Intention and Recommendations Essay Example for Free

Intention and Recommendations Essay In the early 1960’s, Columbia, as well as other Latin American countries, witnessed a rise in leftist movements motivated by endemic poverty, social inequality and the success of the Cuban Revolution. At that time, the FARC embraced the PCCs Soviet-style Marxist-Leninist ideology. The early membership of the FARC consisted of communist ideologues as well as noncommunist peasants, many of whom had been active during â€Å"la violencia†. The FARCs stated goal is to overthrow the current democratic government of Colombia and replace it with a Communist government. They claim to represent the rural poor against Colombia’s wealthy classes and oppose American influence in Colombia (particularly Plan Colombia), the privatization of natural resources, multinational corporations, and rightist violence. FARC has shown a willingness to meet with the Columbian government but no agreement has managed to have any permanence. In May 1984, the government and the FARC signed La Uribe peace accords which permitted FARC to form a legitimate political party, the Union Patriotica (UP). The UP party comprised of former guerrillas and Communists espoused anti-corruption policies, harsh penalties against narco-traffickers and progressive land and economic reforms. As the UP gained in popularity and political clout, they soon became the target of para-military right-wing death squads and drug cartels. Thousands of UP members and candidates have either been assassinated or have disappeared. With their hope at political legitimacy sabotaged, the FARC reverted back to violence and narco-trafficking. It is unclear if FARC has actually done anything positive in support of their stated agenda. The Counsel on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) states, â€Å"FARC is extremely out of touch and unconcerned with the interests of the Colombian public today, including the rural populace. † According to BBC News and COHA, less than 5 percent of the population supports FARC and their involvement with kidnappings and drug-trafficking denigrates their ideological rhetoric. It should be mentioned that Manuel Marulanda Velez died on March 25, 2008 of reported heart failure, after almost five decades of rule. Several of his key leaders have also recently been killed; one at the hands of his own guards. It remains to be seen what the affect of these deaths will have on the stability and future of FARC. The death of two key members of the Secretariat and a recent successful rescue of hostages from FARC (July 2008) supports the current belief that FARC is in a state of disarray; but they are far from disbanding. It is estimated that they still hold 700 hostages and control millions of dollars in drug trade. Economic and political stability play key roles in reducing the motivation of a populace to vehemently oppose governments. Programs that reduce the perception of government â€Å"injustices† will erode public support for any â€Å"radical† factions and erode groups internally, especially if they begin to doubt their purpose. The country practices a democratic government similar to the United States. According to BBC and COHA reports, President Uribe and the government have a high approval rating and the gross national product has been steadily rising along with tourism and trade. One of the weakest key indicators is a high unemployment rate (11%) which should be countered with government programs to employ young adults†¦the most vulnerable pool for radical organizations. This will further bolster the economy and take away a recruiting source. Although military pressure is essential with regards to fighting a paramilitary force like FARC, the use of military operations towards FARC should be used in tandem with local civilian authorities. Confidence in local authorities solidifies the local base and further weakens the recruiting pool. President Uribe’s increased military and police efforts have shown a significant reduction in kidnappings and assassinations. Corruption scandals that have plagued previous administrations do not seem to be a major issue with the current administration. Any signs of corruption should be dealt with quickly and firmly to support credibility of the administration. Colombian scholar Herbert â€Å"Tico† Braun suggests that a crucial factor in the mindset of para-military and terrorist organizations is the need to be recognized as a viable and key player in determining local and national policies. Braun states, â€Å"†¦the FARC wants to contribute something, and be perceived as helping the nation. If the FARC can be seen as forcing the government to make important societal changes, it might be willing to give something up in return, and possibly even begin disarming. With their willingness to participate in talks in the past combined with their current perceived vulnerability, talks should be offered again to FARC but only under very strict guidelines to include a limited disarmament. A political wing, comprised of â€Å"non-militants† or people outside the direct leadership of FARC, should be offered the ability to es tablish a political party to forward similar goals of the FARC. The eradication of narco-trafficking is probably the most difficult strategy to implement and enforce. Local and regional efforts should be a high priority of resourcing and highly-publicized. The international drug trade is lucrative and any hint of corruption within the government needs to be dealt with swiftly. The improvements in economy along with continued subsidies to farmers who grow legal crops will help to erode the drug trade internally. Support directly from the United States should be limited as it benefits the rebel propaganda. With Venezuela’s public withdrawal of support for the FARC, international alliances should be pursued with regards to drug enforcement, especially pertaining to land and water boundaries in order to make it easier for law enforcement to work without restrictions to borders. Although the geographical and political landscape of Columbia presents unique challenges in dealing with the FARC, the tenants for a counterterrorism strategy are basic: Commitment to a national political strategy, limited but clear and concise military strategy, priority resourcing of regional and local security, implementation of economic reforms, improvement of human rights protection, and a vigorous and effective counter-narcotics program.

