate and biased assessment measures and the misdiagnosis of learning disabilities, which leads to the misplacement of Students in Special Units. I have also had several discussions concerning the implementation of inclusive educational practices within Kenyan Schools. Many of my classmates believe that inclusion is indeed the way forward in reforming the issues inherent in special needs education. Others however, believe that inclusive education is too ambitious a reform to make. Dr. Mary Runo stated in a lecture that she is not certain that inclusive education is what Kenya presently needs. Rather, the focus of reform should be on government policy and persistent negative attitudes towards disabilities. Although inclusive practices are in a fledgling state in Kenya, there are a few successful cases. Take for example the Kilimani Primary School, which is the only school in Nairobi that incorporates the hearing and visually impaired into general classrooms. Numerous supports are provided to students such as braillers, translators, adaptations, and individual assistance. The Kilimani School also has a segregated Special Unit for those who are deaf or blind as well as a Special Unit specifically for those who are deaf and blind, both of which are well equipped with qualified and dedicated teachers as well as a diverse range of teaching aids and resources. It is common practice for a Primary school to pull struggling students out of the regular classroom and place them in a Special Unit for a short time until they can successfully transition back into a regular classroom. The Kyangoma Primary School has 68 special needs learners, the majority of which study in a Special Unit. However, students who have physical disabilities or are highly functioning cognitively are integrated into general classrooms in order to follow the regular school curriculum. Although integration does not equate inclusion, it is evidence that there is a growing acceptance of inclusive practices. Overall, I would argue that special needs learners are segregated from regular classrooms for the most part and that levels of inclusive practice vary from school to school, depending on financial resources, teachers’ attitudes, and community support. Conclusion It is difficult to articulate all that I have learned about the Kenyan education system in the past twelve weeks, as my experiences have been diverse and I have come to understand the cultural context within which this system works. The education system in Kenya has been undergoing considerable change since the induction of Universal Free Primary Education in 2003. Despite the many deep rooted and interconnected problems that impede equitable access to quality education, reformation is high on the government’s list of priorities. One thing that I can confidently attest to is the unquestionable confidence and positivity that I have encountered in many Kenyans who strongly believe in the advancement of the education system. Kenya’s future is bright as long as these discussions continue and individuals strive to make change. References Ackers, J. , & Hardman, F. (2001). Classroom Interaction in Kenyan Primary Schools. Compare, 31(2), 245-61. Cheserek, G. , & Mugalavai, V. (2012). Challenges and Reforms Facing Kenyan Education System in the 21st Century: Integrating the Principles of Vision 2030 and Constitution 2010. Journal Of Emerging Trends In Educational Research & Policy Studies, 3(4), 471-478. Glennerster, R. , Kremer, M. , Mbiti, I. , & Takavarasha, K. (2011). Access and Quality in the Kenyan Education System: A Review of the Progress, Challenges and Potential. Retrieved from: http://www. povertyactionlab. org/sites/default/files/publications/Access%20and%20Quality%20in%20the%20Kenyan%20Education%20System%202011. 06. 22. pdf KENPRO (2010). Challenges Facing Inclusive Education in Regular Primary Schools in Kenya. KENPRO Online Papers Portal. Retrieved from: www. kenpro. org/papers. Lynch, P. , McCall, S. , Douglas, G. , McLinden, M. , Mogesa, B. , Mwaura, M. , & †¦ Njoroge, M. (2011). Inclusive Educational Practices in Kenya: Evidencing Practice of Itinerant Teachers Who Work with Children with Visual Impairment in Local Mainstream Schools. International Journal Of Educational Development, 31(5), 478-488. Makori, A. Implementation of universal primary education in Kenya: An analysis of its impact and progress towards achieving the EFA goal in Kisii District. Retrieved from: http://www. kaeam. or. ke/articles/vol1/makorifulltext. pdf Category: Uncategorized // 16 Comments  » 16 Responses to â€Å"An Overview of the Kenyan Education System: Issues and Obstacles to Learning† 1. women fashion show 2013 // June 25th 2013 Someone essentially help to make critically posts I would state. That is the very first time I frequented your website page and so far? I surprised with the analysis you made to create this particular publish incredible. Fantastic task! 2. Graham Mulligan // July 3rd 2013 Lee-Anne, thank you for this post. I concur with everything you describe regarding the current state of Primary Education in Kenya. Although there is much hope for change, there are enormous challenges ahead. I wonder what specific improvements can be made, especially in the many isolated and impoverished public primary schools. I am currently planning a short visit to do teacher training in some of these schools. Do you have any suggestions for me? cheers Graham 3. Rahab // July 4th 2013 Your observations are very insightful and on point. It is rather disturbing that all education activities in the Kenyan system end up creating bottle necks at some point or other. What are your suggestions on making the system create paths for learners graduating from the various levels of the system? How can the system encourage student creativity and participation both in school and out of school? Is there hope that the Kenya education system will ever become learner centered rather than content and teacher centered? 4. desigual sale // July 17th 2013 Someone essentially help to make critically articles I might state. That is the first time I frequented your web page and to this point? I amazed with the analysis you made to make this actual put up extraordinary. Wonderful job! 5. Evelyn Corrado // July 17th 2013 Very insightful paper for my study; I am researching on how we can move from teacher centered approach in Kenyan education into student focused, where students can creatively use their reasoning minds, work together to problems solve and bring in their daily experiences into learning.. i agree learning molds the Kenyan society and if problem solving & conflict resolution is not enhanced in schools, no wonder the ethnic conflicts in Kenya society & God-father system where minority rule and the rest can’t challenge it, for lack of confidence . 