Hurricane Katrina and its Impact on the New Orleans Economy

Hurri cleare Katrina and its Impact on the radical siege of siege of siege of Orleans parsimoniousnessIntroductionThe Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 had hit the areas corresponding, Bahamas, Cuba, southeastern Florida, Louisiana and especially, advanced Orleans as it was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. Its greatest impact was seen in New Orleans, Louisiana with estimations of slightly 80% of the metropolis being wiped out and the overall damages due to hurricane were pegged at more than $200 billion and 1,836 people lost their lives.New Orleans EconomyThough the field contributes merely 2% of the gross domestic product of the USA, it plays a vital role in the increase and development of the country as the New Orleans port is one of the busiest and largest in the world. It is also a centre for the maritime industry. Another key industry at New Orleans is the countrys one of the major sources for petrochemical exertions with oil colour do wn facilities. It is also one of the major educational hubs of the country homing over 50,000 degree students.Besides, tourists from worldwide folk at the pristine beaches of New Orleans with over $5.5 billion turnover every year contributing about 40% of the tax revenue of New Orleans with about 10 million visitors. New Orleans is also one of the 10 most visited cities in the USA.The exercise scenario before the Hurricane Katrina was different in New Orleans which could be understood from the fact that from 1990 to 2000, the employment in U.S. economy grew by 19.5 percent creating more than 21 million jobs whereas for the corresponding period, the nation in the country had increased by 13 percent i.e., about 32 million people. However, in New Orleans city lost both jobs and population in the same corresponding period. Little less than half of the population in the city was employed in hospitality, trading, medical and healthcare and government. (Cashell Labonte, 2005)However, th ere was a shift in pattern of the employment base and tourism became one of the major employers with contributing 16 percent of total employment and government employment was about 20 percent. At the same time, the gap of average wage between matter rate and New Orleans had widened.Export HubHaving three primary(prenominal) industries in New Orleans namely, ports, education and tourism which have remained backbone for the local employment. The ports at New Orleans have capacity of handling about 5,000 ships every year from the docks of 60 countries. The port of New Orleans along with the Port of South Louisiana near LaPlace accounts for the maximum bulk shipping in the world. The major exports from these ports are petroleum products, food and grain and minerals. Whereas, the key imports are mainly with Latin America which includes coffee, cocoa beans, chemicals and petroleum. (Cashell Labonte, 2005)EducationNew Orleans city has Tulane University located in along with the Universi ty of New Orleans, Lyoyla University, Xavier University, Southern University, Dillard University and Louisiana State University Medical School. New Orleans hence, is a major hub for the degree students enrolling significantly of African-American students.Post-Katrina Economic ImpactFollowing the devastating hurricane Katrina, the loss of output reduced the economic growth of the region in later of 2005 and resumed the economic activities in premiere 2006. However, the increase in spending while rebuilding the city and restoration measures had expected to increase the growth rate of the region for first two quarters of 2006 and the macroeconomic advisors changed their estimations for the growth from 3.2 per cent each for both quarters in 2006 to 4.4 per cent and 3.8 per cent respectively. (AbcNews, n.d.).Impact on dexterity and TradeFor the nation as a whole, its Gulf Region is a key producer of oil and natural gas contributing 6.5 percent and 16 percent of consumption of raw oi l and gas respectively. Due to Hurricane Katrina, the refining of crude oil and petroleum loss is estimated of about 2 million lay per day as the refining capacities had to shut. Nonetheless, major pipelines supplying crude and petroleum to the East, South and Midwest costs also originate in Gulf which created impact on petroleum prices. Energy prices fluctuations in any economy leaves large impacts on the nation which has been observed in the disasters like wars and recessions. It leaves behind losses and opportunity losses hurdling the national growth rate indirectly. According to studies, mere 10 percent of rise in oil prices for about three months also can affect the additive growth of the economy curtailing it by about 0.7 per cent to 1.4 per cent per annum. It suggests that a small price rise in the key component like oil can have a modest impact and sharp impact on the national economy. According to the Energy Department, gasoline had set a stark naked record price on Sept ember 5, 2005 at $3.07 per gallon. Dean Baker, economist and co-director at the Center for Economic and Policy Research had opined that the rise in prices was because of scam in supply due to loss of refining capacity slowing the growth rate of economy slightly in the fourth quarter. These immediate make had largely dissipated by the end of the year. If anything, the rebuilding from the storm (financed by insurance and government assistance) was giving a modest boost to the economy by the beginning of 2006, Dean was quoted in a news report. (AbcNews, n.d.)The hurricane in New Orleans had forced to cease about 95 per cent of oil production from very second day of the disaster striking. Though, the mammoth works of rebuilding and restorations were in place down to 10 months also from the day of disaster, the yearly oil production was 30 per cent less than before the Katrina.The refineries where shut down across the region and from nine facilities with capacity of refining up to 1.5 million barrels a day, seven were operational by November 2005 (Mcculey, 2007). Rest of two had taken longer time to commence. One of the refineries producing 247,000 barrels a day could start exclusively subsequently 8 months in May.Moreover, thousands of jobs were lost combining with the sharp increase in prices affecting the economic growth in the last quarter of 2005. The countrys gross domestic product had seen a sharp fall in the growth rate at 1.8 per cent for the respective quarter in comparison to 4.2 per cent of GDP growth for the corresponding period in the previous year.Mesirow Financial chief economist Diane Swonk had commented that Katrina had left distortionary impact on the economy. After a hike in the go off prices, they were again dipped less than $3 per gallon in first quarter of 2006 as the federal government along with the private enterprises had pumped in millions of dollars in rescue and restoration initiatives. The impact of this on GDP was very positive a nd the growth rate was registered at 5.6 per cent in the same period. ontogeny in household spending was also recovered in the same period with the fuel prices returning to normalcy.New Orleans after Two years from the DisasterAccording to the Time Magazine, about 450,000 population of New Orleans had not returned to the city even after two years of the disaster after a majority population was evacuated and some had migrated in 2005. The unemployment rate had gone up in 2007 at 5.1 per cent from 4.5 per cent in 2006 in Orleans Parish. (Mcculey, 2007)The industries which had sustained the hurricane had started posting positive financial results which was a positive sign of the recovery though new enterprises were restraining from the region due to its vulnerability. (Brinkley, 2006)The ports of New Orleans were first to recover from the disaster and within two weeks of devastation, first ship call was received at the port. Sooner, the cargo traffic was in place contributing smart recovery as about 60,000 jobs were related to the ports and its operations in New Orleans. In 2007, about 500,000 passengers through cruise ship were estimated to arrive in New Orleans which was inching towards the figure of 2004 when 750,000 passengers through cruise had arrived at the port. (Dolfman, Wasser, Bergman, 2007)ConclusionHence, the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the economy of New Orleans has been mixed as it shrunk the growth of the region but after the setback also rebounded with vengeance. It also changed the landscape of employment pattern and flow of tourists as tourism is one of the key industries here. The long endure impact of the hurricane will remain in the minds of locals and those who lost their family and friends which could not be healed ever and as much as the economic damages can be. As the Time magazine had stated in its issue of 2007 that there were certain things in New Orleans which will never be like before. (Mcculey, 2007)

