Personal Narrative-My Seventeenth Birthday - 1711 Words

Most people think that their birthday is a day to celebrate themselves with cake and presents. I had a different experience. On my seventeenth birthday, I experienced an event that could compare to the complete opposite of a birthday. At the end of that dreadful day, I realized that we can only take life one day at a time. This year, I did not ask for much. I already had what I needed. My birthday started out fantastic. A two-hour delay had taken into effect, since the sleet and snow took over the roads. I wore a striped 3/4th sleeved shirt, dark skinny jeans, and brown knee-high boots. I put on more eyeshadow than I normally do. I went out to Sue-Z-Que’s for a birthday breakfast with my parents. Next, I went to school and received†¦show more content†¦I ran to my room and cried into my blanket until it dampened with my tears. I started to lose control of my breathing, until my conscience kick in to tell me that I was going to be okay. The wait to see my mom felt like hours. Finally, my mom came home. I tumbled into her arms, weeping and I somehow managed to get into the car. In the car, my mother tried to make me realizes what happened and tried to prepare for what I was going to see. My voice could barely make a noise. Building up inside, I somehow managed to get my anger out. â€Å"Why? Out of all days of the year, this is happening to me?† â€Å"Karissa, dreadful things happen to us on days that seem to be the happiest.† She explained details about Grandma’s stroke and what to expect. After getting to Cresco, I couldn’t wait to get out of the car and to see Grandma. Nothing could prepare me for what the night was going to bring. At last, we arrived at the bay where my grandma laid. My body froze. I had no idea on how to approach her. I slowly walked in as my dad said, â€Å"Here comes the birthday girl.† I could only smile. Grandma looked back at me even when her mind wasn’t completely there. I felt so much pain just seeing her lay there. My heart ached for her. She could hear us, but couldn’t talk back. My cold hand grasped on tight to her warm hand. I didn’t want to let go. MyShow MoreRelatedLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesCollege; and Stephanie Tucker, California State University Sacramento. Thinking and writing about logical reasoning has been enjoyable for me, but special thanks go to my children, Joshua, 8, and Justine, 3, for comic relief during the months of writing. This book is dedicated to them. For the 2012 edition: This book is dedicated to my wife Hellan whose good advice has improved the book in many ways. vi Table of Contents Preface.............................................................

