An Analysis Of The Perestroika Movement In Russia Politics Essay

An Analysis Of The Perestroika Movement In Russia Politics Essay As postulated by Tarasulo (73), Perestroika refers to the great political movement in Russia within the communist party of Soviet Union. The key player in the perestroika was the soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Basically, the essence of the perestroika was to restructure the soviet economic and political system. The concept of perestroika is greatly acknowledged for the end of the cold war as well as the fall of socialism in Eastern Europe and Soviet Union. The significance of perestroika in historical and present politics of Russia is explicit. Initiation and progress of perestroika le to establish of more independent actions by various ministries as well as dismantling of soviet-era planned economy. The replacement of soviet era planned economy by the market economy was a vital development in Russia. Despite the various economic and social tensions brought about by the restructuring process, the entire phenomenon led to increased nationalism among the constituent republics alongsi de social fragmentation. This paper will profoundly discuss and analyze the concept of perestroika and its significance to Russia and the globe in general (Kushner 123). Mikhail Gorbachev had all along had a deep compassion of bringing change to Russian political and economic systems. This quest for change and reforms is very evident at his entrance into the corridors of power in the year 1985. At this time, Mikhail Gorbachev took the office of general secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union. Despite the opposition given to his reform agenda by well established members of the party, Mikhail didnt give heart. The most significant move initiated by Mikhail was the introduction of democratization, which entailed the introduction of multi-candidate elections in the communist party. Based on this regard, Mikhail was very optimistic that progressive and dynamic personnel will take the vital positions in the party and government. His main focus was to ensure that, the right people enter into power and carryout his institutional and policy reforms (Cohen 54). At the initial stages, the reforms being postulated by Gorbachev received mixed reactions. Fro instance, conservatives had a strong criticism for the reform agenda being advocated for by Gorbachev. Despite this opposition, overwhelming support was also thrown to the process by the liberals who were very optimistic about the newly anticipated changes. The issue of multiparty system also took course without prior anticipation thus reinforcing Gorbachev ideas of bringing change in Russia. The CPSUs conference held in 1988 under the leadership of Gorbachev was an important development and progress in the realization of reforms. At this time, a radical reform was initiated by Gorbachev and his supporters which were aimed at reducing party control of government apparatus. The issue of multi-candidate for regional and local legislatures was also warmly welcomed (Mlynar 93). Advantages of the Perestroika The political and economic restructuring established in Russia under the leadership of Gorbachev had a lot of benefits to the nation, its people and the global community. To begin with, the concept of democratization which entailed multi-candidate had a lot of influence in the mode of governance in Russia. By adoption of multi-candidate in the regional and local legislatures, competent and focused personnel were given an opportunity to lead the people. This was a magnificent development and achievement to the people since a sense of democracy was established. Based on the concept of multi-candidate, a better watch and management of the national resources and national affairs was made more efficient (Cohen 54). Another key achievement established by perestroika involved the concept of reducing party control over government apparatus. It is sad to note that; the communist party had all the powers and authority of all government apparatus there being able to manipulate government operations. The party officials and the different legislators had enormous influence over government apparatus thus leading to enhancing of their own interests. As stated by Kushner (123), the concept of separating the party from the government was a brilliant idea and led to more transparency and responsibility in the execution of national policies. The relationships of Russia and the global community was also enhanced through the adoption of the new changes. It has been noted that, a lot of misconducts were being performed as a result of the previous system of governance (Kushner 123). The establishment of the congress of peoples deputies in December 1988 was also a key development in the government restructuring process. The new amendments led to establishment of a smaller soviet unions legislative body which consisted of 542 members. From this situation, all public organizations were accommodated in the new system. With this regard, it is evident that, perestroika was very beneficial in fostering political development. The issue of poor decision making and dictatorship evident in the Soviet Union and the communist party were abolished through adoption of these changes. Significantly, democracy and human freedom was adequately established through the restructuring process initiated by Gorbachev. An overwhelming support of the new systems of election was witnessed in the 1989 when