Distance Learning Creative Writing Courses You Must Try

Distance Learning Creative Writing Courses You Must Try Distance Learning: Creative Writing Courses You Must Try Distance learning creative writing courses are a study option where all communication with tutors is held remotely via email, Skype and other electronic means. It is not an innovation anymore; many universities offer distance learning programs. Therefore, you can get high quality education regardless of your location. They are designed for students who have to combine studies with work, family, and for people with special needs, and basically follow the same structure as the in-class ones. The best courses in creative writing will teach you how to apply your knowledge to practice. We found some distance education programs for you, where you can develop and practice your writing skills. Some of them are more expensive than others, but all of them are worth checking out. University of Cambridge offers different courses in creative writing, for example, an introduction to writing bibliographies and other types of non-fiction. On a more creative side, there is an introductory course to short story writing. It is a practical course, which also gives you an overview of the genre itself, as well as important information about sub-genres. You will learn the art of writing through practical exercises. Creative Writing Summer Program  is another course from the Cambridge University. It is more suitable for creative writers who want to develop their existing skills. The program covers different genres of writing, such as poetry, fiction and non-fiction. The great thing about this course is that your tutors are already established writers. You will also learn how to critically assess your own work, writing of other students and tutors. The Oxford University Department for Continuing Education offers a course for beginners Getting Started in Creative Writing. If you love reading and the idea of writing your own fiction, this course will help you put your wishes into practice. You will get into writing stage-by-stage, learn different types of creative and critical methods. The course will help you build your confidence and gain practical experience in using key features (e.g., dialogue, point of view). As part of the course, you will also engage in discussions of other students work via a forum. You can get an MA in Creative Writing at Teesside University. Its a 2 year part-time program, that focuses on practical skills and techniques, as well as the understanding of your own work. You will get an opportunity to experiment and develop your interest, whether its prose, poetry or even screen writing. And last, but certainly not least, if you are completely new to writing, we recommend a program from Exeter University The Craft of Creative Writing. You will explore different forms of creative writing, like poetry, short story, novel writing, writing for performance and travel writing. This one will also help you learn how to apply different techniques, edit your writing, develop analytical reading habits and give constructive feedback. This course is also the cheapest one on the list. If writing is your goal in life, dont just dive into it head first. Take some time to learn the basics.

How to Save 50% of Your Income for Retirement

How to Save 50% of Your Income for Retirement You may think you have years and years to go before you have to start thinking about retirement. Think again. Though the idea isn’t looming on your horizon just yet, it’s actually the best time to start planning. Give yourself a huge edge to being wealthy in your old age. Compare what you’d have after 40 years of savings as opposed to 20- more than double, giving interest rates. You’ll be able to retire sooner, and better. You don’t even have to make a lot to save. There’s plenty you can do making less than $40k per year. So stop procrastinating. Don’t pass up on any opportunities that come your way. Keep your eyes open for them and take them whenever you can- your future self will thank you.1. Save NowIt doesn’t matter whether you’ve never saved, are bad at saving, or have no idea how to do it. Now is the time. Don’t let your expenses become an excuse. These are your prime years; even putting away a little now can pay off a lot later.2. Get HelpCompanies advertise 401k plans in their employment benefits packages for a reason. This is part of your compensation- take advantage of it. Sign up and start using it. And bonus points if your employer has a matching program. Let them double your money for you!3. Go RothNo company sponsored retirement plan? Sign up for the next best option, a Roth IRA. You fund this with money from your paycheck after tax, but when you withdraw the funds later, unlike a 401k, you won’t be taxed. Put as much as you can into that fund. Yes, even now. Do you really need that pair of designer jeans? You can also try the MyRA, from the U.S. Treasury, which promises that the savings bond will never decline in value. Bonus: there are no low-balance fees.4. InvestIf investing is an option for you, do so. And do so shrewdly. Try to put a bit in stocks, not just safe bonds with a safe (and flat) return rate. Look for funds that are targeted for your age bracket to help g uide you. And find a manager you trust!5. Get SmartAn overwhelming number of people don’t have any actual financial literacy. Don’t be one of them. Take control of your future funds by making sure you understand how markets and investments and money work. If your company offers access to a financial advisor? Sit down with them ASAP.6. Stay Out of DebtStudent loans and mortgages are a necessary evil. But try to keep debt from piling up on your credit cards. You’ll pay more than double the original amount for your purchases if you let the interest charges get the better of you.7. Have a StashMake yourself a safety net so you never have to dip into the red. That way, if your car dies, you’re not saddled with a huge credit card bill that has the possibility of becoming a spiraling balance down the road.8. Get Those Tax BreaksFind out whether your tax bracket offers any breaks for contributing to a 401k or IRA. There’s also something called the â€Å"s aver’s credit† for individuals beneath a certain income threshold. See if you qualify.

