My Vegas Vacation Essay Example for Free

My Vegas Vacation Essay I had read about Vegas, I had seen pictures of Vegas, I had watched many movies about Vegas, but I had never imagined that I would ever visit Vegas. It wasn’t until I saw the lights of the huge city from the plane that I believed I was actually going to be landing in Las Vegas. The airport was a trip in itself and it took more than an hour to gather our luggage and get to our hotel. Even though it was midnight and we were tired, we quickly left our bags in our room and started to look around. We wandered aimlessly though casino after casino, all the while amazed at the lights, the food, the opulence and, of course, the sounds of winning machines. We spent the whole night, as well as the next three days, trying to decide which attraction was the best. Though much of Vegas was unforgettable, the most memorable were the dancing waters in front of the Bellagio hotel; it was so calming in the middle of the chaotic Vegas strip. We went back a few times to watch it. We also loved the light show on Freemont Street, and riding on the top of the double-decker bus on the way back to our hotel was a lot of fun. The highlight of the trip was attending the Wayne Brady show. He acts much the same as he does on the famous show, â€Å"Whose Line is it Anyway? † He asked for volunteers from the audience and I didn’t raise my hand; I sort of regret that now. It was still one of the most memorable vacations I have ever taken. The word vacation always suggests that there would be some relaxing and resting on the trip. I saved all of the my resting for the flight home and even though I didn’t get a lot of sleep in Las Vegas, I came home feeling as though I had a well-deserved break; what a vacation!

