Guy Gode: Rereading America

What is the Guy Code? According to Kimmel, the Guy Code is the collection of attitudes, values, and traits that together composes what is means to be a man. Pretty much, the Guy Code means that you never show your feelings, be strong, and never give up. All in all, don’t be a sissy. You should never show emotions or admit to weakness. To the world, you must show that there’s nothing to be concerned about and that everything is going to be fine. In my opinion, I would have to say that this is also my understanding of what is means to be a man.I think of them as not letting anyone step all over them and that they think they’re always in control. They try to always win; especially when they’re competing with they’re friends. An encounter that I have observed and experienced that involve the â€Å"gender police† is in Junior High gym class. Guys would always criticize and judge other guys if they screwed up on anything while playing a game. It al ways happened to be the more â€Å"popular† guys in my grade who would constantly watch the â€Å"non-popular† guys just to watch them mess up.They would do this just so they can sit there and call them a bunch of names for example: wimp, dork, faggot, weak, etc. I always felt bad for them because I knew that it would affect them in the long run. This incident has had a lasting effect on me. I always feel bad for the guys who go out for sports who aren’t really good but go out anywase because the guys who are really good will just keep putting them down and calling them names. This makes guys more prone to depression, suicidal behavior.

Eugenics: Designer Babies

Eugenics: Designer Babies Okpurukre Isoken (Medical Ethics) Professor Ballantyne August 5th, 2009 Eugenics: Designer Babies Eugenics, in its broadest sense, is defined as â€Å"the study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species or of a human population, especially by such means as discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have inheritable undesirable traits†. The term captures a smorgasbord of vivacious imagery etched into the annals of human history – of ghostly memories about human atrocities anxiously waiting to fade away at the twilight moments of a modern age – of overcrowded prison camps, in which the depths of travail and indolent sighs of countless defenseless victims, of bodies ravaged by scars and which have become too weak to be revitalised in any shape or manner. Or of lives consigned to â€Å"medical investigative exploration for the amelioration of human condition† by what at first sight appears to be insignificant signatures of a clerk. Such lives were considered only sacrifices contrived by altruist motives of a beneficent governing authority. Questions if they could have been raised at all in retrospect could only be considered at someones discretionary time, and place of course. Trying to pick through the rubbles of the world’s past mishaps and distilling their lessons for application to today’s issues is like wading and battling oneself through an ever- confusing maze mired with potholes, trenches and cul-de-sacs. Tolstoy, in his masterpiece War and Peace admonished his readers that everything in history has he mirage of appearing to have been predestined, once history has occured. I believe that as potential medical experts honest and critical intellectual inquiry is only the beginning and the least of what we can do to prevent what future generations will ruefully deem as inevitable consequences of our â€Å"brilliant concoctions†. According to Congressman Greenwood’s opening statem ents at the hearing of the COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS March 28, 2001 convened by medical researchers, bioethicists and members of congress, â€Å" For most of its 80 years, the brave New World could be seen as a disturbing work of science fiction. That is no longer the case. The possible cloning of human beings is now relegated to the world—not relegated to the world of fiction. The question we must now ask is this: what should we do with this science? † Amidst the backdrop of hefty political and legal debates over bioethics that took place in the ‘90s and early 21st century as a result of Ian Wilmot’s sheep cloning experiements, laws had been enacted that helped to curb the development of reproductive technologies. It became crystal clear that the countdown timer has now been set for he inevitable -the cloning of Homo sapiens. No one knows what would happen after that. Notwithstanding, numerous independently funded private labs across the United States and around the world wasted little time to find legal loopholes to evade the scrutiny of authorities and jumped into the hunt for the holy grail. For instance, On December 5, 1997, Chicagoan physicist and fertility expert Richard Seed announced that he planned to clone a human being before any federal laws could be enacted to ban the process. Seed’s plans were to apply the same technique used to clone Dolly. Seed's announcement went against President Clinton's 1997 proposal for a voluntary private moratorium against human cloning. Several arguments may be suggested to explain this fervor. There were those who argued that reproductive freedom includes human cloning, perhaps as a means to address the problem of male infertility. Others advocated cloning as a means to replicate a deceased loved one. For yet others, human cloning is justified because it may provide important advances in scientific knowledge. To be sure, science is entitled to have ethical standards set apart from all other norms of society. Perhaps a closer look at the accompanying evidence will reveal that this is not so. According to Jeff Stryker, a writer for the New York Times Magazine, dated August 4, 2009, sperm banking has now become a global and open market; consumers are no longer limited to the small donor pools at local mom-and-pop sperm banks. In particular, Cryos, a Denmark based company has recently sparked media interest. Its company strategy is aimed at becoming the McDonald’s of sperm banks around the world. Packed in dry ice or liquid nitrogen sperms are shipped express to its buyers in more than twelve countries around the world. Somehow, it is able to sidestep many legal regulations imposed by domestic and local regulations on local sperm bank enterprises. Notwithstanding, the profitability of the sperm bank business has not stemmed the tide in the development of product lines catering to the whims and tastes of different consumer segments. Virginia's Fairfax Cryobank has stepped into the competitive scene with its †Fairfax Doctorate Donors†; since April 1999 the firm has offered, at a third more than the usual charges, sperm from medical, law, Ph. D. and other students and graduates. Cryos offers three grades of sperm, including an †extra† version that contains twice the number of highly motile sperm as its †regular† brand. An Ivy league woman’s egg could nowadays fetch upwards of $50,000. The California Cryobank, located in Los Angeles has launched a new feature to help prospective baby batter buyers pick a load. Its product lines features sperms and eggs of donors that are celebrity look-alikes. Adam Sandler, Andy Roddick, and Ben Affleck are but a few noteworthy mentions. Apparently these parents are free to choose whom they want to have as their children. The Oxford English dictionary defines the term â€Å"designer babies† as â€Å"a baby that the genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics†. According to Ritter M (2008), â€Å"news that scientists have for the first time genetically altered a human embryo is drawing fire from some watchdog groups that say it’s a step toward creating ‘designer babies’. † Yet, the ubiquity of different sperms and eggs on the market today seems to offer a more palatable alternative to genetic engineering. A different and perhaps more pressing issue centers around the ethics of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Here embryos are screened for gene faults before being transferred to a woman's uterus. It has come under the spotlight recently in the UK, with high-profile cases such as that of the Leeds-based Hashmi family. The Hashmis have a child with a rare blood disorder, who urgently needs a bone marrow transplant. Through using PGD, the Hashmis may be able to have a child that is free from the disorder suffered by their existing child. The child yet to be born could also donate tissue to cure its sibling. The Hashmi case became the subject of months of legal wrangling in the UK courts†. (Lee, 2003) In April 2009, Panayiotis Zavos, a controversial fertility researcher attracted international media attention when he announced to the world that he had cloned 14 human embryos and transferred 11 of them into the wombs of four women, at least one of whom was British. The operation failed however. According to his own words, the motivations for cloning was â€Å"not to reproduce the Michael Jacksons and the Michael Jordans in this world, and also, we are totally against designer babies. Therefore, we are not interested in manipulating the genetic information, the genome, but rather just allowing those mothers and fathers to be, to become biological fathers and mothers of those children, and, hopefully, those children will be healthy children and we are totally committed to that†¦ We are talking about the development of a technology that can give an infertile and childless couple the right to reproduce and have a child and above all complete its life cycle. This is a human right and should not be taken away from people because someone or a group of people have doubts about its development. According to Lewis Wolpert, a professor of biology, the issue is an irrelevant one. Surprisingly enough, ethical issues with regards to designer babies are hard to see. In his own words, â€Å"What possible argument from ethics could be used against prenatal diagnosis of an embryo obtained by IVF, if the diagnosis prevents the implantation of embryos with defective genes? I know that some people object, but there is no evidence that the early embryo is a person. This idea is a relatively recent one, with religious underpinning but with neither argument nor evidence. The Magisterium of the Catholic Church demands that the embryo be respected from the first instance. But what has to be considered in every case is the child and its future wellbeing, and not to do so is totally lacking in respect. Who, for example, is being harmed in all the recent fuss about choosing an embryo with the right genes to help a sibling? Both children will certainly be very well cared for. And it is care of the child that matters. (Wolpert, 2003)†. The views of religious segment of society stand in stark contrast to the notions entertained by Wolpert. In general, they raise three primary objections. First being that cloning humans could lead to a new eugenics movement where even if cloning begins with a benign purpose, it could devolve into a scientifcally generated caste ranking of superior and inferior people. Being such, it would interferes with the natural order of creation, eliminating the sanctity of God as a creator. And what’s more, cloning could have long-term effects that are unknown and harmful. People have a right to their own identity and their own genetic makeup which should not be replicated. Cardinal William Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore sums it up more succinctly in humanistic terms ‘‘Cloning is presented as a means for creating life, not destroying life. Yet it shows disrespect toward human life and the very act of generating it. Cloning completely divorces human reproduction from the context of a loving union between man and woman, producing children with no parents in the ordinary sense. He re, human life does not arise from an act of love, but is manufactured to predetermined specifications. A developing human being is treated as an object, not as n individual with his or her own identity and rights. ’’ A slightly different perspective as espoused by Congressman Rush, would be a perspective on how diversity relates to medical research. In his words, â€Å"As an African-American, I’m keenly aware of racist prejudices and biases. The expansion of science can never be an end unto itself. The expansion of science must be viewed in the light of the agenda of those who espouse it and the impact it has on our public, on our way of life and on our God†¦ As noted, science and the biotech field has brought us great successes. We must not take action which will mpede the legitimate and safe use of biotechnology†¦I would argue that we must act with caution to ensure that future scientific successes which will make this world healthier and more prod uctive while tightly regulating and indeed banning those practices which pose a clear threat to the health, the safety, and the moral condition of our citizens. Might we never know how society and human clones will come to perceive one another? Perhaps not. Doron Blake is a 23 year old young man who came from the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank, for which eugenic-minded California inventor Robert Graham recruited various scientific geniuses to onate sperm. When asked to talk about his experience as a sperm-bank child, Doron said, â€Å"It was a screwed-up idea, making genius people. The fact that I have a huge IQ does not make me a person who is good or happy. People come expecting me to have all these achievements under my belt, and I don’t. I have not done anything that special. I don’t think being intelligent is what makes a person. What makes a person is being raised in a loving family with loving parents who don’t pressure them. If I was born with an IQ of 100 and not 180, I could do just as much in my life. The thing I like best bout myself is not that I’m smart but that I care about people and try to make other people’s lives better. I don’t think you can breed for good people. † According to Agar (n. d) human beings are motivated equally by both therapy and enhancement. Yet according to the examples provided above, there seems to exist an ethical divide between treating or preventing disease and enhancing traits. The privacy of persons and families being weighed against life’s existence is a rhetorical discussion that has not witnessed any proper resolution, perhaps because they are viewed as ends in themselves. This point may help in some sort or fashion Reinhold Niebuhr’s view of social conflicts – The human person, in Niebuhr’s account, is self-interested in the extreme. While the individual â€Å"moral man† can check his natural selfishness through conscience, self-discipline, and love, social groups—tribes, movements, nations—look out for their own and strive to dominate other groups. Everybody’s motives are always mixed. Order in society is achieved through the threat of force, so â€Å"society is in perpetual state of war. † Such intransigence in viewpoints could be the ill that lies at the heart human atrocities. The level of anti-abortion violence, seen in the US of the last three decades, which includes arson and bombing are only symptoms of a greater ill that has been galvanizing it. There is little justifiable rationale in the paradoxical actions of engaging in bloodshed and murder if life not death is its goal. This would be the tragic consequence which C. S. Lewis talked about when he observed that ‘‘man’s conquest of nature would result in the abolition of man. ’’ COMHH References Agar N. (n. d). Designer Babies: Ethical Considerations. Retrieved on June 16th, 2009 from http://www. actionbioscience. org/biotech/agar. html Connor S. (2009). Fertility expert: ‘I can clone a human being' Retrieved on August 4, 2009 from http://www. zavos. org/fertility-expert-i-can-clone-a-human-being-1672095. html Lee E (2003). Debating Designer Babies. Retrieved on June 15, 2009 from http://www. prochoiceforum. org. uk/ocrreliss7. php Macrae F. (2008). Couple to have Britain's first baby genetically modified to be free of breast cancer gene. Retrieved on June 15, 2009 from http://www. dailymail. co. k/health/article-1098034/Couple-Britains-baby-genetically-modified-free-breast-cancer-gene. html Malcolm R (2008). Genetically Modified Human  Baby? Retrieved on June 14, 2009 from http://healthandsurvival. com/2008/05/12/genetically-modified-human-baby/ Subcommittee on oversight and investigations (2001, March 28). Issues raised by human cloning research. Retrieved from http://republicans. energycommerce. house. gov/107/action/10 7-5. pdf Thomas V (2007) Children Have Rights – Say No to Repro Tech from http://childrenhaverights-saynotoreprotech. blogspot. com/2007/02/doron-blake-genius-designer-baby. html