the people expressed their democratic right to choose members for national legislative body. This was the beginning of democracy and human freedom as people were given the powers and freedom to choose their favorite candidates. Importantly, it was noted that the results of the election stunned the ruling elite. The glory and victory of a new era of governance ran throughout the country. The earlier lot of communist candidates who had been enjoying the privileges of unopposed candidature was astonished by the results of the election (Herrera 123). With regard to economic system, the perestroika had a lot of significance in overcoming the economic stagnation. This was achieved through a more efficient method of creating dependable and effective mechanism for accelerating economic and social development. The principles and core values of Gorbachev was to establish utmost respect to humanity as well as a considerable personal dignity. Based on these principles, the essence of economic crimes and corruption in the government was highly criticized and abolished. As a result fairness in distribution and allocation of national resources was enhanced. The previous scenario of excessive party influence to government apparatus was done away with. It had been made clear that, the communist party had been managing the government as its own affair; hence leading to excessive exploitation of national resources (Mlynar 93). Additionally, the abolishment of the soviet era planned economy and replacement by the market economy was a key achievement of perestroika. The soviet era planned economy had a lot of negative impacts on the economy of Russia thus leading to a very pathetic situation. Gorbachev advocated for a fast-paced technological modernization which was aimed at increasing the economic status. Industrial and agricultural productivity was also accelerated thus ensuring a favorable economic environment. A key strategy adopted by Gorbachev in fostering economic reforms was the improvement of the soviet bureaucracy so as to ensure efficiency and prosperity. A point worth of consideration is that, the economic restructuring was made possible through the reforming of the social and political structures (Kushner 123). One of the most celebrated strategies influencing the success of the economic reforms was on the concept of anti-alcohol campaign. The issue of alcoholism had grown to alarming levels thus calling for the need of change. To affect this policy, the prices of Vodka, beer and wine were raised as well restriction of their sales. The anti-alcohol campaign was very vigorous and significantly led to the decline in alcohol sales. The concept of alcoholism abolishment led to magnificent developments in the economy. Specifically people were more involved in productive activities thus leading to improvement in the economy. The concept of anti-alcohol campaign was warmly received and led to magnificent developments in the social and economic spectrums (Herrera 123). Perestroika led to significant developments in the economy and distribution of national resources. Basically, the vague and inefficient economic policies established by the communist party had a lot of negative impacts to the economy. In relation to this phenomenon, the soviet-era planned economy led to stagnation of economic developments. It is also sad to note that, the levels of poverty in the country were also high alongside very pathetic business environment. With the new political, social and economic reforms, the business environment was made more favorable. It is noted that, increased government support for the business processes was enhanced as well as the stipulation of better policies to counter the effects of uncontrolled business operations (Gorbachev 89). Another key achievement brought forward by the perestroika on the aspect of management of state enterprises. This was a great development which ensured that state enterprises operated freely so as to determine their out put as well as determining the expectation of the consumers. By so doing, the previous inefficiencies which accrued due to governments influence on the management of state corporations was countered. The dictatorship of government on the operations of the state enterprises led to numerous problems and losses to the enterprises. The concept of accountability and transparency in the management of state enterprises was established. This phenomenon led to increased profitability and improvement in quality of services and products offered by these enterprises. Additionally, the restructuring of the management of the state corporations led to recruitment of more competent and expertise personnel thus leading to efficiencies in the whole process. In addition, the issues of f raud and corruption in state enterprises was significantly reduced (Tarasulo 62). The benefits of perestroika were also felt in the global spectrum; whereby Gorbachev was very conscious in establishing and enhancing foreign affairs. Trade and relations with the west were enhanced alongside reduction in the tensions of the cold war. The contributions of perestroika in building global relationships are remarkable. In this case, the new political, social and economic structures led to more interactions of the soviets and western leaders. For instance, the relationship of Russia with Germany was improved thus making the two states to improve their business relations. British prime minister Margaret Thatcher is quoted saying that, she like Mr. Gorbachev