Murakami Harukis Norwegian Wood

Murakami Harukis Norwegian Wood Sex and Existence: A Third Choice of Human Existence in Murakami Harukis Norwegian Wood In Norwegian Wood, Murakami Haruki experiments to challenge the mainstream conceptions of sex, love and human existence, that he believes these three elements do not always coordinate with each other; and part of the reason why this novel is so celebrated even today is because it breaks what the media, the society, and the human instinct of being normal. Death exists, not as the opposite but as a part of life (25) is a famous quote from Norwegian Wood, and it provides a third perception of understanding life and death; similarly, a significant part of the novel discusses the relationship between love and sex, which Murakami sets different characters to perform a third way of human existence with different perspectives. To begin with, the best way to understand Norwegian Wood, is to not consider it as a romantic or teen novel, which normally conveys the idea that love conquers all (Hall Mar.16th); instead, treat it as an analytical novel which discusses the relationship among love, sex and human existence. The biggest reason that Murakami sets the main characters at young ages, such as sets Kizuki at his seventeen (and forever remains seventeen), Naoko at her twenty (and forever remains twenty), and Toru together with Midori at their twenties, is because that for post-pubertal young people, their bodies are mature enough to explore sexual world, but their minds are still not fully corrupted by the harshness outside school life, so that they have the ability to learn how to love by their bodies, yet appreciate love by their pure hearts. Naoko and Midori are two intriguing female characters in Norwegian Wood. Both characters are somehow abnormal, such as Naokos psychological anxiety towards sex, and Midoris unusual behaviour of standing naked in front of her fathers portrait. These behaviours are certainly not seen as standard code of conduct. In order to understand Naoko and Midoris abnormalities, it is important to analyze these two girls contrary views towards sex, life and human existence. In traditional romantic literature, the common plot is that the hero and heroine together overcome many obstacles, and live happily ever after. Since after so many difficulties they have been through, the ending usually ends with them having a blessed life to death for sure, and it is assumed that their sex life will be harmonious as well. However, it is not the case in Norwegian Wood. Naoko has difficulties to have a penetrative sex with her lover Kizuki, but she succeeds in doing it with Toru, though it is the first and the o nly time she gets sexually aroused. Moreover, the reason for Naokos suicide also needs to be noticed, although the reason is made implicit in the novel. However, it is certain that Naoko does not die for love. During the twenty years of Naokos life, she encounters two deaths of her loved ones. The first one is her sisters death. Naokos sister commits suicide at the age of seventeen, and Naoko as an eleven years old child witnesses her sisters dead body. Then six years later, Naokos beloved Kizuki ends his life in the same way, by committing suicide. These two deaths strike Naoko drastically, but not fatally. She manages to get into the college, although avoiding talking about the past when she meets Toru a year after Kizukis death, it is too assertive to conclude Naokos suicide as to either follow her true love, or merely disappointed with the world. There are not many evidences of which event triggers Naoko to commit suicide, but it is for sure that her only climax gives her both t he hope to carry on life, yet in the same time destructs this hope to live. The biggest fear of Naoko is her inability to perform sex with her lover as normal people do. Naoko constantly talks about that night on her twentieth birthday, and keeps question her inability to sex. This once in life sexual experience to Naoko is not only a natural physiological behaviour, but also contains the meaning of life, and this meaning is not merely limited to physiological needs, but being elevated to the meaning of continuing life. The first time Toru visits Naoko at the sanatorium, she speaks of her version of viewing the sexual intercourse with Toru: I [Naoko] was wet from the minute you [Toru] walked into my apartment the night of my twentieth birthday. I wanted you to hold me. I wanted you to take my clothes off and touch me all over and to get inside me. I had never felt like that before. Why is that? Why do things happen that way? I mean, I really loved him [Kizuki]. (112) It makes Naoko so confused that why she and Kizuki never succeed in having a penetrative sex, but why she can have one with Toru; if she loves Kizuki, why her body does not let him in; or is that if she loves Toru, why is she unable to let Toru in for a second time? Naoko keeps pondering over these questions, and the second time Toru visits her, she was less talkative than she had been in the fall (237). When Toru tries to have sex with her again, he discovers that Naoko is still unable to get aroused, and she once again questions her inability to have sex: Why dont I get wet? Naoko murmured. That one time was the only time it ever happened. The day of my twentieth birthday, that April. The night you [Toru] held me in your arms. What is wrong with me? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ What if I never get better? What if I can never have sex for the rest of my life? Can you keep loving me just the same? (239) By shaping a character like Naoko, Murakami raises a hypothesis that what if sexual impulse does not occur coincidentally with love, does it prove that there is a third choice of performing sexless affection or affectionless sex? Whether or not this hypothesis works, Murakami offers a possibility that there could be a third kind of human existence in life, other than having impulsive sex, romantic sex, or no sex life at all. Midori is in the contrary of Naoko. She is described both by herself and by Toru as a real, live girl with blood in her veins (267), and she always seems to be happy and relaxed; however, she is not born to be this optimistic, but rather she chooses to be this way. Similar to Naoko, Midori has a tragic life of losing her loved ones: her grandfather, grandmother, mother and father. Midoris mother dies of cancer, and before her death, she lives in the hospital for almost two years while Midori takes care of her everyday therefore has to delay school. Midoris father loves his wife so deeply, that he says to Midori and her sister, I [Midoris father] would much rather have lost the two of you [Midori and her sister] than her [Midoris mother] (71). Then two years later, her father dies of the same cancer as her mother. Unlike Naoko, Midori is not defeated by so many deaths, instead, she manages to live her life bravely. Every time Midori appears in the story, her activities are not limited to talking: she and Toru often eat together, drink together, she cooks, smokes, and does all kinds of things; whereas for Naoko and Toru, what they mostly do is writing letters and walking. These vigorous activities save Toru from drowning himself with Naokos pain, and Midoris strong vitality symblizes the only oasis in this novel of boundless depressed desert. Midoris vitality puts her in a somewhat awkward position in society, considering the novels setting is in the 1960s Japan; she does not cry at her fathers funeral, she unreservedly discusses sexual fantasies with Toru: asking him to think of her while masturbating, she invites Toru to watch pornography at an adult theatre, and she is never shy of telling Toru her true feelings, of how much she desires him. Midoris independent, modernized characteristics and her value of existence of careless to the normalcy contradicts to Naokos belief of perfect union of sex and love. To conclude these two girls, Naoko stands for the possib ility of a third way of existence between sex and love, and Midori exhibits the possibility of a third existence of living without confinements. Naoko and Midori are like the two opposites of a scale, and Toru is the one to decide which side weighs more. In the first chapter, Toru already makes it clear that what happens in the book are all memories: I [Toru] was thirty-seven then, strapped in my seat as the huge 747 plunged through dense cloud cover on approach to the Hamburg airport (3), and this chapter ends with the monologue of Naoko never loved me (10). By reading this monologue, it is obvious that even twenty years pass by, Toru is still stuck in the memory of Naokos suicide. Toru tries to save Naoko, by having sex with her, by loving her, but both the efforts of love and sex can not solve Naokos psychological problems, and Toru never gets to understand the world of Naokos. On the other hand, Toru is drawn to Midoris vitality, and Midori always saves him, even at the end of the novel, Toru still seeks help from Midori: again and again, I [Toru] called out for Midori from the dead center of this place that was no place (293). There are four stages of Torus sexual development: to desire sex, to understand sex, to control sex, and to enjoy sex. The first stage of desiring sex, is reflected by the first half of the novel, when Toru starts to have sexual relationships with his first girlfriend in high school, with Naoko, and with other strange girls. Toru starts this relationship without envisaging it because of Kizukis death, since he was unable to find a place for myself [Toru] in the world around me (24), and immediately after graduation, he is devoted to leave Kobe without considering this girls feeling. The desiring of sex happens after Toru having sex with Naoko. As Toru recalls in his letter to Naoko, he honestly writes that the warmth and closeness I [Toru] felt for you [Naoko] at the moment was something I had never experienced before (41). To Toru, this is an extraordinary experience, because the other girls he has sex with are not the ones he has feelings with. Previously, when Toru has sex with st range girls, he always feels empty the next morning after; however, after his sexual intercourse with Naoko, he gets to taste the glamour of reaching climax both physically and mentally, he thereby feels hunger for women bodies: My [Toru] body was hungering for women. All the time I was sleeping with those girls, I though about Naoko, about the white shape of her naked body in the darkness, her sighs, the sound of the rain. The more I thought about these things, the hungrier my body grew (43). The first time when Toru goes to visit Naoko at the sanatorium, Naoko shows him her naked body at night, and it triggers Toru to recall their first night: A sense of imperfection had been what Naokos body had give me [Toru] that night as I tenderly undressed her [Naoko] while she cried à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I [Toru] am having intercourse with you [Naoko] now. I am inside you. But really this is nothing. It doesnt matter. It is nothing but the joining of two bodies. All we are doing is telling each other things that can only be told by the rubbing together of two imperfect lumps of flesh. By doing this, we are sharing our imperfection. (131) This whole passage of imperfection that Toru speaks forms a contrast to Naokos perfection theory, Naoko insists that if she is going to see Toru again, she wants her body to be clean of all this when I [Naoko] meet him [Toru] (246), and this hints Torus incomprehension of Naokos world. The second stage of Torus sexual development is to understand sex. Since Toru experiences several sexual