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Performance Management - Essay Example Purposes of Performance Management in Relation to Business Objectives The first purpose of performance management as documented by Armstrong (215) would be concerned with performance improvement aimed at achieving individual, team and organizational effectiveness. This indicates the need for organizations to get the right things executed successfully. Its second purpose is in developing employees. Effective continuous development processes enhance the capabilities of individuals and teams so as to enhance organizational core competencies. Communication and involvement encompass the last purpose of performance management which aims at encouraging dialogues between the managers and their respective teams so as to define expectations and share organizational mission, values and objectives. Components of Performance Management Processes Performance management describes a process where understanding on the targets and the achievements would be shared. The process involves planning where job accountabilities together with performance measures would be established. It involves the understanding of behaviors and creation of development plans. Secondly, the coaching component of this process involves discussion based on the on-going feedback and an individual’s talents. The last component, review, encompasses formal review of behaviors, job accountabilities, overall rating and development plans. ... Relationship between Motivation and Performance Management While most organizations have average workers, competitive organizations motivate their average workers. While intrinsic motivation would cause one to be driven by the satisfactory feelings associated with executing a task well, extrinsic motivation emanates from the desire to achieve specific outcomes. Generally, motivation would take place if people expect that an action would lead to attainment of a particular goal. Considering Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation, valence, instrumentality and expectancy comprise the three motivational forces. While valence describes the attractiveness of the outcome, instrumentality refers to the extent to which improved performance would result into the desired outcomes and expectancy refers to the perception of the extent to which increased effort would cause increased job performance. Motivation would result when there is a perceived relationship between performance and outco me, and that outcome serves as a means to satisfy needs (Shields, 33). Secondly, the equity theory of motivation observes the tendency in people of making social comparisons with regard to their earnings (Shields, 34). An employee would compare his or her input at work against the outcome with consideration of his or her counterparts. The employee would then seek to correct any perceived inequality. Other than income:outcome ratio, the employee could also consider effort:reward and contribution:reward ratios. Therefore, organizations need to carry out research to appropriately match performance management activities with motivators. Purposes of Reward in Performance Management Process

Chemical Engineering Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chemical Engineering - Lab Report Example This is done in order to understand regime flow of gas-liquid and liquid-solid fluidization. Ceramic Raschig rings, air, and water are used as the respective solid, gas and liquid phases respectively. The experiment was done in a 2m-height, 100 mm ID vertical Plexiglas column. The column has 3 parts; the part of gas-liquid disengagement, test part and part of the gas-liquid distribution. Measurements of Bed pressure were made to estimate the least velocity of liquid fluidization. By maintaining the velocity of the gas, the liquid velocity is altered and the influence on expansion ratio, pressure drop, and least velocity of liquid fluidization was calculated for static bed height and various particle size and. Gas-Liquid-Solid-Phase fluidized beds are in most cases applicable in physical processes (Murayama, 2005). For instance, the process of a fixed bed, where both countercurrent and concurrent liquid and gas flow are permitted, and for either of these both flow of bubble, in which the gas flow is discrete, and dribble and the liquid is the continuous phase. This way, the gas forms a continuous phase and the liquid more or less dispersed (Epstein, 2009). Three-phase fluidization can be categorized largely into 4 modes. The first mode is mode I-a; co-current gas-liquid-solid –phase fluidization with liquid as the continuous phase co-current three-phase fluidization. The second mode is mode-I-b that is featured by gas as the continuous phase. The third being mode II-a; inverse three-phase fluidization. The fourth, TCA mode II-b fluidization has characteristics of a contact absorber that is turbulent. Modes II-b and II-a are attained by a flow of liquid and gas that is countercurrent. Amongst which the most striking one is the co-current three-phase fluidization with the liquid as the continuous phase (Murayama, 2005).

Function of filter circuit Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Function of filter circuit - Coursework Example It is less in voltage than the series circuit because its output voltage is the same as the input voltage. This circuit therefore, does not operate as a filter to the input signal except when supplied by the current source.The ideal op-amp amplifies all signals from Direct Current to the greatest Alternating Current frequenciesOpen-Loop Gain is infinite in ideal Op-amp amplifier. In real Op-Amp, the open loop gain is finite, ranging between 20000 and 200000.Ideal op-amp generates zero noise voltage from the internal parts.Real op-amp has several sources of noise, including semiconductor noise and resistive noise.Ideal op-amp operates as a perfect source of internal voltage without any internal resistance. Real op-amps have output-impedance ranging between 100 - 20â„ ¦.This diagram represents the relationship between the capacitor and a resistor in the circuit, if they are arranged in series. The circuit assists in measuring the voltage across the capacitor, using Kirchhoff's law o f the current. In this, the current that charges the capacitor has to be equal to the current passing through the resistor.A filter circuit server the purpose of producing restrictions on the bandwidth of frequencies for an alternating input signal and generate output with a narrower frequency- bandwidth. It also eliminates the alternating current ripple remaining in the output of the rectification of a diode-based alternating current circuit, leading to higher quality signal.

Effectivess of Foreign Aid as a Form of Multinational Financial Essay

Effectivess of Foreign Aid as a Form of Multinational Financial Assistanse - Essay Example This paper presents comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of the financial aid as a form of foreign assistance to the economy of a recipient country. As a condition for aid money, many donors apply conditions that tie the recipient to purchase products only from that donor. In a way this might seem fair and â€Å"balanced†, because the donor gets something out of the relationship as well, but on the other hand, for the poorer country, it can mean precious resources are used buying more expensive options, which could otherwise have been used in other situations. A country from the third world that feels difficulties with its budget may turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank or one of the Major Developed Countries (MDCs) for assistance. Since such assistance is usually given on some condition, it involves agreement to modify domestic economic policy.In this case creditor country (or organization) restricts free trade with protectionism in which barriers to imports (tariffs and quotas) are established in order to protect their industries from foreign competition. Government regulations also protect the environment, agriculture and workers of the donor country or organization. It was reported, that 71.6% of American bilateral aid commitments were tied to the purchase of goods and services from the US.† That is, where the US did give aid, it was most often tied to foreign policy objectives that would help the US. The origins of the foreign aid policies of the industrialized democracies are complex and varied. ... In the Reality of Aid 2000 (Earthscan Publications, 2000 cited in Shah 2006) reported in their US section that "71.6% of its bilateral aid commitments were tied to the purchase of goods and services from the US." That is, where the US did give aid, it was most often tied to foreign policy objectives that would help the US. Leading up to the UN Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, Mexico in March 2002, the Bush administration promised a nearly $10 billion fund over three years followed by a permanent increase of $5 billion a year thereafter. The EU also offered some $5 billion increase over a similar time period. History of Foreign Aid Countries of Latin America The Worlds debt crisis of the early 1980's was the culmination of a build up of external debt of developing countries, a large part of which was accounted by a progressively rising short-term debt. The debt of Less Developed Countries (LDCs) was triggered largely by demands from the balance of payments effects of the oil crisis that started in 1973/74. The debt build up became more apparent towards 1980 when third world borrowers resorted to rolling over their debts. (Stambuli 2002) A combination of very tight internal fiscal position and increasingly fragile balance of payments, most developing countries contracted new loans to liquidate maturing loans. In some cases, entirely new loans were contracted to service interest only. At the same time bankers in the western world ignored signals of an imminent debt crisis and remained more than willing to refinance maturing loans of developing countries, but with shorter maturities. In this process, third

