Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Pimp my sukkah.

Pimp my sukkah. DID YOU KNOW? If you eat too many carrots, your skin will turn orange due to excess carotene. So, Im not Jewish. Not that theres anything wrong with that! But no, really, Im not Jewish. Not even a little bit. From: Jordyn To: [emailprotected] Date: 10/5/2006 1:24 PM Subject: Pimp My Sukkah. Hello everyone! FYSH (first year students of Hillel) is holding a fantastic event TODAY in our Sukkah on the Kresge Oval. Well be decorating the Sukkah in the most fantastic of ways (think Pimp My Ride meets the MIT Sukkah) and enjoying Pizza (in the Hut). Come by and join us, well be there from 4-6:30. See you there! Jordyn But just you try telling that to MIT Hillel! I think that one time there was some form or something that I had to send back to MIT, and it asked for my religious affiliation and I left it blank, because thats pretty much accurate. Boy, that was a mistake. Apparently having no apparent religion and a last name that isnt Kim or Rizos or Lzhpb*n!xobile is code for JEWISH! in Hillels book. Actually, one of my really, really Catholic friends with an equally German last name is also on Hillels mailing list, so at a university where Chang takes up two entire pages of the campus phone directory, maybe presumed ehtnicity is really the only criterion they use. Anyway, my first encounter with Hillel was when I received my first admission-related mailing from MIT. It contained a form to apply for my student ID, a form to apply for my athena username, some instructions on the incoming freshmen essay and math evaluations, and, of course, a green pin with M.I.T written on it in Hebrew. I think I ended up giving that one to one of my (actually Jewish) friends as a novelty item. So then I got to campus and everything was great. I made new friends, freaked out over 8.01 exams, got free food, stalked fellow studentson the internetyou know, general freshman stuff. I just thought it was weird that I kept getting e-mails from Hilleevery two days inviting me to all of their events. But whatever, I was a frosh and didnt know how to use Moira to unsubscribe myself, and at that time I loved reading e-mails! I didnt worry too much about it. Then one fine afternoon I was in the middle of Mastering Physics when the phone rang in my dorm room. David: Its for you, man. Me: Hello? Hillel: Hey, Sam? Sam: Yes. Hillel: Hey, this is Hillel. Were going to services for Yom Kippur tomorrow and we wanted to know if you wanted to come with us. Sam: Yeah, you guys have been really nice to me and everything, and I really appreciate all the hospitality youve shown me, but Im actually not Jewish. Hillel: Oh, okay. *click* Ha! Thats the end of that story, I thought. No no, not really. The e-mails kept on coming, and over the next few months I got a dreidel for Hannukah and some kind of delicious candy, Kosher for Passover. To tell you the truth, that was WAY better than the candy cane and easter egg I got from Campus Crusade for Christ, so I considered converting for a few days. No no, not really. But I dont know why everybody is so down on organized religion all the time. And I kept reading the e-mails, just for my own amusement. A kosher chili cookoff (no cheese on top, I guess?). A Latke-Hamentaschen debate. Some kind of party held at the height of Nellys popularity, which bore the slogan Its getting hot in herre, so emigrate to Israel with all your clothes! A Hawaii-themed Jew-au at the MIT skating rink. A party to redo all the CPW assignments and match up Jewish prefrosh with Jewish hosts. By sophomore year I was getting smarterI understood how mailing lists worked, for one thing. So after the latest extravaganza of Judaism that I couldnt go to anyway, I decided to take myself off the Hillel mailing list Well, thats about five less e-mails a week Ill get. I thought. But to no avail. After a quiet period of about two weeks, I started getting the e-mails againand this time, they were BCCed! Curses! Now I didnt even know which of the 73 Hillel-related mailing lists I was on. Looking back, I think its kind of like the Borgwhenever you defeat them, they come up with a new defense system so they cant be defeated again by that same method. I wonder if anyone in Hillel will ever read this entry. And if so, how long it will stay up after that. Still, I didnt get any more candy from them after that, so maybe somebody in their administration took the hint, or just has it out for me now. Anyway, the point of this entry is that if Habitat for Humanity were as passionate about recruiting as MIT Hillel is, all of America east of the Mississippi would just be one giant suburb. Oh, and they also sent me this comic about a Shabot 6000, the Jewish robot. Really!