Significance of the Dog in J.M. Coetzee's disgrace Essay

Significance of the Dog in J.M. Coetzee's disgrace - Essay Example This is Coetzee’s first book that deals explicitly with South Africa’s post apartheid scenario, that paints a cheerless picture and comforts no one, no matter to which race or nationality they belong. Coetzee’s primary theme in ‘Disgrace’ revolves around a man who is broken down and reduced to almost nothing, but finally searches and finds a small speck of redemption by way of his acceptance of the realities of life and death. The protagonist in the story is Professor David Lurie and Coetzee’s notion of life with its harsh realities and brutal tyranny being replaced by brutal anarchy are reflected through his protagonist David in South Africa, a place filled with social and political conflicts. Coetzee’s scintillating novel makes use of a metaphorical device such as the use of different animals and in particular dogs to bring out the developments of his characters. Dogs play a stylistic role in this novel as it is portrayed as being a m eans of protection for the Whites. During his childhood, Coetzee’s mother created a great impact on him where dogs were concerned. It is her influence which was a major contributing factor for Coetzee to use dogs as the defining factor in his novel ‘Disgrace’. His mother often reflected on her past life which included the â€Å"walks with the dogs†. ... David is a divorced, middle-aged scholar of Romantic poetry, who during the Mandela Era, became a victim of "the great rationalization". His university was replaced by a Technical University at Cape Town where he teaches lessons in â€Å"Communicative skills† that he finds rather useless and nonsensical. The dignity he has there, is short lived as he is caught having a relationship with one of his poetry students and is dismissed from the university. Coetzee describes him as â€Å"a mad old man sitting among the dogs singing to himself†; a man who invests his last savings into a pickup truck to pursue his work as a dog-undertaker. David further sinks in disgrace when he patronizes a prostitute and buys her gifts, but in the course of this relationship he becomes such a nonentity that she refuses to see him. He imagines her and her friends shuddering when they see him just as  "as one shudders at a cockroach in a washbasin in the middle of the night". David contemplate s asking his doctor to castrate him in the way one neuters a domestic animal. In Coetzee’s story this is the first reference made between human and animal existence. One of Coetzee’s striking techniques is to explore what it is to be human, which is deftly brought out through his characters by placing them in extreme and compelling situations. The protagonist David has to experience and endure physical torment and psychological abasement. He falls deep into disgrace and flees Cape Town to his daughter Lucy’s remote farm. Lucy hears his story and very matter- of- factly tells him, "This is the only life there is. Which we share with animals." This is another one of the comparisons made in this story between humans and

Newly Industrialized Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Newly Industrialized Countries - Essay Example According to the study the NICs face a challenge as to make their development sustainable they need to manage the process of development efficiently. They also need to combat poverty, preserve natural resources, and promote rural development. Not all decisions take by such NICs have proved to be right in the long run and the other developing countries have lessons to be learnt if they are seeking to grow faster. This paper highlights that countries can either opt to have an import-substitution strategy or export-oriented strategy. The first generation NICs included Spain, Portugal, Greece, Yugoslavia, Brazil and Mexico, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. These countries started to lose their comparative advantage as unskilled labor became scarce and wage rates started to rise. This implies that trade plays an important role in helping the developing countries to take off. Stiglitz suggests that trade liberalization must be balanced in agenda, process and outcome. Trade liberalization should concentrate not only in sectors that developed countries have comparative advantage, like financial services, but also in which the developing countries have special interest like agriculture and construction services. The developing countries have a disadvantage in participating in negotiations. Not having a representation in WTO serves as a disadvantage. Developing countries face greater vola tility and opening to trade contributes to that volatility. Developing nations have persistent problems of high unemployment. Trade liberalization is necessary but not sufficient to reap full benefits from integration into world economy. The costs of liberalization in developing nations are higher. Thus, the developing countries seeking to grow fast should ensure that they have a comprehensive approach in liberalizing trade.