Financial Statements Paper Part II Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Statements Part II - Research Paper Example The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement store in terms of sales. In fiscal year 2008 which ended in February 1, 2009 the company generated $71,288 million dollars (Annual Report, 2008). The most important report that is released by public corporations regarding the operating and financial status of the company during a period of time is the annual report. In the annual report the managerial staff of the company provides an overview of the financial condition of a company. This paper analyzes the managerial assessment of the financial condition of the company. In order to determine whether the managers are being truthful about the situation ratio analysis will be used. In the 2008 annual report the managers admit that 2008 was a down year, but they claim that the firm made improvements to its operation and that considering the recession the firm is happy with the results. The managers are telling the truth in regards to the negative effects that a recession has o n the retail industry. In the annual report it claims that the company reduced its revenues by 7.8% and that operating earnings per share was reduced by 22%. The managers are insinuating that the profitability of the company was weak. In accounting there is a principle called the conservatism principle. This principle states that when in doubt; choose the method that will be least likely to overstate assets and income (Weygandt & Kieso & Kimmel, 2002). Three ratios that provide information regarding the profitability of the company are the gross, operating, and net margin. The metric results for Home Depot for these three financial ratios respectively in fiscal year 2008 were 34%, 6%, and 3% respectively. Financial analysis evaluate whether a financial metric is good or not is by comparing it to the industry ratio. The gross margin, operating margin, and net margin industry standards are 26.85%, 5.11%, and 3.18%. The company outperformed the industry in two of the three profitabilit y ratios and in the one that it was below the industry it was only by 0.18%. In the annual report the company claimed that the firm’s generated over $5.5 billion in cash which help the firm reduce its debt obligations. A financial ratio that can help a person determine the validity of the manager’s statement is the current ratio. The current ratio is a financial metric that test the ability of a company to pay off its short term debt (Garrison & Noreen, 2003). The current ratio of Home Depot in fiscal year 2008 was 1.20. A current ratio is normally regarded as good if it is above 1.0. The current ratio of Home Depot at 1.20 is also above the industry norm of 1.15. Another statement the manager claim in the annual report is that the firm had accumulated a very solid $41 billion in assets. Having a lot of assets is good, but it is more important to generate income off those assets. A financial metric that test how efficient a company is at utilizing its assets to generat e income is the return on assets (ROA) metric. The return on assets of the company in 2008 was 5%. The figure is good when you compare to the industry standard of 3.9%, but the firm’s ROA was reduced by 100% in comparison with the previous fiscal year. There were other operational decisions of significance mentioned in the 2008 annual report such as the fact the company closed down 15 stores, it

You decide ( should be relevant financial accounting class ) Research Paper

You decide ( should be relevant financial accounting class ) - Research Paper Example Financial statements are, therefore, the financial results that are presented in the form of reports to represent the financial condition of the organization (AccountingTools 1). Financial statements are useful in various ways. These statements are very useful in the course of determining the ability of a business as far as raising cash and cash equivalents, is concerned. It also concerns the various uses and the sources of such cash. The statements are also very useful in determining whether a business can pay back its debts (Philip 2). The information of this nature can be of much importance to the creditors to find out whether the business can pay back the money they would like to lend to it. The statements also assist the organization to be able to track financial trends and use the trends to spot any profitability issues. From the financial statements, financial ratios can also be derived to help in showing the indications about the condition of the business. Financial statements are also critical in investigating certain transactions that are carried out in the business. This paper is, therefore, aimed at investigating the types of financial statements that are commonly used, their purposes and components. There are various types of financial statements that exist. However, the commonly used financial statements are three and include a balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flow. Financial statements need to be formatted in accordance with the major accounting frameworks when the statements are intended to be supplied to the external users such as lenders and investors. This will make it easy for the external persons to be able to understand the statements without any personalized guidance. The frameworks give a leeway on how the financial statements can be structured. To this effect, statements issued by different firms in the same industry have some particular differences in appearance. Such guidelines are not

Nihilism and its Relationship to the Death of God Essay

Nihilism and its Relationship to the Death of God - Essay Example Nihilism represents a philosophy of negation for all forms aestheticism. Friedrich Nietzsche wrote a great deal of literature concerning nihilism; however, critics argue that Nietzsche did not advocate nihilism, but he was concerned about the effects of nihilism on society and culture. The fundamental basis of nihilism constitutes the entire rejection of both social sciences and classical philosophical systems. Nihilism advocated utilitarianism and scientific rationalism. Utilitarianism is a moral framework that proposes doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Scientific rationalism deals with providing valid reasons to support arguments for them to be considered true. Nihilism aimed at negating all authority practiced by the state, church and family by representing a form of positivism and materialism comprising of a revolt against the established social order. Nihilists believed primarily on scientific truths for finding solutions to social problems; according to Nietzsche, science was the cure for all social problems since it eliminated ignorance that caused evil in societies. It is critical to understand the meaning and historical background of nihilism in order to recognize the relationship between nihilism and the death of God.

Definition of Good and Evil Essay Example for Free

Definition of Good and Evil Essay The nature of good and evil one of humanities never ending conflicts since the beginning of time. For instance in the novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad explores the issues surrounding imperialism, and centers Marlow the main character. The conflict between good and evil is particularly evident throughout the story. In following the novella you begin analyzing and thinking theories for instance: people are inherently evil and its expressed in varieties of forms, or people are inherently good, but become corrupted by society and other outside forces. In my perspective Im in position of people are inherently good, but become corrupted by society and other outside forces I do believe theyre people who are inherently good but influenced negatively by society and endure on evil. I stand on this position because in Heart of Darkness Marlow expresses The word ? ivory rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove! Ive never seen anything so unreal in my life. And outside, the silent wilderness surrounding this cleared speck on the earth struck me as something great and invincible, like evil or truth, waiting patiently for the passing away of this fantastic invasion. (Conrad 368) This quote Marlow clarifies that hes in this situation because of the white mans pursuit for ivory which caused death and greed; in which it proves the point of good people influenced by evil forces. Another example of this is in Part III in Heart of Darkness when Marlow and Kurtz finally meet each other through the steamships departure from the Inner Station. Here Marlow describes his developing relationship with Kurtz in terms of intimacy and betrayal. Marlow also indicates that the Africa natives are responsible for Kurtzs current condition of evilness and cruelty. Finally in the end after Kurtz dies his last words were the horror, the horror I believe Kurtz is referring to the darkness in his heart or emptiness, also being a failure of his destiny. Chinua Achebe feels differently about the novella Heart of Darkness mainly because its concept of evil. She expresses that The Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as the other world, the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where a mans vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant bestiality in other words evil. Achebe also disliked the fact how the African natives were perceived as ignorant and simply just faded into the background. Achebe concluded by stating realized that no easy optimism was possible. And there is something totally wrong in offering bribes to the West in return for its good opinion of Africa. In conclusion Africa was where colonist evil dwelled in Heart of Darkness. Evil in which takes the form of imperialism, hypocrisy, ambiguity, and moral confusion. In which case proves my theory people are inherently good, but become corrupted by society and other outside forces. You can fallow Marlow in the novella in how he is forced to align himself with either the hypocritical and malicious colonial bureaucracy or the malevolent Kurtz. This will assure the reasons why the nature of good and evil is one of humanities never ending conflicts.

Bill Langstons Research into Parkinsons Disease

Bill Langstons Research into Parkinsons Disease The Case of the Frozen Addicts Is Parkinsons disease a genetic disease like Huntingtons disease, or is it caused by something in the environment? By the 1980s, scientists had concluded that the disease does not seem to be genetic with their concordance studies on identical and fraternal twins. But they had searched in vain for a credible environmental cause. Then in 1985, a bizarre drug tragedy tilted the odds in favor of an environment cause and gave scientists a powerful new weapon to fight against the disease. In the summer of 1985, Jon Palfreman, the author of the book Brain Storms, was investigating reports of some drug addicts who had mysteriously been afflicted with Parkinsons. The saga had started in July 1982 at the San Jose Country Jail, where a 42-year-old drug addict woke up and found himself to be frozen, not able to walk or talk. He was transferred to the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and examined by Bill Langston, the 39-year-old head of neurology. Langston determined that his disease was neurological ant put him in the hospitals neurobehavior unit. For several days, George lay there, immobile. Then one day, one doctor in the unit noticed that George moved his fingers as if trying to write something. So they gave him a pencil and a notepad. After several hours, George had written five to six sentences. Through the process of questions and answers, Langston found out that George was taking heroin, and that he had a girlfriend with him before he got sick. When they tracked down this woman, they found she was also rigid, like a wax doll. Over the next few days, Langston heard about four other mysterious frozen cases in the surrounding area. Langston could think of only one factor connecting all six young people drugs. They all had a history of drug abuse. The police had found heroin in their apartments. Thinking drugs might be the answer, Langston procured some of the heroin powder from the police and sent it off for analysis. It turned out that the heroin was a designer drug synthesized from chemicals in an underground lab. Langston was struck by the similarity of their symptoms to advanced Parkinsons disease. He treated them with large doses of carbidopa-levodopa. The effect was dramatic they could move and talk. But within days, they all developed severe drug-induced motor complications. While the procedure helped, it didnt reverse their neurological damage. They grew old before their time. By 2015, all but two had passed away. Langston realized that some toxin in the heroin had passed into the addicts brains and destroyed the area of the substantia nigra which makes dopamine. Identifying this toxic might lead to the discovery of the environmental cause for Parkinsons disease. A vital clue came from a report of a similar case in the 1976. A college student named Barry Kidston was trying to make a compound called 1-methyl-4-propionoxy-piperidine, or MPPP. When injected intravenously, the chemical would give a heroin-like-high. For months, Barry successfully made MPPP and used it intravenously. One day, however, he hurried a batch, and soon after injecting it into his arm, he knew something had gone wrong. Within three days, he froze up, became immobile, and could not talk. He was referred to the NIH, where it was determined that he had produced a compound call 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, or MPTP. Armed with this information, Langston and his colleagues could prove that MPTP was the toxin in the heroin taken by the six addicts. This compound MPTP was a powerful new research tool. It could cause Parkinsons in monkeys and in humans. For the first time, Parkinsons researchers had an effective animal model of the disease. Rather than working on humans, they could study Parkinsons experimentally on monkeys, explaining disease mechanisms and testing new treatments. *** In the 1980s, many scientists were hard at work trying to figure out how the brains neuron networks work. The best known of these researchers was Mahlon DeLong based at Emory University in Atlanta. Working with healthy monkeys and monkeys with Parkinsons disease induced by the neurotoxin MPTP, DeLong found out two key nodes in the neuron network the globas pallidus and the substhalamic nucleus were much more active in parkinsonian monkeys. DeLongs hypothesis was that a loss of dopamine from the substantia nigra had caused downstream nodes in the circuit to become overexcited. The resulting output signal over-inhibits the thalamus which under-excites the motor cortex, producing the classic parkinsonian inhibition of movement. To test the hypothesis, DeLong removed the subthalamic nucleus, the presumed source of the abnormal activity, to see if that would change the moneyss Parkinsons. The effect was dramatic there was an immediate reversal of slowness, rigidity, and tremor.