and they can smoothly do business together (Herrera 123). It is important to note that; perestroika had a great advantage on boosting the relationship of Russia and other nations. The issue of nuclear weapons in the global scene was very sensitive and required swift actions. It is evident that, Gorbachev leadership led to increased negotiations and consultations in the international scene thus facilitating understanding among the warring countries. This is a big achievement of Gorbachev leadership and is acknowledged for his role in enhancing global peace and reduction of the tensions of the cold war. From these insights, perestroika stands to be acknowledged for its numerous benefits to the Soviet Union as well as the global community. Basically, the improvement in economy, social setup and the political systems are the key advantages of the perestroika (Gorbachev 89). Disadvantages of perestroika Alongside the numerous advantages and benefits of perestroika to the social, political, and economic systems, the phenomenon has also been criticized for different catastrophes. To begin with, there has been overwhelming criticism on perestroika regarding the turmoil which impacted on the economy. Basically, the anti-alcohol campaign impacted negatively on the economy. From the concept of government increasing the prices of vodka, wine and beer alongside restricting the sale of these products impacted negatively on the economy. The revenues of government were drastically reduced thus leading to a budgetary crisis. From the analysis of the situation, it was evident that the government lost a lot of revenues following the abolishment of alcohol sale. Significantly, the employment rates and job opportunities provided by the alcohol industry were cut down. The government lost a lot of taxes both in the form of direct and indirect taxes. The alcohol industry was employing a large number o f people and as a result of the new laws, all these groups were rendered jobless (Tarasulo 62). On the other hand, illegalization and increasing of the prices of alcohol products led to increase in illegal activities. There was a rise of smuggling of alcohol products across the borders as well as illegal production of alcohol in the urban and rural areas. Based on this phenomenon, the security status of the nation was compromised. This is because illegal production and distribution of alcohol products led to low quality of the products. With regard to this situation, the health of the citizens was posed to a very high risk. The concept of beer and wines being manufactured at home or in the slums led to avoidance of adhering to hygiene standards; thus posing a very high health risk. Additionally, increase in price of alcohol products as well as restriction on the sale of alcohol led to increase in crime. This is because the alcohol dependants had no option rather than involving into crime so as to get cash to purchase the products (Gorbachev 89). Additionally, perestroika was also disastrous process which posed the nation at a great risk. For instance, the concept of increased international relationships led to dependency on foreign countries. Soviet Union had an increased trade with Germany, America and British among other countries following the concept of perestroika. In regard to this scenario, any misunderstanding which may occur between these countries may cause severe consequences to the country. For instance a lot of industrial assistance and cooperation was established between Soviet Union and other western countries. The countries began to exchange a lot of resources used in the industrial fields. Specialization among the countries was also established due to the influence of trade. This phenomenon is a potential catastrophe to the countries economy and more so in ties of war or in cases of misunderstanding (Prem 126). On the other hand, the political restructuring of the soviet society had a lot of impacts on the nations stability. With the concept of democratization, the people were given more freedom to participate in political issues. As evident in the 1989 elections, the whole process was very vigorous. Despite the benefits of political freedoms and rights, increased political participation is not always good for the stability of the country. For instances, the issues of ethnicity and bribery are potential phenomenon in the events of political campaigns. Additionally, political differences and tensions are more easily to occur thus jeopardizing the national stability and peace. This phenomenon has happened in different countries and Russia is not exempted from the phenomenon (Cohen 54). Conclusion From the discussion and analysis of perestroika, it is evident that it had a lot of significance in the social, political and economic setup in the Soviet Union. The concept of perestroika is greatly acknowledged for the end of the cold war as well as the fall of socialism in Eastern Europe and Soviet Union. The significance of perestroika in historical and present politics of Russia is explicit. Initiation and progress of perestroika led to establishment of more independent actions by various ministries as well as dismantling of soviet-era planned economy. The replacement of soviet-era planned economy by the market economy was a vital development in Russia. Despite the various economic and social tensions brought about by the restructuring process, the entire phenomenon led to increased nationalism among the constituent republics alongside social fragmentation.