Causes and Solutions to World Hunger

Causes and Solutions to World Hunger Michael Sylvester Why is Feeding the Hungry Proving to be Such a Difficult Challenge? In 2012, it was estimated that 868 million people in the world were undernourished.[1] That’s 868 million people out of the 7,065,410,436[4] people that make up the world’s population going hungry on a daily basis, that’s over 12%. This is a shockingly large number; a number that I feel can be lowered considerably. Feeding the hungry is a problem shared globally, however the effects of this problem are more severe in less economically developed countries (LEDCs). Money plays a large part in power today and I believe those with money and power should lead the way in showing those without to help eradicate the problem, for example: if each MEDC (More Economically Developed Country) gave 1% of their GDP to fund a food program for those without food in LEDC countries, it would make a considerable difference. Causes of hunger: Finance: If people can’t afford to buy food, then they simply don’t eat enough; often forgoing meals so their children can eat. Lack of money usually arises from un or underemployment. Those in poorer, less economically developed countries such as Ethiopia (Africa) struggle to gain jobs for steady income due to lack of education and/or lack of job availability. With little to no income, families in Ethiopia, for example, struggle to provide food and other essentials needed to sustain life. With this in mind, families may be left with the impossible choice of what they spend their money on. (For example: Spending money to feed an ill person who will most likely die without treatment is money wasted. Equally paying for medical treatment but not being able to feed them at the same time makes paying for medical treatment useless, as the person is only going to become ill again.) The way people choose to spend their money will affect whether they are able to afford the correct amount and quality of food. More commonly in MEDC’s such as the United Kingdom families ‘waste’ their money on unnecessary items rather than the necessities to maintain a healthy life. The country’s level of economic development plays a part. A country with a lower GDP will not be able to aid its people as effectively/at all whereas one with a higher GDP will be able to. However, this is not always the case and we must be careful to avoid over-generalising as in some poorer countries, the rural dwellers have got together to form farming co-operatives and these have proved surprisingly powerful and sustainable in The Gambia [9]. Other factors such as corruption can affect whether a country is willing to help itself or if it is going to rely on the help of others. In some places, there is an excess of food. It is estimated that globally we waste 1.3 billion tonnes of food a year. The food thrown away is not only enough to feed all of the undernourished people in the world (Approximately 870 million people [1], 852 million in developing countries (LEDC/NIC’s)) [2] is enough to save 1/3 of the world’s food banks. Wasting food is a huge issue for everyone, especially for those who aren’t even receiving a proper meal daily. It costs money, resources and time to produce food all, of which is wasted in most cases. Producing food has many effects. For example: Agriculture has an effect on global warming, due to high rates of greenhouse gas emissions. 10% of MEDC greenhouse emissions come from producing and transporting food that never gets eaten. [3] Country Continent MEDC/LEDC? Food Waste /Per capita per year (Approx.) United Kingdom Europe MEDC 7.2 tonnes United States of America North America MEDC 40 tonnes France Europe MEDC 5.6 tonnes Ethiopia Africa LEDC Unknown Effects of hunger Hunger has a direct impact on those without food, obviously, however very few undernourished people die from outright starvation. They die from common illnesses such as malaria and diarrhoea because their bodies that have been weakened by hunger, cannot cope. Hunger can increase the severity of simple illnesses because it weakens the immune system. Not only does hunger increase the vulnerability of a person to common illnesses, it increases the risk of infection, meaning the illness has a wide-spread effect. Hunger can have an economic impact also. It creates a vicious circle that is almost impossible to escape. People are poorly paid due to the limited economic status of the country, this then limits what food they can buy as well as other things such as medicine, people become ill (often common illnesses contracted due to lack of food) and therefore cannot attend work or are less productive in their job (If the person works) meaning they can’t earn as much/any money or pay taxes to their government. This circle then repeats and the overall effect is that the country makes less money and its people earn less money and are unable to buy essential items to survive. Solutions ‘World hunger is extensive in spite of sufficient global food resources. Therefore increased food production is no solution. The problem is that many people are too poor to buy readily available food. Therefore measures addressing the poverty problem are what are needed to solve the world hunger problem.’ As suggested in the quote above, simply producing more food is not a solution. Producing even more food will result in more food going to waste, and that’s already a huge problem globally. The challenge we are left with is to supply safe and nutritious food in a sustainable way, globally. If food was made much more affordable it would help reduce hunger levels. Even those in poorer countries would be able to afford it despite their low incomes. However this may promote food waste since people will be able to afford much more food than they usually would, food which will never get eaten. I think MEDC’s should give short term aid to LEDC’s to help reduce the number of undernourished people in their countries, although I feel that giving money aid isn’t the best solution as the country may use it for something else. MEDC’s should educate other countries and nurture them but not allow the country to become dependent on them. ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’ Anne Isabella Ritchie (circa 1885) – this quote stresses the need to teach to be self sufficient as opposed to being dependent. There is also another idea that could help to reduce the amount of food we waste yearly. The ‘Pig Idea’ [10]is an idea that we should feed our waste food to pigs. This would be effective as the food wouldn’t be wasted since it’s feeding the pigs. ‘Humans have been recycling food by feeding it to pigs for thousands of years’ – this now has the added bonus of helping british pig farmers who are struggling to make ends meet, as a result of the economic climate. Charities and Aid organisations already operate in areas where there is a hunger is a big problem. Farm Africa has worked in Ethiopia since 1988 and continues to help the people there by educating them, and showing them how to grow crops as well as giving them food and water. Case Studies. U.K In the United Kingdom the causes of hunger are problems like food waste and food affordability. The wealthier people living in the U.K contribute significantly to the amount of food that is wasted annually, because they can afford to buy large quantities of food regardless of the price. However those with lower incomes cannot afford to buy as much food so their food waste is considerably lower. But for some, food affordability is a huge problem. Families can’t afford to buy enough food to feed them due to its ever growing price. Ethiopia In Ethiopia the causes of hunger are different to that of the U.K. It is producing the food and distributing it to the people that are the problem. Due to climate difficulties producing food can be difficult, since soil qualities are affected. Also difficult climatic conditions (Flood and drought) can damage crops and reduce productivity. Lack of education in the country also adds to this, since poor farming practises are undertaken, which can further ruin the land being used for farming which then eventually will render it useless more than 31 million Ethiopians don’t have enough nutritious food to eat 5]., with annual costs associated with child malnutrition accounting for 15.5% of Ethiopia’s GDP. Farm Africa is currently working in parts of Ethiopia to try and help their situation. In the Tigray region of Ethiopia Farm Africa [12] are trying to increase food security via pastoral farming. The project is working directly with 2,950 women and 400 landless youths, providing them with crops and livestock as well as training [5]. They are also training farmers and giving them equipment to produce barley of a high quality meaning farmers will receive 10% more than the local rate for the barley they produced. They have also helped link farmers to Diageo (An international business that brews beer). Farm Africa is also helping communities find new ways of earning a living using the forest’s natural resources eg making bamboo furniture and harvesting wild coffee. They are also collaborating with the government to design a pilot project to protect 500,000 hectares of forest. This means Ethiopia could benefit from important work to preserve the forest, avoiding further emissions of carbon, and slowing climate change. Future Scenario: I feel that if this work continues, although it may take time, it will greatly help reduce the amount of undernourished people in Ethiopia and create sustainable life there. Not only do I think it will help reduce malnutrition statistics but I think it will help Ethiopia grow economically and increase their level of understanding and education which in turn will benefit the country greatly. Kenya In Kenya the causes for hunger are mostly physical ones, with climatic effects playing a large part in it. Two-thirds of Kenyans depend on the crops they grow and the animals they keep for their livelihoods and survival [6]. However, with prolonged drought killing livestock and withering crops, nearly four million people are at risk of serious hunger, especially in the northern and Rift Valley regions. This leaves small scale farmers and pastoral nomadic tribes-people vulnerable to hunger. Farm Africa is working with these vulnerable groups to help them find a way out of the spiral of poverty. They are teaching farmers techniques to help conserve water and soil, and by introducing drought-tolerant crops to them. New methods for capturing rainwater are being introduced by NGOs. Those trained can then disseminate these techniques throughout their community and this knowledge passed on to future generations. Selected farmers are provided with high-quality seeds for drought-tolerant crops. These seeds then produce healthy crops and farmers collect and store seeds from the harvest to use the following season. The more widely available these become, the more reliable and food secure communities can become too. Future Scenario: I believe that if this work continues it will greatly help reduce the amount of undernourished people in Kenya. The continuation of the help will ensure food security for all, regardless of climatic changes. Global Scenarios If global hunger isn’t managed further, as our world’s population continues to grow, the problem will become so big that I don’t think it could be managed solved. Scenario Benefit Explanation If nothing is done to try to manage the hunger problem. Nothing. As the global population grows, so does the number of malnutrition. It is going to become even more difficult to manage this problem and the effects it has on people. We simply cannot keep up with the amount of illnesses that will be caused because of malnutrition, making death on an enormous scale inevitable even more so in LEDC’s. If we were to lower the price of food More people would be able to afford more or a better quality of food, which would certainly improve the hunger problem. However, lowering the price of food may create more problems than solutions. For example, in most LEDC’s such as Ethiopia where agriculture accounts for 46.6% of the country’s GDP lowering the price of food is going to hinder the country’s economic development. Since farmers will be getting less money for the crops they sell meaning they have even less income for essentials things for themselves and their families. Conclusion Ensuring that every person in the world is fed is an absolute must, arguably more so than educating them although to some extent the two are inextricably linked. This issue has had global prominence since the year 2000 and the millennium development goals and although we have made great strides there is still a long way to go, indeed one in eight people still go to bed hungry, despite major progress. [7] Unfortunately the causes of hunger are wide spread and complex so there is no one quick way of fixing the problem. That said, if we can promote a reduction in food waste by those that have more than enough and supply and educate those that are lacking, we will be heading in the right direction. From investigating this topic I now have a personal goal to reduce the amount of food that I and those around me waste. I plan to visit local restaurants such as that of my school to investigate how much food is wasted, what is done with that waste food and help them to consider ways which might help them to lower it. I will be looking to find local pig farmers/smallholdings who might be able to make use of such waste food. I have also realised how fortunate I am never to have been truly hungry, even though I often claim to ‘be absolutely starving’, especially when on last lunch at school! 2096 words excluding titles, sub-headings and tables Bibliography. [1] worldhunger.org [2]lovefoodhatewaste.com [3]feeding5k.org [4]galen.metapath.org [5] http://www.farmafrica.org/ethiopia/ethiopia [6] http://www.farmafrica.org/kenya/kenya [7] http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview/mdg_goals/mdg1/ [8] http://www.jatrophabook.com/public/image/__world_hunger_map.jpg [9] http://www.actionaid.org/gambia/stories/how-farming-cooperatives-transformed-community [10] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/10467298/Whats-the-Pig-Idea.html [12] https://www.farmafrica.org/ethiopia/ethiopia

