Designs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Designs - Essay Example Giles Colborne uses the design of small and commonly used gadgets to explain how simplicity can be used in the design. The example of the bicycle design seemed exciting to me. At first, I thought that any new design of a bicycle, whether simple or complex, should include the gearing system; Giles challenged me when he said that a design of a bicycle can be made simple by removing the gearing system and the front wheel. My excitement was lowered when he said that the design might be simple to the one designing bicycle but complex and difficult to the one using it (Colborne, 2010). His example of design made me learn that I should consider the user anytime I choose to use simplicity in any design. In his explanation on how to use the simplicity he employs four designs of a remote control; these four designs make use of organizing, removing, hiding or displacing strategy. Looking at the four designs, I was fascinated by designs which used organizing, removing and displacing strategies. The organizing strategy is a strategy everyone employs at least once a day; we use it every day to make what we have usable, therefore, this strategy is familiar to everyone. The strategy of organizing does not need extra costs because it uses what is already available (Colborne, 2010); therefore, it is low on costs. In addition, since the components of the gadget have only been rearranged, the user will not have difficulties adjusting to the new design; he or she will only need to master the new positions of the components which are placed in positions that are convenient to the user. The design that uses the strategy of removing is also interesting, there are some things which might not be useful to the user and just as we get rid of things we do not need from our houses, we can also get rid of the components that are no longer useful in a gadget. This design is challenging because of its counterintuitive nature (Colborne, 2010). However, it is quite effective in terms of cost as it does not require extra materials. This design works with different applications; it has been used in designing of products, websites, as well as mobile applications. This design is also user-friendly; the user is not going to have too many components on the gadget, which are not important for the use of the gadget. The design that uses displacing is intriguing; the user does not need to operate all the components using the remote control, some components can be displaced from the remote control to the television screen (Colborne, 2010). With this design, the user has a remote control that is more easy to use because most times the user will be scrolling down the menu and stop worrying of what each button on the remote control means. I realized that this design has been applied in designing the radio changer; the button for selecting whether to play music using CD, FM radio, AUX or USB is only one, and the user scrolls down the menu on the screen to find his or her choice at the m oment. This design makes the user feel as part of the system, and this helps him or her to know the operation of the system, and gives the user satisfaction while operating the gadget. Question 2 Isaacson in his book titled as â€Å"Steve Jobs† presents the biography of a computer revolutionist Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs’ life history is like a summary of good designs in the digital world; it describes the designs pioneered by Steve Jobs and their success, which led to the change of people’s lives and the way they do things. Through Apple, a company he headed, he was able to come up with designs such as Macintosh operating software, ipad, iPod, and iphone; with these designs the world was able to do things in a different way (Isaackson, 2011). Among his designs, iPad, iPod

Libraire Gallimard Essay Example for Free

Libraire Gallimard Essay With people nowadays trying find the meaning of their existence and the true way to live, one can understand why there would be confusion among the members of society since there will, inevitably, exist differences and approaches on how to find the answers one is looking for. Yet we tend to forget the basics and focus on the outside, on the world and let other people dictate how we are supposed to live our lives and who we are supposed to be. I, on the other hand, believe that existentialism is the only way to truly live one’s life. To live is to ‘hold the reigns’ and refuse to let other people define how you must act. Quoting one of the passages from the book by Albert Camus entitled The Stranger: â€Å"With death so near, Mother must have felt like someone on the brink of freedom, ready to start life all over again. No one, no one in the world had any right to weep for her. And I, too, felt ready to start life all over again. It was as if that great rush of anger had washed me clean, emptied me of hope, and, gazing up at the dark sky spangled with its signs and stars, for the first time, the first, I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe. To feel it so like myself, indeed, so brotherly, made me realize that I’d been happy, and that I was happy still. † The protagonist in the novel clearly demonstrates the basic idea of existentialism—where man is free and is the author of his life and his decisions help shape his destiny, personality and where his life will lead him; a man who is free also asserts himself and does not conform and is â€Å"against totality or the collectivity or any tendency to depersonalization. † (Copleston 22). The protagonist, in the end, realized the indifference of the cosmos and accepted the fact that in the end, there is no meaning and letting one’s care (for how other people see him) control him entraps him in the label that is ‘unhappy’ when in fact he was happy all along. With these tendencies, it is not surprising that individuals themselves forget how to live and concentrate on pleasing others by living by the terms that are imposed by other people. In the novel, The Stranger, the protagonist was on trial for the murder of a man—what condemned him in the end was not the murder itself but for the fact that he refused to show remorse at his mother’s wake, which is absurd. Yet, if we think about it, in principle, those situations tend to happen, from simple gossip of ordinary people to the accusations hurled by powerful figures in the government. People tend to set a definition of good or evil, what is socially acceptable and what is not; the tendency is that people are trapped by these set definitions whereas in the total schema of things, life and the world itself is meaningless. There is no real definition since definition itself is manmade. In the end, the protagonist realized that he was happy and he was free despite the fact that other people have ‘defined’ him as a heartless murderer and an indifferent son. Most of us tend to take into consideration how other people see us; how we ‘fit in’ our society and refuse to be ostracized and be different; example is the wake of the protagonist’s mother in the novel. In a wake of a loved one, one is expected to show remorse. If one fails to do so, one is automatically branded negatively. If one would let go of these ‘cares’ and live life according to their definition, one can be happier and can truly live. What is ‘happiness’ or ‘being alive’ for us will and must be defined by none other than ourselves; for if we let other people set the standards for ‘happiness’ and ‘living’, it is not our ‘happiness’ and ‘life’ but theirs. Of course, one must never see existentialism as an excuse to murder a man or commit a wrong—one should always remember that even if ‘existentialists’ would live life by their own definitions, these people are still principled people and answer to themselves. Works Cited: Camus, Albert. The Stranger. France: Libraire Gallimard, 1943. Copleston, F. C. â€Å"Existentialism. † Philosophy Vol. 23, (1948): 19-37.