activities with strange girls, he tastes the loneliness and emptiness that come after climax; at the same time, he knows that Naoko is getting further away from him after them having sex. Toru gets hurt by sex, and therefore, he chooses to not to have sex with Midori, because he realizes that youre [Midori] the best friend Ive [Toru] got now à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I dont want to lose you (250). The third stage of Torus sexual development is to control sex. Toru passes the first two stages, he becomes more familiar with sex, just like tobacco, and he does not want to be controlled by it. As he says to Midori, I [Toru] dont like having something [smoke] control me that way (70), and same for sex, he does not wish to let sexual impulses to overtake his love towards both Naoko and Midori; instead, he wants to remember that momentary experience he has with Naoko, and his commitment to Midori, so he does not let him have sex with other girls.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The second time Toru and Midori lie down in the same bed, he still suppresses his thought of having sex with Midori, because he finds out that he falls in love with Midori: I [Toru] loved Midori, and I was happy that she had come back to me. The two of us could make it [having sex], that was certain à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It had been all I could do to suppress the intense desire I had to strip her [Midori] naked, throw open her body, and sink myself in her warmth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I loved Midori. And I had probably known as much for a while. I had just been avoiding the conclusion for a very long time. (267) The fourth stage of Torus sexual development is to enjoy sex. In the last chapter of Norwegian Wood, Toru has sex with Reiko. This time, their sex is relaxed, enjoyable, and meaningful. As Murakamis hypothesis of sex could be based on love, and it could also be independent without love, the sex between Toru and Reiko is the best proof to make this hypothesis established. To conclude Torus character as a whole, he represents Murakamis perception that sex is the basic element that exists in life, and it can be independent without love. Only with this view implanted to Torus character, he can love Naoko and Midori without the disturbance of sexual desire, and gives both Reiko and himself a new start with sex. The traditional treatment of sex in literature is to either blur or eliminate its description, in order to weaken its influence on love; whereas in Murakami Harukis Norwegian Wood, his descriptions of sex is simple but explicit, which declares his perception to sex as modernized and positive. Norwegian Wood starts with an end, and ends with a start, this paradoxical beginning and ending fits the life death opposite theory proposed in the book perfectly. By offering these paradoxes, Murakami offers a third choice of human existence, that his ideal lifestyle is never a two-point and one-line dynamic; instead, by examining and combining the extreme commonness and abnormality, a third choice of living is formed. No matter what this third existence is, it is a lifestyle that is unique, as Reiko says What makes us most normal, is knowing that were not normal (148). Word count: 2599 Works Cited Hall, Nick. ASIA 364 Modern Japanese Literature 1868 the Present. University of British Columbia. 16 March 2017. Class notes. Murakami, Haruki. Norwegian Wood. Trans. Jay Rubin. New York: Vintage International, 2000. Print.

The Theme of The Death of Ivan Ilych :: Tolstoy Death Ivan Ilych Essays

The Theme of The Death of Ivan Ilych One Work Cited In "The Death of Ivan Ilych", Leo Tolstoy examines the life of a man, Ivan, who would seem to have lived an exemplary life with moderate wealth, high station, and family. By story's end, however, Ivan's life will be shown to be devoid of passion -- a life of duties, responsibilities, respect, work, and cold objectivity to everything and everyone around Ivan. It is not until Ivan is on his death bed in his final moments that he realizes what will become the major theme of the story: that the personal relationships we forge are more important in life than who we are or what we own. This point of the story is indirectly brought out in the very beginning when Ivan's colleagues, and supposedly his friends, learn of his death. The narrator states in paragraph 5: So on receiving the news of Ivan Ilych's death the first thought of each of the gentlemen in that private room was of the changes and promotions it might occasion among themselves or their acquaintances. This line reveals that among Ivan's peers, he was no more than an obstacle. It also reveals that these men regarded Ivan with the same respect and cold, professional indifference with which he regarded them. Ivan's own wife appears to be just going through the motions of grieving, when in fact she is more concerned with monetary matters. Of all the characters presented in this story, none truly mourns the passing of Ivan Ilych. Of the things Ivan seemed to pride himself on during his lifetime was his professionalism while performing his job at the Court of Justice. The narrator explains in some detail how Ivan was able to detach himself from the emotional turmoil surrounding a case while "eliminating all considerations irrelevant to the legal aspect of the case" (paragraph 65). This portrays Ivan Ilych as a shrewd, calculating, apathetic magistrate, whose only concern was for the process of justice, and not for the people his rulings affected. He is made to realize, too late, the dehumanizing effect his unemotional demeanor has had on others when a physician gives him like treatment. Ivan recognizes that "the doctor put on just the same air towards him as he himself put on towards an accused person" (paragraph 115).