The Life of the Buddha Essay Example for Free

The Life of the Buddha Essay Question 1- Select, describe and explain the events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama, which illustrate his religious development There are generally many events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama, which illustrate his religious development, but personally, I have planned to look at specific events very carefully. It can be said that the events contained specifically within the past lives of Siddhartha Guatama illustrate his religious development. There are, most evidently, the Jataka tales of the Pali Canon, which are supposedly stories of his actual rebirths. First of all, there is a most fundamental event, which occurs at around 100,000,000 aeons ago, where Dipuncena makes the crucial Bodhissatva vow to devote a life for the help of others. Now, after this, we see many stories of compassionate actions done by the 547 reincarnations of Dipuncena in the form of animal, god, and man. For example, one is the courageous story of Prince Vessantra, who gives up everything that he owns, even his wife and children out of compassion. The fact that he did this, giving everything and not expecting anything in return, portrays Dana, which is the idea of charity, and is a fundamental quality that is essential to be on the way to the Bodhissatva Path. There is also the story of the young prince, who slits his own throat in order for a starving tigress with seven hungry cubs, might live by eating his own flesh1. In terms of religious development, this is clearly showing the Bodhisattva Concept as it is displaying extreme compassion, or Karuna. A clear favourite, is of the loving, and righteous monkey king, and how he, by bridging himself, saved his fellow monkeys, but died while being bridged. This shows the Bodhisattva Concept again as he died to save his fellow monkeys and therefore delayed his enlightenment to help others. He developed the religious virtue of patience (Kshanti) as an ascetic in a previous life where he felt no hatred, only pity, for the evil king who cut his body into pieces, bit by bit. These stories all exemplify how the Bodhisattva developed all the qualities and characteristics of someone on the Bodhissatva path (according to Mahayana), and also, it shows the Bodhissatva concept, as his own enlightenment is delayed purely for the sake of others enlightenment, but on the other hand, he religiously develops himself to bring his spirit and mind even closer to attaining the ultimate enlightenment, and fulfilment of his vow. The most obvious and clear event, which shows his religious development, is the four sights. Here, upon leaving the palace with a charioteer, he sees an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a holy man. Certainly in the first three, he realises that everyone grows old, everyone may face disease and everyone has to die. This is actually very moving for Siddhartha Gautama, as it increases his religious, and therefore Buddhist development, but more importantly, his awareness of life. However, a deeper analysis of his situation concludes that this impact of shock was even more penetrating, as his father had shielded Siddhartha from the natures of suffering. These sights he sees at the age of 29 while riding with his charioteer set him thinking about the issues now central to Buddhism (key to religious development) which lead him to realise that there is no release from suffering. After this critical and indeed, pivotal moment, Siddhartha could now no longer enjoy any of the luxuries which had been set out for him, as he was conscious of the fact that none of these could save him from age, disease, or even death. However, he finally sees the fourth sight, the holy man, i.e a person truly devoted to spirituality. Now, this consequently leads him to decide that he too, can go and seek after the unborn, unageing, unailing, deathless, sorrowless, undefiled supreme surceases of bondage, nibbana2. So, he decided that he too would leave home to seek a cure for the worlds suffering3. He had felt so uneasy about human suffering that he thought by becoming an ascetic; he would understand and comprehend everything there is. Therefore it can be said that these sights led him straight onto the path of religious development, and especially on the road to understanding Dukkha (all life is suffering). One of the most evident parts of Siddhartha Gautamas religious development, was when he was enlightened. After receiving an alms bowl, Siddhartha Gautama left the hardship, and arduousness of the ascetic life. Upon doing this however, he left himself with no friends from his past, but nevertheless, was strongly assured by what he was doing, since he had evidently found the middle way (the reality between luxury and poverty). Hence this was because he had discovered neither had given him real satisfaction.4 Now, in spite of this departure, Siddhatha was determined to reach enlightenment, in such a way, that he sat under a Bodhi tree (pipal tree) determined to sit until he had reached divine reality and knowledge. As he sat in a meditative state, Mara tried to cast him away with his temptations, however they were futile and seemed to reflect of Siddhartha, since he had such a strong concentration and determination to fulfil his aim. Mara even tried to deny him the right to be enlightened, but yet again, Siddhartha called upon the Earth goddess as witness, and eventually, upon realisation that Siddhatha would not be beaten, Mara backed down. Then the real enlightenment took place, in the form of the four watches. The first watch began with Siddhartha recalling past lives with unbelievable detail and understanding. The second watch took place with Siddhartha watching people and animals passing into and out of existence, and crucially at this point realising constant change. The third watch was the realisation that all suffering is caused by a constant continual cycle of craving, and realised the way to overcome suffering. Finally, he was enlightened and blessed with Nibbana and showered with supreme knowledge and understanding, beyond belief. This represents his huge step into the known, and into the aspects of life in which we do not understand. This was all the result of determination, and specifically effort to fulfil the Bodhisattva vow, and was the final hurdle of the Bodhisattva Path, and after enlightenment, the BUDDHA could now teach, and help others more supremely than ever before. After a life of purity and sincerity of teaching, the life of Siddhartha Gautama, had come to an end. His death marked the end of religious development for him. He died at Kushinara at the age of 80 from food poisoning, and his last, and severely crucial, words, were , remember, all things are subject to decay, so be mindful and vigilant in working out your own salvation 5. Here he sends out his message, that all things are subject to change, even him. He died in an obscure place which shows his humility and desire for people to listen to his message rather to make a fuss about his person.6 The main point though, is that the Buddha didnt want to increase fame, or celebrity status, he only wanted people to care for him for what he did. He subtly died while in the jhana of meditation, and this critically shows the extreme emphasis on the fact that he was not a god, but a man, and even he would eventually die. His death, is extremely significant, and specifically illustrates his religious development, as it represents him entering parinibbana, and enlightenment beyond death. So, hence, consequently, an escape of Samsara (cycle of rebirth) occurs, and he has obtained total bliss. As a religious teacher, here he had reiterated and emphasised one of his most important teachings, and died in the highest form of concentration and meditation there is. Overall, at this point, religiously, he had reached the highest place and thus, the peak of his religious development. 1 Denise Cush: Buddhism (1994) pp 25 2 Denise Cush: Buddhism (1994) pp 20 3 S. Clark M. Thompson: Buddhism: a New Approach London, Hodder and Stoughton 1996, p10 4 S. Clark M. Thompson: Buddhism: a New Approach London, Hodder and Stoughton 1996, p11 5 Denise Cush: Buddhism (1994) pp 25 6 Denise Cush: Buddhism London, Hodder and Stoughton 1995, page 23