6. Alice Wawira // July 29th 2013 This is quite helpful and you have done great job. Just check: KCPE mark is 500 not 400. The public schools suffer a lot of deficiency ranging from teachers to resources. If only teachers were enough something like 1:25-35 which is the current proposal to the education ministry; enough classrooms and resources, I don’t think the syllabus would be a problem however wide. I’m inclined to believe so because the private schools and the well-established national schools manage to cover the syllabus long before the end of fourth year in secondary and end of eigth year in primary. The discipline exhibited by the students in the classroom as you explained is one major strength in these schools and as such, it would be quite helpful even in content coverage. Kenya is becoming gradually aware of SEN and some progress has been made. I would however wish that we borrowed a leaf from the international system where children with SEN are allowed to sit special exams and even have assistants in classroom and during exams. In Kenya, almost all the times they sit the same exam only that special consideration and provisions(like brille and additional time) are given during and after the national exams. The worst is when a child in hospital or one who has just given birth is allowed to sit the same exam as any other in good health. News has it that computers will come in handy for the hearing-impaired and this will be great. Fantastic job you have done. Having worked in the Kenyan system and in the international as well, I can’t fail to see the flaws in the former and I hope to do something about it only that for now, I have no idea where to start. 7. Leonard Kiarago // August 2nd 2013 Indeed, Kenya has a long way to go before the government is able to provide ‘quality education’; however, we must agree that there is some progress despite the obstacles. Kenya has the resources, the manpower and the capacity to provide the young generation with quality education. Kenya has highly qualified professionals produced by top universities all over the world, unfortunately when it comes to policy development and decision making, that is left to politicians leading to wrong policies being implemented without consideration for need assessment or putting priorities right. Take, for example, the issue of laptops for every kid joining primary school; is that really a priority for the Kenyan kids? Even in developed countries like the UK the government doesn’t provide laptops/computers to every single kid, instead schools have a computer lab used during IT lessons or for lessons requiring some research. Instead of considering building and equipping more classrooms as well as recruiting more teachers, the government is thinking about laptops for schools some of which kids learn under trees and with no electricity or teachers who have basic IT knowledge. The subject of how inclusive education should be implemented is a controversial one because even in developed countries like UK, they still  maintain special schools because inclusive practice is not just a matter of closing special schools and taking children with SEN to mainstream schools. How do you put a child with special needs in a class of 80 kids and call that inclusive education? For inclusive education to be successful there must be availability of resources and manpower as well as change of attitude by those who consider themselves ‘normal’. How that can be possible in a country divided through tribal and ethnic affiliations remains a big issue. If Kenyans cannot accommodate fellow Kenyans from a different tribe, how can they accommodate those perceived to be ‘abnormal’? What is most worrying is that any time you listen to news or read newspapers, the most likely headline to find is about a certain politician from a given community attacking another one from a different community instead of engaging in constructive politics. The article posted a few days ago in daily nation in which a governor was threatening to shut down schools just because they were built on the boundary by a neighbouring county leader is a good example of what I mean: http://www. nation. co. ke/News/Leader-orders-schools-shut-in-boundary-row/-/1056/1930912/-/view/printVersion/-/khd48cz/-/index. html ‘A society’s treatment of those who are weak and dependent is one critical indicator of its social progress’. This was an observation by Kirk, Gallagher and Anastasiow (1997) who in their study of children with special needs noted that social attitudes towards the education and care of children with special needs reflect the general cultural attitudes concerning the obligations of a society to its citizens. The problem with the provision of education in Kenya can only be solved if the government allowed professionals to contribute to policies related to their field of expertise and to set aside funds for research so that policies can be validated through research to avoid implementing policies, which are politically driven. (Kiarago is a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham) 8. Pierre Varly // August 19th 2013 thanks a lot for your excellent article full of infos and very well structured. i have a blog on education in the developping countries where i could publish the article also if you agree. 9. Isaac Maluki // August 22nd 2013 Thank you for your good report. Kindly tell me, how many students qualify for university education in Kenya but do not make it for lack of school fees? 10. Amen K. Rahh // October 3rd 2013 Thank you for this insightful blog. I would however like to point out the roll of ICT and the growing impact online learning is having on learning in schools. With the introduction of laptops for primary school students, the Government seems to understand the survival of the failing education system is depended on IT solutions. http://www. cc-gate. com as well as the CCK are working on online content and tutoring coming in the future. 11. Edy // November 5th 2013 Hi, I found this blog a few days ago as I was looking for some research into the Kenyan education system. You have done wonderful analysis. However, one correction to your information is that Swahili is not the predominant teaching tool for Nursery-Std 4 pupils. In fact, and to the contrary, English is widely used to instruct children because apart from Swahili, all other disciplines, Math and Science included cannot be feasibly administered in Swahili. 12. John muema // November 7th 2013 these is true and i urge the government to employ more teachers 13. Agesa Akufa // November 9th 2013 This is a good, well researched and articulated work. just a point of correction, the kcpe marks total to 500 not 400. otherwise it is an impresive that will many researchers especially university students. if the government can take into account this piece of work then we should expect to see enormous steps taking root in the educational system. of course, steps to spin the country foward. i salute you! 14. THOMAS ODENY //.

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Us History Regents Essay Topics

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Us History Regents Essay Topics The Key to Successful Us History Regents Essay Topics An essay is mainly geared toward activating educational and cognitive activity. Your essay should begin with the introduction. It should go short and concise. If you would like to compose the essay yourself, we believe it would be best to select a universal subject or issue. Although many of you might not have heard about the thematic essay, it's likely that you will acquire this kind of assignment pretty soon. In any case, adequate research and knowing of the material also play an essential role in writing an excellent essay. If you don't find out how to compose a thematic essay, there's always a means out we can write an essay for you. For example, if you ask us to compose a paper on one of the numerous American history essay topics, you can be sure your writing will be in keeping with the language style you request. 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The Prevailing Message Throughout Sophocles Antigone And...

