Soft Commodity Research Paper (News Letter Form)

Soft Commodity (News Letter Form) - Research Paper Example 4). Additionally, production shifted from Gulf Coast regions to more efficient growing areas. However, due to the decrease in demand in rice during 2008, the price of rice has significantly increased. But with the aid of the structural changes, the US rice industry has managed to cope and since then the trend of the demand has normalized. Currently, rice is valued in the market at $578.36 per metric ton. According to World Bank’s bi-annual Global Economic Prospects (26) report, a decline on the prices of global prices of farm commodities should be expected in 2012 by up to 11% mainly due because of the slowdown in demand and improved supply prospects. Although returns to rice production are highly variable and fluctuating, the trend is being controlled with the substantial structural changes that are being implemented in order to balance these factors. In the years to come, as the World Bank has predicted, rice prices will continually drop. And unlike other agricultural products, the rice industry has enjoyed a decline in its

Sexuality at Different Life Stages Essay Example for Free

Sexuality at Different Life Stages Essay Anna, an adolescent girl, is very much in love with her boyfriend who is three years older than she. He is putting a lot of pressure on her to have sex. At the same time, she is anxious about her parents’ attitude towards her boyfriend. Her mother constantly warns her about dating an older boy and assumes that he intends to take advantage of her. Young Anna is experiencing new emotions along with new physical sensations triggered by hormones and the lives of her peers. There are several topics Anna needs to discuss in order to make the best decision without feeling uncomfortable or forced by her parents, her boyfriend, or even her therapist. Anna’s Age Anna needs to discuss the difference between what she is feeling now versus how she will feel as an adult, once the hormone levels have evened out. It is important for her to understand that what she thinks may be a long term, emotional, attachment, may end much sooner than she think and that making a decision based on these emotion may end up causing her emotional pain. By explaining to Anna that, if the love is as strong as she believes it to be, her relationship will last long enough for her to be able to make this decision without all of the physical, emotional, and peer pressure she may feel more comfortable in waiting to make such a major move with her boyfriend. Self Esteem Anna is feeling pressure from her boyfriends and may fear the relationship will end if she does not have sex with him. Anna and her therapist need to take time to discuss how she sees herself and how she feels others view her. With a higher self esteem, Anna may come to understand that she doesn’t have to give in to his pressure and, if the relationship does end, that she will have plenty of chances to find someone else who she will see as just as good, or better, than her current boyfriend. Raising her self esteem may also help her feel more confident in making decision that may go against what her peers are doing or trying to convince her to do. If she can feel strong in her decisions, there may be less of a chance of others changing her mind simply because â€Å"everyone else is doing it†. Sexual Realities Many adolescents may believe that engaging in sexual activities makes them more mature or helps them reach adulthood faster than others. Helping Anna understand the truth about what sex may or may not change about her body and personality could give her a better understanding about herself and her peers as she tries to make the difficult decisions that come with growing up. It may also help calm some fears that she may have about sexuality that she may have receive from listening to misinformed peers. Contraception and Sexually Transmitted Infections Whatever Anna decides, she needs to know how to protect herself from unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Since there are many myths on how to prevent pregnancy and STIs, she needs to know the truth so she can avoid potentially dangerous or negatively life altering situations. With this knowledge, Anna may decide to wait until she has more understanding or, at least, until she can feel sure that sex with her boyfriend is safe and they are both willing and able to take on the responsibilities of contraception, or of raising a child if they choose not to prevent pregnancy. Conclusion Whatever Anna decides, the best thing is that she makes an informed decision. With proper knowledge, she can prevent much of the emotional and physical pain that can come from a misinformed decision and possibly even decide to wait until her body, and her emotions are fully matured and she is truly ready to take on the responsibility of sexual activity. Her therapist needs to help her communicate openly about her fears, wants, and needs and show her what she needs to be happy and healthy through this stressful and confusing time in her life. Before and after Anna decides, she needs someone who is well informed to speak to openly about sex and the different feelings that come along with each activity.