The Physics of an Electric Car Essay -- Technology Science Inventions

The Physics of an Electric Car Cannon returns home from work on an average day. He gets his things and trudges into the house, thinking about the events of the day. He relaxes for the evening, thinking about the good things in life. He is lucky that he has a good job, a nice house, and a nice car. But wait, it feels like he forgot something today. His mind races, did he forget a project at work? He couldn’t have, he works so hard to keep up. Not thinking of what he forgot, Cannon stumbles to bed for much needed rest. About three o’clock, Cannon shoots out of bed. He remembered†¦ He forgot to plug in his car. Will there be enough power in the batteries to get him to work? How in the world does that car work anyway? During the past few years, there has been an increasing concern over our use of gasoline in cars. There are a few answers to this concern. One of the first and most viable answers is the electric car. These vehicles are made up of a few components that help them run just like a normal car. The components to a direct current (DC) electric vehicle are the batteries, the controller and potentiometer, the motor and a specialized One of the major problems with electric vehicles is storing enough energy to supply the motor over an extended range. The average distance for an electric vehicle is 50-100 miles. Batteries are the energy source for our vehicles. â€Å"Most electric cars use lead-acid batteries, but new types of batteries, including zinc-chlorine, nickel metal hydride, and sodium-sulfur, are becoming more common† (Encarta, car). In most vehicles, storage for batteries is a problem. It takes a lot of room for the batteries. It takes between 16 and 50 batteries to get enough energy stored to go any distance. .. ...ssed and turned all night. He wondered if he would have enough battery power to get him to work on time. Turns out he did have enough to get to work. He spent the next day looking into what made his car run. He realized that there are only a few major components to his electric vehicle: the batteries, the controller and potentiometers, the motor, and the regenerative braking system. What a great way to travel! Works Cited Brian, Marshall. â€Å"How Electric Cars Work.† 1 May 2003. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/electric-car.htm "Electric Car," Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2003. 1 May 2003. http://encarta.msn.com "Electric Motors and Generators," Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2003. 1 May 2003. http://encarta.msn.com Kirkpatrick, Larry D., Wheeler, Gerald F. Physics: A World View. Fourth ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2001. The Physics of an Electric Car Essay -- Technology Science Inventions The Physics of an Electric Car Cannon returns home from work on an average day. He gets his things and trudges into the house, thinking about the events of the day. He relaxes for the evening, thinking about the good things in life. He is lucky that he has a good job, a nice house, and a nice car. But wait, it feels like he forgot something today. His mind races, did he forget a project at work? He couldn’t have, he works so hard to keep up. Not thinking of what he forgot, Cannon stumbles to bed for much needed rest. About three o’clock, Cannon shoots out of bed. He remembered†¦ He forgot to plug in his car. Will there be enough power in the batteries to get him to work? How in the world does that car work anyway? During the past few years, there has been an increasing concern over our use of gasoline in cars. There are a few answers to this concern. One of the first and most viable answers is the electric car. These vehicles are made up of a few components that help them run just like a normal car. The components to a direct current (DC) electric vehicle are the batteries, the controller and potentiometer, the motor and a specialized One of the major problems with electric vehicles is storing enough energy to supply the motor over an extended range. The average distance for an electric vehicle is 50-100 miles. Batteries are the energy source for our vehicles. â€Å"Most electric cars use lead-acid batteries, but new types of batteries, including zinc-chlorine, nickel metal hydride, and sodium-sulfur, are becoming more common† (Encarta, car). In most vehicles, storage for batteries is a problem. It takes a lot of room for the batteries. It takes between 16 and 50 batteries to get enough energy stored to go any distance. .. ...ssed and turned all night. He wondered if he would have enough battery power to get him to work on time. Turns out he did have enough to get to work. He spent the next day looking into what made his car run. He realized that there are only a few major components to his electric vehicle: the batteries, the controller and potentiometers, the motor, and the regenerative braking system. What a great way to travel! Works Cited Brian, Marshall. â€Å"How Electric Cars Work.† 1 May 2003. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/electric-car.htm "Electric Car," Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2003. 1 May 2003. http://encarta.msn.com "Electric Motors and Generators," Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2003. 1 May 2003. http://encarta.msn.com Kirkpatrick, Larry D., Wheeler, Gerald F. Physics: A World View. Fourth ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2001.

