Review Of Intensive Farming Systems

Review Of Intensive Farming Systems The intensive farming systems of developed countries, such as United Kingdom seek to maximize yield through what is usually described by agricultural economists as Best Management Practice (BMP), which involves the most efficient use of all inputs, including fertilizers, herbicides, seed varieties, and precision agricultural techniques (Goulding et al, 2008). (BMP) Fertilizers have been central to this approach, which has resulted in a tremendous increase in productivity over that last 40 years. For example, the efficient use of improved fertilizers, combined with new varieties of wheat and the successful use of crop protection chemicals, has increased grain yields from 3 tons per hectare to approximately 10 to 11 tons per hectare today (Goulding et al, 2008). Moreover the current market economic incentives facing many farmers are likely to encourage excess fertilizer application (Scott, 2005). It is generally recognized that if eventually the adoption of market prices for most agric ultural goods without any subsidies became a reality, in order to be competitive with the lower production costs of developing countries in South America, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, the pressure to intensify even the most UNITED KINGDOM intensive production systems will as well become reality despite the negative consequences on the environment (Goulding et al, 2008). The purpose of this study is to examine the socio-economic determinants of intensity of fertiliser application in non-organic cropland farms in England using a panel data model (panel data). The quantitative and behavioural studies in agriculture are frequently based on the notion that the family business is managed by a single decision-maker the person who exerts the financial and managerial control over the farm unit (Morris and Evans, 2004). This perspective derives from neoclassical economies and implies that decisions for the business are taken by a single entrepreneur (War and Lowe, 1994). However this study differs from much previous research into the estimation and clarification of the technical drivers responsible for fertilizer application by including variables that relate to both farmer characteristics and farm economic aspects. It will be followed an argument commonly accept in the literature that farmers tend to over-apply fertilizer from an agronomic perspective (i.e. , more than warranted to attain a given yield target) essentially given the uncertainty about environmental growing conditions (Sheriff, 1995; Scott, 2005). (apply mainly N). Nonetheless the author will have in mind that the fertilizer inputs into agricultural systems in the UNITED KINGDOM occur mainly via Nitrogen (Velthof et al., 1998) with the general objective to reduce the probability of poor yields and moreover increase the variance in profit. However, given the emergent apprehension with the impact of agriculture on environment and society, there has been a growing need to develop a more comprehensive definition of agriculture productivity (Pretty, 1998; Defra, 2002). Although government policies will not be addressed or recommended specifically, the author hopes to open a new channel for discussion. As Annan (2005) argues it is imperative to aim at a reasonable balance between the level of technical detail and the availability of meaningful data describing future development of new and improved categories of abatement options. Consequently contributing to reach the 10per cent inorganic fertilizer reduction by 2020 with consequent reductions in N2O emissions (Entec, 2004), and moreover contribute to UNITED KINGDOM reach the overall national target of 80per cent GHG reduction by 2050(ADAS, 2009).(reduce emissions) Agriculture and fertilizer Agriculture is one of the most successful sectors in terms of productivity growth, has outpaced the rapid growth in demand for its output for the past decades (Shaink el al, 2002). (agri success). This trend has provided hefty social benefits, such as increased the accessibility of agricultural goods usually at a lower price, provision of jobs and therefore rural sustainability, energy and also positive environmental effects, such as aesthetic value, carbon sequestration by soils and trees, and other additional benefits that are linked with good husbandry such as maintenance of natural habitats and countryside landscape (Shaink et al,2002; Scott, 2005) (social benefits / positive extern). However, is largely referenced in literature that the increased use of chemicals either fertilisers or pesticides in agriculture intensive systems is associated with hidden costs due to environmental pollution in soil, water and atmosphere -, consequently has amplified the negative social effects o n the natural environment (eg. Shaink et al,2002; Scott,2005 ) (pollution1). This argument is supported by an analysis of the externalities from UNITED KINGDOM agriculture made by Hartridge and Pearce (2001), finding that negative externalities amount to at least  £1 billion, and positive externalities offset approximately half of these negative effects (negative/positive external). Farmers and fertilizer application The main question rises once more, what are the fertilizer application determinants? For a typical farm