The History Of Peer Tutoring :: Essays Papers

The History Of Peer Tutoring From the writer: I wrote this paper for Bobbi Kirby-Werner's Peer Consulting Practicum. The history and psychology of peer tutoring interested me because all the way through the class, I had wondered "Where did this method of learning/instruction emerge from?" The answer was of course, England. I also liked the idea that you didn't have to be a "professional" to be a peer consultant: that, in fact, the point was that you WEREN'T a professional, and because of this, it was in some instances much easier for students to relate to peer consultants. Which in turn helped them with writing. From the teacher: Brendan's text fulfilled part of the WRT 331 requirement to prepare a paper as well as a 15-minute presentation about some aspect of his experience as a peer writing consultant. In his proposal for this project, Brendan noted that his status as a peer in many cases enabled him to relate better to his clients and to have more productive sessions than he might have otherwise. This experience prompted his investigation of the history of peer consulting. The insights Brendan shared in his paper and presentation were valuable additions to the class. From the editors: The author takes you on a historical road trip into the evolution of peer tutoring. What its roots are and how far the peer tutoring system has developed in the past three hundred years are explained while the writer gives insight into a little known facet of the S.U. Writing Program: the peer consultants. History The textbook definition of peer tutoring is "a system of instruction in which learners help each other and learn (themselves) by teaching," (Goodlad and Hirst 13). Key to this definition is the word peer, meaning someone with the same or a nearly equal status as the person being tutored, who, as such, is not a professional instructor. Peer tutoring has played an important part in education and has probably existed in some incarnation since the beginning of civilization. But the first recorded use of an organized, systematic peer tutorial learning project in the Western World didn't come about until the late 1700's. Arising from school budget woes in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, peer tutoring became an effective way of giving underprivileged (at this time, sadly, only male) children a reasonable shot at an education. The first systematic approach to peer tutoring is credited to Andrew Bell, who was the superintendent of the Military Male Asylum at Egmore, in England (Goodlad et.

Criminal Sanction Essay -- Criminal Justice, Crime Control Model

Introduction The high level of activity in the criminal justice system and the resultant productivity arise from a range of interconnected beliefs that the implementation of criminal sanctions to offenders is an essential and useful means of holding up the existing moral and political order. That is to say, the criminal sanction can be deemed to be a reinforcer of the moral beliefs and social order. This paper, however, will look at both sides of the application of criminal sanction. ‘Used providently and humanely it is a guarantor of human freedom; used indiscriminately and coercively, it is a threatener.’ (Packer, 1968:366) Professor Packer uses his knowledge and understanding of the nature of criminal sanction largely to show how much it actually does threaten freedom; hence the arguments will revolve around this view. The essay aims to explain Packer’s quote and illustrate instances of criminal sanction as a ‘prime guarantor’ or ‘prime threatener’ of human freedom. The essay then goes to explain the rhetoric and the reality of justice and intends to point out the gap, which exists between the two. As Herbert Packer identified the law in books can be quite obsolete and detached from reality (Packer, 1968). His ideal models, namely due process and crime control, will be the cornerstone of the criminal justice evaluation. However, other models will be introduced and used to assess Packer’s imagery of value choices. In order to truthfully assess the character of justice alongside criminal sanction per se and be able to draw conclusions on how is justice manifested, this paper will succinctly look at several aspects of criminal justice process, including policing, prosecution and court procedures, and outside factors which sha... ... as meaningless. Instead, this model sees crime simply as an occasion for social intervention. The offenders are not regarded as responsible for their acts, but rather as products and in some instances the victims of events beyond their control (King, 1981). According to this perspective, free will and moral responsibility are sheer illusions. Therefore, instead of punishing people for engaging in criminal activities, society should discover ways of meeting their needs by ‘providing them with the requisite human social qualities for them to control their future behaviour and so convert them into law-abiding citizens’ (King 1981:19). This model goes back to the notion of a criminal law without criminal sanctions. It argues against the utilization of criminal sanctions, and considers it not useful in curbing crime, as well as a threatener to those subjected to it.