Bonnie And Clyde Famous Cases :: essays research papers

Clyde Champion Barrow and his companion, Bonnie Parker, were shot to death by officers in an ambush near Sailes, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, on May 23, 1934, after one of the most colorful and spectacular manhunts the Nation had seen up to that time. Barrow was suspected of numerous killings and was wanted for murder, robbery, and state charges of kidnaping. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), then called the Bureau of Investigation, became interested in Barrow and his paramour late in December, 1932, through a singular bit of evidence. A Ford automobile, which had been stolen in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, was found abandoned near Jackson, Michigan in September of that year. At Pawhuska, it was learned another Ford car had been abandoned there which had been stolen in Illinois. A search of this car revealed it had been occupied by a man and a woman, indicated by abandoned articles therein. In this car was found a prescription bottle, which led Special Agents to a drug store in Nacogdoches, Texas, where investigation disclosed the woman for whom the prescription had been filled was Clyde Barrow's aunt. Further investigation revealed that the woman who obtained the prescription had been visited recently by Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker, and Clyde's brother, L. C. Barrow. It also was learned that these three were driving a Ford car, identified as the one stolen in Illinois. It was further shown that L. C. Barrow had secured the empty prescription bottle from a son of the woman who had originally obtained it. On May 20, 1933, the United States Commissioner at Dallas, Texas, issued a warrant against Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, charging them with the interstate transportation, from Dallas to Oklahoma, of the automobile stolen in Illinois. The FBI then started its hunt for this elusive pair. BACKGROUND Bonnie and Clyde met in Texas in January, 1930. At the time, Bonnie was 19 and married to an imprisoned murderer; Clyde was 21 and unmarried. Soon after, he was arrested for a burglary and sent to jail. He escaped, using a gun Bonnie had smuggled to him, was recaptured, and was sent back to prison. Clyde was paroled in February, 1932, rejoined Bonnie, and resumed a life of crime. In addition to the automobile theft charge, Bonnie and Clyde were suspects in other crimes. At the time they were killed in 1934, they were believed to have committed 13 murders and several robberies and burglaries. Barrow, for example, was suspected of murdering two police officers at Joplin, Missouri, and kidnaping a man and a woman in rural Louisiana.

Prison Crowding Essay

Prison overcrowding is referred to as one of the major social problems in the United States. The problem of prison crowding has also touched Great Britain, some European countries, and finally, the developing world. During the 14 years between 1980 and 1994, the U. S. prison population has grown 172 percent (Bleich, 1999); more than 30,000 state prisoners spend their days and nights in country jails, waiting for new cells. The consequences of prison overcrowding are reflected in the whole set of broad social phenomena, from prison violence to higher rates of recidivism. The late 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s have been characterized by the growing number of prisoners in the U. S. â€Å"The United States produced a rate of growth in the nation’s prison population that scholars and legal commentators have repeatedly characterized as ‘unprecedented’† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). The number of prisoners was growing so fast that prison officials failed to develop effective systems and supervising networks that would maintain social and criminal stability across all correctional facilities at the federal level. The reasons and causes of prison overcrowding are numerous and require different approaches; but with financial and social resources being limited, federal authorities are unprepared to meeting the social challenges of prison overcrowding in the U. S. Organizational instability in prison system produces numerous adverse effects, including the development of dysfunctional psychological responses among younger prisoners and the system’s inability to satisfy the basic needs of prisoners. The causes of prison overcrowding are different and numerous: mandatory minimum sentencing, denial of parole, a variety of â€Å"zero tolerance† criminal policies, drug wars, and even trivial acts’ criminalization lead to the prisoners’ population increase (Bleich, 1999). Poverty and homelessness are the two indirect causes of prison overcrowding. The absence of effective anti-recidivism programs results in the growing number of prisoners in all types of correctional facilities. However, the discussion of prison overcrowding issues should start with the evaluation of psychological problems inmates face in crowded cells: â€Å"there is growing evidence that the Post Incarceration Syndrome is a contributing factor to high rates of recidivism. The cruelty of guards and staff remains a primary problem; those in prison are subjected to verbal violence and ridicule for anything from sexual preference to gender identity† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). These violent attitudes significantly contribute into the growing levels of recidivism; many of those who have been imprisoned for the first time are sentenced for the second and the third time before their first imprisonment term comes to an end. Objectively, prison overcrowding forms a kind of a vicious circle, with violence, assaults, disciplinary penalties and recidivism in its center. The problem would not be so complex, if not for the growing social tensions between the inmates, the prison staff, and the rest of the American citizens. Prison overcrowding leads to the development of dysfunctional behaviors among prisoners, to the growing amount of unsatisfied needs, and to excessive application of force and violence needed to maintain