manager, output is what matters most to the business survival and prosperity. Consequently, farmers apply fertilisers since they represent personal benefits in the form of improved outputs and incomes, however plants absorb fertilisers just up to their needs only, therefore surplus fertiliser over and above the needs of plants can cause harmful side effects (Scott, 2005) either on the farm profit or in the environment. (more/less fert plant). A given agricultural input bundle might result in wide diverse output levels according to the level at which random factors operate (Gallacher, 2001) (input output). Rounsevell and Reay (2009) clarify the previous argument stating that land use and therefore fertilizer application changes are driven primarily by farmer decisions, which are affected by the economic environment (output and input prices), soil features, crop and livestock yields, timeliness of field operations, availability of investment capital, subsidies as well as the socio-cultural attributes of individual farmersThe first driver is clearly an agronomic argument, since agronomists agree that crop nutrient uptake is higher in years with good growing conditions (Babcock, 1992), therefore if a farmer applies the optimal amount of fertilizer for mean growing conditions, and in a particular year those conditions are better than expected, there will be too little fertilizer and decrease in production. On other hand if weather conditions are not conducive, there will be too much fertilizer (Sheriff, 2005), thus a risk-neutral farmer applies fertilizer at a higher rate as long as the expected gain in profit from the increased yield is higher than the expected loss in profit from wasted fertilizer. Another hypothesis is proposed by Rajsic and Weersink (2008). They argue that while there may be agreement on the functional form of crop response to fertilizer, there will be differences in the optimal rate between locations. Numerous studies have reported that the maximum economic nitrogen rate varies spatially and that the degree of variability can be substantial (Carr et al., 1991). As a consequence there is a need to analyze the spatial variations in order to state the yield potential of the field and/or region, the underlying assumption is that yield potential is directly linked to the productivity of nitrogen, so fields with higher estimated output receive higher rates of fertilizer (Rajsic and Weersink 2008). Dai et al (1993), however, found that nitrogen and soil quality are complements, and soil quality uncertainty and nitrogen availability are linked which will increase nitrogen demand and consequently nitrogen input. Additionally Rajsic (2008), Sheriff (2005) and also Dai el al (1993) argue that one of the main causes for over-fertilisation might be related to the uncertainty about weather and soil characteristics that can lead both risk-averse and risk-neutral farmers to over-apply nutrients, therefore the decision to apply a little extra just in case is particularly appropriate if the cost of over-application is low compared to the cost of under application (Rajsic, 2008) (a little extra risk averse). This idea is supported by Sherriff (2005), arguing that farmers will apply more fertilizer than a crop can use due to a perception that the general recommendations are not appropriate for their individual situations. Smill (1999) argues that the application of N is fairly inefficient in most farms, since farmers are applying nitrogen at levels that exceed those suggested by either government extension services or by the optimal nitrogen appliance (Rajsic and Weersink, 2008) (N inefficiency). Approximately half of Nitrogen applied during a growing sea son is typically recovered in the crop biomass throughout that season, therefore this inefficiency represents a noteworthy cost to farmers and an important consequences for ecosystem and human health as Nitrogen moves beyond the farm level in several aqueous or gaseous forms, such as N2O(Matson et al., 1997, 1998; Galloway, 1998). In practice evidence suggests that farmers systematically over-estimate the impact of additional nitrogen relative to agronomists models and therefore they maintain their beliefs after seeing results from experimental plots (SriRamaratnam et al., 1987). If farmers perceptions are incorrect, these beliefs will lead to over-application, conversely if their sensitivity is correct, analysts may infer excess nutrient applications where none exist. Thus if weather, the relation between fertiliser prices and output prices and soil features are not main and/or the only drivers behind fertiliser application, which characteristics does the farmer have to apply more or less fertiliser compared to those with the same features and constraints? The effect of fertilizers on the environment The relatively cheap price of Nitrogen in relation to its yield improvement benefits, and allowing farmers substantial management flexibility, has been a central contributory factor in determining its overuse and consequently the environmental impacts reported below. It is known that Agricultural emissions of nitrous oxide have fallen by 13 per cent over the 10 years up to 2005 and the trend is continuing (DEFRA, 2007).However despite this reduction in the UNITED KINGDOM and other major developed countries, the major direct emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are from agriculture methane (CH4) caused by enteric fermentation by ruminant livestock and manure management, and nitrous oxide (N2O) from soils (Gibbons, 2005). Additionally methane has a global warming potential 21 times greater than carbon dioxide while nitrous oxide global warming potential (GWP) is considered 296 times that of the same mass of carbon dioxide (Houghton et al., 2001), consequently fairly small concentrations of this gas are sufficient to induce drastic changes in the atmosphere. At current estimates N2O contributes about 7 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in terms of the GWP (Winiwarter, 2005). As a result, among the gases considered by the Kyoto Protocol, N2O i s ranked third in importance behind carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) (Winiwarter, 2005). Seinfeld and Pandis (1998) add that N2O is a very stable compound in the atmosphere, with a mean lifetime of 120 years, so the emissions will have an effect on the global concentrations in the atmosphere for many decades. The same authors argue that N2O is able to strongly absorb infrared light, thus it also exerts a considerable effect on the earths radiation absorption. Therefore is obvious the magnitude of nitrogen fertilization emissions has a dramatic effect on the environment. Approximately 1per cent of the anthropogenic Nitrogen input into agricultural systems is emitted as nitrous oxide, with agriculture as a whole contributing to 66per cent of total UNITED KINGDOM nitrous oxide emissions in 2006, 95per cent of it via direct emissions from agricultural soils (IPCC, 2006). In addition, fertiliser manufacturing is energy-intensive (Rounsevell and Reay, 2009). Carbon dioxide emissions from ammonia production most of which is for fertiliser use made up 0.3per cent (1.6 million tonnes) of UNITED KINGDOM CO2 emissions in 2006 (DEFRA, 2006). Nitrogenous fertiliser consumption in the UNITED KINGDOM increased by nearly 300 per cent between 1961 and the late 1980s, regardless of the decline in agricultural land area (roughly 15per cent in the same time interval) indicating a large increase in application rates per unit area of land over this period (Rounsevell and Reay, 2009). As stated previously, fertiliser Nitrogen consumption gradually declined after 1990, reaching a rate of around 1.2 million tonnes per year in 2006 (DEFRA, 2008). As Smil (2000, 2001) argues, Nitrogen (N) is a key input in agriculture, therefore we cannot simply exclude or limit the application of it to meaningless values. We should instead open a new channel of discussion in order to improve or formulate new policies in an enhanced cost-efficient way that decreases damaging effects on the environment and improves farms profits. This can only be achieved if each of determinants of fertilizer application are well understood. Project scope UNITED KINGDOM agricultural features UNITED KINGDOM land use is still largely dominated by agriculture. In June 2008 about 77 per cent of the total land area of the UNITED KINGDOM, which represents approximately 18.8 million hectares, was used for agriculture proposes (DEFRA, 2008). This proportion is relatively large compared with the average of 50 per cent in the EU27, and 54per cent, 47per cent and 50per cent for France, Germany and Spain, respectively (Angus et al, 2009). Despite these figures, agricultures contribution to GDP and employment in the UNITED KINGDOM is low, at about 0.5per cent and 1.8per cent respectively (DEFRA, 2009). Of this area, about 28 per cent is allocated to arable cropping, including fallow land, and 67 per cent to grassland, mostly permanent pastures, and 58 per cent (10.2 million hectares) is considered lowland, defined as land less than 240m above sea level. (Angus et al, 2009). In England due to patterns of agricultural land constraints relative to soils and topography features, the majo r concentration of grassland and livestock farming is located in the North and West, and arable farming in the East and South (Angus et al, 2009). Consequently, the largest farms in the UNITED KINGDOM are concentrated in southern and eastern England (Ward, 2000). The agricultural sector in the UNITED KINGDOM is composed of over 300,000 holdings, varying widely in size and type, employing an assortment of different farming practices and use of inputs such as soil and water as well as fertilizers, land and waste management (DEFRA, 2009). One common aspect among the major countries in the EU is that the farming population is getting older. Eurostat show in 2000 that in UNITED KINGDOM only 5.2 per cent of farmers were under 35 years old, compared to 7.4 percent in 1990. The absolute number of under 35s had fallen over the last decade by 6,000 which represents more than one third. Over the same period, the proportion of holders with 65 years old and over had risen from 22.1per cent to 25 .3per cent (DEFRA, 2007). Regarding the educational level, between 1990 and 2005 there has been almost no change to the overall proportions, roughly three quarters of farmers have no formal agricultural training, with the remaining 25per cent equally divided between the higher education levels (DEFRA, 2007). Another important point relates to the fact that 38per cent of managers of the largest farms