American government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

American government - Essay Example United States is still recovering from the most recent economic recession which requires proper formulation and enactment of policies. The government targets a Gross Domestic Product increase of 2.5 per cent in 2014. This paper therefore targets to discuss various reforms and strategies the government can undertake to improve the current economic situation. The first strategic government intervention towards economic growth can be reform of the immigration sector. It is difficult for foreign entrepreneurs to stay in the country because the government has set very many conditions that restrict their entry. Bureaucracy in allowing entrepreneurs and skilled immigrants into the country is so complex to the extent that it is delaying economic recovery. Bureaucracy is costing the nation job opportunities hence reducing the country’s GDP and also harming the nation’s international leadership in entrepreneurship and innovation. The government should adjust its policies on granting green cards to promising entrepreneurs and skilled graduate students. Moreover, it needs to pass the Dream Act to allow law abiding people brought to the United States as children to become citizens. The second government intervention can be cutting costs incurred in healthcare. In the recent years the government’s expenditure on health has risen with a very big margin. The country cannot afford to ignore this trend anymore. If this system persists, a large proportion of the countries income will be deviated to medical care which may not sustainable and will creates a burden on the future generations. The government should initiate a vigorous campaign for healthy lifestyle; develop new ways to manufacture drugs at a lower cost and a technology that can reduce expense on doctors and other medical personnel. This can be achieved through technological advancement and financing research

The Baroque Era Essay example -- essays research papers

THE BAROQUE AGE Social and Cultural Background   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baroque is a term borrowed from the visual arts and one that is used in many different senses. The Baroque Era applies to the years between 1600 and 1750. The most famous composers of this time were Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Teleman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Politically it was an age of magnificent absolute Monarch’s. The most magnificent of all was Louis XIV of France. Louis ruled from 1634 until 1713. During this time the need to create a national culture or a regional style that would match or surpass the elsewhere created cultural models was pressed for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When looking at Baroque architecture it is noticeable that the sculptures and paintings are never still: they are twisted, moving, struggling, and dramatically lighted. Paintings of the Baroque Era focused more on dramatic subjects and experimented with dramatic lighting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Baroque Era was concerned with feelings, the stronger the better. This could be seen throughout the churches. In church structure the proportions are grandiose, they are designed to impress and awe the observers. Gold and rich textures and surfaces can be seen all through the churches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of these themes that I have discussed are also clear in the music of the Baroque period. It paints pictures of vibrant colours and triggers strong emotions. The desire to discover these themes is evident in the invention of the exciting new form music, opera, and in the use of operatic techniques in dramatic music for the church. Important Musical Developments   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Composer-performers would strive at becoming Kapellmeisers in this Era. A Kapellmeister is a music director at one of the great courts. They were responsible for all the music performed in the court. These positions were very unstable though and composer were always on the lookout for new opportunities. The responsibilities of performers during this era was to write music at a furious pace due to the demand. Bach, for example, was responsible for one cantata a week while he was music director at Leipzig. Due to the pace the music was written, the performers of the pieces had to fill in the details. Baroque music can therefore be classified as a type of jazz because the soloists would p... ... satisfying effect: the listener of this piece feels the triumph and joy of the text due to it’s easy to follow material. Antonio Vivaldi, â€Å"Spring† from The Four Seasons   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bach and Handel are not the only great composer of this era. Antonio Vivaldi was another master of music during the Baroque period.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vavaldi was born in 1678 in Venice. His father too was a musician, a violinist at St.Marks’s church in Venice. For thirty-six years, from 1704 until 1740, he was music director at the Ospedale della Pieta, a school for illegitimate daughters of the aristocracy. He then left his job to conduct opera in Italian cities. He eventually wrote concertos not only for violin and standard winds-oboe, flute, bassoon-but also for instruments such as the piccolo, mandolin, and guitar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of his best known works is â€Å"the Four Seasons.† It is a set of four concerti grossi which relate to nature during these seasons. The spirit of childlike playfulness can be seen throughout out this piece which is important to Baroque style. It is very easy to see why Vivaldi’s pieces are still played and enjoyed to this day.

Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child

I was really enjoying service last Sunday, because my pastor I must admit is good at what he was called to do- crack jokes and preach the word of God. He shared a story about his childhood during service and that gave me the inspiration for this write up.A young pastor Tunde (not real name) apparently set out to grind pepper for his mum, so that dinner could be made without hassle. And so Tunde went to the grind-man’s house and got the pepper well grounded, but instead of going back home decided to play â€Å"one-set† of football. â€Å"One set† led to â€Å"two sets† and more and Tunde was running late for dinner preparations, but at least he had grounded the pepper.Done with football practice and catching up with friends Tunde was on his way out of the sandy football pitch when a more excited friend on the football pitch decided to smash one last shot at goal, but missed by a long mile and caught Tunde’s hand and the grounded pepper spilled on the sand. Afraid and panicking, Tunde managed to get a hold of himself and packed whatever spilled on the sand, alongside the sand and put it all back in the bag and ran straight home with the ‘perfect excuse’.Tunde’s mum asked in earnest what kept him so long, and Tunde said he had to wait in line for his turn. Tunde’s mother refused to dwell on that and collected the (sandy) pepper from his hand and went back into the kitchen. It was there she saw a rather new mixture of grounded pepper and sand (delicious) and required from Tunde as to what came about this combination. Already a successful liar once, Tunde brought out another great line when he said the grinds-man, on putting the pepper inside the machine brought out this mixture and he had no choice but to take what the machine had given to him.Cutting the story short, now born-again Pastor Tunde revealed that he still vividly remembers the slap that was dished out to him when he was done with his ridicul ous response. It was in line of that story that Pastor Tunde revealed a bible passage (Proverbs 22 vs. 15) to back his claim that a child must be disciplined, to set his ways straight.While the church burst out in laughter, I was taking notes. I took notes because I was never beaten as a child by my parents, but at school I got my share and for emphasis sake I am not against it. I just find the topic fascinating anytime it comes up that you must be disciplined by the rod, else you grow up wayward. That assertion does not sit very well with me and so I decided to express myself in my own words. I believe it is the call of a parent to discipline their child however they feel is right, as long as it is done with a high level of tolerance.I definitely agree that a parent reserves the right to spank their child to reality should he default as truth be told, growing kids are the most manipulative people you can ever come across. From the trickery in their moves when they’ve just st olen a bar of chocolate, to the animated tears that form up immediately they have been caught, parents must face the facts that children are indeed manipulative.What then leads the best way to discipline? I grew up knowing that charity began from our home but even then it took a few strokes on my behind in school to correct some of my errors that could not be detected at home. My understanding of that phrase is that whatever basic values you might need as a child, including discipline, you must first get that experience at home. Not being a parent puts me at a slight disadvantage to this debate, but I have watched my little cousins and nieces and nephews grow and I do understand why this needs to be addressed by public opinion. Therein lies the argument, to beat or not to beat.

Socioeconomic Determinants Of Socio Economic Status

Socioeconomic Determinants Socio-economic status (SES) is a contributing factor to the development of obesity. Looking at the association between SES and obesity, obesity is inversely associated with socioeconomic status (SES) among women, but less consistent among men (McLaren, 2007). Lower-income communities are less likely to have access to grocery stores with a wide variety of fresh produce. Low-income neighborhoods also may have fewer playgrounds, pedestrian and bike-friendly streets, parks and recreational facilities, and other safe and affordable places to exercise, play and be active. Individuals living in low SES communities also have limited purchasing power making it difficult to buy nutrient dense foods (foods high in†¦show more content†¦Children are not forced to eat anything and able to choose what foods they want to consume (CDC, n.d.). This concept, though held in high regard in the Hispanic culture, is not often the means to living a healthy life. This ideology leads to the consumpt ion of energy dense foods, which can lead to obesity. Culture also influences an individual’s behavior. Hispanics are known to come for a collective culture where group activities dominate. Because of the emphasis on collectivity, harmony and cooperation among the group, it tends to be emphasized more than individual function and responsibility (Gudykunst, 1998). Therefore living in a neighborhood, which embraces this culture, individuals are less likely to isolate themselves by exercising or eating healthy food, if others are not participating in these behaviors. If individuals within that culture are sedentary, others will be more likely to follow. This shows individual’s culture does play a critical role in overall health. Environmental Determinants Environmental determinants, including social, physical and economic characteristics of neighborhoods do contribute to long-term effects of health. A study entitled â€Å"Built Environments and Obesity in Disadvantaged Populations† examined how the built environment is correlated to obesity or related health behaviors within one or more disadvantaged populations (Lovasi, Hutson, Guerra, Neckerman, 2009). The results showed local food environment to be an important