Aspects and Impacts of Generational Diversity Essay -- Law Enforcement

Aspects and Impacts of Generational Diversity This paper examines several aspects of generational diversity and its impact on law enforcement organizations. As the law enforcement profession prepares to move into the future it must also make ready for a changing of the guard, which will soon take place. The Traditionals and Boomers have been joined by two younger and vastly different generations of employees who bring new perspectives to law enforcement. This paper briefly discusses a few of the characteristics most commonly associated with each generation and how generational diversity will: Æ’Â ¶ CREATE CHANGE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS. Æ’Â ¶ AFFECT RECRUITING ACTIVITIES. Æ’Â ¶ AFFECT HOW TRAINING IS VIEWED BY MANAGEMENT AND PERSONNEL. Æ’Â ¶ REQUIRE NEW SKILLS AND MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES TO MOTIVATE A DIVERSE WORK FORCE. Æ’Â ¶ RESULT IN CHANGING THE DYNAMICS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT MANAGEMENT AND CULTURE. Managing generational diversity will be a challenge that will have a tremendous impact on the future of law enforcement. Organizations will adapt out of necessity, to meet the challenge of successfully integrating four generations. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Generational diversity is an emerging issue for law enforcement. Today ¡Ã‚ ¦s workforce is different from any other in history now that four generations are working side-by-side. Law enforcement managers will have to learn to recognize the changing dynamics of personnel and develop strategic new approaches to old problems. Traditionals were simply grateful for jobs and focused on stability, they were not inclined to question authority. Boomers inherited the need for stability and wanted a better life; many focused so much energy on work that it became their identity. Generation X was the first group to question authority, they want to be involved in the decision making process and are unwilling to wait until retirement for their rewards. Generation Y also wants to be more involved in decisions, have more flexibility, and like Generation X see work as the means to support their lives, not as a basis for self-image as the Boomers did. Creative new recruitment and motivational techniques become critical as the number of applicants drop and the need for qualified personnel increases. Younger members of Generation X and Generation Y are becoming more and more val... ...or Smaller Police Departments. Goodrich, J. (2004, Summer). Making the Most of Generational Differences [Electronic version]. The Criminal Justice Institute ¡Ã‚ ¦s Management Quarterly. Hatfield, S.L. (2002, Jul/Aug). Understanding the Four Generations to Enhance Workplace Management [Electronic version]. AFP Exchange. 22, 72-74 Homer. (800 B.C.  ¡V 700 B.C.) The Iliad. Epic Greek poem. Lancaster, L. & Stillman, D. (2002) When generations collide. New York: Harper Business Leo, J. (2003, November 3). The good-news generation [Electronic version]. U.S. News & World Report. 135 (15) p60, 1p, 1c Segal. (2002, February). Providing public sector services in a time of change: The total rewards perspective. [Electronic version]. Public Sector Letter. 2-4. Southard, G. & Lewis, J. (2004, April). Building a Workplace That Recognizes Generational Diversity. Public Management (PM) Magazine. 86 (3) Retrieved October 14, 2004 from http://www2.icma.org/pm/8603/southard.htm Tulgan, B (2002). Managing the generation mix, four generations in conflict [excerpt video overview]. RainmakerThinking, Inc. Retrieved October 22, 2004 from http://www .rainmakerthinking.com/mixtrng.htm