have proper agricultural education compared to just 7 per cent on the smallest farms (DEFRA, 2007). Personal Characteristics effects on farm efficiency In modern agriculture there is an increasing need to produce policy evaluation studies in order to be acquainted with the major drivers behind the decisions made by farmers within a socio-demographic context. Numerous studies that have identified a significant variation in the physical and financial performance achieved by farmers operating within the same economic and environmental constraints (Wilson et al, 2001;Rougoor et al, 1998). Therefore, it is pertinent to inquire the reason why this variation occurs. Kay and Edwards (1994) argue that in many occasions the variation in management is the cause of performance fluctuation (farm management). However, unlike physical factors of production (e.g. land, labour, and capital) management is not directly observable, consequently this causes difficulties to any analysis that attempts to explain the management influence on farm performance. Rougoor et al. (1998) defined management capacity into two components: personal feature (e.g., drives, motivations, social factors and education) and features of the decision-making process (e.g., procedures in planning, implementation and control of decisions). Moreover, it is argued that the decision-maki ng process is obviously influenced by the link of the factors stated above, and if any of them is excluded the cause of farm efficiency variation might be incorrectly measured (Wallace, 1974; Kay and Edwards, 1994; Poggi-Varaldo, 1998;Rougoor et al, 1998; Wilson et al, 2001) . Rougoor et al. (1998) highlights the argument that a manager may hold beneficial personal skills however fails to accomplish high performance due to a poor decision-making process. Previous research made by Huffman (1974) found a positive impact of human capital on allocative efficiency in agriculture. In particular, these authors argued that education diminishes the time needed to adjust to changes in production options and/or price ratios. An additional factor that might explain the farm efficiency variation is the farmers age. Burton (2009) emphasises the strength of age as an indicator since age reflects the level of experience which might be a complement or even a substitute of education. In order to demonstrate the significance of education in this subject, Lockhead et al (1981) presented a detailed survey of studies analysing the effect of farmer education on farm management efficiency using the results from 37 data sets, investigating the effect of institutional education and non-formal education. They concluded that in 31 of these data sets, institutional education was found to have a positive and significant effect, and 8 of which provided evidence th at non-formal education was also significantly positively related to productivity. An additional reason for more efficient input and output combinations being attained by more educated farmers is given by Welch (1978) and further by Gallacher (2001), both arguing that optimum firm size is correlated with education as it relates to optimum scale of production, usually the higher education level obtained, the larger the size of the farm being managed. In this study, it will be exploit formal education as one of the explanatory causes in the possible efficiency dissimilarity between two or more farms with the same constraints, due to the difficulty in accurately measuring non-formal education. However, the author is conscious that the final outcome might be ambiguous since these two forms of education are usually complements (Lockhead, 1981; Mook, 1981; Asfaw, 2004). Data Source Farm Business Survey The FBS is widely recognised as the most comprehensive and independent survey of farm incomes and provides an authoritative data source on the economic and physical performance of farm businesses in England and Wales. It is undertaken each year by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the National Assembly for Wales (NAW). In England, the survey is conducted by a consortium of seven FBS Research Centres Universities of Cambridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham and Reading, and Askham Bryan, Duchy and Imperial Colleges, led by the University of Nottingham. Its members work in partnership, using uniform standard practices in reporting their findings to ensure consistent data quality, accuracy and validity. The principal function of the Farm Business Survey (FBS) is to inform the UNITED KINGDOM Government and EU agricultural policy makers of the current financial state of the different sectors of UNITED KINGDOM farming. The FBS also provides full management accounting data on the agricultural activities of farm businesses, location, physical and environmental characteristics of the farm and several measures of non-agricultural activity, such as farm household characteristics. The survey uses a sample of farms that is representative of the national population of farms in terms of farm type, farm size and regional location. Since 2005/06 approximately 2400 individual farms took part in this survey of which roughly 2000 are English (the rest being from Wales). Results are compiled using accredited documents and personal interviews and written up into Farm Business Survey yyyy/yy. .