Accounting Scandal Essay -- essays research papers

I should be guilty of dissembling if I were not to refer to the economic difficulties which have affected Japan recently along with several other countries. I assume that these difficulties have come as a shock to people in Japan because of their contrast with the prolonged period of economic success which preceded them. But they show, as history has shown so often, that the enjoyment of steady uninterrupted growth, over the very long term, is beyond the capacity of nations. Every country, no matter how successful, seems bound to experience setbacks. The history of the changing wealth of nations is the subject for a different speech by a different speaker. But accounting has a part to play, an important part, because of its role in making markets work effectively. And this is very much the subject for this speech and this speaker. The Value of Accounting Standards Today, the central focus of accounting is surely the measurement of business performance. Over the last 200 years or so, the broad trend of economic development has been towards specialisation, large scale production, enabled by increasing domestic and international trade. Large scale production has depended on the growth of capital markets. Hence, although other purposes remain important, the modern focus of accounting has come to be to serve the capital markets, to make those markets work efficiently. This process is not finished in any country of the world, much less internationally. I want to emphasise the importance of this purpose of accounting. People who provide capital do so for a return and they wish to have reports of performance to help them decide how much to invest in particular businesses and on what terms. They wish performance to be reported in a manner which helps them to assess future prospects. Investors generally dislike risk. The higher they perceive the risk to be, the higher the return they seek for providing capital to a particular business. Perceived risk comes partly from economic fundamentals: from technologies, from demand factors and from competition. But it also comes from accounting. If accounting information is failing to meet the needs of investors, perhaps because it is perceived by them to be unreliable, the investors will feel more uncertainty in judging economic prospects than is warranted by the economic fundamentals. Investors will require to be compens... ...urrently experiencing a time of economic stress. I wonder whether people in Japan will think that this is the ideal time to accept international standards for cross border listings in Japan, whether they will think that acceptance of international standards would provide the clearest possible signal of Japan's determination to be in the mainstream of international accounting developments. I wonder whether people in Japan might think that this is the ideal time to undertake a review of all Japanese accounting rules to incorporate the best of international accounting so that, like Australia, Japan could say that compliance with national standards would produce compliance with international standards without the two sets of standards necessarily being identical. People might think that this would remove inhibitions for international investors in investing in Japanese companies and would enable Japanese companies to obtain their capital on the most favourable possible international t erms. People might think that everything possible would then have been done to ensure that accounting was playing its part in the economic recovery which your overseas visitors so warmly wish you to enjoy.

Essay --

The book The Great Gatsby is a detailed drama set during the prohibition era written by author F. Scott Fitzgerald. While reading this book, people might stumble along several coincidences between the book and Fitzgerald’s life. This is because F. Scott Fitzgerald uses his life and everything around him to inspire the different style of writing in the novel. While some people state The Great Gatsby is a creative novel, others think it’s just a reflection. F. Scott Ftizgerald uses things that happened in his life to inspire the situations and complications that the characters go through. He used his imagination in writing the novel, to take him to new heights as a person, and an explorer. Finally Fitzgerald used the government and life of the United States to build the setting of The Great Gatsby. As a writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald wasn’t that versatile or well-known. He started off life in New York, attending a private Catholic school. Even as a child, he was ambitious. When he was a young adult, he attended Princeton, which is an elite college, but he dropped out because he was most likely going to fail. While he was in the army, he fell in love with a woman named Zelda Sayre. Zelda was unwilling to live on such a small income, so she broke off the engagement. After Fitzgerald published a very popular book and becoming rich, Zelda decided to marry him. While they were going through a rough patch and arguing, Fitzgerald discovered the effects of alcohol. He became an alcoholic, but wrote sober. Fitzgerald generally wrote about aspiration. Soon, he and his wife were spending more money than they were taking in. He was unable to control his finances and created high levels of debt for his family. He took a break to California, where... ...almost overnight, and a week later he married Zelda Sayre in New York.† (University) Like Gatsby, as soon as his love found out he was rich, she became interested in him again. Except Daisy never married Gatsby. â€Å"He was an alcoholic, but he wrote sober.† While Gatsby did not drink, it was a result of his mentor Dan Cody was an alcoholic. Fitzgerald used his addiction as a key factor in this novel. â€Å"The chief theme of Fitzgerald’s work is aspirational idealism.† (University) The main character of The Great Gatsby, Gatsby, was a very aspirational person. He always hoped for the best when it came to Daisy. â€Å"The author that wrote so eloquently about the effects of money in character was unable to manage his own finances.† Gatsby always had a ridiculous amount of money. This is what Fitzgerald wished he could have. Nick on the other hand, struggled, just like Fitzgerald.

Free Siddhartha Essays: The Search in Siddartha :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays

The Search in Siddartha "Siddartha" is a book of a man’s struggle to find his true self. But his searching leads him in all the wrong directions. Then finally after a long journey he stops looking. During his search he discovers four things, what the â€Å"oneness† of life is, how the four noble truths affect everything, enlightenment, wisdom and love. On page 142 and 143 Siddartha realizes that Atmen or the â€Å"oneness† of life is in everything. That no matter who you are whether the Buddha, the dice player, or robber, â€Å"everything is Brahman.† Even a rock is said to have Atmen, because eventually the rock would dissolve and become material for a human body. He understood that the human being needed certain outlets to release emotions, such as lust, desires, and wants. The four noble truths encapsulates the idea’s of Siddartha, where he believes that the human needs outlets. Throughout the book Siddartha, he struggles with his desire to find himself. In his life Siddartha was a Brahmin’s son, a Samana, a lover, and a merchant. Through his life he realized that no matter what you are, everything suffers. He also learned that most of his sufferings come from his own desires. As seen by his want for Kamala’s love, he did almost anything for that love. Finally Siddartha realized that everything that fulfilled his desires was all illusion. In the end he became a ferryman and the realization of what life was all about hit him; everything revolves around everything else and one must live life and enjoy it. Realization of himself came in two stages, the first was when he left Gotama, coming to the river on page 41 and 42. He realized that he had always tried to follow after the ways and in the paths of others, but now he needed to follow his desires and to just live life. The second time Siddartha was enlightened he was sitting by the same river with Vasudeva, on page 136 and 137, he realized that he must not fight against his destiny. This enlightenment actually came when he described, to Govina on page 143, what he thought life actually was. It was not Samsara or Nirvana, but it was the realization that life is only illusion, a person just does what he can. Siddartha, on page 34, did not believe that a person could gain â€Å"salvation through teachings,† but that a person needed to find his salvation through himself and no words could ever describe one’s enlightenment when he found it.