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Essay on Organic vs. Sustainable Agriculture - 1357 Words

Organic vs. Sustainable Agriculture Agriculture, to many is just an industry of farmers and cows. Most people can’t even come close to fathom just how essential the continuance of agriculture is to not just our well being, but our very lives. People of the United States have been spoiled, they’ve never had to worry about the grocery stores running empty because, even to this day, there hasn’t been a problem growing enough to feed, not only the U.S. but a good part of the world too. The day though is fast approaching that we won’t be able to keep those grocery stores stocked. Due to the depletion of the vital resources, needed to produce our food, it is becoming increasingly challenging for today’s agriculturalists to feed the world.†¦show more content†¦To do this, all uses of pesticides, herbicides, chemical nutrients, genetically modified seed, and the list goes on and on. The producer relies more heavily upon the application of manure and in most cases is forced into highe r tillage to control weed pests. Although there is some other natural pest control methods, but the choices are pretty limited. Organic production’s man principle is to return organic matter back to the soil, as well as fetch premium market prices for their production. As for the history of the term â€Å"organic† and its association with agriculture as far as anyone can tell, at least in this country was around the 1940’s.( Gegner, L, Kuepper, G, 2004) Until 1962 Organic Agriculture really wasn’t something the general population knew about or even cared, but in 1962 Rachel Carson’s Silent spring came into print. The publication was a graphic statement about the harms of pesticides on the environment. This one book had a huge impact on the environmental movement of the 60’s and 70’s. With the environmental movement, the concept of Organic Agriculture finally took off (Gegner, L, Kuepper, G, 2004). From there on the Organic Agricultu ral sector has continued to grow and grow. Actually, from 1998 to 2003 the farm gate sales from organic production went from $93.8 to $154.8 million or by 53% (Fouche, C, 2006). From a market stand point, certain percentage of the population will pay a pretty penny extra for production stamped â€Å"organic,† thusShow MoreRelatedOrganic Agriculture, As Defined By The National Organic Standards Board1163 Words   |  5 PagesOrganic Agriculture, as defined by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB): â€Å"Is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony.† Which is very fancily put for agriculture with as little man made input as possible trying to farm, as they perceive at least, the most beneficial to theRead MoreSustainability Vs. Conventional Farming1 299 Words   |  6 PagesWalsh states that today, Agriculture takes up one third of the planet. (Walsh) Agriculture is the science, art, or occupation concerned with cultivating land, raising crops, growing, feeding, breeding, and raising livestock. (Dictionary) According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), when you add the word sustainable to agriculture, it means an integrated system of plant and animal production having a site-specific application. (Gold) The sales of organics are at an all time highRead MoreOrganic vs. Conventional Farming: An Anthology757 Words   |  3 PagesPollan is of the idea that the use of organic farming detoxifies food and the environment. This includes using traditional food distribution methods such as free-range chicken. Horrigan, L., Lawrence, R., Walker, P. (2002). How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture. Environmental Health Perspective . This article outlines problems that are associated with the current factory style animal agriculture. It points at ways of making the currentRead MoreWhy Organic Farming Is Capable Of Sustaining The Global Population891 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Components 1. Discuss the â€Å"problem statement,† (what is the issue we are addressing?) - The â€Å"problem statement† to these three articles is to see if organic farming is capable of sustaining the global population by weighing the pros and cons of organic vs conventional farming. 2. Who are the authors and what are their qualifications? - First author, DiGregori has neither expertise or credential; he is a phD in Economics and does not have any experience dealing with agronomy nor didRead MoreAgriculture : A Global Environmental And Humanitarian Issue1489 Words   |  6 PagesAgriculture uses the domestication and cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms to produce food, fiber, biofuel, medicinal and other products to help sustain and enhance human life. Agriculture has existed for over the last 10,000 years and is credited into propelling our civilization into the modern cultures and technologies we see today. Without the ability to store and domesticate plants and animals it is unlikely that we would have been able to evolve beyond our hunting andRead MoreThe Effects Of Pesticides On Organic Farming1653 Words   |  7 Pagesfarmers noticed a decrease in soil quality and crop health due to the use of chemical fertilizers (â€Å"Pesticides in Organic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  1). This drop in soil quality l eft the farmers no other choice but to cease the use of chemical fertilizers and begin implementing less harmful supplements in order to improve crop quality (â€Å"An Oral History†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). This less invasive method of farming, otherwise known as organic farming, takes into account â€Å"the medium and long-term effect of agricultural interventions† (â€Å"What Are the Environmental†¦Ã¢â‚¬ )Read MoreCommercial And Industrial Farming Vs. Farming1028 Words   |  5 PagesTopic: Commercial/industrial farming vs Family farming. Structure: compare and contrast Three focus Areas: Quality of food/meat. How how farms are run. Quality of the milk. Example paragraph Have you ever asked yourself why is sustainable agriculture is so much better than industrial agriculture? Or what s in the milk i drink or the meat that i eat? Every time you sit down for a meal containing meat or dairy you’re dining with unknown carcinogens, bacteria, and other contaminants that canRead MoreThe Old Way Of Farming Is The American Future1536 Words   |  7 Pages and climate changes are some of the issues that concern most Americans. The interesting thing about them is that they all are related to agriculture. For years, Americans have not had a lucid concept of what farming is,or the importance of it, and as a result, most people do not have a clear understanding about what are the real benefits of local sustainable food as well as the consequences of supporting the current food system, the industrial food chain. Indeed, the current food system is â€Å"preventing†Read MoreThe Planet World Will Be More Than 11 Billion People2214 Words   |  9 Page sAbstract By the end of this century, the planet world will be home to more than 11 billion people. Feeding all of them in a truly sustainable way remains undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges of this generation. The population boom is sometimes feared as one of the major leading problems to the food security and malnutrition issue; this essay analysis shows that the reasons many suspects are not entirely true; it’s not the number, nor is it about enough land. The world has already what’s requiredRead MoreOmnivores Dilemma1260 Words   |  5 Pagesdoes make an interesting point about the denaturalization of the food industry, but Michael Pollan overlooks the many benefits of the current system of food production, which allows humans to produce more food on less land than in pre-industrial agriculture which in turn allows for greater sustenance to the human consumer. Additionally, the proposals that Pollan makes are simply not feasible. He believes that the United States sho uld change from an industrialized food distribution system to a model

