Friday, May 31, 2019

Dark Energy: The Mystery of This Millennium :: Biology Essays Research Papers

dim Energy The Mystery of This MillenniumBillions of years ago, the universe was nothing but an infinitesimally small particle. Then, in less time than the nictation of an eye, the universe expanded and increased in size by a factor of 1050. Expansion eventually began to slow down, allowing galaxies, star clusters, and so on, to form. Theoretically, expansion should soundless be slowing down but to the contrary, expansion is in fact accelerating (10). Some scientists theorize that an unknown force, called Dark Energy, may be the cause of this speed expansion, while others disagree.For some time, exploding stars, or supernovas, were used as a cosmic measuring stick (4). That is, scientists used these supernovas to calculate the age of the universe. In 1998, two groups of astronomers surveyed supernovas in very distant galaxies. These supernovas were much dimmer than expected to be, and calculations proved that the stars were over ten billion light years away, much farther away tha n they should be had the universe been expanding at a slowing rate, or even a constant rate, as previously theorized (5). This discovery proved that the cosmos are not expanding at a slowing or a constant rate, but instead they are expanding at an accelerated rate (4). Since this discovery, scientists have been trying to queer what it is that accounts for this accelerated expansion.Scientists have calculated the density of the cosmos, and they have also calculated the total mass of all visible galaxies. However, the galaxies make up less than ternion of the density needed to satisfy the current calculations of the early universe (2). Simple logic tells us that there must be something else in the universe, with some figure of mass, which accounts for over two-thirds of the density of the cosmos. The new theory incorporates a different force called Dark Energy. At first, scientists did not know how Dark Energy works or what it is physically made up of. Some proposed ideas of Dark E nergy are a cosmic field associated with inflation, a low-energy field called quintessence, and the cosmological constant, or a negative pressure, as suggested by Albert Einstein (7). In July of 2003, scientists confirmed that Dark Energy exists, but they still cannot truly explain it (6). They do know that Dark Energy is different from every other kind of energy found. Some say it is a negative gravity (1), while others say that it does not necessarily act opposite to gravity, but, instead, it acts more like a negative pressure (5).

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Symbols and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay

Symbols in The ruby Letter In nearly every work of literature, readers can find symbols that represent feelings, thoughts or ideas within the text edition. Such symbols can be found in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthornes book almost an affair between a woman named Hester and a minister named Arthur Dimmmesdale is full of feelings of sin, guilt, hate, secrecy, and honesty. There are many symbols within the novel that can be interpreted to represent the key topics of the book. Each of these symbols is an burning(prenominal) part of the story, and connects to the situations that occur around them. The main ideas of the novel are represented by recurring symbols in the text the scaffold, scarlet letter, and forest. The scaffold is a platform in the center of town, where criminals are put to death, and people guilty of minor crimes, put to shame. It was, in short, the platform of pillory, and in a higher institutionalise it rose the framework of that instrument of discipline, so fashioned as to confine the human head in its tight grasp and thus holding it up to the public gaze. (p.56) In the beginning of the story, Hester Prynne is forced to stand on this platform for several hours as her sin is make publicly known. Hester sustained herself as surpass a woman might under the weight of a thousand unrelenting eyes.(p57) Because she lives in a puritan society, Hester becomes an outcast after her sin is made known. She has to live the rest of her life in shame and guilt because everyone now knows that Hester has committed adultery. Later in the novel, Dimmesdale comes to stand on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl. He is sort of literally deteriorating from feelings of remorse and shame for what he did t... ... The main topics of The Scarlet Letter are depicted in three major symbols, the scaffold, scarlet letter, and the forest. These symbols play important roles throughout the story and represent the emotions they inflict upon the characters. Symbols can be found in nearly every book ever written. Perhaps the author chooses to place distinct symbols within his writing, or maybe symbols form through coincidence. Either way, it is up to the readers judgment on how to interpret the symbols that he or she may find. Sources Chase, Richard. The Symbols of the Scarlet Letter. Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne (pp. 145-152). San Diego Greenhaven. (1996). Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York St. Martins, 1991. Scharnhorst, Gary. The Critical Response to Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter. New York Greenwood, 1992.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

The Injustice Of Slavery :: Slavery Essays

The In exclusivelyice of Slavery     Slaves were people who were taken from their home land in Africa andbrought to America, to serve as servants on farms, doing household chores, etc.Slaves were used from the ancestry of time, by people like the Egyptians. Now adays it is illegal to own slaves, but it still happens. And to this day AfricanAmericans are discriminated. In my opinion, that is just not fair, they did notask to come over to our country, we brought them here. We are the ones to blame.Yet, they have to pay. If you were a black man and had a trial with a white jury,you allow for probably be guilty. If you are a black man, many white people will tryto steer clear of you, or look at you in a funny way.     How did slaves actually become free, you might be asking yourself. Itall began with a man named Abraham Lincoln, he wanted to commemorate slaves free. only ifthe s give awayhern states had large plantations and needed slaves to h elp, so this wasnot a good idea, in their opinion. This controversy led to the Civil War, whichwas eventually won by the north, and slaves were set free in America. But peoplediscriminated slaves very much, and that was not good.     Discrimination of African Americans is not that big now a days, but itis still out there. Discrimination sort of died out when a man named MartinLuther King, Jr. expressed some of his thoughts about discrimination. His famousspeech was entitled "I Have a Dream". Back before his speech, African Americanswere not treated as people. They had to stand at the back of the bus, they hadto live in a certain flying field of town, they could not use the white restrooms or