Essay, poetry, prose, drama and film in literature

Essay, poetry, prose, drama and film in literature Introduction: This paper covers four important topics of Literature, which include: Essay, Poetry, Prose, Drama and Film. Essay is a form of writing, which can be literary-based or scientific-based. Like any other form of writing, it has its different characteristics, and also it serves for different purposes. For example, when writing a letter to a friend, it could be said that it is a form of an essay. When applying to colleges nowadays it is mandatory for every applicant to write a so called entrance essay. Even the newspaper columns are designed to be written in an essay based. Essay consists of three parts: an introduction, which is the first paragraph of an essay, the body which includes several paragraphs, and the conclusion, which consist of one or more paragraphs and is structurally the last part of an essay content. Poetry is an ancient literary art. There are many poets who have contributed so much to enrich the literature that is being studied today. Like any other form of literature, it has many characteristics that define poetry. But unfortunately there isnt a clear definition of what poetry is. So, different poets have expressed their thought of what they think defines poetry. Prose in another important work of literature. It is defined to be as the epic literature that is written in lines. It is basic literature that is seen and used daily. Prose includes books, such as novels, tales, and short stories. Like any other literary work, it has different characteristics, and rules and regulations that make up the prose. Drama is also known to be more popular during the golden age. Its a literacy work that is written basically to entertain people, especially Kings Courtyard centuries before. Nowadays, well known dramas play on theaters, throughout the world. Film is an art form of motion picture, also known as movies. Many representatives are involved to make up the film. Film has different characteristics that are known as Action films, Adventure, Comedy, Crime and Gangster, Drama, Epic/Historical, Horror, Musical, Science Fiction, and Western films. ESSAY Definition Essay is a form of writing, which is relatively short and could be literary or non literary writing. The word essay for the first time was used be a French writer, Michele Montaigne, as a matter of fact the origin of the word essay comes from French, which means to try or to attempt to write (Musai, B. 2004). The period when Montaigne started to write essays, even though we find some forms of essays before this period, makes us understand that essay is the newest form of writing in comparison with poetry, prose and drama. Essay is a collection of ideas, mainly literary ideas, or a single idea, written and backed up by some supporting facts. Most of essays have pattern which they are written. English teachers use them frequently as a testing tool, but today they are also a major part in students entrance exam for college or University (Fleming, Grace, 2010). Representatives As mentioned under definition, the common form of essay dates back to Montaigne, whose essays got published in 1588, although the types that we have today are derived and evolved due to the increasing needs and language expansion. From early representatives we also find an English writer, Robert Burton, although he differs on the style from Montaigne. Montaigne used essay writing as a self-discovery, more of a personal narration, whereas Burton expressed his knowledge through essay, more like a modern essay that we have today. Also we find some early representatives from England such as Sir Thomas Browne and Laurence Sterne. Some early representatives from France include also Andre Gide and Jean Cocteau (Britannica Online Encyclopedia, n.d) We can confidentially say that essay has changed its role and purpose since its beginning. Essay has evolved from a personal story to a more detailed tool of one expressing feelings, ideas and so forth. Today essays have same pattern, use a format, and discuss a range of topics; they are used to persuade somebody of something, to narrate a story or an event, express feelings for some issues and policies and even used as a social and political criticism tool. They have evolved and become an integral part of college and University recruitments. More often than not, students are given essay assignment on topics that require a student to take a stand in very controversial issues such as abortion, global warming etc. Types and characteristics of essay Based on the sets of skills one has, today essay provides a form of writing for everyone and every personality. If you are a person that likes to argue, you can use an argumentative type of essay to express your feelings, opinions, thoughts. If you are gifted with descriptive skills, you can use this type of essay and colorful language to describe something. In general, these are the types of literary essays: descriptive, narrative, evaluation and persuasive or argumentative essay. Narrative is more of a literary type of essay, meaning it is characterized more in artistic language. The story in narrative essay most of the time is written in chronological order. Descriptive essay could be literary or non-literary (Fleming, G. 2010). This type of essay is used to describe an object, a place, a person or an event. An example of this would be: What is a car, what is it made of, how is it put together, how long it lasts and so on. Evaluation essay has multiple types and is mostly used in different levels of education. Some of the evaluation essays are: essay of a process or guide, comparison contrast essay, calcification essay, cause and effect essay, conclusive essay etc. Persuasive or argumentative essay is one of the four main types of essay. Its goal is to persuade the reader to accept, master, or act according to the ideas of the writer. This is different from the goal of narrative essay which is that reader tries to understand the authors ideas. In this type of essay, writer is required to back up his ideas with statistics or other proofs to convince the reader of things he is writing are correct (Musai, B. 2004). There are also non-literary types of essays such as visual arts, music, film and photography etc. The general format of essay is: introduction which is made of three to four sentences; body of the essay that can have multiple paragraphs and conclusion (Lilly, M. 2006). In general, essay is different from other literary writings. It is somewhat similar to prose because it is written in lines. Sometimes it could also be similar to prose in content especially narrative and descriptive essays. The difference between the essay and the narration is that narration contains more figurative expressions, whereas essay contains facts and supporting arguments. This also concludes that essay differs a lot with poem and drama. However, in contrary to other literary and non-literary forms, essay is written for multiple purposes and different topics. Today it is written in different educational levels, hiring purposes, in daily paper etc. POETRY Definition: The word Poetry derives from a Greek word poiesis, which means in a making. Poetry is a unique art of literacy, but it doesnt have a clear definition of what it is. It is said that poetry uses a fictional plot, a specialized language, and it is written in a special form (style). When writing poems, authors try to express their thoughts in less space using that specialized language, not compare to novels and short stories that use much more space. Poetry is an ancient art of literacy, before people use to carve poetry in the caves, and that is known to exist long before. There are many poets, and uncountable written poems thought the time, but there isnt a clear definition of what poetry is. Although, many poets have their own definition of poetry. For example Paul Engle definition of poetry is: Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words (Poetry America, 2009) by Paul Engle. Another quote by Aristotle: Poetry is more philosophical and of higher value than history; for poetry tends to express the universal, history the particular(Poetry America, 2009). Even though it is difficult to define poetry, most people are able to recognize it when they see it. It is worth remembering that poetry especially in the form of the song is one of the oldest forms of artistic expression, it is much older than prose and is seems to originate in a human impulse that reached for expression in joy, grief, doubt, hope, loneliness, love, etc. For example, the National Anthems are poems, that are turned into songs or the Anthem that express so much feeling, about joy, victory of being proud of their heroes and their Nation. Representatives: There are many well known Poets thought the world, but to be represented in this paper two preferred once are chosen: Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. Both are American Poets, whose art of poetry is well known. They have contributed so much to the American literature and have enriched it with their creativity. Robert Frost has written many poems, but his poems are well know, one of which is Stopping by woods on a Snowy Evening (Academy of American Poets, 2009). Emily Dickenson is one of the most famous female poets in American literature. She has written close to 2000 poems, and her poems were numbered. On of her many poems is called: A Bird came down the walk (328) (Academy of American Poets, 2009). Differences between Poetry and Drama: The Poetry and Drama are different in many ways. Drama is presented to the public as an entertainment, either telling a story which the author is not physically there, but it is told though different other people, or actors. Whereas poetry is also recited by other people besides from the poet himself/herself. Sometimes is it also played in the stage too, through songs. Characteristics of Poetry: There are many characteristics of poetry, the main ones are Lyrical poetry and Narrative poetry (Lethbridge Mildroft, 2003). Lyrical poetry are short, non-narrative poems, which include subcategories, and one of them is the Sonnet, which is written in fourteen lines (Lethbridge Mildroft, 2003). The Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells stories through it, for example love stories, tragedies etc. Other forms of poetry are written in four lines, which are known as stanza. Stanza is used