social order in prisons. These threatening tendencies lead to the disruption of the traditional social structures, where the â€Å"imprisoned† gradually replace â€Å"socially free† population, further increasing the level of society’s criminalization in the country. Dysfunctional behaviors are particularly problematic among younger prison population; young prisoners are more susceptible and vulnerable to the changes which occur in prison; recent researches have proved young prisoners’ vulnerability to â€Å"restricted conditions, since there is neither the space, the facilities, nor the resources to provide inmates with a full range of training, work, and educational opportunities, when there are too many prisoners to cope with† (Ekland-Olson & Barrick, 1983). Young prisoners are more sensitive and volatile in their aggressive reactions to the new type of prison environment; as a result, they are more likely to be punished by prison officials through segregation units, isolated housing unites, or similar administrative measures. In these violent contexts, young prisoners risk committing another crime, thus contributing into the growth of recidivism in the American prisons. Dysfunctional psychological responses and the growth of â€Å"young recidivism† are not the only consequences of prison overcrowding; by filling prisons and jails above their capacity, prison officials fail to satisfy even the basic needs of prisoners. Health, nutrition, and social needs of prisoners are simply neglected, raising their sensitivity to various types of social threats, including health epidemics, aggression, and violence. Beyond normal sleeping and eating conditions, prisoners need vocational training, education, and meaningful jobs. Prisoners require extensive work experiences that will further help them adapt to real-life conditions beyond the prison walls. Prison overcrowding deprives prison officials of effective and reliable needs assessment and screening instruments and strategies, which could be universally applied to improve the prisoners’ well-being. The current prison system in the U. S. does not guarantee that prisoners’ basic civil rights will be followed while they are being imprisoned. Unfortunately, thousands and thousands of prisoners are still in need of treatment and counseling for different types of mental and physical health disorders (Bleich, 1999). As a result, by the time these prisoners are released on probation they are likely to face social rejection and negligence, leading recidivism and violence. Intimidation and force remain the two most effective instruments used to maintain order in prisons. A crowded prison can be compared to a â€Å"boiling cauldron of inmate hostility, ready to erupt instantaneously into a riot† (Cavadino & Dignan, 2002). In the absence of other relevant governing mechanisms, violence seems the easiest universal method of keeping prisoners’ behaviors under control. â€Å"For example, in maximum security prisons in California, guards armed with rifles are strategically positioned inside mainline housing units and authorized to respond to inmate disturbances with lethal force† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). Violence and intimidation are further aggravated by the lack of appropriate staff resources that could potentially maintain stability and organizational order in prisons and jails. Violence and the lack of professional staff negatively impact the quality of relationships between prison officials and inmates, making the crisis of control and legitimacy the central social element of prison overcrowding in the U. S. (Cavadino & Dignan, 2002). In the light of the abovementioned issues, the natural question is whether overcrowding can be minimized and avoided, and what should be done to improve the quality of life in prisons. Researchers and professionals suggest that probation reform may change the situation in the American prison system. â€Å"Forty percent of prison intakes are from probation violations, and half of those violators are put into the prison system because of technical violations† (Hicks, 2006). By reducing probation sentencing terms and simplifying supervision rules, prison officials are likely to resolve the majority of issues related to prison overcrowding and its social consequences. Federal authorities and criminal justice professionals are to reconsider the criteria applied to zero tolerance policies and juvenile delinquency, to minimize the portion of young population in prisons. Ultimately, the basic needs of current prisoners should be assessed and addressed, to ensure that ex-prisoners are able to adapt to the changing real-life conditions and to return to regular work and life performance after being released from prison (jail). Conclusion Prison overcrowding leads to the development of distorted and dysfunctional social visions in the American society. Violence and intimidation remain the two widely accepted instruments of maintaining order in prisons. Young prisoners are particularly vulnerable to aggression and violence in jails. The reduction of probation sentencing terms and supervision rules simplification may resolve the majority of social issues related to prison overcrowding in the U. S. , but federal authorities still lack appropriate resources that could be used to simplify the organizational structure of prison system in the country.

Marketing the public libraries