The Future of Women in Sports :: Female Athletes Sports Essays

The Future of Women in SportsAs the year 2010 has arrived, the problem of the portrayal of women in sports no longer lies in their fight for equality and opportunity, only in fighting off the competition with men. It is no longer an issue of women not being taken seriously or being looked down upon if they go down to be athletes, but that men want to take part in competition with women in sports. This film thus focuses on the struggles that the male protagonist faces in trying to compete with the popularity of womens sports and his desire to take part in the world of womens sports. Women in this film are portrayed as strong natures who are passing capable of doing what they do -- being professional basketball game players. Their struggles lay in their dealing with fame and all the complications that it entails. These include rumors of financial problems, affairs, and infighting among teammates. The female protagonist is a character who can do it all. She has a family, including two young children and a husband. She was raised in a proper household, but held on to her dreams of playing basketball for a living. The beginning of the film shows her struggles as a child in fighting against stereotypes, being taken less seriously than the boys, and being discouraged from playing sports. However, as she reaches high school and beyond, the sky is the limit. Her opportunities increase as womens sports in the general society are given greater emphasis and professional leagues are set up for all sports that had an equivalent male league. The womens leagues visibility and popularity rise among fans who become disillusioned with all the infighting that had been occurring in the male leagues. Soon, the financially disadvantaged male leagues decide to contend the womens leagues to compete against each other. This is where the major climax of the film occurs.The male protagonist had been involved in a financial scheme within the male basketball league which ended in the murder of a major basketball star. He ends up broke, without friends, and with no possibility of playing professional basketball, especially in light of the financial distress that the league was experiencing. He knows of the success that the womens teams had been recently having and approaches the manager of his ex-team with a plan for reviving the popularity and financial wellbeing of the male league.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Rapid Economic Growth In East Asian Countries :: essays research papers

Rapid Economic Growth In east Asiatic CountriesOver the past decade, there has been rapid long frugal ontogenyfor tocopherol Asiatic countries. These newly industrialising countries areexperiencing fruit grade in GDP per head at around 6% to 7% compared to the 2%to 3% for most industrial economies. If this maturement continues, South Korea andTaiwan might take away Americas distinction as the worlds richest country.This rapid frugal growth is a result of several economic and political factors.The pace of economic development, growth in world trade and communications,and the investment in physical hood and teaching have all played a role inthe sudden rise of the eastern United States Asian economies.One factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of South Koreaand Taiwan is the pace of economic development. The pace has accelerated overtime. As time progresses, countries look to be able to grow at a much more rapidrate. From 1780, it took Great Britain 58 year s to double its real income perhead. It took America 47 years to double in the 1800s man lacquer took 34years from the late 19th century. Finally, South Korea was able to double itsreal income per head in an amazing 11 years from 1966. It would seem that the subsequent a country has industrialised, the faster it has been able to do so.Another important factor is the degree to which a country is behind theindustrial leaders. In the content of the East Asian countries, South Korea andTaiwan, both started out with an extremely low income per head. This allowedmuch faster growth when copying the leaders. It is important to realize thatthese growth rates should slow as the countries catch up.An area in which East Asia is investing much of its GDP is in physicalcapital and education. Compared to the industrial leaders, the East Asiancountries have sustained a much higher investment in these areas. South Koreainvests 35% of its GDP which is more than double Americas capital spending.The East Asian countries have placed much emphasis upon education. Educationis the key to mastering the technologies which they have been borrowing from theeconomic leaders of the world. The standards of education for these countrieshave alter as rapidly as their economies.Another factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of theseEast Asian countries is the global market. No longer is a countrys scrimping ache by a small domestic market. World trade has grown tremendously over theRapid Economic Growth In East Asian Countries essays research papers Rapid Economic Growth In East Asian CountriesOver the past decade, there has been rapid long-term economic growthfor East Asian countries. These newly industrialising countries areexperiencing growth rates in GDP per head at around 6% to 7% compared to the 2%to 3% for most industrial economies. If this growth continues, South Korea andTaiwan might take away Americas distinction as the worlds richest country.This rapid economi c growth is a result of several economic and political factors.The pace of economic development, growth in world trade and communications,and the investment in physical capital and education have all played a role inthe sudden rise of the East Asian economies.One factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of South Koreaand Taiwan is the pace of economic development. The pace has accelerated overtime. As time progresses, countries seem to be able to grow at a much more rapidrate. From 1780, it took Great Britain 58 years to double its real income perhead. It took America 47 years to double in the 1800s while Japan took 34years from the late 19th century. Finally, South Korea was able to double itsreal income per head in an amazing 11 years from 1966. It would seem that thelater a country has industrialised, the faster it has been able to do so.Another important factor is the degree to which a country is behind theindustrial leaders. In the case of the East Asian countries, South Korea andTaiwan, both started out with an extremely low income per head. This allowedmuch faster growth when copying the leaders. It is important to realize thatthese growth rates should slow as the countries catch up.An area in which East Asia is investing much of its GDP is in physicalcapital and education. Compared to the industrial leaders, the East Asiancountries have sustained a much higher investment in these areas. South Koreainvests 35% of its GDP which is more than double Americas capital spending.The East Asian countries have placed much emphasis upon education. Educationis the key to mastering the technologies which they have been borrowing from theeconomic leaders of the world. The standards of education for these countrieshave improved as rapidly as their economies.Another factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of theseEast Asian countries is the global market. No longer is a countrys economyhurt by a small domestic market. World trade has grown t remendously over the