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Changing City How Lagos became a major player in the global community Free Essays

Introduction Logos in Time 1.1 A BRIEF HISTORY Modern day Lagos; previously known as ‘Eko’ (â€Å"war camp†) is said to have been founded by its Bini Conquerors. According to a UN Habitat publication (2006), ‘Portuguese traders visited the area in 1472 and soon after began trading in goods and slaves, naming the area around the city Lagos, meaning lakes. We will write a custom essay sample on The Changing City: How Lagos became a major player in the global community or any similar topic only for you Order Now ’ Later, post British colonial rule saw the establishment of the Dependency and AssociatedState of Nigeria in 1914, of which Lagos was declared the capital. During the 1960s-70s, as the capital, Lagos experienced rapid economic growth. This continued through to the late 1990s and to present day. In 1991, the then military president moved to a newly purpose built capital and as a result, Lagos lost some of its esteem. Nevertheless, it has retained its importance as the largest city and economic state in Nigeria. Today, Lagos has become a major player in the global community. How did the former British colonial state become so influential? LagosState 1.2 lAGOS, THE MEGACITY? Lagos, along with Badagry, Epe, Ikorodu and Ikeja, are Nigeria’s main urban centres. The urbanisation process that has taken place in Lagos has been of such significance in the State and in Nigeria as a whole that it should receive special attention. As a result of its colonisation by Britain, Lagos represents most spectacularly one of those classes of Nigerian cities whose growth and development have been significantly contoured by western influences. Starting from small settlements made by the Awori (a subgroup of the Yorubas), first at EbuteMetta and later at Iddo, most likely in the early 17th century, the settlement of Lagos existed rather quietly up to the end of the 18th century. It’s a city that confounds and amazes due to its striking contrasts†¦ Lagos is rapidly becoming Africa’s largest city attaining MegaCity status in 1995 as a result of its population surpassing 10 million. The population of Lagos is estimated to reach 24.6 million by 2015, overtaking the Egyptian capital Cairo as Africa’s biggest city. According to UN Habitat’s State of African Cities report (2010), the number of people living in African cities will triple over the next 40 years to about 1.23 billion people and by then (2050), 60% of Africans will be city dwellers. Currently, LagosState currently has a population of about 18.5 million and this surge brings it ever closer to being a global contender. It is a city that confounds and amazes due to its striking contrast between the wealthy and the poor members of the population. The population in Lagos has been said to have a density of 1,305 persons per square kilometre and has already far exceeded the national estimates of 85 persons per square kilometre. By the 1980’s, over 40 slums covering over 1,600 hectares were officially recognised on the state’s records. Unsurprisingly that figure rose rapidly to over 60 slums in 1995 and then over 100 by 2003 with the addition of fringe towns. With floating slums like Makoko on the fringes of the city, Lagos certainly lives up to the controversy surrounding modern megacities. With many of these fringe towns being outside of the reach of normal authority, people tend to form their own policing methods. 1.3 Economic Status Lagos is the commercial and industrial hub of Nigeria, with a Gross National Product three times that of any other West African country. Lagos has largely benefited due to natural resources in oil, natural gas, coal, fuel wood and water Nigeria has. Light industry was prevalent in post-independence Nigeria and petroleum-related industry dominated in the 1970’s, directly affecting the express growth Lagos has experienced. LagosIsland The 1950’s saw the start of the oil industry, which increased seven-fold between 1965 and 1973, while oil prices around the world skyrocketed. By 1978, the metropolitan area accounted for 40% of the external trade of Nigeria, containing 40% of the national skilled population. The global recession in 1981, which caused a sharp fall in oil prices, sent Lagos reeling into debt and runaway inflation that still is a problem today. Consequently, a massive programme of infrastructure and social services expansion came to an abrupt halt. Developments in energy and water access, sewerage, transportation and housing were all adversely affected by the chaotic development of a geographically displaced city. In addition, the democratic changes in government policy have helped to catapult the city’s economic growth. Previously officials we not very readily held to account for their actions and the real potential of the city was not recognized. Officials can now be more easily held to account for corrupt behavior. Even though Nigeria is notorious for fraud and corruption, the changes in the past 10-15 years have contributed positively to the city’s status. Independent investors viewed these changes as cause to improve local services such as investing in private education and healthcare, though there is still tremendous work to be done. Because of the huge demands on the cities resources such as its energy supply, problems with social infrastructure are more obvious, nevertheless, with a growing population, there will be growing demands on the supply of goods and services, and this will positively affect the economy. Major Problems 2.1 POPULATION As mentioned above, Lagos is the most populous city in Nigeria. The unplanned growth of the population has it itself created a magnitude of problems. Lagos has more employment and educational opportunities than surrounding cities, so attracting thousands more people every day is a feasible concept. With space rapidly becoming an issue, accommodation prices sky rocket and become unreachable to the majority. As a result of this, slum type habitation becomes the norm. Canoed walkways like the one pictured above in Makoko, a growing slum in Lagos are typical around the city. Many of the residents there are fishermen attracted by job prospects of the big city because of its oil rich history. Two out of three Lagos residents live in a slum with no reliable access to clean drinking water, electricity, waste disposal – even roads. With the number of people entering Lagos every day, the problems associated with slum living will undoubtedly continue to increase. The city also has another problem. Because its shores are being constantly eroded, the inhabitants both old and the ones to come are ever losing precious land. Construction plans are underway to expand the city with constant supplies of water and electricity. 2.2 ECONOMY The economy of Lagos state is thought to be worth around $33bn, despite the habitual overcrowding, crumbling infrastructure and hellish traffic. As a result of said overcrowding, slums like the one mentioned above continue to grow. Government provided services like healthcare, education and police are not staples in these areas. The absence of the law supports the rise of Area Boys, who police their territory with threats and often violence. In addition, bribes and corruption have become common place. Nigeria is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. After its independence during the 1960s, billions of dollars of Nigeria’s oil revenue have been siphoned from state and government coffers by the actions of the country’s rulers. As a result of this widespread corruption and lack of enforced laws, the country’s economy does not reflect its true potential. Elections of officials are more regulated and checked, so there is improvement in the system but with the city so far behind its mega city colleagues, there is still a long way to go. 2.3 Social Structure Despite the huge numbers of people flocking to the city, large proportion of people in Lagos still live in rural areas. Family life is still an important aspect of African culture. Families however continually get separated due to elders migrating to the city for work. The migrants are often