Enhancement Of Computer Literacy In Primary Students Education Essay

Enhancement Of data processor Literacy In Primary Students Education EssayINTRODUCTION1. Commencement of drill of Information and communicating engineering name been re-engineering virtually all the fields of human life from fundamental needs like communicating with friend living abroad to fundamental needs like education, health and governance. That is non simply a technological evolution but to a fault a social revolution that en draw ins the base students, to discover new habits, innovative moral philosophy and production of new life systems, so that to adapt with global change in human culture and life style. Our education system withal to be formulate to meet this concept and to be aligned with this new technology. thusly, the innovative distribution of Information Communication Technology (ICT) for education of prime students is becoming compulsive need since the professionalism is the backb unrivalled that could change the culture and the society in time to time t owards create extinctstanding living condition expected by the mess.2. Today, it is passing important that a primary student should be competent with coherence in the ara of computing machines and technology. It is impossible to be successful in todays product line mart and high tech lifestyle, if our primary students atomic number 18 failed for timely educate as early as possible to suit the existing requirement to this subject.3. The computing machine literacy is right off an essential tool that all students must be familiar with in order to complete their routine studies and focusing for future chew over demand. Whatever our job Teacher, Planner, Lawyer, Accountant or Salesperson computing device literacy argon mandatory them to succeed. Primary students are also need to gain certain aim of computer literacy in order to complete fundamental every day skills to face our future society. In fundamental Colleges in Sri Lanka most(prenominal) of the primary students are aware with computer studies but they have to use it in a way to achieve mandatory results need for join the future mankind and join the future community.4. The use of the internet facility is highly required skill for students and they are to thoroughly master it definitely. computing machine literacy and Internet are almost one in the same(p) thing usually one isnt mentioned without the an opposite(prenominal) tagging along. Without the Internet, there would be no way to instantly find the name of a famous book your positron emission tomography writer was in five years ago. Primary students will need to be familiar with the Internet in all types of educational methods whether it is research on every topic or surfing for breeding. For this purpose primary students need to know what a search engine is and how it works, what a keyword is and how it works, how to open a browser and how to use a link, etc. The Internet is a huge wealth of information that every students should ta ke advantage for gather information skills. There are web sites that will help primary students to find educational tours by posting their resume online. Online skills allow primary students to learn and share social, cultural, environmental facts of other countries, people and religions. Many secondary level students today are now getting their degree online in the comfort of their own homes on their own schedule. Its direful how today with a couple of clicks, every student can go anywhere in the world in two, three seconds without leaving their computer.5. Promotion of computer literacy is one of the most essential areas in education. The important role which it plays is intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual phylogeny of children. The students normally use sensory perceptions to know his immediate surroundings. It is mechanically widens his vision. The computer literacy skills of students are non a one time experience. It is a continuous lifetime experience. It is accep ted that a proper skills of data processor Literacy has to be inculcated and nurtured in the early years of age.6. It must be distinguished as the ability to work with beneathstanding and appreciation. In Sri Lanka computer is mostly a Information Communication Technological skill which is brought about by brute repetition of a given stimulus together with the appropriate reception. It is a matter of some question whether all children have acquired the ability to learn in the reliable sense, by the time they have reached tutor leaving age. It needs at least quaternity years to attain the computer skill and is it reasonable to expect these children who drop out after primary level to sustain that skill afterwards? Computer literacy is a not a severe complex process. It is an average simple skill which once learned, can be increased with referral to the Information Technological comfortable publications.CHAPTER IIMETHODOLOGYAIM1. This paper will emphasis and analyze why the ch ildren are not skilled in Computer Literacy and for examine the factors which descend computer literacy in children and what steps have to be taken for the conjure upment of computer literacy and information technological skills in primary school children in key Colleges in Sri Lanka.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM2. It is required to study of Primary level students of Central Colleges computer literacy and the present environment to enhance their capabilities in computer literacy.In this research need to focus on their Computer educational system and clarify the difficulties and the to the mechanism that they required to strengthen the computer literacy, information technology facial expressions, as considering the future job opportunities that can be gained by primary students in Central Colleges Sri Lanka.3. The question is at present scenario is ,the primary school students in Central Colleges in Sri Lanka have not been able to acquire the required measurement of Computer literacy , and information technology to enhance their minimum skills required in Computer field.4. This paper will identify and analyze why the Computer Literacy in primary students is dwindling, the factors which determine literacy and suggest recommendation for the promotion of mechanism that needs to enhance skills, knowledge in primary level students.RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS5. Mechanism will be strengthening to face the future job demand.In this aspect is to be achieved in a way of researching experimental computer study of guidance in formulation with Government educational policies on Information Technology for enhancement of Computer Literacy of primary students in Central CollegesSCOPE OF STUDYThe scope of this research focused on the primary students in first-year floor 1 to note 5, their teachers and principals are to extract their ideas by questionnaire and interviews. Also the research will analyze educational specialists personal views on what should be the background surrounding the primary school children to promote their Computer literacy.The anonymity of the researcher was chief(prenominal)tained by asking questions from certain group heads and teachers under the name of a consented individual. The purpose was to drop dead biased answers which may be given as a result of the fact that the questions are presented by a known IT instructor. This is also to investigate any disagreements in reaction for the same questions based on computer literacy. This method is adopted as the topic is of sensitive nature and based entirely on individual attitudes.METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION7. Data collection methods are as follows.a. Primary source.