9/11 and Jean-Jacques Rousseau :: American America History

9/11 and Jean-Jacques Rousseau L'Etat C'est Moi : Absolutism in the Age of Reason By analyzing the Taliban regime and their motives, Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ideas, and by comparing the two, it will be made evident that Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ideas of government rule over people's lives is true in this specific case. On September 11, 2001 the heart of the United States of America was ripped out in a matter of 10 minutes by Islamic extremists who follow the Taliban Regime. The first attack was at 8:45 am when two planes were hijacked and crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. Thousands lost their lives that day. This was the day that started "America's War on Terrorism." The Taliban Regime believes that Islam is the right and only way to live. The government inflicts Islam teachings on their citizens. It is law that all women must wear the hajib when out in public, if not they will be punished. All men must enroll in the army, unless he is the only son with no one else to carry on the family name. Children are taught to die for their religion. When an Islam nation declares a Jihad (a religious war) it is solved by death of a nation. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva in Switzerland in 1712. He was a Philosopher who believed that all people are good and it is bad government that turns them to do evil. He believed that the government brainwashes it's citizens to believe in their way. And if any one of it's citizens refuses to obey the general's will may be forced by his fellows to do so. Thus saying that it may be necessary to force a man to be free. For example if the law demanded that every man must enroll with the army by the age of 18, and one of it's citizens did not agree with this law and tried to get out of it, that man would be forced to enroll. He would be forced to fight for his country, and his freedom. Even if he didn't believe in it himself. In this case, with the Taliban regime, Rousseau's ideas hold truth. It is evident that the Taliban Regime is a good example of bad government controlling good people. Each individual man who does not want to join the army must escape for fear of his life.