unsuccessful in their attempt at financial prosperity, but are too ashamed to return to their rural lives, and therefore continue to contribute to the problems surrounding Lagos’s MegaCity status. Other city linked attachments such as a functioning transport systems, healthcare, education are erratic at best in their availability within Lagos. In the late 90s, the education system did turn out a significant number of graduates. High paying jobs require decent standards of education for hiring, but since most people who come to the city are from rural areas, those jobs are not usually accessible to them. The transport system in Lagos is woefully inadequate to deal with the demands of its mega city status. The bus rapid transit (BRT) system has made a start towards tackling these problems. Since its inception three years ago, the BRT between Mile 12 and CMS stations has transported 170 million passengers and reduced travel times by 30 minutes according to reports. A bright future? With constantly changing dynamics in population, economy and social structure, LagosNigeria will undoubtedly continue to change and develop. As demonstrated above, these changes while bringing Lagos to the forefront as a MegaCity, have brought along its own set of problems. The growing population; while bringing along problems like overcrowding and slum villages like Makoko, the surge in the city’s inhabitants help to sustain and cultivate Lagos’s reputation as a major economic world city. Slum alleviation projects and major regeneration to infrastructure continue to take place. The future could indeed be bright for the complex and contrasting city, if its leaders operate to its benefit rather than to its determent. BIBLIOGRAPHY â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities.† UN Habitat. Version World Urban Forum 3. N.p., 19 June 2006. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. . Cossou, Egon . â€Å"BBC News – Lagos aims to be Africa’s model megacity.† BBC News – Home. N.p., 22 Jan. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. . Echeron, Michael J.C. .Victorian Lagos: Aspects of 19th Century Lagos Life . London: Macmillan, 1977. Print. IRIN Africa | NIGERIA: Lagos, the mega-city of slums | Nigeria | Economy | Governance | Urban Risk .†IRIN †¢ humanitarian news and analysis from Africa, Asia and the Middle East – updated daily. N.p., 27 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. . Nations, United . â€Å"United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.† United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2003 Revision. 1 (2003): n. pag. UN.org. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. Population Fund, United Nations. â€Å"UNFPA – State of World Population 2010.† UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund. N.p., 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. . UN Habitat. â€Å"State of the World Cities.† UN Habitat. N.p., 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 27 Mar. 2011. How to cite The Changing City: How Lagos became a major player in the global community, Essay examples

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Youth Criminal Action in Canada free essay sample

There has been a significant increase in criminal activity among youth in Canada, in recent years, threatening the safety of future generations. People are beginning to recognize this fact and are concerned whether or not the justice system will be able to protect them from the rise in crime. The justice system utilizes many resources to correct criminal behaviors in the youth of today. Strain on the courts and corrections divisions of the justice system have been amplified directly resulting from these youth offenses causing a greater need for probation officers, rehabilitation and correction centers, school resource officers and extracurricular activities such as sports or specialized programs that keep youth off the streets. What types of crimes are being committed by youth and why are they committing these crimes? Do they realize the effect that their actions have on the victims and their families? What consequences are there for their actions and how can society deter youth from participating in criminal activity? How has Canada’s youth justice system changed over the years and more importantly how effective is the criminal justice system in assisting youth criminals enlisted to their care programs? The youth of today are the future of tomorrow. We will write a custom essay sample on Youth Criminal Action in Canada or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In order for our children and grandchildren to live in a safe and secure society, we must examine the resources that we currently have in place, and make extensive efforts to reduce criminal activity in Canadian youth now. The types of crimes committed by youth have been becoming more serious over the last 50 years in Canada. Children have been known for petty crimes, such as shoplifting a candy bar or a soda, but crimes have become much more extreme in recent years. Although murder, aggravated assault and sexual assault are a smaller portion of youth crime, it is still a huge scare to society. How can people feel secure in their communities if there are fifteen year old killers and rapists skulking about? According to Canadian court statistics, the youth crime rate rose dramatically, between the years of 1984 and 1991. These crimes were mainly property offenses such as breaking and entering, vandalism and graffiti. Other charges include sexual, physical and verbal harassment. The average annual increase in the rate of youth charged with violent incidents was 11% between 1986 and 1994, while the rate of youth charged with property crimes dropped 2% for the same period of time. From 1996 to 2000, the percentage of violent crimes involving youth was 16 percent while the percentage of property offenses involving youth was 30 percent. An alarming fact is that the Canadian youth homicide rate is higher than that of many other countries. Victims of violent crimes are almost always committed by youths against other youths. On an evening in November, 1997, a 14 year old girl, Reena Virk, was beaten severely by peers of the same age in British Columbia. Later that night, two other teens found her and killed her. The trial for the assailants ended up in multiple assault charges, as well as two second-degree murder charges for two of the attackers when they were arrested later in November of 1997. This is an example of just how severe criminal actions in youth have become. Adolescents who on their own would not usually engage in violent activities become involved with gangs who commit these kinds of crimes. Often times, a new gang member must perform a criminal act of initiation to prove their worthiness to be a gang member. Once they are a member of the gang, they would be willing to commit many more criminal actions, escalating to drug trafficking, assaults and theft along with many other summary and indictable offenses. Based on the previous information criminal activity has been on the rise in young offenders, both in numbers and severity, in recent years in Canada. There is a lot of attention paid to the types of crimes being committed by youths, but not many people ever ask why they perpetrate crimes. During early adolescence, many young people break the law, due to the fact that they lack self confidence or they have a lack of respect for property, as well as other people. Adolescents who were abused or neglected as children are prone to violent behaviour. A study of over 3000 10 and 11 year old Canadian children revealed that aggressive children are more likely than other children to feel unhappy, rejected and have a negative self-image. Very aggressive children are more likely than other children to be bullied and have negative relationships with friends, parents and teachers. Some youths break the law just because they don’t have anything productive to do. Others are just young and naive, and make irrational decisions, resulting in mistakes. Parental conflict, spousal abuse, parents who are involved in criminal activity or who abuse