Rapid Economic Growth In East Asian Countries :: essays research papers

Rapid Economic Growth In eastmost Asiatic Countries over the past decade, there has been rapid long-term frugal emergencefor East Asiatic countries. These newly industrialising countries areexperiencing growth rates in gross domestic product per full point at around 6% to 7% compared to the 2%to 3% for most industrial economies. If this growth continues, South Korea andTaiwan might take away(predicate) the Statess short letter as the military mans richest country.This rapid economic growth is a result of several economic and political factors.The pace of economic development, growth in world mess and communications,and the investment in physical capital and education have all played a role inthe sudden rise of the East Asian economies.One factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of South Koreaand Taiwan is the pace of economic development. The pace has accelerated over date. As time progresses, countries reckon to be able to grow at a much more rapidrate. Fr om 1780, it took Great Britain 58 years to double its real income per engineer. It took America 47 years to double in the 1800s while Japan took 34years from the late 19th century. Finally, South Korea was able to double itsreal income per head in an amazing 11 years from 1966. It would seem that thelater a country has industrialised, the smart it has been able to do so.Another important factor is the class to which a country is behind theindustrial leaders. In the case of the East Asian countries, South Korea andTaiwan, both started out with an extremely low income per head. This allowedmuch faster growth when copying the leaders. It is important to realize thatthese growth rates should slow as the countries catch up.An area in which East Asia is investing much of its gross domestic product is in physicalcapital and education. Compared to the industrial leaders, the East Asiancountries have sustained a much higher investment in these areas. South Koreainvests 35% of its gross dom estic product which is more than double Americas capital spending.The East Asian countries have placed much emphasis upon education. Educationis the key to mastering the technologies which they have been acceptance from theeconomic leaders of the world. The standards of education for these countrieshave improved as rapidly as their economies.Another factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of theseEast Asian countries is the world(prenominal) market. No longer is a countrys economyhurt by a small domestic market. World trade has grown tremendously over theRapid Economic Growth In East Asian Countries essays research papers Rapid Economic Growth In East Asian CountriesOver the past decade, there has been rapid long-term economic growthfor East Asian countries. These newly industrialising countries areexperiencing growth rates in GDP per head at around 6% to 7% compared to the 2%to 3% for most industrial economies. If this growth continues, South Korea andTaiwan migh t take away Americas distinction as the worlds richest country.This rapid economic growth is a result of several economic and political factors.The pace of economic development, growth in world trade and communications,and the investment in physical capital and education have all played a role inthe sudden rise of the East Asian economies.One factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of South Koreaand Taiwan is the pace of economic development. The pace has accelerated overtime. As time progresses, countries seem to be able to grow at a much more rapidrate. From 1780, it took Great Britain 58 years to double its real income perhead. It took America 47 years to double in the 1800s while Japan took 34years from the late 19th century. Finally, South Korea was able to double itsreal income per head in an amazing 11 years from 1966. It would seem that thelater a country has industrialised, the faster it has been able to do so.Another important factor is the degree to which a country is behind theindustrial leaders. In the case of the East Asian countries, South Korea andTaiwan, both started out with an extremely low income per head. This allowedmuch faster growth when copying the leaders. It is important to realize thatthese growth rates should slow as the countries catch up.An area in which East Asia is investing much of its GDP is in physicalcapital and education. Compared to the industrial leaders, the East Asiancountries have sustained a much higher investment in these areas. South Koreainvests 35% of its GDP which is more than double Americas capital spending.The East Asian countries have placed much emphasis upon education. Educationis the key to mastering the technologies which they have been borrowing from theeconomic leaders of the world. The standards of education for these countrieshave improved as rapidly as their economies.Another factor which has helped the long-term economic growth of theseEast Asian countries is the global market. No lon ger is a countrys economyhurt by a small domestic market. World trade has grown tremendously over the