Is Lie Good or Bad

I recently read the story named† The Whole Truth†. This story was telling us lies are a bad idea but you can lie in some situations. This story told us about a yound man named Bob, he lied to a parking lot owner that he was graduated from high school and he was 21 years old but actually he was 18. He got a job. After 4 months, his boss suggested him to go to college. He feel nervous because he lied to his boss and that will be the cause him to lose his job. Acording to the passage which was said: â€Å"Most of people agree that telling lies is a bad idea. But there are times when telling a lie might be a good idea†. First of all, lie is considered to be bad, and most people hate liars. Have you ever read the ironic story named â€Å"a wolf and a liar† about a shepherd boy always lie with the villagers about a wolf is attacking his sheeps and need help and one day that happen and this boy called for help but noone help him because they think he just wanted to make fun and a wolf killed many sheeps of him. Moreover, some lie can be cause of serious problem. If you had been watching many criminal movies you might know about this which is about some people wanted to have more benefit for themselves and they provide a wrong information that may cause that company have to face a serious challege such as backrupt and workers in that company also may lost their job. On the other hand, some times you can telling a lie because that help you pass the trouble, help yourself or to help others. The passage above about a young man who lied to a parking lot owner to get a job but he really work hard there. No one in the world is never lie before and also now. Here is very symple example which is about 2 lover, a man love 1 girl and he have to lie to his girlfriend whenever he wanted to go out with her because she very busy with her studies and her job. In my opinion, every one did lie at least a hundred times in their life but you have to think before you tell other a lie. You have to know about consequence of what you are doing, is it bad or good? Some people they totally believe lie is a badest thing of the world because they believe that liars are always a bad people and that is a crime. However, my opinion is their adversary. I don’t say lie is good but it depend on what you are lying about and who you are lying to. In conclusion, no one can tell that lie is good or bad because lie can help people and also can cause people to face with a serious problem.

The Sale to Procter & Gamble

On February 28th 2005, Gillette was sold to Procter and Gamble for $57 billion.Gillette is based in Boston and was founded in 1901. It sells products in over 200 countries in 31 manufacturing plants in 14 countries. It is one of the leading manufacturing firms left in Boston.Procter and Gamble is based in Cincinnati, established in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble and was incorporated in 1905. To date it has sold more than 300 brands of products in more than 160 countries.Because of the competition in this industry, Procter and Gamble thought it was a good idea to buy out Gillette. They had already noticed that Walmart had the biggest percentage of Procter & Gamble’s revenue (17%) and this would grow to 30% after the merger. Also, there would be a cost savings of $14 to $16 billion a year and a 1% increase in sales growth after the merger.Key Issues One of the key issues is that 6,000 employees of Gillette would be losing their jobs.Another key issue is that severance packages from these kinds of mergers have been seen to be too high. For example, when Manulife Financial Corporation merged with John Hancock Financial Services, the Chief Financial Officer from John Hancock, David D’Alessandro, received a package of $16.4 million. When Bank of America bought Fleet Boston Financial Group, Chad Gifford (CFO of Fleet Boston) got $16 million.Now, Gillette’s James Kilts is getting a severance package of $30 million and could earn $172 million in cash   and stock. In fact, $50 million of the compensation package was directly tied to the merger. A lot of academics did not agree with this arrangement because they believe it should be tied to the performance of the company and not to the merger.Another issue is that employees of Gillette were already complaining about unfair working conditions and retirees were going to have to pay more for healthcare after the merger.