alcohol or drugs can negatively affect a youth’s respect for the law. If a child is growing up in a home where his father abuses himself and his mother, he is bound to believe that this is normal and beat up his peers at school. I recall being in school with another boy who used to constantly pick fights with other students on a daily basis. Later I found out that he was in a home with an abusive father. Also, both of his parents were drug and alcohol users, so eventually he was relocated to live with his uncle in another city. Youths who leave home and live on the streets are more likely to commit crimes. Another very big reason youths are delinquent is peer pressure. A child’s behaviour can sometimes change when they’re with friends. A perfect example of this can be referenced from my childhood. I had one friend that I would often cause havoc with around the neighborhood. When apart from him I would not misbehave the way that we would when we were together. At one point we harassed a young man at his home by disturbing his dog, yard and vehicles. His response was to chase us down the street. He caught up to my friend and assaulted him, which resulted in charges being laid against the man, as well as fines for myself and my friend. Our foolish actions were directly related to our dares and bets against each other on who could do something funnier. Even more influential on young people than friends are gangs. Gangs will often recruit young people in the school systems because they have direct access to other young people who are openly vulnerable to trying drugs. Youth are also much easier to convince to join a gang than adults are. Many drug pushers use young kids on street corners, or near playgrounds and other inconspicuous locations, to do deals for them, as a kid will not get the same sentence as an adult would for selling and trafficking drugs. As well, it is easier to instill fear in a kid than it is in an adult. If the kid did get caught, he wouldn’t divulge any names of gang members to the police, for fear of retribution. It is easier to be empathetic for troubled adolescents when we understand the reasons behind their law breaking behavior. We also sympathize with the victims of crimes and their families. Science says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction which is true when dealing with criminal activities; in this case it is the effects on the victims. If a kid breaks a window, the owner of the property has to pay to have the window replaced. The same rule would apply to any other crime, but the effects are not always so minor. Many victims or other family members associated with the victim may need to seek professional help, like a psychiatrist, to help them get over the traumatic incident they have recently experienced. Referring back to the Reena Virk killing of 1997, when she was beaten to death by her peers, her death was not simply the end of the story. Her family would have grieved her loss. Her father wrote a book about his life and his family involving the things they used to do leading up to the time of her murder. He said writing the novel helped him to recover from the loss. The murder trials dragged out for almost 10 years before the accused killer was found guilty after 3 trials. It must be unimaginable and unbearable to lose a child in this way. Not only is the victim harmed when someone commits an offence against them, but everyone in society is affected in some way. People will feel threatened until the perpetrator is brought to justice and placed in a corrections institution away from the public. Restorative Justice Programs, also known as Alternative Justice Programs, are an alternative to incarceration uniting victims, offenders and the community. Different from traditional approaches, these programs focus on using joint problem solving to deal with the harmful effects of crime, holding the offenders accountable for their crimes and giving them opportunity to make amends. One of the 3 types of Restorative Justice Programs is Victim-Offender Mediation. This program involves the victim, the offender and a mediator who try to come to an agreement on appropriate payment and/or services for the offence. Secondly, there is Family Group Conferencing involving the victim, offender, family members, community support groups, police officers, social welfare officials and lawyers. The offender and his/her family discuss restitution privately before presenting it as an offer. Thirdly, Victim-Offender Panels provide opportunity for closure. Victims and offenders, linked by similar crimes, express their feelings about the offence, with a moderator issuing guidelines. This program is useful where victims and offenders refuse to meet or are unable to meet. Both offenders and victims suffer when crimes are committed. When young people break the law they may be punished in several different ways. The judge will weigh the facts presented in each case to decide what kind of retribution is appropriate for each situation. The main goal of sentencing is to protect the public, including protection of the person, their property and their individual rights and freedoms. Retribution satisfies the public that the offender has paid for the crime and discourages people from committing crimes. The principles for sentencing young people are set out in Section 38 of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. A young person will be held accountable by imposing a fair and meaningful sentence. The sentence will help in the process of their rehabilitation, directly proportionate to the crime that they have committed, and cannot be greater than the sentence an adult would be given for an identical crime. The usual sentence does not exceed 2 years. Serious criminal offences will last up to 3 years, 1st degree murder can be up to 10 years and 2nd degree murder can be to a maximum of 7 years. Sometimes rehabilitation will be imposed on an offender, to treat problems that interfere with the offender’s ability to function in society, for example medical treatment for drug/alcohol dependency. Restitution requires offenders to pay society back for the injury, loss and suffering they caused by performing community service or paying a fine. A fine is a specific amount of money paid to the court by the offender as punishment for a crime that has a minimum sentence of imprisonment and a maximum prison term of less than 5 years. Failing to pay the fine may result in a prison term. Probation is another sentence allowing a convicted offender to live in the community under close supervision and subject to certain restrictions. Probation can be in addition to or in replacement of a prison term. Most of the time the probation officers will assign curfews, set mandatory one-on-one meetings regularly with their subjects, require the youths to attend school for every class and appear in court if they are required to. Also, probation officers could confine the youths to a designated area, like from school to home, and could require them to perform community service work. In some rare cases subjects will be confined to their own houses. Leaving a certain perimeter would be considered breaching the probation rules. More serious offences would require a young offender to be placed in open custody in a group home or wilderness camp, where the youth would still attend school, have a curfew, attend meals and do chores. Being put into a youth correctional facility under secure custody is reserved for serious and repeat offenders, and is often seen as a last resort for more extreme crimes, as it prevents youth from being with their families and attending school. Most facilities have education, counseling and recreation but this varies from place to place. Finally, strict discipline facilities referred to as boot camps are physically demanding and tightly supervised. 