more often in poetry, by many Albanian poets as well as poets throughout the world. PROSE Definition Prose is a type of epic literature that is written in lines. Usually sentences in prose continuous in that line, not in another one. Some authors (writers) say that writing prose is the best form of writing, because words are in their best order. Sometimes we wonder what does the word PROSE means. The word prose comes from another similar Latin word that is PROSA and it is used to describe facts or anybodys thoughts. Representatives There are many well known prose writers but we mention two or three of them, like Shakespeare, Virgina Wolf, Henry Fielding etc. Shakespeare is one of the most famous writer, he is known with his dramas like: Romeo Juliet, Macbeth etc. Virginia Woolf is the one who presents a new style of writing in Prose through the events, such as Stream of Consciousness, and Henry Fielding who gives another direction of prose writing. Differences between prose and poetry There are some differences between prose and poetry. We can say that prose is easier to understand because unlike prose for poetry, we can explain prose with our words. Another difference is that in prose it doesnt matter if it rhymes or not. There are a lot of differences between prose and poetry but despite this sometime it is difficult to note which one is prose and which one is poetry (Rrahmani, Z., 1999). Differences between prose and drama Expect the differences between prose and poetry there are some differences between prose and drama. In the prose the author is the one that describes characters and settings, but in the drama there are actors and actresses that play on it. Characteristics of prose There are two basic kinds of prose: elementary forms and composed forms. (Rrahmani, Z., 1999). In the elementary form there are: Legend, Myth, Fairy tales, and in the composed forms there are: Novel, novelette, Tale (Rrahmani, Z., 1999). Elementary forms The word Legend comes from Latin word that means something that is needed to be read. That tells a story which can be real but which can contain other decorative elements. Myth is Greek word that has a lot of meanings like: tale, language, speaking etc. It talks about tribes, their lives and the origin of world. Fairy Tale is another kind of elementary literature form and it is wordy creation that combines real and fantastic motives (Rrahmani, Z., 1999). Composed forms Novel is large type of prose and the word roman comes from Latin word lingua romana. Novel was read by different social layers. Word novelette means something new, that comes from Latin Word novelus. Novelette contains extraordinary motives but it doesnt mean that novel avoid other events from daily life. Novelette contains some structure elements like: small number of characters, interlacing between real and fantastic. Tale is a short type of prose, this type comes from fairy tales and legends. In tale there are reflected some important side of reality (Rrahmani, Z., 1999). DRAMA Definition: The general term DRAMA (Classical Greek: ÃŽÂ ´Ãƒ Ã‚ Ãƒ ¡Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ¶ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±, drà ¡ma meaning action) (Wikipedia, 2009) is understood to be a composition literary, which is written to be represented in theaters. For that reason authors consider its solid rules, without their application drama cant be successful in stage. At drama devoid the confession and description, whereas all the text surrender via dialogue and monologue. Drama differs considerably from poetry or narrative because drama it is usually written to be performed in stage by actors. Aside from the text that actors will express, didaskaliet are also a component of drama, wherewith characterizes the view of scene, personages doings and demenaunors, the noises that are going to be heard etc., which usually puts in brackets. Classic drama (Greek and roman) was written in verse and was played in amphitheaters, some of them are still saved (for example in Butrint, which was Greek colony). Classic drama have had a solid construction, they were count by strong rules, so its composition necessarily traversed in those phases: exhibition, interlacement, culmination, vicissitude and solution. A drama usually separate in small components, which are called acts, so we have dramas with five acts, three acts, one act etc., meanwhile smaller unit is scene, which hits every actors entrance and exit in stage. Another feature of classic drama was oneness of the place (the event had to came off in one place), oneness of the time (the event held out twenty-four hours) and oneness of the doings (the event didnt have a break). As every drama flow by a conflict, which make a specific language, more dynamic, more emotional, not usual. Modern drama arrived to bring in scene the man, life and random language (Culler, 1997). Characteristics of the drama Until the18th century tragedy and comedy were the main kinds, but later the drama was displayed, which then took the dominant role. Tragedy In the ancient time handled the destiny of the kings and demigods. The affairs which civilized were unusual and big. The language of the drama wasnt daily, it style was high so just Kings and Queens and the people of the court could understand it. Later on the characters of the tragedy became the big historical characters. The main feature of the tragedy is that its conflict ends necessarily with the heros death. Comedy (In Greek komo convivial and od song) is a dramatic work (Wikipedia, 2009). Since antique comedy attended with usual people and usual events, which had a happy ends. As tragedy designed to concuss with its tragic end, comedy designed to make you laugh. Comedy was very open divide its designed thematic, divide its yoked characters and divide its way of civilizing. From the roman authors disunited Plaut and Terenci than Shakespeare in England, Molier in France, Gogol in Russia, etc. There are many centuries that dominate the writing of drama, which is written in prose, which doesnt have solid rules anymore like classic creations, which has a much wider gamut of the thematic and has an unlimited chance to choose the characters. It design mans destiny, who is confronted with different harnesses, who collides with the fellowship and pass into the tragic and comic situates at the same time. After the technology revolution, from drama some new styles of art appeared, which are much more famous in all over the world, like radiodrama, television drama and movie. FILM Definition: Film is an art form of motion pictures, also known as movies. Films/movies are shown in cinemas, or movie theaters, where people gather to see them. Film is a form of entertainment which has grown into a huge business worldwide nowadays. The first motion picture ever made is known to be The Horse In Motion which dates back in the 1878 (Associated Content Inc., 2010). Further more, there isnt an exact answer when the first movies was made, because back then the technology was not as advanced as it is now. But the film technology has improved throughout the years, the first movies, were without sounds, and without colors, and now there are 3D movies, which are said to be advanced. Representatives: First of all film representatives are considered the writes, those of short stories, Novels, Fictions, Fairytales etc. Then there are people who are part of making the film, which are known as the screenwriters, actors/actresses, film crew, film director(s), experimental film makers, movie studios, and finally film critics (Knowledgerush, 2009). Difference between Drama and Film: The difference between drama and film isnt much different, except the Drama is performed in from of an audience, whereas film is recorded and then shown to the audience. At the end they have the same idea, it is an art of entertainment and also a way to educate people though different plays, or shows and also different films. Characteristics of Film: There are different characteristics of Film/movie, for example: Action films are those that have in it battles, fightings, explosions, fires, basically that show a lot of action. As everyone knows that The James Bond films are action films. Adventure films are films that have to do with expeditions, trying new things, exploration of near and far away lands, such as the quest to find the hidden treasure, for example the movies National Treasure. Comedy Films are films that make the audience laugh while telling a story. Crime and Gangster Films are films that have to do with murders, and generally with people that dont obey the law. For example The Law and Order series. Drama films, are the once that have to do with romance, romantically tragedies etc (American Movies Classics Company, 2009). Epic/Historical Films are based on historical events, on war, or on heroic figure for example the Albanian heroic figure is made into a film known as The Scanderbeg. Horror films are basically films that are made to terrify the audience, at the same time to entertain them. Musicals (dance) films are films that have lots of dancing and singing in it. A well know musical movie called The Sound of Music. Science fiction films are those that have aliens, the ones that are well known are The Star War series. And finally the Western film, are generally known as the American cowboy movies, with Indians, guns, horses etc (American Movies Classics Company,  ©2009). Conclusion: To conclude of what is mentioned above about Essay, Poetry, Prose, Drama and Film, it is important to include that they have enriched literature that is known to us today. These subcategories of literature are all connected to one another. They are a written art, which has improved peoples knowledge. Everything that is known to mankind, about its history it is written through essays, poetry, prose, drama and also showed in motion picture. Even though each of them has different characteristics, they all have one purpose that is to communicate between people. REFERENCES: 1. Academy of American Poets, ( ©2010) http://www.poets.org/ Retrieved 21/12/2009 from http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20519 2. American Movies Classics Company, Main Film Genres ( ©2009) Retrieved 02/01/10 from http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html 3. Britannica Online Encyclopedia, (n.d.). Essay Types. Retrieved 21/12/2009 from: 4. Culler, J. (1997) Literary Theory. A Very Short Introduction (pp. 97-100). Oxford University Press Inc. New York 5. First Movie Ever Made: A History of Film Firsts ( ©2010) Retrieved 02/01/10 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/461209/the_first_movie_ever_made_a_history.html 6. Fleming, G. ( ©2010). How to write a five-paragraph essay. Retrieved 21/12/2009 from: 7. Knowledgerusg ( ©2009) Retrieved 02/01/2010 from http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/enclopedia/Film/ 8. Lethbridge, S., Mildorf, J. ( ©2003) Basics of English Studies: An Introductory course for students of literary studies in English. Version 12/03, Poetry (pgs. 142-173) 9. Lilly, M. (2006, February). A Basic Essay Format. Retrieved 21/12/2009 from http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/English/writingcenter/essayformat.htm 10. Musai, B. (2004). Si te shkruajm ese. Tirane: Cendra per arsim demokratik (p.15-25). 11. Poetry America (n.d) http://www.poetryamerica.com retrieved 21/12/2009 from: http://www.poetryamerica.com/poetry_quotes.asp 12. Rrahmani, Z. (1999) Teoria e Letersise: Book for high school students. Prose (Pp.115-123) 13. Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia (2009, December). Drama. Retrieved 21/12/2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama

Echinacea Essay -- Plants Botany Plant Papers

Echinacea What is it? Echinacea is a spiny looking plant with purple leaves radiating from the center and is a derivative of the purple coneflower. It grows to be one to two feet in height and is a member of the daisy family. Three types of the plant are used for medical purposes. They are Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, and Echinacea pallida. Mainly the roots, the seeds, and the leaves are extracted for medicinal usage. Many people believe the herb to be a remedy for ailments such as the common cold or the flu, which explains why the citizens of the United States spend $3 million annually on the drug. As a consequence of its popularity however, certain places in both the United States and Europe have restricted the harvesting of Echinacea and have put it on the endangered species list. The herb has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as either safe or effective in the forms that manufactures are distributing. (http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/alt/echinacea.htm) History The Native Americans were the first people to use Echinacea for medical purposes. They believed that sufferers with minor disorders such as colds to more serious conditions like snakebites could benefit from usage. They even utilized the herb for veterinary medicine for horses. In the early 1900’s, the herb gained commercial popularity and was widely sold throughout the United States. Consumers had high hopes that Echinacea would cure or prevent many different illnesses. In 1910 however, the American Medical Association claimed that the drug was useless but many people continued to purchase and use the supplement until about 1930. Th... ...iratory Tract Infections. Western Journal of Medicine, 171, 3 Lindenmuth, G., Lindenmuth, E. (2000). The Efficacy of Echinacea Compound Herbal Tea Preparation on the Severity and Duration of Upper Respiratory and Flu Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-controlled Study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine,6, 327-334 Melchart, D., Walther, E., Linde, K., Brandmaier, R., Lersch, C. (1998). Echinacea Root Extracts for the Prevention of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial. Archives of Family Medicine, 7,6 Percival, S. (2000) Use of Echinacea in Medicine. Biochemical Pharmacology, 60, 155-158 Turner, R., Riker, D., Gangemi, D. (2000). Ineffectiveness of Echinacea for Prevention of Experimental Rhinovirus Colds. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 44, 1708-1709

Movie Response: Zora Neale Hurston Essay

The movie entitled ‘Zora Neale Hurston’ refers to the life of a female African American writer who struggled towards finding her worth in American society during the time that segregation and racism continues to be practiced in U. S. culture. Specifically, this movie presents her biography from how she struggled to belong as a woman and how she sought to achieve her passion of writing and anthropology. In particular, the film showcased her life as a student, an anthropologists and a writer for several different newspapers. It is through this that viewers are presented by a character that continues to grow and develop through the years until her death in 1960. Analyzing the film, it can be seen that it presents readers on how Zora Neale Hurston evolved and adapted to American society. Her period was particularly critical because racism and bias against women continue to be practiced within American society during her time. It was also during this period that the issue of race became an important consideration especially among minority groups. Regardless of these realities, Zora Hurston continued to fight over these common boundaries and seek to fulfill her dream of becoming educated and understanding African American culture further. Similarly, the movie also has shown how Zora Neale Hurston sought to provide her readers about African American culture. As much as possible, her literary compositions stayed away from political issues and the clash between the Whites and Negroes. Rather, she sought to provide a better understanding of the rich culture and practices that African American has. This viewpoint remains crucial for she believed that this can serve as a bridge in making Whites understand the complexity of the African American culture. In the end, the film does not only cultivate the value of Zora Neal Hurston’s contribution to African American literature. Rather, she also provides empowerment among women and sought to create opportunities for change in a different perspective. Here, she provides a purpose of co-existence and influencing patterns of increased interaction. It is through this that she sought to identify herself in history and provide her legacy in the field of literature and anthropology.

Psa Evaluation of Aquino Administration

PSA’S EVALUATION OF THE AQUINO ADMINISTRATION FROM THE RESEARCHERS’ PERSPECTIVE Table of Contents Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Methodology and Research Design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Findings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦ 8 Authors’ Stand on the Assessment Presented†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 Conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 29 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 31 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 36 Abstract The paper PSA’s Evaluation of the Aquino Administration from the Researchers’ Perspective was conducted to inform the readers how the Aquino administration handled the crises that had occurred since its start in June 2010. The group utilized the historical research technique and content analysis strategy in collecting relevant information for the study. The data collected from various sources like newspapers and websites were then written in note cards. There were various disasters that have occurred in the Philippines, and based on the group’s analysis, the researchers have found out that the Aquino administration, in its first few months, was not able to properly handle the different adversities that have plagued the Philippines. With these, the group has concluded that the country had been inflicted with much damage by the man-made and natural disasters that took place in the Philippines. PSA’s Evaluation of the Aquino Administration from the Researchers’ Perspective It has been six months since Benigno Simeon Aquino III has taken the position as the 15th president of the Philippines. Over the course of those months, numerous catastrophes and issues have since occurred. The Pacific Strategies and Assessments (PSA) is an organization that released an assessment of how the Aquino administration performed in its first few months, wherein they criticized the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† and that the president, along with his cabinet members and set of government officials, has not done any significant change to improve the situation of the Philippines. With its completion, this paper aims to express the group’s reaction on the said assessment and determine whether the PSA was righteous in its claims about the Aquino administration and of the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. For the first few months, the Aquino administration has been struggling to cope with the demands of the Filipino masses. In reality, the Philippines has been plagued by malicious controversies, threatening disasters, and various crises. Based on the evaluation of the PSA, the administration was not able to handle the said adversities proficiently. Based on this, the researchers believe that it is righteous for the PSA to dub the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. At the rise of a new administration under President Aquino, innumerable disasters and calamities have occurred. The Pacific Strategies and Assessments, with various bases, has concluded that the Philippines is one of Asia’s most unsafe destinations. Due to this assessment, concerned Filipinos desire to be further informed by the country’s setbacks and incorporate their views and opinions regarding these. In addition to the objectives presented, through extensive research and the critical analysis of the information gathered, the researchers wanted to provide their detailed criticism of the assessment of PSA on the Aquino administration. The group then aims to shed light on the following questions: 1) What is the Pacific Strategies and Assessments? What is its function? As a socio-economic organization, what are its objectives? 2) What are its bases in dubbing the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†? 3) According to PSA, has the Aquino administration performed proficiently during its first few months? 4) With these bases, is it right for PSA to label the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†? 