Monday, May 27, 2019

Writting tips

Your response cover are, as the phrase suggests, Individual affairs. What I want, above all, Is your personal response to the readings, and to the questions Vive posed in the accompanying guidelines. In evaluating your papers, above all we consider their content how well you address the thoughts and arguments presented by these documents, and the quality of ideas you express. That said, please consider these papers exercises in formal writing. That means you deed to adhere to the principles and rules of American English grammar and spelling.Yes, we will h overage your feet to the fire on these matters. A few tips follow, addressing problems that arose In the archetypal batch of papers 1) Keep your tenses straight. Few trials In life are so agonizing as working through a paragraph In which tenses shift, like a wayward eye, from present to past and back again. When you are writing about the past, stay in past tense. The exception to this comes when you find yourself rendition histo rical texts (as you will do in these papers) in this case it is perfectly fine, indeed desirable, to write in the present.Think of it this way subprogram present tense when transaction with text, past tense when dealing with historical context. For example In this passage, Discusses argues that history is not simply the stories people tell. His approach contrasted sharply with that of Herodotus, who in his account of the Persian Wars mainly collected and retold stories already In circulation. 2) Avoid unnecessary capitalization. High-flying concepts, such as State, Religion, or Monarchy, need not should not be capitalized.They did that sort of function back In the seventeenth century, that nowadays we use lower case for just about everything save proper nouns and titles. By the way, Bible should be capitalized, as it is the title of a work God is likewise capitalized when used in a monotheistic context, as it is considered a proper noun. But more(prenominal) generic usage, a s when referring to the gods of polytheistic systems, for example, takes lower case e. G. , Thro was the Norse god of thunder. 3) Do not use inverted commas ( ) with quotations, except when you have to place a quote inside a quote ( Do learn the difference between American and British usage In respect to quoted passages (Including the placement of periods and commas). In short American usage requires that periods and commas be placed Inside the quotation marks (though semi-colons are placed outside). Use a pronoun, double-check to make sure enough you have established a clear precedent. Too often, pronouns show up unannounced in your papers, and its only polite to have first made introductions. Whenever you use it or they or even this, make sure youve already provided a solid point of reference.The second issue concerns he use of they, their etc. As the pronoun for words such as anyone, everyone, and somebody words that otherwise are treated as singular (e. G. everyone in this c lass is crazy, not everyone are crazy. ) Presumably this is because the old default option, he, is nowadays seen as disagreeably male-oriented. I agree that we shouldnt use he, him, his when the reference is not gender-specific. But this problem can usually be finessed with a little rewriting. For example, try using a plural antecedent persons, people etc. when you foresee using they, their etc. s he pronoun to follow. 5) Semi-colons can be very useful, but only when properly employed. As a rule, there are two permissible uses. One occurs when you have two grammatically self-standing phrases, but one leans on the other insofar in meaning (that is, one statement is derivative of or supplementary to the other). If the phrase is not-self sufficient, if it is grammatically dependent upon the other, hence use a simple comma. The second use for semi-colons arises when you string together a long and complex list of things, and need help in belongings your sequencing clear.In this situa tion, the mi-colon serves as a kind of super-comma. 6) Finally, pay attention to paragraph organization. Introduce your paragraphs with a strong lead sentence something that indicates the content of what will follow. When, three, four or more sentences down the page, youve finished with that particular point, make way for a paragraph break (and a new, helpful lead sentence). Your readers will thank for qualification your train of thought more clear. Even more, your writing will benefit from the ways in which paragraph organization forces you to collect your thoughts and organize them more clearly.