Rabbit Proof Fence Filming Techniques Essay

At the start of the movie we are given Molly speaks to us in her traditional language, during this duration we are given beautiful shots of Jigalong, and after them we are shown Molly and her family I believe this was made for background information but also to keep the viewers at their seats at the same time. We are also given close ups o the main characters which obviously communicates to us that the character is the one being spoken about. Phillip Noyce manages to tell so much information in such a little story. There are also a variety of close ups during this movie for example when the man takes Maud’s children we receive close ups of Molly, Daisy, Gracie, Maud and Maud’s mother. Close ups are generally used for suspense or to change what we should be attended to such as when we are shown Mr Neville at the start we are given a frontal close up obviously to frame a picture of Mr Neville in his personality and also the type of man he is. We are also shown close ups of Molly when she talks about the ‘Bad people’ that the doesn’t like During the film we are also shown many, many long shots such like when Molly is running early in the morning we are shown a long shot of her running in the morning trying to get to her mother in time. This was used to make a dramatic sequence at the start of the scene, make it feel like there is a chase like something is happening and if you were bored by the movie before you are now. This is also a transition to let people know that these girls are still in danger. After watching the film you realise there is one filming technique which people usually leave out, and that is symbolism The use of symbolism in Rabbit Proof Fence is used to explore the concept that the journey matters and not the destination does not really. Symbolism the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities the spirit birds presence in the story speaks the importance of religion to these girls and the importance of the journey to the girls. The spirit bird in a partial scene of the movie, when the spirit bird appears over an exhausted Molly and Gracie and arouses them from their sleep. This is used to refer to hope and provides in indication that they will make it home, and will have benefited from their journey in a spiritual way. The use of symbolism lends to the notion that it is indeed the journey and not the destination that matters. Another point in the film  worth mentioning is the use of lighting, Different lighting techniques enable the notion of the journey being the thing that matters to be conveyed to the viewer. They use a technique in lighting to create lighting specific to the girls’ moods and this can infer location, time, emotion and the general changing nature of the journey; from a stealthy slow chase to a sprint for their lives; from starvation or unrelenting temperature change to nourishment. After reviewing the film many times I have realised that during the journey there is a punitive brightness throughout most of the journey this could be used to symbolise the unforgiving and harsh conditions of the walk that need to be overwhelmed before the girls can complete their journey.

Course reflection Essay

I have learned so much during this course that helped me get a better understanding of the writing process. A few of the concepts that helped me the most were keeping an error log, and reading my assignments out loud. The first concept I will address in this discussion is also the most important guidance I have received since starting at Ashford. My instructor, Dr. Wells, advised me in week 1, that I might want to keep an error log. What that is, is writing down the mistakes I make in my assignments, quizzes, and discussions. After writing these errors down, find the correct spelling or the grammatical rule I broke, write the correct answer, and then study and learn from these mistakes. This technique has helped me the most since starting at Ashford. As a writer, I have always been a big proofreader of my work. I would sometimes look over my papers several times before submitting them. Most of the times I would catch 90% of my errors, not all the time though. I learned that reading your paper out loud can also improve your proofreading. Sometimes just looking over a paper isn’t enough. When you hear the writing though, you can hear what others will be hearing. I would catch small errors because the sentence didn’t sound right or it was a run on sentence. These are things I would sometimes miss just reading my paper. Out of all the course materials I have read and studied, I believe 2 of the most valuable were chapters 4-3, Essentials of College Writing, and The Ashford Writing Center. In the Essentials of College Writing, 4-3 The Writing Process, showed me different techniques to use for writing an essay. Some of these ideas were plan, generate ideas, create a rough draft, revise, edit, and proofread and check format. This book taught me the value of making an outline and the importance of planning. It always helps to be prepared and have an idea of what you’re writing before you write it. The Ashford Writing Center has really made a big impact on my writing style. I was having so much trouble with APA formatting and how to insert citations, that I would lose percentage points on my work. After skimming through this text, I found in chapter 7-1 an instructional video that showed me step by step how to use APA format. In the same book, chapter 7-3, Citations and References, this taught me the proper way to insert my citations. There is also a thesis generator in this text in chapter 3-3, this has been one of the biggest helps to me in my writing process. The areas and that I believe have improved the most, and that I will continue to work on are my spelling and punctuation. The error log has helped with my spelling and punctuation but I still sometimes make careless mistakes. Though these areas have improved a lot, I will continue to work on these areas.