Free Essays - Response to Kingstons Woman Warrior :: Maxine Hong Kingston Woman Warrior Essays

A Response to Kingston's Woman Warrior Sometimes, I must admit, I look at my mother and wonder where she is coming from, what in the world she is thinking, and why does she act the way she does. I can not possibly be like her because, as I tell myself, if I catch on to her weird behavior now, I will be able to catch it in myself before it is "too late." The funny thing is that I am sure that she did and still does the same thing in regards to her own mother. What is even worse is that I see my mother becoming like her own mother, despite my mother's hopes that she is not like my grandmother. Does this, then, mean that I am going to be like my mother or that I am already like her? Why does this thought frighten me? Kingston herself seems to be struggling with these questions as she writes The Woman Warrior. In the chapter "At the Western Palace" she is writing largely from her mother's perspective and, through this process, perhaps learning more about the way in which she behaved as a child towards her mother. Her mother frequently tries to compliment her children yet all that they do is run away, leave to go to another room. It is as if they can not be bothered by their own mother's words, the pride that she has for them. Instead of reveling in her words and love, they want to hide, to protect themselves from her words, from having to deal with her. What must it have been like for Kingston to have to write this about herself, to realize the ways in which her words and actions have distanced herself from her mother? But then Kingston's own words continue to make the mother seem like the outsider, the one who was different from everyone else, making her mother appear again as the one who is the ghost. The children, even her own husband, merely appeared to humor her, making no effort to want to learn about the Chinese culture and therefore not caring to know about their own mother. How often have we done the same with our own mothers, not bothering to talk to her, merely humoring her because we can not be bothered to make the time to really care about what she wants?

Platypuses

Platypuses Phylum Chordata classifies some of the most unique animals of our time. These animals all are common in a certain way. All chordates have vertebrae, a notochord that runs beneath the dorsal nerve cord, and pharyngeal slits or openings in the throat. Additionally, all chordates have a post-anal tail that is almost always lost, a closed circulatory system and lastly, a beating heart. These derived features indicate their common ancestry.Although this phylum contains animals with many structural similarities, evolution and adaptations to selected environments forced animals to change to be able to survive and reproduce. A member of Phylum Chordata, the platypus is just one of these thousands of animals that have to compete to make a name for itself in its environment. It’s amazing how these chordates evolved from simple little organisms like tunicates to complex terrestrial amniotes like mammals. The platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus is an animal of Phylum Chordata. This bizarre animal is about the size of a house cat and is covered by thick waterproof hair. Platypuses have a beak like a duck, webbed forearms swimming, clawed hind feet for aid in burrowing, and a broad, flat beaver tail. Also, platypuses have a common opening for the reproductive, excretory, and digestive systems. Male platypuses have sharp venomous stingers on the heels of their hind feet to intoxicate any foe that threatens it. Males are also larger than females in size being 20 inches long and females only being about 17 inches.Their average weight is roughly three to five pounds. Platypuses’ jaws are built differently than other mammals. They have extra bones in their jaw and different muscles. It is a very unique animal and was hard to classify by scientists because it is a monotreme. Being a monotreme, platypuses are one of a few species of mammals that can lay eggs. Also, monotremes are known to have a sese of electroreception. This means that they can locate thei r prey by detecting electric fields formed by muscle contractions. This ties in with the platypus’ feeding modes.It feeds by neither sight nor smell, closing its eyes, ears, and nose each time it dives. Rather, when it digs in the bottom of streams with its bill, its electroreceptors detect tiny electrical currents generated by muscular contractions of its prey, enabling it to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, which continuously stimulate its mechanoreceptors. They scoop up insects and larvae, shellfish, and worms in their bill along with bits of gravel and mud from the bottom. All this material is stored in cheek pouches and, at the surface, mashed for consumption.Platypuses do not have teeth, so the bits of gravel help them to â€Å"chew† their meal. The platypus has an advantage being semi-aquatic. They inhabit small streams and rivers around cold highlands of Tasmania and the Australian Alps to tropical rainforests of Queensland. In these places, t he population of platypuses is plentiful but not really anywhere else on the globe it seems. Also, platypuses can survive living in burrows as well. They’re generally regarded as nocturnal and crepuscular. This means that they are primarily active during the twilight more than during the daytime.Platypuses are known to be capable of making noises, but these have rarely been heard. Their call is a throaty, clucking sound, and they can also communicate by growling at each other. It is used when they are in danger. Other times it is used a behavioural method to attract mates to produce healthy and strong offspring. Platypuses like to live alone, but they can sometimes share small areas of water together. As you can see, platypuses have strange habitats and communication methods for a mammal.Platypuses are one of few mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. The females seal themselves inside one of the burrow's chambers to lay their eggs from winter to spring. A mother typically produces one or two eggs and keeps them warm by holding them between her body and her tail. The eggs hatch in about ten days, and after, the tiny babies (called puggles) drinks their mother’s milk, which comes from tiny openings in the mother’s belly. The puggles are completely helpless when they are born and are about the size of lima beans.Females nurse their young for three to four months until the babies can swim on their own. Duck-billed Platypuses have a life span of 10 – 12 years. The platypus is unknown to its contribution to its environment. In the past, the number of platypuses decreased due to pollution effects, being hunted for its thick fur as well as being the prey of foxes, snakes, and eels. These days, the platypus population increased because of being put in captivity by the Australian government. They play a crucial role in the food web of streams by foraging on small aquatic invertebrates.Now, they are not under any immedia te threats in their environments. In conclusion, animals are living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli. The platypus possesses all these qualities being a sustainable chordate that plays a part in an environment. Its uniqueness of being a hodgepodge of various different animals interested my mind in finding information about its behaviors. The platypus is a one-of-a-kind animal†¦chordate†¦ mammal†¦monotreme†¦thing!