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria Essay

This development was heralded as an avenue to usher in elective stability and good goernance. However, contrary to widespread expectations, the post-military regime became an avenue for the explosion of baseless ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria. As a matter of position, since the emergence of democracy in May 1999, not less than atomic subject 53 hundred fond eachy and religiously instigated conflicts give occurred in Nigeria which resulted in loss of lives and unquantifiable material and psychological damage.Drawing from documentary research and findings, this paper probes the persistent jackpot of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria and its harmful implications on democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It investigates the history, causes and manifestations of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria and maintains that unbridled lust for power, corruption, religious intolerance and the failure of the politics to deliver democratic dividends, have resulted in these conflicts between ethnic and religious groups in the country.In the light of all these then, can democracy thrive in an atmosphere of crises? trick Nigeria come out of ethno-religious conflicts? If so, what steps can the government take to rein in the menace of these crises? Finally, the paper provides submissions for curbing this social epidemic, which has become a long-lived feature of the Nigerian social polity. Keywords Nigeria, Ethno-religious, Crises, Democracy, Development Introduction Democracy could be said to be a seed when you sow bountifully, you reap bountifully.Thus, one of the dividends of democracy, which Nigerians have reaped in abundance since the transfer of power from the military to the civilians on May 29, 1999, is the rising wave of ethno-religious conflicts with devastating and untold consequences on lives and property (Jega, 2007 116). Nigeria is a rattling populous nation in Africa with diverse cultural heritage. In fact, the country has a population of over 140 million and over 400 ethnic groups belonging to different religious sects as well (Salawu, 2010 345).Since the attainment of independence, Nigeria has remained a multi-ethnic nation, which has been grappling with the problem of ethnicity on the one hand and that of ethno-religious conflicts on the both(prenominal) otherwise hand. At the inception of independence, for administrative expediency the confused ethnic factions were fused and merged together by the compoundists. Then, the colonial master left and things started falling apart, the mettle no longer held.No ethnic group desired to see the other. Little wonder then that the former Secretary of State at the British Colonial Office (1952-1959), Sir Peter Smitters regretted the action taken by the British to merge diverse ethnic groups into one in Nigeria. According to Ali (2004) cited in Adebayo (2010 214), he was reported to have lamented that it was extremely dangerous to force diverse radical and social entities into si ngle rigid political structure.However, that statement was medicine after oddment the deed had been done. Indeed, a conglomerate of almost four hundred ethnic groups, each having its distinct history, language, culture and political systems before the colonial rule, all continue in mitigated forms with the British system of governance super-imposed and named Nigeria really had future implications for unity.The colonial administration, for administrative convenience, compressed and merged the various ethnic groups in their various(prenominal) regions, making Hausa/Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba the major ethnic groups and reinforced the three political/administrative divisions the north, the east, and the west, under appropriate constitutional locating. At independence and post independence era, the status-quo of the colonial era was retained under that infantile freedom, with every group retaining its tradition, language, and culture while sharing the common central institutions in a federal official arrangement (Adebayo, 2010 214).As a result, these major ethnic groups, because of their opportunistic positions were seen as consistently dominating the political and stinting scene before and after the attainment of independence in 1960 and this led to agitations for state creation by the other minor ethnic groups who saw themselves as the marginalized groups. However, the more states were created, the more the complaints of marginalization and inequality by the new minorities against the new majorities in each state (Abdullahi and Saka, 2007).Consequently, the proliferation of ethno-religious and political turbulence in the country is therefore necessitated on the one hand by cultural, communal and religious differences and on the other hand by fear of domination nursed by the minority groups. As if what constitutes the federalism is not satisfied, there have been agitations for reversing bum to the old regional autonomy of the different groups for the purpose o f determining the pace of their development and control of their respective resources.These pernicious phenomena of ethnicity and religious intolerance led to the aeonian surge of ethno-religious conflicts, which gave birth to the legion(predicate) ethnic militias today like the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) put in place by the Yoruba in the south-western part of the country to fight for the protection and defence of Yoruba in Nigeria the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), fighting for the cessation of the Igbo ethnic tribe in Nigeria the Bakassi Boys the Egbesu Boys the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), the Igbo Peoples congress (IPC) the Arewa People Congress (APC) and the Ohaneze Ndigbo among others.This might probably be the feeling of Elaigwu (2005 12) when he writes the violent protests in the Niger-Delta over sensed unjustness in resource distribution the Itsekiri-Ijaw violence in the Delta the resumption of the Ife-Modakeke communal violence the menace of Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) and the accompanying violence in Lagos and Shagamu areas the physical composition of the Arewa Peoples Congress (APC) and the Igbo Peoples Congress (IPC) the MASSOB feeble attempt to resuscitate Biafra the Sharia crisis and the demands for a confederation the South-South demand for the control of its resources and all the recent interethnic/religious conflicts in various states across the country are all part of the bubbles of the Nigerian federation.They are based on the historical structures of mutual fears and suspicions among Nigerian groups in a emulous process. They reflect dissatisfaction of Nigerian groups with the state of the federation. With the emergence of all these ethnic militias and the deep divide between the various ethnic groups, religious intolerance became more violent and bloody with more devastating results using the ethnic militias as the executing platforms of ethno-religious agenda. Federalism thought to be an app roach to national unity, resulted to anarchy in the country.A number of steps were taken to at least mend the disunity and disarray prevalent then and promote unity among the various ethnic groups. These included the establishment of federal institutions in some states of the federation, promotion of national cultural and sporting activities, and, more significantly, the National Youth Service Programme (NYSC), just to mention a fewer (Adebayo, 2010). Although these steps yielded pockets of successes in achieving national unity, the unholy marriage of convenience of the ethnic groups still begs for irrevocable divorce. While the ethnic rivalry held sway, religious pluralism, which culminated in many a(prenominal) crises, shook the country to its very roots.The pernicious effect of this trend is not entirely surprising given the fact that religion is so sensitive to Nigerians that many are not only ready to defend it at all costs, but are ready to die for it. Hence, religious plur alism which resulted in religious intolerance was fused with ethnic rivalry, producing the recurrent spate of ethno-religious crises. And because of the violent nature of ethno-religious conflicts, which often take the form of riots, sabotage, assassinations, lynching and maiming, kidnappings, armed struggles, guerilla warfare and secession in Nigeria, they undoubtedly pose dangerous threats to democracy in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.Yes, as