Free Essays on Mexican Econ

Mexican Economy By: Jose Luis Torrente Mexican Economy I. Historical, Population, Culture, Political, and Economic Information History Mexico was the site of some of the earliest and most advanced civilizations in the western hemisphere. The Mayan culture, according to archaeological research, attained its greatest development about the 6th century AD. Another group, the Toltec, established an empire in the Valley of Mexico and developed a great civilization still evidenced by the ruins of magnificent buildings and monuments. The leading tribe, the Aztec, built great cities and developed an intricate social, political, and religious organization. Their civilization was highly developed, both intellectually and artistically. The first European explorer to visit Mexican territory was Francisco Fernndez de CÃ ³rdoba, who in 1517 discovered traces of the Maya in Yucatn. In 1535, some years after the fall of the Aztec capital, the basic form of colonial government in Mexico was instituted with the appointment of the first Spa nish viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza. A distinguishing characteristic of colonial Mexico was the exploitation of the Native Americans. Although thousands of them were killed during the Spanish conquest, they continued to be the great majority of inhabitants of what was referred to as New Spain, speaking their own languages and retaining much of their native culture. Inevitably they became the laboring class. Their plight was the result of the 'encomienda' system, by which Spanish nobles, priests, and soldiers were granted not only large tracts of land but also jurisdiction over all Native American residents. A second characteristic of colonial Mexico was the position and power of the Roman Catholic church. Franciscan, Augustinian, Dominican, and Jesuit missionaries entered the country with the conquistadores. The Mexican church became enormously wealthy through gifts and bequests that could be held in perpetuity. ... Free Essays on Mexican Econ Free Essays on Mexican Econ Mexican Economy By: Jose Luis Torrente Mexican Economy I. Historical, Population, Culture, Political, and Economic Information History Mexico was the site of some of the earliest and most advanced civilizations in the western hemisphere. The Mayan culture, according to archaeological research, attained its greatest development about the 6th century AD. Another group, the Toltec, established an empire in the Valley of Mexico and developed a great civilization still evidenced by the ruins of magnificent buildings and monuments. The leading tribe, the Aztec, built great cities and developed an intricate social, political, and religious organization. Their civilization was highly developed, both intellectually and artistically. The first European explorer to visit Mexican territory was Francisco Fernndez de CÃ ³rdoba, who in 1517 discovered traces of the Maya in Yucatn. In 1535, some years after the fall of the Aztec capital, the basic form of colonial government in Mexico was instituted with the appointment of the first Spa nish viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza. A distinguishing characteristic of colonial Mexico was the exploitation of the Native Americans. Although thousands of them were killed during the Spanish conquest, they continued to be the great majority of inhabitants of what was referred to as New Spain, speaking their own languages and retaining much of their native culture. Inevitably they became the laboring class. Their plight was the result of the 'encomienda' system, by which Spanish nobles, priests, and soldiers were granted not only large tracts of land but also jurisdiction over all Native American residents. A second characteristic of colonial Mexico was the position and power of the Roman Catholic church. Franciscan, Augustinian, Dominican, and Jesuit missionaries entered the country with the conquistadores. The Mexican church became enormously wealthy through gifts and bequests that could be held in perpetuity. ...