The prevailing message throughout Sophocles’ Antigone and King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is that civil disobedience serves the purpose of fighting and correcting injustice in situations where systemic breaks in adherence to natural law occurs. Injustice here as used here is not to be synonymous with things that are simply unlawful or unfair, but instead takes on a deeper and more specific definition pertaining to the natural moral codes that all laws, as argued by King and Antigone, ought to be based upon. It is by this definition that both Antigone and King find reasoning; that civil disobedience is absolutely necessary as the final option one must take when dealing with systemic, top-down injustice. Where there is dissonance between†¦show more content†¦In lines 449-525, when Creon examines Antigone after the burial of her brother, Antigone plainly admits that she follows Zeus’ moral laws before Creon’s law, citing Zeus’ to be â€Å" unwritten and unshakable† and â€Å"forever†, which contrasts with Creon’s, which are ephemerally â€Å"for now or yesterday†. Antigone’s extremism typified in her willingness to die just to correct a single lapse in morality that exists within the law makes the importance placed upon founding law in morality as clear as it can possibly be. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is a near perfect articulation of his revolutionary ideas on the nature and purpose of civil disobedience. Like Antigone, King’s intent for civil disobedience is to mend a gap between legal and natural law. His reasoning is more specific and less idealized than Antigone’s, but at a basic level, it’s the same struggle to fight for morality in law that compels him to write this letter. King saw the (important to note) legally justified treatment of Blacks in America as a crime against humanity – similar in function to Creon’s decree and Antigone’s reaction thereafter. King saw civil disobedience as a last resort, but the only option in the face of a systemic break in the rule of law and natural law, speaking to a larger idea of the nature

Cam with Cell Phone Advantage and Disadvantage - 1443 Words

†Hold it right there and Drop that camera† WHAT grabbed my attention, said Alderman Edward M. Burke, was that TV commercial when the guy is eating the pasta like a slob, and the girl sends a photo of him acting like a slob to the fiancà ©e. The commercial, for Sprint PCS, was meant to convey the spontaneity and reach afforded by the wireless worlds latest craze, the camera phone. But what Mr. Burke saw was the peril. If Im in a locker room changing clothes, he said, there shouldnt be some pervert taking photos of me that could wind up on the Internet. Accordingly, as early as Dec. 17, the Chicago City Council is to vote on a proposal by Mr. Burke to ban the use of camera phones in public bathrooms, locker†¦show more content†¦What theyve done is go to the extreme, he said. Theyve threatened the rights of the majority of people to try to control the conduct of a few, and thats just beyond the balance. He added that the only way to deter people from taking photos of others was to punish them for taking surreptitious pictures rather than banning the phones. Des Peres, Mo., a St. Louis suburb, passed a more limited and specific law in September that bans taking photos of a person who is partly unclothed without consent in an area where they should expect privacy. The ordinance would provide the city with some teeth for the ability to prosecute someone, said Jason McConachie, the assistant city administrator, adding, I dont believe there is any way to proactively enforce it, like putting police officers in locker rooms. He said the city would help an aggrieved citizen pursue legal action against someone for taking pictures in a restricted area without consent -- an occurrence as yet unreported. Some courthouses have extended existing bans on picture taking to include camera phones. Representative Michael G. Oxley of Ohio felt that the federal government should draft its own provision, so he and a fellow Ohio Republican, Senator Mike DeWine,Show MoreRelatedSocial Media vs. Personal Communication Essay1030 Words   |  5 PagesWanzo October 13, 2011 Social Media vs. Personal Communication In todays world, social media plays a major role in each individuals every day lives. It has its advantages and disadvantages; however, it is doing more harm than good because society is losing its ability to communicate on a personal level. Some advantages in the use of social media would be that its an excellent tool for gathering/obtaining information. A good example would be the medical field: If youre travelling outRead MoreSocial Network Use Enhances Self Esteem1443 Words   |  6 PagesEmail, cell phones and text messaging are very important forms of communication now days as well. It used to be that you only had a land line phone and face to face communication and that was it. A social network has its many advantages to making communicating with our friends and family very easy. It also has its disadvantages as well that may or may not make our lives very uncomfortable. Is this form of technology going to affect how we relate to one another face to face? Advantages of thisRead MoreDesigning A Fdm Based Rapid Prototype Ie1634 Words   |  7 Pagesextrusion nozzle which can turn the flow on and off. The nozzle is heated to melt the material and can be moved in both horizontal and vertical directions by a numerically controlled mechanism, directly controlled by a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software package. The object is produced by extruding melted material to form layers as the material hardens immediately after extrusion from the nozzle. This technology is most widely used with two plastic filament material types: ABS (AcrylonitrileRead MoreManagement and Business Managers1646 Words   |  7 Pagescompetition and new ways of working- Explain that? 4. Discuss how the Information Technology offers new ways of business competition? 5. Discuss how the Information Technology offers new ways of working? 6. Differentiate and explain the advantages amp; disadvantages for them : Free Agents amp; Virtual Teams ? 7. What means by IS? What are the three assets of technology ( 3 IT recourse) ? 8. Explain how can manage the IT recourses in modern organizations? 9. What are the roles of peopleRead MoreThe Death Of Michael Brown1585 Words   |  7 Pagesthere are many who feel police body cameras present a challenge to privacy and safety issues for both cops and civilians, by recording police-citizen encounters, it increases transparency and accountability of officers and the video recorded by body cams protect any false accusations, police misconduct, officials can get clear evidence of what happened instead of relying on hearsay. In May of 2015, the Department of Justice and President Obama announced a $20Read More The Future of Technology in Cars Essay5567 Words   |  23 Pageswill handle hotel and restaurant reservations. Stranded? OnStar will contact the nearest tow truck service and send help to any location. Important phone call to make? Just call out the number and you’re connected, all at your fingertips twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year.