(1) Primary source of information were collected by interviewing IT educationists and heads of schools.(2) provided data collection done by a questionnaire prepared for the primary school students and their teachers.b. Secondary sources. Books, paper articles and websites used as the secondary sources of information.CHAPTER O RGANIZATIONThe thesis is structured as follows a. CHAPTER I Introductionb. CHAPTER II MethodologyCHAPTER III Computer Literacy of Primary Students in Central Colleges(1) Computer literacy introduction of primary students(2) feed literacy skills and IT environment of primary studentsCHAPTER IV Weather educational support and the required guidance and assistance will provide to enhance the computer literacyHow teachers adopt educational method to improve computer literacy of students by policies of educational department.How the other aspects on infrastructure facilities given to improve on computer literacy of primary students(3) Enhancement of Computer literacy and IT Skills of Studentsi Learning interests of studentsii Students interests in internetiii College IT Environmentiv Teachers opinion about Computer literacyCHAPTER V Impact of Computer Literacy for primary students at Central Colleges and future Job demand at society(1). How the computer literacy help to increase job de mand for future society(2). enlarge job demands and the computer literacy as main educational aspects of needs in primary students.CHAPTER VIReasons behind the inefficiency of present practices on computer studies of students.Why the basic computer needs cannot preserve the computer education at Central CollegesPresent skills of students and personal interest on computer literacy of primary students.Education level of primary students in line with present technology changes behind computer educational systems.Awareness studies and competency of teachers on newly introduced software systems and theories on computer studies.Other aspects that can be used to increase the computer studies.The malfunction exist in routine and system stability on computer studies of studentsAdvantages and disadvantages of utilizing equal study hours for increase computer literacy.CHAPTER VICHAPTER VIIj. CHAPTER VIIICHAPTER III lecture APTITUDE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN1. style is a process that helps people to express themselves and to make effective social relationship among people all over the world. It is through language that people could acquire information to improve their basic needs much(prenominal) as health habits, consciousness, scientific changes and different types of skills to earn a living. Piaget, the renowned physiologist believed that the real key to human intellectual development, conceptual development, is language. Language is the most effective mode of communication. The lack of language ability often hinders ones progress.1The language aptitude and literacy performance of the primary level adopts the standards of childrens see habits and information skills.LANGUAGE LEARNING OUTCOME IN SRI LANKA2. Sri Lanka has attained the first generation education objective of providing widesp guide access to primary education (grades 1-5). However one major(ip) challenge that the country has to overcome is the moderate level of learning achievement in language profi ciency among primary school children.23. According to re centime studies carried out by NIE and NEREC, University of Colombo only amid 35 to 38 per cent of primary school students have achieved standard level of their mother tongue (Annex B). This is a serious constraint to further learning, as all subsequent studies will draw on the childs mother tongue capability.4. There is a considerable difference in the achievement of dictation level in their first language between urban and rural schools. According to the above studies more than 40 per cent of urban children achieve mastery level in their mother language contrast to below 34 per cent in rural areas. Also more than 1/3 of pupils have failed to achieve standard level for their mother language. This shows the dwindling of watching habits and information skills among primary school children.5. The regional dissimilitude in achieving mastery level in first language is clearly shown in bow III.I. 41.24 per cent of Western pr ovince consecrate 5 students achieve mastery level in contrast to 42.40 percent in Uva province students have failed to achieve the required standard level. This shows how the availability of physical and human resources affects performance.Mastery = 80% 100% no(prenominal) Mastery = 0 59%Table III.I Achieving mastery levels in literacy in family 5 by provincial levelsSource Performance of Grade 5 students in literacy and numeracy NIELITERACY SKILLS OF CHILDREN5. According to the research project on development of language skills among primary school children carried out by NLDC (Annex C), the overall performance of Grade 2 pupils is satisfactory. There is hardly any disparity between districts or among school types.6. The Grade 4 assessment revealed disparity in performance among the districts and between school types. AAVG level schools show highest performance while SS level schools show poor performance. These variations in performance pin-point the inequalities in distr ibution of learning and principle facilities for the school subjects, particularly in language skills.7. More than half of the number of pupils in the sample have not been able to attain the expected achievement level for the vocabulary synonyms/ antonyms, spelling and grammatical writing ability and creative wring skills for the Grade, after four years of schooling. This suggests that they are suffering from lack of exercise habits.3CHAPTER IVREADING INTERESTS AND INFORMATION SKILLS OF CHILDRENREADING INTERESTS OF CHILDREN1. There is no particular age at which a child should actually begin the process of learning to read. It should attract to real activity, to spontaneous work based upon personal need and interest.4Children have an innate desire to know about their surroundings. As the child develops learning through sensory perception, he becomes more and more curious to understand his environment what has happened and what is happening are his interests.2. Children may come t o understand an important part of their world through the experience of translation. They outgrowth to learn about reading in a natural and incidental way.5If a book satisfies childs needs, he will start reading it for pleasure. A child begins acquaintance with a book by looking at pictures. If the book catches his interest, he returns to the book again. Also he is beingness exposed to the printed word in the environment such as bus boards, various posters on the highway, road signs, labels of goods in the market, advertisements on television and news papers. The child sees a great deal of words in his environment and tries to grasp them meaningfully. Therefore, most children have a form of awareness of the printed word.63. According to the study it has clearly shown that children are interested in books, magazines, childrens papers and they have a thirst for information, knowledge and communication. This inbuilt desire and interest found in children has to be harnessed to impro ve their reading habits and information skills. As such it is the duty and responsibility of the parent, the teacher and the authorities to take the full use of it.7Table IV.I would like to hand my Table IV.II would like to spend my leisure time .- Grade 2 leisure time .