Sight Gags and Charlie Chaplin Essay -- Humor Comedy Funny Humorous Es

Sight Gags and Charlie Chaplin We have all seen it done before, either in real life or in the movies. A situation is funny because of the misinterpretation of someone's actions or the complete conflict of what a situation seems to be and what it really is. People come into contact with sight gags all the time. One might be trying to be sneaky and hide something and then when someone looks, one pretends to be doing something else not to get caught. One could also pantomime using an umbrella as a baseball bat. These are both basic forms of sight gags. Sight gags are an essential part of comedy, especially the silent comedies of Charlie Chaplin's time. A sight gag is a visual form of comedy. In this form of comedy, the actors rely on the way the audience perceives the actions on screen for humor. This could include a misunderstanding by characters or a misrepresentation of an everyday object. In order to make the gag work, the actor must use smooth, visible actions to convey his or her point. Noel Carroll outlines six different types of sight gags in the book, Comedy/Cinema/Theory. In this paper, I will talk about each gag and give examples from the three Charlie Chaplin films that we have watched. The first type of sight gag discussed is the mutual interference. This type of sight gag is set up so that a character in the film misunderstands something that is happening in the scene, however the audience can see both sides of the situation and is aware of the truth. The author says that this "perception of incongruity in an event or situation amuses us, which in turn causes risible sensations - laughter, for example - that we feel in response to humor."(Page 27) This type of sight gag tends to be a favorite in the silent ... ...nd I believe that these six techniques are excellent examples of how humor can be conveyed to the audience without words. Sight gags tend to suggest the possibility of interpreting a situation in more than one way. The author points out that "the sight gag flies in the face of the prejudice that movies can only brutishly recapitulate from a single point of view what stands before the camera." From the conflicts of interpretation to the literal and metaphoric points of view, it is these things that confuse but amuse us. I am sure that most of us have seen variations of these six basic techniques in both movies and real life. Hopefully with this information one will be able to better understand and appreciate the humor of the sight gags and silent films. Works Cited Horton, Andrew S. Comedy/Cinema/Theory. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 1991.

Global Health

This is a reaction essay to Cholera in Sierra Leone: the case study of an outbreak retrieved from According to A. D. A. M. Medical Encyclopedia,â€Å"Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that causes a large amount of watery diarrhea. Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The bacteria releases a toxin that causes increased release of water from cells in the intestines, which produces severe diarrhea (National Institute of Health ,U.S. National Library of Medicine – The World's Largest Medical Library,A. D. A. M. Medical Encyclopedia, May 30th 2012). † If left untreated, it can kill within hours and almost eighty percent of cases can be successfully treated with oral rehydration salts. People get infected by eating or drinking contaminated food and water and it usually manifests in places with poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine like Africa, Asia, India, Mexico and South and Central America. The availability of safe drinking water and proper sanitation is critical in reducing the impact of cholera and other waterborne diseases.Oral cholera vaccine also reduces the risk of death by fifty percent . Sierra Leone, a West African country that has been ravaged by wars for years , experienced the worst Cholera outbreak in fifteen years. As of september 19th of this year, 19000 cases and 274 deaths have been reported. It was unusual for the Cholera outbreaks to occur in February , the middle of the dry season because most cholera outbreaks take place in the rainy season. At the onset of the cholera outbreak, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, WHO , UNICEF and Medecins Sans Frontieres-Belgium worked together to detect, confirm ,treat and prevent the cholera outbreak .But when it started raining in June, cholera spread rapidly and by August, 2000 cases were reported per week. The Ministry of Health and Sanitation have also set up a network for all health centres to report daily cases of outbreaks and have been working with W HO and partners in spreading messages about safe drinking water, hand washing and food preparation. WHO has also brought in additional experts in epidemiology, surveillance, logistics, social mobilization, water and sanitation from other WHO country offices and set up a ‘ Cholera command and control centre’.Inspite of all these efforts, there is a severe shortage of oral rehydration salts and they are expecting 32 000 cases in this outbreak. * ————————————————- â€Å"? The health of a country is often based on infant and mother morbidity and mortality rates (GCH-205-DL2, Module 4, Lauren Savaglio). † In 2007, Sierra Leone had the highest level of child mortality in the world. Maternal mortality is also one of the highest in the world. One in eight women risk dying during pregnancy and childbirth. The infant mortality rate of Sierra Leone is 123 deaths p er 1000 live births in 2009 .Babies born in Sierra Leone in 2005 had a life expectancy of only 38 years. So it can be said that public health is generally poor in Sierra Leone. â€Å"Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and causes of health and illness in populations (Jacobsen,p. 7). † In the case of the cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone, the infections started in the western area of the country where the capital, Freetown, is located. Cholera outbreaks usually occur in the rainy season but the outbreak in Sierra Leone started in February which is in the middle of the dry month.According to World Health Organization, â€Å" Cholera is an extremely virulent disease. It affects both children and adults and can kill within hours. About 75% of people infected with V. cholerae do not develop any symptoms, although the