Juan Domingo Peron and Argentinas Nazis

Juan Domingo Peron and Argentina's Nazis After World War Two, Europe was full of former Nazis and wartime collaborators in once-occupied nations. Many of these Nazis, such as Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele, were war criminals actively searched for by their victims and Allied forces. As for collaborators from France, Belgium, and other nations, to say that they were no longer welcome in their native countries is an epic understatement: many collaborators were sentenced to death. These men needed a place to go, and most of them headed to South America, particularly Argentina, where populist president Juan Domingo Peron welcomed them. Why did Argentina and Perà ³n accept these desperate, wanted men with the blood of millions on their hands? The answer is somewhat complicated. Perà ³n and Argentina Before the War Argentina had long enjoyed close ties with three European nations above all others: Spain, Italy, and Germany. Coincidentally, these three formed the heart of the Axis alliance in Europe (Spain was technically neutral but was a de facto member of the alliance). Argentina’s ties to Axis Europe are quite logical: Argentina was colonized by Spain and Spanish is the official language, and much of the population is of Italian or German descent due to decades of immigration from those countries. Perhaps the greatest fan of Italy and Germany was Perà ³n himself: he had served as an adjunct military officer in Italy in 1939-1941 and had a great deal of personal respect for Italian fascist Benito Mussolini. Much of Peron’s populist posturing was borrowed from his Italian and German role models. Argentina in World War Two When the war broke out, there was much support in Argentina for the Axis cause. Argentina technically remained neutral but aided the Axis powers as actively as they could. Argentina was teeming with Nazi agents, and Argentine military officers and spies were common in Germany, Italy, and parts of occupied Europe. Argentina bought arms from Germany because they feared a war with pro-Allied Brazil. Germany actively cultivated this informal alliance, promising major trade concessions to Argentina after the war. Meanwhile, Argentina used its position as a major neutral nation to try and broker peace agreements between the warring factions. Eventually, pressure from the USA forced Argentina to break relations with Germany in 1944, and even formally join the Allies in 1945 a month before the war ended and once it was clear that Germany would lose. Privately, Peron assured his German friends that the declaration of war was just for show.   Anti-Semitism in Argentina Another reason Argentina supported the Axis powers was the rampant anti-Semitism from which the nation suffered. Argentina has a small but significant Jewish population, and even before the war began, Argentines were beginning to persecute their Jewish neighbors. When Nazi persecutions of Jews in Europe began, Argentina hastily slammed its doors on Jewish immigration, enacting new laws designed to keep these â€Å"undesirable† immigrants out. By 1940, only those Jews who had connections in the Argentine government or who could bribe consular bureaucrats in Europe were allowed into the nation. Peron’s Minister of Immigration, Sebastian Peralta, was a notorious anti-Semite who wrote lengthy books on the menace posed to society by Jews. There were rumors of concentration camps being built in Argentina during the war – and there was probably something to these rumors – but in the end, Perà ³n was too pragmatic to try and kill off Argentina’s Jews, who contributed much to the economy. Active Aid for Nazi Refugees Although it’s never been a secret that many Nazis fled to Argentina after the war, for a while no one suspected just how actively the Perà ³n administration aided them. Perà ³n dispatched agents to Europe – primarily Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Scandinavia – with orders to facilitate the flight of Nazis and collaborators to Argentina. These men, including Argentine/German former SS agent Carlos Fuldner, helped war criminals and wanted Nazis to flee with money, papers, and travel arrangements. No one was refused: even heartless butchers like Josef Schwammberger and wanted criminals like Adolf Eichmann were sent to South America. Once they arrived in Argentina, they were given money and jobs. The German community in Argentina largely bankrolled the operation through Perà ³n’s government. Many of these refugees met personally with Peron himself. Perà ³n’s attitude Why did Perà ³n help these desperate men? Perà ³n’s Argentina had actively participated in World War Two. They stopped short of declaring war or sending soldiers or weapons to Europe, but aided the Axis powers as much as possible without exposing themselves to the wrath of the Allies should they prove victorious (as they eventually did). When Germany surrendered in 1945, the atmosphere in Argentina was more mournful than joyous. Perà ³n, therefore, felt that he was rescuing brothers-in-arms rather than helping wanted war criminals. He was enraged about the Nuremberg Trials, thinking them a farce unworthy of the victors. After the war, Perà ³n and the Catholic Church lobbied hard for amnesties for the Nazis. â€Å"The Third Position† Perà ³n also thought these men could be useful. The geopolitical situation in 1945 was more complicated than we sometimes like to think. Many people – including most of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church – believed that the communist Soviet Union was a far greater threat in the long run than fascist Germany. Some even went so far as to declare early in the war that the USA should ally itself with Germany against the USSR. Perà ³n was one such man. As the war wrapped up, Perà ³n was not alone in foreseeing an imminent conflict between the USA and the USSR. He believed that a third world war would break out no later than 1949. Perà ³n saw this upcoming war as an opportunity. He wished to position Argentina as a major neutral country affiliated neither with American capitalism nor Soviet communism. He felt that this â€Å"third position† would turn Argentina into a wild card that could sway the balance one way or the other in the â€Å"inevitable† confl ict between capitalism and communism. The ex-Nazis flooding into Argentina would help him: they were veteran soldiers and officers whose hatred of communism was beyond question. Argentina’s Nazis after Peron Perà ³n fell from power abruptly in 1955, went into exile and would not return to Argentina until nearly 20 years later. This sudden, fundamental shift in Argentine politics unnerved many of the Nazis who were hiding out in the country because they could not be certain that another government – especially a civilian one – would protect them as Perà ³n had. They had cause to be worried. In 1960, Adolf Eichmann was snatched off a Buenos Aires street by Mossad agents and taken to Israel to stand trial: the Argentine government complained to the United Nations but little came of it. In 1966, Argentina extradited Gerhard Bohne to Germany, the first Nazi war criminal formally sent back to Europe to face justice: others such as Erich Priebke and Josef Schwammberger would follow in subsequent decades. Many Argentine Nazis, including Josef Mengele, fled to more lawless places, such as the jungles of Paraguay or isolated parts of Brazil. In the long run, Argentina was probably hurt more than helped by these fugitive Nazis. Most of them tried to blend into Argentina’s German community, and the smart ones kept their heads low and never talked about the past. Many went on to become productive members of Argentine society, albeit not in the way Perà ³n had envisioned, as advisors facilitating Argentina’s rise to a new status as major world power. The best of them were successful in quiet ways. The fact that Argentina had not only allowed so many war criminals to escape justice but had actually gone to great pains to bring them there, became a stain on Argentina’s national honor and informal human rights record. Today, decent Argentines are embarrassed by their nation’s role in sheltering monsters like Eichmann and Mengele. Sources: Bascomb, Neil. Hunting Eichmann. New York: Mariner Books, 2009 Goà ±i, Uki. The Real Odessa: Smuggling the Nazis to Peron’s Argentina. London: Granta, 2002. Posner, Gerald L., and John Ware.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Mengele: The Complete Story. 1985. Cooper Square Press, 2000. Walters, Guy. Hunting Evil: The Nazi War Criminals Who Escaped and the Quest to Bring Them to Justice. Random House, 2010.