† These are just a few of the many advantages of having OnStar in your automobile. General Motors first introduced OnStar in the Northstar Cadillac’s in 1996, and now it is available to most carsRead MoreWifi2673 Words   |  11 PagesCONTENTS:    ⠝â€" WHAT WI-FI IS ⠝â€" WI-FI FOR BUISNESS ⠝â€" WI-FI HOTSPOTS ⠝â€" WI-FI IN PALM TX HANDHELD DEVICE ⠝â€" WI-FI IN ROBOTICS ⠝â€" WI-FI OVER BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY ⠝â€" APPLICATIONS OF WI-FI ⠝â€" ADVANTAGES OF WI-FI ⠝â€" DISADVANTAGES OF WI-FI ⠝â€" SECURITY ⠝â€" CONCLUSION 1. WHAT’S WI-FI? A way to get Internet access, the term Wi-Fi is a play upon the decades-old term Hi-Fi that describes the type of output generated by quality musical hardwareRead MoreStrategy of Tissot Analysis3843 Words   |  16 Pagescompany use one or more elements to plan marketing strategy. The marketing strategies of Tissot are built in promotion and advertising include: * High technology Tissot has launched a 3-D feature on its Web site allows consumers to use their Web cams to try on watches from its Touch Collection before purchasing them. The Swatch Group brand says it is the first time a Swiss watch brand has used 3-D augmented reality technology. It allows users to virtually try on watches and change modelsRead MoreStrategy of Tissot Analysis3852 Words   |  16 Pagescompany use one or more elements to plan marketing strategy. The marketing strategies of Tissot are built in promotion and advertising include: * High technology Tissot has launched a 3-D feature on its Web site allows consumers to use their Web cams to try on watches from its Touch Collection before purchasing them. The Swatch Group brand says it is the first time a Swiss watch brand has used 3-D augmented reality technology. It allows users to virtually try on watches and change modelsRead MorePen-Style Personal Networking Gadget Package12728 Words   |  51 Pagesdeveloping stage by NEC Corporation. P-ISM is a gadget package including five functions: a CPU pen, communication pen with a cellular phone function, virtual keyboard, a very small projector, and a camera. P-ISM’s are connected with one another through short-range wireless technology. The whole set is also connected to the Internet through the cellular phone function. This personal gadget in a minimalist pen style enables the ultimate ubiquitous computing. 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Abortion, Parenting, Animal Rights, Capitalism Notes Free Essays

Abortion: (See Abortion Murder, The Case Against Abortion in Highlights) Women are blessed with a miraculous reproductive system. They should be encouraged to honor and respect it. It should be used responsibly. We will write a custom essay sample on Abortion, Parenting, Animal Rights, Capitalism: Notes or any similar topic only for you Order Now We should not encourage women to abuse it because it is their body and thereby their right. Yes, there are circumstances where they have to make very tough decisions and choices because of rape or incest. But instead of encouraging abortion right from the start, they should be counseled on other solutions first and make abortion the very last absolutely tragic answer to their problem. Tell women they have a right to abort, it’s their body, and it’s their choice. No. Many will abuse that right and start using it as a method of birth control. I’d like to think this is not true but many will abuse that right and start using it as a method of birth control. I don’t ever want abortion to become fashionable or just another procedure. It should always be regarded as the last possible option and only in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is in danger. American Atrocities (Domestic) : Also see International American Atrocities Rockefeller has Coal miners union organizers murdered. The Ludlow Massacre in 1914 by the National Guard. 11 Children, 2 Women. In 1847 Federal troops killed 30 workers, 100 woulded in the battle of the Viaduct in Chicago. In 1894 Federal troops killed 34 Pullman railroad union members. 1897, 19 coal miners killed, 36 wounded in PA. Animal Rights: The Illogic of Animal Rights by J. Neil Schulman The so-called â€Å"animal rights† movement is relying upon a logical fallacy which is based on mutually exclusive premises. Animal rights† premise #1: Human beings are no different from other animals, with no divine or elevated nature which makes us distinct; â€Å"Animal rights† premise #2: Human beings are ethically bound not to use other animals for their own selfish purposes. If human beings are no different from other animals, then like all other animals it is our nature to kill any other ani mal which serves the purposes of our survival and well-being, for that is the way of all nature. Therefore, aside from economic concerns such as making sure we don’t kill so quickly that we destroy a species and deprive our descendants of prey, human animals can kill members of other animal species for their usefulness to us. It is only if we are not just another animal — if our nature is distinctly superior to other animals — that we become subject to ethics at all — and then those ethics must take into account our nature as masters of the lower animals. We may seek a balance of nature; but â€Å"balance† is a concept that only a species as intelligent as humankind could even contemplate. We may choose to temper the purposes to which we put lower animals with empathy and wisdom; but by virtue of our superior nature, we decide †¦ and if those decisions include the consumption of animals for human utilitarian or recreational purposes, then the limits on the uses we put the lower beasts are ones we set according to our individual human consciences. â€Å"Animal rights† do not exist in either case. Even though I personally believe we were created by God, unlike advocates of the Judeo-Christian tradition I do not rely upon the question of whether humans have a â€Å"soul† to distinguish humans from animals. Like secular rationalists, I’m content to resolve the issue of the nature of human beings, and the nature of animals, by scientific means — observation, experiment, and the debate of paradigms. Each of these criteria is simply a proof of intelligence and self-consciousness: 1) Being observed as producing or having produced technological artifacts unique to that species; 2) Being observed as able to communicate from one generation to the next by a recorded language unique to that species; 3) Being observed as basing action on abstract reasoning; ) Being observed as engaging in inductive and deductive reasoning processes; 5) Being observed as engaging in non-utilitarian artistic activity unique to that species. I’m sure there are other criteria we could use, but these are obvious ones that come to mind immediately. None of them speculates about the unobservable functioning of a neural network; all of them are based on observable effects of intelligence and self-con sciousness. Conclusively, we are of a different nature than other animals we know. Neither cetaceans nor other higher mammals, including the higher apes, qualify as â€Å"human† under these criteria. We do not observe these significations of intelligence and self-consciousness in any other species we know, such criteria being neither necessarily anthropocentric nor even terracentric. By the â€Å"survival of the fittest† which is the law of raw nature, no animal has rights: only the tools to survive as best it can. The chicken has no right not to be eaten by the fox. The wildebeest has no ethical recourse against the lion. If we are merely animals, no other animal has any ethical standing to complain against the human animal for eating them or wearing their skins. But, if we are superior to other animals — if our nature is of a different kind than other animals — then why should we grant rights to species who can not talk, or compose symphonies, or induce mathematical equations, or build satellites which send back television pictures of other planets? Why shouldn’t we humans simply regard lower animals as things which may become our property? We may be kind to animals if it is pleasing to us to do so, but we should not grant animals an equal stature that nature has not given them. Respect for nature requires a respect for the nature of what things are †¦ nd we are better, stronger, smarter, than the animals