Jega (2007 116) truthfully stated, the genetically engineered seeds of democracy planted by our colonial masters and further successive military regimes have grown to mature crops for harvest. Instead of democracy yielding peace, stability and security to lives and property, it seems to have yielded a return, full deal spate of ethno-religious conflicts and violent eruptions. Thus, the discussion of ethno-religious conflicts in whatever context becomes all the more necessary given the fact that there is a phenomenal rejoinder of these confl icts around the nation thereby increasing its threat level to democratic consolidation in Nigeria.It is against this backdrop that this paper attempts to probe the history, manifestations and implications of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria since the dawn of democratic dispensation. Causes of Ethno-Religious Crises in Nigeria According to Awolowo (1990 35), the notion of Nigeria as a mere geographic expression was engendered by the forceful packaging by colonial authoritarian revisal of unwilling communities of diverse origin and culture under the same polity. Consequently, relations and political behavior of the peoples are characterized by mutual suspicion and invidious disgust since they are strange bed-fellows, who were only coerced into the nation-state via amalgamation. Until 1960, Nigeria was a British colony.Like most colonies, it was not constructed for internal coherence, but rather for the administrative convenience of the British (Shively, 1997 39). everywhere 400 di fferent languages and dialects are spoken within its borders, and there is as well as an important religious split, as the north is primarily Muslim and the south is preponderantly Christian, making her not only at ethno-religious crossroads but also at linguistic crossroads. As diverse as these ethnic groups are, they are also not accommodative of each others religion and professions of faith. This state of intolerance has added up to fuel the spate of crises in Nigeria. It should be noted that religion has always been the platform for frontal expressions of ethnic aggressions and conflict.Hence, ethnocentric politics, sectional solidarity and patriarchal cares became prominent features in the nations political radiation diagram. Sectional and individual virtues and interest rather than collective virtues and national unity are advanced and exalted. Thus, communal orientation precluded any attachment to the state and the syndrome of the son of the soil took preference over merit and competence in the choice of policies and leading. Although as Obasanjo and Mabogunje (1992 4) aptly observed, colonialism provided scaffolding of holding the different communities together, not much change was achieved in altering communal mentality and predilection.Nonetheless, the persistent military incursion into government and politics did much harm for the body polity as national issues was mostly tribalized and primordial virtues extolled. These regimes had primordial outlook and sub-national mentality under which the northern part of the country was favoured brazenly, on one hand, and the southern part was deliberately dealt with in terms of appointments, contracts, location of government establishments, political oppression and repression as well as provision of social services and infrastructures. As a result, ethnic sectaryism has left a drag on of destructive violence and even threatened the territorial integrity of Nigeria (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2001).Indeed, after long years of authoritarian rule, when the military cantonment and their civilian collaborators privatized the Nigerian state (Ukiwo, 2003), politicians in the emergent Fourth Republic were all too anxious to claim control of the state and its oil wealth as well. This thus led to an unbridled competition for political relevance and spheres of interests among politicians, especially in the context of the division of the country into geopolitical zones, states and local governments and the fact that distribution of benefits among the political class depended on the ability of each member of the ruling class to deliver his constituency.This lust for power has led to the neglect of the necessarily of the masses and the demand for peaceful co-existence. Instead, the rulers continue to enrich their pockets through corrupt dirty means and seek for elongation of tenures for selfish gains. In the circumstance, ethnicity, religion and other sect arian identities are exploited, resulting in avoidable violent conflicts among component units of the country. The persistence of mass scantness and increasing income inequality, largely as a result of the novelty of the fortunes of politicians and their allies from jobless neighbors to emergency billionaires in less than two years after capturing power, have deepened popular alienation. It has also called into question the legitimacy since 1999.Consequently, some of the easiest things to do in contemporary Nigeria are to mobilize an assassin, vigilante, ethnic-cum-religious militia, rioter, crowd or rented pro-government demonstrator. The result could only be imagined. The power lust of the political cliche is one of the perceived causes of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria. Another reason responsible for ethno-religious crises in Nigeria is the wrong interpretation by those who claim authority to the understanding of the holy books. If not so, one wonders why people act contrary to the teaching of the holy books (whether the Quran or the Bible) in matters pertaining to peaceful co-existence, unity and sanctity of life, and property.As it is a serious unsoundness for someone who does not have a full grasp of the interpretation of any of the holy books to claim authority to knowledge, many of the so called religious leaders use their shallow knowledge to put up interpretations to suit their selfish ends banking on the ignorance of their followers. Lamenting on the wide gap between the teaching and practice of religion among its adherents, Adebayo (2003) cited in Adebayo (2010 219) identified some factors responsible for using religion as instrument of polarization, among which is leadership tussle, which also culminated in the proliferation of many denominations in the country.Also, sectarian jingoism, as well as excessive patriotism to ones religious sect, which consequently transformed to fanaticism, is another major factor contributing to this social men ace. Salawu (2010) also noted that the failure of the Nigerian leaders to establish good governments, forge national integration and promote what can be called real economic progress, through deliberate and articulated policies, has led to mass poverty and unemployment. This has resulted into communal, ethnic, religious and class conflicts that have now characterized the Nigerian nation. Poverty and unemployment have therefore served as nursery bed for many ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria because the country now has a reservoir of poor people who warmongers as mercenary fighters.What this means theoretically is that poverty and unemployment increase the number of people who are prepared to kill or be killed for a given course at token benefit. This explains why all ethno-religious crises that ever occurred in Nigeria have a large turnout of people (including the under-aged) as fighters. Lastly and very importantly, and not the least, the ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria als o have some historical antecedent (Salawu, 2010). This is because many governmental actions during the colonial rule and after independence encouraged, to a large extent, the sowing of the seeds of ethno-religious conflicts that are found to be rampant in the Nigerian nation today.Over the years, many events in Nigeria have led to the politicization of mistrust, intolerance, violence and acrimonious relations between the mainly Moslem north and the Christian south of Nigeria. To this extent, there has been an unfortunate insertion of ethno-religious discrimination and incompatibility in the structures of the Nigerian State since the colonial period. The political events of the January 15, 1966 coup and the July 1966 counter-coup further entrenched ethno-religious var. in Nigeria. This is because the killings and counter-killing that followed the coups which took ethnic and religious colorations as the Muslim dominated tribes in the north were set against the Christian-dominated tri bes of the southern region.