bacteria are present in their faeces for 7–14 days after infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people. Among people who develop symptoms, 80% have mild or moderate symptoms, while around 20% develop acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration. This can lead to death if untreated.People with low immunity – such as malnourished children or people living with HIV – are at a greater risk of death if infected (National Institute of health ,U. S. National Library of Medicine – The World's Largest Medical Library,A. D. A. M. Medical Encyclopedia, May 30th 2012). † Therefore the risk factors of transmission of Cholera in a developing country like Sierra Leone is very high since there is no adequate environmental management and no minimum requirements for clean drinking water and sanitation. Like Jacobsen states in the textbook, Introduction to Global Health, â€Å"†¦ eep in mind socioeconomic, political, behavioral, and environmental risk factors that contribute to creating the context in which the disease occurs(Jacobsen,p. 13). † * ——â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Since cholera causes dehydration, the disease is treated using oral rehydration therapy (ORT), which is basically a solution made with water, sugar and salts. They can be bought as prepackaged mixtures or can also be made at home by combining clean, boiled 1 litre of water with 8 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt.But sometimes, severe cases of cholera require intravenous fluid replacement. Antibiotics can shorten illness, but should still be used in combination with the Oral Rehydration Therapy. The most basic way of preventing cholera is making sure communities prone to these epidemics have access to clean water and proper sanitation . Communities should also be educated about the importance of proper hygiene like hand-washing with soap after using the restroom and before cooking or eating . They should also be educated about safe handling , preparation and storage of food .Media such as radio, television or newspapers and even community and religious leaders can also be effective in spreading health education messages. And at times, early detection of the outbreak and timely provisions of treatment , like in the Sierra Leone case, is also necessary to reduce the number of deaths. * ————————————————- I think, at the onset of the outbreak, Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health and Sanitation did a great job in working with the government and other health sectors to confirm the outbreak of the disease even though the country has very few resources and capacity.With the help of WHO, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and partners including UNICEF and Medecins Sans Frontieres-Belgium was also able to detect, treat and prevent the spread of cholera. They also set up a â€Å" cholera command and control centre† and trained healt h workers in cholera treatment and prevention. They were successful in reducing the number of outbreaks to fewer than 40 per week but when the rainy season started in June, the epidemic spread rapidly to other districts and the number of cases arose to 2000 per week. But it should be noted that in Freetown, where the first outbreak occurred, there has been ignificant reduction of cases. WHO’s Representative in Sierra Leone, Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu, states that many villages affected by the epidemic still face a shortage of Oral Rehydration Therapy solution, the most effective and life saving treatment for an outbreak like this. The cholera epidemic in Sierra Leone made me realize how health inequalities does exist between the poor and rich population and how â€Å" even with improved prevention and therapeutic techniques, infectious diseases continue to be health risk in all populations (Jacobsen,p. 1). † It is also evident that the Socioeconomic status (SES) of Sierra Leone has played a major role in the cause and prevention of this cholera epidemic. Like Dr. Alemu mentioned in the article, an outbreak like this is a â€Å"major crisis for a country with a fragile health system recovering from several years of conflict (Health topics:Cholera in Sierra Leone: the case study of an outbreak; World Health Organization, September 2012). But looking at the bright side, Dr Eugene Lam, epidemic intelligence service officer from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA) working for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative,states that â€Å" Messages about safe drinking water, hand washing and food preparation will not only reduce the cholera infections but also reduce all diarrhoeal disease, a big killer of children under-five in Sierra Leone (Health topics:Cholera in Sierra Leone: the case study of an outbreak; World Health Organization, September 2012). Jacobsen states in the preface to the textbook â€Å" If health is a human right, then basic health care and protection from preventable diseases should be available to all people , regardless of the condition that have made them vulnerable to illness, disability, and premature death (Jacobsen,preface xi). † I only hope one day by working together as a global community , we can make sure every single human being, irrespective of their socioeconomic status , can achieve a â€Å"state of complete physical, mental and social well- being (Jacobsen)†. * ————————————————- ————————————————- * ————————————————- References: * —————————————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Health topics:Cholera in Sierra Leone: the case study of an outbreak; World Health Organization, September 2012. Retrieved from http://www. who. int/features/2012/cholera_sierra_leone/en/index. html on September 30th,2012. * ————————————————- National Institute of health ,U. S. National Library of Medicine – The World's Largest Medical Library,A. D. A. M. Medical Encyclopedia, May 30th 2012 . Retrieved from www. ncbi. nlm. nih. ov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001348/ on September 30th,2012 * ————————————————- * ————————————————- Health statistics of Sierra Leone;World Health Organization,2012. Retrieved from http://www. who. int/countries /sle/en/index. html on september 30th, 2012 . * ————————————————- * ————————————————- Introduction to Global Health, Kathryn H. Jacobsen . * ————————————————- * ————————————————- GCH-205-DL2 (FALL 2012), Module 4, Lauren Savaglio.