Free Essays on Hemingway And A Clean Well LIghted Place

Hemingway and his Infinite Sadness â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† embodies all aspects of Hemingway’s melancholic writing style. Several things that make up the story including the characters, the setting, and Hemingway’s own beliefs help to define the importance of Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place†, in today’s literature. Hemingway’s melancholy in â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† is often likened to that of darkness in well-lit world. Ernest Hemingway’s main characters in â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† include the deaf, old man and the two restaurant waiters. When carefully reading the story, the reader is aware of the old man’s natural disablility of deafness. In comparison to Hemingway’s story’s inate darkness, writer, Elizabeth Sterling finds that â€Å"Even his ears bring him a sort of darkness as they hold out the sounds of the world.† (Wall) The old man’s solitude is defined by nature and the only thing that can fully cure is illness is the permanent death although the old man tries incesently to do drown himself in whiskey. The two young waiters watch as the old man apparently runs his course night after night. All three share the disease of insomnia, another depiction of darkness in Hemingway’s writing. One waiter bears the idea of a normal lifestyle while the other sympathizes with the old man’s depressive nightlife. Another place, we can see Hemingway’s melancholic state is in his choice of setting. He writes of a small bar in what appears to be Spain by the currency but could just as easily have taken place elsewhere on a lone summer night. His setting gives us the impression that there are other such towns and communities where old men linger until they find a faster way to death. (Willms) The well-lit bodega represents a temporary and incomplete peace in the world. It is a place in which the old man can only reside for a few hours until his daily death, slee... Free Essays on Hemingway And A Clean Well LIghted Place Free Essays on Hemingway And A Clean Well LIghted Place Hemingway and his Infinite Sadness â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† embodies all aspects of Hemingway’s melancholic writing style. Several things that make up the story including the characters, the setting, and Hemingway’s own beliefs help to define the importance of Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place†, in today’s literature. Hemingway’s melancholy in â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† is often likened to that of darkness in well-lit world. Ernest Hemingway’s main characters in â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† include the deaf, old man and the two restaurant waiters. When carefully reading the story, the reader is aware of the old man’s natural disablility of deafness. In comparison to Hemingway’s story’s inate darkness, writer, Elizabeth Sterling finds that â€Å"Even his ears bring him a sort of darkness as they hold out the sounds of the world.† (Wall) The old man’s solitude is defined by nature and the only thing that can fully cure is illness is the permanent death although the old man tries incesently to do drown himself in whiskey. The two young waiters watch as the old man apparently runs his course night after night. All three share the disease of insomnia, another depiction of darkness in Hemingway’s writing. One waiter bears the idea of a normal lifestyle while the other sympathizes with the old man’s depressive nightlife. Another place, we can see Hemingway’s melancholic state is in his choice of setting. He writes of a small bar in what appears to be Spain by the currency but could just as easily have taken place elsewhere on a lone summer night. His setting gives us the impression that there are other such towns and communities where old men linger until they find a faster way to death. (Willms) The well-lit bodega represents a temporary and incomplete peace in the world. It is a place in which the old man can only reside for a few hours until his daily death, slee...