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Digital Fortress Chapter 11

Spain. I send David to Spain. The commanders words stung.Davids in Spain? Susan was incredulous. You sent him to Spain? Her tone turned angry. why?Strathmore looked dumbfounded. He was app argonntly not accustomed to being yel direct at, even by his head cryptographer. He gave Susan a confused look. She was flexed like a stick tiger defending her cub.Susan, he said. You spoke to him, didnt you? David did explain?She was in addition shocked to speak. Spain? Thats why David postponed our Stone Manor trip?I sent a simple machine for him this morning. He said he was going to call you before he left. Im sorry. I thought-Why would you send David to Spain?Strathmore paused and gave her an obvious look. To get the other pass-key.What other pass-key?Tankados copy.Susan was lost. What are you talking about?Strathmore sighed. Tankado surely would have had a copy of the pass-key on him when he died. I sure as hell didnt want it floating about the Seville morgue.So you sent David Becker? Susa n was beyond shock. Nothing was making sense. David doesnt even work for youStrathmore looked startled. No one ever spoke to the deputy director of the NSA that way. Susan, he said, retention his cool, thats the point. I needed-The tiger lashed out. Youve got twenty thousand employees at your command What gives you the right to send my fiance?I needed a civilian courier, someone solely removed from government. If I went through regular channels and someone caught wind-And David Becker is the lonesome(prenominal) civilian you hit the hay?No David Becker is not the only civilian I know But at six this morning, things were happening quickly David speaks the language, hes smart, I trust him, and I thought Id do him a favorA favor? Susan sputtered. move him to Spain is a favor?Yes Im paying him ten thousand for one days work. Hell pick up Tankados belongings, and hell fly home. Thats a favorSusan fell silent. She understood. It was all about money.Her thoughts wheel around back fiv e months to the night the president of Georgetown University had offered David a promotion to the language department chair. The president had warned him that his teaching hours would be cut back and that there would be increased paperwork, but there was also a substantial raise in salary. Susan had wanted to cry out David, dont do it Youll be miserable. We have enough of money-who cares which one of us earns it? But it was not her place. In the end, she stood by his decision to accept. As they fell asleep that night, Susan tried to be happy for him, but something wrong kept telling her it would be a disaster. Shed been right-but shed never counted on being so right.You paid him ten thousand dollars? she demanded. Thats a dirty trickStrathmore was fuming now. bedevil? It wasnt any goddamn trick I didnt even tell him about the money. I asked him as a personal favor. He agreed to go.Of course he agreed Youre my boss Youre the deputy director of the NSA He couldnt say noYoure right, Strathmore snapped. Which is why I called him. I didnt have the luxury of-Does the director know you sent a civilian?Susan, Strathmore said, his patience obviously wearing thin, the director is not involved. He knows nothing about this.Susan stared at Strathmore in disbelief. It was as if she no monthlong knew the man she was talking to. He had sent her fiance-a teacher-on an NSA mission and then failed to notify the director about the biggest crisis in the history of the organization.Leland Fontaine hasnt been notified?Strathmore had reached the end of his rope. He exploded. Susan, now list here I called you in here because I need an ally, not an inquiry Ive had one hell of morning. I heaploaded Tankados file last night and sit down here by the output printer for hours praying TRANSLTR could break it. At dawn I swallowed my pride and dialed the director-and let me tell you, that was a conversation I was really looking forward to. Good morning, sir. Im sorry to wake you. Why am I calling? I just found out TRANSLTR is obsolete. Its because of an algorithm my absolute top-dollar Crypto team couldnt come close to writing Strathmore slammed his fist on the desk.Susan stood frozen. She didnt make a sound. In ten days, she had seen Strathmore lose his cool only a fistful of times, and never once with her.Ten seconds later neither one of them had spoken. Finally Strathmore sat back down, and Susan could hear his breathing slowing to normal. When he finally spoke, his verbalise was eerily calm and controlled.Unfortunately, Strathmore said quietly, it turns out the director is in South America meeting with the President of Colombia. Because theres absolutely nothing he could do from down there, I had two options-request he cut his meeting short and return, or handle this myself. There was along silence. Strathmore finally looked up, and his tired eyes met Susans. His expression soften immediately. Susan, Im sorry. Im exhausted. This is a nightmare come true. I know youre upset about David. I didnt mean for you to find out this way. I thought you knew.Susan felt a wave of guilt. I overreacted. Im sorry. David is a good choice.Strathmore nodded absently. Hell be back tonight.Susan thought about everything the commander was going through-the pressure of overseeing TRANSLTR, the endless hours and meetings. It was rumored his wife of thirty years was leaving him. Then on top of it, there was Digital Fortress-the biggest intelligence threat in the history of the NSA, and the poor guy was flying solo. No curio he looked about to crack.Considering the circumstances, Susan said, I think you should probably call the director.Strathmore shook his head, a bead of sweat dripping on his desk. Im not about to agree the directors safety or risk a leak by contacting him about a major crisis he can do nothing about.Susan knew he was right. withal in moments like these, Strathmore was clear-headed. Have you considered calling the President?Strathmore n odded. Yes. Ive decided against it.Susan had figured as much. Senior NSA officials had the right to handle verifiable intelligence emergencies without executive knowledge. The NSA was the only U.S. intelligence organization that enjoyed total immunity from federal accountability of any sort. Strathmore often availed himself of this right he preferred to work his magic in isolation.Commander, she argued, this is too big to be handled alone. Youve got to let somebody else in on it.Susan, the existence of Digital Fortress has major implications for the future of this organization. I have no object of informing the President behind the directors back. We have a crisis, and Im handling it. He eyed her thoughtfully. I am the deputy director of operations. A weary make a face crept across his face. And besides, Im not alone. Ive got Susan Fletcher on my team.In that instant, Susan realized what she respected so much about Trevor Strathmore. For ten years, through thick and thin, he had a lways led the way for her. Steadfast. Unwavering. It was his dedication that amazed her-his unshakable allegiance to his principles, his country, and his ideals. Come what may, Commander Trevor Strathmore was a guiding light in a world of impossible decisions.You are on my team, arent you? he asked.Susan smiled. Yes, sir, I am. One hundred percent.Good. Now can we get back to work?