2/3rds of the sentence is served in custody and the last 1/3rd of the sentence is served in the community under supervision. The above-mentioned methods of punishing youth for their crimes should deter them from breaking the law. It is very difficult to interpret how efficiently we deal with young offenders in today’s society without looking into the past. At one point in time in Canada, children at the age of 7 and over could be tried as adults. Reformers believed that children lacked the maturity and judgment to take full responsibility for their actions and needed to be handled differently than adults. They also claimed that with proper guidance children could be rehabilitated more easily than adults. In 1908 the Juvenile Delinquents Act came into effect in Canada stating that youth offenders will be treated as misdirected children rather than criminals. This is when the justice system began sending them to custody facilities like training schools where they would be given disciplinary and vocational lessons. In the 1970’s, many Canadians thought the welfare approach was not working any longer, as there was a very high rate of recidivism in juvenile offenders released from these schools. Judges and police had considerable power in deciding how children who broke the law would be treated. The upper age limit of an offender was 16 to 18 years of age and this varied from province to province. A 17 year old offender could be tried as an adult in one province and a juvenile in another. The Act did not recognize the legal rights of youths which were heavily advocated with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. Then in 1984 Canadian law was refined again and the Young Offenders Act came into being. Very significant changes were made to the way we dealt with youths. The minimum age was changed from 7 to 12 and the maximum age was extended to 18 in all provinces. Youths were still being held accountable for their criminal acts but to a lesser degree than adult offenders. Serious charges could land the perpetrator in adult court. Rights of youths according to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as additional rights for juveniles due to their age and vulnerability, were extended to all Canadian youths. An increase in the number of reported crimes by youths in the early 1990’s brought an outcry from the public for a tougher approach to youths committing violent crimes and repeat offenders. More revisions increased the maximum murder sentence from 3 years to 10 years for minors. Many organizations and political figures continued to lobby the federal government for tougher legislation in the mid 1990’s. The result was the passing of the Youth Criminal Justice Act in 2002 which came into effect in 2003. Under this Act, children under 12 who break the law or commit serious crimes cannot be held criminally responsible, as they are incapable of understanding the nature and consequences of a criminal act, and are to be dealt with by their parents or according to the provincial or territorial welfare and mental health laws. It concentrates on conditions underlying a youth’s behavior and focuses on measures that will attempt to rehabilitate the youth and makes the sentence match the crime. For young people committing minor crimes measures other than custody are to be considered. In the past, youths would be separated from society to try to correct their behaviors, but now members of the youth’s family, the victim, youth workers and members of the community become involved in the process. However, adult sentences can still be imposed for murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, aggravated sexual assault and repeat serious offences. Furthermore, the identities of youth offenders and any other youths involved in the trial will not be published during the trial to ensure that the rehabilitation of the youth will not be hindered in any way. Only after the youth is sentenced can the name of the youth be disclosed. In addition, the law now protects youth from making false confessions, as they have a right to have a lawyer present during questioning and to consult a parent or guardian. No oral or written statement made by a person less than 18 years of age is admissible in court unless the statement was voluntary. Children, who broke the law before the Youth Criminal Justice Act came into effect, were treated much differently than they are today. All the changes made to the Canadian youth justice system over the years are meaningless unless the public has confidence in the system and the reduction of crime is evident. The Canadian approach is to heavily incarcerate violent, high risk criminals and find alternatives to incarceration for low-risk, non-violent offenders. It is more difficult for youths to be incarcerated under the new act because numerous studies have shown that rehabilitation of youths occurs best while they are still involved in the community. It is theory versus reality; it gives them a chance to see how to correct what they have done wrong rather than to just be told what is correct. Troubled youths already feel rejected by parents, teachers and peers. When the state imprisons them, they feel as if they are being abandoned and rejected by the state as well, leading to further anger and disparity in these youths. Placing kids in detention centers can be disruptive as they are prevented from attending school and being with family. These centers can also be dirty, overcrowded and have little or no planned activities. As well, the cost for correctional facilities is extremely high. Prison is the most expensive but the toughest penalty for offenders. Federal and provincial systems cost $2 billion annually. One offender in a provincial in a federal prison for 365 days costs nearly $55,000 annually, $26,000 yearly for a half-way house and $12,000 for supervision of an inmate on parole. These numbers can be put into perspective. There are 120 incarcerated individuals for every 100,000 Canadians. There is no conclusive evidence to show that prison has a deterrent effect, reduces crime, or reduces the rate of recidivism. The goal of all rehabilitation programs for youths is to correct their behavior by breaking the cycle. Breaking the cycle of their behavior will successfully set them on the right path in their lives so they can be better people, but how difficult is this to accomplish? Recidivism is defined by offenders recommitting crimes within 5 years of their release from their last rehabilitation program. Programs that match the treatment to the offender’s needs have been shown to reduce recidivism rates by 50% on average. Incarceration is only a way to fix a problem temporarily. When people are jailed for life sentences they become reliant on the system and need the system to supply their basic needs. This is because they become institutionalized, meaning they only know how to live with the prison telling them what to do. Inmates who were released after life sentences would often recommit crimes just to have a safe place to sleep at night, because they cannot support themselves- they do not know how. The Youth Offenders Act gives juveniles extra-judicial sanctions. These community-based programs give the youth a chance to make amends for the crime committed instead of going to court. For example, if a youth was caught vandalizing a park, the youth would be required to plant flowers or rake leaves in a public park for a designated number of hours per week as retribution. According to many professionals who work with youths, this type of program helps reduce the rate of recidivism, which benefits society in the long run. Next, studies indicate that Restorative Justice Programs, discussed previously, benefit both victims and offenders, reduces fear and anxiety among victims and decreases incidence of criminal behavior. Also, these programs ease the backlog in the courts, lower court and prison costs and keep offenders away from the negative influence of hardened criminals in prison. In conclusion, a higher percentage of Canadians are satisfied than dissatisfied with the justice system. International comparisons have shown that the levels of public confidence in criminal justice are higher in Canada than in many other countries and as stated in a review of the criminal courts in England and Wales â€Å"public confidence is not so much an aim of a good criminal justice system, but a consequence of it† (Auld 2001:18).