This website bases its maps from the surveys conducted by the 2005 American community survey (http://www. nkca. ucla. edu). It explains what the survey is about which is to collect housing, demographic and socioeconomic data. This is done from the US households. The website highlights the fact that the American Community Survey (ACS) replaced the decennial census. It also points out that the ACS is more advantageous than the decennial census because it is conducted every year instead of every ten years (http://www. nkca. ucla. edu).The website also makes known the year that ACS was implemented which is 2005. It goes ahead to name those who were involved in the pilot project that involved special tabulations of geographies. It also notes that the center for neighborhood knowledge ensures that the knowledge is availed to the public. It also highlights the uses of the data gotten by the ACS and this includes developing as well as refining policies and also programs, supplement the data gotten from other sources and also to help in identifying the needs of the community and also prioritizing these needs.ACS has a vision of working with the Bureau of the Census to annually update their information. Albright K. S. May/June 2004 ENVIROMENTAL SCANNING RADAR FOR SUCCESS Information Management Journal Summary In this journal, the writer starts off by noting the importance of success in any organization. Albright goes ahead to explain what environmental scanning is and why it is done. She identifies the relationship that is found among the environment, markets and strategic planning in an organization.Once an organization has looked into its internal environment, it then looks at the external environment. The writer goes ahead and gives the reasons for this environmental scanning which are to â€Å"focus on customers, suppliers and competitors and their intricate relationships†(Albright K. S. 2004). There is an explanation of how environmental scanning works. It co nducts a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. This helps the organization in analyzing the community, which is the environment, and also helps it know how to advertise their services.The writer ends by identifying any barriers to effective environmental scanning. Marketing Plan 1. Kassel, A. 1999. How to Write a Marketing Plan (Vol. 13 no. 5). Retrieved on 13th Sept 2007 from http://infotoday. com/mls/jun99/how-to. htm Summary In this volume, Kassel identifies why the libraries have been forced to go for marketing in the effort to increase their amount of money they make and also their client base. This is because their biggest competitor is the Internet, which is deemed more convenient by students and researchers.The writer goes ahead to identify and outline seven steps that are necessary in the creation of a marketing plan. She outlines them in the following sequence: â€Å"prepare a mission statement, list and describe target or niche markets, descri be your services, spell out marketing and promotional strategies, identify and understand the competition, establish marketing goals that are quantifiable and finally monitor your results carefully†(http://infotoday. com).She goes ahead to give some tips and hints to those who are new to marketing. She urges them to concentrate on getting long-term customers, know why customers come back, to be focused on their targets and not waste their efforts with non-targets, to be persistent and prepared and finally to be never afraid of failure as it is bound to happen and when it does, the strategy used needs to be changed. The writer ends by assuming that this outline is actually a success plan. 2. Summey T.P If You Build it Will They Come? Creating a Marketing Plan for Distance Learning Library Services- 2004. The Haworth Press Inc. In this volume, Summey acknowledges the importance of people especially the distant students and also the â€Å"brand identity† which refers to a lot including services provided by the library in the expansion of library services people’s importance in the success of library services expansion (Summey, 2004). The writer goes ahead to explain what is a marketing plan and how it is created.The writer also identifies the objective of a marketing plan as being identification of marketing issues, development of goals and finally how to measure progress. The budget is also included in the plan; the plan is to consist of â€Å"the mission statement, library or community analysis, goals and objectives, marketing strategy and methods to evaluate results† (Summey, 2004). The plan is to begin with an executive summary, the table of content, a SEDT analysis, a description of the market, mission and vision, goals and objectives, implementation and finally assessment and evaluation.

Regina Bailey - ThoughtCo

Spanish Phrases Referring to Parts of the Body

In Spanish, you can open your ears as well as your eyes, and something that fits perfectly is like a ring on a finger instead of a glove on a hand. The language has hundreds of phrases and colloquial expressions that include the names of body parts. Here are some of the most common or interesting; each phrase below is followed by a literal translation and then a common English translation followed by a sample sentence. Note that many of the sentence translations are not literal. Brazo (Arm) dar el brazo a torcer (to give ones arm to be turned) — to give up, to be persuaded — Era el equipo que no dio el brazo a torcer en busca del gol. (It was the team that never gave up in pursuit of the goal.)nacer con un pan bajo el brazo (to be born with a loaf of bread under the arm) — to be born with a silver spoon in ones mouth — La hija de los actores nacerà ¡ con un pan bajo el brazo. (The actors daughter will be born with a silver spoon in her mouth.) Cabeza (Head) andar de cabeza (to be heady) — to be busy, to have a full plate — Solo son las 11 de la maà ±ana y ya ando de cabeza. (Its only 11 a.m. and already Im swamped with plenty to do.)andar mal de la cabeza (to be bad in the head) — to be crazy, to not think straight — Creo que yo no soy el que anda mal de la cabeza. (I know Im not the one who needs my head examined.)cabeza frà ­a (cool head) — said of someone who remains calm or rational — La expulsià ³n del jugador es totalmente justificada. Nunca tiene la cabeza frà ­a. (The players expulsion is totally justified. Hes always a hot head.)cabeza hueca (hollow head) — said of someone stupid — La persona de madurez no tiene la cabeza hueca. (The mature person isnt an air head.) One common synonym is cabeza de chorlito, equivalent of the English bird brain. Other synonyms include cabeza de melà ³n (melon head) and cabeza de calabaza (pumpkin head). Cerebro (Brain) cerebro de mosquito (mosquito brain) — bird brain, stupid person — Parece que tu cerebro de mosquito no te deja comprender lo que yo escribà ­.  (It seems that your bird brain doesnt let you understand what I wrote you.)cerebro gris (gray brain) — someone who is in charge behind the scenes. — El profesor niega ser el cerebro gris del presidente. (The professor denies being the hidden brains behind the president.)lavar el cerebro (to wash the brain) — to brainwash, although the Spanish term doesnt always come across as pejorative as the English one — Me lavà ³ el cerebro y me convencià ³ de irnos a festejar Aà ±o Nuevo. (She brainwashed me and convinced me to go with her to celebrate New Years.) Codo (Elbow) codo con codo, codo a codo (elbow to elbow) — side by side; in cooperation with others — Estudiaron codo a codo por una hora. (They studied together for an hour.)empinar el codo, levantar de codo (to lift ones elbow) — to drink alcoholic beverages — Despuà ©s de la pesca, empinaron el codo y se durmieron. (After fishing, they drank a few and fell asleep.) Dedo (Finger) chuparse el dedo (to suck ones thumb) — to be naive, foolish or unknowledgeable; to see someone else as such — No me digas que tu perro comià ³ tus tareas.  ¡No me chupo el dedo! (Dont tell me the dog ate your homework. I wasnt born yesterday!)como anillo al dedo (like a ring on a finger) — perfectly timed or perfectly suitable for the situation — La oportunidad vino como anillo al dedo. (The opportunity came to me at the perfect time.)no tener dos dedos de frente (to not have two fingers of a forehead; the phrase comes from a time when it was believed that the size and shape of the forehead was an indicator of intelligence) — to be stupid, to be as smart as a fence post, to not be the sharpest tool in the shed, etc. — El que se crea eso no tiene dos dedos de frente. (Whoever believes that isnt very bright.)sin mover un dedo (without moving a finger) — without lifting a finger — Es posible tener à ©xito en los negocios sin m over un dedo. (It is possible to be successful in business without lifting a finger.)tapar el Sol con un dedo (to hide the sun with ones finger) — to ignore reality, to bury ones head in the sand — Tapa el sol con el dedo cuando trata de defender lo indefendible. (Hes ignoring reality when he tries to defend the indefensible.) Espalda (Back) cubrir las espaldas (to cover someones back) — to protect someone, to have someones back — Te cubro las espaldas. Todo està ¡ bajo control. (I have your back. Everything is under control.)volver la espalda (to turn ones back) — to turn ones back — No me respondià ³ antes me volvià ³ la espalda. (He did not answer me before turning his back on me.) Nariz (Nose or Nostril) darle en la nariz (to be given in the nose) — to be suspicious — Me da en la nariz que la respuesta de mi padre es no. (I have a suspicion that my fathers answer is no.)no ver mà ¡s allà ¡ de sus narices (to not see beyond ones nostrils) — to not see beyond the end of ones nose — Esta generacià ³n de polà ­ticos no ve mà ¡s allà ¡ de sus narices e intereses. (This generation of politicians cant see beyond their noses and own interests.) Oà ­do (Ear) abrir los oà ­dos (to open ones ears) — to pay attention — Los escolares abren los oà ­dos al cambio climà ¡tico. (Scholars are paying attention to climate change.)entrarle por un oà ­do y salirle por el otro (to go in one ear and out the other) — to go in one ear and out the other — Las palabras de su hermano le entraron por un oà ­do y le salieron por el otro, sin afectarla en absoluto (Her brothers words went in one ear and out the other without affecting her in the least.)prestar oà ­do (to lend an ear) — to pay attention — Elena no prestaba oà ­do a las disculpas. (Elena didnt pay attention to the excuses.) Ojo (Eye) costar un ojo de la cara (to cost an eye from ones face) — to cost an arm and a leg — Viajar al oriente del paà ­s te costarà ¡ un ojo de la cara. (Traveling to the eastern part of the country will cost you an arm and a leg.)echar un ojo (to throw a look) — to take a look — Vamos a echar un ojo a lo que dice. (Were going to take a look at what hes saying.)en el ojo del huracà ¡n (in the eye of the hurricane ) — in the center of a controversy, in the center of the storm — Le diseà ±adora està ¡ en el ojo del huracà ¡n por la extrema delgadez de sus modelos. (The designer is in the hot seat because of the extreme thinness of her models.)tener ojo de lince (to have a lynx eye) — to have good vision, literally or figuratively; to have eagle eyes — Nuestro contador tiene ojo de lince para detectar pequeà ±as  irregularidades. (Our accountant has eagle eyes for finding tiny irregularities.) Pecho (Chest, Breasts) dar pecho, dar el pecho (to give the breast) — to breastfeed —  ¿Necesitan proteccià ³n institucional las mujeres que dan el pecho en pà ºblico? (Do women who breastfeed in public need institutional protection?)tener un corazà ³n que no le cabe en el pecho (to have a heart too big to fit in his/her chest) — to be big-hearted or generous — En mà ¡s de una ocasià ³n ha demostrado que tiene un corazà ³n que no le cabe en el pecho. (More than once she has shown herself to be very generous.) Pie y Cabeza (Foot and Head) de pies a cabeza (from feet to head) — from head to toe — Mi hijo està ¡ tatuado de pies a cabeza con varios diseà ±os. (My son is tattooed from head to toe with various designs.)sin pies ni cabeza (without feet nor head) — making no sense; without rhyme or reason — El puente a ninguna parte es un proyecto sin pies ni cabeza. (The bridge to nowhere is a senseless project.) Pierna (Leg) dormir a pierna suelta (to sleep with a leg that is free to move; the phrase comes from the days when prisoners would sleep better if their legs werent chained to prevent escape) — to sleep like a log — Nuestro bebà © dormà ­a a pierna suelta y no se despertà ³ nunca por el ruido. (Our baby slept like a log and never woke up because of the noise.)hacer piernas (to do legs) — to get exercise — Hace 15 aà ±os, cuando empecà © a entrenar, me dije, No necesito hacer piernas porque ya tengo mà ºsculos muy grandes. (Fifteen years ago, when I began training, I told myself, I dont need to exercise because I already have big muscles.)