Influence of video games on youth Essay

What is not normally thought about when buying a new game console or game is: Do video games influence a child’s psychological development and make them more aggressive and violent? Do video games affect a child’s grades? These will be some of the topics we will be discussing. Some parents have the concern that video games, among other outlets, affect their children and cause them to be more aggressive and violent with other children their age and elders, also. Parents have the right to limit the time spent playing video games and partaking in the other outlets available such as media. According to Anderson and Gentile, [Parents have an important role to play. Psychologists have found that when parents limit the amount of time as well as the types of games their children play, children are less likely to show aggressive behaviors (Anderson et al. , under review; Gentile et al. , 2004). Other research suggests that active parental involvement in children’s media usage-including discussing the inappropriateness of violent solutions to real life conflicts, reducing time spent on violent media, and generating alternative nonviolent solutions to problems-all can reduce the impact of media violence on children and youth (Anderson et al. , 2003). ] On the contrary, as according to Anderson and Gentile, [Dr. Anderson and colleagues have shown that playing a lot of violent video games is related to having more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). Furthermore, playing violent games is also related to children being less willing to be caring and helpful towards their peers. Importantly, research has shown that these effects happen just as much for non-aggressive children as they do for children who already have aggressive tendencies. ] Some studies have been done about the habits of children. Some of the studies showed that although children love to play video games alone, they prefer to play them more within groups. Parents, as well as teachers, have found that with some games, where reading, doing mathematical problems, and following instructions are needed, that their children’s grades have improved. The BBC (2002) stated, â€Å"Computer games could become part of the school curriculum after researchers found they had significant educational value. The UK study concluded that simulation and adventure games – such as Sim City and RollerCoaster Tycoon, where players create societies or build theme parks, developed children’s strategic thinking and planning skills. Parents and teachers also thought their children’s mathematics, reading and spelling improved. The investigation into the habits of 700 children aged seven to 16 also found that, far from being a solitary activity, children preferred to play games in pairs or small groups. † (para. 1-4) Video games can help develop the brain’s response time when the games used are dealing with with variables, teaching a specific skill or problem solving. Games have been used by several websites by politicians teaching politics and by the Nobel Prize Foundation to teach history. The Wikipedia () stated, â€Å"Video games can aid the development of proficiency by allowing users to interact with objects and manipulate variables. They are said to be particularly effective when designed to address a specific problem or teach a certain skill in curriculum subjects, where specific objectives can be stated and when deployed selectively within a context relevant to the learning activity and goal. Simple types of games can be designed to address specific learning outcomes such as recall of factual content. For instance, the Nobel Prize Foundation website uses on-line games to aid children in understanding the discoveries made by its laureates by embedding the scientific knowledge as part of the game environment. Video games have historically received more criticism than other forms of recreational learning because they are often perceived as or associated with issues such as mindless entertainment, enhanced social recluse, sexism and consumerism. However, a shift from pure entertainment to educational tool has emerged in recent times. Children growing up today can benefit from educational video games because they are already exposed to a society that is increasingly dependent on digital technology. The medium of educational games provides an opportunity for teachers to introduce educational and playful elements into the learning environment. With computer-aided learning programs, teachers may assist students on social aspects such as critical learning, knowledge based communication and effective interpersonal skills that traditional methods of teaching cannot offer. † (para. 2, 5-6). Many people are under the conclusion that by letting children play video games, they will spend less time outside. Even though children play video games, most children still partake in old fashion activities such as soccer, baseball, and many others. Most children still prefer to play in groups than to play alone. According to Cauchon (), [The fundamental nature of American childhood has changed in a single generation. The unstructured outdoor childhood – days of pick-up baseball games, treehouses and â€Å"be home for dinner† – has all but vanished. Today, childhood is spent mostly indoors, watching television, playing video games and working the Internet. When children do go outside, it tends to be for scheduled events – soccer camp or a fishing derby – held under the watch of adults. In a typical week, 27% of kids ages 9 to 13 play organized baseball, but only 6% play on their own, a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. ] On the contrary, according to Anderson and Gentile, [Drs. Anderson and Gentile’s research shows that children are spending increasing amounts of time playing video games – 13 hours per week for boys, on average, and 5 hours per week for girls (Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley, under review; Gentile, Lynch, Linder, & Walsh, 2004). ] In conclusion to all of the information above, we have concluded that video games are not the only effect on children that could cause them to be violent or aggressive in their childhood and when they are older. Children learn from the programs they see on TV, Music Videos, Video Games, and especially from what they see going on in their home. It is unfair for us to exclusively blame the video game creators and the stores that sell the products for the aggressiveness in children. Parents should also be held accountable, especially if they are the ones buying the games for their children. We both came to this agreement, thanks to the information we have gathered in reference to our topic of the influence of video games on the youth. It is irrelevant to believe that video games are a main factor or the most important factor of a negative development in children. References Pros: BBC. (2002). Video Games Stimulate Learning. Retrieved July 3, 2008, from http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/education/1879019. stm Cauchon Dennis, (2006). Kids are Living Under House Arrest. White Dot. Retrieved July 3, 2008, from http://www. whitedot. org/issue/iss_story. asp? slug=sedentary%20kids Wikipedia. (). Video Games. Retrieved July 3, 2008, from http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_game Cons: Anderson, Craig A. , Gentile, Douglas A. , & Buckley, Katherine E. (2007). Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents. Oxford, Connecticut. Cauchon Dennis, (2006). Kids are Living Under House Arrest. White Dot. Retrieved July 3, 2008, from http://www. whitedot. org/issue/iss_story. asp? slug=sedentary%20kids Kent Steven, (2006). Anti-video Games to Me Misses Its Target Widely. Tegenwicht. Retrieved July 3, 2008, from http://www. tegenwicht. org/03_littleton/anti_video_games. htm.