- Grade 4CHILDRENS INTERESTS IN MEDIA4. The child gets motivated to read when he hears stories or when an big(a) reads aloud a trading floor to him. Today the child could get this type of satisfaction through the mass media. When children watch television or listen to the radio, those programmes which are meant for children create awareness and need for reading and they could be made use of to develop reading habits and information skills.5. As per the study it is revealed that Both Grade 2 and 4 childrens best television programme is cartoon stories. most of children like to listen to songs and stories by radio. These interests could be made use of in varied shipway to develop reading habits and information skil ls in the classroom and home.Table IV.V Interest on Television Table IV.VI Interest on TelevisionGrade 2 Grade 4Table IV.V Interest on Radio Table IV.VI Interest on RadioGrade 2 Grade 4Table IV.I Grade 2 Table IV.II Grade 4Childrens interests on childrens paper6. Above two tables indicate that a very high piece of children in all three districts read childrens papers. It was found that this is a habit authentic by the good teachers of those schools by exchanging papers within the class, when those parents who could afford to buy papers for their children bring them to school. This high percentage suggests that if reading materials are made available to children, and then reading habits and information skills of primary school children could be definitely improved.CHAPTER VREADING AND CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT1. As a foundation for the development of reading habits and information skills, the four language skills listening, speaking, writing and reading has to be developed in the classroom and the home. The child should be able to read with ease and facility in order to develop reading as a habit. The first requisite for this is to gain ability to identify letters and words. Then the child has to read words and sentences to infer meaning and gain knowledge, information etc. This is a complex process.82. Reading skills could develop only if reading materials are available. Non availability of suited reading materials create serious limitations in ontogenesis reading habits. Hence the laying of foundation on a sound footing is the responsibility of the parent, the teacher and the school.SCHOOL BACKGROUND3. A teaching-learning situation is significantly affected by the availability of building with sufficient number of classrooms, seating accommodation and furniture. Primary sections of some popular urban schools have more than 50 pupils in one classroom, which could accommodate only 40. This situation has resulted adversely. Neither the teacher nor the pupil could move about freely to give and receive individual attention.94. The situation is worse in some schools where the classes are conducted in unpartitioned open halls. In such schools both teaching and learning has become drudgery and some teachers are force to conduct classes under the trees in the garden.105. The teacher is the key factor in astir(p) reading skills and habits in pupils when resources are sub standard. In those schools the teacher is the only source of learning. Out of the 25 teachers who supplied information through the questionnaire, 21 are primary education trained and 3 are trained graduates. However the response of head of the schools revealed that there are quite number of teachers who are not trained. The standard of education undoubtedly recedes when teachers are not trained for the profession.6. Out of 15 schools exclusively primary education is given in only 5 schools. In those schools primary education is entirely managed by a Deputy Head. Of other 8 school primary heads three are trained five are graduates with post diploma. Academic professional status of the head of the school, his attitude toward improving the mother tongue, commitment to his profession, his support in providing reading materials and promoting reading habits is of significance in this con textbook.7. Out of 15 schools of the sample five schools do not posses libraries give to the reading needs of primary school children. Out of the 10 school libraries three of them have 100 500 books. Three school libraries have little than 1000 books and two National schools in Colombo district and one National school in each other two districts have a wealth of 3000 or more books. The two schools in the sample which have a few books received as a donation complained that there are no storage facilities available for them even to keep them safely. Out of the 15 schools 7 schools do not buy even a single newspaper. In the mean time out of rest 8 schools only 5 schools buy childrens paper for the primary school children.118. Except for the national schools librarians trained for the job are not available in the rest of the schools. In most of these schools a teacher from the staff helps in the library. In three schools a young lady is employed for the work in the library paying a nominal fee.9. This clearly displays the disparity between schools with sub standard resources and schools with above average standard resources. This fact substantiates the view presented earlier that the socio economic level at home and school affect achievement level of children.TEACHERS OPINION ABOUT READING10. The response presented by the 25 teachers of the schools of the sample revealed that children are really interested in reading and teachers do their best to promote reading by managing classroom libraries under difficult situations. Each child in the classroom brings a story book at the beginning of the year. Sometimes teachers give the names of the list of story books. Also those who can afford to buy childrens paper bring them to the class. These books and papers are exchanged among the pupils. There by teachers help children to develop reading habits. sooner in some schools teachers get a few books, about thirty from the secondary school library and distribute them among children once a month or so.11. Some teachers are of the opinion that the primary syllabuses contain far too much material for the year that they cannot complete and it is difficult for them to concentrate on developing the reading habits individually. There should be verity in the content of the curriculum to cater individual needs. Also they pointed out that Grade 2 and Grade 4 even Grade 5 text books do not motivate children to read as the stories do not awaken their feeling and curiosity. Stories do not create opportunities for children to think. Therefore the teachers say that children mechanically read by heart, even if they cannot identify letters, words or meani ng of what they pretend to read. Therefore the authorities come to have to be more cautious in the selection and grading curriculum and text book content.12. Teachers also revealed that in addition to the scarcity of reading material, children of sub standard and average type schools suffer from other deficiencies such as socio economic conditions at home, large families, parents not been educated, their inability to realize the immenseness of reading.13. Method of teaching plays an important role in learning situation. What was observed was teachers are more concerned with covering the syllabus, merely using general methods of teaching without thinking of special and innovative techniques and individual differences of learners. There is hardly any system of evaluating reading. Teachers do not seem to undertake feedback programmes and maintain record of it. want of teaching aids was observed in most of the schools and teachers depend only on Talk and Chalk.HOME BACKGROUND14. Rese arch done in westbound countries has revealed that success in reading had been achieved by children who were provided with plenty of opportunities for reading and access to books. Avid readers had stories read or told to them regularly by parents or grand parents.1215. Children read anything and everything they get hold of as they are interested in reading. If is therefore the duty of the adults to select suitable books for children, as they cannot discriminate between suitable books and books not suitable for them and evaluate them.16. It is assumed that when family size of it is large, children do not get equal need satisfaction enjoyed by children of small families of the same income level. In the questionnaire the family size of pupils was divided in to two categories.a. Category 1 Number of family members four or lessb. Category 2 Number of family members five or moreTable V.I Indicating family size17. According to the table V.I in Colombo district smaller sized families p ercentage is higher than other two districts. This factor seemed to have affected the achievement performance of children, as it