we hunt, ranch, farm, fish, trap, butcher, skin, bone, and eat. They certainly have no ethics about us, for they are just animals. Nor are any â€Å"animal rights† activists themselves merely animals. There is no organization called Porpoises for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It is People who make those demands of other People. Those who argue for animal rights argue that since animals are living and feel pain, that therefore nature gives them a right not to be treated cruelly. This is an argument that could only work on a being capable of empathy — and that requires an elevated consciousness. It is true that animals can feel pain, and that esthetically requires that we not be cruel in our treatment of them. But what is cruelty? Beating a horse that won’t pull a wagon? Making animals fight each other for sport? That’s no longer the issue, is it? The issue is ranching minks to skin them for fur; castrating and slaughtering steers to eat them; hunting and shooting deer, ducks, and elks; testing cosmetics on animals; doing medical experiments on animals to advance medical knowledge. Do we have a moral obligation not to use animals for human utilitarian purposes, which is another way of asking whether animals have the right not to be treated as objects to be exploited for their usefulness? The idea of a right means that which has rights may not be treated as a utilitarian object for the fulfillment of the purposes of others. Animal rights would mean animals would be immune from being used to fulfill any human purpose. PETA has it exactly correct. If animals have rights, then we may not ethically use them for our own selfish purposes, no matter how necessary we think that use or how humanely we assert we do it to them. This is, in fact, the logical conclusion of â€Å"animal rights. † If animals have rights then we need not make any distinction between an unnecessarily cruel use of animals (pick one: cock- fighting, animal testing for beauty products) or eating animals, because if animals have rights then we are not morally entitled to put them to utilitarian use, period. Let me make it clear: I am not questioning the humaneness or cruelty of any particular practice. My point is that the interests of those who assert that the lower animals have rights is not to protect animals against cruel treatment. That can be done merely by an appeal to our consciences. Those who assert that animals or even â€Å"habitats† have rights do so to destroy individual human rights to control what I term the anthroposphere: the human habitat. It is the individual human right to control our private spheres of action — our individual habitats — which they oppose. Some â€Å"animal rights† activists, basing their thinking on pantheism, equate humans with the rest of nature by saying that we are all share a divine consciousness. But equating humankind as no more divine than inanimate objects or other animals isn’t raising nature but lowering humankind. Pantheists believe that everything is sacred, including the inanimate. Yet, I don’t notice them picketing Mount St. Helen’s volcano for spewing its lava, burning trees and killing wildlife. It’s only human action to which animal rights activists object. So where do we find ethics here? If we look to nature, we see only that the strong use the weak for their own purposes — and we are obviously the master of all other animals by that standard. If we look to the center of all human ethics, the Golden Rule, we are told to treat others as we would wish to be treated. But what others? Animals can’t treat us as we wish to be treated because they don’t have the wit to entertain ethics at all. Which leaves us esthetics, which exists only in individual humans. Since lower animals don’t have rights, we humans need to make judgments on humane versus cruel treatment of lower animals not by treating animals as if they have rights but instead must rely on our esthetic values — our consciences. But, after seeing tree-spikers, people throwing paint on fur coats, and Kentucky Fried Chicken being equated with Auschwitz, it’s now apparent that the effect of trying to give animals the same ethical immunities as humans is that all esthetic distinction between cock-fighting and eating meat is lost. The effect of â€Å"all or nothing† in our uses of animals is to blunt our consciences, which makes us crueler to animals, not less cruel. Those people among us who would give lower animals human rights do not do it because they love other animals. They do it because they hate humankind. They hate the fact that their own superior nature as intellectual beings gives them superior challenges which they shrink from by attempting to deny the superiority of their human nature. â€Å"Animal rights† is just one more diabolic scheme for promoting government control over human lives by destroying our right to private property. It is the logical tactic of those who hate the individual creative ability and wish it replaced by the anti-human jackboots of collectivism. â€Å"Animal rights† activists use the tools of rationality which are uniquely available to the human species in order to deny the distinct nature of their own rational faculties. They raise up animals in an attempt to lower humankind. They may speak for themselves only, not for me. I know what I am. I know what animals are. And I will name what â€Å"animal rights† activists truly are: the Human Defamation League. And making us as oblivious to cruelty as are all other animals, if not the actual agenda of the Human Defamation League, is nonetheless the unintended consequence of their campaign. 7 Things You Didn’t Know About PETA 1) According to government documents, PETA employees have killed more than 19,200 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens since 1998. This behavior continues despite PETA’s moralizing about the â€Å"unethical† treatment of animals by farmers, scientists, restaurant owners, circuses, hunters, fishermen, zookeepers, and countless other Americans. PETA puts to death over 90 percent of the animals it accepts from members of the public who expect the group to make a reasonable attempt to find them adoptive homes. PETA holds absolutely no open-adoption shelter hours at its Norfolk, VA headquarters, choosing instead to spend part of its $32 million nnual income on a contract with a crematory service to periodically empty hundreds of animal bodies from its large walk-in freezer. 2) PETA president and co-founder Ingrid Newkirk has described her group’s overall goal as â€Å"total animal liberation. † This means the complete abolition of meat, milk, cheese, eggs, honey, zoos, aquariums, circuses, wool, leather, fur, silk, hunting, fishing, and pet ownership. In a 2003 profile of Newkirk in The Ne w Yorker, author Michael Specter wrote that Newkirk has had at least one seeing-eye dog taken away from its blind owner. PETA is also against all medical research that requires the use of animals, including research aimed at curing AIDS and cancer. 3) PETA has given tens of thousands of dollars to convicted arsonists and other violent criminals. This includes a 2001 donation of $1,500 to the North American Earth Liberation Front (ELF), an FBI-certified â€Å"domestic terrorist† group responsible for dozens of firebombs and death threats. During the 1990s, PETA paid $70,200 to Rodney Coronado, an Animal Liberation Front (ALF) serial arsonist convicted of burning down a Michigan State University research laboratory. In his sentencing memorandum, a federal prosecutor implicated PETA president Ingrid Newkirk in that crime. PETA vegetarian campaign coordinator Bruce Friedrich has also told an animal rights convention that â€Å"blowing stuff up and smashing windows† is â€Å"a great way to bring about animal liberation,† adding, â€Å"Hallelujah to the people who are willing to do it. † 4) PETA activists regularly target children as young as six years old with anti-meat and anti-milk propaganda, even waiting outside their schools to intercept them without notifying their parents. One piece of kid-targeted PETA literature tells small children: â€Å"Your Mommy Kills Animals! † PETA brags that its messages reach over 1. 