Friday, March 20, 2020

Modernist Art in Europe essays

Modernist Art in Europe essays Modernist Art in Europe 1910-25 by Robert l. Herbert Herberts thesis of his essay is to investigate the arrival of the machine and modern art and its complexities. During WWI, modernist painting and sculpture paid major attention to machinery, science and industry. Modern art during that time has become a central factor in our culture due to its dominance in public art, museums, media and literature. Herbert brings in background information and stated the avant-garde of Pisarro, van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, etc. The industrial revolution had a stronger grip on society during the 19th century, and during this time, modern art was associated with primitive nature. During the rise of industrial art their was a rise of landscapes and paintings of rural everyday life. Also, the new technique and style which became the handcraft to modern art was so avant-garde from the academic art. Modern art was involved with cubism, futurism and vorticism. He explains that all of these arts consisted of the importance of handcraft, creativity, individuali ty, and original expression. Herbert keeps bringing in the fact the machine was the leading sign of modernity. There was no more of a gap between handwork and the machine. Also, that the machine became so important in modern art because it was now a part of daily urban life, due to subways, telephones, automobiles, sewing machines, bicycles, televisions, cinema, and more advanced photographic and advertising developments. Herbert states that although the machine became a large factor in art that it was not incorporated in the work of all modernists, such as Picasso and Braque. The author then describes the modern art in epic cubism, and how it focused on geometric architecture and structures of mechanical parts with organic rhythm of daily life. And how Italian futurism dealt with modern city life, but with more immediacy, more implied movement. It was similar to cubist but with more calc ...

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

The Best Marketing Tips From 9 Top Influencers - CoSchedule Blog

The Best Marketing Tips From 9 Top Influencers Blog This year, sent teams to two of the largest marketing conferences in the world:  INBOUND and Content Marketing World. Together, they attracted nearly 30,000 marketers.  To make the most of it for our teams, and our lovely readers (you!), we asked some of the smarterst marketers in attendance: What is your single biggest marketing takeaway from this year’s conferences? They did not disappoint! In this post, I’m going to share some top takeaways you can put into action by the time you’re done with your next cup of java ☕ï ¸  The Best Marketing Tips From 9 Top InfluencersTop Influencer Takeaways From 2018 INBOUND and Content Marketing World Table of Contents: Kathleen Booth of Impact Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media Ian Cleary of Razor Social John Hall of Influence and Co. Ann Handley of MarketingProfs Anna Hrach of Convince and Convert Julia McCoy of Express Writers Alex Schofield of Wistia Byron White of WriterAccess What Are These Conferences? Before we dive in, it may be helpful to know what these conferences actually are! If youre unsure, no prob. Created and hosted by Hubspot, INBOUND is the largest marketing conference in the world, with nearly 25,000 registrants. And Content Marketing World, created and hosted by Content Marketing Institute, is the gold-standard of content marketing conferences. Loving Boston and #inbound18 👠Ã°Å¸â€˜ Ã°Å¸â€˜  If youre here, swing by for some goodies and say hi 👋 @pic.twitter.com/KHfn5XAs8J Jordan Loftis (@jordan_loftis) September 5, 2018 INBOUND features big-name keynotes like Alex Rodriguez and Scott Harrison. But the nitty-gritty marketing talks are found in hundreds of breakout sessions scattered around a giant convention center (that looks like a spaceship). I have a Ph.D. in failure, but a Masters in getting back up. I choose to focus on the latter. – @AROD #INBOUND18 pic.twitter.com/g6AENF4jRA Jordan Loftis (@jordan_loftis) September 6, 2018 Content Marketing World is similar, with keynotes from the likes of Tina Fey. However, its razor focused on content marketing - as the name implies. Cleveland Rocks! Stop by and say to these handsome devils at #cmworld. You might even get a signed #10xMarketingFormula book! @njellering @EricPiela @garrett_moon @k_n_elson pic.twitter.com/tvFFTMMhqH (@) September 5, 2018 Each conference has value in its own right. Now, here are nine takeaways from top marketers and brands on the heels of these notable conferences. How To Use Medium For Brand Lift And Reach First up, I spoke with  Kathleen Booth, VP of Marketing at  Impact, at INBOUND. She talked about the nature of Medium as another channel in your marketing. Heres what she said: When Hubspot looks at their audience and reach on Medium, 87 percent of the people they reach are not in their contact base. Thats total brand awareness! Add to that, Medium is one of the only places on the internet where long-form content can go viral. Medium has a specific use case: brand lift and reach. But to be successful on Medium you have to work the algorithm. For example, right now, you have to get 50 people to clap within the first 24 hours to simply get on bat. If you’re writing stuff people don’t want to share, you’re not going to get any traction. Medium is a discovery platform. To me, this was a fascinating take on the content platform. Really, it almost turns Medium into another social network. So, if you have a Medium blog, like our 10x Marketing channel, consider digging into what makes great content spread there. And think of it as a brand lift and reach platform. Medium is one of the only places on the internet where long-form content can go viral@WorkMommyWork Write Down Big Goals, Focus On Helping Others, And Remove Distractions From Your Life Next, we caught up with  Andy Crestodina, CEO of Orbit Media, after Content Marketing World. Now, we talk to Andy as much as we can, as hes one of the smartest marketers we know. The one thing that stuck out for me (and Ive found myself talking about) was from Joe Pulizzis big-picture keynote about goals. I didnt know this, but Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee, wrote down his goals in a letter to himself. He committed to becoming an international martial arts superstar, making $10,000,000 and giving the most exciting performances to his fans. Joe suggests we all do the same by writing down our goals, focusing on helping others, and removing distractions for our lives. Great advice for marketers. Great advice for everyone. Thanks, Joe. There you have it. Write down big goals, focus on helping others, and remove distractions from your life. Its interesting that often, doing the job of marketing well means pairing your ambition for growth with a desire to be truly helpful to your audience. Write down goals, focus on helping others, and remove distractions @crestodina Content Optimization Is As Important As Content Creation Ian Cleary from Razor Social  reflected on just how hard it is to stand out. Tactics like SEO arent innovations, theyre necessities. And 84 percent of people  expect brands to do content marketing. To stand out, Ian suggests focusing on optimization as well as attraction. He says: The number of companies investing in content marketing is increasing every year, so its becoming increasingly challenging to get onto page one of Google. Were not even in the race unless we produce high quality content, but we also need to focus more on the optimization of this content and promotion. Optimization includes