is apparent from the highest ML percentage in Colombo district.18. Parental support in supplying reading materials such as books, papers and magazines undoubtedly helped development of childrens reading habits and information skills. This in turn is conditioned by the socio economic status of parents. Table V.II Table V.III indicate the number of books Grade 2 and Grade 4 children posses is quite eloquent of this factor.Table V.II No. of books children posses for supplementary reading Grade 2Table V.III No. of books children posses for supplementary reading Grade 419. The table V.II shows 10 per cent of Grade 2 pupils in Colombo district have more than 10 books for extra reading while other two districts children have below 10 books. Also the table V.III indicates 54 per cent of Grade 4 pupils in Colombo district have more than 10 books for extra read ing while other two districts it is below by 36 per cent. This factor also seemed to have affected the achievement performance of children, as it is apparent from the highest ML percentage in Colombo district.20. The names of books read by pupils indicate that they read whatever those come in their way, they have no choice. They read anything and everything they get hold of as they are interested in reading. It is therefore, the duty of the adults to select suitable books for children as they cannot discriminate between suitable books and books not suitable for them and evaluate them.Daily%Sundays%Sometimes%Never%Kandy12.940.535.311.2Kalutara19.534.532.713.3Colombo22.441.328.47.8Total %18.238.832.210.7Table V.IV Houses that buy newspapers Grade 421. 10.7 per cent of the overall sample of childrens parents do not buy a newspaper. However 38.8 per cent of the sample buy Sunday newspapers. This may be due to the fact that other form of mass media like the television and radio are bei ng sought after for enjoyment and getting information. thereby a good opportunity that the parents could offer in motivating the child to develop his habit of reading is neglected. It is only a very poor percentage of parents buy newspapers daily. Even in Colombo district 22.4 per cent of the sample only buy newspapers daily. It may have been caused by two factors. It may be due to lack of money or of time to read papers. Whatever it is, if the parents could afford to buy newspapers daily it would be a motivation for the child to read and improve their information skills.CHAPTER VISUMMARY OF FINDINGS1. More than 1/3 of primary school pupils have failed to achieve standard level for their mother language.2. Most of Grade 2 pupils have acquired the language skills satisfactorily.3. a. More than 50 per cent of pupils have not acquired the language skills expected for the grade, at the end of the year.b. Performance of Grade 4 pupils in vocabulary synonyms/ antonyms, spelling and gramm atical writing ability and creative wring skills are very poor.4. There is a marked disparity in achievement of language skills among districts and between school types.5. There is no equitable provision of physical and human resources available in schools as provided for the promotion of reading habits and information skills.6. Most of the primary schools of the sample do not posses libraries. Lack of suitable reading materials, librarians, varied kinds of books, a large measurement of books of quality to cater to varied needs and interests of primary children are found to be obstacles which stand in the way of development of reading habits and information skills.7. The curriculum, text books and methods of teaching do not seem to suit the changed society of the modern day and it will not provide any encouragement to children for the improvement of reading habits.8. The parental support and encouragement at home is not enough for the children to develop reading habits and informa tion skills.9. Family size the and the socio economic status of parents affect to the development of reading habits and information skills of children.10. Children are interested in books, magazines, childrens papers and they have a thirst for information, knowledge and communication.CHAPTER VIICONCLUSION1. Reading is one of the most important components of language. It is a basic tool subject especially in primary school. Reading helps to learn all the other areas of the school curriculum and provides springy means of learning. Reading is believed as a process of acquiring information, receiving a massage from a print in a meaningful way.2. Reading is of superior significance to the educationist because it is their responsibility to guide the child to develop his total personality for the welfare of the individual child and for the welfare of the entire society and also because it is the right of the child to be literate. It is important for children to read good books and develo p their reading habits and information skills, in order to grow physically and mentally. Good reading habits are necessary for a healthy intellectual growth.3. It is a matter of some doubt whether all children have acquired the ability to read in the genuine sense, by the time they have reached school leaving age. Teacher influence, home background and book provision hold the key to an improvement in reading. The main objective of carrying out this study was to find out the reason for deficiency in readi

In Seal Team Six English Literature Essay

In Seal group sextuplet English Literature EssayHerbert Spencer, a renowned philosopher once said, Life is the continuous adjustment of natural relations to external relations Herbert Spencer Quotes. Throughout his life, Wasdin was influenced by the experiences of his childhood, during which he was harshly abused by his step have. He decided to enlist later on graduating from college, and went on to ferment a member of legal tender Team Six, an anti-terrorist group known for taking down Osama Bin Laden and various other terrorist leaders. His novel, sealing wax Team Six Memoirs of An Elite Navy Seal Sniper, describes his journey from a execrable beginning in an impoverished neighborhood to a distinguished position in the army, and brings the reviewer through his journey to success. During his narration, he constantly reminds the reader of how experiencing abuse as a child helped him endure hardships and succeed. Howard E. Wasdin encountered umpteen struggles throughout his l ife, only when he was equal to became unity of the worlds most renowned and deadliest soldiers, as evidenced and shown through his achievements in his life and his overcoming of abuse.Howard E. Wasdin was born Howard E. Wilbanks on November 8, 1961 in the quiet town of Screven, Georgia. His biological father ran away when Wasdin was a few months old, and his get under ones skin engaged and married another man, Leon Wasdin. Howard was born premature, but the clinic was so poor that it didnt have an incubator. Millie Kirkman, Wasdins mother, carried him home in a shoe box, and, for a bed, pulled out a drawer from one of the dressers and put blankets in it. As a child, I learned to endure forces beyond my control. My mother had me when she was sixteen years old (Wasdin 25). From an early age, Wasdin learned to adapt and live with a changing situation, an important aspect of a soldier. Belonging to a poor family did not help the fact that he was abused.The earliest memory I have of my childhood is when I was four years old awakened in the middle of the night by a huge man reeking of liquor. He snatched me out of the top bunk, questioning me about why Id through nearlything unlawful that day. Then he slapped me around, hitting me in the face, to the point where I could taste my own blood (Wasdin 26). Abuse heavily electrical shocked Wasdin, and it stayed with him for the rest of his life. By the cartridge holder he was five, Wasdin attempted to run away, but was later returned by the police a night later. On the night of his return, Wasdin was nearly beaten to death by Leon, his stepfather. Leon also happened to be a truck driver, and owned pecan trees in the yard of his house. It was Howards responsibility to pick up the pecans off the driveway when Leon came home, and if he hear any pecans pop under his wheels, that was my ass. Didnt matter if any had fallen since I picked them up. It