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Ochres: Dance and Aboriginal Culture

Bangarra Dance Company Ochres inflamed vs. Black Culture and its, at times, inconceivable differences is an expression of worry for our society today. Silencing and elapsing of floricultures and traditions let outms to have escalated immensely. However, for the sake of our future, there is strong importance in the need of these traditions endurance. Therefore, contemporary dance has the aptitude in defying these unjust cultural judgments. We see countless contemporary choreographers, today, merging momentous techniques of contemporary with traditional aspects of cultures for unerringly that reason.Widely acclaimed within Australia and internationally, Bangarra Dance battlefield presents the spirit of true Australia. They make traditional culture accessible and enjoyable, providing an enriching experience for the audience. Their industrial plant argon creative and thought-provoking, contributing to a greater understanding and acceptance of Aboriginal values. The work of Ochres (1995), a Bangarra Dance Theatre production, embraces upon the cultural and spiritual significance of Aboriginal life.Through the four colours of Ochres, each representing an element of Aboriginal culture, Stephen Page integrated contemporary abstraction in exposing symbolical reasoning. A correlation of the inspired traditional forms is distinguishable in both sections Red and Black of the phenomenal production. Evidently, through the use of only four manly dancers, Black conveys the element of mens business. The storyline perceives an ash storm that has blown over and that the call and chafe of initiation can only be viewed from a distance.Traditionally, whats more stereotypically, men were visualised as the control and workers in Aboriginal culture. As the support providers for their families, men would find themselves endlessly hunt and toiling. Stephen Page successfully fused these aspects of tradition within a contemporary piece creating such meaning. Varying movements are performed with strong suspension and sustainability denoting their power and boldness. This is make headway supported by, in sections of the dance, the strength held by the upper torso while utilizing various leg movements.Actions of kicks and leaps are performed at various levels assisting in the representation of the ups and downs they are faced with, and the fight from pain. The movement where dancers appear kneeling to the floor, pushing and pulling their arms repeatedly, appears as an abstraction of plowing an otherwise element of men at work. Furthermore, movements intertwine with the use of props as they crawl behind and in front of them. It is this that appears as a sign of the men being out in the bush hunting.In order to define their connection with the land tradition of aboriginal culture, low crawling and floor movements are seen throughout the sequence. In comparison, the development of Red evokes the customs, laws and values placed on the relations coxas between women and men who have been on a path of change since time began. In each of these relationships the youth, the obsession, the poison, the pain, there is struggle. conflicting Black, Red makes use of both manlike and fe potent dancers to portray this message and embrace these relationships.Within the first sequence, youth is evidently conveyed through the use of childly motifs such as the women flashing her dress towards the man, running around, skipping, and torment of the male. It appears as the initiation of a relationship between a man and a fair sex or as evident in youth, a girl and a boy. As the sequence progress, the young boy finds himself arising from the torment of these fellow ladies and perseveres his dominance. During torment the male is visualised sitting at a lower level, but once power is regained levels change dramatically where he is above the women.As the males in down(p), the males movements are performed with strong suspension and sustainability of his entire p hysique. Strong kicks, high leaps and barrel rolls, and lifting of the female dancers further enhance his dominance. Again, as black embraces in a connection to the land through numerous floor movements so too does red. The following two segments, encompassing obsession and poison, are where a comminuted contrast of movements is evident. Suspended and sustained movements remain but less sharp and forceful almost more drawn out and gradual.This emphasises the delicate love and flush for each other. However, as the word obsession suggests, its segment consist of support where dancers are endlessly connected either being hip to hip, head to hip or upper body to upper body. This idea establishes the need for one person within love, always relying on them and falling back to them. Furthermore, it encompasses numerous lifts throughout to convey their connection. Whereas, within poison slow suspended movements are performed in unison almost repelling each other. Dancers become within eac h others personal space, so close yet do not touch.This is the beginning of the struggle of relationships where they find themselves repulsed by each other. Finally, the closing segment addresses pain the dying of ones love. This section is relatively shorter than the rest representing the short death and pain. The male appears as the focus, just like the males present in black, as he sits at a low level close to the connection of his land for the last time. The female is present dancing around him as a spirit of hope. Evidently, she utilises various turns and jumps to achieve this meaning.Traditional aspect of the stolen generation can further be respected abstractedly within the work of Red fireside upon the diachronic background of Aboriginals. This is shown through the men representing the government and the women representing all of the Aboriginal women. Movements have been utilised through forceful suspension and sustainability allowing the dancers to express their emotions towards this historical chapter. The fast movements and the use of space show the aboriginals trying to escape from the government in order to save their family.As Page endeavours to encompass Aboriginal culture within contemporary dance, he makes use of occasional Aboriginal dance techniques. In both Red and Black of Ochres it is blatant to see these techniques throughout. By altering movements, that would broadly speaking be seen on straight supporting legs such as pirouettes, to bent from the knees is one approach of foreshadowing Aboriginal techniques. From the bending of knees, asymmetrical shapes can whence be established another aspect visualised within Aboriginal dances. Finally, music and aural elements of the entire piece encompass aboriginal chanting to proceed this culture.Stephen Pages production of Ochres is one of the many illustrations to how contemporary choreographers of today revive those slowly diminishing traditions of our historical cultures. As distinguishe d within the works of Black and Red of this production, cultural understanding and justice can be achieved through incorporating its aspects into contemporary dance. His influence to our current and future society has been enormous, contributing to a much greater understanding and acceptance of cultural values. More particularly, our authentic Australian spirit of Aboriginal ancestors can be reunderstood and claimed as truly remarkable.