2 million minor children, including 30,000 kids between the ages of 6 and 12, all contacted by e-mail without parental supervision. One PETA vice president told the Fox News Channel’s audience: â€Å"Our campaigns are always geared towards children, and they always will be. † 5) PETA’s president has said that â€Å"even if animal research resulted in a cure for AIDS, we would be against it. And PETA has repeatedly attacked research foundations like the March of Dimes, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the American Cancer Society, solely because they support animal-based research aimed at curing life-threatening diseases and birth defects. And PETA helped to start and manage a quasi-medical front group, the misnamed Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, to attack medical research head-on. 6) PETA has compare d Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust to farm animals and Jesus Christ to pigs. PETA’s religious campaigns include a website that claims—despite ample evidence to the contrary—that Jesus Christ was a vegetarian. PETA holds protests at houses of worship, even suing one church that tried to protect its members from Sunday-morning harassment. Its billboards taunt Christians with the message that hogs â€Å"died for their sins. † PETA insists, contrary to centuries of rabbinical teaching, that the Jewish ritual of kosher slaughter shouldn’t be allowed. And its infamous â€Å"Holocaust on Your Plate† campaign crassly compared the Jewish victims of Nazi genocide to farm animals. 7) PETA frequently looks the other way when its celebrity spokespersons don’t practice what it preaches. As gossip bloggers and Hollywood journalists have noted, Pamela Anderson’s Dodge Viper (auctioned to benefit PETA) had a â€Å"luxurious leather interior†; Jenna Jameson was photographed fishing, slurping oysters, and wearing a leather jacket just weeks after launching an anti-leather campaign for PETA; Morrissey got an official â€Å"okay† from PETA after eating at a steakhouse; Dita von Teese has written about her love of furs and foie gras; Steve-O built a career out of abusing small animals on film; the officially â€Å"anti-fur† Eva Mendes often wears fur anyway; and Charlize Theron’s celebrated October 2007 Vogue cover shoot featured several suede garments. In 2008, â€Å"Baby Phat† designer Kimora Lee Simmons became a PETA spokesmodel despite working with fur and leather, after making a $20,000 donation to the animal rights group. It’s always been hard for me to understand why relatively intelligent people hold meaningless discu ssions based on the writings of a primitive and superstitious desert culture and believe it all to be true because their parents told them so. Talking snake, sun and stars created after the earth, the sun placed in the sky after fruit trees already here, woman created after man, man swallowed by a fish, regurgitated and lives to talk about it, no rainbows till after Noah’s flood, all the world’s creatures on one big boat, sticks turned into serpents, woman turned to pillar of salt, little children killed on God’s orders because they had the wrong parents. Religion is merely a combination of beliefs and cult practices used throughout history as a form of oppression by the ruling class. Religion is the exploitation of human ignorance and credulity. It would literally take a â€Å"genius† not to see that. Bible, The: The Big Bang? : Life on earth could never exist were it not for a series of very fortunate â€Å"coincidences† such as: location, orbit, tilt, rotational speed and unusually large moon. Also a magnetic field and atmosphere that shields the planet. Not to mention cycles that, repl enish and cleanse the air and water. Is it blind chance or intelligent design? Location: Ideal perfect location in the galaxy, too close to center would allow dangerous and lethal radiation, too far from center would prohibit the needed concentrations of chemical elements needed to support life. Accident? Orbit: About 93 million miles from the sun, is just about the perfect zone that is habitable because life neither freezes nor fries. Earth’s path is circular, keeping it the same distance from the sun year-round. Happenstance? Extraordinary Large Moon: The moon’s diameter is a little over a quarter of the earth’s diameter, unusually large compared to all the other moons. It causes ocean tides that play a vital role in earth’s ecology. It contributes to the earth’s perfect spin axis, which without, the earth would wobble out of control. Blind chance? Perfect Tilt and Spin: Earth’s tilt of about 23. 4 degrees causes the annual cycle of seasons, moderates temperatures and allows for a wide range of climate zones. The length of day and night, a result of the earth’s spin, maintains a habitable temperature for life. If the speed of rotation were slower, days would be longer and the â€Å"sunny side† would bake while the other side would freeze. If the speed were faster, days would be shorter; earth’s rapid spin would cause relentless gale-force winds and other disastrous effects. Coincidence? Protective Shields: Earth seems to fly through a shooting gallery of lethal radiation and meteoroids with relative impunity. Our powerful magnetic field stretches far into space, which protects us from the solar winds, flares, and explosions, which blast billions of tons of matter into space. Our blanket of gases (stratosphere) keeps us breathing, by absorbing 99 percent of incoming UV radiation through our ozone layer protecting all life on the earth. Amazingly this amount of atmospheric ozone gases is not fixed, it changes in intensity as the UV radiation rises. And yet it lets in the heat and light so essential to life. Dumb luck? Natural Cycles of Water and Air: Fresh water is recycled and redistributed around the planet in three stages: evaporation, condensation and precipitation. An amazing process called photosynthesis creates life-giving oxygen. Plants take in our exhausted carbon dioxide, energize it with sunlight and produce carbohydrates and oxygen. We complete the cycle when we breathe. All this production of vegetation and breathable air happens cleanly, efficiently and quietly. The same holds with organic matter, or the nitrogen cycle. 78 percent of our atmosphere is nitrogen, lightning converts nitrogen into compounds, which are absorbed by plants. Animals eat those plants, when plants and animals die, the nitrogen compounds are broken down by bacteria and their decay releases nitrogen back into the soil and atmosphere, completing the cycle. Perfect recycling, or just a matter of random incidences? The greatest accomplishment of the 20th Century is the discovery of human ignorance. We can no longer make up stories to explain the world. We no longer accept the Church providing both the questions and the answers. All theories and solutions must be confirmed and reconfirmed through experiment. 