All About Any in French

All About Any in French The English word any has numerous French translations, depending on what it means and whether it is used as an adjective, pronoun, or adverb. Any = No Matter Which adjective: nimporte quel You can have any book | Tu peux avoir nimporte quel livreAny chair will do | Nimporte quelle chaise fera laffaireIll watch any programs | Je regarde nimporte quels programmes pronoun: nimporte lequel You can have any one (of them) | Tu peux avoir nimporte lequelAny (one) will do | Nimporte laquelle fera laffaireIll watch any one (of them) | Je regarde nimporte lesquels Any = Some adjective: partitive article Do you have any money? | As-tu de largent  ?Do you want any bread?  | Veux-tu du pain  ?Are there any survivors?  | Y a-t-il des survivants  ? pronoun: adverbial pronoun en Do you have any? | En as-tu  ?Do you want any?  | En veux-tu  ?Are there any? | Y en a-t-il  ? Any = Each and Every adjective: tout Any child can learn French | Tout enfant peut apprendre le franà §aisAny student who talks in class will be punished  | Tout à ©là ¨ve qui parle en classe sera puniAny other response would have been more appropriate  | Toute autre rà ©ponse aurait à ©tà © plus approprià ©e Not Any = None adjective: pas de or, more emphatically, the negative adjective ne... aucun He doesnt have any proof | Il na pas de preuve / Il na aucune preuveI dont have any sisters | Je nai pas de sÅ“ur / Je nai aucune sÅ“urThere isnt any excuse | Il ny a pas dexcuse / Il ny a aucune excuse pronoun: ne... pas or ne... aucun with en We dont want any | Nous nen voulons pas / Nous nen voulons aucunI dont have any | Je nen ai pas / Je nen ai aucuneThere isnt any | Il ny en a pas / Il ny en a aucune Not Any More plus maintenant or ne... plus Do you eat fish? Not any more | Tu manges du poisson  ? Plus maintenantI dont have it any more | Je ne lai plusHe wont help any more  | Il naidera plus Any = Somewhat, a Bit un peu Do you feel any happier? | Te sens-tu un peu plus heureux  ?Is he any taller? | Est-il un peu plus grand  ?Are you any more athletic than David?  | Es-tu un peu plus sportif que David  ?

How Blue Lava Works

How Blue Lava Works Indonesias Kawah Ijen volcano has gained internet fame for Paris-based photographer  Olivier Grunewalds photographs of its stunning electric blue lava. However, the blue glow doesnt actually come from lava and the phenomenon isnt restricted to that volcano. Heres a look at the chemical composition of the blue stuff and where you can go to see it. What Is Blue Lava? The lava that flows from the Kawah Ijen volcano on the island of Java is the usual glowing red color of molten rock flowing from any volcano. The flowing electric blue color arises from the combustion of sulfur-rich gases. Hot, pressurized gases push through cracks in the volcano wall, burning as they come into contact with air. As they burn, sulfur condenses into a liquid, which flows downward. Its still burning, so it looks like blue lava. Because the gases are pressurized, the blue flames shoot up to 5 meters in the air. Because sulfur has a relatively low melting point of  Ã‚  239 °F (115 °C), it can flow for some distance before solidifying into the familiar yellow form of the element. Although the phenomenon occurs all the time, the blue flames are most visible at night. If you view the volcano during the day, it wouldnt appear unusual. Unusual Colors of Sulfur Sulfur is an interesting non-metal that displays different colors, depending on its state of matter. Sulfur burns with a blue flame. The solid is yellow. Liquid sulfur is blood red (resembling lava). Because of its low melting point and availability, you can burn sulfur in a flame and see this for yourself. When it cools, elemental sulfur forms a polymer or plastic or monoclinic crystals (depending on conditions), that spontaneously change into rhombic crystals. Make Plastic SulfurMake Sulfur Crystals Where To View Blue Lava The Kawah Ijen volcano releases unusually high levels of sulfuric gases, so its probably the best place to view the phenomenon. It is a 2-hour hike to the rim of the volcano, followed by a 45-minute hike down to the caldera. If you travel to Indonesia to see it, you should bring a gas mask to protect yourself from the fumes, which may be harmful to your health. Workers who collect and sell the sulfur typically do not wear protection, so you can leave your mask for them when you leave. Although the Kawah volcano is most readily accessible, other volcanoes in the Ijen may also produce the effect. Although it is less spectacular at other volcanoes in the world, if you view the base of any eruption at night, you may see the blue fire. Another volcanic location known for the blue fire is Yellowstone National Park. Forest fires have been known to melt and burn sulfur, causing it to flow as burning blue rivers in the park. Traces of these flows appear as black lines. Molten sulfur may be found around many volcanic fumaroles. If the temperature is high enough, the sulfur will burn. Although most fumaroles arent open to the public during the night (for fairly obvious safety reasons), if you live in a volcanic region, it might be worth watching and waiting for sunset to see if there is blue fire or blue lava. Fun Project To Try If you dont have sulfur but want to make a glowing blue eruption, grab some tonic water, Mentos candies, and a black light and make a glowing Mentos volcano.