5) Do the researchers agree with the assessment presented by PSA? This study will focus on four main parts: the Pacific Strategies and Assessments, five of the worst disasters and crimes—the Maguindanao massacre, the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking crisis, Typhoon Juan, the terrorist attack threats and the various kidnapping crises—that have plagued the country, the steps the Aquino administration has taken to solve these issues, and the researchers’ reaction on the PSA’s assessment that the Philippines is the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. On the other hand, this study does not discuss other catastrophes that have troubled the country during the Aquino administration. Although there are other disasters that have occurred during the governance of Pres. Noynoy Aquino, the researchers deem that this paper should only focus on the worst disasters that have troubled the country since these are the bases of PSA in its assessment. Moreover, from the title itself, this paper is limited to the researchers’ point of view alone because there were no interviews nor surveys conducted to determine the various reactions of the other Filipinos affected by the crises that have occurred in the country. The significance of this study is to inform the Filipino people and the people from all over the world as well, of how the other nations view the Philippines because of the disasters in the country. This study also exposes how the present administration handles the different disasters that have plagued the country. With these, this research paper will benefit the Filipino masses, for they will be informed of the adversities that are ruining their nation, and they will be educated on handling catastrophes to avoid having their country criticized as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. This paper is also timely because it tackles the worst disasters that have devastated, and some that still wreak havoc in the Philippines up to present. With the completion of this paper, the researchers have been able to provide the Filipinos a justification of the righteousness of the assessment of the PSA to their home country. Findings This part of the paper includes the related readings that have aided the group in their research. It is comprised of the background of the PSA, its functions and objectives, and its assessment of the Aquino Administration based on five of the worst disasters that have occurred in the Philippines. These serve as reference materials, from which various information were lifted to support the analysis and interpretation of the data. Pacific Strategies and Assessments (PSA), is a socio-economic organization based in Asia and the United States of America; it has offices in Manila, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok and Milwaukee. Its Manila office is the oldest and largest branch and is currently under the management of the Executive Director Graeme Campbell (â€Å"Pacific Strategies and Assessments†, n. d. ). PSA specializes in Asian risks. At the same time, it provides discreet and confidential security and crisis management services which help different associations protect their assets, prevent security violations, respond to emergencies and facilitate business flow in times of crisis. It also assists its clients in making reliable decisions in the field of business in Asia. PSA helps reduce risks associated with various crimes through its investigation services and provides background screening of its clients. Furthermore, it prepares intelligence briefs regarding political and economic situations to its clients, in this case, the Philippines. PSA aims to maximize the advantages and minimize the risks of facilitating business in places often jeopardized by political and economic instabilities, security threats, terrorism and lax rule of law (â€Å"What PSA does†, 2010). With these readings, the researchers were informed of the functions and objectives of PSA as a socio-economic organization. This knowledge has aided the group in deciphering the right of the said organization to dub the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia. Moreover, these have helped the researchers know whether the PSA has efficiently performed its functions to its member countries, particularly, the Philippines. In PSA's (2010) assessment on the Aquino administration, it criticized the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† because of the multiple risks like coups, rebel extortions, an d terrorist threats that regularly occur in the country, and the particular crimes that have haunted the Filipinos and the rest of the world during the Aquino administration. It has indicated that hese fiascos could throw some daunting challenges at the different businesses in the country, therefore, affecting the Philippine economy and the performance of the present government headed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, or more commonly known as PNoy to the Filipino people. The following are the disasters and crimes that have influenced PSA to assess the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. The Ampatuans have been in charge of Maguindanao since 2001. Their reign started after former Pres. Corazon Aquino replaced every locally-elected official because she came into power by means of a revolution. Andal Ampatuan Sr. was appointed by former President Aquino as the officer-in-charge in Shariff Aguak in 1986 after the successful People Power Revolution. Andal Ampatuan Sr. won the 1988 local elections and served for ten years; he was then elected as governor in 1998. He has been elected as provincial governor three times, unopposed, but with his inability to run for a third term, he prepares his son Andal Jr. to govern in his place (â€Å"Cory gave Ampatuan his break†, 2009). Authorities claimed that there were at least 161 suspects involved in the execution of the Maguindanao massacre. Director General Jesus Verzosa stated that the majority of the suspects were policemen, soldiers, and government officials under the control of the Ampatuan clan. Verzosa said that the mayor of Datu Unsay town, Andal Ampatuan Jr. , was tagged as the mastermind of these killings (â€Å"Police chief names suspects†, 2009). The Maguindanao massacre is one of the deadliest events that has happened in the Philippine history which led to the death of 58 people including journalists, lawyers, government officials, tourists, some relatives of Esmael Mangundadatu, and his wife Genalyn Tiamson-Mangudadatu (David, 2009). Alcuin Papa (2009) noted that in the morning of November 23, 2009 in the Maguindanao province, the victims were kidnapped and killed while they were on their way to file the certificate of candidacy of Esmael Mangudadatu. The victims were shot in their heads and chests at close range, and those who were still alive were finished off by Andal Ampatuan Jr. himself. The victims were buried under the mass grave which was prepared two days before the said slaying. Before the mass murder happened, Mangudadatu received a threat from the opposing clan saying that they would kill him if he pursues the filing of his COC. Mangudadatu decided to let the media cover his filing of COC to stop or hinder the said assault, but was still unable to prevent the hideous incident. These readings have helped the researchers by supporting the idea that the Ampatuans committed the horrendous crime as a means of instituting and preserving their power over Maguindanao. These readings have proven that the generations of Ampatuans have held offices in the area for a relatively long period, yet they refuse to let go of their vast influence in the region. Furthermore, these readings have also proven that the said massacre is one of the most devastating crimes that have occurred in the country’s history, and has become an essential part of PSA’s assessment, which, in turn, has greatly contributed to the group’s evaluation. On the other hand, on the 23rd of August 2010, a hostage taking took place at the Quirino Grandstand which resulted in nine deaths including Hong Kong nationals and the perpetrator Rolando Mendoza himself, a disgruntled former senior inspector. At the peak of his career, Mendoza was ranked one of the Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines and was famously known for leading a group of policemen tracking down a van filled with crates of money believed to be smuggled by former President Ferdinand Marcos out of the country. In 2008, he was dismissed from his position after misconduct and drug abuse charges. At around 7 in the evening of August 23, the SWAT team began to enclose on the bus and tried to enter it by breaking its windows using sledgehammers. However, they were forced back by gunfire coming from the bus. The police's endeavor to break into the bus lasted for an hour. Tear gas canisters were catapulted into the bus as the police tried to pry open the door by tying a rope attached to a police car, which unfortunately ended with the rope snapping. Later, police marksmen in positions gunned Mendoza in the head (â€Å"Manila Hostage Taking Crisis†, 2010). Pia Lee-Brago (2010) wrote that the August 23 crisis which resulted in 8 Hong Kong tourist deaths negatively affected the Philippines' relations with China. Hong Kong calls on Filipino witnesses to help determine the real cause of death of the eight tourists and proclaimed that its government is disappointed in Malacanan legal team's order to reduce investigations and reviews against those involved in the rescue. 19 injured Hong Kong nationals including children and elderly were among those injured in the hostage taking. In addition, the 8 deceased victims' bodies have already been sent back to their families in Hong Kong. President Aquino has ordered a rigorous investigation headed by Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima (Avendano, 2010). On August 31, preliminary results of the official investigation were released and showed that a high calibre weapon fired within the bus caused the hostages' wounds. 