4. Capitalism: The economic system based on the fiction of the productivity of capital, justifiable once, is henceforth illegitimate. Its inefficacy and malfeasance have been exposed; it is the cause of all existing misery, the present mainstay of that old fiction of representative government which is the last form of tyranny among men. Proudhon, Interest and Principal -1849 The capitalist system flourishes through the use of economic disparity, social inadequacies, manipulative financial practices, planned obsolescence, discriminative procedures, and predatory exploitation of the 99%. Our banknotes are forgeries. We live in a counterfeit economy. The dollar will soon become useless and we are all living on borrowed time. The corporately funded politicians who by controlling the press, the schools, and the churches, impose capitalism upon the masses under the attractive guise of loyal patriotism. How Capitalism Works by Bruce Morgan Under capitalism, only money has value. Other items have value only to the extent they can be converted to money or can generate money. This includes things such as labor, commodities and property. What cannot be converted to money has no value and is often eliminated. This can include people. Profits are more valuable than the ecosystem or worker safety. The purpose of capitalism is to move as much money to the top 0. 1% of society, from those who are not (and will never be) at or near the top. Wealthy individuals, with few exceptions, do not come by their fortune by their own productive labor. Instead, they appropriate as much as possible from other people’s productive labor. Capitalists themselves believe that they are entitled to this wealth; even if they did little to earn it. Illegality for the elites is inconsequential. Even if something is technically illegal, if it is not prosecuted it becomes de facto legal. Governments work either for their people or for the rich, they cannot work for both. In virtually all Western societies, the ultra rich (individuals and corporations) have captured their governments, to a greater or lesser degree. For the U. S. federal government, this capture is virtually complete. Once the privileged class has control of the government, they can have whatever laws passed that they want, including those that make their crimes retroactively legal. There, in 241 words is the essence of capitalism as actually practiced. Once these points are understood, the machinations behind current events in the areas of economics, politics and foreign affairs become evident. This article was deliberately presented in black and white. Those who want gray can get it from the lame stream media. â€Å"The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson. † –Franklin D Roosevelt Money is a drug if the right dosage can be found, creating just enough, not too much — it’s like magic. As long as people keep buying things they don’t need. As long as those in the business don’t hoard too much. As long as the real resources don’t dry up, the illusion of prosperity can be maintained with more and more IOUs. Like all stimulants, money steals from tomorrow. The quest for fame and fortune, when will it end? This tyranny of early rising and retiring late. Riding on mules they long for noble steeds. Already prime ministers, they seek to be kings. For food and raiment, they suffer stress and strain. Never fearful of Yama’s call to reckoning. Searching for wealth and power to give to grandsons. No one is willing ever to turn back. (The Journey to the West) 1582 5. Children, Parenting: It couldn’t have been because half our children are being raised in broken homes. It couldn’t have been because our children get to spend an average of 30 seconds in meaningful conversation with their parents each day. After all, we give our children quality time. It couldn’t have been because we treat our children as pets and our pets as children. It couldn’t have been because we place our children in day care centers where they learn their socialization skills among their peers under the law of the jungle while employees who have no vested interest in the children look on and make sure that no blood is spilled. It couldn’t have been because we allow our children to watch, on the average, seven hours of television a day filled with the glorification of sex and violence that isn’t fit for adult consumption. It couldn’t have been because we allow our children to enter into virtual worlds in which, to win the game, one must kill as many opponents as possible in the most sadistic way possible. It couldn’t have been because we have sterilized and contracepted our families down to sizes so small that the children we do have are so spoiled with material things that they come to equate the receiving of the material with love. It couldn’t have been because our children, who historically have been seen as a blessing from God, are now being viewed as either a mistake created when contraception fails or inconveniences that parents try to raise in their spare time. It couldn’t have been because we give two-year prison sentences to teenagers who kill their newborns. It couldn’t have been because our school systems teach the children that they are nothing but glorified apes who have evolved out of some primordial soup of mud by teaching evolution as fact and by handing out condoms as if they were candy. It couldn’t have been because we teach our children that there are no laws of morality that transcend us, that everything is relative and that actions don’t have consequences. What the heck, the president gets away with it. Colonization: Also See Third World Nations European explorers were responsible for the extermination of 70 million souls in the New World between the years 1533-1588. They were murdered for their women, gold, silver, natural resources and land. Million natives were murdered within 3 years according to Leah Trabich. Within 15 years, the Arawak tribe of 250,000 was completely wiped out. The population of the United States prior to European contact was greater than 12 million. Four centuries later, the count w as reduced by 95% to 237 thousand. From 1494 to 1508, over three million people had perished from war, slavery, and the mines. These atrocities are seen throughout Africa, New Zealand, New Guinea, East Timor Cultures Right and Wrong Beauty is in the MIND of the beholder. Some may look upon murder as senseless vicious evil; others may see it as necessary. You may look at grass and see green; someone else will see blue. What may be music to your ears may very well be appalling noise to others. Inuits may be very comfortable in zero degree weather while you are freezing. Vice, virtue, sounds, colors, taste, beauty, heat, cold are not qualities in objects but perceptions in the mind. –Hume. Some cultures kill the weak and elderly to insure the longevity of the village. It’s a matter of survival. Amazonian women are not only happy but also proud to share themselves among the entire village, for they realize this creates life and perpetuates their species and yet would kill their third child to save the rest of their family from marauding slave traders. What brings joy to some may bring sorrow and woe to others. Hawaii’s ruling family not only accepted royal incest but also encouraged it as an exclusive royal privilege. Sibling or parent child incest was common in our 50th state before they were â€Å"annexed† to the US. Different societies and cultures have different systems of laws. The rules of one’s own society are not sacrosanct and cannot be used to judge, condemn or decide others’ moral standards. Fixed ideas and values should be eliminated; primitive, civilized, child, adult, perverted and normal are all shattered and put on a sliding scale when addressing other cultures and societies. When there are so many differences in the moral codes of different societies, how can we regard our own, or any other, as the normal or standard way of thinking? Depletion of Natural Resources: (See Problematic World Economy) Everyone is concerned about Oil but water is the real problem. Oil can be replace but there’s no substitute for fresh water. We are running out of clean water. Nations fighting over natural resources. Ever expanding and sophistication of technology. Increased poverty caused by huge migration from rural areas to large cities throughout