Fun Ideas for Last Day of School Activities

Fun Ideas for Last Day of School Activities On the last day of school, the kids have mentally checked out, the teachers arent far behind, and theres no more time for long-term projects. But, we still need to fill the day with something productive in order to keep the natives from getting ridiculously restless and out of line. If youre wondering how to organize the last day of the school year so that its as fun and memorable as possible, consider these ideas. Write a Letter to Next Years Students Ask your students to write a letter to the students you will teach next year. The kids can offer tips for success in your classroom, favorite memories, inside jokes, anything that a new student in your room might need or want to know. Youll get a kick out of seeing what the kids remember and how they perceive you and your classroom. And you have a ready-made activity for the first day of school next year. Make a Memory Book   Design a simple little book for the kids to fill out on the last day(s) of school. Include sections for my favorite memory, a self-portrait, autographs, what I learned, a drawing of the classroom, etc. Get creative and your students will appreciate a memory book of their year in your room. Clean, Clean, Clean Use the power of youthful energy and elbow grease to lessen the  load you face in closing down and cleaning up your classroom. Kids will love to scrub desks, take down posters, straighten up books, whatever you ask them to do. Write all of the tasks on index cards, pass them out, turn up the music, and supervise. A cute idea is to play The Coasters Yakety Yak while they clean. It sings, Take out the papers and the trash, or you dont get no spending cash! Dare them to finish their jobs before the song is over. Assign Impromptu Speeches Think of 20 quick speech topics and have the kids choose them from a jar. Give them just a few minutes to prepare mentally and then call them up for spur-of-the-moment speeches. Fun topics include Convince us to buy the shirt you are wearing now or How would the school be different if you were principal? Click here for a complete list of topics. The audience loves to watch and the speakers will love getting creative in front of the class. Play Outdoor Games Dust off that outdoor games book that you never had time to use this year and pick a few activities for the last day of school. A great choice is Guy Baileys The Ultimate Playground and Recess Game Book. The kids will be antsy anyways so you might as well put their energy and excitement to good use. Organize Learning Game Centers   The children wont even realize theyre learning. Pool together all of the educational games in your classroom. Split the class into small groups and designate centers in the room for each game. Set the timer and give each group a certain amount of time with each game. Give the signal and then the groups rotate around the room so everyone gets a chance to play all of the games. Focus on Next Year Give the kids time to write, draw, or discuss how things will be different in the next grade level. For example, third graders will love to imagine what they will learn, look like, act like, and feel like when they are finally in the world of fourth grade. Its only a year but to them, it seems a universe away. Hold a Spelling Bee Hold a traditional Spelling Bee using all of the spelling words from the whole school year. This one can take quite a while, but its certainly educational. Go Back to Back Use a safety pin to attach a large index card or thicker piece of paper to each childs back. Then, the kids go around and write nice comments and memories on each others backs. When youre all done, each child gets to keep his or her note with compliments and fun times written on it. Teachers, you can jump in, too. You just might have to bend down so that they can reach your back. Write Thank You Notes Teach your children to recognize and appreciate those individuals who helped make them successful this school year - the principal, secretary, food service workers, librarian, parent volunteers, even the teacher next door. This may be a good project to start a few days before the last day of school so that you can really do it right. Edited By: Janelle Cox.