I Hate About You is a relocation of the Taming

The Taming of the Shrew relocated to high school? Gill Gunner's 10 Things I Hate About You is undoubtedly more complicated than a relocation of Shakespearean The Taming of the Shrew into high school. The transformation of Shakespearean comedy Into the teen' movie genre and the integration of Elizabethan values enable the film to be a successful relocation of the play, yet the Incorporation of modern gender conventions discerns it as something more than a relocation. The culmination of these facets produce a cinematic masterpiece that draws parallelism to Shrew In a feminist perspective.The transformation of Shrews comedic genre into the teen' genre in 10 Things facilitates its relocation into high school. In Shrew, comedy revolves around the physical violence upon Kate, deception, and a play on words. The sight of a ‘shrew' physically subdued by a man would have been humorous to an Elizabethan audience. Humor is also evident in Epithetic and Skate's verbal battle, where elabora te puns are constructed. Women are made to bear and so are you' (11. 1. 200). Here, Epithetic twists the word ‘bear' into meaning ‘giving childbirth', thus twisting Skate's Insults Into Innuendo. Influenced by the teen' genre and the rise of fearfulness. N 10 Things, comedy exists verbally and in stereotypical teenage experiences. Ms Perks attempt to describe an erotic scene in her novel is evidence of verbal humor, similar to Pediatrics use of puns. The concept of growing up is embodied in Cat's antisocial behavior. Described as a heinous blotch', her unfriendly manner Illustrates her inability to accept her adolescence, such as dating. This is emphasized in the party scene, where the childhood swings she is sitting on Juxtapose against the adolescent party house In the background. The modern adaptation also explores teenage dating. Dating forms the basis of comedy.Blanch feels the urge to date for the purpose of fitting in to teenage culture. In the words, ‘I'm t he only girl that doesn't date,' Bianca suggests that her motivation for dating is due to peer pressure. The influence of peer pressure is also apparent in other movies based on a teen genre, such as Grease (1978) and The Breakfast Club (1985). By appealing directly to teenage audiences through common experiences, Shakespearean comedy is relocated into high school. The integration of money and status as Elizabethan values into 10 Things contributes to It being a successful relocation of Shrew.In Shakespearean comedy, marriage Is an opportunity for the men to acquire wealth and Increase their social status. Pedicurist's motives for journeying to Pad are solely to marry the daughter of an affluent father to increase his own wealth and status, or as he expresses it, to Wives and thrive' (1. 11. 42). The simplicity of Petroleum's Intentions accentuates the ease to which It can be accomplished, and therefore suggests that marriage Is a game signed and played by the men. These values are incorporated into the teen' adaptation by alternating the setting into high school.By incorporating the teen' Shakespearean work, dating is a tool used to gain money and popularity. Cameron and Michaels plot to use Joey, a wealthy ‘Coco, to bribe Patrick to date Kate is evidence of this. While this increases Patriot's money and allows Cameron and Joey to date Bianca, it also enables Michael to be ‘cool by association' to popular people, thus increasing his status among the school hierarchy. In such, the men benefit while the omen become puppets in a male plot. The similarities between money and status in Shrew and 10 Things depict a parallel course to which both texts extend.The distinction in gender conventions between 10 Things and Shrew is crucial in demonstrating that the modern version is more complicated than a high school relocation of the play. In Elizabethan England, women were the property of their men and were expected to loyally serve them. This convention is adequately expressed in Shakespearean drama, culminating in Skate's ‘submission' speech. In such, the use of juxtaposition comparing women to men in the words, ‘l see our lances are but straws/ Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,' (V. I. 173-174) illustrates female submission to male superiority in a patriarchal society. In consideration of Skate's violent behavior, her acknowledgement of female servitude undermines her ‘shrewish' nature, and therefore demonstrates that she is tamed'. Elizabethan gender conventions are transformed to a more feminist and less sexist perspective in the movie, dictated by modern attitudes towards women. Women in 10 Things josses more control of themselves and exert greater influence, such as Banana's manipulation to induce her sister to date.Similar to Kate, Kate is a young independent woman who strongly supports feminism. In the words, Why should I live up to other people's expectations except for my own,' Kate demonstr ates she is uninfluenced from social oppression. In contrast to Pedicurist's use of physical violence of taming Kate, Patrick uses kindness to tame the wild beast' and socially conform her. The change in gender conventions while maintaining a similar characterization of Kate compels the elm to be a relocation of the play but in a more feminist outlook. 0 Things I Hate About You is a high school relocation of The Taming of the Shrew in a feminist viewpoint. The incorporation of the teen' movie genre and the values of money and status in the movie ensure the plays relocation into high school, while the change in gender conventions provides a more feminist perspective of the movie. The modern adaptation moves away from its misogynist basis and entertains a teenage audience by transforming aspects of Shakespearean drama into common adolescent experiences.

Break even

Breakeven is the point at which the company is not generating either profits or losses. This is the point at which the company is generating just the level of revenue which compensates for both the variable costs and the fixed costs. Variable costs fluctuate with the level of patients arriving for the scans. The greater the number of incoming patients for MRI scans, the greater the variable costs. However the fixed costs, which involve the lease payments, which are periodic, will not vary regardless of the number of patients coming in for the scan.Therefore, while greater number of patients means greater variable costs, it also means that there will be greater scope for the company to cover the fixed costs. That is of course given the fact that the price is higher than per unit variable cost. That is the case under the present scenario. The price that each customer pays for an MRI scan is $2100 while the cost that the company has to incur for each scan is $1200. The difference betwee n the price and the variable cost goes towards covering the fixed costs. That is why the breakeven equation stands as it does.As mentioned before, breakeven is the point at which there are neither profits nor loses for the company. As a result profit at this point can be considered as zero. The level of sales at which profit is zero means that under the present circumstances, the number of MRI scans that the hospital has performed cover for not only the variable costs but fixed costs as well. In the present scenario the payment that the hospital receives in return for performing the MRI scan is $2100 which is much higher than the cost of performing that scan which is $1200. Therefore, the company will have no problem in covering for the variable costs.What the hospital has to worry about is covering the fixed cost. Therefore the objective here is to determine the number of patients at which the difference between total revenue and total variable costs equals the fixed costs. The equ ation generates the 100 patients that R Squared must scan each month to cover not only the variable costs of performing each scan but also the fixed costs of operating the MRI scan equipment. 100 patients indicate the minimum number of patients that R Squared must scan each month in order to be able to stay in business, i.e. get back both the variable cost and the fixed costs. However General Hospital is ensuring 125 patients each month. This is very good for R Squared because at that number of patients, the hospital will be generating a level of profit that is higher than the $10000 calculated in question 2. Therefore R Squared will accept this contract. Question 4 If R Squared does not accept this contract it could reach an agreement with General Hospital whereby part of the costs for operating the equipment could be borne by General Hospital.This will reduce both the variables costs and the fixed costs for R Squared. In that scenario the management of the company could afford to accommodate a lower number of patients as it has to cover for a lower level of costs. Of course since 125 patients on a monthly basis means nearly $22500 of profits, there is no reason for the management not to accept this contract. However the management could be targeting a higher level of profits from its MRI division. In that case, a strategic alliance in the form of cost sharing as mentioned before could help both parties reach an agreement.