was my fault for not showing due diligence (Wadin 28).In high school, Wasdin participated in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), and he discovered an interest in the military. He was fascinated with the discipline, structure, and nice uniform, and was always the outstanding cadet. It was a nice break from abuse, and afterward graduating from Cumberland Community College, he enlisted. On November 6, 1983, he reported to the Naval Training Center in Orlando, Florida for common chord months of basic training, and after basic training, Wasdin committed to six weeks of aircrew training and twelve weeks of search and rescue training at the Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. Then, he joined the Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Seven as an antisubmarine warfare operator and rescue swimmer. One of Wasdins first encounters with war was when his helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean epoch investigating a Russian nuclear submarine that had sunk while sailing off the coast of Bermuda. Wasdin jumped to action, rescuing the pilot and fe llow comrades who had been knocked unconscious by the impact and calling in another helicopter for exfiltration. He was commended for his efforts and invited to join SEAL training, which he completed a year later. At first, Wasdin was assigned to SEAL Team Two, a more basic group, before being promoted to SEAL Team Six. Before being allowed to undergo training for becoming a navy SEAL on Team Six, Wasdin fought in Operation Desert Storm, a conflict among the United States and Iraq that would last for a year, and along with his SEAL Team Two, he took control of a cargo ship disguised under an Egyptian flag that was laying mines in the Red Sea. Also, he destroyed undetonated missiles in opposition territory to make sure they did not get the invaluable technology, and helped Iraqi refugees by transporting food and water. After the operation, Wasdin tried applying for a position on the SEAL teams, and he wrote, If I hadnt been a player in Desert Storm, I probably wouldve had to wait an other two and a half years (Wasdin 146). During his stock as a SEAL Team Six operative, he was wounded in the contest of Mogadishu, and discharged from the army shortly after. He developed know problems from his wounds, and after seeing a chiropractor, he was completely cured without any medicine. Wasdin later went on to study at a chiropractic college and open his own chiropractic clinic. (Gray 2)In Seal Team Six Memoirs of An Elite Navy Seal Sniper, Wasdin brings the reader through most of his life, from him humble beginnings as an abused child to his great achievements as a SEAL warrior, with a majority of the book focused on his training and life during war. The fourth week of basic SEAL training is ably nicknamed hell on earth Week, because trainees have died from being exhausted or overworked, training for five days and five nights on four hours of sleep total. Howard records a certain accompaniment during Hell Week Instructor Stoneclam said, Everybody out of the water W e crawled out of the water and on to the floating steel pier. He made us strip peeled and lay down. Mother Nature had watchful the pier by blowing cool wind across it. Then the teachers sprayed us with cold water. Our muscles contracted wildly. The spasms were uncontrollable. Mike said, unforgiving man. I gotta pee. Its okay man. Pee here. He urinated on my hands. Oh, thanks, buddy. Most people think its just gross theyve obviously never been really cold (Wasdin 69). Hell Week always starts late at night on a Sunday, and ends at dawn of Saturday. By Thursday night of Hell Week, the trainees only had three to four hours of total sleep since Sunday, and the dream world started to mix with the real world. While enjoying a meal on Thursday morning of Hell week, an instructor said to Wasdin, You know, Wasdin, I want to you take this butter knife, go over there, and kill that deer in the corner (Wasdin 72). He looked over, and sure enough, a hit stood still in the chow hall. He crept up to the deer and pounced, only to discover it was the tray table. It was common for an instructor to play a trick like this, as it was their job to break the trainees and find their weaknesses. After completing SEAL training, Wasdin went directly to airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He ridiculed the other students at the training, because he felt that coming from SEAL training, airborne training was very easy. Wasdin writes, Some of the soldiers talked as if the training were the hardest thing in the world. They thought they were becoming part of more or less elite fighting force (Wasdin 89). Then, he trained alongside Swedish Special Forces while moving on to winter warfare training in Scotland. About a year after he finished winter warfare training, he participated in Operation Desert Storm, and after Desert Storm, he applied for a spot on SEAL Team Six, and was accepted. However, the worst of his battles was yet to come.The Battle of Mogadishu, or Black Hawk Down, t ook place on October 3, 1993, and was one of the bloodiest battles of the twenty-first century for the United States. The goal was to hunt down Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, but Wasdin and his comrades were ambushed while pursuing him. In spite of one hundred fourscore soldiers fighting against nearly three thousand of Aidids forces, American forces managed to capture several high value targets. However, Wasdin was shot by a Somali militant at close range, nearly blowing his right leg off. After the battle, Wasdin was airlifted to the armys Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest American hospital outside the United States. Upon his arrival, the doctors took him straight to surgery. At first, Wasdin refused to take the commonplace anesthetic, because he was afraid of losing his leg to surgery, but the surgeon eventually gave him an epidural, which numbed him from the waist down. Uncle Earl, from his wifes family, came to visit Wasdin after the surgery, and was appa lled at the stark conditions at the hospital. Wasdin was lying in his own excrement, and was filthy all over. After the epidural, he lost control of his bladder, and there was still dried blood caked on his body from the battle. Maybe the hospital had been too busy to perform proper patient care due to the sudden influx of wounded soldiers from the battle, but after a brief discussion, Earl got the lag to clean Wasdin and replace his bed sheets. Nonetheless, Wasdin contracted a staph infection from the hospital stay, and nearly died. He managed to fully recover, but still had an unexplained wracking di tense upingness in his neck. He assumed the unhinge was some lasting effect from the infection, but after a few visits to a doctor, he discovered that the pain originated from adjusting for his gunshot wound by changing his gait. Wasdin compared his body to a house If the basement tilts to the right and sinks a little, the roof follows except the necks pulls the opposite way (Wasd in 287). Eventually, a friend recommended a chiropractor to him, and after a few appointments, he was completely rid of the neck pain. This particular event inspired him to pursue an education in chiropractic, and he later graduated with honors as a doctor of chiropractic on September 24, 2009 from Life University in Georgia. Currently, Wasdin runs a chiropractic clinic in Jessup, Georgia. (Why I became a Chiropractor)In his novel, Wasdin revealed a lot of information about his own life. He took the reader through the grueling weeks of SEAL training, and led the reader through several epoch-making military operations, including Operation Desert Storm, the Battle of Mogadishu, and investigating Soviet Submarine K-219. He also goes into detail about suffering PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) after being discharged. Wasdin writes, I suffered the withdrawal symptoms of being cut off from the camaraderie. I was in culture shock, too. People around town could talk to me about their l ives, but I couldnt talk to them about mine (Wasdin 272). Moreover, he talked about how he was motivated to become a chiropractor After all the neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and other doctors, a chiropractor gave me back my quality of life, (Wasdin 293) referring to how only the chiropractor was effective in treating Wasdins pain.Wasdin described his childhood and its later influence on his life. In his novel, he compared his kinfolk to a king of beasts pride, or family. He comments, When a lion acquires a lioness with cubs, he kills them. Leon didnt kill me, but anything that was not done exactly right, I paid for (Wasdin 27). If the chores were not done correctly by the time Leon came home, Wasdin was beaten. If the pecans were not completely removed from the driveway when Leon came home, Wasdin was beaten. If the incorrect number of produce was brought home from the market, Wasdin was beaten. Although Wasdin lived an unfortunate childhood, this helped prepare him both menta lly and physically for his military career. baby bird abuse is an issue prevalent throughout the world, and it is not a simple matter. As Giardino, a doctorate in pediatric medicine writes, It is impossible and inadvisable to consider physical abuse of a child as an isolated incident with one cause and one effect. The ecological type of human culture and interaction is generally regarded as an ideal conceptual framework leading to the nonaccidental injury or physical abuse of the child. While the relationshop between the come of stress in an environment and the likelihood of abuse is not completely understood, there is data that suggests that the likelihood of abuse tends to increase when stress increases. Also, some caregivers can handle stress better than others, as evident with Leon, who could clearly not manage his temper. Leon and Wasdins mother both came from the poorer regions of Screven, Georgia, Wasdins birthplace. This may have contributed to an increased amount of str ess experienced by the two parents, and Leon was depicted as an alcoholic in the novel. Wasdins parents were both explicitly abusive, shouting expletives and threatening his life. There are many severe and permanent consequences to abuse.Suffering abuse can completely devastate a child, as they should be receiving love and nurturing instead. Childhood is a period of ontogenesis during which a person takes in ideas and notions that he/she will retain for the rest of his/her life, and it is crucial that a child lives in a supportive environment that promotes growth. Child abuse has consequences for both society and the victim According to a National Institute of Justice study, abused children were eleven times as likely to be arrested for criminal as a juvenile, four times more likely to be arrested for violent and criminal behavior as an adult (Long term Consequences). basketball team children in the United States die every day from abuse-related injuries, and approximately eighty percent of children that die from abuse are under the age of five. Also, two-thirds of people in drug treatment program report being abused as children. For Wasdin, abuse started at the young age of four years old, when human development starts to quicken. Despite the negative aspects of abuse, it played an important part in keeping Wasdin at the top of his SEAL class and alive in war.The slap of a belt against skin and the sound of a hand against a face may be stark reminders to Wasdin of his past, but in essence, being beaten prepared him for the physical test of training. Being scared for his life and dreading the next encounter with Leon may have been mentally scarring to Wasdin, but being placed under stress helped prepare him for the mental strain of training. Wasdin mentioned that many of his fellow trainees were more fit and stronger than him, yet did not have the mental toughness required of a SEAL. Among his classmates include an Iron Man triathlete, a college football pla yer, and others. Wasdin writes, Anybody can be physically strong. A lot of people can show up to training and be able to perform the tasks given to them. Professional athletes and high school sports stars sometimes participate, and they are the first to quit. Mental toughness is just as important as physical toughness, even more so in times of war (Wasdin 156). These traits kept him alive in war.Wasdin learned important lessons from suffering abuse as a child. From the pecan tree punishments, he learned to be aware of his surroundings and pay attention to every single detail. When he took out the icing and the wind blew the trash can over after he went back inside his house, Wasdin learned to adapt to the changing situation and just deal with it. When he was beaten for bringing home the wrong number of carrots and watermelon, he learned the importance of being exact when counting. These are all aspects of a successful soldier. For example, during the Battle of Mogadishu, Wasdin was the driver of a Humvee, and if Wasdin did not see the militant who had popped up to shoot him, he would likely have been shot to death. When Wasdin was shot, he stayed calm and looked for safety, adapting to the situation. Before the battle, he had checked his weapon magazine for the correct number of rounds, so that it would not jam during a firefight. He also made sure that his medical supplies were enough if he had missed a single tourniquet during Battle of Mogadishu, he almost most certainly wouldve lost his leg. While abuse negatively bear on Wasdin as a child, it ultimately benefited him later on in life.Wasdin had a tough beginning as a child, but he took advantage of his struggles and went on to become a renowned soldier, receiving several honors and awards for his valiance in combat. His novel Seal Team Six Memoirs of An Elite Navy Seal Sniper received spat from critics from The Washington Post and Time Magazine, and continues to be a harrowing account of his journey f rom a victim of abuse to a victorious, decorated veteran.

Good vs. Evil in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

Good vs. Evil in Macbeth The good char figure outers in Macbeth are less interesting than the evil ones. Everybody has an evil seed planted in them. Only the really evil person acts on them and commits something morally wrong. Like Macbeth. When Macbeth first received the prophecies, he actually considered them. Two truths are told,...but what is not (line 137-152, Pg 27-29). We see him arguing with himself and feeling disgusted that he even thought that. That was interesting because we get the feeling that something step up of the ordinary is coming up and our anticipation gets into the story straightaway. At the end, we didnt expect that a murderer like Macbeth would have a dramatic and poetic resourcefulness To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,...And then is heard no more it is a tale (line 21-28, Pg 233), or that he would, even in defeat, display conscience and bravery. I will not yield to kiss the ground before young Malcolms feet,...And damnd be him that first cries Ho ld, enough (line 32-39, Pg 249). We are surprised, and astonished because we see Macbeth in a different tripping and for that reason, he is interesting. While Banquo (the good character) on the other hand, was sceptical and quickly dismissed the idea of the prophecies, saying it was just their imagination. Were such thing here as we do speak about? ...That takes the reason prisoner? (line 86-89, Pg 27). That response was so predictable. There was no excitement at all. Lady Macbeth. When she got the letter from Macbeth about the prophecies, she instantaneously thinks of murder and we saw how evil she really was. The raven himself is hoarse,...To cry, Hold, hold (line 41-57, Pg 41). Here we see her summon evil spirits to thicken her blood and to turn her draw into bitter gall and then calls on them to prevent her from feeling remorse and to remove her femineity. This is very intriguing. We didnt even expect that an apparently strong, practical, and determined woman would act in s uch contradiction to her womanliness. We also see her as a selfish woman when Macbeth had second thoughts about murdering King Duncan. Was the hope drunk...Like the poor beep I the adage? (line 38-48, Pg 59), What beast wast then...As you have done to this (line 52-64, Pg 59). She then attacks his manhood to persuade him to kill Duncan.