Research proosal on ASTHMA Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Proosal on ASTHMA - Research Proposal Example The descriptive-quantitative research methodology will be adopted using the survey questionnaire as the primary data gathering instrument. Parent – respondents will be selected using purposive sampling and will involve a minimum of 200 respondents determined using post-hoc statistical power analysis. Both descriptive and inferential measures will be utilized in the statistical treatment of the data gathered. SPSS Version 17 will be used in the statistical analysis of data. Introduction Background of the Study The comprehensive health reform legislation known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 was signed into law to expand healthcare coverage and cost and enhance the delivery of health care in the United States. Reporting on the feedback from Spanish media, Nix and Adair (2010) articulated that President Barack Obama championed the law to reassure that minorities in the US can avail of access to health care services by way of between coverage opti ons. The PPACA may well one improvement that Mensah and Glover (2007) believe to be possible in the American healthcare setting characterized with a history of pervasive disparities in health status and health care delivery for the last two centuries. Health disparities refer to â€Å"differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions† (National Institutes of Health, as cited in Mensah & Glover, 2007; Pamies & Nsiah-Kumi, 2009). The burden of asthma is an example of disparities in childhood in the US in a general sense (Akinbami & Schoendorf, 2002; Smith, Hatcher-Ross, Wertheimer & Khan, 2005; McDaniel, Paxson & Waldfogel, 2006). While Pamies and Nsiah-Kumi (2009) highlighted the disparities among children of color, Wright and Newman-Giger (2010) focused on Hispanics / Latinos. Of particular concern in this regard is the documented fact that children younger than four years are usually hospitalized because of asthma and that the largest increase in hospitalization trend was among children from 0 to 4 years old (Bigby, 2011; Brooker & Elward, 2010). In the case of children 4 years old and younger, access to healthcare is a matter of parental decision. Compliance and adherence to medication regimen is also largely a parental responsibility. Accordingly, as suggested in Wright and Newman-Giger (2010), there is a need to address how parents’ beliefs and perceptions regarding healthcare play a role in the enhancement of health outcomes of their children, especially those in the 0 to 4 age bracket. Problem Statement As revealed by the Institute of Health (2009), the culture factor in the asthma burden among Hispanic children had been examined from the angle of birth place and lifetime asthma diagnosis, family income and insurance status. Studies have also been undertaken to investigate access to healthcare among cultural minorities from a very general perspective (Edmunds & Coye, 1998; Wright & Newman-Giger, 2010). In the case of asthmatic children four years or younger, however, access to healthcare, as well as compliance and adherence to medical intervention are mediated by their parents or guardians who are mostly relatives. There is a paucity of research which ventured to explore this perspective of disparities in