State of the Philippine Agrarian Reform Program

STATE OF THE PHILIPPINE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM Final examination in Economics 1 Room 642 5:31-6:31 Submitted by: Cresanelle Polo Submitted to  : Mr. Ceferino Manigos INTRODUCTION â€Å"Tuwid na Daan†Ã‚  or the Straight Path is a phrase repeatedly mentioned by President Benigno S. Aquino III to pertain to his governance direction for the country. Essential to this concept of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Tuwid na Daan†Ã‚  is the battle cry  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Kung Walang Corrupt, Walang Mahirap.   The administration believes that corruption is the root cause of the country’s woes, and eliminating corruption will necessarily lead to renewed investor confidence, eventual growth and development, poverty reduction, and attainment of peace. The straight path, however, does not only pertain to the President’s anti-corruption campaign. It also encompasses a way of doing things right, where the process is participatory; the programs are holistic; growth is sustained; the peace policy is com prehensive; and development is sustainable. Through the living examples of our leaders, led by the President, this re-awakened sense of right and wrong continues to be translated to economic value. Before going to the main purpose of this report which is to inform the reader on the present state of the Philippine Agrarian Reform Program for the year 2011, let’s tackle first the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Comprehensive Agrarian Reform- Birth, Struggle & Future   The Philippine comprehensive agrarian reform program (CARP) was envisioned shortly after the Filipino liberation from martial rule in 1986. It was designed to free the majority of the Filipino poor from the bondage of the soil by making them owners of the land they till. It also aims to grant economic-size land to the landless. Comprehensive enough, it covers farmers’ education, skills training and strong farmers' organization, application of improved technology, and support by the government. The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides in Article 14, Sec. 4. that: The State shall, by law, undertake an agrarian reform program founded on the right of farmers and regular farm workers, who are landless, to own directly or collectively the lands they till or, in the case of other farm workers, to receive a just share of the fruits thereof. To this end, the State shall encourage and undertake the just distribution of all agricultural lands, subject to such priorities and reasonable retention limits as the congress may prescribe, taking into account ecological, developmental, or equity considerations, and subject to the payment of just compensation. In determining retention limits the State, shall respect the right of small landowners, The State shall further provide incentives for voluntary land-sharing. The overriding idea under the Philippine constitution is the preservation of the concept of an â€Å"economic family-size farm† as embodied in the past land reform laws. ( the law prescribes 3 hectares to be a family size farm enough to sustain a family) It is also important to note that ownership by beneficiaries can be individually or collectively. Even in collective ownership however, the constitutional mandate is to preserve the control of the tiller over the land a farmer tills. This is so because, agrarian reform is essentially a land-to-the-tiller program; it is based on the right of farmers and regular farm workers to own the lands they till. (pp. 1200-1201 The 1987Constitution of the Philippines, A Commentary; 2003 Edition by Rev. Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S. J. ) In the pursuit of the above constitutional provision, the COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM LAW (CARL), R. A. 657 was signed into law by President Corazon Aquino on June 9, 1988. The soul of CARL, R. A. 6657 is embodied in Section 2 which is reproduced below. SECTION 2. Declaration of Principles and Policies. – It is the policy of the State to pursue a Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). The welfare of the landless farmers and farm workers will receive the highest consideration to promote social justice and to move the nation towards sound rural devel opment and industrialization, and the establishment of owner cultivatorship of economic-sized farms as the basis of Philippine agriculture. To this end, a more equitable distribution and ownership of land, with due regard to the rights of landowners to just compensation and to the ecological needs of the nation, shall be undertaken to provide farmers and farm workers with the opportunity to enhance their dignity and improve the quality of their lives through greater productivity of agricultural lands. The agrarian reform program is founded on the right of farmers and regular farm workers, who are landless, to own directly or collectively the lands they till or, in the case of other farm workers, to receive a share of the fruits thereof. To this end, the State shall encourage the just distribution of all agricultural lands, subject to the priorities and retention limits set forth in this Act, having taken into account ecological, developmental, and equity considerations, and subject to the payment of just compensation. The State shall respect the right of small landowners and shall provide incentives for voluntary land-sharing. The State shall recognize the right of farmers, farm workers and landowners, as well as cooperatives and other independent farmers' organization, to participate in the planning, organization, and management of the program, and shall provide support to agriculture through appropriate technology and research, and adequate financial, production, marketing and other support services. The State shall apply the principles of agrarian reform or stewardship, whenever applicable, in accordance with law, in the disposition or tilization of other natural resources, including lands of the public domain, under lease or concession, suitable to agriculture, subject to prior rights, homestead rights of small settlers and the rights of indigenous communities to their ancestral lands. The State may resettle landless farmers and farm workers in its own agricultural estates, which shall be distributed to them in the manner provided by law. By means of appropriate incentives, the State shall encourage th e formation and maintenance of economic-sized family farms to be constituted by individual beneficiaries and small landowners. The State shall protect the rights of subsistence fishermen, especially of local communities, to the preferential use of communal marine and fishing resources, both inland and offshore. It shall provide support to such fishermen through appropriate technology and research, adequate financial, production and marketing assistance and other services, The State shall also protect, develop and conserve such resources. The protection shall extend to offshore fishing grounds of subsistence fishermen against foreign intrusion. Fishworkers shall receive a just share from their labor in the utilization of marine and fishing resources. The State shall be guided by the principles that land has a social function and land ownership has a social responsibility. Owners of agricultural land have the obligation to cultivate directly or through labor administration the lands they own and thereby make the land productive. The State shall provide incentives to landowners to invest the proceeds of the agrarian reform program to promote industrialization, employment and privatization of public sector enterprises. Financial instruments used as payment for lands shall contain features that shall enhance negotiability and acceptability in the marketplace. The State may lease undeveloped lands of the public domain to qualified entities for the development of capital-intensive farms, traditional and pioneering crops especially those for exports subject to the prior rights of the beneficiaries under this Act. The intent of the Philippine Constitution and R. A. 6657 is crystal clear: the promotion of social justice through an equitable distribution of land by making it easier for the disadvantaged to be able to acquire land. Agrarian reform is meant to reduce inequalities as social justice demands. And in its pursuit, land is to be taken for redistribution to the landless. In the process of taking, the law provides for just compensation. As suggested by Rev. Father Joaquin Bernas. S. J. ,just compensation should depend on the farmers’ ability to pay and not on the standard fair market value or it will not be in accord with the thrust of the law. Fr. Bernas cited land reform in Japan where just compensation was dictated by law and amounted to less than the market value In Japan, according to him, land reform embodied recognition of the reality that expropriation for land reform was not eminent domain pure and simple, but also exercise of police power which necessarily entails loss on the part of those regulated. An analogous situation he said, is the police power of the state to impose price control on essential commodities for the benefit of the public but at the expense of the sellers. ( pp. 1203- 1205, Bernas) The COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM (CARP) under CARL has a 10-year implementation period. It is expiring this year, 2008, after a second extension. The report of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) shows that from July, 1987 to December, 2004, it has only 75% rate of ccomplishment. Out of the 4,676,017 hectares of targeted private agricultural land, only 3,499,790 have been distributed. Approximately 1. 2Million hectares remain untouched. Furthermore, according to the University of the Philippines, Los Banos Micro Study, 2007, 75% of the farmer beneficiaries till their land and improve their lives despite palpable lack of support from the government. These farmers are left with the burden of generating capital and are oftentimes forced to make use of their Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) as collaterals for loans. Among the other problems obstructing the success of land reform in the Philippines are: â€Å"problematic† landholdings, such as areas with missing titles, erroneous technical descriptions, and court disputes; insufficient funds for land acquisition and support services. Protest and oppositions by big landowners is a big stumbling block as well. Furthermore, dissatisfaction on the part of the farmer beneficiaries is another blot on the program. The heading of Philippine Daily Inquirer Mindanao (02/10/2008) says: â€Å"Farmers awarded CARP lands seek way out of ‘bad deals’. The 662 farm workers of the 3,900-hectares Guthrie Estates in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, Negros Occidental found the deal so onerous as they have not been receiving enough share from the produce of the land assigned to them under a cooperative structure. The farmers have been protesting and negotiating for better arrangements. One cooperative member warned: â€Å"If they will not listen to us, blood will spill over in our land. We have been long dead anyway. † Ironically, CARP suffered a setback during the term of President Corazon Aquino. Hacienda Luisita, the Aquino family's own 6,000- hectare estate was exempted from distribution. The hacienda was placed under what is termed the corporative scheme where the farmers were given shares of stocks and instead of owning the land they till, they receive dividends from the net profit of the operation of the hacienda as one intact landholding. A lot more is necessary to implement CARP effectively even at this time when the program period is at its tail end. Among them are: decisiveness on the part of government to implement the law against the mighty and powerful landowners; strict safeguards against land-use conversion; sufficient amount and better management of funds; stronger community-based organization; creative and effective programs for big landholdings. There is an ongoing massive call for CARP extension to be coupled with reforms and more decisive land distribution. On the other hand, landowners are pointing to the flaws and failures of CARP as a basis for terminating the program. Since the birth of CARP, they have been deriding its existence, have been exerting efforts to thwart its implementation and plotting ways to defeat the spirit of land reform. Farmers now pin their hopes on House Bill No. 3059, or the proposed â€Å"Genuine Agrarian Reform Act of 2007†. It was filed by representatives of party-list groups Anakpawis, Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women’s Party. The bill seeks to distribute land for free and expand agrarian reform coverage to all agricultural lands in the country. According to the former DAR Secretary Butch Abad, agrarian reform will not succeed if government and business sector will not do their part. And he believes that poverty and social conflict such as the secession movement are due to landlessness to a significant degree. According to Sec. Abad, the present state of things show land reform has failed. Tenants can not be owner-cultivator and farm manager overnight. After acquiring the farm, they need training, support services, capital. One proof that agrarian reform is not yet a success is that countless farmers have not been given a piece of the land as yet. From the official website of the government we gather some bits of information and here they are†¦ http://www. gov. ph/2011/07/25/the-2011-state-of-the-nation-address-technical-report/ The 2011 State of the Nation Address Technical Report 3. 2 Completed projects to strengthen the agricultural sector 3. 2. 1. Under the continuing regular fund from the DA, a total of 1,814 kilometers of Farm to Market Roads (FMRs) were completed from July 2010 to May 2011, out of the targeted 2,567 kilometers. In addition, 687 kms more FMRs were completed under the locally-funded and foreign assisted projects. Overall, a total of 2,501 kms of completed FMRs provide better access to markets and social services and boost economic activities by allowing goods and products to flow in and out of the barangays. FMRs also help reduce transport costs, spoilage and deterioration of quality of agricultural products, and facilitate delivery of farm inputs. 3. 2. 2. From July 2010 to June 2011, a total of 65  tramlines were completed connecting remote areas to FMRs. A total of  67  agricultural tramlines were completed since project start-up in 2009, which is 63%  of the targeted  107  units to be completed by December 2011. The use of these tramlines cuts the cost of hauling by half from P2 to P1 per kilogram of produce and reduces hauling time significantly from hours to just a few minutes. Inaugurated on 13 April 2011 at Twin Peaks, Tuba, Benguet, a 400-meter tramline has reduced hauling time from 2 hours to five minutes. Farmers pay P1 per kilo of produce to cover the cost of diesel fuel, engine maintenance and other repairs and allowance for the tramline operator. On 25 February 2011, a tramline built by DA-Philmech at a cost of P1. 6 million was inaugurated in La Paz, Zamboanga City, a barangay located 970 meters above sea level. A 370 meter distance between the barangay and the closest national road used to take 12 hours to traverse. With the tramline, travel time over this distance has been reduced to three minutes. A local group, the La Paz Farmers’ Association operates the tramline collecting a fee of one peso for a load of 350 kilos of corn and vegetables. 3. 2. 3. All in all, in the first 11 months of the Aquino Administration (July 2010 to May 2011), 11,611 hectares of new areas were irrigated, 40,053 hectares were restored, and 171,910 hectares were rehabilitated both for current and carry over projects. Restoration entails repairing the irrigation facility that is currently not functional while rehabilitation means upgrading or improving the facility, which is currently working but has not attained the maximum or designed irrigation efficiency. 3. 2. 4. Put up the following post-harvest facilities: * One hundred eighty seven (187) food terminals from July 2010 to April 2011 benefiting 1,155 small farmers and fishers. These food terminals provide affordable basic food commodities to around 457,859 households who are able to save not only from low-priced commodities but also from cuts in transportation expenses and reduction of middlemen costs. The savings on transportation cost ranges from P8–P200 for every trip to the market. * Thirteen (13) or 68% of the targeted 19 Corn Post Harvest Trading Centers (CPHTC) in major corn producing areas nationwide. These centers ensure continuous supply of corn even during the wet season, guarantee premium quality, and open opportunity for other investments in the corn industry. A total of 1,342 small scale composting facilities in the different regions nationwide, reaching 100% of the target, and generating 5,368 jobs. This forms part of the government’s promotion of organic farming through the Organic Fertilizer Production Project, which will enable farmers to produce their own organic fertilizer to reduce dependence on expensive synthetic fertil izers. * A total of 56 units of flatbed dryers from July 2010 to April 2011, attaining 100% of the target and generating 402 jobs. These will reduce post-harvest losses during the drying stage of palay and ensure quality drying during the rainy season. Four (4) cold chain facilities[20]  from July 2010 to May 2011 would enable farmers of high value crops to store their fruits and vegetables in the appropriate temperature and prolong the quality and shelf life of perishable crops, obtaining for the farmers a better selling price for their produce. These facilities were turned over to three (3) cooperatives in Benguet, Palayan City, and San Jose City, benefiting 139 farmers. * Ten (10) units of Village-Type post-harvest facilities as of June 2011, in key corn production areas and strategic demand sites nationwide. Thirty-one (31) more units are expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2011. 3. 3. Fostered a culture of self-reliance 3. 3. 