Change Brought About by the Womens Movement - 1651 Words

The Changed of the Women’s Movement that Causes Little Change The women’s movement of the 1960s and 1970s was a movement was a movement that led to their equality and rights. American women were limited from family life to workplace and were expected to follow one path. They are a capable of anything, but they were discriminated against male because they were thought to have no potential for working. Even though women weren’t equal as men, the women’s movement helped lead them to equality because they wanted equal pay for work, no discrimination and access to birth control. From the 1800s to 1900s, women were campaigning for their equality because they wanted to be equal and be a part of the world. In 1840, the abolitionist movement questioned whether women should be equal or not. The American Anti-Slavery Society supported African American in full participation in the abolitionist movement while some american rejected it because they doesn’t want the slave to be apart of the movement.On July 1848, there was a Seneca Falls Convention, where women demanded for their right to vote. They protested the mistreated of women in social, economic, political, and religious life. In 1863 Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized a Women’s National loyal League to support and petition the thirteenth amendment that outlawed slavery (Strauss†. At the same years they campaign for full citizenships for women and people of colorShow MoreRelatedDescribing Canada1135 Words   |  5 Pagesis the point at which, a situation is clearly seen to undergo a change. Canada, as a growing nation, has encountered many defining moments throughout its history. During the twentieth century women of Canada have undergone numerous moments that brought about significant changes for themselves. The most prominent moments, which brought about the most change and significance are: the persons case of 1928, the womens liberation movement throughout the 1960s and 70s and the ratification of the TreatyRead MoreEffects of Social Movements650 Words   |  3 PagesEffects of Social Movements Social movements have changed the way that society is shaped and has impacted society in major ways. Where the civil rights movements brought a beginning to equal rights, the womens rights movements enhanced those rights in bringing about additional rights for women. In so doing, the social movements have allowed many people to come out of poverty levels and grow away from the powerlessness that poverty brings. According to Kenneth B. Clark, All human beings dependRead MoreThe Second Half of the Shaw Presidency982 Words   |  4 Pagesstrong connections to the Frances Willard and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) (Franzen, 2008). WCTU was the largest women’s organization in the United States during the 1900’s. Many joined the wealthy benefactors of NAWSA such as the leaders of the settlement houses, prison reform, and women socialites. During Shaw presidency a diverse range of women and men attended NAWSA conventions. In these conventions Shaw personally spoke about the issues beyond suffrage, such as opposition toRead MoreWomens Liberation Movement Essay1219 Words   |  5 PagesWomens Liberation Movement Betty Friedan wrote that the only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own. The message here is that women need more than just a husband, children, and a home to feel fulfilled; women need independence and creative outlets, unrestrained by the pressures of society. Throughout much of history, women have struggled with the limited roles society imposed on them. The belief that women were intellectuallyRead MoreWomens Movement Of 1960s Essay1205 Words   |  5 PagesThe entire Women’s Movement in the United States has been quite extensive. It can be traced back to 1848, when the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. After two days of discussions, 100 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, this document called for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. This gathering set the agenda fo r the rest of the Women’s Movement long ago (Imbornoni). OverRead MoreThe Struggle For Freedom And Equality1621 Words   |  7 Pagesof the time. The need for political freedom was a trend that started in the early 1840s and has not diminished since. The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in all elections. This granted all American women political freedom and started a movement to end prejudice against females. Before the amendment was ratified women were prohibited from jury service, public speaking, holding office, and attending college (Nineteenth Amendment 1). The 19th Amendment was one of the most influential turningRead MoreThe Issues Of Urban Poverty1197 Words   |  5 Pagespoverty still existed. Women in the 1960s established a conversion in women’s status, for instance, women entered the paid workforce. America experienced a growth of conservative movements, consequently, the 1960s would confront judgment for social ill, crime and drug abuse and d rug abuse as well as decline respect towards authority. In despite of crisis, America became a tolerant nation. The sixties are known as a decade of drastic change, rebellion, and backlash. Also, for the American individuals thatRead MoreEssay about Womens Movement of 1960s1284 Words   |  6 PagesThe entire Women’s Movement in the United States has been quite extensive. It can be traced back to 1848, when the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. After two days of discussions, 100 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, this document called for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. This gathering set the agenda for the rest of the Women’s Movement long ago (Imbornoni). OverRead More`` The Best Protection Any Woman Can Have Courage Essay1669 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The best protection any woman can have is courage† -Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The antebellum period was of rapid technological change and westward expansion. This time rose a belief of Manifest Destiny and the rise of abolitionism. The antebellum period brought out great change to the nation ;however, the greatest change was the change of social attitudes toward the women in this time period. Women started slowly emerging out of their traditional roles in a fight to eventually be seen as an equalRead More1.To What Degree Did The Feminist Movement Bring About1664 Words   |  7 Pages1. To what degree did the feminist movement bring about a shift in American society and culture? How does the film 9 to 5 comment on this shift? Compare and contrast 9 to 5, both in its production and content, to at least two other class films featuring women in the professional workplace. The feminist movement during the 1970s brought about a shift in American society and culture to a degree that allowed for several changes to occur. The film Nine to Five comments on this shift through its writing