the world. Traditional lifestyle of farming and ranching has vanished and more people are dependent on government support. Feeding the growing population on the planet has become a huge problem for governments. Medical technology has increased life expectancy allows people to live longer than ever before. Greed and corruption among the world’s nations is becoming more and more the norm. Fewer people control the economic wealth and military might than ever before since earth’s creation.. We’re all on borrowed time. Evolution and Discrimination (Racism): Charles Darwin’s book’s full title is On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. As much as many seek to disavow, generally speaking, man is NOT a gentle creature that just wants to be loved and will, at most, defend himself when attacked. Man has an instinctual, powerful measure of aggression and his neighbor is for him someone on whom he is tempted to satisfy his aggressiveness. He will exploit the capacity to have someone work without pay, use sexually without consent, cause others pain, torture or death. It seems that mankind abandons their bad habits only when catastrophe is close at hand. The intellect alone is not enough. Men must be shaken, almost shattered before changing. – Sigmund Freud Family: I’ve received a cease and desist order prohibiting me from discussing: sexual preferences, politics, religion, abortion, nuclear power, peak oil, climate change, the environment, food shortages, economic instability, international terrorism and the military industrial complex. Failure to comply will immediately result in the termination of all intimate marital favors and services. We’ve known each other since childhood. Our souls are mingled and connected in so universal a blending that they erase the seam that joins us together. She alone has the privilege of my true portrait and understands me for who I think I am. If I were to lose her, I would merely drag wearily on. Famine, Food and Population Control: Wild, man-made viruses released and vaccines created for profit and population control by the military, medical, petrol-chemical pharmaceutical cartel. Life is tough and for many it is short, brutal, filled with want and pain. It seems that the well being of some, is sustained on the troubles and elimination of others. Last year, 17. 2 million households in the United States were food insecure, the highest level on record, as the Great Recession continued to wreak havoc on families across the country. Of those 17. 2 million households, 3. 9 million included children. On Thanksgiving Day, here’s a look at hunger in America, as millions of Americans struggle to get enough to eat in the wake of the economic crisis: Memo to Bill, Oprah, Brad and Angelina: Not enough poor and hungry people in the US? You don’t have to go to Haiti and Africa to feed and shelter the poor. They’re right here in Florida, Texas, California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Why don’t you start giving back to the country where you made your millions? Or are you all full of shit? Collectively, among every human, the cancer upon our Earth is the domination of our false-ego and our divorce from nature. Collectively, among every human, vanity leads to segregation and competition. Competition leads to fear and greed. Greed leads to deceit and immorality. And immorality is the breeding ground for illness, waging war on our Earth. Every act of hatred and destructiveness in our world begins with self-hate, and self-destructiveness. And that all begins with a breakdown on communication. Just remember that the false-ego has only one desire – to become greater and more powerful than the true self. How to cite Abortion, Parenting, Animal Rights, Capitalism: Notes, Papers

Role Of Audit Quality And Culture Influence - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about the Role Of Audit Quality And Culture Influence. Answer: General Mills, Inc: The tables aim in representing the Free cash flow and value per share of General Mills, Inc for 2009. In addition, relevant detection of the Free cash flow is mainly identified from cash operations that might lead to the discovery of the actual Free cash flow. Moreover, the calculations conducted in above table represents the overall need for discounting factor to evaluate and identify the actual present value of Free cash flow. Astami et al. (2017) mentioned that corporations by using free cash flow can detect and identify the actual discounted free cash flow, which could be used in detecting its value per share. On the other hand, Zhou et al. (2017) criticises that discounting rate assumptions needs to be correct or else it could directly hinder the detection of present value of free cash flow that could in turn portray wrong value per share. The table mainly depicts the comprehensive discounted cash flow of the organisation, which could help in identifying the value per share. In addition, changes in FCF and enterprise value mainly alters the actual value of the share for the organisation. Moreover, 3% growth rate is mainly accommodated in the calculation that changes the actual value per share of the company. In addition, the changes in growth mainly increase share value to $51.859 from $32.828, as 3% growth rate obtained by the organisation. According to Kadioglu and Yilmaz (2017), growth rate in dividend mainly changes the overall estimated share price of the organisation and allows investor to make adequate investment decisions. Kimberly-Clark Corporation: Method 1 and method 2 is mainly depicted in the above calculation that might help in identifying the organisations free cash flow from operations. The companys common equity has been detected after reducing net operating asset with financial assets. This allows the organisation in identifying actual organisational equity. The value of $1,563.9 is mainly identified from the calculation of method 1. However, free cash flow method also helps in detecting the net pay out to shareholders that could be increased from operations. In this context, Gordon et al. (2017) mentioned that free cash flow can detect the net pay out of the organisation that could allow investors to identify the return provided from investment. Free cash flow of the organisation is mainly detected with the help of above table, which helps in detecting its financial stability. The reported cash flow from operations and net interest paid after tax sums up to $2,623.518. Moreover, investment in marketing securities and cash spending on investing activities are summed and detected from the period value to identify the actual free cash flow of the company. The Free cash flow is mainly calculated at the levels of $1,725.518, which could allow investors in identifying financial position of the organisation. Kadioglu and Yilmaz (2017) mentioned that detection of the overall free cash flow is essential for the investors in identifying financial stability of the organisation. Reference: Astami, E.W., Rusmin, R., Hartadi, B. and Evans, J., 2017. The role of audit quality and culture influence on earnings management in companies with excessive free cash flow: Evidence from the Asia-Pacific region.International Journal of Accounting Information Management,25(1), pp.21-42. Gordon, E.A., Henry, E., Jorgensen, B.N. and Linthicum, C.L., 2017. Flexibility in cash-flow classification under IFRS: determinants and consequences.Review of Accounting Studies,22(2), pp.839-872. Kadioglu, E. and Yilmaz, E.A., 2017. Is the free cash flow hypothesis valid in Turkey?.Borsa Istanbul Review,17(2), pp.111-116. Zhou, N., Shum, W.Y., Chan, S.N. and Lai, F., 2017. Credit Expansion, Free Cash Flow and Enterprise Investment: An Empirical Study Based on Listed Companies in China.International Journal of Economics and Finance,9(9), p.70.