1 Some of the strategies under the Food Staple Self-Sufficiency program include the termination of direct input subsidies to farmers and front-loading of irrigation investments in 2012 and 2013 to increase output as early as possible, thus decreasing the need to import rice. These actions are already bearing fruit as seen in the bumper crop harvest from January to March 2011. 3. 3. 2 The country’s rice importation dropped significantly by 80% from an import volume of 2. 2 million MT from July 2009 to June 2010 to 386,243 MT from July 2010 to June 2011. The decrease in volume of actual rice import arrivals can be attributed to the good harvest and the comfortable stock position of the country. Likewise, rice shipments were scheduled better. From here on, NFA buffer stocks will consist mainly of palay purchased from local farmers—a lo ng standing demand of the rice farmers. From January to June 2011, the government through the NFA has procured some P7. 64 billion worth of palay from all over the country. This is 16% of the NFA stock. The NFA targets to increase this volume from the harvest from the main cropping season later this year. The total rice imported in 2010 was 2. 38 million MT. For 2011, the government shall import 64% less or 860,000 MT, with 200,000 MT imported by the government, and 660,000 MT by the private sector. For 2012, rice imports shall further decline to 500,000 MT, with 100,000 MT imported by the government and 400,000 MT imported by the private sector. 3. 3. 2. The government was able to increase the average farm gate price of palay by 2. 89% within a short period, thereby immediately increasing the farmer’s income. Strategic reserves and placements made it possible for the price of rice to remain stable, thereby assuring the affordability and availability of rice to the public. 3. 3. 3. Production in the crops subsector was also up by 8. 19% and the main contributors were palay, corn, sugarcane, and banana. The country has regained its status as net sugar exporter for the current crop year, having recovered from the sugar shortage in 2009-2010 when the country imported raw and refined sugar. news From the official website of department of agriculture†¦ HOUSE  APPROVES DAR’S P18. -B BUDGET THE Department Agrarian Reform (DAR) prevailed upon the House of Representatives during the plenary hearing Wednesday for its 2012 budget, thanks largely to Pampanga Rep. Anna York C. Bondoc, who took the cudgels for the agency and pulled it off with poise even as she endured almost six hours of grilling from her colleagues Bondoc, who stood as the sponsor for DAR’s budget, eloquently just ified its P18. 3-billion proposed budget, saying that the agency, despite operating on lean budget each year in the past, has managed to deliver the tasks expected of it. How much more if DAR is provided with sufficient funds,† Bondoc said even as she rallied her fellow lawmakers to come in support of DAR, which is in dire need for more funds to complete the distribution of some 1 million hectares of agricultural lands and deliver much-needed support services in the form of basic rural infrastructure projects and skills development program. The DAR said that P10 billion of its total budget for next year will go to land tenure’s improvement, which include landowners’ compensation; P7. billion to program beneficiaries’ development made up of support services in the form of basic rural infrastructure projects and skills development program; and P1 billion to agrarian justice delivery. Bondoc found an ally in the course defending the department’s budget through former DAR Secretary-turned-partylist representatives Nasser Pangandaman of the AA Kasosyo Partylist. Pangandaman sought the replenishment of the credit facility in the DAR’s budget, which was left unfunded, to enable the agency to serve the needs of farmer-beneficiaries for much-needed capital for farm inputs. Coop-Natcco Partylist Rep. Cresente Paez joined Pangandaman in his move, saying that the lack of capital is one of the major obstacles to improving the lives of farmer-beneficiaries, most of them are forced to approach loan sharks for farm inputs. Bondoc agreed with Pangandaman and Paez on the need to restore the budget for credit facility and even asked them to join her in lobbying the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) about it. She said she would furnish the DBM with minutes of what had transpired during the budget hearing at the plenary to give it an insight on the issue. DAR  HOSTS SEMINAR ON CLIMATE PROOFING FOR AGRARIAN REFORM COMMUNITIES The warning is dire. Scientists say that even if the earth’s hot temperature on global warming is reduced significantly in the coming years, climate change impacts such as droughts, floods, and other severe weather events are likely to result in food shortages, increase in water and air-borne diseases, infrastructure damage and the of natural resources degradation. To help farmers adapt to these inevitable eventualities, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation ; Development (or GIZ) recently conducted a five-day seminar-workshop on â€Å"Climate Proofing for Development: Practical application for agrarian reform communities† at the Century Park Hotel in Malate, Manila. The GIZ, Adaptation to Climate Change ; Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCBio) trainers and the Phil. Atmospheric Geophysical ; Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) presented to DAR studies made on the ill effects of climate change on farms and farming communities in the country. Undersecretary for Special Programs ; Agrarian Relations Rosalina Bistoyong said the seminar-workshop seeks to understand and learn how to adapt to the climate changes and integrate it in development plans for agrarian reform communities. We at DAR believe that we cannot delay making adaptation plans and actions to ensure that maladaptation [by farmers] will not worsen adverse climate change effects and impede their sustainable development,† said Bistoyong. â€Å"Climate adaptation ways like planting trees, composting, using bio-friendly fertilizers, organic farming, are just some of the ways the farmers can use to help mitigate climate change,† said Corrine Canlas of GIZ. With the climate change impacts we have been experiencing like floods, typhoons and the el nino and la nina phenome na, implementers need to learn the ways and means to adapt to these [eventualities], so that they can put strategies to add development plans for farmers in the agrarian reform communities,† added Canlas. Bistoyong said that the implementers will also teach farmers measures to avoid the bad effects of chemicals on the environment and contribute in minimizing global warming. This course will help our implementers in making necessary developments plans so that our farmers will be able to cope, adapt and sustain their livelihood in the face of climate change,† Bistoyong said. AGRARIAN  BENEFICIARIES TO BENEFIT FROM IRRIGATION AND ROAD PROJECTS CABUCGAYAN, BILIRAN – Rice production and farmers’ income in this fifth class municipality are expected to increase once the rehabilitation of the communal irrigation system (CIS) and a farm-to-market road in the area are completed. Biliran Agrarian Reform Officer Elisea Orapa said rehabilitation works by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) started early last month, and is expected to be completed in three months time. Orapa cited the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), for rehabilitating the 1. 7-kilometer farm-to-market road in Sitio Kasabangan where some 562 meters of this will be concreted for easier and farther conveyance of farm products to the market. Eliasem Castillo, Regional Director of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Eastern Visayas, said the projects, courtesy of the Japan International Cooperation Agency-Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project (JICA-ARISP), would help double farm produce of farmer-beneficiaries in the Balaquid Agrarian Reform Community (ARC). Castillo added that the two projects cost about P8-million, with the local government unit providing 50 percent as its counterpart equity. Ismael Aya-ay, chief of the Beneficiaries Development Coordinating Division (BDCD) of the DAR-Biliran said that about 60 of the 530 ARBs in the ARC will directly benefit from the irrigation project, while some 1,686 residents here and in nearby villages will be benefited by the farm-to-market road. ARCs are group of barangays with farmers awarded with land titles where there is a convergence of support services provided by the national and local governments, non-government organizations and foreign-donor communities. PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LAND  TENURE IMPROVEMENT The LTI component seeks to secure the tenurial status of the farmers and farmworkers in the lands they till. This is operationalized either through land acquisition and distribution (LAD) and leasehold operations. LAD involves the redistribution of government and private agricultural lands to landless farmers and farmworkers. This  is the essence of land reform. It secures farmers' tenure, promotes social equity, and provides them with necessary productive resources needed to ensure their economic viability and productivity. Leasehold operations, on the other hand, is the alternative non-land transfer scheme. It covers all tenanted agricultural lands such those in the retained areas, not yet acquired for distribution under CARP, and those which may be validly covered  under existing laws. With the enactment of RA 9700 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms in 2009, LAD should be completed by June 30, 2014 on a province-by-province basis. All remaining unacquired and undistributed agricultural lands shall be acquired and distributed as follows: Phase I (01 July 2009 to 30 June 2012) * All remaining lands above fifty (50) hectares; All private agricultural lands with aggregate landholdings in excess of fifty (50) hectares which have already been issued Notices of Coverage (NOCs) on or before Dec. 10, 2008; * Rice and corn lands under PD 27; idle and abandoned lands; Voluntary Offer to Sell (VOS) lands; * All lands foreclosed by government financial institutions (GFIs), PCGG-acquired lands and other government-owned lands; * Voluntary Land Transfer (VLT) submit ted by June 30, 2009 (before effectivity); * Only VOS & Compulsory Acquisition (CA) are allowed after June 30, 2009; Phase II-A (01 July 2009 to 30 June 2012) * All alienable and disposable, arable public agricultural lands; * All public agricultural lands which are to be opened for new development and resettlement; * Aggregate above 24-50 hectares issued NOCs on or before 10 December 2008) Phase II-B (01 July 2012 to 30 June 2013) * Remaining lands in excess of 24 hectares whether or not issued with NOCs Phase III-A (01 July 2012 to 30 June 2013) * 10-24 hectares, insofar as excess of 10 hectares Phase III-B (01 July 2013 to 30 June 2014) above 5 hectares to 10 hectares * Schedule of LAD shall be in accordance with the above order of priority with the ff: * EXCEPTION: priority land reform areas as declared by PARC (Presidential Agrarian Reform Council) ExCom upon recommendation of the PARCCOM (Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee) may be covered in advance provided that prior phases have been completed * Phase III-B (5-10 hectares) shall not be implemented until 90% of the provincial balance as of Jan. 1, 2009 has been completed. Under RA 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (from 1987 to June 2009), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) covered 2,321,064 has. of private agricultural lands and 1, 727, 054 has. non-private agricultural lands covering a total of 4, 049, 018 has. This is equivalent to 2, 396, 857 ARBs installed. Congruently, under RA 9700 (July 2009 – December 2010) , 78, 145 has. private agricultural lands and 75, 862 has. of non-private agricultural lands were distributed. This totals to 154,007 has. equivalent to 97, 712 ARBs installed. Strategic Directions up to 2014 To substantially complete asset reform as mandated by RA 9700, the DAR shall: *   Complete land acquisition and distribution (LAD) in the CARPER balance; *   Prioritize the subdivision of collective Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) involving LBP-compensable lands; *   Fast track the documentation and settlement of landowner compensation for already distributed lands; *   Synergize and rationalize the efforts of the CARP implementing agencies in all processes of LAD; * Partner with the civil society organizations in the delivery of LTI services, particularly the large-sized private agricultural lands; *   Adopt a job-sharing scheme under the ONE-DAR Concept; and * Increase the utilization of the services of geodetic engineers to assist in land acquisition. PROGRAM  BENEFICIARIES DEVELOPMENT PBD is the support services component of CARP. It aims to capacitate ARBs and provide them access to the necessary support services to make their lands more productive, ena ble them to venture in income generating livelihood projects and actively participate in community governance. Agrarian reform does not rely on land distribution alone, but also on the delivery of support services, including farm-to-market roads, bridges, irrigation, post harvest facilities, rural electrification, potable water supply, school buildings, multi-purpose buildings; extension services, credit assistance, and trainings. * 709,187 ARBs fully served under the foreign-assisted projects * 7,170 infrastructure projects * 976 communal irrigation projects completed * 3018 functional ARB-organizations operate (ALDA Level 3,4,5) * 316,610 ARB members are already managing their own farm & non-farm enterprises Support services delivered through the Foreign Assisted Projects (FAPs) and Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF): * 13,259 kilometers of FMR * 226,015 hectares serviced by irrigation systems * 194 multi-purpose buildings * 174 bridge projects (10,473 linear meters) * 428 units of post harvest facilities * 999 units of potable water systems Other infrastructure projects provided: * Health centers, school buildings, flood control, rural electrification,& sanitation systems. Non-infrastructure programs include: * Demonstration farms, rural micro-enterprises, training of ARB leaders, & health and nutrition The DAR adopted the development of agrarian reform communities (ARC) in 1993 to improve the lives of  agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). It was the department's key strategy to accelerate and sustain economic growth in agrarian reform and rural areas through a people-centered, holistic and area focused approach in community development. Since then, the DAR has launched 2,100 ARCs covering 1. million of ARBs in 9,076 barangays. Because of the size limitation of ARCs and the increasing number of ARBs in need of basic support services, the DAR expanded the coverage of its support services through the KALAHI (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan) Agrarian Reform Zones (KARZones). A KARZone is a contiguous area which embraces both ARC barangays and non-ARC barangays within the zone. Strategic Directions up to 2014: The agrarian reform must be able to lift the ARBs out of poverty and transform them into drivers of rural economic growth. Land distribution is only the first step. Provision of adequate and timely support services are impetus to make the awarded lands productive. Thus, PBD priorities for 2012-2014 shall be to: *   Undertake convergence initiatives with rural development agencies to complement the resources and streamline the efforts of DAR and DENR; *   Ink public-private partnerships (PPPs), develop models of collaboration and design business models in the agrarian reform areas with the participation of the CSOs, academe, research and development institutions and LGUs; *   Expand the ODA portfolio in order to augment funds for PBD; *   Operationalize the LTI-PBD integration on a province-to-province basis; *   Shift focus of low LAD-balance provinces to PBD; and   * Unlock credit facilities for the agrarian reform beneficiaries through capacity development for credit providers and farmer-borrowers, providing support to risk mitigating institutions and making available credit information to credit providers AGRARIAN  JUSTICE DELIVERY Delivery of agrarian justice has two features: the agrarian legal assistance and adjudication of cases. Agrarian legal assistance is comprised of resolution of agrarian law implementation (ALI) cases, ARB representation before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies, and mediation and conciliation. On the other hand, Adjudication of cases involves the resolution of cases by the DAR Adjudication Board (DARAB) and any of its salas. Under RA 6657, the DAR is vested with the primary jurisdiction to determine and adjudicate agrarian reform matters and to extend free legal assistance to farmer-beneficiaries affected by agrarian cases. There are three types of cases under this program namely: judicial or court cases, quasi-judicial, and cases related to agrarian law implementation (ALI). The first two types involve representation of farmers by DAR lawyers before the regular courts and DAR Adjudication Board, respectively. The third type involves the administrative rendering of decision on exemption, conversion and retention. The DAR at present utilizes more aggressive alternative dispute resolution techniques in mediation to reduce conflicts maturing into court cases. The general objective is to persuade the contending parties to settle their disputes amicably or out of court before the DAR. Strategic Directives: The legal sector intends to provide effective and timely support not only for agrarian reform frontliners in the field of operations and support services but also for the ARBs. Hence, to speed up the resolution of agrarian-related cases, the sector shall: *   Put the legal framework in place to expedite the LAD process and undertake PBD lawyering; *   Rationalize DAR lawyers’ and paralegals’ appreciation and decision on cases by developing common templates and legal outlines; *   Improve capabilities of DAR lawyers and legal officers to adequately address AR challenges; and * Tap information and communication technology to enhance legal work.