Children Act 1989 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Children Act 1989 - Essay Example The Act emphasizes that, where possible, children should participate in decision-making about their future well being. Subject only to the child's understanding, such participation requires that a child is provided with relevant information and is consulted at every stage in the process of decision-making. It is the general duty of every Local Authority to: Safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need and So far as is consistent with that duty, to promote the upbringing of such children by their families by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children's needs and design it to help prevent abuse and neglect. The keynote to achieving this aim is careful joint planning and agreement in the provision of services within the family home, assisting and enhancing the parental authority. As per the Children Act relative to the Department of constitutional affairs, since the act and the strategies impact directly upon young people in their own right particularly in areas such as helping the vulnerable and increasing confidence in justice. They also influence the future habits of young people in areas such as proportionate dispute resolution and democratic engagement. As with other stakeholders the DCA benefits from gaining the views of young people on policy in these areas. In view of this, Learning to Listen states that in all government departments: A visible commitment is made to involving children and young people, underpinned by appropriate resources to build a capacity to implement policies of participation. And that The contributions of Children and young people, proportionate to their age and maturity, are taken seriously and acted upon, and feedback from children and young people confirm this.' Giving children and young people an active say in policies ensures that they genuinely meet their needs After all it is the child who will have to live with the outcome of the procedure. The Children Act 1989 states that children's wishes and feelings should be incorporated into the decision-making concerning them. Legally based intervention Children's act 1989 is fully equipped with the legal laws and norms that strengthen the cause of Child welfare. These legal intervention are mostly carried out in assistance of Local authority Duty to Investigate -

What are the features of a gendered approach to new media Illustrate Essay

What are the features of a gendered approach to new media Illustrate your answer with examples from cyberfeminism - Essay Example The gendered approach to new media shall be discussed based on cyberfeminism and some examples of how it applies to new media. According to Sadie Plant (1997), cyberfeminism is a completely post-human insurrection. It is said to refer to a reaction of a new system which incorporates women and computers in relation to the global perspective and obvious reality of patriarchy which usually subjugates such women (Plant, 1997). In this case, there is a coalition of goods against masters, in this case, an alliance of women and machines (Bassett, 1997). Such ideal considerations between women and machines have also been observed in the VNS Matrix and its Cyberfeminist Manifesto for the 21st century. Rosi Braidotti (1996) also declares that cyberfeminism has to support a system of affirmation with women engaging in cyberspace in order to ensure that it would not be marked by men and their penchant for male domination. Under such context, there is a need to eliminate the previews views of fem inism, popular in the 1970s. Cyberfeminism declares that 1970s feminism is often guilt-inducing, anti-sex, and based on political correctness. Such 1970s feminism is also not relevant to women’s conditions in new technologies (Braidotti, 1996). However, in the actual setting, cyberfeminism has also included other applications of feminist movements like strategic separatism, social as well as language theory assessment, and the establishment of new images for women on the internet to resist persistent sexist stereotypes, strategic essentialism, and similar concepts (Plant, 1997). The rejection of historical feminism is an issue because it relinquishes also the new ideals, aligning itself with fears and stereotypes about feminism. In scanning internet content, majority of the popular feminist agitation presently apply by women on the net includes a cybergrrl-ism in all its incarnations including webgrrls, guerrilla girls, bad grrls