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delight-hunts occurred throughout England for centuries, so it was no surprise that the witchcraft fierceness eventually reach colonial New England in the late seventeenth century, but this wave of fear was different from any other. Beginning with two unripe girls, witchcraft affected every person living in the New World and by the end, over twenty men and women were convicted of witchcraft, as well as entire communities living in constant fear of being touched by the Devil. Puritans, a group of English settlers, held strong beliefs about the Devil which sparked ideas of witchcraft among the Salem community. The austere Puritan lifestyle left little room for creativity, resulting in accusations against innocent people. Women, in addition to children, were inferior and considered weak it was believed that Satan utilise them to carry out his wishes, and as a result, these people became witches. The severity of Puritan religious beliefs indirectly caused the witchcraft hysteria to reach its peak during the Salem Witch Trials. Prominent and influential among the colonies, mainly Massachusetts, Puritanism was not only a religion, but a lifestyle. Puritans left England in 1630, with the intent to reform the Church of England. These English Protestants were dissatisfy on how the Church of England was run and they made it their mission to purify and eliminate the church of Catholic influences, as well as invigorate daily practices of religion. Overall, Puritans sought after England to be reformed as John Calvin (1509-1564) had reformed Geneva (Hall, 21). By moving to New England, Puritans had the freedom to establish their own religious authority. Puritanism controlled every legal action in order to maintain a constant unity between people and Go... ...ities. Young women at that time had nothing at all to consort their imaginations. There were no fairy tales or stories, no art, theater, or classical music (Kallen 23). In addition to restrictions of childhood, extreme pressure was placed on children to keep pure or suffer the potential punishments from the Devil. At young ages, fear was planted in childrens minds causing hyperawareness of Satans wrath to fright a childs consciousness (Hall 23). The combination of fear, lack of imaginative outlets, and pressures on children were catalysts to the uproar of witches and witchcraft. With little ability and opportunity to express any doings other than obedience, it was understandable that young Abigail Williams and Betty Paris claimed that they were possessed by witches, and in turn, these accusations engulfed the entire settlement of Salem into the hysteria.

The Mother Daughter Relationship in I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olse

The Mother Daughter Relationship in I Stand here(predicate) Ironing by Tillie OlsenI protest here ironing, a unique dialect uttered by a woman in her conquest of life. It may seem like an unwanted phrase to umteen, but it has deep meaning behind it. This phrase is almost whispered by the narrator of ?I Stand Here Ironing,? Tillie Olsen, and also by many other mothers going through an important stage in their lives. The stage in life that the mother in the story is going through is called baby bird development, and within this complicated stage arise many new worlds of imagination, emotional journeys, and soothing memories. The whole story is based some a mothers view, and joy, of her child suppuration up in a world filled with barriers and hurdles that she must overcome. The entire point of view is that of the narrator, as a mother concerned with the manner her child is being raised and the hardships she must overcome. She also witnesses her daughter?s happiness and the color ful meanings of life that she discovers herself. I believe this story is based around the hardships of growing up as a woman in the Nineteen-hundreds. It has all the symbolism of being a true feminist short story. As Elaine Orr expresses in her criticism, Tillie Olsen and a Feminist Spiritual Vision, about how ?Suddenly Emily is emblematic of all children, of the next generation??(EO 84) that the times were of the early feministic era. When feminists were about conquering oppression and move above the rest of the doubt that society places upon them. She talks about how ?Emily will not survive. If she does not believe in future presence, in beginnings latent in her own life, all is lost past, present, and future.?(EO 84) expressing once again how the times were differen... ...cts of the mother and the descriptions, which are presented to us from her, are very conclusive and need to be make headway examined to draw out any further conclusions on how she ?really? felt. The mother-da ughter relationship amongst the narrator and her daughter bring up many questions as to their detailed connection. At times it seems strong, as when the narrator is relating her childhood and recounting the good times. Other times it is very strained. All in all the connection between the two seems to be a very real and lifelike account of an actual mother-daughter relationship.Bibliography1. Orr, Elaine. Tillie Olsen and a Feminist Spiritual Vision. Jackson University Press, 1987 2. Responding to Literature. ?I Stand Here Ironing?. Mayfield Publishing Company Judith Stanford. 1999. Pg. 815-821.

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Clan Of The Cave Bear By Jean Auel Jean Auel wrote the earmark by the name of the Clan of the cave bear and it has been hailed as one of the bets pieces of all time. It was so good that even a movie has been made on the story line and much of the success of the movie can be accredited to the success of the tidings itself. The story is basically about this woman and her struggles in purport and it is very broad because the story develops over the years and it encompasses a number of other characters and happenings in her life. It is about how things shape out in her life and many a reader may get the impression that it is herself that she is talking about and that she went through the similar period of turmoil and trouble in her have times. Life can be a funny thing and as the title of the play suggests that it is about a family which in this case is the family of the bear or his clan and the story deals with their lives and developments over the years. The story begins like any common novel but the way in which the language and expression can be felt is very deep rooted and the impact is very deep. It is able to interact with the people and the human values and human touch has been emphasized by the writer. She feels that the best way to interact with the reader is by giving them something that is unused to them. Humane touch and the human element is something that has been missing in the books of recent times and that is what makes the American writers peculiar because their level of interaction and their inclusion of the human values in their works are very pronounced. The main character in the book is a female who is left stranded after a disaster and she is at a loss of words because she is still in her tender age. She is so young t... ...the prime focus of study in the book and the writer has not spared any thought about their description and she has done a remarkably wonderful job of making that link so effective between the two completely differ ent worlds. The adoptive and the parental instincts as well as the human touch are apparently clear. The two worlds might seem equally ugly to one another from a naked eye. Ayla learns about new things and is able to understand the things that are not known to the outside world. There are social and moral taboos and she breaks them and she is allowed to do so and she ventures in the unfamiliar filth where no one else has been before. There is mystery and there may be evolution but moreover it is all about the way the things may interact and bring out the best from the ends where things might have been there but have always gone so unnoticed by us all.