BB1751 Quantitative Methods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BB1751 Quantitative Methods - Research Paper Example The results have been tabulated and compared to show comparisons between the restaurants, their sizes, sales, types, employees, etc. Results are expressed in thousands of pounds. The survey results represent 279 completed self-reporting mail surveys. The respondents were asked to quantify various specific restaurant facts. Most surveys were filled out completely while some were partially completed. When tabulated the blank entries were recorded as "no response". The respondents were asked to relate the general business outlook on a 1 - 7 scale where 1 represents very unfavourable and 7 represents very favourable. The following pie chart helps explain the results: The chart helps report the following results of the general business outlook: 14% reported very unfavourable, 14% reported less favourable, 24% reported unfavourable, 26% reported favourable, 18% reported more favourable, 3% most favourable, 1% very favourable, and 0% no response. The majority of respondents reported the general business outlook as favourable. The majority (51%) of businesses reported that they were small with less than ten employees. Medium size businesses made up of 10 to 20 employees were of 24% of the total. Large businesses, those with 20 or more employees were (21%) of the total. 5% of the respondents reported no size. Total sales for small businesses... rket value for all businesses in the sector was measured at 83788 with a high of 12000 for one business and an average market value of 349.12 for all businesses. The total cost of goods sold measured 12.6% of total sales and wages measured 7% of total sales. The total spent on advertising within the sector was 2726. Respondents reported that of the restaurants in the sector 53% were fast food, 33% were Business Dinner/Lunch, 10% were Private Dinner/Lunch, and 4% left that question blank. The total seating capacity reported within the sector were 19173 seats with the average being 72 seats and the highest being 550 seats. Restaurants within the sector are sole ownership (38%), partnership (9%), or company owned (48%). 5% of the respondents left the question blank. The following chart gives the percentage breakdown: The Average number of fulltime employees per business is 11 and the average number of part-time employees if 13. The majority (51%) of businesses reported that they were small with less than ten employees. Medium size businesses made up of 10 to 20 employees were of 24% of the total. Large businesses, those with 20 or more employees were (21%) of the total. 5% of the respondents reported no size. Total sales for small businesses were reported as 18927, medium 17494, and large 45822. Average sales per small business were reported as 145.59, medium business 291.57, and large business 848.56. Large businesses made more overall, with small businesses next and medium business sales falling about 1500 behind the small businesses. The averages followed the small, medium, large pattern. The business outlook based upon restaurant type was pretty much the same with the average scores between 3.3 and 3.4. That represents a reporting between

Organize a debate on the vietnam war, iraqi war or any controversial Essay

Organize a debate on the vietnam war, iraqi war or any controversial historical event that has taken place within 40years. Write - Essay Example Hussein did not comply with the inspection, prompting the United Nations to draft a resolution seeking for serious consequences if the Iraqi leader dismissed the UN Security Council’s strict inspection of the alleged dangerous weapons. Now, had Hussein not cultivated nuclear weapons, he could have freely let the team inspect and let his conscience be freed. If there were no impositions of serious actions towards terrorism, Iraqi people would still remain to witness a never-ending siege of terrorism, hiding behind Hussein’s dictatorship. Second justification, had the U.S. and its allies not launched the war, global security is at stake (Copson 4). The Al Qaeda terrorist organization has established connections with the radical leader, and the creation of nuclear weapons is a stepping stone to Iraq’s claiming to govern the world under his tutelage. The war was an indication, moreover, to other countries, which are cultivating destructive weapons to learn a lesson f rom the war in order for them to stop. For instance, Libyan dictator Gaddafi was reported to have ceased creating weapons of mass destruction upon knowing what happened to Saddam Hussein. Furthermore, Iraqis were freed from the regime of Saddam Hussein, which clearly would not happen if the United States remained relaxed. It is a concession that war yields damages, both life and property. However, it is also true that the clear and present danger posed by these weapons would turn out killing millions of people than one expected if there are no actions to stop violence and terrorism. Therefore, the war in Iraq in 2003 was worth it. Negative Side’s Justifications. It is ironic to talk peace while using violence to achieve it. This basic premise holds true to everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion and ideology. The 2003 Iraq war was an exaggerated action for an unproven claim that Iraq owns weapons of mass destructions (Prados and Ames par. 15), and posited questions to the real motive of the United States in waging the war; therefore, it is not worth it. First, the war killed, not just the alleged supporters of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda, but including children and civilian citizens. If Hussein’s body is highly important, then the United States should have launched a manhunt operation against him and his supporter so as to avoid collateral damages (Abrams and Gungwu 12). Secondly, the war was a burden to the fiduciary situation of the United States and to its allies. Curtis and Payne stated that while the world enjoyed Hussein’s loss, the cost of the war was â€Å"disproportionate† (45). Third justification, the motive of the United States was highly questionable. If the war was rested on the ground of justified reasons, there would be no other reason beyond the goal of global peace. The war was not a matter of â€Å"necessity,† but a â€Å"choice† (Harvey 1); therefore, it has clear motives. To name it explicitly, the oil reserves served as an indication of economic domination. Inasmuch as the pro-war were convinced of the presence of nuclear weapons, anti-war was also sure that the United States, under the cloak of salvaging Iraq from dictatorship, also eyed on the rich oil reserve of the country. Fourthly, the Iraqi people were now freed from one dictator, but the leadership was governed by people with vested interests. U.S. had various allies during the war, and it is highly anticipated that economic benefits of the war are likely