EU-Belarus Relations

This paper will utilize 5 articles from around the world on the question of the relations between Belarus and the European Union. The purpose here is to unmask the propaganda, the unsubstantiated rumors and western-sponsored attacks on Belarus and specifically, its president, Alexander Lukashenko, wildly popular in Belarus itself. The Moscow Times (May 4, 2009), speaks of the possibility of Lukashenko boycotting the EU’s summit in Prague that same week. There are two reasons given for this.First, that the visit might â€Å"irritate† some EU members, and secondly, that part of the agenda of the meeting is to promote the â€Å"economic integration† of eastern Europe within a EU run framework. Both of these reasons are telling. First, the economic success of Belarus outside of the system financed by the International Monetary Fund has threatened the European Union and the United States. The endless accusations of vote rigging and oppression are belied by the fact th at Lukashenko is overseeing a huge expansion of the post-Soviet economy of Belarus, and that he holds to a solid popularity rating of 80%, this after over 10 years in office.The Los Angeles Times (September 25, 2005) has said: â€Å"even [Lukashenko’s] fiercest opponents don’t question the accuracy of independent polls that rate him the most popular politician in this country. † Yet, the major papers and agencies here do not make reference to it at all. From the Financial Times (May 2, 2009), the Belarussian foreign Minister, Sergei Martinov, fears that the Prague Summit would have turned into a competition for Belarussian support. In other words, that the EU was using this summit to lure Belarus away from Russia.Martinov said that â€Å"We are not going to make a choice between the EU and Russia. We are not going to develop relations with one at the expense of relations with the other. † It seems that the fears of Lukashenko and his government are justif ied here. The only rational reason why the EU, whose public contempt for Lukashenko is daily made clear, would want Belarus to attend the Prague summit is so that they can take Belarus away from the protection of Russia with the aim of altering her highly successful political system.What other government would tolerate this? It seems more that the EU seeks the cooperation of Belarus, at least partially because Russian oil pipelines and much refining capacity goes straight thought Belarussian territory. While the EU publically condemns Belarus for vague crimes, the Belarussian foreign trading regime has been heaving tilted towards the EU and away from a dependence on Russia. Belarus is skillfully playing both sides, making herself indispensable for both the Russian and the European sphere of influence.The fact is that, vague denunciations aside, Belarus still sports a large trade and budget surplus, high economic growth rates and an unemployment rate of around 1%. These numbers are d ifficult to argue with, and hence, the EU’s approach has now been directed more towards dialogue rather then confrontation. In April 29, 2009, the Euro-Business newspaper from Brussels came out with a scathing article attacking Belarus from a Polish point of view.It relates the president of the European parliament’s condemnation of Belarussian policies while speaking in Poland, and reminds readers that Lukashenko was under a EU imposed travel ban lifted only in October. But what are the facts here. Again, the president of the rather toothless EU parliament attacks Belarus for a lack of democracy. But Belarus has 14 independent and rather large political parties, some pro-Lukashenko, some opposed. Belarus has dozens of privately owned newspapers of diverse backgrounds, including the large anti-government Charter 97 news agency.Apparently, the issue is not over â€Å"democracy† but Belarus’ strong sense of national independence, including in terms of econom ic integration with the EU. Pro-Belarussian professor Matthew Johnson had this to say about the situation in Belarus: In Belarus, a country the size of Kansas, there are about 800 newspapers. Of this, about 600 are privately owned. There are about 450 magazines are various kinds. Of these, about 300 are owned by private investors or entrepreneurs. In television, there are 9 state owned stations, and about 40 stations owned by private investors (Johnson, 2006).On April 30, 2009, the Soros owned Radio Free Liberty newspaper wrote that â€Å"Czech President Vaclav Klaus has said he would neither shake Lukashenko's hand nor invite him to the Prague castle if he comes to the Czech capital. † No reasons for this immature overreaction are given. It does strongly suggest that the EU and the US are putting quite a bit of pressure on European leaders to freeze out the independent Lukashenko. His economic success and thriving democracy are a threat to the west where democracy is synonym ous for â€Å"integration with the west.