58 of the 65 M16 rifle cartridges recovered from the coach were from Mendoza's gun. The investigation team spokesperson stated that it was certain that Mendoza killed the eight hostages who died in the incident (Wong, 2010). On September 3, however, De Lima admitted that some of the hostages may have been shot by the police (â€Å"Philippines admits police†, 2010). These served as evidences that the Filipino policemen lack the know-how of handling crimes like the hostage taking, putting the lives of not only Filipinos but also other nationalities who are residing or visiting the country, in great danger. Moreover, these readings have further proven that the Aquino administration has not efficiently done its part on the investigation of the incident causing a large gap between the China-Hong Kong-Philippine relations. With the evidences presented, the group has remained firm on their stand that the government has not yet done any significant action to solve these problems. Typhoon â€Å"Juan†, with â€Å"Megi† as its international name, is the strongest typhoon to hit the country last 2010. It had a wind speed of 250 kph putting 20 provinces on storm alert. Residents of 35 towns in Cagayan were forced to evacuate due to the danger brought about by the typhoon, according to Flores (2010). Cagayan and Isabela were placed on the highest storm signal and experienced strong winds. Some residents living in low-lying areas of Cagayan valley voluntarily evacuated while equipment in preparation for the typhoon were positioned in Northern Luzon (De Leon, Reyes, Hachero, Bengco ; Naval, 2010). Juan dumped heavy rains over Manila after leaving at least 11 people dead and 32 million pesos worth of damage to road network and other infrastructures. Data from National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) (as cited in â€Å"‘Super Juan’ leaves 11 dead†, 2010) showed 10, 434 people from 57 barangays in 27 municipalities and one city in Northern and Central Luzon were drastically affected by the typhoon. After this unpleasant incident, relief operations were provided to residents of the affected regions. Vice President Binay offered the typhoon victims PAG-IBIG financial assistance. The PAG-IBIG fund was directed to allot 200 million pesos under its calamity loan program for the victims of typhoon â€Å"Juan† (Barcelo, 2010). Cauayan, Isabela, one of the worst-hit areas of the typhoon, (as cited in â€Å"DSWD secretary flies to Isabela†, 2010) was personally visited by the DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman and DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo to assess the damage caused by typhoon â€Å"Juan† and to provide the victims of 11. 96 million pesos worth of relief goods. These relief goods consist of 5,000 food packs, tents, noodles, and 1,000 boxes of high-energy protein biscuits. In Cagayan Region alone, 3. 2 million pesos worth of relief assistance was provided by the DSWD. These information from readings have greatly helped the group be informed of the devastating effects that Typhoon Juan has inflicted on the different areas of Luzon, the innumerable injuries and deaths the typhoon has caused, and the programs and operations that the government has implemented in order to aid the victims of the said typhoon. Moreover, these readings have proven that the Philippines lack preparedness with regards to handling the wrath of natural calamities. At the height of the terrorist attacks threatening the Philippines, the Filipinos themselves turned out to be ignorant of the terrifying assaults intended for the country. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta even said that â€Å"there is no imminent threat, there is no information which says that there is an impending attack† (as cited in â€Å"Terror Incognito†, 2010, p. A12). The nation also appeared to have no access to the information disseminated by the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and eventually France, when these countries advised their respective citizens to stop travelling to the Philippines because of a possible terrorist strike (â€Å"Terror Incognito†, 2010 ; Yap, Zamora, Papa, Bordadora ; Fernandez, 2010). The Australian Embassy even noted that â€Å"reliable reports indicate that the terrorist attacks might be imminent in Metro Manila, including places frequented by foreigners† (as cited by Brago, 2010, para 3). British and US authorities likewise declared that these menacing terrorist threats could happen anytime in Manila. Speaker Sonny Belmonte then explained via phone interview, â€Å"We are calling to our allies, especially their intelligence agencies, to share with us what they know, what this is all about† (as cited in Ubac, 2010, p. A8). Even though six countries have already warned their residents of the forthcoming attacks, Pazzibugan, Papa and Esplanada (2010) stated that â€Å"Filipino security officials downplayed the alerts. These related materials have proven that the Philippine government, along with the Filipino citizens, were ignorant of the threatening terrorist attacks, when other nations deem that the Philippines itself is the cause of chaos. Upon discovery of the root of this problem, the Philippine police and the other security groups in the country have not exercised their duties to protect and serve the Filipinos. With these, the group’s stand concerni ng the performance of the Aquino administration, particularly the police and military, has been further strengthened. Aside from these, due to the numerous incidents of kidnapping in the Philippines, the country has earned the title â€Å"Kidnap Capital of Asia. † The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism describes kidnapping in the country as â€Å"†¦ a virtual cottage industry in which little capital and apparently equally little risk can mean millions of pesos in profits† (as cited by Clayton, n. d. ). For years, this problem has been a major hindrance to the growth and development of the country. With this, many Filipino citizens requested that Republic Act 9372 or Human Security Act of 2007 should be fully supported and implemented because this is one way of preventing the surge of kidnaps in the country (Samonte, 2010). In remote places in the Philippines, there are rampant kidnapping incidents involving wealthy and powerful political families. In Cotabato, two people were killed when gunmen abducted the wife of the prominent local trader, Lucio Tan. At the age of 50, Conchita Tan was riding their car, and was about 30 meters away from their home when she was seized by about six car-riding suspects. It was said that Conchita’s bodyguard tried to prevent the kidnapping and even traded fire with the suspects, but Conchita ended up dead together with her driver (Fernandez, Senase ; Alipala, 2010). In Valenzuela City, on October 17, 2010, a criminal gang released eight kidnap victims of which seven are schoolchildren. At around 6:30 in the morning of October 14, the father of the three children and their four cousins were snatched in the said city. The victims were said to be Chinese-Filipinos or Tsinoys. According to Felipe (2010), it was the fifth kidnap-for-ransom case since President Aquino has assumed office last June 30. Meanwhile, the charred body of Venson Evangelista was discovered by a farmer in the remote barangay of Buliran, Cabanatuan City on January 14, 2010. The body has been burned with the use of kerosene and rubber tire. It was found out that a 9 mm pistol was used to kill Evangelista. The same situation also happened to another car dealer, Emerson Lozano and his driver, Ernane Sensil, whose bodies were found in Porac, Pampanga and La Paz, Tarlac, respectively. Central Luzon police director, Chief Supt. Alan Purisima said, â€Å"Probably, only one group did it. It’s positive that the body found in Cabanatuan was Venson Evangelista’s† (as cited by Galang ; Pazzibugan, 2011, p. A18). Using these information, the researchers have found out that the crime of kidnapping is one of the most devastating setbacks of the country’s security concerns. Through the years, it has remained as one of the most frequently committed crimes in the Philippines. Even though the government has plans to alleviate the various crimes in the country, it is evident that their efforts to stop kidnapping incidents in the country are futile. This part of the paper, in summary, tackles the various topics concerning the specific subjects of the study. It includes the presentation of the Pacific Strategies and Assessments (PSA) as a socio-economic organization, and the enumeration and investigation of some of the worst man-made and natural disasters that plagued the Philippines under the Aquino administration. In addition, it also discusses PSA’s appraisal that the Philippines is the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. Based on the timely data and information gathered through broad research, the group has formulated their analysis and interpretation of the most dangerous disasters that have occurred in the Philippines. In addition, the group’s views regarding the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† are discussed in this part of the paper. Authors’ Stand on the Assessment Presented The following are the worst disasters that have occurred in the Philippines that served as the bases of PSA in its assessment of the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. On November 23, 2009, an estimate of 100 gunmen associated to Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. allegedly abducted in broad daylight a convoy of aides and relatives of a rival politician, Esmael Mangudadatu, and a group of journalists, as they headed for the local Commission on Elections office to formally file Mangudadatu's certificate of candidacy (COC) for the position occupied by Ampatuan Sr. then. Hours later, news broke out that the convoy had been massacred, with 58 people dead because of senseless slaughter and mutilation. This incident has left many people speechless as words failed to convey the outrage felt by those who were horrified by the said tragedy. Families who lost their loved ones on the said mishap continuously grieve and fervently pray that justice be served to them accordingly. What happened to their kin, especially to the female victims, who were said to be sexually-abused before getting killed, was so barbaric that the group, as well as the Filipinos all over the country, could almost feel their pain and anguish. The Ampatuans, long before the incident, were already suspected of being involved in unsolved killings in particular areas and regions in Maguindanao. Many were also affected by their acquisitiveness and their desire for power. Unfortunately, the people in Maguindanao were afraid to testify or file cases to the Ampatuans as they believe that the Philippine government will not be able to protect them from reprisal. The government takes a part of the blame for the brutal killing of several people, all of which were innocent. The past administration headed by former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was still not able to dismantle the ruthlessness in Mindanao. The government has failed to solve