Mobile Phones For Agricultural And Rural Developments Free Essays

Introduction Over the past few years, there has been a substantial improvement in the development of ICT in Africa. Mobile communications technology, in particular, has become the most powerful way to servicing millions of people and extending economic opportunities in Africa. In Nigeria, the diffusion of mobile phones has brought about huge changes in the country’s development. We will write a custom essay sample on Mobile Phones For Agricultural And Rural Developments or any similar topic only for you Order Now These changes have been felt across various sectors including the Agricultural sector.Agriculture is widely known to have manifold benefits on a country’s economy. For most African countries, it accounts for an overwhelming majority of rural employment (Donovan 2011). Mobile services and applications represent one of the most profound changes in rural Nigeria. With information technology on the rise, its impact in agricultural and rural development can no longer be ignored. In line with this, our analysis examines the impact of mobile phones in agricultural and rural development in Nigeria. Diffusion of mobile phones in Nigeria The rural sector in Nigeria has over the past few years seen a rapid diffusion of mobile phones. According to the World Bank report (2011), mobile phones have today become the single most powerful way to servicing and extending economic opportunities to millions of people in Africa. In Nigeria alone, the use of mobile phone subscription has rapidly increased from as low as 0.33% of the population in 2001 to a record high of 48.9% in 2009 (World Bank report 2011). According to this report, the majority of new mobile subscribers will in the next few years come from rural areas of the developing economies. How mobile phones help enhance or improve agricultural and rural development programmes in Nigeria One important aspect to which mobile phone has contributed to rural development is through enhancing rural connectivity. Mobile phones have provided the much need connectivity especially in the rural parts of Nigeria. Over a decade ago, Nigeria only had about 100,000 phone lines with most of the landlines run by NITEL, the state-owned telecoms behemoth (Ogunlesi 2012). Today, however, NITEL is no longer there and the number of mobile phone lines has increased to over 100 million (Ogunlesi 2012). A pyramid survey also projected that the mobile subscriptions in Nigeria will more likely surpass 129 million by the year 2014, making Nigeria Africa’s largest telecom market (Pyramid research 2010) More recently, the Nigerian government has undertaken a major project which involves the distribution of over 10 million mobile phones to farmers in rural Nigeria (Ebriku 2012). This project is intended at providing farmers access to market information. This will help enhance rural development and make the country’s agricultural sector more tech-friendly; thereby eliminating various challenges facing farmers on a daily basis such as the delay in information dispersion (Ebriku 2012). This massive project which is meant to enhance agricultural and rural development is scheduled for completion by 2013. The Nigerian government has also launched the ‘Growth Enhancement Support Scheme’ which is expected to provide fertilizer and seed support to farmers through their mobile devices (NADS report 2011). This new scheme is expected to liberalize policies on fertilizers and seed distribution and to shift direction to value chain development (NADS report 2011). That is, the ‘Growth Enhancement Support Scheme’ will help develop a value chain system that supports distribution of farm inputs, particularly seeds and fertilizers to farmers (NADS report 2011). Among several other initiatives which have been developed by Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture to streamline the complex distribution of farm inputs is the Integrated Cassava Project (UNDP report 2012). This initiative enables cassava growers to access market information via their mobile phones. It uses Agri-Business Information Points and trade agents to disseminate market information (UNDP report 2012). Services provided by this initiative include: prices, offers, trainings, trade assistance, technical messages and SMS alerts among many others (UNDP report 2012). Undeniably, the diffusion of mobile phones in rural Nigeria has enhanced communication between farmers, extension agents, agricultural research institutes, input dealers and transporters. Farmers of today are better placed to receive accurate market information than before. They no longer have to accept the first price but rather can negotiate for a better deal. Mobile phones have also enabled them ease of communication with other farmers, making it feasible to put in place cooperatives that can help them explore new markets. Additionally, mobile phones have enhanced rural connectivity in Nigeria as farmers can easily communicate with friends, families, and other rural inhabitants without the need to travel. Challenges facing the use of mobile phones in agricultural and rural developments in Nigeria. There are, however, a number of challenges inhibiting effective mobile phone usage in the rural areas. One major challenge is the lack of infrastructural facilities. It is a widely accepted fact that insufficient infrastructure impedes all aspects of the economy. In Nigeria, infrastructural inadequacies across the telecom industries have been suggested to result in poor connectivity and limited network coverage in the rural sector (Abel-Ratovo, et.al, 2012). Despite the increase in mobile phones usage in the rural areas of Nigeria, there remains a huge connectivity and infrastructure divide between the rural and urban areas. The rural sectors in Nigeria lag in terms of roads, portable water, electricity and fixed-line communications (Pyramid research 2009). A large proportion of the Nigerian population, however, continues to live in the rural areas hence making it a sizable addressable market for mobile services (Pyramid research 2009). Another challenge that impedes mobile application in the rural parts of Nigeria is language barrier and illiteracy. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country with a linguistically diverse population comprising of more than 140 million people (Ofulue 2011). This populous country has about 510 spoken languages and 66% literacy rate (Ofulue 2011). Given this multilingual society and the relatively low level of literacy rate, it becomes particularly challenging for mobile phone users especially in rural Nigeria to communicate and access market information through these electronic gadgets. Other factors which have been suggested inhibit the use of mobile phones for rural and agricultural developments include: the constant interruption of power supply, unaffordable tariff rates and lack of wider network coverage (Pyramid research 2009). In addressing these challenges, the Nigerian government is collaborating with mobile operators and international institutions to bridge the connectivity gaps. Infrastructure sharing and a multitude of initiatives have been developed to help these efforts (Pyramid research 2009). The Federal government is also looking to invest in improving literacy levels in order to spur greater use of mobile phones for rural and agricultural developments (Abel-Ratovo, et.al, 2012). Conclusion There is no doubt that mobile phones have become the clear choice of communication with most of the Nigerian population using this technology to send and receive information. Not only does this mode of communication facilitate effective interaction and exchange of vital information among the rural and urban dwellers, but it also holds a significant potential for advancing agricultural and rural development in Nigeria. Yet, despite the increase in mobile phones usage in the rural areas of Nigeria, there exists a huge connectivity and infrastructure divide between the rural and urban areas. Moreover, Nigeria is home to a linguistically diverse population with a relatively low level of literacy. In addition, factors such as unaffordable tariff rates and poor network coverage have made it challenging to communicate and access market information through these electronic gadgets. In addressing these challenges, the Nigerian government is collaborating with mobile operators and international institutions to bridge the connectivity gaps. Infrastructure sharing and a multitude of initiatives have been developed to help these efforts. The Federal government is also looking to invest in improving literacy levels in order to spur greater use of mobile phones for rural and agricultural developments. Reference Abel-Ratovo, et.al, 2012. ‘Ownership and use of mobile phones for agricultural transactions by traders’. Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. Vol.4 (10), pp. 305-317 Donovan, K., 2011. Overview of ICT in Agriculture: opportunities, access and cross-cutting themes. InfoDev Ebriku, J.F., 2012. Nigerian government to distribute 10 million mobile phones to farmers. [viewed on 16th December 2012] available from http://www.communicationsafrica.com/mobile/nigerian-government-to-distribute-10-million-mobile-phones-to-farmers Nigeria Agro-Dealer Support (NADS) report, 2011. Growing Africa’s agriculture. IFDC Ofulue, C.I., 2011. ‘Literacy at a distance in multilingual contexts: issues and challenges’. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, vol.12 (6) Ogunlesi, T., 2012. Seven ways mobile phones have changed lives in Africa. CNNInside Africa. [Viewed on 16th December 2012] available from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/13/world/africa/mobile-phones-change-africa/index.html Pyramid research, 2010. The impact of mobile services in Nigeria: how mobile technologies are transforming economic and social activities. UNDP report 2012. The importance of ICTs in the provision of information for improving agricultural productivity and rural incomes in Africa. International Food Policy Research Institute, Addis Ababa. World Bank report, 2011. Mobile applications for agriculture and rural development. Washington, D.C. How to cite Mobile Phones For Agricultural And Rural Developments, Essay examples