Components of Fitness Coursework

The health of someone is the state of mental, physical and social well being they are in. Most people think of health as a person who has or hasn't got a disease and illness. There are two main types of fitness that make up the way a person is, these are: physical fitness and motor fitness. Getting your fitness to its maximum and maintaining it is a very important and often difficult as it requires a lot of thought, time and effort. Athletes who over-train their bodies become weaker and are more likely to get diseases and illnesses. The components of physical fitness are reaction time, power, agility, balance, flexibility and co-ordination. The meaning of strength is â€Å"the ability to exert a force against a resistance†. An example of this is the strength needed by a weight lifter to lift a 200kg barbell. Mariusz Pudzianowski , the world's strongest man champion of 2008, has to train himself to lifting extremely heavy things such as cars, people, etc. some body builders also take steroids to improve their performance in many sports. This is considered illegal and the sports person that does this is disqualified from the sport they have taken part in. There are 3 different types of strength. The types of strength are: * Maximum strength – the greatest force that is possible in a single maximum contraction * Elastic strength – the ability to overcome a resistance with a fast contraction * Strength endurance – the ability to express force many times over Flexibility is the ability to perform a joint action through a variety of movement. The objective of flexibility training is to improve the range of movement a person can perform. In any movement there are two groups of muscles at work: * The main muscles which cause the movement to take place * opposing the movement and determining the amount of flexibility are the opposed muscles Alina Kabaeva is one of the world's most famous Russian athletes for being very flexible and is Russia's most successful gymnast. She improves her skills by training with her coach and by increasing the body joints to its full performance. Endurance is a muscle's ability to perform a maximum stamina time after time. An example of this is when somebody runs a race and is able to keep going from the start to the end. The objective of endurance is to develop stamina in a person's body for a long period of time. Speed is the quickness of movement. This is used in all types of sports in tackling and running. Speed is one of the main components of fitness. Sprinting is also included in speed. Sprinting is when a person uses all the energy they have left in them to increase their speed drastically. This is usually used at the end of a race after staying at a steady pace to save energy. Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man since the Olympics 2008 has been able to train himself to run at extreme speeds through various types of training, a healthy lifestyle and body composition In fitness, body composition describes the percentages of fat, bone and muscle in a person's body. Because muscle tissue takes up less space in our body than fat, both our body composition and our weight, determines the body composition. For example, if an obese person was to race an athlete that was in a healthy state, the person with more weight would lose because there is too much fat compared to his or her bone and muscle. Co-ordination is the ability to carry out a group of movements smoothly and efficiently. All sports need the coordination of eyes, hands and feet. Racket sports like tennis involve all coordination's of hands, eyes and feet. There are a few drills which can improve your hand-eye co-ordination like catching tennis balls in none hand for a minute and then changing hands. You can practice them on your own or with someone else but keep concentrating and you'll notice the difference. Tim Henman, Great Britain's number one tennis player has to do drills like this daily to improve his hand-eye co-ordination. Balance is the ability to control the body's position, either stationary or while moving. If this is done correctly, a person will be able to complete a series of moves without falling. Balance is usually used in sports like gymnastics or athletics. Sally Gunnell is an athlete that improves her balance by improving her motor skills. Another way to improve your balance is by improving posture. If this is done well, There could be a great improvement in balance. Agility is the ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession in opposing directions. In various fields of sports competition, the body is constantly asked to perform movements from unfamiliar joint angles. If these are done correctly, the body is able to respond quickly to different angles that are needed in sporting events. An example for a sport that involves agility is athletics or on a trampoline. You can improve your agility by practicing the movements in training. An athlete that needs this for their profession is Dame Kelly Holmes Power is the ability to do strength performances quickly using almost all of your energy and normally with heavy things. The main parts of the body used in the process are the arm muscles as well as the legs to help the person balance themselves. Power is mainly used in sports involving lifting things that are heavy such as the hammer throw in the Olympics. An athlete that has done this in the Olympics is Alex Smith. The final component for skill related fitness is reaction time. This is the time taken to respond to a stimulus. An example would be reacting to the starting pistol at the start of a 100m race. It important in many sports and activities and depends on the nervous system mostly. This can be improved through practice or training. Different people have different reaction times because of the nervous system. A person with good reaction time is Usain Bolt. Alcohol, smoking and drugs all affect a sports performer's lifestyle in negative ways. George Best died of liver failure because of his drinking problems and this ruined his life before as well. It earlier stopped him from playing football before he had a transplant. Some people use steroid pills, gels, creams, or injections because they think steroids can improve their sports performance or the way they look. Nathan Allen was banned from the Olympic gamed this year because of the steroid pills she took to enhance her performance. She has been banned for two years. This type of drug abuse can get a person banned from any sport there if it is found out. There have been many top athletes who smoke. Zinedine Zidane, a famous French football player caused a small gossip when he was photographed before an important 2006 World Cup game smoking a cigarette. Smoking can wreck your lungs and reduce oxygen available for muscles used during sports. They also run slower and can't run as far, affecting overall athletic performance. This affects people's performance in a negative way as it could possibly end their career. Despite all the tobacco use on TV and in different types of media, no athlete does smoke as it could change their lives completely by making them lose all fame and fortune! Many athletes sleep poorly during the night before a major competition or after crossing several time zones to compete, but most athletes aren't sure exactly how this loss of sleep will affect their performances. One problem in figuring out how no sleep influences exercise ability and scientists or doctors don't completely understand sleep itself. Too much sleep is not good for you but neither is no sleep is worse. If a performer doesn't sleep, his performance in a game will be poor and can be removed from the team.