the cruel cases that take place in Mindanao almost everyday. Their handling of the situation weakened the people’s already fragile trust in supposedly democratic institutions as the government gave a disorganized response to the circumstances. However, as Pres. Noynoy Aquino took oath as the President of the Philippines, the Philippine government was still not able to pursue more critical investigations of the said massacre. As a result, the families of those who were killed last November 23, 2009 still continue to grieve as no justice is given to them. Although Ampatuan Jr. , with the other people involved in the crime, remains in jail because of his inhumane act, the victims’ mourning families still firmly desire to punish him more severely for putting an end to 58 innocent lives. The group believes that the frightening incident should spark meticulous going reforms not only in the region, but in the whole Philippines as well, more than merely disarming the private armies the national government truly needs to foster authentic participation by the marginalized sectors in governance. Additionally, the government needs to initiate programs and policies to give power to the poor by establishing anti-poverty measures such as asset reforms so that the poor would no longer be dependent on politicians, local warlords or traditional political families or more commonly known as trapos. More importantly, the Aquino government needs to restore and strengthen rural democratic institutions because these are considered to be the weakest links of governance in the rural areas. These institutions include the people’s organizations which remain unprotected by the government. Also, the private sector and civil society also have roles to take part in the development of these regions especially because multi-sectoral development initiatives that involve the beneficiaries have proven to be successful. If the government pursues genuine development and peace initiatives in these regions, the indigenous peoples would finally be able to pursue economic and governance activities without fearing for their lives. These are among the steps that the group suggests the present administration is expected to carry out to develop the current investigations of this atrocious massacre. Aside from the massacre, the hostage-taking incident that has taken place at the Quirino Grandstand has greatly influenced PSA’s assessment. Twenty-seven Hong Kong nationals who were on their last day of vacation in the Philippines were taken as hostages by ex-SPO2 Rolando Mendoza last August 23, 2010. The police, soldiers, bystanders, and the Filipino people, through the live coverage of the media, altogether witnessed one of the most heinous crimes to be ever committed in the country last 2010. With this incident, nine people died; eight out of the 27 tourists were killed, and the hostage-taker himself was shot, and was later declared dead by the police. Who is to be blamed for this tragedy? Whose fault was it that what should have been a joyful trip for these foreigners resulted to the loss of some of their lives? Were sound judgment and careful planning exercised by the security groups of our country in dealing with the situation then? Certainly, the service provided by the Filipino policemen and soldiers that tragic night was not to the full extent by which they could have prevented the crime or even just lessened the tension brought about by the situation. It is not that they have not done their jobs of protecting the people, but their efforts were clearly not enough to impede the crisis. The media also had the responsibility to be sensible to the people involved in the tragedy, but with what had happened, they appeared to be on the wrong track—they even covered the whole event; even the most sensitive parts of the incident were shown to the public through various media like the internet, radio and television. This crime has created a wide gap between Hong Kong-China and the Philippines as the former believes that the latter does not deserve its trust again because of what has happened. Not only that, but news about the hostage-taking did not only distress the Filipinos; it was even aired in international news channels like the CNN and BBC. This alarmed even the other nations, and with this, they were disturbed and were eventually convinced that the Philippines is an ill-fated nation, that the country is not a good place to visit at all. Worse, various photos and videos of meddlers in the crime scene, some college students and police officers themselves, were posted online for the world to see. This even triggered an angrier crowd from all over the world. Due to this, other people from the different races deemed that all Filipinos are not hospitable nor peace-loving; nevertheless, they do not pay respect to the victims of the tragedy. The current investigations of the Philippines regarding the hostage-incident are slow-paced as the country is negotiating with the Hong Kong government. Both parties could still not agree with how they will investigate and with how they will push through with the operations regarding this crime. The group sees that the cause of this delay is the ruined relationships of the two parties involved. The Philippines, under the present administration of PNoy, has been trying to offer many benefits for the families of the eight Hong Kong nationals who were killed. However, the Hong Kong government demands more than what the Philippine administration could offer. Because of this, both the Philippines and Hong Kong conduct their own investigations without the help of each other, making the examination of the Quirino Grandstand hostage incident stagnant. As of now, the Philippines is facing the challenge of rebuilding its reputation which was destroyed in just a snap of a finger. It is truly difficult to regain the trust of other nations, especially Hong Kong and China, after what has occurred. Moreover, it is hard to revive the glorious days of the nation after this disgrace. Although the Filipino citizens are in the verge of being torn apart by malice and controversy, all of them can still contribute to uplift the Philippines’ image. Each Filipino, regardless of age, gender and social status can take part in the mission of changing the way the rest of the world sees the country. Even in the simplest ways, the researchers can help their motherland recover from this misery; they can make others realize that what one man did doesn’t necessarily reflect what a whole nation of Filipinos is. On the other hand, Typhoon â€Å"Juan† (international name Megi), being the strongest and most destructive typhoon to ever hit the Philippines in 2010, has caused devastating damages to several provinces in Luzon, especially to Cagayan and Isabela where the typhoon’s wrath was felt the strongest. The typhoon caused 11 deaths, millions of pesos worth of damages, and many people homeless just a few months before the Christmas season. Could these damages have been prevented or just even lessened? What would then happen to those people who lost their loved ones and their homes? What more could the government do to help these people get back on their feet? Indeed, the government has been there to offer donations to those victims of the natural disaster as it has always been the first one being seen or heard in news, yet does their work stop there? Quite disappointing as it is, their jobs do not stop there, unlike what they believe so. The government is divided into many departments and branches that are interrelated well enough, so devastation this massive is not expected. In the Philippines, it is widely known that the months of September to early November fall under the rainy season, so the government could have been more prepared for the expected typhoon that would hit the country. The government could have started programs that would educate and prepare people on what to do in situations like this because prevention of these catastrophes is always better than alleviating the problems it causes and entails. The government could also have built concrete roads and stable infrastructures in the calamity-prone areas of the country so that rescue and relief operations could reach disaster-struck areas quicker and these services could be provided more efficiently. After the massive destruction of the typhoon, the government could help the people live normally again by providing them livelihood projects and â€Å"payment† for the damages so that people can get by and grant scholarship and health benefits as well. Instead, what the government does is give short-term relief to the people greatly devastated. After a week, when the relief goods have been consumed, what will the people do? In the end, what they need more is a greater â€Å"push†Ã¢â‚¬â€a push that combined with their own efforts, will result in greater and long-term benefits that will get them their lives back on track. In contrast to this natural calamity, the Philippines has also been threatened by terrorist attacks which caused chaos not only among the citizens of the country but among the people of the world as well. Despite all the actions taken by six countries—Great Britain, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and France—the Philippine government continued to ignore the imminent terror attack on the Philippine territory. With this, how can the Philippine government protect its citizens from danger if they, themselves take no notice of the threat? In an interview, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III unfortunately uttered out loud two distinct possibilities behind the Philippine government’s unclenched reaction. The first probability is that, maybe, the information is unreliable and is therefore wrong. The Aquino administration is conveying an almost cavalier attitude toward it. It isn’t true—that is the government’s story, and they’re sticking to it despite the urgency with which the six countries are dealing with the information. The other was that those alarmed countries had the information, and did not share it with the Philippines. â€Å"There were several countries that discussed this among themselves, and we are the targets and lots of these people are our allies. I think we should have been informed† the President said (as cited in â€Å"Terror Incognito†, 2010, p. A12). It transpires that the Philippine allies failed to let the Philippines know about the danger, and the government took it