An Ode to A User Friendly Pencil free essay sample

Once, called away to an unanticipated school conference, I began drafting my short noticed speech with a yellow wooden pencil. Unfortunately this graphite loaded, eraser-tipped writing spear has become an alienated object as I readily admit my dependence on a new technology of writing. I found that I had become so used to composing virtual prose that I could no longer draft anything coherent directly onto a piece of paper. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t think of the words, but the deliberate physical effort of handwriting, crossing out, revising, cutting and pasting was much too tedious. The writing practices that I had been engaged in regularly since the age of four, now seemed to overwhelm and constrict me as I longed for the flexibility of digitized text. The computer is the latest development in writing technology; a promises to change literary practices for better. Bonnie Laing, the author of the essay â€Å"An Ode to the User-Friendly Pencil† is strongly against the boycotting pencils. We will write a custom essay sample on An Ode to A User Friendly Pencil or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Unfortunately, Laing’s argument that the pencil is superior to a computer is poorly demonstrated due to her biased diction towards analog writing instruments and ignorance of the current technologically driven era. Moreover, a major flaw noted within Laing’s writing is that she establishes an impractical prejudice for pencils. For instance, Laing attempts to persuade the reader using an irrational rhetorical question where she cautions â€Å"†¦can you imagine chewing on computer while balancing your cheque book† (15). Through this question, Laing attempts to justify the pencil’s usefulness; however, chewing any writing instrument is irrelevant since the function of neither the computer nor the pencil is to be chewed on. Additionally, the whimsical diction Laing produced within her essay such as â€Å"I’ve never had to boot a pencil† implies that Laing does not take the topic seriously enough to actually prove the superiority of pencils and would rather manipulate the readers’ interest by mocking and ridiculing the computer (8). Furthermore, our current society has migrated from an era of pencils, to an era of computers as the primary tool to create literature. Society has  reached a point in time where if pencils become obsolete, it would not make a great impact due to the availability of computers. Also, society has become highly dependent on laptops and personal computers (PC’s) as it remains the quickest way to socialize via social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Not only did the transition from a pencil and paper to a computer allow for a faster and more efficient method of creating literature, but it also came with several luxuries that include: word processors, internet, software, social networks, data storage, and entertainment. Therefore Laing’s view towards computers is simply personal since a pencil can only perform the function of basic writing and yet a computer can enhance the same function with numerous technological advancements. Likewise, in current day education, assignments and subject courses are becoming mandatory in a virtual environment. Assignments are now being typed and submitted so that the writing is more legible. Needless to say, computers have the extraordinary capability of capturing grammar mistakes instantly. Although this is a positive feature of computers, Laing’s ignorance displays otherwise when she argues that pencils â€Å"†¦won’t insist on correcting your whimsical use of grammar† (17). Hence showing that Laing is uninformed about computers and their role in our current society because she critiques the positive aspects of a computer rather than pointing out legitimate drawbacks of the pencil. Upon summation, a computer is more superior than a pencil as it serves several functions rather than one and is fundamentally integrated within current days’ technologically-driven society. Laing has failed to persuade the reader of the pencils superiority to computers because her sarcastic persuasion displays a noticeable bias towards pencils. The ordinary pencil is too primitive to be compared to the likes of a computer. Computers yield a new era. Comparing two unlike items such as a pencil to a computer (that vary so drastically in usefulness) is just as foolish as comparing the capabilities of a rock to that of a human.