optimization for SEO, but also includes areas such as optimization for readability, as well as attracting people you need to keep people on your site reading your content. In addition, we also need to invest more time in promoting content organically and through paid advertisement. No matter how good the content is if youre not investing the time in the promotion you wont get the value from it. Ian hints at a simple content marketing framework that works incredibly well: create, promote, optimize. Create content people love and search engines understand. Then aggressively promote that content through paid and organic channels. And finally, dont neglect] optimizing it for the long haul. No matter how good content is, without promotion, you wont get the value from it @IanCleary Dont Be A Copy-Cat Marketer John Hall, co-founder of Calendar and advisor to  Influence Co., knows a thing (or twelve) about content marketing. Influence Co. uses smartly-placed content marketing to help clients become influencers in their fields. Heres what John said on the heels of CMW: I think the biggest focus at Content Marketing World this year was what companies can do as a differentiating factor so that your customer sees you differently than others in the industry. Whether it be my talk on increasing distribution, or Jay Baers talk on Talk Triggers,  or another speaker, there were clear hints of being unique with marketing tactics and not just copy others. I think that stood out to me as something for brands to focus on moving forward. Around , we call unoriginal tactics copycat marketing. While you can certainly get inspired by other brands doing things right, copy-paste marketing jobs will give diminishing returns. Why? Because if everyones doing it, your brand looks like everyone elses. What can companies do as a differentiating factor, so your customer sees you differently? @johnhall Great Content Marketing Imagines The Extraordinary In The Ordinary Ann Handley is one of our favorite marketers, and is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs. She reflected on one of her favorite talks, and how its impacting her brand: Dewitt Jones talked about imagining the extraordinary in the ordinary. To me, great content marketing does that, too: It takes sometimes pedestrian tactics and elevates them. I spoke about in my efforts to retool Total Annarchy, my own newsletter (AnnHandley.com/newsletter) and called out what I see others doing really well with email newsletters. (Most companies are missing the boat completely on them.) (And I say this with love in my heart.) It takes everyday customer questions and sincerely tries to deliver the best answer it can to them, to become that trusted resource. Mitch Joel, Dorie Clark, and I talked about that in our panel on Longform Content (the Long Tales, as Mitch cleverly titled it!). Robert Rose talked about this too. It takes the ordinary moments of business and elevates them into stories that resonate. On the heels of John Halls advice that we take unique paths as content creators, Anns advice is interesting. Instead of trying to go 180-degrees from the norm, she suggests elevating even the pedestrian tactics like newsletters. And how does a marketer do this? By developing trust and answering real customer questions with insight and value. Great content marketing takes the ordinary moments of business and elevates them into stories that Get One Big Idea In Motion Next, we caught up with Anna Hrach, a strategist at Convince Convert. She touched on something every marketer should note in this age of endless channels, strategies, and opportunities: It is so easy to fall in love with every amazing idea presented at Content Marketing World. But, as many of us know all too well, its also just as easy to feel completely overwhelmed and get a bit of analysis paralysis with those same ideas when you get back to the office. Instead of trying to tackle it all at once, sit down and figure out whats going to be the easiest AND most impactful to implement. Get those ideas in motion first, then go down the wishlist. Start with what will make a difference, and work your way out from there. Its so easy to catch shiny-object-syndrome. But prioritizing one big idea at a time is such sound advice. When you try to do everything, you often end up doing nothing. Start with what will make a difference, and work your way out from there @annabananahrach Trustworthy Marketers Will Cut Through The Noise Julia McCoy, course educator and CEO at Express Writers, attended CMW this year (and actually wrote a fantastic takeaway piece on it). My favorite takeaways from CMWorld 2018 (theme: Game On) would be these two points. The first - what Robert Rose said when he took the stage before the first keynote: There is a new player coming into the market: Trust. He said that trust is Player 2 in todays marketing, and hes 100% right! More and more people are looking for that trustworthy brand or marketer in the middle of all of the noise. My second favorite takeaway would have to be what Joe Pulizzi, my all-time favorite content marketer, shared in his keynote: Marketing success only takes three things. Record, Repeat, Remove. Marketing fails when our recorded goals arent big enough; when there is not enough repetition; and when we do not clear the garbage that stops us from achieving our goals. Joe shared that the minimum time was 9 months, average 18 months or longer, of implementing content to see success. These were some major takeaways that Ive been sharing on Twitter, LinkedIn, and internally with my staff post-CMWorld 2018. Julia gave us two tips for the price of one! Trust and process. Focus on building deep rapport with your audience, and remember that content marketing is a very long-term game. More and more people are looking for that trustworthy brand or marketer in the middle of all of the Get Started With Personalized Video Next, I chatted with Alex Schofield, an Account Executive at Wistia, at INBOUND in Boston, MA. The Wistia team obviously eats, sleeps, and breathes all things video marketing. So its no surprise their team had advice on doing it well. Coming out of INBOUND, our biggest recommendation for video marketing in 2019 and beyond is to start (or continue) creating personalized videos! 90% of customers say video helps them make buying decisions, and given how easy it is to record a video on your phone or with a tool like  Soapbox, there’s no reason not to add personalized videos to your tool kit. Using video to answer FAQs, offer a promotion, or just simply say thanks, will help you nurture leads through the funnel. This advice around using video in the sales process is not only a fantastic idea, but its also a great way to breakdown the classic sales-marketing silo. Given how easy it is to record a video on your phone, theres no reason not to add personalized Know Thine Audience, And To Your Own Persona Be True Finally, Byron White, CEO of Writers Access, deepened the theme of building trust by knowing your audience inside and out. Byron said: Good content marketing is all about building a relationship with your audience, so get to know the whole of their parts! What kinds of media do they inhale in their free time? Are they Mac or PC people? Caregivers with crazy schedules or data nerds with a penchant for baseball?  A holistic approach can often help you layer in unique details and interesting angles to your content strategy that makes your approach feel that much more personal to your target audience. Who is your audience? What do they care about? How can you uniquely help them? These are fantastic questions to answer about your personas. And when you do, youll find your strategy can nearly write itself!