† Lukashenko’s independent course and economic success far and above either Poland and Czech Republic in terms of incomes and unemployment (cf. World Bank Report, 2009). The Russian News and Information Agency wrote on February 18, 2009, that â€Å"The EU plans to include Belarus in its new program, Eastern Partnership, on the condition that Minsk complies with EU demands on the country's democratization. † In other words, Belarus can be a part of Europe so long as she ceases to be an independent country and permits Brussels to restructure her domestic policy.And would Great Britain like it if Belarus refused to ship any oil to Europe unless she pull out of Northern Ireland? This is about power, and the foreign policy independence of Belarus. Refusing to follow any western line, Belarus has strong economic and military ties with Iran, China and Vietnam, hence standing in the way of western foreign policy. This seems to hav e more to do with the EU’s contempt for Minsk than anything else. But often, the newspapers dealt with here refuse to deal with the major issues.First, none of the above papers ever dealt with the economic success of Belarus, even when such success is seconded by the World Bank statistics themselves. Second, they refuse to deal with Lukashenko’s popularity and, lastly, refuse to deal with the long history of the CIA in attempting to destabilize that country, hence prompting Lukashenko’s paranoia about foreign manipulation. Paul Labarique writes in the Non-Aligned Press Network: The Bush administration’s many attempts to overthrow Alexander Lukashenko and destabilize Belarus to bring it to the North Atlantic orbit (NATO) have failed.Not precisely because the extremely authoritarian president has had the support of Russia, but because it has relied on his voters. Appreciating the country’s good economic performance and the maintenance of their indepe ndence, the Belarusian distrusted an opposition too openly submitted to Washington’s interests (February 18, 2005) While this is a dated reference, it does show that many are suspicious about the so-called anti-Lukashenko opposition and the CIA’s long running interference in Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Georgian and Belarussian elections.But none of this is spoken of in the major media outlets in America or the EU. The more recent articles dealt with in this paper refuse to deal with any of the major issues involved with the west’s irrational attacks on Lukashenko. But what are the newspapers leaving out? Apparently they are under a great amount of stress to paint Lukashenko in the most dire colors possible. But this is a problem: if the major newspapers worldwide are refusing the report the truth, than what does this say?It says that, especially in more obscure parts of the world, CIA involvement can lead to distorted reporting for reasons of â€Å"national se curity. † Or it may be merely that the reporters involved do not want to be thrown out of the country club, or that, even more, the Radio Free Europe report is motivated by the fact that the Soros NGO’s were thrown out of Belarus some years ago as agents of the CIA. Either way, the fact remains that newspaper reporting is highly suspect, and yet, the issues here are tremendous: Russia is a nuclear armed country, and pushing Belarus too hard is, to some extent, pushing Russia.To re-create the Cold War is likely not the best idea in the world, and the fact that Belarus is reaching out to China and Venezuela suggests that an alternative trading and military bloc is being formed. The picture the newspapers paint of Lukashenko is an unrestrained tyrant. Yet that is not backed up by facts in any forum. Hence, in reading papers about the relations between Lukashenko and the EU, one must be wary of the bias of the authors. The issues that the authors are not bringing up either because they are too ignorant of the subtleties, or they are under pressure, are that first, Belarus is an economic and political success.Lukashenko enjoys wide popularity and has controlled the effects of both the breakup of the USSR and the current economic crisis. But Lukashenko’s policies have been driven by state independence and the desire for a multi-polar world. This has led to threats from the west that has led further to the realignment of Belarussian politics towards anti-western centers throughout the world, including the crucial area of nuclear power (Kommersant, 2006). The west’s policies in this respect have been failures.But it is also clear that the media is also a major power behind the attacks on Lukashenko, often without the facts and research necessary to make sense out of the complex political situation of small states in a hostile environment. Obviously the media is misreporting the situation in Belarus. It seems to this writer that the real reas on Belarus is a threat is that they are an economic successful nation outside of the integrative structures of the west and its banks.Luskahenko has refused to permit his country to come under the control of the west, and has pursued a strategy of international equality, seeing all states as equal and as contributing to global justice. As a result he is vilified in the press, as some of the newspaper reports mentioned here show. History is in the making indeed, and it is being made by a handful of reporters and journalists in elite newspapers. References: Barber, Tony. â€Å"Belarus Fears Battle for Regional Influence. † The Financial Times. May 2, 2009. Moscow Times. â€Å"Lukashenko Expected to Skip EU’s Prague Summit.May 4, 2009 EU Business. â€Å"European Parliament Chief Calls for Democracy in Belarus. April 29, 2009. Radio Free Liberty. â€Å"Belarussian President Will not Attend Prague Summit. † April 30, 2009. Labareque, Paul. â€Å"Belarussians Defen d their Interests. † Non Aligned Press Network. February, 15, 2005 Johnson, Matthew Raphael. Belarus: A New Look. The American Journal for Russian and Slavic Studies, 2006. Kommersant. â€Å"Lukashenko Speaks Chinese. † May 24, 2006 World Bank. Belarus. 2009. (Cf www. worldbank. org/by) for all the statistical information on the Belarussian economy.