personally. With the said possibilities, the nation cannot afford to let down its guard, but what did the Aquino administration do? Instead of providing security to the country, they chose to turn their back on the issue. For the Philippine government to put pride before the safety of its people, that scenario would be the most threatening of all. Whether this rumor turns out to be real or not, it is still essential to deal with this threat as the real thing. In a generation where small pieces of information can be as potent a destroyer as the explosives themselves, it is the government’s first duty to ensure that its citizens are safe, even if it looks like jumping the gun, even if it looks like they are erring on the side of caution. It is the correct response, no matter what. It is the welfare of the citizens that should be first taken care of by the government, and not the interest of the economy. Besides, the Philippines is not in such a precarious situation, that it cannot afford to protect the people before the businesses at stake. These terror threats may be real or ot, but it only in knowing the truth about this crucial issue can the security of the country and its people be truly served. Another basis of PSA in labeling the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† is the high rates of kidnappings in the country. The Philippines, being plagued by frequent kidnapping incidents, does not only mark a scar on the country’s face to the whole world. This even creates a barrier that prevents foreign trade, foreign investments, and tourism of the country with the rest of the world. Because of this, the growth and development of the country slows down and is feared to come to a complete halt someday. Any person, regardless of age or gender, may be a victim of this crime. Based on the data gathered, the kidnapping of various people including politicians, local traders, schoolchildren, Filipino-Chinese people, and car dealers defines that no one is exempted from being kidnapped. Kidnapping for ransom forces one to choose between his/her life and his/her money or properties, but in some unfortunate cases, both his/her life and his/her possessions were lost. A concrete example was Venson Evangelista and Emerson Lozano’s case: they were shot dead and burned, giving up not only their cars but also their precious lives. The government should strictly implement more laws regarding the crime of kidnapping so that it could be prevented. Also, intensive investigations should be prioritized to solve the alarming rates of kidnapping cases not only in the densely-populated areas of the country, but even in the rural places in the Philippines. The increasing number of kidnappings defines that the police are not executing their duties proficiently. The police evidently outnumber the kidnappers, but if they don’t act immediately, the situation will be turned and there would be more kidnappers than policemen. Scars cannot be healed hastily; they need time to be restored. Likewise, the Philippines needs a strong medication to repair all the scars gashed by the blades of kidnapping. With these catastrophes, issues and controversies, the PSA has dubbed the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† since the country has evidently remained incapable of handling the wrath both natural and man-made disasters bring. The Philippine government and the Filipinos themselves have been struggling to face the aftermath of the misfortunes faced by the country at present. With the various proofs that emerged from this research, the group has agreed with the Pacific Strategies and Assessment’s assertion of the Philippines as the most disaster-prone area in Asia, therefore labeling the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia†. Furthermore, the group deemed that the Aquino administration was not able to handle all the said adversities effectively since the effects brought about by most of the disasters are still not resolved even after months, and even after many years. The slow progress of trials and cases that are still not brought up to court and the temporary and insufficient relief that is offered to the victims of natural calamities have proven that the administration has failed to meet the expected standard of the performance of their duties and responsibilities to the people. The administration may have helped several victims who suffered the complications brought about by the natural calamities in some short-term ways, but it was clearly not enough to sustain the lives of the many people who mainly rely on the aid the government provides. Moreover, it has not been able to help the victims of the crimes and their families find justice for the prejudice they suffered. Aside from these, the Philippines continues to be a country unaware of the impending danger in their environment causing the Filipinos to risk their lives every single second they spend in the unsecured country. More importantly, the Philippine government has the obligation to serve the Filipino masses by protecting them by all means. Simply, the government should be prepared of every forthcoming disaster since the lives of many of the citizens are on their hands. Disappointing as it is, the government has their own strategies; they wait for the disaster, and after it has already destroyed properties and has claimed lives, they plan what to do. It seems like the Philippine government has never learned from the past administrations; the officials of the country continue to ignore the consequences of their obliviousness. The Philippines has actually gone through many ills: from the typhoons that struck and flooded the country to terrorist threats that alarmed other nations not to visit the Philippines. This leaves no excuse for the Philippine government to be unprepared for these disasters. The government should have at least prepared a certain plan of action in case more disasters loom in the Philippines. Based on these findings, the researchers came up with the following important points: 1. After more than a year since the Maguindanao massacre, the families of the victims still continue to grieve as no recent investigation has been pursued to solve the said case. 2. The Quirino-Grandstand hostage-taking incident clearly did not only ruin the relations between the Philippines and Hong Kong; it also embarrassed the Philippines all over the world. Because of this, investigations of the said crime have been interrupted and delayed. 3. Typhoon Juan has greatly devastated the country, and even after months since it pummelled the Philippines, the Filipinos greatly affected still cannot cope and recover. 4. The terrorist threats in the country were not handled accordingly since the Filipinos, particularly the government itself, were not aware of the situation. . Kidnapping in the Philippines has been rampant for the past few years, and still, the government has not given any concrete explanation with regards to this. 6. The Aquino administration has not been able to present any significant development in the investigations of the said crimes and in its operations during calamities. Conclusions After the thorough analysis and interpretation of the subjec ts of the research and supporting them with the various facts and data gathered, the group has arrived at the following conclusions: 1. The Pacific Strategies and Assessments is a socio-economic organization that specializes in Asian risks. At the same time, it also assists its clients in making reliable business decisions in Asia. Most importantly, it prepares intelligence briefs regarding political and economic situations to its clients like the Philippines. The PSA aims to maximize the advantages and minimize the risks of doing business in places that are often plagued by political, economic and socio-cultural ills. 2. Numerous disasters and catastrophes have indeed wreaked havoc in the Philippines. These include man-made disasters such as the Maguindanao massacre, the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident, the terrorist threats that made some countries exercise a high degree of caution in travelling to the Philippines, and the high and alarming rates of kidnapping cases in the different areas in the country. Natural disasters like the Typhoon â€Å"Juan† also inflicted vast damage in the country. These five disasters have been the bases of PSA in dubbing the Philippines as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia. † 3. At its rise, the present administration has not performed proficiently. The Aquino administration, in its first few months, has not presented any significant development on the current investigations of the Philippines’ most abhorrent crimes and improvement on its operations in times of disasters like natural catastrophes. Investigations of the Maguindanao massacre, the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident and the different kidnapping occurrences have remained stagnant, while the government’s plan of action regarding the terrorist threats in the country and Typhoon Juan has not been sustained at all. 4. Because the Aquino administration has failed to fulfill its duties and responsibilities to the Filipino citizens in times of disasters and other catastrophes, and the effects of the lack of political will in the Philippines were experienced by many Filipinos, it is therefore righteous for PSA to label the country as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia. † 5. The group has agreed with PSA’s assessment on the Philippines under the Aquino government as the â€Å"Disaster Capital of Asia† since the country has been troubled by spiteful disasters and the administration has not been capable of alleviating the subsequent situations of these problems. Recommendations After an in-depth analysis of the data gathered, the following recommendations are hereby made: 1. Provide a more compelling argument of the reasons behind the PSA’s evaluation of the Philippines. In line with this, the group also recommends further research on the different disasters that have created a devastating mess in the country. 2. Look beyond the Aquino administration’s shortcomings, but also point out the weaknesses of the other people and other organizations involved in the different catastrophes that wrecked the Philippines. References Avendano, C. (August 30, 2010). DOJ chief the only spokesperson on hostage crisis probe – Palace. 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